Oxford is a city in
CalhounCalhoun County is a county in the U.S. state of Alabama. Its name is in honor of John C. Calhoun, famous member of the United States Senate from South Carolina. As of 2000 the population was 112,249. It is included in the Anniston-Oxford Metropolitan Statistical Area...
and
TalladegaTalladega County is a county of the U.S. state of Alabama. Talladega is a Muscogee Native American word derived from TVLVTEKE, which means "border town." As of 2000, the population was 80,321...
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...
. The population was 14,592 at the
2000 censusThe Twenty-Second United States Census, known as Census 2000 and conducted by the Census Bureau, determined the resident population of the United States on April 1, 2000, to be 281,421,906, an increase of 13.2% over the 248,709,873 persons enumerated during the 1990 Census...
. Oxford is one of two principal cities of and included in the
Anniston-Oxford Metropolitan Statistical AreaThe Anniston-Oxford Metropolitan Statistical Area is the most populated metropolitan area in Northeast Alabama next to Huntsville. At the 2000 census, it had a population of 112,249...
.
Oxford is located at (33.597105, -85.838881).
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 18.3
square mileThe square mile is an imperial and US unit of measure for an area equal to the area of a square of one statute mile.
s (47.4 km²), of which, 18.2 square miles (47.2 km²) of it is land and 0.1 square miles (0.2 km²) of it (0.38%) is water.
Oxford lies among the foothills at the southern end of the Blue Ridge mountains.
Oxford is a city in
CalhounCalhoun County is a county in the U.S. state of Alabama. Its name is in honor of John C. Calhoun, famous member of the United States Senate from South Carolina. As of 2000 the population was 112,249. It is included in the Anniston-Oxford Metropolitan Statistical Area...
and
TalladegaTalladega County is a county of the U.S. state of Alabama. Talladega is a Muscogee Native American word derived from TVLVTEKE, which means "border town." As of 2000, the population was 80,321...
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...
. The population was 14,592 at the
2000 censusThe Twenty-Second United States Census, known as Census 2000 and conducted by the Census Bureau, determined the resident population of the United States on April 1, 2000, to be 281,421,906, an increase of 13.2% over the 248,709,873 persons enumerated during the 1990 Census...
. Oxford is one of two principal cities of and included in the
Anniston-Oxford Metropolitan Statistical AreaThe Anniston-Oxford Metropolitan Statistical Area is the most populated metropolitan area in Northeast Alabama next to Huntsville. At the 2000 census, it had a population of 112,249...
.
Geography
Oxford is located at (33.597105, -85.838881).
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 18.3
square mileThe square mile is an imperial and US unit of measure for an area equal to the area of a square of one statute mile.
s (47.4 km²), of which, 18.2 square miles (47.2 km²) of it is land and 0.1 square miles (0.2 km²) of it (0.38%) is water.
Oxford lies among the foothills at the southern end of the Blue Ridge mountains. Nearby Mount Cheaha is Alabama's highest point and offers expansive views of the surrounding wilderness and the city below. Much of the city's southern border is shared with the
Talladega National ForestCentral Alabama's Talladega National Forest covers 392,567 acres at the southern edge of the Appalachians.Before it was bought by the federal government in the 1930s, the area that comprises the Talladega was extensively logged and represented some of the most abused, eroded wastelands in all of...
.
Major bodies of water include Oxford Lake, Lake Hillabee, Snows Creek and Choccolocco Creek, which bisects the city.
History
Oxford, which was originally known as Lickskillet, was the first city in Calhoun County to be incorporated. It was founded in the early 1850s. The name was later changed to Oxford because cattle herders would ford their oxen at one of the shallowest points of Choccolocco Creek.
Since 1970 Oxford has annexed large amounts of land to the south, including the communities of Coldwater and Bynum. In 1970 it was all in Calhoun County but today it includes areas in Talladega County.
Government
Oxford features a Mayor-Council form of government. Mayor Leon Smith is currently serving his seventh term, having been elected to the post in 1984. The five-member Council includes Phil Gardner (Place 1), June Land Reaves (Place 2), Mitch Key (Place 3), Chris Spurlin (Place 4), and Steven Waits (Place 5). Spurlin serves as the Council President. The mayor and council members are elected to four-year terms (coinciding with presidential election years).
http://www.oxfordalabama.org/Default.asp?ID=321&pg=City+Government
Education
Oxford's public schools are administered by the Oxford City School System. There are currently four elementary schools, one middle school, and one high school. The privately operated
Trinity Christian Academy is located in Southwestern Oxford. A new Freshman Academy is in the building process and is scheduled for opening January 2009. The official Board of Education website is
Oxford City Schools.
Oxford High School boasts an enrollment exceeding 1,000 students and is classified as a Class 6A school in athletic competition by the Alabama High School Athletic Association. 6A is the largest classification in the state. Each fall the Yellow Jacket (Oxford High School mascot) football team spends Friday nights competing in front of large crowds at Lamar Field (Oxford High School Football Stadium).
Economy
The city's growth in recent years can be attributed mainly to the presence of Interstate 20 and it's central location between Atlanta and Birmingham. The only shopping mall between Birmingham and Douglasville, Georgia is located in Oxford. It is known as the Quintard Mall. Several other shopping centers dot the landscape of Oxford with the most recent being the Oxford Exchange which was constructed near exit 188 on Interstate 20.
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 14,592 people, 5,734 households, and 4,231 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 800.1 people per square mile (308.9/km²). There were 6,280 housing units at an average density of 340.5/sq mi (131.5/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 87.46%
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...
, 9.88%
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...
, 0.38%
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...
, 0.62%
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...
, 0.03%
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...
, 0.78% 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 0.85% from two or more races. 1.93% 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 5,734 households out of which 34.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 59.6% are
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, 11.5% had a female householder with no husband present, and 26.2% were non-families. 23.4% of all households were made up of individuals and 9.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.51 and the average family size was 2.97.
In the city the population was spread out with 24.8% under the age of 18, 8.1% from 18 to 24, 29.5% from 25 to 44, 23.6% from 45 to 64, and 14.0% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females there were 91.1 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 87.6 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $40,397, and the median income for a family was $47,891. Males had a median income of $34,838 versus $21,897 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 $28,923. About 6.8% of families and 9.4% of the population were below the poverty line, including 13.3% of those under age 18 and 10.1% of those age 65 or over.
Media
- Truth Radio WTBJ-FM 91.3 (Christian Radio)
- WVOK-FM
WVOK-FM is a radio station broadcasting a Hot Adult Contemporary music format. Licensed to Oxford, Alabama, it serves the Anniston-Oxford Metropolitan Area...
97.9 (Adult Contemporary)
- WVOK-AM 1580 (Oldies)
- WTDR-FM 92.7 (Country)
- The Anniston Star
The Anniston Star is the daily newspaper serving Anniston, Alabama, and the surrounding six-county region. Average Sunday circulation in September 2004 was 26,747. The newspaper is locally-owned by Consolidated Publishing Company, which is controlled by the descendants of Col. Harry M. Ayers, one...
(25,000 circulation daily newspaper)
- Oxford Independent (weekly, free newspaper)
External links