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Saraland is a city in
Mobile County Mobile County ( ) is located in the southwestern corner of the U.S. state of Alabama. It is the second most-populous county in the state after Jefferson County, Alabama, Jefferson County. As of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, its po ...
,
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 a
suburb A suburb (more broadly suburban area) is an area within a metropolitan area, which may include commercial and mixed-use, that is primarily a residential area. A suburb can exist either as part of a larger city/urban area or as a separate ...
of
Mobile Mobile may refer to: Places * Mobile, Alabama, a U.S. port city * Mobile County, Alabama * Mobile, Arizona, a small town near Phoenix, U.S. * Mobile, Newfoundland and Labrador Arts, entertainment, and media Music Groups and labels * Mobile ( ...
. As of the 2020 census, the population of the city was 16,171, up from 13,405 at the 2010 census. Saraland, part of the
Mobile metropolitan area The Mobile Metropolitan Area comprises Mobile and Washington counties in the southwest corner of Alabama in the United States. As of the 2020 census the metropolitan area had a population of 430,197. The Mobile metropolitan area is the third-lar ...
, is the third largest city in Mobile County.


Geography

Saraland is located at (30.825186, -88.091932). It is bordered to the southwest by the city of Prichard, to the south by
Chickasaw The Chickasaw ( ) are an indigenous people of the Southeastern Woodlands. Their traditional territory was in the Southeastern United States of Mississippi, Alabama, and Tennessee as well in southwestern Kentucky. Their language is classified as ...
, to the east by the undeveloped northern end of Mobile, and to the northeast by
Satsuma Satsuma may refer to: * Satsuma (fruit), a citrus fruit * ''Satsuma'' (gastropod), a genus of land snails Places Japan * Satsuma, Kagoshima, a Japanese town * Satsuma District, Kagoshima, a district in Kagoshima Prefecture * Satsuma Domain, a sou ...
and Creola.
U.S. Route 43 U.S. Route 43 (US 43) is a north–south United States Highway in the Southern United States, Southern states of Alabama and Tennessee. It travels from Prichard, Alabama, to Columbia, Tennessee. The highway's southern terminus is in Pr ...
(Saraland Boulevard) and
Interstate 65 Interstate 65 (I-65) is a major north–south Interstate Highway in the central United States. As with most primary Interstates ending in 5, it is a major crosscountry, north–south route, connecting between the Great Lakes and the Gulf ...
are the main north-south routes through Saraland. U.S. 43 leads south to downtown Mobile and north to
Jackson Jackson may refer to: People and fictional characters * Jackson (name), including a list of people and fictional characters with the surname or given name Places Australia * Jackson, Queensland, a town in the Maranoa Region * Jackson North, Qu ...
, while I-65 leads south to its terminus at
Interstate 10 Interstate 10 (I-10) is the southernmost cross-country highway in the American Interstate Highway System. I-10 is the fourth-longest Interstate in the United States at , following I-90, I-80, and I-40. This freeway is part of the originally pl ...
in southwestern Mobile, and northeast to Montgomery, the state capital. 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 ...
, Saraland has a total area of , of which , or 0.68%, are water. The city is drained by Bayou Sara, an east-flowing tributary of the
Mobile River The Mobile River is located in southern Alabama in the United States. Formed out of the confluence of the Tombigbee and Alabama rivers, the approximately river drains an area of of Alabama, with a watershed extending into Mississippi, Georg ...
.


History

The land area that was to become the present-day Saraland was included in a Spanish land grant to Don Diego Alvarez. Hence, descendants of Alvarez were the ones to give the community its first name: Alvarez Station. Later land squatters moved into the area and were able, legally, in 1800 to begin purchasing property. In 1807, a land office was opened in St. Stephens to handle all land transactions. Some of the pioneer families who seized the opportunity to buy up sections were named Alvarez, Rice, Hartley, Moore, LaCoste, Williams, Tool and Cleveland. Eventually, Alvarez Station was called Cleveland Station. The present name of the city is reported to have been given by C.J. DeWitt, a retired minister editor who moved south in 1890 for health reasons. He opened the first post office on the Southern Railroad in 1895. The community is purported to be the namesake of his beloved wife, Sara. Saraland was sparsely populated during the first part of the 20th century, until an industrial and population boom occurred in neighboring Mobile. Northward expansion of Mobile in the 1940s and 50s brought about the incorporation of Saraland in 1957. At the time of incorporation, the city reported only 125 residents. By the 1960 U.S. Census, annexations had swelled the population to 4,595. In 1980, census figures cited 9,844 Saraland residents. As of the 2020 census, Saraland's population had grown to 16,171. The worst rail disaster in the history of
Amtrak The National Railroad Passenger Corporation, Trade name, doing business as Amtrak () , is the national Passenger train, passenger railroad company of the United States. It operates inter-city rail service in 46 of the 48 contiguous United Stat ...
occurred just east of Saraland on Big Bayou Canot on September 22, 1993. At approximately 2:53 AM, Amtrak's ''
Sunset Limited The ''Sunset Limited'' is an Amtrak passenger train that for most of its history has operated between New Orleans and Los Angeles, over the nation's second transcontinental route. However, up until Hurricane Katrina in 2005, it operated betwe ...
'' train, powered by three locomotives, and en route from
Los Angeles Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the largest city in the state of California and the second most populous city in the United States after New York City, as well as one of the world' ...
to
Miami Miami ( ), officially the City of Miami, known as "the 305", "The Magic City", and "Gateway to the Americas", is a East Coast of the United States, coastal metropolis and the County seat, county seat of Miami-Dade County, Florida, Miami-Dade C ...
with 220 passengers and crew aboard, crossed the Bayou Canot bridge at high speed and derailed at a kink in the track caused by a barge captain who rammed the bridge by making a wrong turn in the waterway and failed to report the accident. 47 people, of whom 42 were passengers, were killed, many by drowning, others by fire. Much of the rescue efforts were average citizens of the community who journeyed out in the early morning hours in small fishing boats to help at the scene.


