Montgomery, Alabama

History

Montgomery was named for General Richard Montgomery, who died in the American Revolutionary War attempting to capture Quebec, Canada. Montgomery was made the capital of Alabama on the fourth try. The territorial capital, St. Stephens on the Tombigbee River, had been supplanted by Huntsville then Cahawba and Tuscaloosa [1]. It was the first capital of the Confederate States of America, whose president Jefferson Davis was inaugurated in its steps (illustration, right). It is located on the north portion of the Alabama River.

Law and government

Current Mayor: Bobby Bright

Geography

Montgomery is located at 32°21'42" North, 86°16'45" West (32.361538, -86.279118)¹.

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 404.5 km² (156.2 mi²). 402.4 km² (155.4 mi²) of it is land and 2.1 km² (0.8 mi²) of it is water. The total area is 0.52% water..

Demographics

As of the census² of 2000, there are 201,568 people, 78,384 households, and 51,106 families residing in the city. The population density is 500.9/km² (1,297.3/mi²). There are 86,787 housing units at an average density of 215.7/km² (558.5/mi²). The racial makeup of the city is 47.67% White, 49.63% Black or African American, 0.25% Native American, 1.06% Asian, 0.04% Pacific Islander, 0.37% from other races, and 0.98% from two or more races. 1.23% of the population are Hispanic or Latino of any race.

There are 78,384 households out of which 32.1% have children under the age of 18 living with them, 42.4% are married couples living together, 19.1% have a female householder with no husband present, and 34.8% are non-families. 30.1% of all households are made up of individuals and 9.4% have someone living alone who is 65 years of age or older. The average household size is 2.44 and the average family size is 3.06.

In the city the population is spread out with 25.9% under the age of 18, 12.1% from 18 to 24, 29.8% from 25 to 44, 20.3% from 45 to 64, and 11.8% who are 65 years of age or older. The median age is 33 years. For every 100 females there are 88.4 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there are 83.9 males.

The median income for a household in the city is $35,627, and the median income for a family is $44,297. Males have a median income of $31,877 versus $25,014 for females. The per capita income for the city is $19,385. 17.7% of the population and 13.9% of families are below the poverty line. Out of the total population, 25.7% of those under the age of 18 and 13.4% of those 65 and older are living below the poverty line.

Notable Points

• Alabama Shakespeare Festival
• Montgomery Biscuits, minor league baseball
• Montgomery Zoo

Higher Education

Montgomery is home to a variety of colleges and universities, including:

• Alabama State University
• Auburn University Montgomery
• Faulkner University
• Huntingdon College
• Troy University, Montgomery Campus

External links

• Maps and aerial photos
  • Street map from Mapquest or Google
  • Topographic map from Topozone
  • Aerial photograph from Terraserver or Google