Editing Birmingham, Alabama

{{Short description|City in Alabama, United States}}
{{other uses|Birmingham (disambiguation)}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=March 2024}}
{{Use American English|date=July 2022}}
{{Infobox settlement
| name               = Birmingham
| settlement_type    = [[City]]
| nicknames          = "The Magic City", "[[Pittsburgh]] of the South"
| image_skyline      = {{multiple image
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| image1 = Birmingham cityscape view 2010.jpg
| caption1 = Downtown Birmingham
| image2 = Vulcan statue Birmingham AL 2008 snow retouched.jpg
| caption2 = [[Vulcan statue|''Vulcan'']]
| image3 = 16th Street Baptist Church.JPG
| caption3 = [[16th Street Baptist Church]]
| image4 = Birmingham City Hall (Alabama).jpg
| caption4 = City Hall
| image5 = Alabama Theatre.jpg
| caption5 = [[Alabama Theatre]]
| image6 = BMA-2010-screen.jpg
| caption6 = [[Birmingham Museum of Art]]
}}
| image_flag         = Flag_of_Birmingham,_Alabama.svg
| flag_size          = 115px
| image_seal         = Seal of Birmingham, Alabama.svg
| seal_size          = 87px
| image_blank_emblem = Logo of Birmingham, Alabama.svg
| blank_emblem_type  = Logo
| blank_emblem_size  = 115px
| image_map          = {{maplink
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  | zoom               = 10
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| map_caption        = Interactive map of Birmingham
| named_for          = [[Birmingham]], England
| coordinates        = {{Coord|33|31|03|N|86|48|34|W|type:city_region:US-AL|display=inline,title}}
| pushpin_map        = Alabama#USA
| pushpin_mapsize    = 200px
| pushpin_map_caption = Location within Alabama##Location within the United States
| pushpin_label      = Birmingham
| pushpin_relief     = yes
| subdivision_type   = [[List of sovereign states|Country]]
| subdivision_type1  = [[U.S. state|State]]
| subdivision_type2  = [[List of counties in Alabama|Counties]]
| subdivision_name   = [[United States]]
| subdivision_name1  = [[Alabama]]
| subdivision_name2  = [[Jefferson County, Alabama|Jefferson]], [[Shelby County, Alabama|Shelby]]
| government_type    = Mayor – Council
| leader_title       = Mayor
| leader_name        = [[Randall Woodfin]] ([[Democratic Party (United States)|D]])
| established_title  = Incorporated
| established_date   = December 19, 1871
| unit_pref          = Imperial
| area_footnotes     = <ref name="CenPopGazetteer2020">{{cite web |title=2020 U.S. Gazetteer Files |url=https://www2.census.gov/geo/docs/maps-data/data/gazetteer/2020_Gazetteer/2020_gaz_place_01.txt |publisher=United States Census Bureau |access-date=October 29, 2021}}</ref>
| area_total_sq_mi   = 149.54
| area_total_km2     = 387.31
| area_land_sq_mi    = 147.02
| area_land_km2      = 380.77
| area_water_sq_mi   = 2.52
| area_water_km2     = 6.53
| elevation_footnotes = <ref name=gnis/>
| elevation_ft       = 597
| population_total   = 200733
| population_as_of   = [[2020 United States census|2020]]
| population_est     = 196357
| pop_est_as_of      = 2024
| pop_est_footnotes  = <ref name=quickfacts/>
| population_footnotes = <ref name=quickfacts>{{cite web|title=U.S. Census Burea QuickFacts: Birmingham city, Alabama; Huntsville city, Alabama; Mobile city, Alabama; Montgomery city, Alabama|publisher=[[United States Census Bureau]]|url=https://www.census.gov/quickfacts/fact/table/birminghamcityalabama,huntsvillecityalabama,mobilecityalabama,montgomerycityalabama/POP010220|access-date=May 27, 2025}}</ref>
| population_rank    = [[List of United States cities by population|131st]] in the United States <br />[[List of municipalities in Alabama|2nd]] in Alabama
| population_density_sq_mi = 1365.37
| population_density_km2 = 527.17
| population_urban   = 774,956 ([[List of United States urban areas|US: 58th]])
| population_density_urban_km2 = 587.5
| population_density_urban_sq_mi = 1,521.7
| population_metro_footnotes = <ref name="2024Pop">{{cite web |title=2024 Population and Housing State Data |url=https://www.census.gov/library/visualizations/interactive/2024-population-and-housing-state-data.html |publisher=United States Census Bureau |access-date=October 25, 2024}}</ref>
| population_metro   = 1,192,583 ([[List of metropolitan statistical areas|47th]])
| population_blank1_title = Combined
| population_blank1  = 1,376,853 (US: [[Combined statistical area|43rd]])
| population_demonym = Birminghamian
| postal_code_type   = ZIP Codes
| postal_code        = 35201-35224, 35226, 35228-35229, 35231-35238, 35242-35244, 35246, 35249, 35253-35255, 35259-35261, 35266, 35270, 35282-35283, 35285, 35287-35288, 35290-35298
| area_codes         = [[Area codes 205 and 659|205, 659]]
| website            = {{URL|https://www.birminghamal.gov/|birminghamal.gov}}
| footnotes          = 
| timezone           = [[Central Time Zone (North America)|CST]]
| utc_offset         = −6
| timezone_DST       = CDT
| utc_offset_DST     = −5
| blank2_name        = [[Federal Information Processing Standard|FIPS code]]
| blank2_info        = 01-07000
| blank3_name        = [[Geographic Names Information System|GNIS]] feature ID
| blank3_info        = 2403868<ref name=gnis>{{GNIS|2403868}}</ref>
}}

'''Birmingham''' ({{IPAc-en|ˈ|b|ɜr|m|ɪ|ŋ|h|æ|m}} {{Respell|BUR|ming-ham}}) is a city in the north central region of [[Alabama]], United States. Birmingham is the [[county seat]] of [[Jefferson County, Alabama|Jefferson County]], Alabama's most populous county. In 2024, Birmingham had an estimated population of 196,357.<ref name=quickfacts/> The broader [[Birmingham metropolitan area, Alabama|Birmingham metropolitan area]] had a population of 1,192,583 as of 2020,<ref name="2020Pop">{{cite web |title=2020 Population and Housing State Data |url=https://www.census.gov/library/visualizations/interactive/2020-population-and-housing-state-data.html |publisher=United States Census Bureau |access-date=October 25, 2021}}</ref> and it is the largest metropolitan area in Alabama as well as the [[List of metropolitan statistical areas|47th-most populous]] in the US. The Birmingham-Cullman-Talladega Combined Statistical Area (CSA) had an estimated population of 1,376,853 in 2024 (US: [[Combined statistical area|43rd]]). Birmingham serves as an important regional hub and it is associated with the [[Deep South]], [[Piedmont Atlantic Megaregion|Piedmont]], and [[Appalachia]]n regions of the nation. 

Birmingham was founded in 1871, during the post–[[American Civil War|Civil War]] [[Reconstruction Era of the United States|Reconstruction period]], through the merger of three pre-existing farm towns, notably, [[Elyton, Alabama|Elyton]]. It grew from there, [[annexation|annexing]] many more of its smaller neighbors, into an industrial and [[rail transportation|railroad transportation]] center with a focus on mining, the [[steel|iron and steel industry]], and [[railroading]]. Birmingham was named for the English city of [[Birmingham]], the United Kingdom's second largest city. Most of the original settlers who founded Birmingham were of [[English American|English ancestry]].<ref>{{cite book |last=Pickett |first=Albert James |title=History of Alabama, and Incidentally of Georgia and Mississippi, from the Earliest Period|orig-year=1851 |year=2003 |publisher=River City Publishing |location=Montgomery, Ala. |isbn=978-1880216705 |url=http://homepages.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~cmamcrk4/pktfm.html |author2=Owen, Thomas McAdory |volume=1 |page=391 |access-date=July 4, 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120722014625/http://homepages.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~cmamcrk4/pktfm.html |archive-date=July 22, 2012}} [https://books.google.com/books?id=3H0FAAAAQAAJ Alt URL]</ref> The city may have been planned as a place where cheap, non-unionized, and often African-American labor from rural Alabama could be employed in the city's steel mills and blast furnaces, giving it a competitive advantage over industrial cities in the [[Midwest]] and [[Northeastern United States|Northeast]].<ref>The Most Segregated City in America: City Planning and Civil Rights in Birmingham, 1920–1980, p. 14.</ref>

From its founding through the end of the 1960s, Birmingham was a primary industrial center of the [[Southern United States|South]]. The pace of Birmingham's growth during the period from 1881 through 1920 earned its nicknames ''The Magic City'' and ''The Pittsburgh of the South''. Much like [[Pittsburgh]], Birmingham's major industries were iron and steel production, plus a major component of the [[railroading]] industry, where rails and railroad cars were both manufactured in Birmingham. In the field of railroading, the two primary hubs of railroading in the Deep South were nearby [[Atlanta]] and Birmingham, beginning in the 1860s and continuing through to the present day. The economy diversified during the later half of the twentieth century. Though the manufacturing industry maintains a strong presence in Birmingham, other businesses and industries such as [[banking]], [[telecommunications]], transportation, electrical power transmission, medical care, [[college education]], and insurance have risen in stature. Mining in the Birmingham area is no longer a major industry with the exception of coal mining. Birmingham ranks as one of the most important business centers in the Southeastern United States and it is also one of the largest banking centers in the US. In addition, the Birmingham area serves as headquarters to two [[Fortune 500]] companies: [[Regions Financial]] and [[Vulcan Materials Company]],<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.alreporter.com/2023/06/13/two-alabama-companies-make-fortune-500/#:~:text=Birmingham%2Dbased%20Vulcan%20Materials%20Company,first%20year%20on%20the%20list | title=Two Alabama companies make Fortune 500 | date=June 13, 2023 }}</ref> along with multiple other [[Fortune 1000]] companies.

In [[higher education]], Birmingham has been the location of the [[University of Alabama at Birmingham School of Medicine]] (formerly the Medical College of Alabama) and the [[UAB School of Dentistry|University of Alabama at Birmingham School of Dentistry]] since 1947. In 1969 the [[University of Alabama at Birmingham]] was established, one of three main campuses of the [[University of Alabama System]]. Birmingham is also home to two private institutions: [[Samford University]] and [[Miles College]]. Birmingham was also home to [[Birmingham–Southern College|Birmingham-Southern College]], before its closure in 2024. Birmingham also has two community colleges: [[Jefferson State Community College]], with enrollment of 8,000 plus is the largest in Alabama, and [[Lawson State Community College]] with enrollment of approximately 4,000. Between these colleges and universities, the Birmingham area has major colleges of medicine, dentistry, optometry, pharmacy, law, engineering, and nursing. Birmingham is the headquarters of the [[Southeastern Conference]], one of the major U.S. collegiate athletic conferences. The [[Southwestern Athletic Conference]], considered the premier HBCU athletic conference is also headquartered in Birmingham.

==History==
{{For timeline}}

===Founding and early growth===
[[File:OUR BABY DOFFER.jpg|thumb|right|Child labor at Avondale Mills in Birmingham, 1910, photo by [[Lewis Hine]]]]

The Birmingham area was historically part of the territory of the [[Muscogee|Muscogee Confederacy]].<ref>{{cite web |title=Before Birmingham: Jones Valley |url=https://www.hmdb.org/m.asp?m=83805 |publisher=The Historical Marker Database}}</ref> The most prominent Indigenous settlement in the area in the 19th century was the Upper Creek community of {{lang|mus|Tvlwv Haco}}, meaning "Crazy Town" in [[Muscogee language|Muscogee]], located in present-day [[Indian Springs Village]].<ref>{{cite web |title=Shelby County Current or Historic Place Locale Remarks |url=https://alabamamaps.ua.edu/historicalplaces/text/ShelbyText.pdf |publisher=University of Alabama Department of Geography}}</ref><ref>{{cite book |last1=Martin |first1=Jack B. |title=A dictionary of Creek/Muskogee : with notes on the Florida and Oklahoma Seminole dialects of Creek |date=2000 |publisher=University of Nebraska Press |location=Lincoln |isbn=9780803283022 |url=https://www.google.com/books/edition/A_Dictionary_of_Creek_Muskogee/0qDkYfyX010C}}</ref>

Birmingham was founded on June 1, 1871, by the Elyton Land Company whose investors included cotton planters, bankers and railroad entrepreneurs. It sold lots near the planned crossing of the [[Alabama Great Southern Railroad#History|Alabama & Chattanooga]] and [[Louisville and Nashville Railroad|South & North Alabama]] railroads, including land formerly a part of the Benjamin P. Worthington plantation. The first business at that crossroads was the trading post and country store operated by Marre & Allen. The site of the railroad crossing was notable for the nearby deposits of iron ore, coal, and [[limestone]]&nbsp;– the three main raw materials used in making steel.<ref>{{cite web |title=Brief History of Birmingham, Alabama Iron Ore Mining |url=https://www.mininghistoryassociation.org/Meetings/Birmingham2022/Alabama%20Iron%20Mining%20History%20Article%20KAAS%20LI26.pdf |access-date=27 January 2025 |publisher=Mining History Association.org}}</ref><ref>{{cite book
 |last=Crane
 |first=W. R.
 |series=U.S. Department of Mines: Bulletin 239
 |title=Iron-Ore (Hematite) Mining Practice in the Birmingham District, Ala.
 |publisher=Government Printing Office
 |place=Washington, D.C.
 |date=1926
 |url=https://digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc38762/m2/1/high_res_d/metadc38762.pdf}}
</ref><ref>{{cite book
 |last=Butts
 |first=Charles
 |chapter=Lime, Magnesite, etc. Limestone and Dolomite in the Birmingham District, Alabama
 |title=Bulletin of the United States Geological Survey–Contributions to Economic Geology, 1906–Part I–Metals and Nonmetals, except fuels
 |editor1-last=Emmons
 |editor1-first=S.F.
 |editor2-last=Eckel
 |editor2-first=E.C.
 |date=1907
 |chapter-url=https://archive.org/details/bulletinofunited315emmo/page/247/mode/1up
 |pages=247ff}}&nbsp;Also available as [https://pubs.usgs.gov/bul/0315g/report.pdf individual chapter]
</ref>

The [[Birmingham District]] is the only place worldwide where significant amounts of all three minerals can be found in close proximity.<ref>{{cite encyclopedia |url=http://www.encyclopediaofalabama.org/face/Article.jsp?id=h-1597 |title=Birmingham Iron and Steel companies |last=Lewis |first=David |encyclopedia=Encyclopedia of Alabama |access-date=August 19, 2011 |archive-date=November 5, 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111105154141/http://www.encyclopediaofalabama.org/face/Article.jsp?id=h-1597 |url-status=dead }}</ref> From the start the new city was planned as a great center of industry. The founders, organized as the Elyton Land Company, borrowed the name of Birmingham, one of England's main industrial cities, to advertise that point. The growth of the planned city was impeded by an [[1863–1875 cholera pandemic|outbreak of cholera]], and a [[Panic of 1873|Wall Street crash in 1873]]. However, it began to develop shortly afterwards at an explosive rate.

