Introduction to Montgomery, Alabama
The city of Montgomery is the capital of the state of Alabama and also the county seat of Montgomery County. Montgomery sits in the central part of the state, about 90 miles south of Birmingham and 170 miles northeast of Mobile. The city is serviced by several major thoroughfares. Interstates I-65 and I-85 intersect in the city, and U.S. Routes 31, 80, 82, 231 and 331 are also located within the city boundaries. Nearby communities include Pratville (to the north), Selma (to the west), Hayneville (to the southwest), and Tuskeegee (to the east).
Once the capital of the Confederacy, Montgomery in its later years evolved into a key center of the Civil Rights Movement. Founded in 1819 and incorporated in 1837, Montgomery derived its name from that of Major Lemuel Putnam Montgomery, who was the first man killed in the Battle of Horseshoe Bend in 1814. The city was selected as Alabama's state capital in 1846, a few years before the onset of the Civil War, during which Alabama would be among the first southern states to secede from the Union. The Alabama State Capitol Building in Montgomery served as headquarters for the Confederacy and was the site of the inauguration of Confederate president Jefferson Davis. Although escaping major physical damage from the Civil War, Montgomery suffered from the destruction of Alabama's infrastructure after the war. The city's rebuilding effort was aided by industrial growth in the textile and agriculture industries, and the city was soon able to boast the first electric streetcar in the country and also the nation's first flight school. Orville and Wilbur Wright established the Wright Flying School in 1910, from which they conducted their first night flights on the site that is now Maxwell Air Force Base. In 1955, Montgomery again made history when Rosa Parks became a civil rights heroine when she was arrested for refusing to give up her bus seat to a white man. The reaction to this incident led to the 382-day Montgomery Bus Boycott which finally forced the city to desegregate its transit system. In 1965, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., then pastor of the Dexter Street Baptist Church and leader of the Civil Rights Movement, led the famous Civil Rights March for Justice from Selma to Montgomery. In more recent years, Montgomery has benefited from a revitalization effort and today stands as a prosperous and progressive state capital and one of the largest livestock markets and dairy centers in the southeast.
Montgomery was the part-time home of country music pioneer and Hank Williams. The legendary singer-songwriter is buried in the city. Montgomery is also home to Alabama State University (ASU).
Montgomery Arts and Recreation
The Montgomery Museum of Fine Arts, the oldest fine arts museum in the state, was founded in 1930 and today houses an impressive collection of American paintings, Southern regional art, Old Master prints, and decorative arts. The museum is also home to a large array of temporary exhibitions and educational programs conducted throughout the year. Another premier attraction in Montgomery is the Montgomery Zoo. Originally established in 1920, the zoo underwent a major expansion in 1989 encompassing over 48 acres and 700 different species of animals. Located on the zoo grounds is the Mann Wildlife Learning Museum, a 28,000 square-foot natural history museum dedicated to wildlife conservation. The museum includes one of the nation's finest collections of professionally presented North American wildlife in displays allowing views from all sides. One of the most popular tourist attractions in the city is DeSoto Caverns Park, housing one of the oldest recorded caves in the United States and caverns that can be explored and enjoyed by kids of all ages. Also, Montgomery is home to the Alabama Shakespeare Festival. Other notable locales and events in Montgomery include the following:
Although there are no major league pro sports teams in Alabama, Montgomery is home to a minor league professional baseball team. The Montgomery Biscuits of the Southern League, who play in the city's Riverwalk Stadium, are the Minor League Double-A affiliate of the Tampa Bay Devil Rays. Fans of collegiate sports can take in some NCAA Division I action played by Alabama State's Hornets. The University's sports teams participate in the Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC). Less than an hour away in nearby Auburn are the Auburn University Tigers, whose football games constitute major fall events in that city.
| Location | Pop. | Median Family Income (2000) |
|---|---|---|
| Montgomery | 201,568 | $44,297 |
| Millbrook | 10,386 | $47,004 |
| Prattville | 24,303 | $51,774 |
| Wetumpka | 5,726 | $41,500 |
Montgomery strengths, compared to Peers (similar size places nationally) or State (other places in Alabama):
| Category | Trophy | |
|---|---|---|
| Affordability of Property Taxes (vs. Peers) | Top 2% | ![]() ![]() |
| College Educated Adults (vs. State) | Top 7% | ![]() |
| Well-Paid Single Women (vs. State) | Top 7% | ![]() |
| Walking and Biking to Work (vs. State) | Top 10% | ![]() |
| Well-Paid Single Men (vs. State) | Top 11% | ![]() |
| Public Transportation Use (vs. State) | Top 11% | ![]() |
| Short Commute Times (vs. Peers) | Top 12% | ![]() |
| Racial Diversity (vs. State) | Top 18% | ![]() |
Comparing Montgomery to similar size places nationwide (Peers) and to other places in Alabama (State):
Ratings range from
(lowest) to
(highest).
