Geneva is a city in and the

county seat A county seat is an administrative center, seat of government, or capital city of a county or civil parish. The term is in use in Canada, China, Hungary, Romania, Taiwan, and the United States. The equivalent term shire town is used in the US st ...

of Geneva County,

Alabama (We dare defend our rights) , anthem = "Alabama" , image_map = Alabama in United States.svg , seat = Montgomery , LargestCity = Huntsville , LargestCounty = Baldwin County , LargestMetro = Greater Birmingham , area_total_km2 = 135,765 ...

, United States. It was incorporated in 1875. It is part of the

Dothan, Alabama Dothan () is a city in Dale, Henry, and Houston counties and the Houston county seat in the U.S. state of Alabama. It is Alabama's eighth-largest city, with a population of 71,072 at the 2020 census. It is near the state's southeastern corner ...

Metropolitan Statistical Area In the United States, a metropolitan statistical area (MSA) is a geographical region with a relatively high population density at its core and close economic ties throughout the area. Such regions are neither legally incorporated as a city or tow ...

. Since 1940, it has been the largest city of Geneva County, and had a population of 4,292 as of the 2020 census.

Newspaper

* '' Geneva County Reaper''

History

In late December 1862, the stern-wheel steamship '' Bloomer'' was in port on the

Choctawhatchee River The Choctawhatchee River is a U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline data. The National Map , accessed 15 April 2011 river in the southern United States, flowing through southeast Alabama and the Panhandle o ...

in Geneva. She was captured by a group of

Union Union commonly refers to: * Trade union, an organization of workers * Union (set theory), in mathematics, a fundamental operation on sets Union may also refer to: Arts and entertainment Music * Union (band), an American rock group ** ''Un ...

troops from the 91st New York Volunteers led by Lieutenant James H. Stewart. The ''Bloomer'' was then taken to Pensacola, Florida. On March 10, 2009, in the Alabama towns of Kinston,

Samson Samson (; , '' he, Šīmšōn, label= none'', "man of the sun") was the last of the judges of the ancient Israelites mentioned in the Book of Judges (chapters 13 to 16) and one of the last leaders who "judged" Israel before the institution o ...

and Geneva, Michael McLendon went on a shooting rampage, killing ten people and wounding six more before committing suicide.

Geography

Geneva is located south of the center of Geneva County at (31.038181, -85.876677), at the confluence of the

Pea River The Pea River is a U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline dataThe National Map accessed April 15, 2011 tributary of the Choctawhatchee River near Geneva, Alabama, United States. It is a popular destination ...

with the Choctawhatchee River.

Alabama State Route 52 State Route 52 (SR 52) is an state highway in the southeastern part of the U.S. state of Alabama. The western terminus of the highway is at an intersection with U.S. Route 331 (US 331) at Opp. The eastern terminus of the high ...

passes through the city north of downtown, leading northeast to

Hartford Hartford is the capital city of the U.S. state of Connecticut. It was the seat of Hartford County until Connecticut disbanded county government in 1960. It is the core city in the Greater Hartford metropolitan area. Census estimates since t ...

and northwest to

Dothan Dothan is a place-name from the Hebrew Bible, identified with Tel Dothan. It may refer to: * Dothan, Alabama, a city in Dale, Henry, and Houston counties in the U.S. state of Alabama * Dani Dothan, lyricist and vocalist for the Israeli rock and ne ...

is to the northeast via Route 52.

Alabama State Route 27 State Route 27 (SR 27) is a state highway in the southeastern part of the U.S. state of Alabama. The southern terminus of the highway is at the Florida state line, where the route serves as a continuation of County Road 185 (CR 185 ...

passes through the center of Geneva, leading north to

Enterprise Enterprise (or the archaic spelling Enterprize) may refer to: Business and economics Brands and enterprises * Enterprise GP Holdings, an energy holding company * Enterprise plc, a UK civil engineering and maintenance company * Enterpris ...

and southwest to the

Florida Florida is a state located in the Southeastern region of the United States. Florida is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the northwest by Alabama, to the north by Georgia, to the east by the Bahamas and Atlantic Ocean, and to ...

border. 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 city has a total area of , of which is land and , or 1.17%, is water. The Choctawhatchee River forms the eastern border of the city, flowing south to

Choctawhatchee Bay Choctawhatchee Bay is a bay in the Emerald Coast region of the Florida Panhandle. The bay, located within Okaloosa and Walton counties, has a surface area of . It is an inlet of the Gulf of Mexico, connected to it through East Pass (also kn ...

in Florida, which enters the

Gulf of Mexico The Gulf of Mexico ( es, Golfo de México) is an ocean basin and a marginal sea of the Atlantic Ocean, largely surrounded by the North American continent. It is bounded on the northeast, north and northwest by the Gulf Coast of the United ...

at Destin.

