Auburn, Alabama

Auburn, Alabama

Introduction to Auburn, Alabama

The Alabama city of Auburn sits in the eastern section of the state, about 30 miles from the Georgia border. The city is located 55 miles east of Montgomery, 35 miles west of Columbus, Georgia, and about 105 miles southwest of the Georgia state capital of Atlanta. It is the largest city in eastern Alabama and is home to Auburn University, Alabama's largest university. The city is served by three principal highways: Interstate 85, U.S. Route 29, and U.S. Route 280.

Founded in 1836 and incorporated three years later, the city of Auburn derived its name from a line in "The Deserted Village", a poem by Oliver Goldsmith. The line "Sweet Auburn, the loveliest village of the plain" also gave the city its unofficial nickname. Originally chartered in 1856, the earliest incarnation of Auburn University was known as the East Alabama Male College. The institution would undergo a few name changes through the years (Agricultural and Mechanical College of Alabama, Alabama Polytechnic Institute) before becoming known as Auburn University in 1960. Auburn today has an economy centered around the university and university-affiliated services. The university itself employs roughly one-quarter of the city's total workforce, and several thousand more people are employed by the federal and state governments in positions linked to the university. Auburn has four technology parks and the city's industry is heavily focused on high tech manufacturing and research.

Auburn Arts and Recreation

Auburn is home to a varied collection of historical sites, museums, performing arts attractions and recreational facilities. Some of these are listed here:

• Jule Collins Smith Museum of Fine Art: Houses a collection of 19th and 20th Century American and European art.
• Jonathan B. Lovelace Athletic Museum and Hall of Honor: Dedicated to honoring Auburn's athletic past.
• Pebble Hill: Once the home of Colonel Nathaniel J. Scott, it is now the home of the Auburn University Center for the Arts and Humanities which hosts programs on history, literature, and art.
• Telfair Peet Theatre: Exceptional performances year-round featuring both classical and modern productions.
• The Auburn Community Orchestra
• Jan Dempsey Community Arts Center
• Auburn University Agricultural Heritage Park

Musical events in Auburn include dozens of yearly concerts performed by the Auburn University Band and the Auburn High School Honors Band. Big band jazz performances are offered by the Auburn Knights Orchestra. For original, acoustic music in a wide variety of styles (folk, blues, country, bluegrass, and jazz to fast-folk and alternative styles), the Sundilla Acoustic Concert Series holds its performances at the historic Unitarian Fellowship building.

Outdoor recreation enthusiasts will enjoy Auburn's 16 parks, which include Chewacla State Park (a 700 acre site in the Appalachian foothills), Kiesel Park (200 acres of meandering trails), and Lake Harding. Families can enjoy Hickory Dickory Park for picnicking and Family Fun Junction for miniature golf, go-cart racing, batting cages, and arcade games.

Although there are no professional sports teams in Auburn, the city is not lacking a vibrant sports culture due to the presence of the Auburn University Tigers and its NCAA Division I athletic squads. Football games at Auburn University are tourist attractions unto themselves and constitute a major factor in the city's economy and culture, changing the face of Auburn for several weekends each fall when tens of thousands of fans flood the campus to create a festival-like atmosphere. The Tiger football squad, a perennial national NCAA collegiate powerhouse, had a perfect 13-0 season in 2005. Football games are played in Jordan-Hare Stadium, which accommodates over 87,000 fans. Tiger basketball is played at the Beard-Eaves Memorial Coliseum, and Tiger baseball games are held at Plainsman Park, named the top collegiate ballpark in the nation by Baseball America in 2003.

Fans of professional sports can take a reasonably short drive outside the city limits to take in some games. The Columbus Catfish, who play in nearby Columbus, Georgia (35 miles to the east) are a Minor League Baseball team and a single-A affiliate of the Los Angeles Dodgers. Columbus is also home to the Cottonmouths, a hockey team in the Southern Professional Hockey League (SPHL). The city of Montgomery Alabama (55 miles to the west) is home to the Southern League's Montgomery Biscuits, the Minor League Baseball Double-A affiliate of the Tampa Bay Devil Rays. Major League sports can be found in Atlanta, Georgia (105 miles to the northeast). Here, fans can see any of the following teams:

• Major League Baseball: Atlanta Braves
• National Football League: Atlanta Falcons
• National Basketball Association: Atlanta Hawks
• National Hockey League: Atlanta Thrashers

Atlanta is also home to the Georgia Force, a team in the Arena Football League (AFL).

High Points

Auburn strengths, compared to Peers (similar size places nationally) or State (other places in Alabama):

Category	Trophy
College Educated Adults (vs. State)	Top 1%
Short Commute Times (vs. State)	Top 1%
Walking and Biking to Work (vs. State)	Top 1%
Public Transportation Use (vs. State)	Top 6%
Affordability of Property Taxes (vs. Peers)	Top 6%
Median Family Income (vs. State)	Top 7%
Affordability of Rents (vs. Peers)	Top 9%
Racial Diversity (vs. State)	Top 9%

Comparative Profile of Auburn, AL

Comparing Auburn to similar size places nationwide (Peers) and to other places in Alabama (State):

Ratings range from (lowest) to (highest).

The People

Characteristic	Compared to Peers	Compared to State
Male Share of the Population
Racial Diversity
Female Share of the Population
Senior Citizens
Children Under 5 Years Old
Well-Paid Single Men
Age of the Population

Families

Characteristic	Compared to Peers	Compared to State
Average Household Size
Portion of People Married

Wealth

Characteristic	Compared to Peers	Compared to State
College Educated Adults
Median Family Income
People in Middle Class or Better
People Above Poverty

Commute & Sprawl

Characteristic	Compared to Peers	Compared to State
Short Commute Times
Walking and Biking to Work
Working at Home
Public Transportation Use

Housing

Characteristic	Compared to Peers	Compared to State
People Living Alone
Affordability of Property Taxes
Affordability of Rents
Housing Recently Built
Studio & One-Bedroom Rentals
Seasonal and Vacation Housing

Crime

Characteristic	Compared to Peers	Compared to State
Low Violent Crime
Low Property Crime

Auburn Almanac

Auburn Climate

Nearest Weather Stations

• Temp ranges are avg daily min and max for the month
• Precipitation is rainfall (and rainfall equiv of snowfall)

Auburn Population (2000)

(From 2000 Census, as reported by individuals)

Political Contributions (2004)

Money donated by Auburn residents to parties and candidates for the 2004 elections.

by Political Party

by Presidential Candidate

Nearby Cities and Towns

Auburn High Schools (2004)

AUBURN HIGH SCHOOL
405 S DEAN RD
334-501-7370
Serves 971 students.
Student/teacher ratio: 14.9

AUBURN FARM CENTER
3005 BEEHIVE RD
334-887-2110
A Vocational School

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