| Characteristic | Compared to Peers | Compared to State |
|---|---|---|
| Female Share of the Population | ![]() | ![]() |
| Senior Citizens | ![]() | ![]() |
| Well-Paid Single Women | ![]() | ![]() |
| Age of the Population | ![]() | ![]() |
| Children Under 5 Years Old | ![]() | ![]() |
| Well-Paid Single Men | ![]() | ![]() |
| Racial Diversity | ![]() | ![]() |
| Male Share of the Population | ![]() | ![]() |
| Characteristic | Compared to Peers | Compared to State |
|---|---|---|
| Portion of People Married | ![]() | ![]() |
| Average Household Size | ![]() | ![]() |
| Characteristic | Compared to Peers | Compared to State |
|---|---|---|
| College Educated Adults | ![]() | ![]() |
| People in Middle Class or Better | ![]() | ![]() |
| Median Family Income | ![]() | ![]() |
| People Above Poverty | ![]() | ![]() |
| Characteristic | Compared to Peers | Compared to State |
|---|---|---|
| Short Commute Times | ![]() | ![]() |
| Working at Home | ![]() | ![]() |
| Walking and Biking to Work | ![]() | ![]() |
| Public Transportation Use | ![]() | ![]() |
| Characteristic | Compared to Peers | Compared to State |
|---|---|---|
| Affordability of Property Taxes | ![]() | ![]() |
| Affordability of Rents | ![]() | ![]() |
| Housing Recently Built | ![]() | ![]() |
| People Living Alone | ![]() | ![]() |
| Seasonal and Vacation Housing | ![]() | ![]() |
| Studio & One-Bedroom Rentals | ![]() | ![]() |
| Characteristic | Compared to Peers | Compared to State |
|---|---|---|
| Low Violent Crime | ![]() | ![]() |
| Low Property Crime | ![]() | ![]() |
Read about and discuss Montgomery and other places in Alabama
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Select a photo to view (Source):
Court House 1906 (est.)
Jefferson Davis' residence c1906
Jefferson Davis residence between 1900 and 1910
Money donated by Montgomery residents to parties and candidates for the 2004 elections.
| Party | Contributions |
|---|---|
| Republican | $810,592 |
| Democratic | $704,581 |
| Candidate | Contributions |
|---|---|
| George W. Bush | $215,248 |
| John Kerry | $62,275 |
| Category | Value |
|---|---|
| Est. 2005 Population | 200,127 |
| Growth | -1,441 |
| Growth % | -0.69% |
| Category | Count | Percent |
|---|---|---|
| Total Population | 201,568 | 100% |
| Male | 94,573 | 46.9% |
| Female | 106,995 | 53.1% |
| Under 18 | 52,292 | 25.9% |
| 18+ | 149,276 | 74.1% |
| 65+ | 23,800 | 11.8% |
| Median Age | 32.9 | |
| Average Family Size | 3.06 | |
| White | 96,085 | 47.7% |
| African-American | 100,048 | 49.6% |
| Asian | 2,146 | 1.1% |
| American Indian & Alaskan | 500 | 0.2% |
| Other | 748 | 0.4% |
| Mixed Race | 1,970 | 1% |
| Hispanic (included in categories above) | 2,484 | 1.2% |
| Median Family Income (1999) | $44,297 |   |
| Population In Poverty | 34,073 | 17.7% |
(From 2000 Census, as reported by individuals)
Note: This is national, not racial, ancestry, so the Census doesn't have categories for Hispanic and African-American, e.g. CityTownInfo is currently gathering additional ancestry data for this site.
| Ancestry | Percent |
|---|---|
| Other (often includes Hispanic and African American) | 58.8% |
| US/American | 12.2% |
| English | 6.9% |
| Irish | 4.9% |
| German | 3.9% |
| Scotch-Irish | 2.4% |
| Scottish | 1.9% |
| Italian | 1.2% |
| French (except Basque) | 1.1% |
| African | 1% |
| European | 1% |
| British | 0.5% |
| Dutch | 0.5% |
| Polish | 0.5% |
| Swedish | 0.4% |
| Norwegian | 0.3% |
| French Canadian | 0.3% |
| Welsh | 0.3% |
Webmasters & Bloggers: Please link to this page on Montgomery
![]() | Montgomery Careers Montgomery career and employment information. |
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We've crunched the numbers to create PlaceMatch™, which compares thousands of cities and towns to find the places most similar to each.
