Tuscaloosa ( ) 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
Tuscaloosa County
Tuscaloosa County is a county in the northwest-central portion of the U.S. state of Alabama and is the center of commerce, education, industry, health care, and entertainment for the region.
As of the 2020 census, its population was 227,036, ...
in west-central
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 ...
, United States,
on the
Black Warrior River
The Black Warrior River is a waterway in west-central Alabama in the southeastern United States. The river rises in the extreme southern edges of the Appalachian Highlands and flows 178 miles (286 km) to the Tombigbee River, of which the ...
where the
Gulf Coastal
The Gulf Coastal, an interim Australian bioregion, is located in the Northern Territory,[IBR ...](_blank)
and
Piedmont
Piedmont ( ; ; ) is one of the 20 regions of Italy, located in the northwest Italy, Northwest of the country. It borders the Liguria region to the south, the Lombardy and Emilia-Romagna regions to the east, and the Aosta Valley region to the ...
plains meet.
Alabama's fifth-most populous city, the population was 99,600 at the
2020 census,
and was estimated to be 111,338 in 2023.
It was known as Tuskaloosa until the early 20th century. It is also known as "the Druid City" because of the numerous
water oaks planted in its downtown streets since the 1840s.
Incorporated on December 13, 1819, it was named after
Tuskaloosa
Tuskaloosa (less commonly spelled as ''Tuskalusa'', ''Tastaluca'', ''Tuskaluza'') (birthdate unknown, - 1540) was a paramount chief of a Mississippian chiefdom in what is now the U.S. state of Alabama. His people were ancestors to the several s ...
, the chief of a band of
Muskogean
Muskogean ( ; also Muskhogean) is a language family spoken in the Southeastern United States. Members of the family are Indigenous Languages of the Americas. Typologically, Muskogean languages are highly synthetic and agglutinative. One docume ...
-speaking people defeated by the forces of Spanish explorer
Hernando de Soto
Hernando de Soto (; ; 1497 – 21 May 1542) was a Spanish explorer and conquistador who was involved in expeditions in Nicaragua and the Yucatan Peninsula. He played an important role in Francisco Pizarro's conquest of the Inca Empire in Peru, ...
in 1540 in the
Battle of Mabila
Mabila (also spelled Mavila, Mavilla, Maubila, or Mauvilla, as influenced by Spanish or French transliterations) was a small fortress town known to the paramount chief Tuskaloosa in 1540, in a region of present-day central Alabama. The exact loca ...
, in what is now central Alabama. It served as Alabama's capital city from 1826 to 1846, where in 1846 it was moved to its present location in
Montgomery.
Tuscaloosa is the regional center of industry, commerce, healthcare and education for the area of west-central Alabama known as West Alabama. It is the principal city of the
Tuscaloosa Metropolitan Statistical Area, which includes Tuscaloosa,
Hale and
Pickens counties.
It is the home of the
University of Alabama
The University of Alabama (informally known as Alabama, UA, the Capstone, or Bama) is a Public university, public research university in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, United States. Established in 1820 and opened to students in 1831, the University of ...
,
Stillman College
Stillman College is a Private college, private historically black colleges and universities, historically black Presbyterian Church (USA), Presbyterian college in Tuscaloosa, Alabama. It awards Bachelor of Arts and Bachelor of Science degrees i ...
and
Shelton State Community College
Shelton State Community College is a public community college in Tuscaloosa, Alabama. Operated by the Alabama State Department of Postsecondary Education, Shelton is one of the largest two-year colleges in the state. Approximately 4,500 student ...
. While it attracted international attention when
Mercedes-Benz
Mercedes-Benz (), commonly referred to simply as Mercedes and occasionally as Benz, is a German automotive brand that was founded in 1926. Mercedes-Benz AG (a subsidiary of the Mercedes-Benz Group, established in 2019) is based in Stuttgart, ...
announced on September 30, 1993, that it would build its first North American automotive assembly plant in Tuscaloosa County,
the University of Alabama remains the city's dominant economic and cultural engine, making it a
college town
A college town or university town is a town or city whose character is dominated by a college or university and their associated culture, often characterised by the student population making up 20 percent of the population of the community, bu ...
. City leaders adopted the moniker "The City of Champions" after the
Alabama Crimson Tide football team won the
College Football National Championship
A national championship in the highest level of college football in the United States, currently the NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS), is a designation awarded annually by various organizations to their selection of the best co ...
in their
2009
2009 was designated as the International Year of Astronomy by the United Nations to coincide with the 400th anniversary of Galileo Galilei's first known astronomical studies with a telescope and the publication of Astronomia Nova by Joha ...
,
2011
The year marked the start of a Arab Spring, series of protests and revolutions throughout the Arab world advocating for democracy, reform, and economic recovery, later leading to the depositions of world leaders in Tunisia, Egypt, and Yemen ...
,
2012
2012 was designated as:
*International Year of Cooperatives
*International Year of Sustainable Energy for All
Events January
*January 4 – The Cicada 3301 internet hunt begins.
* January 12 – Peaceful protests begin in the R ...
,
2015
2015 was designated by the United Nations as:
* International Year of Light
* International Year of Soil __TOC__
Events
January
* January 1 – Lithuania officially adopts the euro as its currency, replacing the litas, and becomes ...
,
2017
2017 was designated as the International Year of Sustainable Tourism for Development by the United Nations General Assembly.