Demographics

2000 census

At the 2000 census there were 4,388 people, 1,801 households, and 1,197 families living in the city. The population density was . There were 2,097 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 84.12% White, 14.18% Black or African American, 0.32% Native American, 0.05% Asian, 0.02% Pacific Islander, 0.46% from other races, and 0.87% from two or more races. 1.09% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race. Of the 1,801 households 29.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 48.7% were married couples living together, 14.2% had a female householder with no husband present, and 33.5% were non-families. 31.4% of households were one person and 15.2% were one person aged 65 or older. The average household size was 2.35 and the average family size was 2.94. The age distribution was 24.0% under the age of 18, 8.0% from 18 to 24, 24.3% from 25 to 44, 25.0% from 45 to 64, and 18.6% 65 or older. The median age was 40 years. For every 100 females, there were 89.4 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 82.3 males.

2010 census

At the 2010 census there were 4,452 people, 1,826 households, and 1,204 families living in the city. The population density was . There were 2,090 housing units at an average density of 141 per square mile (54/km). The

of the city was 83.2% White, 14.0% Black or African American, 0.4% Native American, 0.4% Asian, 0.0% Pacific Islander, 0.5% from other races, and 1.5% from two or more races. 1.8% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race. Of the 1,826 households 23.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 45.2% were married couples living together, 15.6% had a female householder with no husband present, and 34.1% were non-families. 31.5% of households were one person and 15.5% were one person aged 65 or older. The average household size was 2.36 and the average family size was 2.94. The age distribution was 21.4% under the age of 18, 8.0% from 18 to 24, 22.1% from 25 to 44, 28.1% from 45 to 64, and 20.3 who were 65 or older. The median age was 43.6 years. For every 100 females, there were 90.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 96.1 males.

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 4,245 people, 1,800 households, and 1,007 families residing in the city.

Landscape

Geneva is settled on the junction of the

and

. The Choctawhatchee River runs all the way to the

Freeport, Florida Freeport is a city in Walton County, Florida, United States. As of the 2010 census, the population recorded by the U.S. Census Bureau was 1,787. The 2018 population estimate was 2,472. Geography Freeport is located at . The city is located along ...

, which flows into the

. Because of this, Geneva was a busy trading center for steam-powered riverboats in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.

Culture

Every year in April, Geneva holds a River Festival, which brings in hundreds of people from all over the country to the small town. The River Festival is held on the junction of the two rivers, at Robert Fowler Park, and has many competitive events, such as a road race, greasy pole climb, canoe race, and tug-of-war.

Education

Geneva has the James A. Mulkey Elementary School, Geneva Middle School, and Geneva High School located within its city limits.

Notable people

* Elizabeth B. Andrews, former

U.S. Representative The United States House of Representatives, often referred to as the House of Representatives, the U.S. House, or simply the House, is the lower chamber of the United States Congress, with the Senate being the upper chamber. Together they c ...

, wife of congressman George William Andrews, and the first woman to represent Alabama in the

United States House of Representatives The United States House of Representatives, often referred to as the House of Representatives, the U.S. House, or simply the House, is the lower chamber of the United States Congress, with the Senate being the upper chamber. Together they ...

Siran Stacy Siran Stacy (born August 6, 1968) is a former American football running back. Early career Stacy played at the University of Alabama from 1989–91, after spending two years at Coffeyville Community College in Coffeyville, Kansas. For the Crim ...

, former NFL

running back A running back (RB) is a member of the offensive backfield in gridiron football. The primary roles of a running back are to receive handoffs from the quarterback to rush the ball, to line up as a receiver to catch the ball, and block. Ther ...

Climate

The climate in this area is characterized by hot, humid summers and generally mild to cool winters. According to the

Köppen Climate Classification The Köppen climate classification is one of the most widely used climate classification systems. It was first published by German-Russian climatologist Wladimir Köppen (1846–1940) in 1884, with several later modifications by Köppen, notabl ...

system, Geneva has a humid subtropical climate, abbreviated "Cfa" on climate maps.Climate Summary for Geneva, Alabama
/ref> The hottest temperature recorded in Geneva was on July 15, 1980 and July 22, 2015, while the coldest temperature recorded was on January 21, 1985.

References

External links

City of Geneva official website
{{Authority control Cities in Alabama Cities in Geneva County, Alabama County seats in Alabama Dothan metropolitan area, Alabama