According to the US Postal Service, Montgomery, its neighborhoods, and/or surrounding areas are also referred to as:
Chisolm (36110),Note that not all alternate names are acceptable for use in US Post Office addresses.
| Category | Value |
|---|---|
| Nearest Large City | 145 miles SW of Atlanta, Georgia |
| County | Montgomery |
| Metro Area | Montgomery |
| Standard Zip Codes | 36104, 36105, 36106, 36107, 36108, 36109, 36110, 36111, 36112, 36113, 36114, 36115, 36116, 36117, 36119 |
| P.O. Box Zip Codes | 36101, 36102, 36103, 36120, 36121, 36123, 36124, 36125 |
| Company Zip Codes | 36118, 36130, 36131, 36132, 36133, 36134, 36135, 36140, 36141, 36142, 36177, 36191 |
| Phone Area Codes | 334 |
| Time Zone | Central (-6 hours from GMT) |
| Daylight Savings | The city observes Daylight Saving Time. |
| Latitude | 32.378 |
| Longitude | -86.299 |
Nearest Weather Stations
Notes:
| Station | MONTGOMERY DANNELLY AP |
|---|---|
| Distance | 7.9 miles |
| Jan Temp | 36 to 58 F |
| Apr Temp | 51 to 78 F |
| Jul Temp | 71 to 93 F |
| Oct Temp | 52 to 79 F |
| Annual Precip | 54.7 inches |
| Station | MILSTEAD |
|---|---|
| Distance | 24.8 miles |
| Jan Temp | 34 to 56 F |
| Apr Temp | 49 to 76 F |
| Jul Temp | 70 to 92 F |
| Oct Temp | 51 to 77 F |
| Annual Precip | 53.1 inches |
| Station | MARTIN DAM |
|---|---|
| Distance | 30 miles |
| Jan Temp | 33 to 55 F |
| Apr Temp | 47 to 75 F |
| Jul Temp | 68 to 91 F |
| Oct Temp | 52 to 76 F |
| Annual Precip | 55.2 inches |
LEE HIGH SCHOOL
225 ANN ST
334-269-3742
Serves 1,564 students.
Student/teacher ratio: 17.1
CARVER SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL
2001 W FAIRVIEW AVE
334-269-3636
A Title I school.
Serves 1,352 students.
Student/teacher ratio: 15.8
JEFFERSON DAVIS HIGH SCHOOL
3420 CARTER HILL RD
334-269-3714
Serves 1,332 students.
Student/teacher ratio: 17.5
LANIER SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL
1756 S COURT ST
334-269-3726
A Title I school.
Serves 927 students.
Student/teacher ratio: 12.6
BOOKER T WASHINGTON MAGNET HIGH SCHOOL
632 S UNION ST
334-269-3618
A magnet school.
Serves 538 students.
Student/teacher ratio: 12.2
BREWBAKER TECHNOLOGY MAGNET HIGH SCHOOL
4405 BREWBAKER DR
334-284-7100
A magnet school.
Serves 468 students.
Student/teacher ratio: 14.4
LOVELESS ACADEMIC MAGNET PROGRAM HIGH SCHOOL
921 WEST JEFF DAVIS
334-269-3839
A magnet school.
Serves 415 students.
Student/teacher ratio: 14.1
FEWS SECONDARY ALTERNATIVE
321 EARLY ST
334-269-3665
A Non-traditional School
Title I eligible, not participating.
Serves 191 students.
Student/teacher ratio: 12.7
CHILDRENS CENTER
310 MADISON TERR
334-262-4850
A Special Education School
Serves 137 students.
Student/teacher ratio: 6.3
DAVIS LEARNING CENTER-BEEP
309 N CALIFORNIA ST
334-269-3676
A Special Education School
Serves 33 students.
Student/teacher ratio: 5.1
C I T Y SCHOOL
3315 OLD HAYNEVILLE RD
334-269-2489
A Non-traditional School
Serves 23 students.
MCINNIS SCHOOL
3500 MCINNIS RD
334-288-2280
A Special Education School
Serves 5 students.
Student/teacher ratio: 5
MONTGOMERY YOUTH FACILITY
1111 AIR BASE BLVD
334-261-4112
A Non-traditional School
JACKSON HOSPITAL & CLINIC INC
(Voluntary non-profit - Private)
1725 PINE STREET
(334) 293-8000
Emergency Service: Yes
BAPTIST MEDICAL CENTER SOUTH
(Voluntary non-profit - Church)
2105 EAST SOUTH BOULEVARD
(334) 288-2100
Emergency Service: Yes
BAPTIST MEDICAL CENTER EAST
(Voluntary non-profit - Private)
400 TAYLOR ROAD
(334) 244-8330
Emergency Service: Yes
| (As of 2005) |
|---|
| 2107 Eastern Blvd |
| I-85 & Taylor Rd 6911 East Chase Parkway |
| Zelda Rd @ Carter Hill Rd 3110 Zelda Road |
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