Events January
* January 1 – Istanbul nightclub shooting: A gunman dressed as Santa Claus opens fire at the ...
and
2020
The year 2020 was heavily defined by the COVID-19 pandemic, which led to global Social impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, social and Economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, economic disruption, mass cancellations and postponements of even ...
seasons.
In 2008, Tuscaloosa hosted the
USA Olympic Triathlon trials for the
Beijing Games.
History
Reportedly the name Tuscaloosa is a compound Choctaw Indian word; "tusko" meaning "warrior" and "loosa" meaning "black". The Black Warrior River flows through the north portion of the city. In 1809 Creek chief Occechemolta established a settlement at the falls of the River. (US-T125/Alabama: A Guide to the Deep South/p 244). County seat of Tuscaloosa County 1818 to 1822 and 1826 to the present. State capital from 1826 to 1846.
[
]
Native American
In 1828, Andrew Jackson
Andrew Jackson (March 15, 1767 – June 8, 1845) was the seventh president of the United States from 1829 to 1837. Before Presidency of Andrew Jackson, his presidency, he rose to fame as a general in the U.S. Army and served in both houses ...
was elected president of the United States. He had gained popularity when he defeated the Creek at the Battle of Horseshoe Bend
The Battle of Horseshoe Bend (also known as ''Tohopeka'', ''Cholocco Litabixbee'', or ''The Horseshoe''), was fought during the War of 1812 in the Mississippi Territory, now central Alabama. On March 27, 1814, United States forces and Indian ...
in 1814, following victories in the War of 1812. He long proposed Indian removal to an Indian Territory
Indian Territory and the Indian Territories are terms that generally described an evolving land area set aside by the Federal government of the United States, United States government for the relocation of Native Americans in the United States, ...
to be established west of the Mississippi, to make land available in the Southeast for European-American settlement. Jackson abandoned the policy of his predecessors of treating different Indian groups as separate nations. Instead, he aggressively pursued plans to move all Indian tribes living east of the Mississippi River.
Following Congressional passage of the Indian Removal Act
The Indian Removal Act of 1830 was signed into law on May 28, 1830, by United States president Andrew Jackson. The law, as described by Congress, provided "for an exchange of lands with the Indians residing in any of the states or territories, ...
, in 1832 the Creek National Council signed the Treaty of Cusseta
The Treaty of Cusseta was a treaty between the government of the United States and the Creek Nation signed March 24, 1832 (). The treaty ceded all Creek claims east of the Mississippi River to the United States.
Origins
The Treaty of Cusset ...
, ceding their remaining lands east of the Mississippi
Mississippi ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern and Deep South regions of the United States. It borders Tennessee to the north, Alabama to the east, the Gulf of Mexico to the south, Louisiana to the s ...
to the U.S., and accepting relocation to the Indian Territory. They had already been under pressure from new settlers encroaching on their territory. Most Muscogee-speaking peoples were removed to Indian Territory during the Trail of Tears
The Trail of Tears was the forced displacement of about 60,000 people of the " Five Civilized Tribes" between 1830 and 1850, and the additional thousands of Native Americans and their black slaves within that were ethnically cleansed by the U ...
in 1834, although some remained behind. Some Muscogee in Alabama live near Poarch Creek Reservation
The Poarch Creek Indian Reservation is a Muscogee, Creek Indian reservation in the state of Alabama. It is the home of the Poarch Band of Creek Indians, the only federally recognized Native Americans in the United States, Native American tribe in ...
in Atmore (northeast of Mobile).
Statehood and origin of name
The pace of European settlement in the Southeast increased greatly after the War of 1812
The War of 1812 was fought by the United States and its allies against the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, United Kingdom and its allies in North America. It began when the United States United States declaration of war on the Uni ...
and the Treaty of Fort Jackson
The Treaty of Fort Jackson (also known as the Treaty with the Creeks, 1814) was signed on August 9, 1814 at Fort Jackson near Wetumpka, Alabama following the defeat of the Red Stick (Upper Creek) resistance by United States allied forces at ...
and the subsequent availability of land previously settled by Native Americans
Native Americans or Native American usually refers to Native Americans in the United States.
Related terms and peoples include:
Ethnic groups
* Indigenous peoples of the Americas, the pre-Columbian peoples of North, South, and Central America ...
. A small assortment of log cabins soon arose near the large Creek
A creek in North America and elsewhere, such as Australia, is a stream that is usually smaller than a river. In the British Isles it is a small tidal inlet.
Creek may also refer to:
* Creek people, a former name of Muscogee, Native Americans
* C ...
village at the fall line of the river, which the new settlers named in honor of the sixteenth-century Chief Tuskaloosa
Tuskaloosa (less commonly spelled as ''Tuskalusa'', ''Tastaluca'', ''Tuskaluza'') (birthdate unknown, - 1540) was a paramount chief of a Mississippian culture, Mississippian chiefdom in what is now the U.S. state of Alabama. His people were ance ...
of a Muskogean
Muskogean ( ; also Muskhogean) is a language family spoken in the Southeastern United States. Members of the family are Indigenous Languages of the Americas. Typologically, Muskogean languages are highly synthetic and agglutinative. One docume ...
-speaking tribecombining the Choctaw words "tushka" or "tashka" ("warrior") and "lusa" ("black").