In 1911, the town of Elyton, Alabama, and several other surrounding towns were absorbed into Birmingham. The start of the 20th century brought the substantial growth that gave Birmingham the nickname "The Magic City", as the downtown area developed from a low-rise commercial and residential district into a busy grid of neoclassical mid-rise and high-rise buildings and busy streetcar lines. Between 1902 and 1912 four large office buildings were constructed at the intersection of 20th Street, the central north–south spine of the city, and 1st Avenue North, which connected the warehouses and industrial facilities stretching along the east–west railroad corridor. This impressive group of early skyscrapers was nicknamed "The [[Heaviest Corner on Earth]]".

In 1916, Birmingham was hit by the [[1916 Irondale earthquake|Irondale earthquake]], with a 5.1 magnitude. A few buildings in the area were slightly damaged. The earthquake was felt as far as Atlanta and neighboring states.

While excluded from the best-paying industrial jobs, Black Americans joined the migration of residents from rural areas to the city for its opportunities. The [[Great Depression]] of the 1930s hit Birmingham especially hard as sources of capital that were fueling the city's growth rapidly dried up at the same time that farm laborers, driven off the land, made their way to the city in search of work. [[New Deal]] programs put many city residents to work in WPA and CCC programs, making important contributions to the city's infrastructure and artistic legacy, including such key improvements as [[Vulcan statue|Vulcan's]] tower and [[Oak Mountain State Park]].

The wartime demand for steel and the post-war building boom gave Birmingham a rapid return to prosperity. Manufacturing diversified beyond the production of raw materials. Major civic institutions such as schools, parks and museums, were able to expand their scope.<ref name=Atkins-1981>{{cite book |title=The Valley and the Hills: An Illustrated History of Birmingham & Jefferson County |last=Atkins |first=Leah Rawls |year=1981 |publisher=Windsor Publications |isbn=978-0-89781-031-9}}</ref>

Despite the growing population and wealth of the city, its residents were markedly underrepresented in the state legislature. Although the state constitution required redistricting in accordance with changes in the decennial census, the state legislature did not undertake this until the early 1970s, when forced by a federal court case to enforce "[[one man, one vote]]". In addition, the geographic basis of the senate, which gave each county one seat, gave undue influence to rural counties. Representatives of rural counties also had disproportionate power in the state house, and failed to provide support for infrastructure and other improvements in developing urban population centers such as Birmingham. At this time, the General Assembly ran county governments as extensions of the state through their legislative delegations.

===Birmingham civil rights movement===
{{Main|Birmingham campaign|Children's Crusade (1963)}}

In the 1950s and 1960s Birmingham received national and international attention as a center of the [[African-American Civil Rights Movement (1955–1968)|civil rights struggle]] for African-Americans. Locally the movement's activists were led by [[Fred Shuttlesworth]], a fiery preacher who became legendary for his fearlessness in the face of violence, notably a string of racially motivated bombings that earned Birmingham the derisive nickname "Bombingham".<ref>{{cite news |last=Cohen |first=Adam |title=Back to 'Bombingham' |magazine=[[Time (magazine)|Time]] |url=http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,986714,00.html |date=July 21, 1997 |access-date=April 26, 2010 |archive-date=October 27, 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091027071848/http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,986714,00.html |url-status=dead}}</ref>

[[File:16th Street Baptist Church.JPG|thumb|The [[16th Street Baptist Church]], now a National Historic Landmark]]
A watershed in the civil rights movement occurred in 1963 when Shuttlesworth requested that [[Martin Luther King Jr.]], and the [[Southern Christian Leadership Conference]] (SCLC), which Shuttlesworth had co-founded, come to Birmingham, where King had once been a pastor, to help end segregation.<ref name="test">[http://www.americanheritage.com/articles/magazine/ah/2010/4/2010_4_90.shtml Clayborne Carson]{{Dead link|date=January 2022 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }} "King Maker", ''[[American Heritage (magazine)|American Heritage]]'', Winter 2010.</ref> Together they launched "Project C" (for "Confrontation"), a massive assault on the [[Jim Crow laws|Jim Crow system]]. In April and May [[Children's Crusade (1963)|daily mass marches]] organized and led by movement leader [[James Bevel]] were met with police repression, [[tear gas]], attack dogs, fire hoses, and arrests. More than 3,000 people were arrested during these protests, almost all of them high-school age children. These protests were ultimately successful, leading not only to desegregation of public accommodations in Birmingham but also the [[Civil Rights Act of 1964]].<ref>{{cite web |last=Civil Rights Movement Veterans |title=The Birmingham Campaign |url=http://www.crmvet.org/tim/timhis63.htm#1963bham |date= |access-date=}}</ref>

While imprisoned for having taken part in a nonviolent protest, Dr. King wrote the now famous April 16 [[Letter from Birmingham Jail]], a defining treatise in his cause against segregation. Birmingham is also known for the September 15 incident, in which four black girls were killed by a bomb planted at the [[16th Street Baptist Church bombing|16th Street Baptist Church]]. The event would inspire the African-American poet [[Dudley Randall]]'s opus, "[[The Ballad of Birmingham]]", as well as jazz musician [[John Coltrane]]'s song "Alabama".

In 1998, the Birmingham Pledge, which local attorney James Rotch wrote, was introduced at the Martin Luther King Unity Breakfast. As a grassroots community commitment to combating racism and prejudice, it has since then been used for programs in all fifty states and in more than twenty countries.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.encyclopediaofalabama.org/face/Article.jsp?id=h-1884 |title=encyclopediaofalabama.org |publisher=encyclopediaofalabama.org |date=May 12, 2011 |access-date=July 14, 2012 |archive-date=October 2, 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121002093630/http://www.encyclopediaofalabama.org/face/Article.jsp?id=h-1884 |url-status=dead }}</ref>

===Recent history===
In the 1970s, urban-renewal efforts focused around the development of the [[University of Alabama at Birmingham]], which developed into a major medical and research center. In 1971, Birmingham celebrated its [[centennial]] with a round of public-works improvements, including an upgrade of [[Vulcan statue|Vulcan Park]] and the construction of a major downtown convention center containing a 2,500-seat symphony hall, theater, 19,000-seat arena, and exhibition halls. Birmingham's banking institutions enjoyed considerable growth as well and new skyscrapers started to appear in the city center for the first time since the 1920s. These projects helped diversify the city's economy but did not prevent the exodus of many of the city's residents to nearby independent suburbs. In 1979, Birmingham elected Dr. [[Richard Arrington Jr.]] as its first African-American mayor.

The population inside Birmingham's city limits has fallen over the past few decades, due in large part to "[[white flight]]" from the city of Birmingham proper to surrounding suburbs. The city's formerly most populous ethnic group, non-Hispanic white,<ref name="census2010"/> has declined from 57.4 percent in 1970 to 21.1 percent in 2010.<ref>{{cite web |title=Alabama&nbsp;– Race and Hispanic Origin for Selected Cities and Other Places: Earliest Census to 1990 |publisher=U.S. Census Bureau |url=http://www.census.gov/population/www/documentation/twps0076/twps0076.html |website=Census.gov |access-date=April 21, 2012}}</ref> From its highest population of 340,887 in 1960, the population was down to 200,733 in 2020, a loss of about 41 percent. That same period saw a corresponding rise in the populations of the suburban communities of Hoover, Vestavia Hills, Alabaster, and Gardendale, none of which were incorporated as municipalities until after 1950.

[[File:Birmingham Skyline.jpeg|thumb|The Birmingham skyline at night from atop the City Federal Building, July 2015]]
In 2006, the city's visitors bureau selected "the diverse city" as a new [[tag line]] for the city.<ref>{{cite news |first=Kelli M. |last=Dugan |url=http://birmingham.bizjournals.com/birmingham/stories/2006/07/17/smallb1.html?jst=s_cn_hl |title=Big ideas |publisher=Birmingham Business Journal |date=July 14, 2006 |access-date=November 9, 2006}}</ref> In 2011, the American Planning Association named the Highland Park neighborhood of Birmingham as a 2011 America's Great Place.<ref>{{cite news |title=Highland Park in Birmingham |url=http://www.planning.org/greatplaces/neighborhoods/2011/ |website=American Planning Assoc. website |access-date=March 10, 2014 |archive-date=March 10, 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140310231804/https://www.planning.org/greatplaces/neighborhoods/2011/ |url-status=dead}}</ref> In 2015, the International World Game Executive Committee selected Birmingham over [[Lima, Peru]] and [[Ufa, Russia]], for the 2021 World Games, but the [[COVID-19 pandemic]] delayed the event by a year.<ref>{{cite news |title=Birmingham Wins |url=http://www.al.com/news/birmingham/index.ssf/2015/01/birmingham_wins_city_chosen_as.html |website=Al.com website |access-date=February 4, 2015}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |title=Pandemic-delayed World Games open in Birmingham a year late |newspaper=[[The Washington Post]] |agency=[[The Associated Press]] |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/sports/pandemic-delayed-world-games-open-in-birmingham-a-year-late/2022/07/07/d1016082-fe03-11ec-b39d-71309168014b_story.html |access-date=July 12, 2022 |issn=0190-8286}}</ref> After the 2020 census, Birmingham lost its long-standing status as Alabama's largest city, with [[Huntsville, Alabama|Huntsville]] overtaking Birmingham in total population, though Birmingham remains the state's largest metropolitan area. Birmingham hosted the [[2022 World Games]] in July 2022. In September 2024 [[September 2024 Birmingham shooting|a mass shooting]] occurred in Birmingham, killing four people.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Razek |first1=Raja |last2=Mascarenhas |first2=Lauren |last3=Afshar |first3=Paradise |title=4 dead and 17 injured after gunfire erupts at popular nightlife area in Birmingham, Alabama, police say |url=https://edition.cnn.com/2024/09/22/us/birmingham-alabama-shooting-five-points-south/index.html |access-date=22 September 2024 |work=[[CNN]] |date=22 September 2024 |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=Four people killed and 20 injured in shooting in Birmingham, Alabama |url=https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2024/sep/22/birmingham-alabama-shooting |access-date=22 September 2024 |work=[[The Guardian]] |date=22 September 2024}}</ref>

==Geography==
[[File:CahabaRiverNWR2.jpg|thumb|upright|[[Cahaba River National Wildlife Refuge]]]]

Birmingham occupies Jones Valley, flanked by long parallel mountain ridges (the tailing ends of the [[Appalachian Mountains|Appalachian]] foothills&nbsp;– see [[Ridge-and-Valley Appalachians]]) running from north-east to south-west. The valley is drained by small creeks (Village Creek, Valley Creek) which flow into the [[Black Warrior River]]. The valley was bisected by the principal railroad corridor, along which most of the early manufacturing operations began.

[[Red Mountain (Birmingham)|Red Mountain]] lies immediately south of downtown. Many of Birmingham's television and radio broadcast towers are lined up along this prominent ridge. The "Over the Mountain" area, including Shades Valley, [[Shades Mountain]] and beyond, was largely shielded from the industrial smoke and rough streets of the industrial city. This is the setting for Birmingham's more affluent suburbs of [[Mountain Brook, Alabama|Mountain Brook]], [[Vestavia Hills, Alabama|Vestavia Hills]], [[Homewood, Alabama|Homewood]], and [[Hoover, Alabama|Hoover]]. South of Shades Valley is the [[Cahaba River]] basin, one of the most diverse river ecosystems in the United States.

[[Sand Mountain (Alabama)|Sand Mountain]], a smaller ridge, flanks the city to the north and divides Jones Valley from much more rugged land to the north. The [[Louisville and Nashville Railroad]] (now [[CSX Transportation]]) enters the valley through Boyles Gap, a prominent gap in the long low ridge.

[[Ruffner Mountain Park|Ruffner Mountain]], located due east of the heart of the city, is home to Ruffner Mountain Nature Center, one of the largest urban nature reserves in the United States.

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the city has a total area of {{convert|151.9|sqmi|km2}}, of which, {{convert|149.9|sqmi|km2}} is land and {{convert|2.0|sqmi|km2}} (1.34%) is water.

