Hazel Green is an
unincorporated community
An unincorporated area is a region that is not governed by a local municipal corporation. Widespread unincorporated communities and areas are a distinguishing feature of the United States and Canada. Most other countries of the world either have ...
and
census-designated place
A census-designated place (CDP) is a concentration of population defined by the United States Census Bureau for statistical purposes only.
CDPs have been used in each decennial census since 1980 as the counterparts of incorporated places, such ...
(CDP) in
Madison County,
Alabama
(We dare defend our rights)
, anthem = "Alabama (state song), Alabama"
, image_map = Alabama in United States.svg
, seat = Montgomery, Alabama, Montgomery
, LargestCity = Huntsville, Alabama, Huntsville
, LargestCounty = Baldwin County, Al ...
, United States, and is included in the
Huntsville-Decatur Combined Statistical Area
The Huntsville–Decatur, AL Combined Statistical Area is the most populated sub-region of North Alabama, and is the second fastest growing region in the State of Alabama, with 659,486 living within the CSA. It is also currently the 57th largest ...
. As of the 2020 census, the population of the community was 4,105,
up from 3,630 at the 2010 census.
History
The town was named Hazel Green because of the
hazel
The hazel (''Corylus'') is a genus of deciduous trees and large shrubs native to the temperate Northern Hemisphere. The genus is usually placed in the birch family Betulaceae,Germplasmgobills Information Network''Corylus''Rushforth, K. (1999). ...
bushes along the road which were of a vibrant green color. In the early 19th century, several farmers from
Georgia
Georgia most commonly refers to:
* Georgia (country), a country in the Caucasus region of Eurasia
* Georgia (U.S. state), a state in the Southeast United States
Georgia may also refer to:
Places
Historical states and entities
* Related to the ...
and the
Carolinas
The Carolinas are the U.S. states of North Carolina and South Carolina, considered collectively. They are bordered by Virginia to the north, Tennessee to the west, and Georgia to the southwest. The Atlantic Ocean is to the east.
Combining Nort ...
settled in Hazel Green after discovering that the area had some of the richest soil in the
Southeast
The points of the compass are a set of horizontal, radially arrayed compass directions (or azimuths) used in navigation and cartography. A compass rose is primarily composed of four cardinal directions—north, east, south, and west—each sepa ...
. A post office was built in 1819 on the southeast corner of the intersection now known as Hwy. 231-431 and Joe Quick Road. Several grocers and rest stops were also built along this intersection. It became a bustling community and incorporated into a town on June 15, 1821, by an act of the state legislature, with a population of approximately 400. At the time, Hazel Green was a small, rural community that served as a crossroads. Roads connected Hazel Green with
Athens
Athens ( ; el, Αθήνα, Athína ; grc, Ἀθῆναι, Athênai (pl.) ) is both the capital and largest city of Greece. With a population close to four million, it is also the seventh largest city in the European Union. Athens dominates ...
to the west,
Winchester, Tennessee
Winchester is a city in and the county seat of Franklin County, Tennessee, Franklin County, Tennessee, United States. It is part of the Tullahoma, Tennessee Tullahoma micropolitan area, Micropolitan Statistical Area. The population of Winchester as ...
, to the northeast,
Huntsville
Huntsville is a city in Madison County, Limestone County, and Morgan County, Alabama, United States. It is the county seat of Madison County. Located in the Appalachian region of northern Alabama, Huntsville is the most populous city in th ...
to the south, and
Nashville
Nashville is the capital city of the U.S. state of Tennessee and the seat of Davidson County. With a population of 689,447 at the 2020 U.S. census, Nashville is the most populous city in the state, 21st most-populous city in the U.S., and the ...
to the north. These roads intersected at what is now the intersection of US Highway 231/431, Joe Quick Road, and West Limestone Road.
On April 3, 1974, Hazel Green was hit by an F5 tornado during the
1974 Super Outbreak.
As of 2022, Hazel Green is currently undergoing a residential and retail boom, sparked by rampant job growth coming from nearby Huntsville. Hundreds of acres of generational farmland is quickly being replaced with houses, multi-family complexes, fast-food restaurant chains, and various other retail chains.
The topic of incorporation to accommodate this sudden explosion of growth is becoming a popular discussion amongst existing residents.
Geography
Hazel Green is located in northern Madison County at (34.923712, -86.567206).