In 1817, Alabama became a territory
A territory is an area of land, sea, or space, belonging or connected to a particular country, person, or animal.
In international politics, a territory is usually a geographic area which has not been granted the powers of self-government, ...
. On December 13, 1819, the territorial legislature incorporated the town of Tuskaloosa,[''A Digest of the Laws of the State of Alabama: Containing The Statutes and Resolutions in Force at the end of the General Assembly in January, 1823''. Published by Ginn & Curtis, J. & J. Harper, Printers, New-York, 1828. Title 62. Chapter XXVI. Page 803-805]
"An Act to Incorporate the Town of Tukaloosa (sic).—Passed December 13, 1818." (Internet Archive)
/ref> one day before Congress
A congress is a formal meeting of the representatives of different countries, constituent states, organizations, trade unions, political parties, or other groups. The term originated in Late Middle English to denote an encounter (meeting of ...
admitted Alabama to the 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
** ''Unio ...
as a U.S. state.
From 1826 to 1846, Tuskaloosa was the capital
Capital and its variations may refer to:
Common uses
* Capital city, a municipality of primary status
** Capital region, a metropolitan region containing the capital
** List of national capitals
* Capital letter, an upper-case letter
Econom ...
of Alabama. The State House was built at the corner of 6th Street and 28th Avenue (now the site of Capitol Park). In 1831, the University of Alabama
The University of Alabama (informally known as Alabama, UA, the Capstone, or Bama) is a Public university, public research university in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, United States. Established in 1820 and opened to students in 1831, the University of ...
was established and the town's population and economy grew rapidly, but the relocation of the capital to Montgomery caused a severe decline. The state legislature established Alabama State Hospital for the Insane (now Bryce Hospital
Bryce Hospital opened in 1861 in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, United States. It is Alabama's oldest and largest inpatient psychiatric facility. First known as the Alabama State Hospital for the Insane and later as the Alabama Insane Hospital, the buildin ...
) in Tuskaloosa in the 1850s, which helped restore the city's fortunes.
Civil War
During the Civil War
A civil war is a war between organized groups within the same Sovereign state, state (or country). The aim of one side may be to take control of the country or a region, to achieve independence for a region, or to change government policies.J ...
following Alabama's secession
Secession is the formal withdrawal of a group from a Polity, political entity. The process begins once a group proclaims an act of secession (such as a declaration of independence). A secession attempt might be violent or peaceful, but the goal i ...
from the Union, several thousand men from Tuscaloosa fought in the Confederate
A confederation (also known as a confederacy or league) is a political union of sovereign states united for purposes of common action. Usually created by a treaty, confederations of states tend to be established for dealing with critical issu ...
armies. During the last weeks of the War, the campus of the university was burned in a battle. The larger town was also damaged in the battle, and its White population suffered economically. Its Black population was emancipated from slavery.
In the 1890s the construction of a system of locks and dams on the Black Warrior River by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers
The United States Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) is the military engineering branch of the United States Army. A direct reporting unit (DRU), it has three primary mission areas: Engineer Regiment, military construction, and civil wor ...
improved navigation to such an extent that Tuscaloosa was effectively connected to the Gulf Coast seaport of Mobile. This stimulated the economy and trade, and mining and metallurgical industries were developed in the region. By the onset of the 20th century, the growth of the University of Alabama and the mental health-care facilities in the city, along with a strong national economy, fueled a steady growth in Tuscaloosa which continued unabated for 100 years.
Civil rights movement
In the post World War II era, African Americans increased their activism to ensure their constitutional civil rights and challenged southern segregation in numerous ways. In 1952, Autherine Lucy
Autherine Juanita Lucy (October 5, 1929 – March 2, 2022) was an American activist who was the first African-American student to attend the University of Alabama, in 1956. She and Pollie Myers were the first black students admitted to the Unive ...
was admitted to the university as a graduate student, but her admission was rescinded when authorities discovered she was not White. After three years of legal wrangling, Thurgood Marshall
Thoroughgood "Thurgood" Marshall (July 2, 1908 – January 24, 1993) was an American civil rights lawyer and jurist who served as an associate justice of the Supreme Court of the United States from 1967 until 1991. He was the Supreme C ...
and the NAACP
The National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) is an American civil rights organization formed in 1909 as an interracial endeavor to advance justice for African Americans by a group including W. E. B. Du&nbs ...
got a court order preventing the university from banning Lucy and another student based on race. The following year, Lucy enrolled as a graduate student in Library Science on February 3, 1956, becoming the first Black admitted to a White public school or university in the state. During her first day of class on February 6, students and others rioted on the campus, where a mob of more than a thousand students pelted the car in which she was taken to her classes. Death threats were made against her, and the university president's home was stoned. The riots were the most violent involving a pro-segregation demonstration since the landmark ''Brown v. Board of Education
''Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka'', 347 U.S. 483 (1954), was a landmark decision of the United States Supreme Court that ruled that U.S. state laws establishing racial segregation in public schools are unconstitutional, even if the ...
'' Supreme Court decision. After the riots, the university suspended Lucy from school, stating her own safety was a concern; it later expelled her on a technicality. She was active in civil rights for a time, but withdrew later that year. Decades later, after her expulsion was annulled by the university in 1988, Lucy re-enrolled and completed her M.S. in Education and graduated, together with her daughter, in 1992.
