Geneva, Alabama
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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 parish (administrative division), civil parish. The term is in use in five countries: Canada, China, Hungary, Romania, and the United States. An equiva ...
of
Geneva County, Alabama Geneva County is a county located in the southeastern part of the U.S. state of Alabama. As of the 2020 census, the population was 26,659. Its county seat is Geneva. Geneva County is a dry county. However, beer and wine are sold in the city ...
, United States. It was incorporated in 1875. It is part of the
Dothan, Alabama metropolitan area The Dothan Metropolitan Statistical Area, as defined by the United States Census Bureau, is an area consisting of Geneva, Henry, and Houston counties in southeastern Alabama, anchored by the city of Dothan, county seat of Houston County. As of th ...
. Since 1940, it has been the largest city of Geneva County, and had a population of 4,292 as of the 2020 census.


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 troops from the 91st New York Volunteers led by Lieutenant James H. Stewart. The ''Bloomer'' was then taken to
Pensacola, Florida Pensacola ( ) is a city in the Florida panhandle in the United States. It is the county seat and only incorporated city, city in Escambia County, Florida, Escambia County. The population was 54,312 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census. ...
. On March 10, 2009, in the Alabama towns of Kinston,
Samson SAMSON (Software for Adaptive Modeling and Simulation Of Nanosystems) is a computer software platform for molecular design being developed bOneAngstromand previously by the NANO-D group at the French Institute for Research in Computer Science an ...
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 destinatio ...
with the Choctawhatchee River.
Alabama State Route 52 State Route 52 (SR 52) is an State highway (US), 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 in Alabama, U.S. Route 331 (US&nb ...
passes through the city north of downtown, leading northeast to
Hartford Hartford is the List of capitals in the United States, capital city of the U.S. state of Connecticut. The city, located in Hartford County, Connecticut, Hartford County, had a population of 121,054 as of the 2020 United States census, 2020 ce ...
and northwest to
Samson SAMSON (Software for Adaptive Modeling and Simulation Of Nanosystems) is a computer software platform for molecular design being developed bOneAngstromand previously by the NANO-D group at the French Institute for Research in Computer Science an ...
. Dothan 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 ...
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 U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern region of the United States. It borders the Gulf of Mexico to the west, Alabama to the northwest, Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia to the north, the Atlantic ...
border. According to the
U.S. Census Bureau The United States Census Bureau, 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 U.S. Census Bureau is part of the U ...
, 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, is an inlet of the Gulf of Mexico and has a surface area of . It connects to Santa Rosa Sound in Fort Wal ...
in Florida, which enters the
Gulf of Mexico The Gulf of Mexico () is an oceanic basin and a marginal sea of the Atlantic Ocean, mostly surrounded by the North American continent. It is bounded on the northeast, north, and northwest by the Gulf Coast of the United States; on the southw ...
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 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 racial makeup 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, 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
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 ...
and
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 destinatio ...
. The Choctawhatchee River runs all the way to the
Choctawhatchee Bay Choctawhatchee Bay is a bay in the Emerald Coast region of the Florida Panhandle. The bay, located within Okaloosa and Walton counties, is an inlet of the Gulf of Mexico and has a surface area of . It connects to Santa Rosa Sound in Fort Wal ...
at
Freeport, Florida Freeport is a city in Walton County, Florida, United States. It is part of the Crestview–Fort Walton Beach–Destin, Florida Metropolitan Statistical Area. As of 2020, the population recorded by the U.S. Census Bureau was 5,861, up from 1,78 ...
, which flows into the
Gulf of Mexico The Gulf of Mexico () is an oceanic basin and a marginal sea of the Atlantic Ocean, mostly surrounded by the North American continent. It is bounded on the northeast, north, and northwest by the Gulf Coast of the United States; on the southw ...
. 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.


Media

* '' Geneva County Reaper'' (1901-2024)


Education

Geneva has the James A. Mulkey Elementary School, Geneva Middle School, and
Geneva High School Geneva High School may refer to: * Geneva High School (Alabama), Geneva, Alabama * Geneva High School (New York), Geneva, New York *Geneva High School (Ohio) Geneva High School is a four-year comprehensive school and an institute of secondary edu ...
located within its city limits.


Notable people

* Elizabeth B. Andrews, former
U.S. Representative The United States House of Representatives is a chamber of the bicameral United States Congress; it is the lower house, with the U.S. Senate being the upper house. Together, the House and Senate have the authority under Article One of th ...
, 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 is a chamber of the Bicameralism, bicameral United States Congress; it is the lower house, with the U.S. Senate being the upper house. Together, the House and Senate have the authority under Artic ...
*
Siran Stacy Siran Stacy (born August 6, 1968) is an American former professional football player who was a running back for the Philadelphia Eagles of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Alabama Crimson Tide and was sele ...
, 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 American football plays#Offensive terminology, handoffs from the quarterback to Rush (American football)#Offense ...


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 divides Earth climates into five main climate groups, with each group being divided based on patterns of seasonal precipitation and temperature. The five main groups are ''A'' (tropical), ''B'' (arid), ''C'' (te ...
system, Geneva has a
humid subtropical climate A humid subtropical climate is a subtropical -temperate climate type, characterized by long and hot summers, and cool to mild winters. These climates normally lie on the southeast side of all continents (except Antarctica), generally between ...
, 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