It is north of
Huntsville
Huntsville is a city in Madison County, Limestone County, and Morgan County, Alabama, United States. It is the county seat of Madison County. Located in the Appalachian region of northern Alabama, Huntsville is the most populous city in th ...
and the same distance south of
Fayetteville, Tennessee
Fayetteville is a city and the county seat of Lincoln County, Tennessee, United States. The population was 6,994 at the 2000 census, and 6,827 at the 2010 census. A census estimate from 2018 showed 7,017.
History
Fayetteville is the largest cit ...
. Hazel Green is bordered to the south by
Meridianville and to the southeast by
Moores Mill.
According to the
U.S. Census Bureau
The United States Census Bureau (USCB), officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the U.S. Federal Statistical System, responsible for producing data about the American people and economy. The Census Bureau is part of the ...
, the Hazel Green CDP has a total area of , of which , or 0.13%, are water.
The
Flint River
The Flint River is a U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline dataThe National Map, accessed April 15, 2011 river in the U.S. state of Georgia. The river drains of western Georgia, flowing south from the u ...
, a south-flowing tributary of the
Tennessee River
The Tennessee River is the largest tributary of the Ohio River. It is approximately long and is located in the southeastern United States in the Tennessee Valley. The river was once popularly known as the Cherokee River, among other names, ...
, runs along the northeast edge of the community.
Major roads
*
U.S. Route 231
U.S. Route 231 (US 231) is a north-south United States Numbered Highway System, U.S highway that is a parallel route of U.S. Route 31, US 31. It runs for from St. John, Indiana, St. John, Indiana, at U.S. Route 41 in Indiana, US 41 ...
*
U.S. Route 431
U.S. Route 431 (US 431) is a spur of U.S. Route 31. It currently travels for approximately from US 231/Alabama State Route 210 and US 231 Business (US 231 Bus.) and US 431 Bus. in Dothan, Alabama, to Owensboro, ...
Demographics
2000 census
As of the
census
A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring, recording and calculating information about the members of a given population. This term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common censuses incl ...
of 2000, there were 3,805 people, 1,340 households, and 1,080 families residing in the community. The population density was . There were 1,394 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the community was 93.56%
White
White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no hue). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully reflect and scatter all the visible wavelengths of light. White on ...
, 2.65%
Black
Black is a color which results from the absence or complete absorption of visible light. It is an achromatic color, without hue, like white and grey. It is often used symbolically or figuratively to represent darkness. Black and white have o ...
or
African American
African Americans (also referred to as Black Americans and Afro-Americans) are an ethnic group consisting of Americans with partial or total ancestry from sub-Saharan Africa. The term "African American" generally denotes descendants of ens ...
, 1.31%
Native American, 0.50%
Asian
Asian may refer to:
* Items from or related to the continent of Asia:
** Asian people, people in or descending from Asia
** Asian culture, the culture of the people from Asia
** Asian cuisine, food based on the style of food of the people from Asi ...
, 0.03%
Pacific Islander
Pacific Islanders, Pasifika, Pasefika, or rarely Pacificers are the peoples of the list of islands in the Pacific Ocean, Pacific Islands. As an ethnic group, ethnic/race (human categorization), racial term, it is used to describe the original p ...
, 0.32% from
other races
Other often refers to:
* Other (philosophy), a concept in psychology and philosophy
Other or The Other may also refer to:
Film and television
* ''The Other'' (1913 film), a German silent film directed by Max Mack
* ''The Other'' (1930 film), a ...
, and 1.63% from two or more races. 1.76% of the population were
Hispanic
The term ''Hispanic'' ( es, hispano) refers to people, Spanish culture, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or Hispanidad.
The term commonly applies to countries with a cultural and historical link to Spain and to Vic ...
or
Latino
Latino or Latinos most often refers to:
* Latino (demonym), a term used in the United States for people with cultural ties to Latin America
* Hispanic and Latino Americans in the United States
* The people or cultures of Latin America;
** Latin A ...
of any race.
There were 1,340
households out of which 46.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 66.1% were
married couples
Marriage, also called matrimony or wedlock, is a culturally and often legally recognized union between people called spouses. It establishes rights and obligations between them, as well as between them and their children, and between t ...
living together, 10.6% had a female householder with no husband present, and 19.4% were non-families. 17.2% of all households were made up of individuals, and 4.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.82 and the average family size was 3.18.