On June 11, 1963, George Wallace
George Corley Wallace Jr. (August 25, 1919 – September 13, 1998) was an American politician who was the 45th and longest-serving governor of Alabama (1963–1967; 1971–1979; 1983–1987), and the List of longest-serving governors of U.S. s ...
, governor of Alabama, stood in front of the Foster Auditorium
Foster Auditorium is a multi-purpose facility at the University of Alabama in Tuscaloosa, Alabama. It was built in 1939 as a Works Progress Administration project and has been used for Alabama basketball, women's sports (in the 1970s and 1980s ...
entrance at The University of Alabama in what became known as the Stand in the Schoolhouse Door
The Stand in the Schoolhouse Door took place at Foster Auditorium at the University of Alabama on June 11, 1963. In a symbolic attempt to keep his inaugural promise of " segregation now, segregation tomorrow, segregation forever" and stop the ...
in an attempt to stop desegregation
Racial integration, or simply integration, includes desegregation (the process of ending systematic racial segregation), leveling barriers to association, creating equal opportunity regardless of race, and the development of a culture that draws ...
of that institution by the enrollment of two African-American
African Americans, also known as Black Americans and formerly also called Afro-Americans, are an American racial and ethnic group that consists of Americans who have total or partial ancestry from any of the Black racial groups of Africa. ...
students, Vivian Malone
Vivian Juanita Malone Jones (July 15, 1942 – October 13, 2005) was the first black student to graduate from the University of Alabama, in 1965. She and James Hood were the first black students able to enroll at the university since Autherine ...
and James Hood
James Alexander Hood (November 10, 1942 – January 17, 2013) was one of the first African Americans to enroll at the University of Alabama in 1963. Hood became famous when Alabama Governor George Wallace attempted to block him and fellow s ...
. He had created a challenge to federal orders, when confronted by US Deputy Attorney General Nicholas Katzenbach
Nicholas deBelleville Katzenbach (January 17, 1922 – May 8, 2012) was an American lawyer who served as United States Attorney General during the Lyndon B. Johnson administration. He had previously served as United States Deputy Attorney Genera ...
and federal marshal
The United States Marshals Service (USMS) is a federal law enforcement agency in the United States. The Marshals Service serves as the enforcement and security arm of the U.S. federal judiciary. It is an agency of the U.S. Department of Jus ...
s sent in by Attorney General Robert F. Kennedy
Robert Francis Kennedy (November 20, 1925 – June 6, 1968), also known as RFK, was an American politician and lawyer. He served as the 64th United States attorney general from January 1961 to September 1964, and as a U.S. senator from New Yo ...
, Wallace stepped aside. President John F. Kennedy
John Fitzgerald Kennedy (May 29, 1917 – November 22, 1963), also known as JFK, was the 35th president of the United States, serving from 1961 until his assassination in 1963. He was the first Roman Catholic and youngest person elected p ...
had supported integration of the University of Alabama as well.
On June 9, 1964, in an event that later became known as Bloody Tuesday, a group of African-American Civil rights
Civil and political rights are a class of rights that protect individuals' political freedom, freedom from infringement by governments, social organizations, and private individuals. They ensure one's entitlement to participate in the civil and ...
marchers were beaten, arrested and tear-gassed by police in Tuscaloosa while walking from the First African Baptist Church to the County Courthouse to protest against the segregated restrooms and drinking fountains of this public facility. Thirty-three people were sent to the hospital for treatment of injuries, and 94 were arrested. The events were not witnessed by outside journalists and had little influence outside the local community.
James Hood dropped out of the University of Alabama after two months. He later returned, and in 1997, received his Ph.D. in interdisciplinary studies
Interdisciplinarity or interdisciplinary studies involves the combination of multiple academic disciplines into one activity (e.g., a research project). It draws knowledge from several fields such as sociology, anthropology, psychology, economi ...
. Malone persisted in her studies at the time and became the first Black American to graduate from the university. In 2000, the university granted her an honorary doctorate of Humane Letters. Later in his life, Governor Wallace apologized for his opposition at that time to racial integration
Racial integration, or simply integration, includes desegregation (the process of ending systematic racial segregation), leveling barriers to association, creating equal opportunity regardless of Race (classification of human beings), race, and t ...
.
In 2010, the university formally honored Lucy, Hood and Malone by renaming the plaza in front of Foster Auditorium as Malone-Hood Plaza and erecting the Autherine Lucy Clock Tower in the plaza. In 2022, the university dedicated the home of the College of Education as Autherine Lucy Hall.
2011 tornado
On April 27, 2011, Tuscaloosa was hit by a wide EF4 tornado that resulted in 64 deaths, more than 1500 injuries, and massive devastation. Most of the deaths, 44, were in Tuscaloosa alone, with the rest being in 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 ...
and surrounding suburbs. The tornado's top winds were estimated by the US National Weather Service
The National Weather Service (NWS) is an Government agency, agency of the Federal government of the United States, United States federal government that is tasked with providing weather forecasts, warnings of hazardous weather, and other weathe ...
at . Officials at DCH Regional Medical alone reported treating more than 1,000 injured people in the tornado aftermath. Officials reported dozens of unaccompanied minors being admitted for treatment at the hospital, raising questions about the possible loss of their parents. Several were taken to pediatric trauma wards, indicating serious injuries. Referring to the extent and severity of the damage, Mayor Walter Maddox
Walter Thomas Maddox (born December 27, 1972) is an American politician who has served as the 36th mayor of Tuscaloosa, Alabama, since 2005. From 2001 to 2005, he served on the Tuscaloosa City Council and as executive director of personnel for Tu ...
stated that "we have neighborhoods that have been basically removed from the map." The same tornado later went on to cause major damage in the Birmingham area. In all, the cost of damage from the tornado amounted to $2.45 billion, making it, at the time, the costliest tornado in U.S. history, though it would be surpassed less than a month later by the devastating Joplin, Missouri tornado of May 22.
