Leeds is a city located in
JeffersonJefferson County is the most densely populated county in the U.S. state of Alabama, the county seat being Birmingham.As of 2000 U.S. Census, the population of Jefferson County was 662,047. Jefferson County is the most populous and principal county in the Greater Birmingham area.-History:Jefferson...
,
St. ClairSt. Clair County is a county of the U.S. state of Alabama.Its name is in honor of General Arthur St. Clair, who came to America from Scotland as an officer in the British Army in the French and Indian War. He settled in America and served as a general in the Continental Army during...
, and
ShelbyShelby County is a county of the U.S. state of Alabama and is named in honor of Isaac Shelby, Governor of Kentucky. The county seat of Shelby County is Columbiana. As of 2005 U.S. Census estimated the population was 171,465. Shelby County ranks among the 100 highest-income counties in the...
Counties in the
U.S. stateA U.S. state is any one of 50 federated states of the United States of America that share sovereignty with the federal government . Because of this shared sovereignty, an American is a citizen both of the federal entity and of his or her state of domicile...
of
AlabamaAlabama is a state located in the southeastern region of the United States of America. It is bordered by Tennessee to the north, Georgia to the east, Florida and the Gulf of Mexico to the south, and Mississippi to the west. Alabama ranks 30th in total land area and ranks second in the size of its...
. As of the 2000 census, the population of the city is 10,455.
Named for Leeds, West Yorkshire,
EnglandEngland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west and the North Sea to the east, with the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
, Leeds was incorporated on April 27, 1887. Its success as a young city came through three major factors: the incorporation of nearby
BirminghamBirmingham is the largest city in the state of Alabama in the United States. It is the county seat of Jefferson County and includes part of Shelby County. According to a 2007 estimate, the city had a population of 229,800 The Birmingham-Hoover Metropolitan Area, as of the 2008 census estimates,...
and the beginning of iron ore production there; the building of the Georgia Pacific Railway from Birmingham to
AtlantaAtlanta is the capital and most populous city in the state of Georgia, as well as the urban core of one of the fastest-growing metropolitan areas in the United States....
; and the construction of a Standard Portland Cement manufacturing plant in 1906.
The city recently broke away from the Jefferson County school system and initiated its own Leeds City school system.
Leeds is a city located in
JeffersonJefferson County is the most densely populated county in the U.S. state of Alabama, the county seat being Birmingham.As of 2000 U.S. Census, the population of Jefferson County was 662,047. Jefferson County is the most populous and principal county in the Greater Birmingham area.-History:Jefferson...
,
St. ClairSt. Clair County is a county of the U.S. state of Alabama.Its name is in honor of General Arthur St. Clair, who came to America from Scotland as an officer in the British Army in the French and Indian War. He settled in America and served as a general in the Continental Army during...
, and
ShelbyShelby County is a county of the U.S. state of Alabama and is named in honor of Isaac Shelby, Governor of Kentucky. The county seat of Shelby County is Columbiana. As of 2005 U.S. Census estimated the population was 171,465. Shelby County ranks among the 100 highest-income counties in the...
Counties in the
U.S. stateA U.S. state is any one of 50 federated states of the United States of America that share sovereignty with the federal government . Because of this shared sovereignty, an American is a citizen both of the federal entity and of his or her state of domicile...
of
AlabamaAlabama is a state located in the southeastern region of the United States of America. It is bordered by Tennessee to the north, Georgia to the east, Florida and the Gulf of Mexico to the south, and Mississippi to the west. Alabama ranks 30th in total land area and ranks second in the size of its...
. As of the 2000 census, the population of the city is 10,455.
History
Named for Leeds, West Yorkshire,
EnglandEngland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west and the North Sea to the east, with the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
, Leeds was incorporated on April 27, 1887. Its success as a young city came through three major factors: the incorporation of nearby
BirminghamBirmingham is the largest city in the state of Alabama in the United States. It is the county seat of Jefferson County and includes part of Shelby County. According to a 2007 estimate, the city had a population of 229,800 The Birmingham-Hoover Metropolitan Area, as of the 2008 census estimates,...
and the beginning of iron ore production there; the building of the Georgia Pacific Railway from Birmingham to
AtlantaAtlanta is the capital and most populous city in the state of Georgia, as well as the urban core of one of the fastest-growing metropolitan areas in the United States....
; and the construction of a Standard Portland Cement manufacturing plant in 1906.
The city recently broke away from the Jefferson County school system and initiated its own Leeds City school system. Leeds is poised to make a leap forward in development and population as the eastward population shift continues into Jefferson and St. Clair counties. Leeds has also benefited from the recent addition of the Barber Vintage Motorsports Museum and Racetrack and a
Bass Pro ShopsBass Pro Shops is a privately held sports equipment and outdoor recreation goods store headquartered in Springfield, Missouri. The original Outdoor World store, referred to as the "Grand Daddy" is located at the corner of Sunshine and Campbell in Springfield...
Outlet that opened in November 2008. Both of these developments are expected to become magnets for visitors and sources of income, as well as significantly increasing the profile of the city.
Geography
Leeds is located at (33.545592, -86.557388), primarily within Jefferson County.
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 22.5 square miles (58.3 km²), of which, 22.4 square miles (57.9 km²) of it is land and 0.2 square miles (0.4 km²) of it (0.67%) is water.