In the community, the population was spread out, with 31.3% under the age of 18, 7.1% from 18 to 24, 35.3% from 25 to 44, 18.7% from 45 to 64, and 7.7% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 33 years. For every 100 females, there were 98.1 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 95.4 males.
The median income for a household in the community was $40,263, and the median income for a family was $45,174. Males had a median income of $33,005 versus $23,929 for females. The
per capita income
Per capita income (PCI) or total income measures the average income earned per person in a given area (city, region, country, etc.) in a specified year. It is calculated by dividing the area's total income by its total population.
Per capita i ...
for the community was $18,397. About 4.2% of families and 6.3% of the population were below the
poverty line
The poverty threshold, poverty limit, poverty line or breadline is the minimum level of income deemed adequate in a particular country. The poverty line is usually calculated by estimating the total cost of one year's worth of necessities for t ...
, including 4.8% of those under age 18 and 12.5% of those age 65 or over.
2010 census
As of the
census
A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring, recording and calculating information about the members of a given population. This term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common censuses incl ...
of 2010, there were 3,630 people, 1,338 households, and 1,017 families residing in the community. The population density was . There were 1,434 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the community was 88.9%
White
White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no hue). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully reflect and scatter all the visible wavelengths of light. White on ...
, 5.9%
Black
Black is a color which results from the absence or complete absorption of visible light. It is an achromatic color, without hue, like white and grey. It is often used symbolically or figuratively to represent darkness. Black and white have o ...
or
African American
African Americans (also referred to as Black Americans and Afro-Americans) are an ethnic group consisting of Americans with partial or total ancestry from sub-Saharan Africa. The term "African American" generally denotes descendants of ens ...
, 1.5%
Native American, 0.4%
Asian
Asian may refer to:
* Items from or related to the continent of Asia:
** Asian people, people in or descending from Asia
** Asian culture, the culture of the people from Asia
** Asian cuisine, food based on the style of food of the people from Asi ...
, 0.1%
Pacific Islander
Pacific Islanders, Pasifika, Pasefika, or rarely Pacificers are the peoples of the list of islands in the Pacific Ocean, Pacific Islands. As an ethnic group, ethnic/race (human categorization), racial term, it is used to describe the original p ...
, 0.7% from
other races
Other often refers to:
* Other (philosophy), a concept in psychology and philosophy
Other or The Other may also refer to:
Film and television
* ''The Other'' (1913 film), a German silent film directed by Max Mack
* ''The Other'' (1930 film), a ...
, and 2.4% from two or more races. 2.3% of the population were
Hispanic
The term ''Hispanic'' ( es, hispano) refers to people, Spanish culture, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or Hispanidad.
The term commonly applies to countries with a cultural and historical link to Spain and to Vic ...
or
Latino
Latino or Latinos most often refers to:
* Latino (demonym), a term used in the United States for people with cultural ties to Latin America
* Hispanic and Latino Americans in the United States
* The people or cultures of Latin America;
** Latin A ...
of any race.
There were 1,338
households out of which 34.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 60.5% were
married couples
Marriage, also called matrimony or wedlock, is a culturally and often legally recognized union between people called spouses. It establishes rights and obligations between them, as well as between them and their children, and between t ...
living together, 10.6% had a female householder with no husband present, and 24.0% were non-families. 20.3% of all households were made up of individuals, and 6.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.69 and the average family size was 3.11.
In the community, the population was spread out, with 26.2% under the age of 18, 7.9% from 18 to 24, 27.9% from 25 to 44, 27.5% from 45 to 64, and 10.5% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 37.5 years. For every 100 females, there were 96.5 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 98.4 males.
The median income for a household in the community was $48,822, and the median income for a family was $60,588. Males had a median income of $42,981 versus $30,990 for females. The
per capita income
Per capita income (PCI) or total income measures the average income earned per person in a given area (city, region, country, etc.) in a specified year. It is calculated by dividing the area's total income by its total population.
Per capita i ...
for the community was $23,693. About 10.8% of families and 13.6% of the population were below the
poverty line
The poverty threshold, poverty limit, poverty line or breadline is the minimum level of income deemed adequate in a particular country. The poverty line is usually calculated by estimating the total cost of one year's worth of necessities for t ...
, including 16.4% of those under age 18 and 7.4% of those age 65 or over.
2020 census
As of the
2020 United States census
The United States census of 2020 was the twenty-fourth decennial United States census. Census Day, the reference day used for the census, was April 1, 2020. Other than a pilot study during the 2000 census, this was the first U.S. census to of ...