The tornado was part of the 2011 Super Outbreak
The 2011 Super Outbreak was the largest, costliest, and one of the deadliest tornado outbreaks ever recorded, taking place in the Southern, Midwestern, and Northeastern United States from April 25 to 28, 2011, leaving catastrophic destruc ...
that affected large parts of the eastern United States and was the largest tornado outbreak ever recorded. In total, 324 people were killed by tornadoes during the outbreak, including 238 in Alabama alone. The tornadoes and other severe weather combined for over $10 billion in damage throughout the affected states, with more than 20% of the damage cost resulting from the tornado that struck Tuscaloosa.
In the immediate aftermath of the tornado, thousands of rescue workers dug through the wreckage looking for survivors and recovering bodies. More than 450 persons were originally listed as missing in the post-disaster chaos, leading to fears that the death toll could climb rapidly and skepticism about the relatively low fatality figures in relation to the high number of casualties. Rumors abounded that refrigerated trucks were being brought to store unidentified remains, and that countless bodies were beneath area waters. But the fatality figure did not increase (and was later reduced). Most persons listed as missing were later found to have survived. During this period, ''The Tuscaloosa News
The '' Tuscaloosa News '' is a daily newspaper serving Tuscaloosa, Alabama, United States, and the surrounding area in west central Alabama. It is owned by Gannett.
In 2012, Halifax Media Group acquired the ''Tuscaloosa News''. Prior to that ...
'' posted an on-line people finder to aid people to find each other, as well as determine who was still missing.
Two days after the storm, U.S. President Barack Obama and Alabama Governor Robert Bentley and their spouses, Michelle Obama and Diane Bentley, respectively, accompanied Mayor Maddox on a tour of the damage and the recovery efforts, along with FEMA Administrator Craig Fugate and several Congressional dignitaries. Remarking about the scale and severity of the damage, Obama said, "I've never seen devastation like this, it's heartbreaking", after touring the damaged areas. Obama pledged the full resources of the federal government toward aiding the recovery efforts. Bentley—himself a Tuscaloosa native—pledged additional national guard troops.
Tuscaloosa Mayor Walt Maddox
Walter Thomas Maddox (born December 27, 1972) is an American politician who has served as the 36th mayor of Tuscaloosa, Alabama, since 2005. From 2001 to 2005, he served on the Tuscaloosa City Council and as executive director of personnel for Tu ...
announced that he was requesting 500 additional National Guard troops and calling for more volunteer aid workers and cadaver teams for the recovery of bodies, in order to prevent the spread of disease.[Holland, Taylor (April 29, 2011]
"Maddox Updates Residents"
. The Crimson White
''The Crimson White'', known colloquially as "''The CW''," is a student-run publication of the University of Alabama published twice a week under The Crimson White Media Group. Its circulation in the fall and spring is about 14,000, and it is dis ...
. Retrieved April 29, 2011
The New York Yankees
The New York Yankees are an American professional baseball team based in the Boroughs of New York City, New York City borough of the Bronx. The Yankees compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) Am ...
organization contributed $500,000 to the American Red Cross
The American National Red Cross is a Nonprofit organization, nonprofit Humanitarianism, humanitarian organization that provides emergency assistance, disaster relief, and disaster preparedness education in the United States. Clara Barton founded ...
and Salvation Army
The Salvation Army (TSA) is a Protestantism, Protestant Christian church and an international charitable organisation headquartered in London, England. It is aligned with the Wesleyan-Holiness movement. The organisation reports a worldwide m ...
to aid in recovery efforts, and the Atlanta Braves
The Atlanta Braves are an American professional baseball team based in the Atlanta metropolitan area. The Braves compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (baseball), National League (NL) National League Eas ...
organization donated $100,000. Actor Charlie Sheen
Carlos Irwin Estévez (born September 3, 1965), known professionally as Charlie Sheen, is an American actor. He is known as a leading man in film and television. Sheen has received numerous accolades including a Golden Globe Award as well as ...
visited the city to pay his respects on May 2 and donated supplies for relief efforts, along with several other actors, musicians and athletes.
Due to the disaster, on August 6, 2011, the University of Alabama held a delayed graduation ceremony for the class of 2011. It awarded posthumous degrees to six students who died in the tornado. The cable channel ESPN filmed a tribute in memory of the devastation.
Bicentennial
The city of Tuscaloosa celebrated its 200th birthday on December 13, 2019 with city officials holding various dedications and commemorative events throughout the city, including the displaying of a "bicentennial quilt" and a fireworks display following the 44th Annual West Alabama Christmas Parade, which was dedicated to the city's birthday. The University of Alabama gave two sculptures to the city, one of a 30 foot-tall, 9,500-pound statue of the Roman goddess Minerva
Minerva (; ; ) is the Roman goddess of wisdom, justice, law, victory, and the sponsor of arts, trade, and strategy. She is also a goddess of warfare, though with a focus on strategic warfare, rather than the violence of gods such as Mars. Be ...
