ABOUT THE CITY
Birmingham is the largest city in the state of Alabama. This vibrant, beautiful city is nestled in the rolling foothills of the Appalachian Mountains. Birmingham ranks as one of the most important business centers in the Southeastern United States and is also one of the largest banking centers in the U.S.
Over the course of the 20th century, the city’s economy diversified. Though the manufacturing industry maintains a strong presence in Birmingham, other industries such as banking, insurance, medicine, publishing, and biotechnology have risen in stature. Birmingham has been recognized as the top city for income growth in the United States with nearly a one-hundred percent increase in per capita income since 1990.
Birmingham is the cultural and entertainment capital of Alabama with its numerous art galleries in the area and home to Birmingham Museum of Art, the largest art museum in the state. Along with the classic southern charm and hospitality you will be happy to call Birmingham your home.
About Birmingham
Birmingham is the largest city in Alabama and is the county seat of Jefferson County. It also serves as the primary nucleus for a sprawling urbanization known as Greater Birmingham with over 1,000,000 inhabitants constituting roughly one quarter of the state of Alabama’s entire population.
Today, Birmingham ranks as one of the most important business centers in the Southeastern United States and is also one of the largest banking centers in the U.S. In addition, the Birmingham area serves as headquarters to two Fortune 500 companies: Regions Financial and Saks Incorporated. Birmingham has been recognized as the South’s top city for income growth and among the top ten nationally over the last 20 years.
History
Birmingham’s history is not at all typical of other great cities of the southern United States. That is the case because, at the time of the region’s defining event—the Civil War—Birmingham didn’t even exist. The area that is now Birmingham was first settled in the 1830s and was known as Elyton until 1871. Elyton, however, was nothing more than a rather insignificant trading post. All that changed, however, with the discovery of large deposits of iron ore, limestone and coal in Red Mountain, at the foot of which the city lies.
In 1871, at the point where two railroads intersected (now the corner of First Avenue South and 31st Street), certain railroad and industrial interests formally organized the city of Birmingham, naming it after the greatest industrial city in the world at the time, Birmingham, England.
Fast Facts
Population:
Birmingham Metro: 1,170,012
City: 242,820
Largest Employers:
University of Alabama at Birmingham
Baptist Medical Centers
BellSouth
Jefferson County Public Schools
Neighborhoods
Birmingham is composed of many neighborhoods and outlying areas, several of which are separate cities with their own governments and school systems. The main geographical feature of Birmingham is Red Mountain, whose iron, coal, and limestone deposits were the city’s original sources of wealth and its reasons for being. Many spectacular views of the city can be enjoyed from Vulcan Park at the top of Red Mountain.
Downtown
Birmingham was formed at the downtown intersection of two railroads in 1871 downtown, making this area a logical starting point for an overview of the city. Because of the Great Depression and its devastating effects on the local economy, no significant structures were built downtown between the 1920s and the 1960s.
Where To Stay
Although Birmingham in many ways feels like a friendly small city, the metro area extends over 4,034 square miles and continues to spread in all directions. The Magic City comprises many smaller cities, all separated by driving, rather than walking, distances. Public transportation is limited to a bus system that is convenient primarily just within the downtown and University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) campus. As a result, it is useful either to select a hotel in the neighborhood where you plan to conduct most of your business or sightseeing, or to rent a car and buy a good road map to help you navigate.
Luxury Hotels
Three hotels vie for the title of best in Birmingham, and each is uniquely appealing in its own way. For historic elegance and a central location, the beautiful Tutwiler has long been a favorite of business and features balconies in many rooms.
Climate
| Month | Avg Hi | Avg Lo | Avg Precip |
| Jan | 53°F | 32°F | 5.45 in. |
| Feb | 58°F | 36°F | 4.21 in. |
| Mar | 66°F | 42°F | 6.10 in. |
| Apr | 74°F | 48°F | 4.67 in. |
| May | 81°F | 58°F | 4.83 in. |
| Jun | 88°F | 65°F | 3.78 in. |
| Jul | 91°F | 70°F | 5.09 in. |
| Aug | 90°F | 69°F | 3.48 in. |
| Sep | 85°F | 63°F | 4.05 in. |
| Oct | 75°F | 51°F | 3.23 in. |
| Nov | 65°F | 42°F | 4.63 in. |
| Dec | 56°F | 35°F | 4.47 in. |
By Car
A car is the easiest way to get around the city. Traffic is bad during rush hour, especially near where I-59 meets I-65 downtown. A map is a good investment, the heart of downtown is set up on a pretty reliable grid, but it deviates from that pretty quickly once you move away from the center.
