Warrior is a city in Jefferson and Blount counties in the

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Alabama Alabama ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern and Deep South, Deep Southern regions of the United States. It borders Tennessee to the north, Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia to the east, Florida and the Gu ...

. At the 2020 census, the population was 3,224. It is a northern suburb of

Birmingham Birmingham ( ) is a City status in the United Kingdom, city and metropolitan borough in the metropolitan county of West Midlands (county), West Midlands, within the wider West Midlands (region), West Midlands region, in England. It is the Lis ...

History

Warrior was incorporated in either 1889 or 1899, though most records cite the 1889 date. The city derives its name from the nearby Black Warrior River.

Geography

Warrior is the northernmost city in Jefferson County, with outlying parts of the city in Blount County. It is traversed by I-65 and U.S. Highway 31. Warrior is located at 33°48'48.985" North, 86°48'41.238" West (33.813607, -86.811455). According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the city has a total area of , all land. Warrior is in the Central time zone. The elevation at the center of town is , though it ranges from over north of the center to less than along the Locust Fork of the Black Warrior River, which forms the southern boundary of the city.

City government

Warrior uses the mayor/council form of government. The city council consists of the mayor and five members. The city is divided into five geographic districts with each one electing a council member to represent it. After having served as Warrior's longest-serving mayor and the only woman to hold the position, Rena Hudson, who became Warrior's first female mayor in 1984, retired to in 2012. She died on March 15, 2017, after serving as the mayor of Warrior from 1984 to 2000 and again from 2004 to 2012. The current mayor of Warrior is Johnny Ragland. The first mayor of Warrior was William Anderson White.

Annual events

Warrior Day, a yearly town festival, is held each year in early autumn. Entertainment and food vendors set up in town in addition to a large swap meet.

Attractions

Rickwood Caverns State Park Rickwood Caverns State Park is a public recreation area and natural history preserve located north of Warrior, Alabama. The state park offers tours of caverns with illuminated limestone formations estimated to be 260 million years old, blind ...

is located north of Warrior near Interstate 65 and the community of Smoke Rise. Featuring

limestone Limestone is a type of carbonate rock, carbonate sedimentary rock which is the main source of the material Lime (material), lime. It is composed mostly of the minerals calcite and aragonite, which are different Polymorphism (materials science) ...

formations, blind cave fish, and an underground pool, Rickwood Caverns is a recognized member of the National Caves Association, and offers more than a mile of living geology.

Sports

Warrior is home of the 1992/1993 Class 2A (AHSAA) Boys' Basketball Champions from the former Warrior High School. In 1996, the

Olympic Torch The Olympic flame is a Olympic symbols, symbol used in the Olympic movement. It is also a symbol of continuity between ancient and modern games. The Olympic flame is lit at Olympia, Greece, several months before the Olympic Games. This ceremony s ...

was relayed through the city during the weeks leading up to the 1996 Summer Olympic Games in

Atlanta Atlanta ( ) is the List of capitals in the United States, capital and List of municipalities in Georgia (U.S. state), most populous city in the U.S. state of Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia. It is the county seat, seat of Fulton County, Georg ...

Demographics

2020 census

As of the 2020 United States census, there were 3,224 people, 1,647 households, and 957 families residing in the city.

2010 census

As of the census of 2010, there were 3,176 people, 1,336 households, and 886 families living in the city. The population density was . There were 1,453 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 83.1%

White White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no chroma). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully (or almost fully) reflect and scatter all the visible wa ...

, 14.2%

Black Black is a color that results from the absence or complete absorption of visible light. It is an achromatic color, without chroma, like white and grey. It is often used symbolically or figuratively to represent darkness.Eva Heller, ''P ...

African American African Americans, also known as Black Americans and formerly also called Afro-Americans, are an Race and ethnicity in the United States, American racial and ethnic group that consists of Americans who have total or partial ancestry from an ...

, 0.2% Native American, 0.4% Asian, 0.2% from other races, and 1.8% from two or more races.