—designed by local artist Caleb O'Connor—at Manderson Landing park along the Black Warrior River
The Black Warrior River is a waterway in west-central Alabama in the southeastern United States. The river rises in the extreme southern edges of the Appalachian Highlands and flows 178 miles (286 km) to the Tombigbee River, of which the ...
, and a sculpture known as The Walkway. According to the Tuscaloosa200.com website, the Walkway is a "replica of the route of the Black Warrior River from Demopolis
Demopolis is the largest city in Marengo County, in west-central Alabama. The population was 7,162 at the 2020 census.
The city lies at the confluence of the Black Warrior River and Tombigbee River. It is situated atop a cliff composed of th ...
to Tuscaloosa, it traces milestones in our city's existence and survival, but its twists and turns, ebbs and flows have mirrored our city's past." It was created by sculptor and architect Craig R. Wedderspoon.[200th Birthday Tuscaloosa200](_blank)
/ref>
A hermetically sealed time capsule
A time capsule is a historic treasure trove, cache of goods or information, usually intended as a deliberate method of communication with future people, and to help future archaeologists, anthropologists, or historians. The preservation of holy ...
was buried under a large boulder near the boat house near Manderson Landing; the time capsule is intended to capture "What was life like in Tuscaloosa during the year 2019?" and is set to be opened on December 13, 2069, the city's 250th birthday.
Geography
According to the United States Census Bureau
The United States Census Bureau, officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the Federal statistical system, U.S. federal statistical system, responsible for producing data about the American people and American economy, econ ...
, the city has a total area of , of which is land and , is water as of 2023. Most water within the city limits is in Lake Tuscaloosa, which is entirely in the city limits, and the Black Warrior River
The Black Warrior River is a waterway in west-central Alabama in the southeastern United States. The river rises in the extreme southern edges of the Appalachian Highlands and flows 178 miles (286 km) to the Tombigbee River, of which the ...
.
This city is located at (33.2098407, -87.5691735), approximately southwest 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 ...
. It lies on the fall line
A fall line (or fall zone) is the area where an upland region and a coastal plain meet and is noticeable especially the place rivers cross it, with resulting rapids or waterfalls. The uplands are relatively hard crystalline basement rock, and the ...
of the Black Warrior River, approximately upriver from the river's confluence with the Tombigbee River
The Tombigbee River is a tributary of the Mobile River, approximately 200 mi (325 km) long, in the U.S. states of Mississippi and Alabama. Together with the Alabama, it merges to form the short Mobile River before the latter empties i ...
at Demopolis
Demopolis is the largest city in Marengo County, in west-central Alabama. The population was 7,162 at the 2020 census.
The city lies at the confluence of the Black Warrior River and Tombigbee River. It is situated atop a cliff composed of th ...
. Because of its location on the boundary between the Appalachian Highland and the Gulf Coastal Plain, the geography of the area around Tuscaloosa is diverse, varying from heavily forested hills to the northeast to a low-lying, marshy plain to the southwest.
Cityscape
Major areas of Tuscaloosa city proper include:
* West Tuscaloosa
* Central/Midtown Tuscaloosa
* Downtown Tuscaloosa
* The University of Alabama
The University of Alabama (informally known as Alabama, UA, the Capstone, or Bama) is a public research university in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, United States. Established in 1820 and opened to students in 1831, the University of Alabama is the old ...
main campus
* Alberta
Alberta is a Provinces and territories of Canada, province in Canada. It is a part of Western Canada and is one of the three Canadian Prairies, prairie provinces. Alberta is bordered by British Columbia to its west, Saskatchewan to its east, t ...
* North River
* Hillcrest
* East Tuscaloosa
Climate
Typical of the Deep South
The Deep South or the Lower South is a cultural and geographic subregion of the Southern United States. The term is used to describe the states which were most economically dependent on Plantation complexes in the Southern United States, plant ...
, Tuscaloosa experiences 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 ...
(Köppen Köppen is a German surname. Notable people with the surname include:
* Bernd Köppen (1951–2014), German pianist and composer
* Carl Köppen (1833-1907), German military advisor in Meiji era Japan
* Edlef Köppen (1893–1939), German author ...
''Cfa''). 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 ...
heavily influences the climate by supplying the region with warm, moist air
An atmosphere () is a layer of gases that envelop an astronomical object, held in place by the gravity of the object. A planet retains an atmosphere when the gravity is great and the temperature of the atmosphere is low. A stellar atmosph ...
. During the fall
Autumn, also known as fall (especially in US & Canada), is one of the four temperate seasons on Earth. Outside the tropics, autumn marks the transition from summer to winter, in September (Northern Hemisphere) or March ( Southern Hemispher ...
, winter, and spring seasons, the interaction of this warm, moist air with cooler, drier air from the North along fronts creates precipitation. These fronts usually move from west to east as they track along the jet stream
Jet streams are fast flowing, narrow thermal wind, air currents in the Earth's Atmosphere of Earth, atmosphere.
The main jet streams are located near the altitude of the tropopause and are westerly winds, flowing west to east around the gl ...
