Alberta City | |
---|---|
Tuscaloosa Suburb | |
Coordinates: 33°12′25″N87°30′27″W / 33.20694°N 87.50750°W | |
Country | United States |
State | Alabama |
City | Tuscaloosa |
Elevation | 299 ft (91 m) |
Time zone | UTC-6 (CST) |
• Summer (DST) | UTC-5 (CDT) |
ZIP Codes | 35404 |
Area codes | 205, 659 |
Alberta City, sometimes shortened as "the ABC" by locals, [1] is the name of a suburban area of Tuscaloosa, Alabama, United States. Alberta City is located in the northeastern portion of Tuscaloosa and is generally defined as encompassing the portions of the city east of U.S. Route 82 (McFarland Boulevard), west of Holt, south of the Black Warrior River and north of Veterans Memorial Parkway.
With its founding in 1912 and much of its early development tracing to the early 20th Century, what is present-day Alberta City was annexed into Tuscaloosa on September 21, 1948. [2]
On April 27, 2011, Alberta City suffered the heaviest damage from a tornado that destroyed 12% of greater Tuscaloosa, including residences, churches, and stores. The suburb's landscape was changed significantly as numerous properties, homes, and businesses were completely destroyed and left as flat vacant lots after demolitions and debris clean-up. Two police stations, a postal office, and elementary, middle, and primary day care schools were all damaged beyond repair or destroyed. Alberta City has undergone slow, gradual reconstruction ever since, largely due to revitalization efforts from the Tuscaloosa city government and from private investors and businesses seeing potential in the area due to its close proximity to the University of Alabama's main campus. [3] [4]
By 2021, reconstruction remained gradual as some commercial and residential sections of Alberta City remained in visible urban decay due to minimal private investment and negligent property development on the many vacant lots. Continued public investment and the presence of anchor stores have slowly facilitated recovery efforts. [5]
Alberta City never reported a population separately as an unincorporated community on the U.S. Census according to the census returns from 1850 [6] until its annexation into Tuscaloosa in 1948. [7]
The neighborhood is serviced by both Alabama State Route 215 (University Boulevard) and U.S. Route 82 (McFarland Boulevard). Public transportation is provided via public bus serviced by the Tuscaloosa Transit Authority's Holt Route. [8]
Pickens County is a county located on the west central border of the U.S. state of Alabama. As of the 2020 census, the population was 19,123. Its county seat is Carrollton, located in the center of the county. It is a prohibition, or dry county, although the communities of Carrollton and Aliceville voted to become wet in 2011 and 2012, respectively.
Tuscaloosa County is a county in the northwest-central portion of the U.S. state of Alabama and is the center of commerce, education, industry, health care, and entertainment for the region.
Jacksonville is a city in Calhoun County, Alabama, United States. As of the 2020 census the population was 14,385, which is a 14.6% increase since 2010 and a 71.2% increase since 2000. It is included in the Anniston-Oxford Metropolitan Statistical Area. The city is home to Jacksonville State University, which is a center of commerce and one of the largest employers in the area.
Holt is an unincorporated community and census-designated place (CDP) in Tuscaloosa County, Alabama, United States. At the 2020 census, the population was 3,413. It is part of the Tuscaloosa, Alabama Metropolitan Statistical Area. Holt appeared on the 1930 census.
Tuscaloosa is a city in and the seat of Tuscaloosa County in west-central Alabama, United States, on the Black Warrior River where the Gulf Coastal and Piedmont plains meet. Alabama's fifth-most populous city. The population was 99,600 at the 2020 census, and was estimated to be 110,602 in 2022. It was known as Tuskaloosa until the early 20th century. It is also known as "the Druid City" because of the numerous water oaks planted in its downtown streets since the 1840s.
Interstate 359 (I-359) is a part of the Interstate Highway System in the US state of Alabama. It is a spur route that runs for 2.76 miles (4.44 km) entirely within the city limits of Tuscaloosa. Its terminuses are just south of I-20/I-59 interchange on the south side of town and U.S. Route 43 (US 43) in downtown Tuscaloosa. The entire length is concurrent with US 11 and State Route 69 (SR 69), with both continuing as at grade thoroughfares north and south of the shorter Interstate.
Windham Springs, also known as Oregonia, Wyndham Springs, or Windhams Springs, is an unincorporated community in Tuscaloosa County, Alabama, United States. Windham Springs is named after the resort at the sulfur springs founded by Levi Windham in 1850. The area was once home to a two-story hotel building and several cabins. The hotel and springs were visited by many people for the springs' reputed healing qualities. During the Civil War, the hotel was looted by the Union Army. In May 1917, the hotel, a church, and multiple houses were destroyed in a tornado. A post office operated under the name Oregonia from 1848 to 1907.