Voter Registration
State Capitol
600 Dexter Avenue, Room E-210
Montgomery Alabama 36130
(334) 242-7210
Board of Registrars
716 Richard Arrington Jr. Blvd N
Ste A-410
Birmingham, Alabama 35203-0115
(205) 325-5550
www.alabamainteractive.org
Public Transportation
Birmingham/Jefferson County Transit Authority
1735 Morris Avenue
Birmingham, Alabama 35203
(205) 521-0101
www.bjcta.org
MAX (the Metro Area Express) provides bus service throughout the city. Stops are every 10-30 minutes during the weekday, sometimes longer on weekends. The system offers comprehensive coverage within Birmingham proper, but isn’t nearly as good going to outlying areas. Fare is cheap, and you can get a 5 day pass for only $8. The public transportation system shuts down between 9 and 10 pm on weekdays, 9 pm on weekends.
Air Transportation
Birmingham International Airport (BHM)
5900 Airport Highway
Birmingham, Alabama 35212
(205) 595-0533
www.bhamintlairport.com
Birmingham International Airport is Alabama’s largest airport serving the Greater Birmingham area and surrounding Southeastern cities. It’s only 5 miles northeast of downtown.
Taxis
Taxi service at Birmingham International is available throughout the day and evening on the ground level outside the baggage claim area. Birmingham is serviced by the following taxi-cab companies, although each vehicle is independently owned and operated.
* American Cab
* Award Cab Company
* Birmingham Cab Company
* Hill Cab Company
* Yellow Cab
Car Rentals
Advantage
(800)777-5500
www.arac.com
Alamo
(800) 462-5266
www.alamo.com
Avis
(800) 331-1212
www.avis.com
Budget
(800) 527-0700
www.budget.com
Dollar
(800) 800-4000
www.dollar.com
Enterprise
(800) 736-8222
www.enterprise.com
Hertz
(800) 654-3131
www.hertz.com
National
(800) 227-7368
www.nationalcar.com
Thrifty
(800) 367-2277
www.thrifty.com
Local Phone Numbers
Area Code(s)
| Area Code | 205 |
| Emergency | 911 |
| Fire (205) 254-2510 | |
| Police (205) 254-1700 | |
| Hospitals | |
| Children’s Hospital | (205) 939-9100 |
| 1600 7th Ave S | |
| Birmingham, AL 35294 | |
| www.chsys.org | |
| Diabetes Hospital | (205) 934-2309 |
| 1808 7th Ave S | |
| Birmingham, AL 35233 | |
| St Vincent’s Hospital | (205) 939-7000 |
| 810 Saint Vincents Dr | |
| Birmingham, AL 35205 | |
| www.stv.org | |
| University Hospital | (205) 934-4011 |
| 619 19th St S | |
| Birmingham, AL 35249 | |
| www.health.uab.edu |
| Utilities | |
| Gas | |
| Alagasco | (800) 292-4008 |
| www.alagasco.com | |
| Electric | |
| Alabama Power Natural | (800) 245-2244 |
| www.southerncompany.com | |
| Telephone and Internet | |
| BellSouth | (888) 757-6500 |
| www.bellsouth.com | |
| Water and Sewer | |
| Birmingham Water Works Board (BWWB) | (205) 244-4000 |
| 3600 1st Avenue North | |
| Birmingham, AL 35222 | |
| www.birminghamwaterworks.com |
Television
| 5 | WCFT-DT | ABC |
| 6 | WBRC | FOX |
| 7 | WVUA-CA | ind. |
| 10 | WBIQ | PBS |
| 13 | WVTM | NBC |
| 19 | WOTM-CA | ind. |
| 21 | WTTO | CW |
| 28 | WTTO-DT | CW |
| 30 | WIAT-DT | CBS |
| 33 | WCFT | ABC |
| 34 | W34BI | HSN |
| 36 | WABM-DT | MyTV |
| 42 | WIAT | CBS |
| 44 | WPXH | “i” |
| 45 | WPXH-DT | “i” |
| 50 | WBRC-DT | FOX |