. Notable exceptions occur during hurricane season, where storms may move from due south to due north or even from east to west during land-falling hurricanes. The interaction between low- and high-pressure air masses is most pronounced during the severe weather seasons in the spring and fall. During the summer, the jet stream flows well to the north of the southeastern U.S., and most precipitation is consequently convectional, i.e., caused by the warm surface heating the air above.
Severe thunderstorms can bring damaging winds, large hail, and occasionally tornadoes. An F4 tornado struck Tuscaloosa County in December 2000, killing eleven people. Tuscaloosa was struck by an F2 tornado in January 1997
Events January
* January 1 – The Emergency Alert System is introduced in the United States.
* January 11
Events Pre-1600
* 532 – Nika riots in Constantinople: A quarrel between supporters of different chariot teams—the B ...
, which resulted in the death of one person. In April 2011, two tornadoes in a span of twelve days hit the city, the first being an EF3 on April 15
Events Pre-1600
* 769 – The Lateran Council ends by condemning the Council of Hieria and anathematizing its iconoclastic rulings.
* 1071 – Bari, the last Byzantine possession in southern Italy, is surrendered to Robert Guisca ...
, and the second and more devastating being an EF4 on April 27
Events Pre-1600
* 247 – Philip the Arab marks the millennium of Rome with a celebration of the '' ludi saeculares''.
* 395 – Emperor Arcadius marries Aelia Eudoxia, daughter of the Frankish general Flavius Bauto. She becomes ...
, when more than 50 deaths resulted. The city suffered considerable infrastructure damage.
Winter lasts from mid-December to late-February; the daily average temperature in January is . On average, the low temperature falls to the freezing mark or below on 46 days a year, and to or below on 4.4 days. While rain is abundant (January and February are on average the wettest months), measurable snowfall is rare, with most years receiving none and the average seasonal snowfall amounting to .[ Spring usually lasts from late-February to mid-May, becoming drier as the season progresses. Summers last from mid-May to mid-September, and the July daily average temperature is . There are 71–72 days of + highs annually and 3.5 days of + highs.][ The latter part of summer tends to be drier. Autumn, which spans from mid-September to early December, tends to be similar to spring in terms of temperature and precipitation. Due to its relative distance from the Gulf moderation, the annual temperature range averages between a summer high of and a winter low of .] The 1991–2020 normals had the warmest summer night averaging and the coldest winter day at .[ Ice days are very infrequent, but tend to occur a few times per decade.
The highest recorded temperature at the Tuscaloosa Regional Airport was on July 29, 1952 and August 10, 2007, and the lowest recorded temperature was on January 21, 1985.
]
Demographics
2020 census
As of the 2020 census, there were 99,600 people, 40,817 households, and 19,203 families residing in the city. The population density
Population density (in agriculture: Standing stock (disambiguation), standing stock or plant density) is a measurement of population per unit land area. It is mostly applied to humans, but sometimes to other living organisms too. It is a key geog ...
was There were 47,465 housing units. The racial makeup of the city was 47.85% White, 41.03% Black or African American, 0.15% Native American, 2.36% Asian, 0.05% Pacific Islander, and 2.64% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino people of any race were 5.46% of the population.
In 2023, the City of Tuscaloosa secured an updated count for the 2020 Census, after proving an undercount of at least 1,100 University of Alabama students who were residing temporarily off-campus due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The U.S. Census Bureau accepted the review, bringing the official 2020 Tuscaloosa population count to over 100,000 residents.
2010 census
As of the 2010 census, there were 90,468 people, 36,185 households, and 17,592 families residing in the city. The population density was . There were 40,842 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 53.8% 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 ...
, 41.5% 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 ...
or 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
Native Americans or Native American usually refers to Native Americans in the United States.
Related terms and peoples include:
Ethnic groups
* Indigenous peoples of the Americas, the pre-Columbian peoples of North, South, and Central America ...
, 1.8% Asian, 0.0% Pacific Islander
Pacific Islanders, Pasifika, Pasefika, Pacificans, 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 th ...
, 1.5% 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), ...
, and 1.1% from two or more races. 3.0% of the population were 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.
There were 36,185 households, out of which 20.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 28.5% were married couples living together, 16.2% had a female householder with no husband present, and 51.4% were non-families. 35.4% of all households were made up of individuals, and 7.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.23 and the average family size was 2.95.
In the city, 17.4% of the population was under the age of 18, 31.9% was from 18 to 24, 22.0% from 25 to 44, 19.0% from 45 to 64, and 9.8% was 65 years of age or older. The median age was 25.4 years. For every 100 females, there were 92.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 94.6 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $31,874, and the median income for a family was $49,588. Males had a median income of $36,231 versus $30,552 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 $21,042. About 17.0% of families and 29.8% 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 32.5% of those under age 18 and 12.4% of those age 65 or over.
2000 census
As of the 2000 census, there were 77,906 people, 31,381 households, and 16,945 families residing in the city. The population density was . There were 34,857 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 54.09% 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 ...
, 42.73% 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 ...
or 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 ...
, 0.16% Native American
Native Americans or Native American usually refers to Native Americans in the United States.
Related terms and peoples include:
Ethnic groups
* Indigenous peoples of the Americas, the pre-Columbian peoples of North, South, and Central America ...