University Mall is the largest mall in western Alabama. It is located at the intersection of McFarland Boulevard and Veterans' Memorial Parkway in Tuscaloosa, the busiest in the city. The anchor stores are JCPenney and 2 Belk stores. There is 1 vacant anchor store that was once Sears.
U.S. Route 82 in Alabama runs northwest to southeast across the northwestern and central Alabama for 240.080 miles (386.371 km). The route enters from Mississippi east of Columbus, Mississippi and exits into Georgia across the Chattahoochee River at Eufaula.
Adger is an unincorporated crossroads community in Jefferson County, Alabama, southwest of Birmingham.
The Tuscaloosa Transit Authority, or TTA, is a local, government-owned bus system based in Tuscaloosa, Alabama that commenced operation in 1971. The Tuscaloosa Transit Authority serves the city of Tuscaloosa and also operates the trolleys between the student entertainment districts downtown and The Strip and game day shuttle buses for Alabama football games. The Tuscaloosa Transit Authority is governed by a seven member board, and employs a staff of 27 full-time employees as of February 2008. Beginning in 1999, the TTA's fleet consists of El Dorado Transmark RE buses that are designed to resemble historic trolleys that have been absent from Tuscaloosa since 1941.
McFarland Mall was a regional 497,000-square-foot (46,200 m2) L-shaped shopping mall on Skyland Boulevard in Tuscaloosa, Alabama. Located near the interchange of Interstate 20/59 with McFarland Boulevard, it was in the southern section of the city. Opening on February 19, 1969, the mall replaced Woods Square Shopping Center and Leland Shopping Center as the main commercial retail center in the Tuscaloosa area. Brandon Crawford and Associates of Birmingham was the architect for the mall. General contractor for the project was N.C. Morgan Construction Company of Tuscaloosa. McGiffert and Associates of Tuscaloosa provided the engineering services for the mall.
Cottondale is a census-designated place in Tuscaloosa County, Alabama, United States, now encompassed in the eastern suburbs of Tuscaloosa. The ZIP Code is 35453. Alternative spellings include Cotton Dale, Kennedale, Kennidale and Konnidale.
The 2011 Super Outbreak was the largest, costliest, and one of the deadliest tornado outbreaks ever recorded, taking place in the Southern, Midwestern, and Northeastern United States from April 25 to 28, 2011, leaving catastrophic destruction in its wake. Over 175 tornadoes struck Alabama, Mississippi, and Tennessee, which were the most severely damaged states. Other destructive tornadoes occurred in Arkansas, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, New York, and Virginia, with storms also affecting other states in the Southern and Eastern United States. In total, 360 tornadoes were confirmed by NOAA's National Weather Service (NWS) and Government of Canada's Environment Canada in 21 states from Texas to New York to southern Canada. Widespread and destructive tornadoes occurred on each day of the outbreak. April 27 was the most active day, with a record 216 tornadoes touching down that day from midnight to midnight CDT. Four of the tornadoes were rated EF5, which is the highest ranking on the Enhanced Fujita scale; typically these tornadoes are recorded no more than once a year.
During the late afternoon and early evening of April 27, 2011, a violent, high-end EF4 multiple-vortex tornado destroyed portions of Tuscaloosa and Birmingham, Alabama, as well as smaller communities and rural areas between the two cities. It is one of the costliest tornadoes on record, and was one of the 360 tornadoes in the 2011 Super Outbreak, the largest tornado outbreak in United States history. The tornado reached a maximum path width of 1.5 miles (2.4 km) during its track through Tuscaloosa, and again when it crossed I-65 north of Birmingham, attaining estimated wind speeds of 190 mph (310 km/h) shortly after passing through the city. It then went on to impact parts of Birmingham at high-end EF4 intensity before dissipating. This was the third tornado to strike the city of Tuscaloosa in the past decade, and the second in two weeks.
Center Star, also known as Centre Star, or Centre, is an unincorporated community in Lauderdale County, in the U.S. state of Alabama.
Ada is an unincorporated community in Montgomery County, Alabama, United States. Ada is located at the intersection of U.S. Route 331 and Alabama State Route 94, 20 miles (32 km) south of Montgomery.
Antioch is an unincorporated community in Bibb County, Alabama, United States, located west of Randolph along Bibb County Road 20. It is home to several churches, including Antioch Baptist Church, the community's namesake, which formed in 1833.
Eoline is an unincorporated community in Bibb County, Alabama, United States. Eoline is located on U.S. Route 82, 8.1 miles (13.0 km) northwest of Centreville. During the 2011 Super Outbreak, the Eoline Fire Department was destroyed by an EF3 tornado.
Antioch, also known as Hilton, is an unincorporated community in Covington County, Alabama, United States.