===Metropolitan area===
{{Main|Birmingham metropolitan area, Alabama}}
Most of the metropolitan area lies outside of the city itself. According to the US Census Bureau, the Birmingham area consists of 7 counties and over 100 suburbs.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.al.com/birminghamnews/documents/crossroads.pdf |title=Birmingham at a Crossroads |access-date=June 9, 2015 |archive-date=January 15, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160115012808/http://www.al.com/birminghamnews/documents/crossroads.pdf |url-status=dead}}</ref> The population of the area as of the [[2020 United States census|2020 census]] was 1,180,631. Some argue that the region suffers from having too many suburbs because companies can receive large incentives to move a short distance to another city, with no net gain in the area's economy.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://blog.al.com/comebacktown/2015/06/how_to_extort_money_from_city.html |title=How to extort money from City of Homewood: Reader opinion |date=June 3, 2015 |website=AL.com |access-date=July 21, 2015}}</ref>

===Cityscape===
{{Main|List of tallest buildings in Birmingham, Alabama|List of neighborhoods in Birmingham, Alabama}}
{|class=wikitable
|+ '''Tallest buildings'''
|-
! Name
! Stories
! Height
|-
|[[Shipt Tower]]||34||454&nbsp;ft (138&nbsp;m)
|-
|[[Regions-Harbert Plaza]]||32||437&nbsp;ft (133&nbsp;m)
|-
|[[AT&T City Center]]||30||390&nbsp;ft (119&nbsp;m)
|-
|[[Regions Center (Birmingham)|Regions Center]]||30||390&nbsp;ft (119&nbsp;m)
|-
|[[City Federal Building]]||27||325&nbsp;ft (99&nbsp;m)
|-
|[[Alabama Power Headquarters Building]]||18||322&nbsp;ft (98&nbsp;m)
|-
|[[Thomas Jefferson Hotel|Thomas Jefferson Tower]]||20||287&nbsp;ft (87&nbsp;m)
|-
|[[John Hand Building]]||20||284&nbsp;ft (87&nbsp;m)
|-
|[[Daniel Building]]||20||283&nbsp;ft (86&nbsp;m)
|}
[[File:BirminghamALskyline2.jpg|thumb|center|upright=3.5|{{center|The Birmingham skyline}}|alt=Birmingham skyline]]

===Climate===
Birmingham has a [[humid subtropical climate]], characterized by hot summers, mild winters, and abundant rainfall. Birmingham is primarily in USDA Hardiness Zone 8a, with some neighborhoods in Zone 8b.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Scharmann |first=Bobby |date=2025-01-20 |title=Birmingham, Alabama USDA Hardiness Zone: What It Means for Your Lawn and Garden - lawnlo |url=https://lawnlo.com/2025/01/20/birmingham-alabama-usda-hardiness-zone-what-it-means-for-your-lawn-and-garden/ |access-date=2025-01-20 |website=lawnlo.com |language=en-US}}</ref> January has a daily mean temperature of {{convert|43.8|°F|1}}. There are an average of 47 days annually with a low at or below freezing, and 1.4 days where the high does not surpass freezing.<ref name="NOAA txt">{{cite web |url=https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/access/services/data/v1?dataset=normals-monthly-1991-2020&startDate=0001-01-01&endDate=9996-12-31&stations=USW00013876&format=pdf |publisher=National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration |title=Station: Birmingham AP, AL |work=U.S. Climate Normals 2020: U.S. Monthly Climate Normals (1991–2020) |access-date=June 7, 2021}}</ref> July has a daily mean temperature of {{convert|81.1|°F|1}}. Highs reach or exceed {{convert|90|°F|0}} on 65 days per year and {{convert|100|°F|0}} on 2.<ref name="NOAA txt"/> Precipitation is relatively well-distributed throughout the year, sometimes falling in the form of snow during winter. {{convert|10.3|in|cm|1}} fell on March 13, 1993, during the [[1993 Storm of the Century]], which established the highest daily snowfall, one-storm, and winter season total on record. Normal snowfall for 1981–2010 was {{convert|1.6|in|cm|1|abbr=on}}. For the same period, the median monthly snowfall for each month was zero.<ref name="NOAA txt"/>

The summer months are hot, with high humidity. Most of the precipitation that falls in the summer are from thunderstorms, most of which occur in the afternoon and evening hours.

The spring and fall months are pleasant but variable as cold fronts frequently bring strong to severe thunderstorms and occasional tornadoes to the region. The fall season (primarily October) features less rainfall and fewer storms, as well as lower humidity than the spring, but November and early December represent a secondary severe weather season. Birmingham is located in the heart of a [[Tornado Alley]] known as the [[Dixie Alley]] due to the high frequency of tornadoes in Central Alabama. The greater Birmingham area has been hit by two F5 tornadoes; one in Birmingham's northern suburbs in [[Birmingham Tornado of April 1977|1977]], and second in the western suburbs in [[Birmingham Tornado of April 1998|1998]]. The area was hit by [[2011 Tuscaloosa–Birmingham tornado|an EF4 tornado]] which was part of a [[April 25–28, 2011 tornado outbreak|larger outbreak in April 2011]]. In late summer and fall months, Birmingham experiences occasional tropical storms and hurricanes due to its proximity to the Central Gulf Coast.

The record high temperature is {{convert|107|°F|0}}, set on July 29, 1930.<ref name="Jul Averages">{{cite web |url=http://www.weather.com/outlook/travel/vacationplanner/wxclimatology/daily/35209?climoMonth=7 |title=July Daily Averages for Birmingham, AL (35209) |publisher=The Weather Channel |access-date=November 24, 2011 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121027154130/http://www.weather.com/outlook/travel/vacationplanner/wxclimatology/daily/35209?climoMonth=7 |archive-date=October 27, 2012 }}</ref> The record low is {{convert|−10|°F|0}}, set on [[Great Blizzard of 1899|February 13, 1899]].<ref name="Feb Averages">{{cite web |url=http://www.weather.com/outlook/travel/vacationplanner/wxclimatology/daily/35209?climoMonth=2 |title=February Daily Averages for Birmingham, AL (35209) |publisher=weather.com |access-date=April 21, 2014}}</ref>

{{Weather box
| location = [[Birmingham–Shuttlesworth International Airport]], Alabama (1991–2020 normals,{{efn|Mean monthly maxima and minima (i.e. the highest and lowest temperature readings during an entire month or year) calculated based on data at said location from 1991 to 2020.}} extremes 1896–present){{efn|Official records for Birmingham kept May 1896 to December 1929 at the Weather Bureau Office and at Birmingham Int'l since January 1930. For more information, see [http://threadex.rcc-acis.org Threadex].}}
| single line = Y
| Jan record high F = 81
| Feb record high F = 88
| Mar record high F = 90
| Apr record high F = 92
| May record high F = 99
| Jun record high F = 106
| Jul record high F = 107
| Aug record high F = 105
| Sep record high F = 106
| Oct record high F = 101
| Nov record high F = 88
| Dec record high F = 80
| year record high F = 107
| Jan avg record high F = 71.5
| Feb avg record high F = 75.2
| Mar avg record high F = 81.8
| Apr avg record high F = 85.6
| May avg record high F = 90.7
| Jun avg record high F = 94.9
| Jul avg record high F = 97.0
| Aug avg record high F = 97.2
| Sep avg record high F = 94.2
| Oct avg record high F = 87.3
| Nov avg record high F = 79.0
| Dec avg record high F = 72.7
| year avg record high F = 98.6
| Jan high F = 54.5
| Feb high F = 59.1
| Mar high F = 67.1
| Apr high F = 75.0
| May high F = 82.0
| Jun high F = 88.1
| Jul high F = 91.0
| Aug high F = 90.6
| Sep high F = 85.9
| Oct high F = 76.0
| Nov high F = 65.0
| Dec high F = 56.9
| year high F = 74.3
| Jan mean F = 44.7
| Feb mean F = 48.8
| Mar mean F = 56.0
| Apr mean F = 63.6
| May mean F = 71.5
| Jun mean F = 78.3
| Jul mean F = 81.5
| Aug mean F = 80.9
| Sep mean F = 75.6
| Oct mean F = 64.9
| Nov mean F = 54.0
| Dec mean F = 47.4
| year mean F = 63.9
| Jan low F = 34.9
| Feb low F = 38.4
| Mar low F = 45.0
| Apr low F = 52.1
| May low F = 61.0
| Jun low F = 68.5
| Jul low F = 72.1
| Aug low F = 71.3
| Sep low F = 65.3
| Oct low F = 53.9
| Nov low F = 43.0
| Dec low F = 37.9
| year low F = 53.6
| Jan avg record low F = 15.8
| Feb avg record low F = 20.4
| Mar avg record low F = 25.6
| Apr avg record low F = 34.9
| May avg record low F = 45.1
| Jun avg record low F = 57.6
| Jul avg record low F = 64.4
| Aug avg record low F = 62.7
| Sep avg record low F = 50.1
| Oct avg record low F = 36.3
| Nov avg record low F = 25.7
| Dec avg record low F = 21.0
| year avg record low F = 13.4
| Jan record low F = −6
| Feb record low F = −10
| Mar record low F = 2
| Apr record low F = 26
| May record low F = 36
| Jun record low F = 42
| Jul record low F = 51
| Aug record low F = 51
| Sep record low F = 37
| Oct record low F = 27
| Nov record low F = 5
| Dec record low F = 1
| year record low F = −10
| precipitation colour = green
| Jan precipitation inch = 5.03
| Feb precipitation inch = 4.95
| Mar precipitation inch = 5.66
| Apr precipitation inch = 5.08
| May precipitation inch = 4.91
| Jun precipitation inch = 4.78
| Jul precipitation inch = 5.45
| Aug precipitation inch = 4.35
| Sep precipitation inch = 4.00
| Oct precipitation inch = 3.34
| Nov precipitation inch = 4.23
| Dec precipitation inch = 4.87
| year precipitation inch = 56.62
| snow colour = green
| Jan snow inch = 0.4
| Feb snow inch = 0.3
| Mar snow inch = 0.5
| Apr snow inch = 0.0
| May snow inch = 0.0
| Jun snow inch = 0.0
| Jul snow inch = 0.0
| Aug snow inch = 0.0
| Sep snow inch = 0.0
| Oct snow inch = 0.0
| Nov snow inch = 0.0
| Dec snow inch = 0.2
| year snow inch = 1.4
| unit precipitation days = 0.01 in
| Jan precipitation days = 10.5
| Feb precipitation days = 10.8
| Mar precipitation days = 11.2
| Apr precipitation days = 9.2
| May precipitation days = 9.8
| Jun precipitation days = 11.2
| Jul precipitation days = 11.9
| Aug precipitation days = 10.6
| Sep precipitation days = 7.0
| Oct precipitation days = 7.1
| Nov precipitation days = 8.4
| Dec precipitation days = 10.4
| year precipitation days = 118.1
| unit snow days = 0.1 in
| Jan snow days = 0.2
| Feb snow days = 0.3
| Mar snow days = 0.2
| Apr snow days = 0.0
| May snow days = 0.0
| Jun snow days = 0.0
| Jul snow days = 0.0
| Aug snow days = 0.0
| Sep snow days = 0.0
| Oct snow days = 0.0
| Nov snow days = 0.0
| Dec snow days = 0.1
| year snow days = 0.8
| Jan humidity = 70.5
| Feb humidity = 66.5
| Mar humidity = 64.2
| Apr humidity = 65.0
| May humidity = 70.1
| Jun humidity = 71.6
| Jul humidity = 74.4
| Aug humidity = 74.6
| Sep humidity = 74.0
| Oct humidity = 71.6
| Nov humidity = 71.4
| Dec humidity = 71.2
| year humidity = 
| Jan sun = 149.8
| Feb sun = 159.8
| Mar sun = 219.1
| Apr sun = 247.6
| May sun = 282.6
| Jun sun = 280.7
| Jul sun = 264.3
| Aug sun = 260.7
| Sep sun = 223.8
| Oct sun = 231.9
| Nov sun = 166.3
| Dec sun = 154.4
| year sun = 2641.0
| Jan percentsun = 47
| Feb percentsun = 52
| Mar percentsun = 59
| Apr percentsun = 63
| May percentsun = 66
| Jun percentsun = 65
| Jul percentsun = 60
| Aug percentsun = 63
| Sep percentsun = 60
| Oct percentsun = 66
| Nov percentsun = 53
| Dec percentsun = 50
| year percentsun = 59
| Jan dew point C = −0.2
| Feb dew point C = 0.9
| Mar dew point C = 4.9
| Apr dew point C = 9.2
| May dew point C = 14.5
| Jun dew point C = 18.5
| Jul dew point C = 20.6
| Aug dew point C = 20.3
| Sep dew point C = 17.3
| Oct dew point C = 10.7
| Nov dew point C = 6.0
| Dec dew point C = 1.9
| source 1 = [[NOAA]] (relative humidity and dew point 1961–1990, sun 1961–1989)<ref name="NOAA txt" /><ref name=NOAA >{{cite web |url=https://w2.weather.gov/climate/xmacis.php?wfo=bmx |title=NowData – NOAA Online Weather Data |publisher=National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration |access-date=June 7, 2021}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.ncdc.noaa.gov/sites/default/files/attachments/CCD-2018.pdf |title=Comparative Climatic Data For the United States Through 2018 |publisher=NOAA |access-date=July 28, 2020 |archive-date=September 19, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200919104105/https://www.ncdc.noaa.gov/sites/default/files/attachments/CCD-2018.pdf |url-status=dead}}</ref><ref name=NOAAsun >{{cite web |url=https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/pub/data/normals/WMO/1961-1990/RA-IV/US/GROUP1/00010829.TXT |title=WMO Climate Normals for BIRMINGHAM/WSFO AL 1961–1990 |publisher=National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration |access-date=April 22, 2024}}</ref><ref name="NOAA RH">{{cite web |url=ftp://ftp.atdd.noaa.gov/pub/GCOS/WMO-Normals/TABLES/REG_IV/US/GROUP3/72228.TXT |title=WMO Climate Normals for BIRMINGHAM/MUNICIPAL ARPT AL 1961–1990 |publisher=National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200715192429/ftp://ftp.atdd.noaa.gov/pub/GCOS/WMO-Normals/TABLES/REG_IV/US/GROUP3/72228.TXT |archive-date=2020-07-15 |url-status=dead |access-date=September 5, 2020}}</ref>
| source 2 = World Meteorological Organization (Extremes for 1961–1990)<ref>{{Cite book |url=https://library.wmo.int/viewer/53252/download?file=847_fr_en.pdf&type=pdf&navigator=1 |title=Birmingham/Mun. AL - 72228: Climotological Normals (CLINO) For The Period 1961-1990 |access-date=23 April 2024 |publisher=World Meteorological Organization |year=1996 |pages=435, 441 |format=PDF |isbn=92-63-0084 7-7 }}</ref>
| source = 
}}

===Earthquakes===
The Birmingham area is not prone to frequent earthquakes; its historical activity level is 59% less than the US average. Earthquakes are generally minor and the Birmingham area can feel an earthquake from the Eastern Tennessee Seismic Zone. The magnitude 5.1 Irondale earthquake in 1916 caused damage in the Birmingham area and was felt in the neighboring states and as far as the Carolinas.<ref>{{cite web |title=Historic Earthquakes |url=http://earthquake.usgs.gov/earthquakes/states/events/1916_10_18.php |access-date=November 29, 2012 |archive-date=January 6, 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130106010319/http://earthquake.usgs.gov/earthquakes/states/events/1916_10_18.php |url-status=dead}}</ref> The [[2003 Alabama earthquake]] centered in northeastern Alabama (magnitude 4.6–4.9) was also felt in Birmingham, Atlanta, [[Tennessee]], [[Kentucky]], and both Carolina states.