| 52 | WVTM-DT | NBC |
| 53 | WBIQ-DT | PBS |
| 68 | WABM | MyTV |
Radio
| AM Stations | ||
| 610 | WAGG | black gospel |
| 690 | WSPZ | sports |
| 760 | WURL | southern gospel |
| 850 | WXJC | talk |
| 900 | WATV | rhythmic oldies |
| 960 | WERC | news/talk |
| 1070 | WAPI | news/talk |
| 1220 | WAYE | black gospel |
| 1260 | WLGD | standards |
| 1320 | WPSB | news,talk,sports |
| 1370 | WBYE | black gospel/southern gospel |
| 1400 | WJLD | urban oldies |
| 1430 | WFHK | country |
| 1450 | WZGX | regional Mexican |
| 1480 | WRLM | espanol |
| 1500 | WQCR | religious |
| 1570 | WCRL | country |
| 1610 | WPTV | city info |
| FM Stations | ||
| 88.5 | WLJR | religious |
| 89.5 | WBFR | religious |
| 90.3 | WBHM | NPR |
| 91.1 | WJSR | classic rock |
| 91.1 | WVSU | jazz |
| 91.9 | WGIB | religious |
| 93.7 | WDJC | Christian/southern gospel |
| 94.5 | WYSF | Soft Rock |
| 95.7 | WBHJ | urban |
| 96.5 | WMJJ | oldies |
| 97.3 | WNCB | country |
| 97.7 | WKLD | country |
| 97.7 | WQJJ | classic rock |
| 98.7 | WBHK | urban ac |
| 99.5 | WZRR | classic rock |
| 100.5 | WJOX | sports |
| 101.1 | WYDE | talk |
| 102.5 | WDXB | country |
| 103.7 | WQEN | CHR-pop |
| 104.7 | WZZK | country |
| 105.5 | WENN | smooth jazz |
| 106.9 | WBPT | classic hits |
| 107.7 | WUHT | urban ac |
Newspapers
The Birmingham News
(205) 325-4444
www.bhamnews.com
Alabama’s largest daily newspaper
The North Jefferson News
www.njeffersonnews.com
The Hoover Gazette
(205) 979-6397
www.hoovergazette.com
Birmingham Weekly
(205) 939-4030
www.bhamweekly.com
Dining & Nightlife
Birmingham and its outlying areas offer a wide array of places to dine, with restaurants for every taste and budget. The variety is due in part to the waves of immigrants drawn to the city by its booming steel mills in the early years of the 20th century; the city has an especially large number of Greek and Lebanese restaurants. More recent immigration has been the source of many excellent new Mexican and South American restaurants. At the same time, the traditional Southern standbys of “meat and three” diners and barbecue stands are well represented. (The “three” refers to the three side dishes that come with the main course.)
Family Activities
Arlington Antebellum Home and Gardens
331 Cotton Avenue
Birmingham, AL 35211
(205) 780-5656
Arlington is a fine example of Greek Revival architecture dating from the 1840s. The house was built by Judge William S. Mudd, one of the ten founders of Birmingham. The house is furnished with a collection of 19th century decorative arts. Located on six acres in the heart of Old Elyton, the first permanent County Seat of Jefferson County, Arlington is a center for historical, cultural, and civic activities.
Museums
Alabama Jazz Hall of Fame
1631 Fourth Ave North
Birmingham, AL 35203-1903
www.jazzhall.com
Located the in historic Carver Theatre on Fourth Avenue North, the Alabama Jazz Hall of Fame tells the story of the contributions of native Alabamians to the uniquely American musical form of jazz. Many of the most important and beloved jazz musicians of all time have come from Alabama, and a surprising number of these came from Birmingham.
