Saraland, Alabama
Encyclopedia
Saraland is a city in Mobile County
, Alabama
, in the United States
, and a suburb
of Mobile
, Alabama
. As of the 2010 census, the population of the city is 13,405. It is a part of the Mobile metropolitan area
. Saraland is the third largest city in Mobile County.
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 22 square miles (57 km²), of which, 21.9 square miles (56.7 km²) of it is land and 0.1 square mile (0.258998811 km²) of it (0.50%) is water.
to handle all land transactions. Some of the pioneer families who seized the opportunity to buy up sections were named Alvarez, Rice, Hartley, Moore, LaCoste, Williams, Tool and Cleveland. Ultimately, Alvarez Station was called Cleveland Station. The present name of the city is reported to have been given by C.J. DeWitt, a retired minister editor who moved south in 1890 for health reasons. He opened the first post office on the Southern Railroad in 1895. The Community is purported to be the namesake of his beloved wife, Sara.
Saraland was sparsely populated during the first part of the 20th century, until an industrial and population boom occurred in neighboring Mobile. Northward expansion of Mobile in the 1940s and 50's brought about the incorporation of Saraland in 1957. At the time of incorporation, the city reported only 125 residents. By the 1960 U.S. Census, annexations had swelled the population to 4,595. In 1980, census figures cited 9,844 Saraland residents. Current census records report that as of 2000, Saraland's population has grown to 12,288.
The worst rail disaster in the history of Amtrak
occurred near Saraland on Big Bayou Canot
on September 22, 1993. At approximately 2:53 AM, Amtrak's Sunset Limited
train, powered by three locomotives, and en route from Los Angeles
, California
to Miami, Florida
with 220 passengers and crew aboard, crossed the Bayou Canot bridge at high speed and derailed at a kink in the track caused by a barge captain who rammed the bridge by making a wrong turn in the waterway, and failed to report the accident. Forty-seven people, of which 42 were passengers, were killed, many by drowning, others by fire. Much of the rescue efforts were average citizens of the community who journeyed out in the early morning hours in small fishing boats to help at the scene.
On August 15, 2011 the city of Saraland went smoke free, becoming the third of three smokeless cities in Mobile County.
of 2000, there were 12,288 people, 4,810 households, and 3,602 families residing in the city. The population density
was 560.9 people per square mile (216.5/km²). There were 5,138 housing units at an average density of 234.5 per square mile (90.5/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 88.50% White
, 8.97% Black
or African American
, 0.56% Native American
, 0.46% Asian
, 0.01% Pacific Islander
, 0.37% from other races
, and 1.13% from two or more races. 1.17% of the population were Hispanic
or Latino
of any race.
There were 4,810 households out of which 31.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 61.0% were married couples
living together, 10.5% had a female householder with no husband present, and 25.1% were non-families. 21.2% of all households were made up of individuals and 8.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.55 and the average family size was 2.97.
In the city the population was spread out with 23.4% under the age of 18, 9.4% from 18 to 24, 29.3% from 25 to 44, 24.4% from 45 to 64, and 13.5% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 37 years. For every 100 females there were 95.4 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 92.2 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $38,318, and the median income for a family was $43,471. Males had a median income of $35,431 versus $22,787 for females. The per capita income
for the city was $19,470. About 7.4% of families and 9.0% of the population were below the poverty line, including 12.2% of those under age 18 and 8.9% of those age 65 or over.
. Residents are zoned to Saraland Elementary School, Adams Middle School, and Saraland High School.
In June 2006, the City of Saraland voted to break away from the Mobile County Public School System
and form its own school system. The school district came into effect in the northern hemisphere fall 2008; at the time Saraland Elementary and Adams Middle were now a part of the city district, but high schoolers had to attend county schools because Saraland High School was not yet open.
Several years prior to 2009 officials of Saraland, Satsuma
, and Chickasaw
contemplated forming the "Delta School District."
Mobile County, Alabama
Mobile County[p] is a county of the U.S. state of Alabama. Its name is in honor of a tribe of Indians, the Maubila tribe . As of 2011, its population was 415,704. Its county seat is Mobile, Alabama...
, Alabama
Alabama
Alabama is a state located in the southeastern region of the United States. It is bordered by Tennessee to the north, Georgia to the east, Florida and the Gulf of Mexico to the south, and Mississippi to the west. Alabama ranks 30th in total land area and ranks second in the size of its inland...
