JACKSONVILLE, ALABAMA

'Jacksonville' is a city in Calhoun County, Alabama, United States. As of the 2000 census, the population of the city is 8,404. It is included in the Anniston-Oxford Metropolitan Statistical Area.

Contents

History

Geography

Demographics

Education

Restaurants & Entertainment

Media

Notable Residents

External links

History

Founded in 1833 on land purchased from Creek Indian Chief Ladiga. First called Drayton, it was renamed to honor President Andrew Jackson in 1834. Jacksonville served as the county seat for Calhoun County until 1899 when it moved to Anniston.

Geography

Nestled in the foothills of the Appalachians, Jacksonville is located at 33°48'56.758" North, 85°45'37.681" West (33.815766, -85.760467).
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 21.4 km² (8.2 mi²), all land.

Demographics

As of the census of 2000, there were 8,404 people, 3,274 households, and 1,735 families residing in the city. The population density was 393.3/km² (1,018.5/mi²). There were 3,605 housing units at an average density of 168.7/km² (436.9/mi²). The racial makeup of the city was 76.20% White, 20.18% Black or African American, 0.35% Native American, 1.29% Asian, 0.07% Pacific Islander, 0.77% from other races, and 1.14% from two or more races. 1.87% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.
There were 3,274 households out of which 23.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 39.7% were married couples living together, 11.0% had a female householder with no husband present, and 47.0% were non-families. 34.9% of all households were made up of individuals and 8.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.16 and the average family size was 2.85.
In the city the population was spread out with 16.6% under the age of 18, 31.4% from 18 to 24, 21.4% from 25 to 44, 18.5% from 45 to 64, and 12.0% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 26 years. For every 100 females there were 89.2 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 86.6 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $23,726, and the median income for a family was $48,137. Males had a median income of $32,351 versus $22,534 for females. The per capita income for the city was $16,035. About 13.0% of families and 24.9% of the population were below the poverty line, including 19.9% of those under age 18 and 12.3% of those age 65 or over.

Education

Jacksonville is the home of Jacksonville State University, a public, coeducational university with an enrollment of approximately 9,000 students. It offers degrees in business, communication, education, family sciences, liberal arts and sciences, and nursing, in addition to continuing education programs. The university is located a few blocks north of the square.
Jacksonville is also home to two public schools (Jacksonville High School and Kitty Stone Elementary School) and a Christian school. The public schools are run by the Jacksonville City Schools system.

Restaurants & Entertainment

Jacksonville is a center for the college bar activity in Northeast Alabama. Brother's Bar hosted Allman Bros. (unannounced) performances in the 1970s and is a popular venue for local musicians. Pelham's (formerly Fuller's, Gaterz, and the Galley Tavern) is another establishment JSU students often frequent. Pelham's is located on the southwest corner of the city square in the middle of town. Brother's Bar is just south of the square.
Other restaurant-style bars are scattered across town: Struts, Cooter Brown's, and Jefferson's. You can order alcohol at all three. In addition to several fast-food chain restaurants, there are also a few local establishments of different tastes including Cecil's Place and the Rocket BBQ. Cuban, Mexican, Italian, and Chinese restaurants are also available. In early 2007, Java Jolt, a coffee house, opened as well. In addition to serving coffee and slushies, it boasts wi-fi as well as nightly concerts with local bands.

Media

'Newspaper'

★ The Jacksonville News - Weekly, locally-owned newspaper.

★ The Chanticleer - Student-run newspaper of Jacksonville State University.
'Television'

★ WJXS TV 24 - Local news, sports and programming.
'AM Radio'

★ WCKS 810 - Country.
'FM Radio'

★ WLJS 91.9 - College radio, limited NPR station.

Notable Residents

★ Rick Bragg, won the Pulitzer Prize for feature writing in 1996 while working for The New York Times.

External links

★ City of Jacksonville

★ Jacksonville City Schools

★ Kitty Stone Elementary School

★ Jacksonville High School

★ Jacksonville State University