Demographics


2000 census

At the 2000 census there were 12,288 people in 4,810 households, including 3,602 families, in the city. The population density was . There were 5,138 housing units at an average density of . The
racial makeup A race is a categorization of humans based on shared physical or social qualities into groups generally viewed as distinct within a given society. The term came into common usage during the 1500s, when it was used to refer to groups of variou ...
of the city was 88.50% White, 8.97% Black or African American, 0.56% Native American, 0.46% Asian, 0.01% Pacific Islander, 0.37% from other races, and 1.13% from two or more races. 1.17% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race. Of the 4,810 households 31.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 61.0% were married couples living together, 10.5% had a female householder with no husband present, and 25.1% were non-families. 21.2% of households were one person and 8.1% were one person aged 65 or older. The average household size was 2.55 and the average family size was 2.97. The age distribution was 23.4% under the age of 18, 9.4% from 18 to 24, 29.3% from 25 to 44, 24.4% from 45 to 64, and 13.5% 65 or older. The median age was 37 years. For every 100 females, there were 95.4 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 92.2 males. The median household income was $38,318 and the median family income was $43,471. Males had a median income of $35,431 versus $22,787 for females. The per capita income for the city was $19,470. About 7.4% of families and 9.0% 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 12.2% of those under age 18 and 8.9% of those age 65 or over.


2010 census

At the 2010 census there were 13,405 people in 5,208 households, including 3,757 families, in the city. The population density was . There were 5,828 housing units at an average density of . The
racial makeup A race is a categorization of humans based on shared physical or social qualities into groups generally viewed as distinct within a given society. The term came into common usage during the 1500s, when it was used to refer to groups of variou ...
of the city was 83.7% White, 12.0% Black or African American, 0.8% Native American, 0.6% Asian, 0.1% Pacific Islander, 1.5% from other races, and 1.4% from two or more races. 2.5% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race. Of the 5,208 households 27.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 54.4% were married couples living together, 13.4% had a female householder with no husband present, and 27.9% were non-families. 22.8% of households were one person and 10.0% were one person aged 65 or older. The average household size was 2.57 and the average family size was 2.01. The age distribution was 22.9% under the age of 18, 8.0% from 18 to 24, 25.8% from 25 to 44, 27.5% from 45 to 64, and 15.8% 65 or older. The median age was 40 years. For every 100 females, there were 97.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 101.9 males. The median household income was $48,721 and the median family income was $54,845. Males had a median income of $44,201 versus $31,235 for females. The per capita income for the city was $22,192. About 8.8% of families and 14.9% 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 28.3% of those under age 18 and 7.0% 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 16,171 people, 5,171 households, and 3,615 families residing in the city.


Transportation

*
Interstate 65 Interstate 65 (I-65) is a major north–south Interstate Highway in the central United States. As with most primary Interstates ending in 5, it is a major crosscountry, north–south route, connecting between the Great Lakes and the Gulf ...
*
US 43 U.S. Route 43 (US 43) is a north–south United States Highway in the Southern states of Alabama and Tennessee. It travels from Prichard, Alabama, to Columbia, Tennessee. The highway's southern terminus is in Prichard, at an intersect ...
* SR 158 * SR 213 * SR 13