, in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, and a suburb
Suburb
The word suburb mostly refers to a residential area, either existing as part of a city or as a separate residential community within commuting distance of a city . Some suburbs have a degree of administrative autonomy, and most have lower population density than inner city neighborhoods...
of Mobile
Mobile, Alabama
Mobile is the third most populous city in the Southern US state of Alabama and is the county seat of Mobile County. It is located on the Mobile River and the central Gulf Coast of the United States. The population within the city limits was 195,111 during the 2010 census. It is the largest...
, Alabama
Alabama
Alabama is a state located in the southeastern region of the United States. It is bordered by Tennessee to the north, Georgia to the east, Florida and the Gulf of Mexico to the south, and Mississippi to the west. Alabama ranks 30th in total land area and ranks second in the size of its inland...
. As of the 2010 census, the population of the city is 13,405. It is a part of the Mobile metropolitan area
Mobile metropolitan area
Metropolitan Mobile has a population of 412,992 within Mobile County Alabama in the southwestern tip of Alabama. The Mobile metropolitan area is the third-largest metropolitan area in the state of Alabama. The Mobile–Daphne–Fairhope combined statistical area also includes the micro but...
. Saraland is the third largest city in Mobile County.
Geography
Saraland is located at 30°49′31"N 88°5′31"W (30.825186, -88.091932).According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 22 square miles (57 km²), of which, 21.9 square miles (56.7 km²) of it is land and 0.1 square mile (0.258998811 km²) of it (0.50%) is water.
History
The land area, that was to become the present-day Saraland, was included in a Spanish land grant to Don Diego Alvarez. Hence, descendants of Alvarez were the ones to give the community its first name: Alvarez Station. Later land squatters moved into the area and were able, legally, in 1800 to begin purchasing property. In 1807, a land office was opened in St. StephensSt. Stephens, Alabama
St. Stephens is an unincorporated census-designated place in Washington County, Alabama, United States. As of the 2010 census, its population was 495. Located near the Tombigbee River in the southwestern part of the state, it is composed of two distinct sites: Old St. Stephens and New St. Stephens....
to handle all land transactions. Some of the pioneer families who seized the opportunity to buy up sections were named Alvarez, Rice, Hartley, Moore, LaCoste, Williams, Tool and Cleveland. Ultimately, Alvarez Station was called Cleveland Station. The present name of the city is reported to have been given by C.J. DeWitt, a retired minister editor who moved south in 1890 for health reasons. He opened the first post office on the Southern Railroad in 1895. The Community is purported to be the namesake of his beloved wife, Sara.
Saraland was sparsely populated during the first part of the 20th century, until an industrial and population boom occurred in neighboring Mobile. Northward expansion of Mobile in the 1940s and 50's brought about the incorporation of Saraland in 1957. At the time of incorporation, the city reported only 125 residents. By the 1960 U.S. Census, annexations had swelled the population to 4,595. In 1980, census figures cited 9,844 Saraland residents. Current census records report that as of 2000, Saraland's population has grown to 12,288.
The worst rail disaster in the history of Amtrak
Amtrak
The National Railroad Passenger Corporation, doing business as Amtrak , is a government-owned corporation that was organized on May 1, 1971, to provide intercity passenger train service in the United States. "Amtrak" is a portmanteau of the words "America" and "track". It is headquartered at Union...
occurred near Saraland on Big Bayou Canot
Big Bayou Canot train disaster
The 1993 Big Bayou Canot train wreck was the derailing of an Amtrak train on the CSXT Big Bayou Canot bridge in northeast Mobile, Alabama, USA, killing 47 and injuring 103, on September 22, 1993. It is the deadliest train wreck in Amtrak's history...
on September 22, 1993. At approximately 2:53 AM, Amtrak's Sunset Limited
Sunset Limited
The Sunset Limited is a passenger train that for most of its history has run between New Orleans, Louisiana and Los Angeles, California, and that from early 1993 through late August 2005 also ran east of New Orleans to Jacksonville, Florida, making it during that time the only true transcontinental...
train, powered by three locomotives, and en route from Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
, California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
to Miami, Florida
Florida
Florida is a state in the southeastern United States, located on the nation's Atlantic and Gulf coasts. It is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the north by Alabama and Georgia and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of 18,801,310 as measured by the 2010 census, it...
with 220 passengers and crew aboard, crossed the Bayou Canot bridge at high speed and derailed at a kink in the track caused by a barge captain who rammed the bridge by making a wrong turn in the waterway, and failed to report the accident. Forty-seven people, of which 42 were passengers, were killed, many by drowning, others by fire. Much of the rescue efforts were average citizens of the community who journeyed out in the early morning hours in small fishing boats to help at the scene.
On August 15, 2011 the city of Saraland went smoke free, becoming the third of three smokeless cities in Mobile County.