==Demographics==
{{US Census population
|1880=3086
|1890=26178
|1900=38415
|1910=132685
|1920=178806
|1930=259678
|1940=267583
|1950=326037
|1960=340887
|1970=300910
|1980=284413
|1990=265968
|2000=242840
|2010=212237
|2020=200733
|estyear=2024
|estimate=196357
|estref=<ref name=quickfacts/>
|footnote=U.S. Decennial Census<ref name="DecennialCensus">{{cite web|url=https://www.census.gov/programs-surveys/decennial-census/decade.html|title=Decennial Census of Population and Housing by Decades|publisher=United States Census Bureau|access-date=}}</ref><br> 1990<ref name=1990Census/> 2000<ref name="2000CensusP004" /> 2010<ref name=2010CensusP2/> 2020<ref name=2020CensusP2/>
}}

===2020 census===
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center;"
|+'''Birmingham city, Alabama – Racial and ethnic composition'''<br><small>{{nobold|''Note: the US census treats Hispanic/Latino as an ethnic category. This table excludes Latinos from the racial categories and assigns them to a separate category. Hispanics/Latinos may be of any race.''}}</small>
!Race / Ethnicity <small>(''NH = Non-Hispanic'')</small>
!Pop 1990<ref name=1990Census>{{Cite web|title=1990 Census of Population – General Population Characteristics - Alabama |url=https://www2.census.gov/library/publications/decennial/1990/cp-1/cp-1-2.pdf|publisher=United States Census Bureau}}</ref>
!Pop 2000<ref name=2000CensusP004>{{Cite web|title=P004 Hispanic or Latino, and Not Hispanic or Latino by Race – 2000: DEC Summary File 1 – Birmingham city, Alabama|url=https://data.census.gov/table/DECENNIALSF12000.P004?q=p004&g=160XX00US0107000|publisher=United States Census Bureau}}</ref>
!Pop 2010<ref name=2010CensusP2>{{Cite web|title=P2: Hispanic or Latino, and Not Hispanic or Latino by Race – 2010: DEC Redistricting Data (PL 94-171) – Birmingham city, Alabama|url=https://data.census.gov/table?q=p2&g=160XX00US0107000&tid=DECENNIALPL2010.P2|publisher=United States Census Bureau}}</ref>
!{{partial|Pop 2020}}<ref name=2020CensusP2>{{Cite web|title=P2: Hispanic or Latino, and Not Hispanic or Latino by Race – 2020: DEC Redistricting Data (PL 94-171) - Birmingham city, Alabama|url=https://data.census.gov/cedsci/table?q=p2&g=160XX00US0107000&tid=DECENNIALPL2020.P2|publisher=United States Census Bureau}}</ref>
!% 1990
!% 2000
!% 2010
!% {{partial|2020}}
|-
|[[Non-Hispanic or Latino whites|White]] alone (NH)
|95,123
|57,096
|44,819
|style='background: #ffffe6; |45,993
|35.76%
|23.51%
|21.12%
|style='background: #ffffe6; |22.91%
|-
|[[Non-Hispanic or Latino African Americans|Black or African American]] alone (NH)
|168,002
|177,709
|155,258
|style='background: #ffffe6; |136,731
|63.17%
|73.19%
|73.15%
|style='background: #ffffe6; |68.12%
|-
|[[Native Americans in the United States|Native American]] or [[Alaska Native]] alone (NH)
|313
|383
|361
|style='background: #ffffe6; |346
|0.12%
|0.16%
|0.17%
|style='background: #ffffe6; |0.17%
|-
|[[Asian Americans|Asian]] alone (NH)
|1,431
|1,900
|2,132
|style='background: #ffffe6; |3,255
|0.54%
|0.78%
|1.00%
|style='background: #ffffe6; |1.62%
|-
|[[Pacific Islander Americans|Pacific Islander]] alone (NH)
|x
|49
|48
|style='background: #ffffe6; |109
|x
|0.02%
|0.02%
|style='background: #ffffe6; |0.05%
|-
|[[Race and ethnicity in the United States census|Other race]] alone (NH)
|61
|138
|150
|style='background: #ffffe6; |575
|0.02%
|0.06%
|0.07%
|style='background: #ffffe6; |0.29%
|-
|[[Multiracial Americans|Mixed race or Multiracial]] (NH)
|x
|1,781
|1,765
|style='background: #ffffe6; |4,450
|x
|0.73%
|0.83%
|style='background: #ffffe6; |2.22%
|-
|[[Hispanic and Latino Americans|Hispanic or Latino]] (any race)
|1,038
|3,764
|7,704
|style='background: #ffffe6; |9,274
|0.39%
|1.55%
|3.63%
|style='background: #ffffe6; |4.62%
|-
|'''Total'''
|'''265,968'''
|'''242,820'''
|'''212,237'''
|style='background: #ffffe6; |'''200,733'''
|'''100.00%'''
|'''100.00%'''
|'''100.00%'''
|style='background: #ffffe6; |'''100.00%'''
|}

In the [[2020 United States census]], there were 200,733 people, 93,300 households, and 46,816 families living in Birmingham.

;2010
According to the [[2010 United States census|2010 U.S. census]]:<ref name="census2010">{{cite web |url=http://quickfacts.census.gov/qfd/states/01/0107000.html |title=Birmingham (city), Alabama |work=State & County QuickFacts |publisher=U.S. Census Bureau |access-date=April 21, 2012 |archive-date=June 11, 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120611040552/http://quickfacts.census.gov/qfd/states/01/0107000.html |url-status=dead}}</ref>
*73.4% [[African American|African American (Black)]]
*22.3% [[White American]]
*0.2% [[Native Americans in the United States|Native American]]
*1.0% [[Asian American|Asian]]
*0.0% [[Native Hawaiian]] or [[Pacific Islander American|Pacific Islander]]
*1.0% [[Multiracial American|Two or more races]]
*2.1% [[Race (United States census)|Other races]]
*3.6% [[Hispanic and Latino Americans|Hispanic or Latino]] (of any race)

[[File:Race and ethnicity 2010- Birmingham (5559862755).png|thumb|A racial distribution map of Birmingham, 2010 U.S. census]]

;2000
In the [[2000 United States census|2000 census]], there were 242,820 people, 98,782 households, and 59,269 families living in Birmingham.<ref name="GR2">{{cite web |url=http://factfinder2.census.gov |publisher=[[United States Census Bureau]] |access-date=January 31, 2008 |title=American FactFinder}}</ref> The population density was {{convert|1,619.7|PD/sqmi|PD/km2|sp=us|adj=off}}. There were 111,927 housing units at an average density of {{convert|746.6|/sqmi|/km2|sp=us|adj=off}}. The racial makeup of the city was 62.46% [[African American|Black]], 35.07% [[White American|White]], 0.17% [[Indigenous peoples of the Americas|Native American]], 0.80% [[Asian American|Asian]], 0.04% [[Pacific Islander]], 0.62% from [[Race (United States census)|other races]], and 0.83% from [[Multiracial American|two or more races]]. 1.55% of the population were [[Hispanic or Latino American|Hispanic or Latino]] of any race.

There were 98,782 households, out of which 27.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 31.1% were married couples living together, 24.6% had a female householder with no husband present, and 40.0% were non-families. 34.4% of all households were made up of individuals, and 10.4% had someone living alone who was 65&nbsp;years of age or older.

In Birmingham, 25.0% of the population was under the age of 18, 11.1% was from 18 to 24, 30.0% from 25 to 44, 20.4% from 45 to 64, and 13.5% was 65&nbsp;years of age or older. The median age was 34&nbsp;years. For every 100 females there were 85.7 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $31,898, and the median income for a family was $38,776. Males had a median income of $36,031 versus $30,367 for females. The city's per capita income was $19,962. About 22.5% of families and 27.3% of the population were below the poverty line, including 41.9% of those under the age of 18 and 18.3% of those age 65 or over.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://factfinder2.census.gov/bkmk/table/1.0/en/ACS/11_5YR/DP03/1600000US0107000 |title=Birmingham city, Alabama: Selected Economic Characteristics: 2007–2011 |work=Census.gov |access-date=November 13, 2013}}</ref>

===Religion===
[[File:St Paul 05.jpg|thumb|upright|[[Cathedral of Saint Paul (Birmingham, Alabama)|St. Paul's Cathedral]] in downtown Birmingham]]

The Association of Statisticians of American Religious Bodies published data showing that in 2010, among metro areas with a greater than one million population, Birmingham had the second highest ratio of Christians, and the greatest ratio of [[Protestant]] adherents, in the United States.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://rcms2010.org/compare.php |title=Religious Congregations & Membership Study |work=rcms2010.org |access-date=July 21, 2015 |archive-date=July 29, 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150729064453/http://www.rcms2010.org/compare.php |url-status=dead}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/10/08/most-and-least-christian-cities_n_1915050.html#slide=1569432 |title=Most And Least Christian Cities In America (PHOTOS) |work=The Huffington Post |date=October 8, 2012 |access-date=July 21, 2015}}</ref>

The [[Southern Baptist Convention]] has 673 congregations and 336,000 members in the Birmingham Metro area. The United Methodists have 196 congregations and 66,759 members. The headquarters of the [[Presbyterian Church in America]] had been in Birmingham until the early 1980s; the PCA has more than 30 congregations and almost 15,000 members in the Birmingham-Hoover Metropolitan area with megachurches like [[Briarwood Presbyterian Church]]. The National Baptist Convention has 126 congregations and 69,800 members.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.thearda.com/rcms2010/r/m/13820/rcms2010_13820_metro_name_2010.asp |title=The Association of Religion Data Archives – Maps & Reports |work=thearda.com |access-date=July 21, 2015}}</ref>

The city is home to the [[Roman Catholic Diocese of Birmingham in Alabama|Roman Catholic Diocese of Birmingham]], covering 39 counties and comprising 75 parishes and missions as well as seven Catholic high schools and nineteen elementary schools; there are also two [[Eastern Catholic]] parishes in the Birmingham area.<ref name=RCDiocese>{{cite web |title=Parish Directory |url=http://www.bhmdiocese.org/directory.asp?catID=1865 |work=Diocese of Birmingham Official Website |publisher=Catholic Diocese of Birmingham |access-date=December 28, 2012 |archive-date=September 24, 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120924001602/http://www.bhmdiocese.org/directory.asp?catID=1865 |url-status=dead}}</ref> The Catholic television network [[EWTN]] is headquartered in metropolitan Birmingham. There are three Eastern Orthodox Churches in the Metro Area as well, Greek, Russian and American. There is also a [[Unitarian Universalist]] church in the Birmingham area.

The main campus of the [[Church of the Highlands]] is located in Birmingham. The church operates schools and churches across Alabama.<ref>{{cite web |title=About |publisher=Church of the Highlands |url=https://www.churchofthehighlands.com/ |access-date=August 28, 2021}}</ref>

==Economy==
{{Further|topic=the corporate office complex|Liberty National Life Complex}}

===Steel===
From Birmingham's early days onward, the steel industry has always played a crucial role in the local economy. Though the steel industry no longer has the same prominence it once held in Birmingham, steel production and processing continue to play a key role in the economy. Steel products manufacturers [[American Cast Iron Pipe Company]] (ACIPCO) and [[McWane]] are based in the city. Several of the nation's largest steelmakers, including [[Commercial Metals Company|CMC Steel]], [[U.S. Steel]], and [[Nucor]], also have a major presence in Birmingham. In recent years, local steel companies have announced about $100&nbsp;million worth of investment in expansions and new plants in and around the city. [[Vulcan Materials Company]], a major provider of crushed stone, sand, and gravel used in construction, is based in Birmingham.

