Colbert County () is a county located in the northwestern part of the U.S. state of Alabama. As of the 2020 census the county's population was 57,227. The county seat is Tuscumbia. The largest city is Muscle Shoals.
The county is named in honor of brothers George and Levi Colbert, who were Chickasaw chiefs in the early 19th century in this territory. Ultimately the federal government forced the removal of most of the Chickasaw and other historic tribes from the Southeast.
Colbert County is part of the Florence–Muscle Shoals, AL Metropolitan Statistical Area, also known as "The Shoals".
History
The Chickasaw and Cherokee peoples are the earliest known inhabitants of Colbert County, an area that was part of their territories for hundreds of years. Before they emerged, there were earlier cultures of indigenous peoples who established settlements and seasonal villages for thousands of years in the area.
In the 1810s, settlers began to settle in an area at a crossroads that developed as Leighton, Alabama. Colbert County was originally established during the Reconstruction era after the American Civil War on February 6, 1867. The state legislature split it from Franklin County over political issues. It was abolished eight months later on November 29, 1867 by an Alabama constitutional convention, and reestablished by the legislature on February 24, 1870.
In 1890, the eastern boundary of Colbert County was changed from County Line Road to Town Creek; this resulted in all of the town of Leighton placed within Colbert County. Colbert County is the location of Ivy Green, the birthplace of noted author and activist Helen Keller. Colbert County includes the cities of Sheffield and Muscle Shoals, where many popular American and British musicians, such as Aretha Franklin and the Rolling Stones, respectively, recorded music.
Also located in Colbert County is the Key Underwood Coon Dog Memorial Graveyard established in 1937. Coon dogs were bred and trained for hunting in this region.
Geography
According to the United States Census Bureau, the county has a total area of , of which is land and (4.7%) is water. The county's elevation ranges from 410 feet at the Tennessee River in northwestern Colbert County to 980 feet in southeastern Colbert County at the broadcast facility's tower of WQPR-FM/WFIQ-TV.
National protected area
Natchez Trace Parkway (part)
River
Tennessee River
Major creeks
Bear Creek
Cane Creek
Mulberry Creek
Spring Creek
Town Creek
Waterfalls
Cane Creek Canyon Waterfall
Rainbow Branch Waterfall
Wilson Dam Waterfall
Notable springs
Big Spring at Tuscumbia
Buzzard Roost Spring at Margerum
Chalybeate Spring at Littleville
Milk Springs at Colbert Heights
Shegog Spring at Ford City
Notable mountains
Bald Knob
Coburn Mountain
Colbert Mountain
Hawk Pride Mountain
LaGrange Mountain
Mountain Mills Ridge
Sand Mountain
Underwood Mountain
Wagnon Mountain
Wheeler Mountain
Adjacent counties
Lauderdale County, Alabama - north
Lawrence County, Alabama - southeast
Franklin County, Alabama - south
Tishomingo County, Mississippi - west
Transportation
Major highways
U.S. Highway 43
U.S. Highway 72
State Route 13
State Route 17
State Route 20
State Route 133
State Route 157
State Route 184
State Route 247
Natchez Trace Parkway
Rail
Norfolk Southern Railway - freight lines going South, East, and West.
Airports
Big River Airpark
Northwest Alabama Regional Airport
Demographics
2020 census
As of the census of 2020, there were 57,227 people, 21,880 households, and 14,797 families residing in the county.
2010 census
According to the 2010 United States census Bureau:
There were 22,461 households, out of which 30.50% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 56.00% were married couples living together, 12.10% had a female householder with no husband present, and 28.60% were non-families. 26.10% of all households were made up of individuals, and 11.50% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.42 and the average family size was 2.92.