Demographics
As of the censusCensus
A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring and recording information about the members of a given population. It is a regularly occurring and official count of a particular population. The term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common...
of 2000, there were 12,288 people, 4,810 households, and 3,602 families residing in the city. The population density
Population density
Population density is a measurement of population per unit area or unit volume. It is frequently applied to living organisms, and particularly to humans...
was 560.9 people per square mile (216.5/km²). There were 5,138 housing units at an average density of 234.5 per square mile (90.5/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 88.50% White
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
, 8.97% Black
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
or African American
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
, 0.56% Native American
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
, 0.46% Asian
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
, 0.01% Pacific Islander
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
, 0.37% from other races
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
, and 1.13% from two or more races. 1.17% of the population were Hispanic
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
or Latino
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
of any race.
There were 4,810 households out of which 31.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 61.0% were married couples
Marriage
Marriage is a social union or legal contract between people that creates kinship. It is an institution in which interpersonal relationships, usually intimate and sexual, are acknowledged in a variety of ways, depending on the culture or subculture in which it is found...
living together, 10.5% had a female householder with no husband present, and 25.1% were non-families. 21.2% of all households were made up of individuals and 8.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.55 and the average family size was 2.97.
In the city the population was spread out with 23.4% under the age of 18, 9.4% from 18 to 24, 29.3% from 25 to 44, 24.4% from 45 to 64, and 13.5% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 37 years. For every 100 females there were 95.4 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 92.2 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $38,318, and the median income for a family was $43,471. Males had a median income of $35,431 versus $22,787 for females. The per capita income
Per capita income
Per capita income or income per person is a measure of mean income within an economic aggregate, such as a country or city. It is calculated by taking a measure of all sources of income in the aggregate and dividing it by the total population...
for the city was $19,470. About 7.4% of families and 9.0% of the population were below the poverty line, including 12.2% of those under age 18 and 8.9% of those age 65 or over.
Transportation
Interstate 65Interstate 65 in AlabamaInterstate 65, beginning in Mobile at an interchange with Interstate 10, meanders across of the Alabama countryside linking six of the state's ten largest cities. The highway links together many important roadways that make commerce inside and outside of the state's boundaries possible...
US 43
SR 158Alabama State Route 158State Route 158 is a ten-mile long route in northern Mobile County in the southwestern corner of the state. The western terminus of the route is at its junction with Schillinger Road near Semmes. The eastern terminus of the route is at its junction with U.S...
SR 213Alabama State Route 213State Route 213 or SR-213 is an long route that serves as a connection between Saraland and Prichard in Mobile County.-Route description:...
SR 13Alabama State Route 13State Route 13 is a state highway in the western part of the U.S. state of Alabama. Except for a portion roughly between Berry and Russellville, SR-13 is the unsigned designation for U.S. Highway 43...
Economy
- Royal Dutch ShellRoyal Dutch ShellRoyal Dutch Shell plc , commonly known as Shell, is a global oil and gas company headquartered in The Hague, Netherlands and with its registered office in London, United Kingdom. It is the fifth-largest company in the world according to a composite measure by Forbes magazine and one of the six...
operates the Shell Saraland Refinery in Saraland. - Ryla Telecommunications Center
Public schools
Saraland is served by the Saraland Board of EducationSaraland Board of Education
Saraland City Schools is a school district serving and operated by Saraland, Alabama, United States.The district consists of three schools, Saraland Elementary School, Adams Middle School, and Saraland High School....
. Residents are zoned to Saraland Elementary School, Adams Middle School, and Saraland High School.
In June 2006, the City of Saraland voted to break away from the Mobile County Public School System
Mobile County Public School System
Mobile County Public School System is a school district based in the Mobile County Public Schools Central Office Campus in an unincorporated area in Mobile County, Alabama United States....
and form its own school system. The school district came into effect in the northern hemisphere fall 2008; at the time Saraland Elementary and Adams Middle were now a part of the city district, but high schoolers had to attend county schools because Saraland High School was not yet open.
Several years prior to 2009 officials of Saraland, Satsuma
Satsuma, Alabama
Satsuma is a city in Mobile County, Alabama, United States. At the 2000 census the population was 5,687. It is a part of the Mobile metropolitan statistical area.-Geography:Satsuma is located at .According to the U.S...
, and Chickasaw
Chickasaw, Alabama
Chickasaw is a city in Mobile County, Alabama, United States. As of July 2007, the population was 5,979. It is included in the Mobile metropolitan statistical area.-Geography:Chickasaw is located at . According to the U.S...
contemplated forming the "Delta School District."