===Biotechnology===
In the 1970s and 1980s, Birmingham's economy was transformed by investments in bio-technology and medical research at the [[University of Alabama at Birmingham]] (UAB) and its adjacent hospital. The [[UAB Hospital]] is a [[Level I trauma center]] providing health care and breakthrough medical research. UAB is now the area's largest employer and the second largest in Alabama with a workforce of about 18,750 as of 2011.<ref>Aneesa McMillan. "[http://www.bizjournals.com/birmingham/blog/2011/04/top-of-the-list-alabamas-largest.html Top of the List: Alabama's largest employers]" (April 22, 2011). ''Birmingham Business Journal''.</ref> Health care services providers [[HealthSouth]], [[Surgical Care Affiliates]] and [[Diagnostic Health Corporation]] are headquartered in the city. [[Caremark Rx]] was also founded in the city.

===Banking===
Birmingham is a leading banking center and the headquarters of [[Regions Financial Corporation]]. Banks with over a 5% market share of deposits in Birmingham are [[Regions Financial Corporation]], [[PNC Financial Services]], Servisfirst Bank, and [[Wells Fargo]].<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www7.fdic.gov/sod/sodMarketRpt.asp?barItem=&sCounty=all |title=Deposit Market Share Report |publisher=[[Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation]]}}</ref>

Nearly a dozen smaller banks have been headquartered in the Magic City, such as [[Superior Bancorp]] and [[Cadence Bank]]. As of 2009, the finance & banking sector in Birmingham employed 1,870 financial managers, 1,530 loan officers, 680 securities commodities and financial services sales agents, 380 financial analysts, 310 financial examiners, 220 credit analysts, and 130 loan counselors.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.collegedegreereport.com/cities/birmingham-hoover |title=Birmingham, Hoover Career, Salary & Employment Info |website=collegedegreereport.com |access-date= |archive-date=April 25, 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100425064343/http://www.collegedegreereport.com/cities/birmingham-hoover |url-status=dead}}</ref>

In 2012, Birmingham was the 9th largest banking hub in the [[United States]] by the amount of locally headquartered deposits.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.bizjournals.com/birmingham/print-edition/2012/02/24/birmingham-still-top-10-in-banking.html |title=Birmingham still among top 10 banking hubs |first=Antrenise |last=Cole |work=[[American City Business Journals]] |date=February 24, 2012 | url-access=subscription}}</ref> In 2014, Birmingham was the 10th largest banking center.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.bizjournals.com/birmingham/blog/2014/07/after-decade-of-change-where-does-birmingham-rank.html |title=Growth of Regions, BBVA Compass and others keep Birmingham among top banking hubs |first=Antrenise |last=Cole |work=[[American City Business Journals]] |date=July 28, 2014}}</ref>

===Construction and engineering===
Birmingham is a powerhouse of construction and engineering companies, including [[BE&K]], [[Brasfield & Gorrie]], [[Robins & Morton]], and [[B.L. Harbert International]] which routinely are included in the [[Engineering News-Record]] lists of top design and international construction firms.<ref>[http://enr.construction.com/people/toplists/topdesignfirm/topdesign_A-Z.asp McGraw-Hill Construction] Engineering News-Record; 2008 Top Design Firms</ref><ref>[http://enr.construction.com/people/topLists/topIntlCont/topIntlCont_A-Z.asp McGraw-Hill Construction] Engineering News-Record; 2007 Top International Contractors</ref>

===Beverages===
Two of the largest soft-drink bottlers in the United States, each with more than $500 million in sales per year, are located in Birmingham. The [[Buffalo Rock Company]], founded in 1901, was formerly a maker of just [[ginger ale]], but now it is a major bottler for the [[Pepsi Cola Company]]. [[Coca-Cola Bottling Company United]], founded in 1902, is the third-largest bottler of Coca-Cola products in the U.S.

===Other large companies===
[[File:AT&T building, Birmingham, AL.jpg|thumb|left|upright|[[AT&T City Center]] in downtown]]
[[AT&T]] has a major nexus in Birmingham, supported by a skyscraper downtown as well as several large operational center buildings and a data center.

[[Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Alabama]], [[Protective Life]], [[ProAssurance]], and [[Liberty National]] are headquartered in Birmingham.

Birmingham has seen a noticeable decrease in the number of [[Fortune 500]] companies headquartered in the city, due to mergers, moves, and buy-outs. In 2000, there were ten Fortune 500 companies headquartered in the city, while in 2014 there was only one, [[Regions Bank]]. Birmingham used to be home to more than thirty publicly traded companies, but in 2011 there were only fifteen.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.bizjournals.com/birmingham/print-edition/2011/12/16/a-troubling-trend-for-birmingham.html |title=A troubling trend for Birmingham |work=[[American City Business Journals]] |date=December 16, 2011}}</ref> This number has increased since, but not significantly. Some companies such as [[Zoe's Kitchen]] were founded and operated in Birmingham, but have since moved their headquarters.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.bizjournals.com/birmingham/news/2014/03/18/why-zo-s-kitchen-moved-its-hq-from-birmingham.html |title=Why Zoës Kitchen moved its HQ from Birmingham |work=[[American City Business Journals]] |date=March 18, 2014}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.bizjournals.com/dallas/print-edition/2011/09/09/commercial-real-estate-zoes-set-to.html |title=Zoës Kitchen set to add up to 5 spots |first=Steven R. |last=Thompson |work=[[American City Business Journals]] |date=September 9, 2011}}</ref> Birmingham has rebounded with the growth of companies like [[Encompass Health Corporation]] (formerly Healthsouth), [[Alabama Power Company]], [[Hibbett Sports]], [[Autocar Company]], and [[Books-A-Million]]. Food companies such as [[Chester's]], [[Jack's]], [[Grapico]], [[Red Diamond]], [[Milo's Hamburgers]], and [[Yogurt Mountain]] are also based in Birmingham.

===Taxes and government===
Birmingham's sales tax, which also applies fully to groceries, is 10%, making it the highest tax rate of the nation's 100 largest cities.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://taxfoundation.org/sales-tax-rates-by-city-2021/ |title=Sales Tax Rates in Major U.S. Cities |date=August 18, 2021 |publisher=[[Tax Foundation]]}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://factfinder2.census.gov/faces/nav/jsf/pages/index.xhtml |title=American FactFinder |publisher=Factfinder2.census.gov |access-date=July 14, 2012}}</ref>

Although [[2011 Jefferson County Alabama Bankruptcy|Jefferson County's bankruptcy filing]] was the largest government bankruptcy in U.S. history in 2011, Birmingham remains solvent.<ref name=JeffBankrupt>{{cite news |last=Wright |first=Barnett |url=https://www.al.com/spotnews/2011/11/jefferson_county_files_for_lar.html |title=Jefferson County files for largest bankruptcy in U.S. history |work=[[The Birmingham News]] |date=November 10, 2011}}</ref>

===Largest companies===
In 2021, Birmingham's largest public companies by [[market capitalization]] were Regions Bank (RF, $14.61 billion), Vulcan Materials (VMC, $8.45 billion), Energen (EGN, $6.47 billion), Protective Life (PL, $5.47 billion), and HealthSouth (HLS, $3.15 billion).<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.bizjournals.com/birmingham/subscriber-only/2021/07/02/public-companies.html |title=Ranking Alabama's largest public companies |publisher=[[American City Business Journals]]}}</ref> All were listed on the [[New York Stock Exchange]].

Energen sold one of its largest subsidiaries, [[Alagasco]], and Protective Life was bought by [[Dai-ichi Life]] and removed from stock exchanges. If [[Alabama Power]] were considered to be independent of the [[Southern Company]] (headquartered in [[Atlanta]]), it would be the largest company with more than $5.9 billion in revenue in 2014.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.alabamapower.com/about-us/pdf/APC%202014%20ANNUAL%20REPORT.pdf |title=2014 Annual Report |access-date=August 28, 2021 |archive-date=June 26, 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150626112130/http://www.alabamapower.com/about-us/pdf/APC%202014%20ANNUAL%20REPORT.pdf |url-status=dead}}</ref>

In 2021, Birmingham's largest private companies by annual revenue and employees were [[O'Neal Industries]] ($2.66 billion; 550 employees), [[EBSCO Industries]] ($2.5 billion; 1,220 employees), [[Drummond Company]] ($2.4 billion; 1,380 employees), [[Brasfield & Gorrie, LLC]] ($2.2 billion; 973 employees), and [[McWane]] ($1.7 billion, 620 employees).<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.bizjournals.com/birmingham/subscriber-only/2021/06/25/birminghams-largest-privately-held.html |title=Birmingham's Largest Privately Held Companies |publisher=[[American City Business Journals]]}}</ref>

==Culture==
{{See also|List of songs about Birmingham, Alabama}}

Birmingham is the cultural and entertainment capital of Alabama with numerous art galleries in the area including the [[Birmingham Museum of Art]], the largest art museum in the Southeast. Downtown Birmingham is currently experiencing a cultural and economic rejuvenation, with several new independent shops and restaurants opening in the area. Birmingham is also home to the state's major ballet, opera, and symphony orchestra companies such the [[Alabama Ballet]],<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.alabamaballet.org |title=Alabama Ballet |work=alabamaballet.org |access-date=July 21, 2015}}</ref> [[Alabama Symphony Orchestra]], [[Birmingham Ballet]], [[Birmingham Concert Chorale]], and [[Opera Birmingham]].

[[File:Alabama Theatre.jpg|thumb|upright|The [[Alabama Theatre]], 2010]]
*The [[Alabama Federation of Women's Clubs]] was established in Birmingham in 1895.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Owen |first1=Thomas McAdory |title=History of Alabama and Dictionary of Alabama Biography |year=1921 |volume=1 |publisher=S. J. Clarke publishing Company |language=en |chapter-url=https://books.google.com/books?id=ZEkUAAAAYAAJ&pg=PA574 |page=574|chapter=Federation of Women's Clubs, The Alabama |access-date=June 4, 2024}}</ref>
*The historic [[Alabama Theatre]] hosts film screenings, concerts and performances.
*The [[Alys Stephens Center]] for the Performing Arts is home to [[Alabama Symphony Orchestra]] and [[Opera Birmingham]] as well as several series of concerts and lectures. It is located on the campus of the University of Alabama at Birmingham.
*The [[Birmingham-Jefferson Convention Complex]] (BJCC), houses a theater, concert hall, exhibition halls, and a sports and concert arena. The BJCC is home to the [[Birmingham Children's Theatre]],<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.bct123.org |title=bct123.org |publisher=bct123.org |access-date=July 14, 2012}}</ref> one of the oldest and largest children's theatres in the country, and hosts major concert tours and sporting events. Adjacent to the BJCC is the [[Sheraton Birmingham]], the largest hotel in the state. A new [[Westin Hotel]] anchors the nearby Uptown entertainment district of downtown Birmingham, which opened in 2013.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.cbs42.com/content/localnews/story/Work-kicks-up-at-Westin-Hotel/vTTv6MfqykeZ4lZljljlgw.cspx?rss=1659 |title=Work kicks up at Westin Hotel&nbsp;– CBS 42 Birmingham, AL News Weather Sports |publisher=Cbs42.com |date=October 20, 2011 |access-date=July 14, 2012 |archive-date=July 30, 2012 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20120730232952/http://www.cbs42.com/content/localnews/story/Work-kicks-up-at-Westin-Hotel/vTTv6MfqykeZ4lZljljlgw.cspx?rss=1659 |url-status=dead}}</ref>
*The historic [[Carver Theatre (Birmingham, Alabama)|Carver Theatre]], home of the [[Alabama Jazz Hall of Fame]], offers concerts, plays, jazz classes (free to any resident of the state of Alabama) and many other events in the Historic 4th Avenue District, near the [[Birmingham Civil Rights Institute]].
*The [[Birmingham Public Library]], the downtown hub of a 40-branch metro library system, presents programs for children and adults.
*[[Boutwell Auditorium]] (formerly Municipal Auditorium) is located at Linn Park.
*[[Oak Mountain Amphitheater]] is a large outdoor venue with two stages, located in the [[suburb]] of [[Pelham, Alabama|Pelham]] just south of Birmingham.

Other entertainment venues in the area include:
*[[Birmingham CrossPlex]]/[[Fair Park Arena]], on the west side of town, hosts sporting events, local concerts and community programs.
*Workplay,<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.workplay.com |title=workplay.com |publisher=workplay.com |access-date=July 14, 2012}}</ref> located in the Southside community, is a multi-purpose facility with offices, audio and film production space, a lounge, and a theater and concert stage for visiting artists and film screenings.
*[[Sidewalk Moving Picture Festival]], a celebration of new independent cinema in downtown Birmingham, was named one of ''[[Time (magazine)|Time]]'' magazine's "Film Festivals for the Rest of Us" in the June 5, 2006, issue.
*The Wright Center Concert Hall, a 2,500-seat facility at [[Samford University]], is home to the [[Birmingham Ballet]].

Birmingham's nightlife is primarily clustered around Five Points South and Lakeview. In addition, a $55-million "Uptown" entertainment district has recently opened adjacent to the BJCC featuring a number of restaurants and a Westin hotel.

The Cultural Alliance of Greater Birmingham<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.cultural-alliance.com/ |title=cultural-alliance.com |publisher=cultural-alliance.com |access-date=July 14, 2012}}</ref> maintains Birmingham365.org,<ref>{{cite web |url=http://birmingham365.org/ |title=birmingham365.org |publisher=birmingham365.org |access-date=July 14, 2012}}</ref> "a one-stop source for finding out what's going on where around" Birmingham.

===Museums===
Birmingham is home to several museums. The largest is the [[Birmingham Museum of Art]], which is also the largest municipal art museum in the Southeast. The area's history museums include the [[Birmingham Civil Rights Institute]], which houses a detailed and emotionally charged narrative exhibit putting Birmingham's history into the context of the U.S. Civil Rights Movement. It is located on [[Kelly Ingram Park]] adjacent to the 16th Street Baptist Church.