Demographics
As of the
censusA "census" is the procedure of systematically acquiring and recording information about the members of a given population. It is a regularly occurring and official count of a particular population.In other words every 10 years...next one would be in 2010 The term is used mostly in connection with...
of 2000, there were 10,455 people, 4,301 households, and 2,989 families residing in the city. The
population densityPopulation density is a measurement of population per unit area or unit volume. It is frequently applied to living organisms, and particularly to humans. It is a key term used in geography....
was 467.9 people per square mile (180.6/km²). There were 4,585 housing units at an average density of 205.2/sq mi (79.2/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 81.98%
WhiteRace and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the United States Census Bureau and the Federal Office of Management and Budget , are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
, 15.91%
BlackRace and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the United States Census Bureau and the Federal Office of Management and Budget , are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
or
African AmericanRace and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the United States Census Bureau and the Federal Office of Management and Budget , are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
, 0.34%
Native AmericanRace and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the United States Census Bureau and the Federal Office of Management and Budget , are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
, 0.48%
AsianRace and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the United States Census Bureau and the Federal Office of Management and Budget , are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
, 0.08%
Pacific IslanderRace and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the United States Census Bureau and the Federal Office of Management and Budget , are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
, 0.40% from
other racesRace and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the United States Census Bureau and the Federal Office of Management and Budget , are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
, and 0.81% from two or more races. 1.34% of the population were
HispanicRace and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the United States Census Bureau and the Federal Office of Management and Budget , are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
or
LatinoRace and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the United States Census Bureau and the Federal Office of Management and Budget , are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
of any race.
There were 4,301 households out of which 30.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 51.6% were
married couplesMarriage is a social union or legal contract between individuals that creates kinship. It is an institution in which interpersonal relationships, usually intimate and sexual, are acknowledged by a variety of ways, depending on the culture or demographic...
living together, 14.0% had a female householder with no husband present, and 30.5% were non-families. 27.0% of all households were made up of individuals and 10.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.43 and the average family size was 2.95.
In the city the population was spread out with 24.5% under the age of 18, 7.8% from 18 to 24, 29.4% from 25 to 44, 24.8% from 45 to 64, and 13.4% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females there were 91.9 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 87.9 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $37,420, and the median income for a family was $46,127. Males had a median income of $32,090 versus $23,448 for females. The
per capita incomePer capita income means how much each individual receives, in monetary terms, of the yearly income generated in the country. This is what each citizen is to receive if the yearly national income is divided equally among everyone. Per capita income is usually reported in units of currency per year...
for the city was $18,573. About 10.5% of families and 13.2% of the population were below the poverty line, including 22.6% of those under age 18 and 10.8% of those age 65 or over.
Education
Leeds is served by the Leeds City School District.
On December 4, 2008 the Leeds Green Wave Football team won the Class 3A AHSAA State Football Championship and finishing the year 15-0, beating the Cordova Blue Devils in the Super Six Tournament at historic Legion Field in Birmingham, Alabama. On February 28, 2009, the Green Wave Basketball team won the 3A AHSAA State Basketball Championship by defeating Madison Academy, 72-64.
Famous natives
- Charles Barkley
Charles "Chuck" Wade Barkley is an American retired professional basketball player. Nicknamed "Sir Charles" for his aggressive and outspoken demeanor, and "The Round Mound of Rebound" for his unusual build and talent, Barkley established himself as one of the National Basketball Association's ...
, Basketball Hall of FameThe Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame honors exceptional basketball players, all-time great coaches, referees, executives, and other major contributors to the game.Named after basketball inventor Dr...
r
- Henry E. Erwin
Henry E. Erwin, Sr., was a United States Army Air Forces airman and a recipient of the United States military's highest decoration—the Medal of Honor—for his actions in World War II.-Biography:...
, Medal of Honor recipient - World War II
- Kenneth L. Farmer, Jr.
Major General Kenneth L. Farmer Jr., M.D. commanded Walter Reed Army Medical Center and North Atlantic Regional Medical Command from June 2004 to August 2006.-Biography:...
, Deputy Surgeon General, U.S. Army and Chief of Staff, U.S. Army Medical Command
- Caitlin R. Kiernan
Caitlín Rebekah Kiernan is the author of many science fiction and dark fantasy works, including seven novels, many comic books, more than one hundred published short stories, novellas, and vignettes, and numerous scientific papers.- Overview :Born in Dublin, Ireland, she moved to the United States...
, author and paleontologist
- William Robert Lawley, Jr., Medal of Honor recipient - World War II
- Mark Martin
Mark Martin is an American cartoonist known for lighthearted humor and satire.-Career:Martin's first major work in the 1980s was Gnatrat, a parody of Batman featuring a rat who dresses as a gnat to fight crime...
, cartoonist
- Alford Lee McLaughlin, Medal of Honor recipient - Korean War
- Paige Phillips, Miss Alabama 1980; 1st runner-up to Miss America 1981
- Dixie Walker
Fred E. "Dixie" Walker was a right fielder in Major League Baseball who played for the New York Yankees , Chicago White Sox , Detroit Tigers , Brooklyn Dodgers and Pittsburgh Pirates...
, professional baseball player and coach
- Harry Walker
Harry William Walker, known to baseball fans of the middle 20th century as "Harry the Hat" , was an American baseball player, manager and coach....
, professional baseball player and manager
External links