Hispanic The term Hispanic () are people, Spanish culture, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or broadly. In some contexts, Hispanic and Latino Americans, especially within the United States, "Hispanic" is used as an Ethnici ...

or Latino of any race were 0.8% of the population. There were 1,336 households, out of which 24.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 44.2% were married couples living together, 15.7% had a female householder with no husband present, and 33.7% were non-families. 29.3% 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 2.37 and the average family size was 2.92. In the city, the age distribution of the population showed 21.4% under the age of 18, 8.6% from 18 to 24, 26.0% from 25 to 44, 28.0% from 45 to 64, and 15.9% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 40.3 years. For every 100 females, there were 91.7 males. The median income for a household in the city was $35,851, and the median income for a family was $44,583. Males had a median income of $43,504 versus $30,081 for females. The

per capita income Per capita income (PCI) or average income measures the average income earned per person in a given area (city, region, country, etc.) in a specified year. In many countries, per capita income is determined using regular population surveys, such ...

for the city was $25,263. About 11.4% of families and 12.5% 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 ...

, including 6.4% of those under the age of 18 and 16.2% ages 65 and older.

2000 census

As of the census of 2000, there were 3,169 people, 1,302 households, and 898 families living in the city. The population density was . There were 1,439 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 83.21%

, 15.40%

, 0.41% Native American, 0.16% Asian, 0.03% from other races, and 0.79% from two or more races.

or Latino of any race were 0.32% of the population. There were 1,302 households, out of which 28.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 49.1% were married couples living together, 16.1% had a female householder with no husband present, and 31.0% were non-families. 28.5% of all households were made up of individuals, and 15.1% 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 2.98. In the city, the age distribution of the population showed 22.8% under the age of 18, 9.5% from 18 to 24, 26.8% from 25 to 44, 24.1% from 45 to 64, and 16.8% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 39 years. For every 100 females, there were 87.4 males. The median income for a household in the city was $28,143, and the median income for a family was $35,697. Males had a median income of $32,306 versus $20,486 for females. The

for the city was $14,919. About 12.1% of families and 11.0% of the population were below the

, including 15.9% of those under the age of 18 and 13.3% ages 65 and older.

Media

Warrior is served by Birmingham TV stations. Birmingham is part of the Birmingham/Anniston/Tuscaloosa television market, which is the nation's 39th largest. The major television affiliates are: WBRC 6 (FOX) WBIQ 10 (PBS) WVTM 13 (NBC) WTTO 21 (CW) WBMA-LD 33/40 (ABC)

WIAT WIAT (channel 42) is a television station in Birmingham, Alabama, United States, affiliated with CBS and owned by Nexstar Media Group. The station's studios are on Golden Crest Drive atop Red Mountain (Birmingham), Red Mountain, where its tow ...

42 (CBS) WPXH 44 (ION) WABM 68 (MyNetworkTV). Local publications include '' The North Jefferson News'' (weekly) and ''

The Birmingham News ''The Birmingham News'' was the principal newspaper for Birmingham, Alabama, United States in the latter half of the 20th century and the first quarter of the 21st. The paper was owned by Advance Publications and was a daily newspaper from its ...

'' (three times a week).

Education

Warrior Elementary School is located in Warrior, and the city is served by Mortimer Jordan High School and North Jefferson Middle School in nearby Kimberly.

Notable people

* John Arnold Austin, recipient of the

Navy Cross The Navy Cross is the United States Naval Service's second-highest military decoration awarded for sailors and marines who distinguish themselves for extraordinary heroism in combat with an armed enemy force. The medal is equivalent to the Army ...

* Spencer Brown, American football running back * Harry Salmon, baseball

pitcher In baseball, the pitcher is the player who throws ("Pitch (baseball), pitches") the Baseball (ball), baseball from the pitcher's mound toward the catcher to begin each play, with the goal of out (baseball), retiring a batter (baseball), batter, ...

in the

Negro leagues The Negro leagues were United States professional baseball leagues comprising teams of African Americans. The term may be used broadly to include professional black teams outside the leagues and it may be used narrowly for the seven relativel ...

Charles Stewart Parnell Charles Stewart Parnell (27 June 1846 – 6 October 1891) was an Irish nationalist politician who served as a Member of Parliament (United Kingdom), Member of Parliament (MP) in the United Kingdom from 1875 to 1891, Leader of the Home Rule Leag ...

, "the uncrowned King of Ireland" lived in Warrior for a time in 1871

References

{{Authority control Cities in Alabama Cities in Jefferson County, Alabama Cities in Blount County, Alabama Birmingham metropolitan area, Alabama Populated places established in 1872 1872 establishments in Alabama