Other history museums include the [[Southern Museum of Flight]], Bessemer Hall of History,<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.bhamrails.info/bess_hall_hist.htm |title=bhamrails.info |publisher=bhamrails.info |access-date=July 14, 2012 |archive-date=December 5, 2004 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20041205134014/http://www.bhamrails.info/bess_hall_hist.htm |url-status=dead}}</ref> [[Sloss Furnaces]] National Historic Landmark, [[Alabama Museum of Health Sciences]], and the [[Arlington Antebellum Home & Gardens|Arlington Home]].

The [[Alabama Jazz Hall of Fame]] is housed in the historic [[Carver Theatre (Birmingham, Alabama)|Carver Theatre]], and offers exhibits about the numerous notable jazz musicians from the state of Alabama.

The [[McWane Science Center]] is a regional science museum with hands-on science exhibits, temporary exhibitions, and an [[IMAX]] dome theater. The center also houses a major collection of fossil specimens for use by researchers. Other unique museums include the Alabama Jazz Hall of Fame; the [[Barber Vintage Motorsports Museum]], which contains the largest collection of motorcycles in the world; the Iron & Steel Museum of Alabama at [[Tannehill Ironworks|Tannehill Ironworks Historical State Park]], near [[McCalla, Alabama|McCalla]]; the [[Alabama Sports Hall of Fame]]; and the [[Talladega Superspeedway]] International Motorsports Hall of Fame museum.

South of downtown, on [[Red Mountain (Alabama)|Red Mountain]], Vulcan Park features the world's largest cast iron [[Vulcan statue|statue]], depicting Vulcan at his forge. It was cast for the [[Louisiana Purchase Exposition|1904 St. Louis Exposition]], and erected at Vulcan Park in 1938.

===Festivals===
[[File:Sloss Furnaces Birmingham.jpg|thumb|upright|The [[Sloss Furnaces]]]]

Birmingham is home to numerous cultural festivals showcasing music, films, and regional heritage. Sidewalk Moving Picture Festival brings filmmakers from all over the world to Birmingham to have their films viewed and judged. This festival usually is scheduled in late August at eight venues around downtown. Screenings are concentrated at the Alabama Theatre.

Another musical festival is the [[Taste of 4th Avenue Jazz Festival]], presented at the end of August each year, concurrent with the Sidewalk Moving Picture Festival. This all day festival features national and local jazz acts. In 2007, the festival drew an estimated 6,000 people. The Birmingham Folk Festival is an annual event held since 2006. It moved to [[Avondale (Birmingham, Alabama)|Avondale Park]] in 2008. In 2009 the festival featured nine local bands and three touring "headliner bands".<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.birminghamfolkfestival.com |title=ファッション通信 |work=birminghamfolkfestival.com |access-date=July 21, 2015 |archive-date=October 7, 2008 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20081007211333/http://www.birminghamfolkfestival.com/ |url-status=dead}}</ref>

[[File:JoeMinter'sAfricanVillageInAmerica1.jpg|left|thumb|upright|Joe Minter's ''African Village in America'' is a half-acre [[visionary environments|visionary art environment]] near downtown Birmingham.]]

The [[Southern Heritage Festival]] began in the 1960s as a music, arts, and entertainment festival for the African-American community to attract mostly younger demographics. [[Do Dah Day]] is an annual pet parade held around the end of May. The Schaeffer Eye Center Crawfish Boil, an annual music festival event held in May to benefit local charities, always includes an all-star cast of talent. It typically draws more than 30,000 spectators for the annual two-day event. The annual Greek Festival, a celebration of Greek heritage, culture, and especially cuisine, is a charity fundraiser hosted by the [[Greek Orthodox]] [[Holy Trinity - Holy Cross Cathedral]]. The Greek Festival draws 20,000 patrons annually.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.holytrinity-holycross.org/greekfestival.html |title=holytrinity-holycross.org |publisher=holytrinity-holycross.org |access-date=July 14, 2012}}</ref> The Lebanese Food Festival is held at St. Elias Maronite Church. Magic City Brewfest is an annual festival benefiting local grassroots organization, Free the Hops, and focusing on craft beer. Alabama Bound is an annual book and author fair that celebrates Alabama authors and publishers. Hosted by the Birmingham Public Library, it is an occasion when fans may meet their favorite authors, buy their books, and hear them read from and talk about their work. Book signings follow each presentation.

===Other attractions===
{{see also|List of public art in Birmingham, Alabama}}
[[File:Vulcan statue.jpg|thumb|upright|The [[Vulcan statue]] on a pedestal in Vulcan Park atop Red Mountain]]

The [[Vulcan statue]] is a cast iron representation of the Roman god of fire, iron, and blacksmiths that is the symbol of Birmingham. The statue stands high above the city looking down from a tower at the top of [[Red Mountain (Birmingham)|Red Mountain]]. Open to visitors, the tower offers views of the city below. The [[Birmingham Zoo]] is a large regional zoo with more than 700 animals and an interactive children's zoo.

The [[Birmingham Botanical Gardens (USA)|Birmingham Botanical Gardens]] is a 67-acre (270,000&nbsp;m<sup>2</sup>) park displaying a wide variety of plants in interpretive gardens, including formal rose gardens, tropical greenhouses, and a large Japanese garden. The facility also includes a white-tablecloth restaurant, meeting rooms, and an extensive reference library. It is complemented by Hoover's {{convert|30|acre|m2|adj=on}} [[Aldridge Botanical Gardens]], an ambitious project open since 2002.  [[Splash Adventure]] (formerly VisionLand and Alabama Adventure) in Bessemer serves as the Birmingham area's water and theme park, featuring numerous slides, and water-themed attractions.

[[Kelly Ingram Park]] is the site of notable civil rights protests; the park is adjacent to the historic [[16th Street Baptist Church]]. [[Railroad Park]] opened in 2010 in downtown Birmingham's Railroad Reservation District. Oak Mountain State Park is about {{convert|10|mi|km}} south of Birmingham. Red Mountain is one of the southernmost wrinkles in the Appalachian chain, and a scenic drive to the top provides views reminiscent of the [[Great Smoky Mountains]] further north. To the west of the city is located Tannehill Ironworks Historical State Park, a {{convert|1500|acre|km2|adj=on}} Civil War site which includes the well-preserved ruins of the [[Tannehill Ironworks|Tannehill Iron Furnaces]] and the John Wesley Hall Grist Mill.

[[The Summit (Birmingham)|The Summit]] is an upscale [[lifestyle center (retail)|lifestyle center]] with many stores and restaurants. It is located in Southeast Birmingham off of U.S. Highway 280, parallel to Interstate 459.

==Sports==
{{further|Sports in Birmingham, Alabama}}

{|class="wikitable sortable"
|-
|+ Current professional teams
|-
! Sports Franchise !! League !! Sport !! Stadium (capacity)
|-
|[[Birmingham Barons]] ||align=center |[[Southern League (1964–present)|Southern League (AA)]] ||Baseball||[[Regions Field]] (8,500)
|-
|[[Birmingham Legion FC]] ||align=center |[[USL Championship|USLC]] ||Soccer ||[[Protective Stadium]] (47,100)
|-
|[[Birmingham Squadron]] ||align=center |[[NBA G League]] ||Basketball||[[Legacy Arena]] (17,654)
|-
|[[Birmingham Stallions (2022)|Birmingham Stallions]] ||align=center |[[United Football League (2024)|UFL]] ||Football||[[Protective Stadium]] (47,100)
|-
|[[Birmingham Bulls (SPHL)|Birmingham Bulls]] ||align=center |[[SPHL]] ||Hockey||[[Pelham Civic Center]] (4,100)
|}

*Birmingham is home to the [[Birmingham Barons]], the AA minor league affiliate of the [[Chicago White Sox]], which plays at [[Regions Field]] in the [[Southside (Birmingham)|Southside]] adjacent to Railroad Park.
*In 2019, Birmingham became home to the [[Birmingham Legion FC]], a professional soccer team that competes in the [[USL Championship]] and plays its home matches at [[Protective Stadium]]. 
*In 2021, the [[NBA G League]] introduced the [[Birmingham Squadron]], a minor league basketball team affiliated with the NBA's [[New Orleans Pelicans]].<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.nba.com/pelicans/news/birmingham-squadron-selected-team-name-new-orleans-pelicans-g-league-affiliate-0 |title=Birmingham Squadron selected as team name for New Orleans Pelicans G League affiliate &#124; New Orleans Pelicans |work=Nba.com |date=July 26, 2021 |access-date=March 19, 2022}}</ref>
*The [[United Football League (2024)|United Football League]] features 8 teams, including the [[Birmingham Stallions (2022)|Birmingham Stallions]], and also played its [[2022 USFL season|inaugural season]] in Birmingham from April to June 2022 at [[Protective Stadium]] and [[Legion Field]].<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.cbs42.com/sports/usfl/watch-usfl-makes-major-announcement-in-birmingham-ahead-of-season/ |title=WATCH: USFL makes major announcement in Birmingham ahead of season |publisher=Cbs42.com |date=January 25, 2022 |access-date=March 19, 2022}}</ref> The [[Birmingham Stallions]] posted a 9–1 record in its inaugural season, and defeated the [[Philadelphia Stars (2022)|Philadelphia Stars]] on July 3, 2022, at the [[Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium]] in [[Canton, Ohio]] to win the [[2022 USFL Championship Game|2022 USFL Championship]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=Birmingham Stallions At Philadelphia Stars – July 3, 2022 {{!}} The USFL.com |url=https://www.theusfl.com/championship-birmingham-stallions-vs-philadelphia-stars-jul-03-2022-game-boxscore-43 |access-date=July 17, 2022 |website=The USFL |language=en-US |archive-date=July 3, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220703180637/https://www.theusfl.com/championship-birmingham-stallions-vs-philadelphia-stars-jul-03-2022-game-boxscore-43 |url-status=dead }}</ref>
*In [[NCAA]] sports, Birmingham is home to the University of Alabama at Birmingham ([[UAB Blazers]]) and Samford University ([[Samford Bulldogs]]) Division I athletic programs. Birmingham has hosted several college football postseason bowl games, including the [[Dixie Bowl]] (1948–49), the [[Hall of Fame Classic (college football game)|Hall of Fame Classic]] (1977–85), the [[All-American Bowl]] (1986–90), the [[SEC Championship Game]] (1992–93), the [[SWAC Championship Game]] (1999–present), the [[Magic City Classic]], and the [[Birmingham Bowl]]. Additionally, the [[Hoover Metropolitan Stadium]] is home to the [[Southeastern Conference Baseball Tournament]]. The [[Southeastern Conference]], [[Southwestern Athletic Conference]] and [[Gulf South Conference]] are headquartered in Birmingham.
*Birmingham was home to the [[Birmingham Black Barons|Black Barons]], a very successful Negro League team. The Black Barons played home games at [[Rickwood Field]], which is still standing in the Rising-West Princeton neighborhood, and it is the oldest baseball field in the US.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.mlb.com/events/rickwood/about |title=About Rickwood Field |work=MLB |accessdate=June 18, 2024}}</ref>
*In 1996, [[Legion Field]] hosted early rounds of Olympic soccer where it drew record crowds. The field has also hosted [[FIFA World Cup|men's]] and [[FIFA Women's World Cup|women's World Cup]] qualifiers and friendlies. A switch from natural grass to an artificial surface has left the stadium's role as a soccer venue in doubt.
*Motorsports are very popular in the Birmingham area and across the state, and the area is home to numerous annual motorsport races. The [[Aaron's 499]] and [[AMP Energy 500]] are NASCAR [[Sprint Cup Series|Sprint Cup]] races that occur in April and October at the [[Talladega Superspeedway]]. The [[Indy Grand Prix of Alabama]] shares the [[Barber Motorsports Park]] road course with [[Superbike racing|Superbike]] and sports car [[GrandAm]] races.<ref name="July 27, 2009">{{cite news |last=Tomberlin |first=Michael |title=It's official: 3 Indy car races coming to Barber Motorsports Park |work=The Birmingham News |date=July 27, 2009}}</ref>
*The PGA [[Champions Tour]] has had a regular stop in the Birmingham area since 1992, with the founding of the [[Regions Charity Classic|Bruno's Memorial Classic]], later renamed the Regions Charity Classic. In 2011 the tournament will be replaced by [[The Tradition]], one of the Champions Tour's five "major" tour events.
*Birmingham has been selected to host the [[World Games]] in 2021.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.al.com/news/birmingham/index.ssf/2015/01/birmingham_wins_city_chosen_as.html#incart_river |title=Birmingham wins! City chosen as site for 2021 World Games |date=January 22, 2015 |publisher=al.com |access-date=January 22, 2015}}</ref> Due to the [[COVID-19 pandemic]], the [[2022 World Games|World Games]] was delayed and held in 2022 from July 7–17. It was the first time that an American city has hosted the event since the inaugural games were held in [[Santa Clara, California]] in 1981.
*Recreational fishing is also immensely popular in the Birmingham area. Fish have been caught in 14 separate Alabama lakes which would be state records in 35 other states. Recently, Birmingham was named "Bass Capital of the World" by [[ESPN]] and ''[[Bassmaster]]'' magazine. Over the last several years, Birmingham has been home to numerous major fishing tournaments, including the [[Bass Masters Classic]]. Some of the more popular recreational lakes around Birmingham include: [[Lewis Smith Lake|Smith Lake]], [[Lay Lake]], [[Lake Neely Henry]], [[Lake Logan Martin]], [[Lake Purdy]], and [[Bankhead Lake|Bankhead Reservoir]].
*The U.S. [[Paralympic]] Training Facility is located in Birmingham and was a primary filming location for the 2005 documentary film ''[[Murderball (documentary)|Murderball]]'', about [[wheelchair rugby]] players.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.lakeshore.org/index.php?src=gendocs&link=Olympic_home&category=US%20Olympic%20and%20Paralympic%20Training%20Site |title=lakeshore.org |publisher=lakeshore.org |access-date=July 14, 2012}}</ref>
*Road running events such as the Vulcan 10K Run<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.vulcanrun.com/ |title=vulcanrun.com |publisher=vulcanrun.com |access-date=July 14, 2012 |archive-date=July 10, 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120710081112/http://www.vulcanrun.com/ |url-status=dead}}</ref> and Mercedes Marathon/Half Marathon are popular for both locals and out-of-state runners.
*Cycling (both mountain biking and road) is popular in the area. Nearby Oak Mountain State Park annually hosts the Bump N' Grind mountain bike (1995–present) race<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.bumpngrindrace.com/ |title=bumpngrindrace.com |publisher=bumpngrindrace.com |access-date=July 14, 2012}}</ref> and the [[Xterra]] Southeast Championship triathlon as well as other endurance competitions.
*Birmingham was home to a World Hockey Association franchise, the Birmingham Bulls, between 1975 and 1979, and then between 1979 and 1981 in the Central Hockey League.

