The City of Birmingham, Alabama, is a municipal corporation under the laws of the State of Alabama. Birmingham is the largest city in the state with a population currently estimated at 242,820, and a metro population of 1,079,089.
Nestled at the foothills of the Appalachian Mountains at the cross-section of two major railroads, the city was once the primary industrial center of the southern United States. At the height of the nation’s manufacturing age, the city grew so fast in population, it was called the “Magic City.” Today, Birmingham has transformed itself into a medical research, banking and service-based economy, making it one of the nation’s most livable cities with a vibrant downtown, a burgeoning loft community, a world-class culinary scene and more green space per capita than any other city in the nation!
Birmingham also boasts 99 historic neighborhoods and is often referred to as the cradle of the American Civil Rights Movement. The average (high) temperature in the city is 65°; the average low is 51°. The city is centrally located in the southeast and easily accessible to major hubs in the region
LARGEST EMPLOYERS (MSA):
University of Alabama at Birmingham
Baptist Medical Centers
BellSouth
Jefferson County Public Schools
Birmingham, Alabama is classic southern charm and hospitality. This vibrant, beautiful city is nestled in the rolling foothills of the Appalachian Mountains and serves up nationally recognized dining, shopping and entertainment, world-class attractions, events and other things to see and do.
With affordable airfare and accommodations, this centrally-located southeastern city is easy to get to. Once you arrive you’ll wish your time here was longer.
Though Birmingham stands in the heart of the Deep South, it is not an Old South city.
Founded in 1871 at the crossing of two railroad lines, the city blossomed through the early 1900s as it rapidly became the South’s foremost industrial center. Iron and steel production were a natural for Birmingham; underground lay abundant key ingredients—coal, iron ore and limestone. As an industry town, Birmingham suffered greatly in the Depression. After World War II the city grew moderately while retaining its strong Southern character.
At the same time a profound movement toward diversification was afoot. The huffing and puffing of Birmingham’s legendary iron and steel mills was gradually replaced by a work force of medical and engineering professionals. Today, Birmingham enjoys a balance of manufacturing and service-oriented jobs in a thriving work force.
Birmingham is a Southern city that is—all at once—young, traditional, vibrant, friendly, complex and, some even say, exotic. The eccentricities of the South and Southerners have been widely noted in literature and on film.
Unlike some larger Southern cities that have chosen to trade soul for growth and development, Birmingham has retained its true Southern character; it has been said that Birmingham is the last major Southern city in America. That is because it is impossible for us to become like every place else.
Birmingham is a distinctive and comfortable place to visit and to live. While we continue to grow more sophisticated, we also treasure many of the ways of the small-town South. One can enjoy asparagus salad with roasted pecan dressing at an elegant salon for lunch, and look forward to supper at a cafe serving country-fried steak and butter beans. The audience at the symphony concert will discuss college football games coming up the next day. And the highbrow patrons of the Charity Ball will be elbow-to-elbow the next morning with workers on a Habitat for Humanity home.
It is diversity that is our greatest strength and our strongest appeal. We talk about progress, but with a decidedly Southern accent. We are a spectrum of attitudes and cultures, all a part of the charm and exoticism that is the South.
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