Calhoun County is a county in the east central part of the U.S. state of Alabama. As of the 2010 census, the population was 118,572. Its county seat is Anniston. It was named in honor of John C. Calhoun, noted politician and US Senator from South Carolina.
Piedmont is a city in Calhoun and Cherokee counties in the U.S. state of Alabama. The population was 4,878 at the 2010 census. It is included in the Anniston-Oxford, Alabama Metropolitan Statistical Area. The city is approximately one hour and fifteen minutes West of Atlanta, one and a half hours North East of Birmingham, twenty minutes North of Anniston, Alabama and twenty five minutes east of Gadsden, Alabama. The campus of Jacksonville State University in Jacksonville, Alabama is approximately ten miles South of Piedmont. The city is nestled in the foothills of the Appalachian Mountain chain and is surrounded by mountains on the city's southern and eastern sides. The area is home to Duggar Mountain, which is Alabama's second highest point, only trailing Mt. Cheaha by a small margin. Piedmont is a popular tourist destination for outdoor enthusiasts due to its close proximity to many nearby hiking trails, streams and rivers, mountains, the Duggar Mountain Wilderness, the Talladega National Forret and Coleman Lake. Weiss Lake is fourteen miles North of Piedmont and is known as "The Crappie Capital of the World." Piedmont is home to Terrapin Creek, which is a popular destination for kayaking, canoing, camping, swimming and fishing. Piedmont is also home to the Chief Ladiga Trail, which is a paved trail utilized for walking, jogging and bicycling. The trail runs through downtown Piedmont and runs all the way to Atlanta to the East and to Anniston, Alabama to the South and West. The city's school system is an award winning and nationally recognised education system. The school system has state of the art facilities, including artificial turf on the football field and an indoor practice facility for the football team, which is also utilized as a community storm shelter. The school systems sports teams have won state championships in football, track and field and wrestling and have won numerous area/region championships in men/women's basketball, baseball, softball and men's golf. Two state highways, AL-9 and AL-21 run through the city limits of Piedmont, as well as US Highway 278. Many surrounding communities are served by the 36272 ZIP code, including Spring Garden, Rock Run, Knighten's Crossroads, and Nance's Creek. The current mayor is Bill Baker, who was chosen by the city council to lead after elected mayor Rick Freeman resigned due to medical issues.
U.S. Route 431 is a spur of U.S. Route 31. It currently runs for 556 miles (895 km) from Owensboro, Kentucky at U.S. Route 60 to Dothan, Alabama, at U.S. Route 231 and U.S. Route 84.
Central Alabama is the region in the state of Alabama that stretches 170 miles (270 km) from its western border with Mississippi to the eastern border with Georgia and 136 miles (219 km) from the northern border of Cullman County to the Alabama River in southern Autauga County. The region's population was 1,870,970 as of 2008. The Birmingham television market reaches approximately the same area.
Anniston Regional Airport, formerly known as Anniston Metropolitan Airport, is a city-owned public-use airport located five nautical miles southwest of the central business district of Anniston, a city in Calhoun County, Alabama, United States. It is included in the National Plan of Integrated Airport Systems for 2011–2015, which categorized it as a general aviation airport.
The Anniston and Atlantic Railroad was a 53-mile 3 ft narrow-gauge railroad built between Anniston, Alabama and Sylacauga, Alabama, via Talladega, Alabama and Murphy, Alabama.
WVOK-FM is a radio station broadcasting a Hot Adult Contemporary music format. Licensed to Oxford, Alabama, it serves the Anniston-Oxford Metropolitan Area. It is owned and operated by Woodard Broadcasting Company, Inc.
Area codes 256 and 938 are telephone numbering plan codes that mostly cover North Alabama as well as some eastern portions of the state.
State Route 21 (SR 21) is a 279-mile (449 km) state highway that extends from the Florida state line, near Atmore in Escambia County to Piedmont in Calhoun County. The route travels almost the entire length of the state from the northeast to the southwest. It is the longest signed state route in Alabama.
The Anniston–Oxford metropolitan statistical area is the most populated metropolitan area in Northeast Alabama next to Huntsville. At the 2000 census, it had a population of 112,249. The MSA is anchored by significant jobs at Jacksonville State University, the Northeast Alabama Regional Medical Center, Stringfellow Hospital, the Anniston Army Depot, and the Department of Homeland Security at McClellan. McClellan has transitioned from being a closed military base, to becoming the home of hundreds of residents, new retail growth such as a Lowe's Home Improvement Store, and now more than 3,000 jobs spread out over more than 20 employers. Anniston remains strong in health care, legal, financial services and manufacturing. Oxford, with Interstate 20 running right through it, has developed a number of retail and restaurant establishments including the Oxford Exchange which is anchored by Target.
In Alabama, Interstate 20 (I-20) travels 214.7 miles (345.5 km) through the center of the state. It enters the state from Mississippi near Cuba, and travels northeastward through Tuscaloosa and Birmingham. At Birmingham, I-20 turns eastward and heads through Oxford before crossing the Georgia state line near Lebanon. Other cities on the route include Livingston, Bessemer, and Pell City.
WGMZ is a radio station licensed to Glencoe, Alabama, United States. WGMZ serves the Gadsden, Alabama and Anniston, Alabama metropolitan areas. The station is owned by iHeartMedia, Inc. and licensed to the Capstar TX Limited Partnership. It broadcasts a classic hits music format.
WDNG is a radio station licensed to serve Anniston, Alabama, United States. The station is owned by WDNG, Inc. It airs an adult contemporary format.
The Montgomery, Alabama Metropolitan Statistical Area is a metropolitan statistical area in central Alabama. As of 2010, the MSA had a population of 374,536, ranking it 136th among United States metropolitan areas.
The Georgia–Alabama League was a minor league baseball league that operated in its two namesake states. The circuit first operated from 1913 to 1917, was revived from 1928 to 1930, then returned to operation for a final time from 1946 through 1951. The league's existence thus spanned some 39 years, but it only fielded teams in 14 seasons. All versions of the Georgia–Alabama League were Class D leagues, the lowest classification in Organized Ball during their years of operation.
Anniston Air Force Base is a former United States Air Force airfield located approximately 10 miles north-northeast of Talladega, Alabama. It was active from 1942 to 1945 and 1949 to 1952. It is currently the site of the Talladega Superspeedway.
The Birmingham metropolitan area, sometimes known as Greater Birmingham, is a metropolitan area in north central Alabama centered on Birmingham, Alabama.
The 1984 Winston 500 was a NASCAR Winston Cup Series racing event that took place on May 6, 1984, at Alabama International Motor Speedway in Talladega, Alabama. This race would be the peak of competitive racing for what is now known as Talladega Superspeedway.
The Talladega-Sylacauga Micropolitan Statistical Area is a micropolitan statistical area that consisted of two counties in Alabama, anchored by the cities of Talladega and Sylacauga, as defined by the United States Census Bureau and the United States Office of Management and Budget. The area is also included in the Birmingham-Hoover-Talladega, Alabama Combined Statistical Area. As of the 2010 census, the μSA had a population of 93,830