===Venues===
[[File:Regions Field western elevation.jpg|thumb|right|upright=3.0|[[Regions Field]] is the home to the [[Birmingham Barons]] baseball team|alt=[[Regions Field]] is the home of the [[Birmingham Barons]] baseball team.]]
*[[Bartow Arena]]
*[[Boutwell Auditorium]]
*[[Fair Park Arena]]
*[[Hoover Metropolitan Stadium]]
*[[Legacy Arena]]
*[[Legion Field]]
*[[Pelham Civic Center]]
*[[PNC Field (Birmingham, Alabama)|PNC Field]]
*[[Protective Stadium]]
*[[Regions Field]]
*[[Rickwood Field]]

==Government==
{{See also|List of mayors of Birmingham, Alabama}}
{|class="wikitable" style="float:right; text-align:center;"
|+Current city council membership<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.informationbirmingham.com/citycouncil/ |title=Birmingham City Council |publisher=City of Birmingham |access-date=May 26, 2014 |archive-date=March 18, 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140318210621/http://www.informationbirmingham.com/citycouncil/ |url-status=dead}}</ref>
|-
! District !! Representative !! Position
|-
|1||Clinton Woods||
|-
|2||Hunter Williams||
|-
|3||Valerie Abbott||
|-
|4||J. T. Moore||
|-
|5||Darrell O'Quinn||
|-
|6||Crystal Smitherman||President Pro-Tem
|-
|7||Wardine Alexander||President
|-
|8||Carol Clarke||
|-
|9||LaTonya Tate||
|}

Birmingham has a strong-mayor variant [[mayor-council government|mayor-council]] form of government, led by a mayor and a nine-member city council. The current system replaced the previous [[city commission government]] in 1962 (primarily as a way to remove Commissioner of Public Safety [[Bull Connor|Eugene "Bull" Connor]] from power).<ref>Nunnelley, William A. (1991) ''Bull Connor''. Tuscaloosa: University of Alabama Press. ISBN 0-8173-0495-9</ref>

By Alabama law, an issue before a city council must be approved by a two-thirds majority vote (Act No. 452, Ala. Acts 1955, as supplemented by Act No. 294, Ala. Acts 1965). Executive powers are held entirely by the Mayor's Office. Birmingham's current mayor is Randall Woodfin. Mayor Bell, who previously served as interim Mayor in 1999, won a special election on January 19, 2010, to fill the unexpired term of former Mayor [[Larry Langford]]. Langford was removed from office after being convicted of federal corruption charges on October 28, 2009.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://blog.al.com/spotnews/2007/10/langford_elected_mayor.html |title=Langford elected mayor |work=[[The Birmingham News]]}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=http://blog.al.com/spotnews/2009/11/roderick_royal_elected_birming.html |title=Roderick Royal elected Birmingham Council president, and will serve as interim mayor |work=[[The Birmingham News]] |last=Bryant |first=Joseph D. |date=November 24, 2009}}</ref>

In 1974, Birmingham established a structured network of neighborhood associations and community advisory committees to insure public participation in governmental issues that affect neighborhoods. Neighborhood associations are routinely consulted on matters related to zoning changes, liquor licenses, economic development, policing and other city services. Neighborhoods are also granted discretionary funds from the city's budget to use for capital improvements. Each neighborhood's officers meet with their peers to form Community Advisory Committees which are granted broader powers over city departments. The presidents of these committees, in turn, form the Citizen's Advisory Board, which meets regularly with the mayor, council, and department heads. Birmingham is divided into a total of 23 communities, and again into a total of 99 individual neighborhoods with individual neighborhood associations.<ref>Thomson, Ken (1988) "[http://www.cpn.org/topics/community/birmingham.html Birmingham Participation] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090505101342/http://www.cpn.org/topics/community/birmingham.html |date=May 5, 2009 }}". Citizen Participation Project at the Lincoln Filene Center at [[Tufts University]]. CPN.org&nbsp;– Retrieved May 5, 2009</ref>

===State and federal representation===
The [[United States Postal Service]] operates post offices in Birmingham. The main post office is located at 351 24th Street North in Downtown Birmingham.<ref>"[http://usps.whitepages.com/service/post_office/42463?p=1&s=AL&service_name=post_office&z=Birmingham Post Office Location&nbsp;– Birmingham.]" ''United States Postal Service''. Retrieved May 4, 2009.</ref> Birmingham is also the home of the Social Security Administration's Southeastern Program Service Center. This center is one of only seven in the United States that process Social Security entitlement claims and payments. In addition, Birmingham is the home of a branch bank of the Atlanta [[Federal Reserve Bank]].

===Crime===
Birmingham has a crime rate significantly above the national average.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.areavibes.com/birmingham-al/crime/ | title=Birmingham, AL Crime Rates: Stats & Map }}</ref> Increasing gang violence and activity have been noted for the spike in crime around the city.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=000EAzaGd8Q | title=Birmingham activist calls for greater discussion about gang violence | website=[[YouTube]] }}</ref> In 2022, Birmingham set a modern record with 144 homicides.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.al.com/news/2023/01/a-tragic-year-for-the-magic-city-birminghams-historic-2022-homicide-toll-by-the-numbers.html | title=A tragic year for the Magic City: Birmingham's historic 2022 homicide toll, by the numbers | date=January 2023 }}</ref> According to a 2023 study, Birmingham leads the nation's largest cities with the highest cost of crime per capita at $11,392. Its violent crime rate – which includes instances of murder, manslaughter, rape, robbery and aggravated assault – was 1,682 per 100,000 residents. Its property crime rate – which includes burglary, larceny, and vehicle theft – was notably higher at 4,173 per 100,000 residents.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.cbs42.com/news/birmingham-among-most-dangerous-cities-in-the-us-study-finds/ | title=Birmingham among most dangerous cities in the US, study finds | date=December 22, 2023 }}</ref> Also in 2023, ''[[Forbes]]'' ranked Birmingham the 2nd most dangerous city in the United States.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.forbes.com/sites/laurabegleybloom/2023/01/31/report-ranks-americas-15-safest-and-most-dangerous-cities-for-2023/?sh=28ec01eb309a | title=Report Ranks America's 15 Safest (And Most Dangerous) Cities for 2023 | website=[[Forbes]] }}</ref> In October 2024, Mayor Woodfin established the Birmingham Crime Commission to better redress the escalating crime crises in the city.<ref>{{cite press release |url=https://www.birminghamal.gov/news/mayor-woodfin-shares-birmingham-crime-commission-report-address-gun-violence |title=Mayor Woodfin shares Birmingham Crime Commission report to address gun violence |publisher=City of Birmingham |date=January 6, 2025 |access-date=January 31, 2025}}</ref> In 2024, Birmingham set a new all-time high murder record with 151 murders in the city.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=36LCIcIWRw4 |title=Birmingham breaks 91 year old homicide record with 151 homicides in 2024. #birmingham |via=YouTube |work=AL.com |date=January 1, 2025 |access-date=January 31, 2025}}</ref>

The downtown district is patrolled by City Action Partnership (CAP), formed in 1995 to increase public perception of safety.

==Education==
[[File:Woodlawn High School Birmingham.jpg|thumb|upright|[[Woodlawn High School (Birmingham, Alabama)|Woodlawn High School]], a [[magnet high school]]]]

The Birmingham Public Library administers 21 branches throughout the city and it is part of a wider system including another 19 suburban branches in Jefferson County, serving the entire community to provide education and entertainment for all ages.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.bplonline.org/ |title=Birmingham Public Library |publisher=Bplonline.org |access-date=July 14, 2012 |archive-date=July 8, 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120708022702/http://www.bplonline.org/ |url-status=dead }}</ref>

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 62 schools: seven high schools, 13 middle schools, 33 elementary schools, and nine [[kindergarten]]-eighth-grade primary schools.

The greater-Birmingham metropolitan area is the home of numerous independent school systems, because there has a been a great deal of fragmentation of educational systems in Alabama, and especially in Jefferson County. Some of these "school systems" only have three to five schools. The metropolitan area's three largest school systems are the [[Jefferson County Schools (Alabama)|Jefferson County School System]], Birmingham City Schools, and the [[Shelby County Schools (Alabama)|Shelby County School System]]. However, there are many smaller school systems.

The metro area also has three preparatory schools: [[Saint Rose Academy]] located in Birmingham proper [[Altamont School|The Altamont School]], also located in Birmingham proper, and [[Indian Springs School]] in north Shelby County near Pelham.

Noteworthy institutions of higher education in greater Birmingham include the [[University of Alabama at Birmingham]], [[Samford University]] (includes the [[Cumberland School of Law]]), [[Birmingham School of Law]], [[Miles College]], the independent [[Miles Law School]], [[Jefferson State Community College]], [[University of Montevallo]] (in Shelby County), [[Lawson State Community College]], and [[Virginia College]]. [[Birmingham-Southern College]], opened in 1856, closed in May 2024 due to financial troubles.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.al.com/news/2024/04/the-long-slow-death-of-birmingham-southern-what-killed-an-alabama-college-with-168-year-old-roots.html |title=The long, slow death of Birmingham-Southern: What killed an Alabama college with 168-year-old roots? |last=Garrison |first=Greg |work=AL.com |date=April 6, 2024 |access-date=January 15, 2025}}</ref>

==Media==
{{See also|List of television stations in Alabama|List of radio stations in Alabama}}

Birmingham is served by one major newspaper, ''[[The Birmingham News]]'' (circulation 150,346), which changed from daily to thrice-weekly publication on October 1, 2012. ''The Birmingham News''{{'}} Wednesday edition features six sub regional sections named ''East'', ''Hoover'', ''North'', ''Shelby'', ''South'', and ''West'' that cover news stories from those areas. The newspaper has been awarded two Pulitzer Prizes, in 1991 and 2007. The ''[[Birmingham Post-Herald]]'', the city's second daily, published its last issue in 2006. Other local publications include ''[[The North Jefferson News]], The Leeds News'', ''The Trussville Tribune'' (Trussville, Clay and Pinson), ''The Western Star'' (Bessemer) and ''The Western Tribune'' (Bessemer).

The ''[[Birmingham Times]]'', a historic African-American newspaper, also is published weekly. Birmingham is served by the city magazine of the Chamber of Commerce, ''[[The Birmingham News|Birmingham]]'' magazine. ''[[The Alabama Baptist]]'', published weekly in Birmingham, is an entity of the [[Alabama Baptist Convention]]. ''Black & White, Weld'', ''Birmingham Weekly'', and the ''Birmingham Free Press''<ref>{{cite web |author=Stephen Smith |url=http://www.birminghamfreepress.com/ |title=birminghamfreepress.com |publisher=birminghamfreepress.com |access-date=July 14, 2012}}</ref> are some of the free alternative publications that were published in the past (all are now defunct).

Birmingham is part of the Birmingham/Anniston/Tuscaloosa television market. The major television affiliates, most of which have their transmitters and studios located on Red Mountain in Birmingham, are [[WBRC]] 6 ([[Fox Broadcasting Company|Fox]]), [[Alabama Public Television|WBIQ 10]] ([[Public Broadcasting Service|PBS]]), [[WVTM-TV|WVTM 13]] ([[NBC]]), [[WTTO|WTTO 21]] ([[The CW Television Network|CW]]), [[WIAT|WIAT 42]] ([[CBS]]), [[WPXH|WPXH 44]] ([[ION Television|ION]]), [[WBMA-LD|WBMA-LD 58/68.2]] ([[American Broadcasting Company|ABC]]), and [[WABM|WABM 68]] ([[MyNetworkTV]]).

Major broadcasting companies who own stations in the Birmingham market include [[iHeartMedia]], [[Cox Radio]], [[Cumulus Media]], and Crawford Broadcasting. The ''[[Rick and Bubba]]'' show, which is syndicated to over 25 stations primarily in the Southeast, originates from Birmingham's [[WZZK-FM]]. The [[Paul Finebaum]] sports-talk show, also syndicated and carried nationwide on Sirius digital radio, originated from [[WJOX-FM|WJOX]].