Performing Arts
Alabama Ballet
2726 1st Ave S
Birmingham, AL 35233-2719
www.alabamaballet.org
Founded in 1981, this critically acclaimed ballet company presents a full schedule of modern and classical performances each year. Consisting of 16 professional dancers and 15 apprentices from around the world, the ABC also operates a dance school.
Recommended Tours
Jazz, Civil Rights & Sports
For visitors who have a little time to spend in Birmingham, there are many interesting and fun tours to take. For the most part, an automobile is the best means of transportation, as parking is not the problem that it can be in other cities. Still, visitors should take the opportunity to get out and walk around in some of Birmingham’s charming areas.
A good place to start would be downtown. Around the area of Lynn Park, you might start with a nice breakfast or brunch at the Tutwiler Hotel. From there, you could walk a short distance to the Birmingham Museum of Art or the Lynn Library of Southern History.
Education
Birmingham City Schools
2015 Park Place
Birmingham, Alabama 35203
(205) 231-4600
http://birmingham.schoolinsites.com
The city of Birmingham is served by the Birmingham City Schools system. It is run by the Birmingham Board of Education with a current active enrollment of 30,500 in 67 schools: 11 high schools, 13 middle schools, 34 elementary schools, and 9 K-8 secondary schools.
Community Colleges
Community colleges exist for two major purposes. The first is to serve as a bridge from high school to college by providing courses for transfer toward a bachelor’s degree. Four out of 10 collegebound high-school graduates start their college education this way.
The second function of community colleges is to prepare students for the job market by offering entry-level career training as well as courses for adult students who want to upgrade their skills for the workplace. They often offer programs that are not available at four-year schools, like fashion design.
Liberal Arts Colleges
Liberal arts colleges offer a broad base of courses in the humanities, social sciences, and sciences. Most are private and focus mainly on undergraduate students. Classes tend to be small and personal attention is available.
Online Learning
Recent years have witnessed the rise of online degree programs, to allow the busy professional a chance to work at their own pace from the comfort of their home on the path to getting a degree. The costs to students are typically the same as for traditional classes— and financial aid is equally available—while the cost to the institution can be much less.
There are online universities ranging from legitimate distance learning systems to fly-by-night degree-mills. It’s important to research a particular institution before deciding to enroll in their system. Generally, brick-and-mortar schools that also offer online classes are the safest, though there are plenty of fully accredited online universities out there.
Nearly 3 million students are believed to be taking online classes at institutions of higher education in the United States this year. That number has been growing about 25% a year recently. Now, virtually all public higher education institutions, as well as a vast majority of private, for-profit institutions, now offer online classes. By contrast, only about half of private, nonprofit schools offer them. Online schools offer everything from Associate’s degrees to Doctoral programs with available emphases in everything from Business Administration to Criminal Justice to Nursing. Some programs require students to attend some campus classes or orientations, but many are delivered completely online. Online courses generally require a computer with a broadband connection, but are now a serious option for the busy professional.
Public vs. Private
Public colleges are usually less expensive, particularly for in-state residents. They get most of their money from the state or local government. Private colleges rely on tuition, fees, endowments, and other private sources. Private colleges are usually smaller and can offer more personalized attention and often more prestige.
Universities
Generally, a university is bigger than a college and offers more majors and research facilities. Class size often reflects institutional size and some classes may taught by graduate students.
Upper Division
Upper-division schools offer the last two years of undergraduate study, usually in specialized programs leading to a bachelor’s degree. Students then generally transfer to an upper-division college after completing an associate degree or after finishing a second year of study at a four-year college.
Higher Education
Auburn University
1731 1st Ave N
Birmingham, AL 35203
(205) 323-3592
www.auburn.edu
Chadwick University
2101 Magnolia Ave S
Birmingham, AL 35205
(205) 252-4483
www.chadwick.edu
Jefferson State Community College
2601 Carson Rd
Birmingham, AL 35215
(205) 853-1200
www.jscc.cc.al.us
Samford University
800 Lakeshore Dr
Birmingham, AL 35229
(205) 726-2011
www.samford.edu
University Of Alabama At Birmingham
Birmingham, AL, 35201
(205) 934-3500
www.uab.edu
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