Economy

*
Royal Dutch Shell Shell plc is a British multinational oil and gas company headquartered in London, England. Shell is a public limited company with a primary listing on the London Stock Exchange (LSE) and secondary listings on Euronext Amsterdam and the New Yo ...
operates the Shell Saraland Refinery in Saraland. "Locations", ShellChemicals.com, webpage:
ShChem-loc-33
.
*Alorica Telecommunications Center *
China Doll (brand) China Doll is a brand of rice and beans bagged and shipped by Marshall Biscuit Company, based in Saraland, Alabama (facilities based formerly in Mobile Mobile may refer to: Places * Mobile, Alabama, a U.S. port city * Mobile County, Alabama * ...
Redwing Carriers, Inc. in Saraland had been identified as having a
Superfund site Superfund sites are polluted locations in the United States requiring a long-term response to clean up hazardous material contaminations. They were designated under the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERC ...
which was at risk from
climate change In common usage, climate change describes global warming—the ongoing increase in global average temperature—and its effects on Earth's climate system. Climate change in a broader sense also includes previous long-term changes to E ...
, due to high wildfire hazard potential, flood hazard, or potential for damage in Category 4 or 5 hurricanes. As of September 2, 2014, Redwing Carriers, Inc. in Saraland was removed from the National Priorities List (NPL) because no hazardous waste remains on site.


Education


Primary and secondary schools


Public schools

Saraland is served by the
Saraland Board of Education Saraland City Schools (SCS) is a school district serving and operated by Saraland, Alabama, United States. The district consists of four schools, Saraland Early Education Center, Saraland Elementary School, Saraland (formerly Adams) Middle Schoo ...
. Residents are zoned to Saraland Early Education Center, Saraland Elementary School, Saraland (formerly Adams) Middle School, and
Saraland High School Saraland High School (SHS), located in Saraland, Alabama, is a public high school operated by the Saraland City School System that educates grades 9– 12. The school's mascot is the spartan. History Saraland Schools was previously part o ...
. In June 2006, the City of Saraland voted to break away from the
Mobile County Public School System Mobile County Public School System (MCPSS) is a school district based in unincorporated Mobile County, Alabama, United States. The system currently serves areas of Mobile County, including the city of Mobile, with the exception of the cities o ...
and form its own school system. The school district came into effect in autumn 2008; at the time Saraland Elementary and Adams Middle were a part of the city district, but high schoolers had to attend county schools because Saraland High School was not yet open. Prior to the split of the City of Saraland from the county system in 2009, Saraland was zoned to
Satsuma High School Satsuma High School is a public high school (grades 7–12) in Satsuma, Alabama, United States. It is a part of the Satsuma City School System. Prior to 2012 it was a part of the Mobile County Public School System. The present Satsuma High School ...
. 2011 was the final year in which Saraland residents were permitted by the county to attend county schools. Several years prior to 2009 officials of Saraland,
Satsuma Satsuma may refer to: * Satsuma (fruit), a citrus fruit * ''Satsuma'' (gastropod), a genus of land snails Places Japan * Satsuma, Kagoshima, a Japanese town * Satsuma District, Kagoshima, a district in Kagoshima Prefecture * Satsuma Domain, a sou ...
, and
Chickasaw The Chickasaw ( ) are an indigenous people of the Southeastern Woodlands. Their traditional territory was in the Southeastern United States of Mississippi, Alabama, and Tennessee as well in southwestern Kentucky. Their language is classified as ...
contemplated forming the "Delta School District."


Private schools

Private schools within Saraland include Evangel Christian School, North Mobile Christian School, and the Saraland Yeshiva right outside of the city limits.


Notable people

*
Matt Peacock (baseball) Matthew Allen Peacock (born February 27, 1994) is an American professional baseball pitcher in the Toronto Blue Jays organization. He has previously played in MLB for the Arizona Diamondbacks and the Kansas City Royals. Amateur career Peacock at ...
, Professional Baseball Pitcher *
Ann Casey Lucille Ann Casey (September 29, 1938 – March 1, 2021) was an American professional wrestler, better known by her ring name Ann Casey, or Panther Girl. Early life Casey was born in Saraland, Alabama, one of nine children to John and Viola Cas ...
, retired
professional wrestler Professional wrestling is a form of theater that revolves around staged wrestling matches. The mock combat is performed in a ring similar to the kind used in boxing, and the dramatic aspects of pro wrestling may be performed both in the ring or ...
* Jay Prosch,
National Football League The National Football League (NFL) is a professional American football league that consists of 32 teams, divided equally between the American Football Conference (AFC) and the National Football Conference (NFC). The NFL is one of the ...
fullback for the
Houston Texans The Houston Texans are a professional American football team based in Houston. The Texans compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC South, South division, and play their home ga ...
* Velus Jones, Jr,
National Football League The National Football League (NFL) is a professional American football league that consists of 32 teams, divided equally between the American Football Conference (AFC) and the National Football Conference (NFC). The NFL is one of the ...
wide receiver for the
Chicago Bears The Chicago Bears are a professional American football team based in Chicago. The Bears compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) North division. The Bears have won nine NF ...
.


References


External links

*
Saraland Area Chamber of Commerce
{{authority control Cities in Alabama Cities in Mobile County, Alabama Populated places established in 1957