, there were 4,105 people, 1,516 households, and 1,155 families residing in the CDP.
Public services
The Madison County Sheriff's Department administers law and order in Hazel Green.
The Hazel Green Fire/Rescue is a large volunteer fire department of approximately 40 members serving the residents of North Central Madison County. The fire department has 3 stations. The stations are located throughout the district in strategic locations. Station one, which houses the majority of all of the main rescue, EMS and firefighting equipment, is located at the intersection of Joe Quick Road and Highway 231-431N. Station two is located on Greenville Pike and Station three on Hill Chapel Road. Hazel Green Fire/Rescue outfits an apparatus of five engines, one attack truck (or "brush" truck), one rescue truck and two medical response vehicles. Hazel Green has a dedicated roster of individuals who hold credentials from firefighter I level, to FF 2, state licensed and nationally registered Emergency Medical Technicians (EMTs) and certified technical rescue personnel (vehicle, water and other special rescue missions).
Education
The local school district is
Madison County Schools.
[ ]
Text list
/ref>
The Madison County School System currently runs three schools in Hazel Green. Kindergarten through third grade students attend Hazel Green Elementary School, Lynn Fanning Elementary, and Walnut Grove School. Fourth through sixth grade students attend Moores Mill Intermediate School. Seventh and eighth grade students in Hazel Green attend Meridianville Middle School located in Hazel Green. Hazel Green High School
Hazel Green High School (HGHS) is a public high school in Hazel Green, Alabama, United States. It is the oldest school in the Madison County Schools district.
History
Building
The earliest record of a school in Hazel Green, Alabama can be ...
serves as a high school for ninth through twelfth grade students in Hazel Green, Meridianville, and parts of New Market and northern Huntsville. In September 2022, the Madison County School System announced the proposal of the construction of another school in Hazel Green by the 2024-2025 school years to accommodate new growth, and to prevent overcrowding in Hazel Green’s existing schools. The size, location, and grades to be housed in the proposed school have yet to be announced.
The Huntsville Madison County Public Library maintains a branch, the Tillman D. Hill Public Library, located on Knowledge Dr. behind Advance Auto Parts
Advance Auto Parts, Inc. (Advance) is an American automotive aftermarket parts provider. Headquartered in Raleigh, North Carolina, it serves both professional installer and do it yourself (DIY) customers. As of July 13, 2019, Advance operated ...
. This branch library is part of a very well supported community library system in Madison County.
Notable people
* Kira Lewis Jr., professional basketball player for the New Orleans Pelicans
The New Orleans Pelicans are an American professional basketball team based in New Orleans. The Pelicans compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Western Conference Southwest Division and play their hom ...
* George Lindsey
George Smith Lindsey (December 17, 1928 – May 6, 2012) was an American actor and stand-up comedian, best known for his role as Goober Pyle on ''The Andy Griffith Show'', ''Mayberry R.F.D.'' and his subsequent tenure on '' Hee-Haw''.
Life and ...
, actor who portrayed Gomer Pyle
Gomer Pyle is a fictional character played by Jim Nabors and introduced in the middle of the third season of ''The Andy Griffith Show''.
A naïve and gentle auto mechanic, he became a character in the January 1963 episode, ''Man in a Hurry''. ...
on ''The Andy Griffith Show
''The Andy Griffith Show '' is an American situation comedy television series that aired on CBS from October 3, 1960, to April 1, 1968, with a total of 249 half-hour episodes spanning eight seasons—159 in black and white and 90 in color.
The ...
'' and ''Hee-Haw
''Hee Haw'' is an American television variety show featuring country music and humor with the fictional rural "Kornfield Kounty" as the backdrop. It aired first-run on CBS from 1969 to 1971, in syndication from 1971 to 1993, and on TNN from 199 ...
''
* Claire Lynch
Claire Lynch (born February 20, 1954) is an American bluegrass musician, singer, songwriter, and producer. She is a three-time winner of the International Bluegrass Music Association's Female Vocalist of the Year honors. She is considered one o ...
, bluegrass singer
References
External links
Hazel Green unofficial website
{{authority control
Unincorporated communities in Alabama
Census-designated places in Madison County, Alabama
Census-designated places in Alabama
Huntsville-Decatur, AL Combined Statistical Area
Unincorporated communities in Madison County, Alabama