Birmingham is home to [[EWTN]] (Eternal Word Television Network), the world's largest Catholic media outlet and religious media network of any kind, broadcasting to about 350 million television households in more than 145 countries and territories, as of 2022.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.ewtn.com/media/fact-sheet.asp |title=Fact Sheet |publisher=EWTN |access-date=July 25, 2022}}</ref>

==Infrastructure==

===Urban planning in Birmingham===
[[File:Railroad Park, Birmingham.jpg|thumb|Birmingham Railroad Park]]

Before the first structure was built in Birmingham, the plan of the city was laid out over a total of {{convert|1160|acre|km2}} by the directors of the Elyton Land Co. The streets were numbered from west to east, leaving Twentieth Street to form the central spine of downtown, anchored on the north by Capital Park and stretching into the slopes of Red Mountain to the south. A "railroad reservation" was granted through the center of the city, running east to west and zoned solely for industrial uses. As the city grew, bridges and underpasses separated the streets from the railroad bed, lending this central reservation some of the impact of a river (without the pleasant associations of a waterfront). From the start, Birmingham's streets and avenues were unusually wide at 80 to 100&nbsp;feet (24 to 30&nbsp;m), purportedly to help evacuate unhealthy smoke.

In the early 20th century professional planners helped lay out many of the new industrial settlements and [[company town]]s in the Birmingham District, including Corey (now [[Fairfield, Alabama|Fairfield]]) which was developed for the [[Tennessee Coal, Iron and Railroad Company]] (subsequently purchased by [[United States Steel Corporation|U.S. Steel]]). At the same time, a movement to consolidate several neighboring cities gained momentum. Although local referendums indicated mixed feelings about annexation, the Alabama legislature enacted an expansion of Birmingham's corporate limits that became effective on January 1, 1910.

The Robert Jemison company developed many residential neighborhoods to the south and west of Birmingham which are still renowned for their aesthetic quality.

A 1924 plan for a system of parks, commissioned from the [[Olmsted Brothers]] is seeing renewed interest with several significant new parks and greenways under development. Birmingham officials have approved a City Center Master Plan developed by Urban Design Associates of Pittsburgh, which advocates strongly for more residential development in the downtown area. The plan also called for a major park over several blocks of the central railroad reservation: [[Railroad Park]], which opened in 2010. Along with Ruffner Mountain Park and [[Red Mountain Park]], Birmingham ranks first in the United States for public green space per resident.

===Utilities===
The water for Birmingham and the intermediate urbanized area is served by the Birmingham Water Works Board (BWWB). A public authority that was established in 1951, the BWWB serves all of Jefferson, northern Shelby, western St. Clair counties. The largest reservoir for BWWB is Lake Purdy, which is located on the Jefferson and Shelby County line, but has several other reservoirs including Bayview Lake in western Jefferson County. There are plans to pipeline water from Inland Lake in Blount County and Lake Logan Martin, but those plans are on hold indefinitely.

Jefferson County Environmental Services serves the Birmingham metro area with sanitary sewer service. Sewer rates have increased in recent years<ref name="BBC Scandal">{{cite web |title=The scandal of the Alabama poor cut off from water |author=Brian Wheeler |work=BBC News |date=December 14, 2011 |url=http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-16037798 |access-date=December 15, 2011}}</ref> after citizens concerned with pollution in area waterways filed a lawsuit that resulted in a federal consent decree to repair an aging sewer system. Because the estimated cost of the consent decree was approximately three times more than the original estimate, many blame the increased rates on corruption of several Jefferson County officials.<ref name="BBC Scandal" /> The [[Jefferson County sewer controversy|sewer construction and bond-swap agreements]] continue to be a controversial topic in the area.<ref name="BBC Scandal" />

Electric power is provided primarily by [[Southern Company]]-subsidiary, Alabama Power. However, some of the surrounding area such as [[Bessemer, Alabama|Bessemer]] and [[Cullman, Alabama|Cullman]] are provided by [[Tennessee Valley Authority|TVA]]. Bessemer also operates its own water and sewer system.<ref>{{cite web |title=History |url=http://www.bessemerutilities.com/history/ |publisher=Bessemer Utilities |access-date=July 26, 2022}}</ref> Natural gas is provided by [[Spire Inc|Spire]], although some metro area cities operate their own natural gas services. The local telecommunications are provided by AT&T. Cable television service is provided by [[Charter Communications]].

==Transportation==

===Highways===
[[File:I20I59Birmingham.JPG|thumb|[[Interstate 59]] (co-signed with [[Interstate 20]]) approaching [[Interstate 65]] in downtown Birmingham]]

The city is served by four Interstate Highways, [[Interstate 20 in Alabama|Interstate 20]], [[Interstate 65 in Alabama|Interstate 65]], [[Interstate 59 (Alabama)|Interstate 59]], and [[Interstate 22 (Alabama)|Interstate 22]], as well as a southern bypass expressway [[Interstate 459]], which connects with I-20/59 to the southwest, I-65 to the south, I-20 to the east, and I-59 to the northeast. Beginning in downtown Birmingham is the "[[Elton B. Stephens Expressway]]"—the ''Red Mountain Expressway'' to the southeast—which carries both [[U.S. Route 31 in Alabama|U.S. Highway 31]] and [[U.S. Highway 280 (Alabama)|U.S. Highway 280]] to, through, and over Red Mountain. [[Interstate 22]] was completed in 2012 and connects Birmingham and Memphis, Tennessee. I-22 connects with I-65 just north of the Birmingham city limits. Construction has begun on the first segment of I-422, the [[Birmingham Northern Beltline]] that will serve the suburbs on the opposite side of Birmingham from I-459.

===Public transit===
In the area of metropolitan public transportation, Birmingham is served by the [[Birmingham-Jefferson County Transit Authority]] (BJCTA) bus, [[Tourist trolley|trolley]], and [[paratransit]] system, which from 1985 until 2008 was branded the Metro Area Express (MAX). BJCTA also operates a "downtown circulator" service called "D A R T" (Downtown Area Runabout Transit), which consists of two routes in the central business district and one in the UAB area.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.bjcta.org |title=Birmingham-Jefferson County Transit Authority |publisher=Bjcta.org |access-date=July 14, 2012}}</ref>

A [[bus rapid transit]] line, named the Birmingham Xpress, was opened in September 2022, running from Woodlawn to Five Points West along the [[U.S. Route 11|US 11]] corridor.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Bus Rapid Transit « The Official Website for the City of Birmingham, Alabama |url=https://www.birminghamal.gov/brt |access-date=October 8, 2022 |language=en}}</ref> Bus service to other cites is provided by [[Greyhound Lines]].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://locations.greyhound.com/bus-stations/us/alabama/birmingham/bus-station-420156 |title=Birmingham Alabama Bus Station |work=greyhound.com |access-date=July 21, 2015}}</ref> [[Megabus (North America)|Megabus]] also offers bus service to Atlanta and Memphis.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://us.megabus.com/routemap.aspx |title=Megabus &#124; Low cost bus tickets from $1 |access-date=April 24, 2015 |archive-date=April 23, 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150423071232/http://us.megabus.com/routemap.aspx |url-status=dead}}</ref>

===Air===
Birmingham is served by the [[Birmingham–Shuttlesworth International Airport]]. This airport serves more than 3&nbsp;million passengers every year. With more than 160 flights daily, the airport offers flights to 37 cities across the United States. Commercial passenger service through Birmingham is provided by [[United Express]], [[Delta Air Lines]]/Delta Connection, [[American Eagle (airline brand)|American Eagle]], and [[Southwest Airlines]].

===Rail===
====Passenger====
Birmingham was a railroad hub from its founding, and its [[Beaux-Arts architecture|Beaux-Arts]] [[Birmingham Terminal Station|Terminal Station]] was a major passenger stop for many trains crossing the [[Southeastern United States|Southeast]] until the creation of [[Amtrak]] on May 1, 1971, when all but one of Birmingham's passenger trains were eliminated. The only remaining passenger service is the Amtrak ''[[Crescent (train)|Crescent]]'', with one train eastbound and one train westbound daily from the [[Birmingham, Alabama (Amtrak station)|Birmingham Amtrak station]]. The ''Crescent'' route connects Birmingham with [[Washington D.C.|Washington, D.C.]], and points northeast and northwest of there; [[Greensboro, NC]]; [[Charlotte, NC]]; [[Greenville, SC]]; [[Atlanta, GA]]; [[Anniston, AL]]; [[Tuscaloosa, AL]]; [[Meridian, MS]]; [[Hattiesburg, MS]]; and [[New Orleans, LA]].

Another Amtrak train, the ''[[Floridian (train, 1971–1979)|Floridian]]'', served Birmingham en route from Chicago to Florida points from November 1971 to October 1979, when it was cancelled for low ridership. From May 1974 to September 1977, the [[Auto-Train Corporation]] operated its eponymous train via Birmingham on its [[Louisville, Kentucky]] to [[Sanford, Florida]] route. However, Birmingham was not a passenger stop for the ''Auto-Train'', merely a crew-change point.<ref>{{cite web |title=Timeline for the 1971-1981 Auto-Train |url=https://www.themetrains.com/auto-train-timeline.htm |website=The Story of the 1971-1981 Auto-Train |publisher=Accuen Media, LLC |access-date=April 30, 2023}}</ref> The Auto-Train Corporation went out of business in 1981, but since 1983, Amtrak has operated another ''[[Auto Train]]'' (no hyphen) between [[Lorton, Virginia]], and Sanford; it does not enter Alabama.

Beginning in October 1989, Amtrak's ''[[Gulf Breeze (train)|Gulf Breeze]]'' was a section of the ''[[Crescent]]'' that split from the ''Crescent'' at Birmingham and ran to [[Mobile, Alabama|Mobile]], stopping at several intermediate points. The state of Alabama shared the operating costs with Amtrak; however, due to dismally low ridership, the ''Gulf Breeze'' was discontinued in April 1995.

====Freight====
Birmingham is served by three major [[freight railroad]] companies, the [[Norfolk Southern]] Company, [[CSX Transportation]], and [[BNSF Railway]], all of which have major [[railroad yard]]s in the metro area. Smaller regional railroads such as the [[Alabama Warrior Railway]] and the [[Birmingham Southern Railroad]] also serve customers in Birmingham.

==Notable residents==
{{Main|List of people from Birmingham, Alabama}}

==Sister cities==
Birmingham's Sister Cities program is overseen by the Birmingham Sister Cities Commission.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.birminghamsistercities.com/ |title=birminghamsistercities.com |publisher=birminghamsistercities.com |date=April 23, 1982 |access-date=July 14, 2012 |archive-date=March 2, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170302081941/http://www.birminghamsistercities.com/ |url-status=dead}}</ref>
{|
|-
|valign="top"|
*{{flagicon|JPN}} [[Hitachi, Ibaraki|Hitachi]], Japan since April 23, 1982
*{{flagicon|HUN}} [[Székesfehérvár]], Hungary since July 15, 1994
*{{flagicon|CHN}} [[Anshan]], China since November 5, 1996
*{{flagicon|CHN}} [[Chaoyang District, Beijing]], China (Friendship City) since August 5, 1998
*{{flagicon|UKR}} [[Krasnodon]], Ukraine (Friendship City) since April 8, 1999
*{{flagicon|UKR}} [[Vinnytsia]], Ukraine since April 23, 2003
*{{flagicon|CZE}} [[Plzeň]], Czech Republic since May 6, 2005
*{{flagicon|SEN}} [[Guédiawaye]], Senegal since February 8, 2005
*{{flagicon|JOR}} [[Al-Karak]], Jordan since November 9, 2005
*{{flagicon|ISR}} [[Rosh HaAyin]], Israel since November 9, 2005
*{{flagicon|GHA}} [[Winneba]], Ghana since February 2, 2009
*{{flagicon|UK}} [[Liverpool]], United Kingdom since October 21, 2015
*{{flagicon|JAM}} [[Kingston, Jamaica|Kingston]], Jamaica since February 15, 2017
*{{flagicon|JPN}} [[Maebashi]], Japan since July 3, 2017
*{{flagicon|GHA}} Apaaso, Ghana since September 29, 2017
|}

==See also==
{{portalbar|Geography|North America|United States|Alabama|Cities}}
*[[List of U.S. cities with large Black populations]]
*[[USS Birmingham|USS ''Birmingham'']], 3 ships

==Notes==
{{notelist}}

==References==
{{reflist}}

==Further reading==
*Arrington, Richard. ''There's Hope for the World: The Memoir of Birmingham, Alabama's First African American Mayor'', University of Alabama Press, 2008. ISBN 978-0-8173-1623-5
*{{Citation |publisher=Mobile Register print. |publication-date=1878 |publication-place=Mobile |title=Handbook of Alabama |author=Berney|chapter-url=https://archive.org/stream/handbookofalabam01bern#page/84/mode/2up |chapter=Birmingham |year=1878}}
*Fazio, Michael W. ''Landscape of Transformations: Architecture and Birmingham, Alabama''. University of Tennessee Press, 2010; examines Birmingham's architecture and society in the city's rise as an industrial center.
*Bennett, James R. ''Historic Birmingham and Jefferson County'', Historical Publishing Network, second ed, 2010. ISBN 978-1-935377-18-4.

==External links==
{{Sister project links|voy=yes|wikt=Birminghamian}}
*{{Official website}}
*[https://www.birminghamal.org/ Greater Birmingham Convention & Visitors Bureau]
*[http://www.bhamrails.info History of Railroads and Industries at Birmingham Rails]
*[http://www.encyclopediaofalabama.org/article/h-1421 Birmingham article, Encyclopedia of Alabama]
*[https://www.bhamwiki.com/w/Main_Page BhamWiki]

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[[Category:Birmingham, Alabama| ]]
[[Category:1871 establishments in Alabama]]
[[Category:Cities in Alabama]]
[[Category:Cities in Jefferson County, Alabama]]
[[Category:Cities in Shelby County, Alabama]]
[[Category:County seats in Alabama]]
[[Category:Populated places established in 1871]]