, 1.49% Asian, 0.02% Pacific Islander
Pacific Islanders, Pasifika, Pasefika, Pacificans, 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 th ...
, 0.63% 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), ...
, and 0.87% from two or more races. 1.40% of the population were 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.
There were 31,381 households, out of which 23.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 35.0% were married couples living together, 15.7% had a female householder with no husband present, and 46.0% were non-families. 35.2% of all households were made up of individuals, and 9.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.22 and the average family size was 2.93.
In the city, 19.8% of the population was under the age of 18, 24.5% was from 18 to 24, 25.4% from 25 to 44, 18.5% from 45 to 64, and 11.8% was 65 years of age or older. The median age was 28 years. For every 100 females, there were 90.8 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 87.9 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $27,731, and the median income for a family was $41,753. Males had a median income of $31,614 versus $24,507 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 $19,129. About 14.2% of families and 23.6% 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 ...
, including 25.3% of those under age 18 and 13.4% of those age 65 or over.
Religion
The city of Tuscaloosa is home to many places of worship to which people from the surrounding area of West Alabama may come; the predominant denomination is Southern Baptist. Holy Spirit Roman Catholic Church is one of three Catholic churches. First Presbyterian Church is the place of worship for many American and German residents in Tuscaloosa. There are also Presbyterian Church in America congregations in the city. First Baptist Church, Calvary Baptist Church, Alberta Baptist Church, Emmanuel Baptist Church, and First African Baptist Church are five of the many Baptist churches in Tuscaloosa. Holy Cross Lutheran Church is a church reflecting on the Evangelical Lutheran community of Tuscaloosa. There is the Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Tuscaloosa. The University Church of Christ has both a campus ministry and a prison ministry. St. Gregory the Theologian Eastern Orthodox Church is the only Orthodox church in West Alabama. Its congregation is made up of Russians, Greeks, Romanians, Arabs, Eastern Europeans, and converts to Eastern Christianity. Some of the oldest churches in Tuscaloosa are St. John's Roman Catholic Church (founded c. 1845), Christ Episcopal Church (c. 1828), and First Baptist Church (c. 1818).
Tuscaloosa is also home to many non-Christians as well. A Jewish community worships at the Chabad of Tuscaloosa as well as at Temple Emanu-El and the Hillel B'nai B'rith Center, both located on the University of Alabama campus. The Hindu Mandir Temple and Cultural Center is also found in Tuscaloosa. Muslims comprise a small percentage of the population and worship at an Islamic center located near the university campus. There is also a Kingdom Hall of Jehovah's Witnesses.
Economy
Although higher education is the bedrock of Tuscaloosa's economy, it has diverse sectors of manufacturing and service. 25% of the labor force in the Tuscaloosa Metropolitan Statistical Area is employed by the federal, state and local governments; 16.7% in manufacturing; 16.4% in retail trade and transportation; 11.6% in finance, information, and private enterprise; 10.3% in mining and construction; and 9.2% in hospitality. Education and healthcare account for 7.2% of the area's workforce, with the remainder employed in other services.
The city's industrial and manufacturing base includes BFGoodrich Tire Manufacturing, GAF Materials Corporation
GAF is an American manufacturing company based in Parsippany-Troy Hills, New Jersey, Parsippany, New Jersey. Operating as a subsidiary of Standard Industries, GAF is the leading roofing and waterproofing manufacturer in North America, with 30 loc ...
, Hunt Refining Company
Hunt Refining Co. was founded by oilman H.L. Hunt as an asphalt refining company in 1946. Today it owns and operates a petroleum refinery in Tuscaloosa, Alabama
Alabama ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, So ...
, JVC America, Nucor Steel
Nucor Corporation is an American company based in Charlotte, North Carolina, that produces steel and related products. It is the largest steel producer in the United States and the largest recycler of scrap in North America. Nucor is the 16th- ...
and Phifer Wire.
A significant contributor to the city's economy is the Mercedes-Benz
Mercedes-Benz (), commonly referred to simply as Mercedes and occasionally as Benz, is a German automotive brand that was founded in 1926. Mercedes-Benz AG (a subsidiary of the Mercedes-Benz Group, established in 2019) is based in Stuttgart, ...
U.S. International assembly plant near Vance in Tuscaloosa County, east of downtown Tuscaloosa, which employs approximately 4,400 (as of 2020). It opened in 1995 and began assembling the R-Class Grand Sport Tourer in 2005. From 2006–2015 it produced the GL-Class vehicles; and since 1998 and 2015 respectively, has produced the GLS-Class and GLE-CLASS. Plants that supply components to Mercedes-Benz are also in the area.
The Westervelt Company, a land resources and wildlife management company, has its headquarters in Tuscaloosa. Originally the Gulf State Paper Corporation, founded in 1927, it sold its pulp and paperboard operations to the Rock-Tenn Company of Norcross, Georgia
Norcross is a city in Gwinnett County, Georgia, about 15 miles northeast of Atlanta city limits. According to the 2010 census, the population was 9,116, while in 2020, the population increased to 17,209. Norcross is part of the Atlanta metropol ...
in 2005 and was restructured to form Westervelt.
Healthcare and education are cornerstones of Tuscaloosa's service sector, which includes the University of Alabama, DCH Regional Medical Center, Bryce Hospital, the William D. Partlow Developmental Center, and the Tuscaloosa United States Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center.
Arts and culture
Libraries and museums
The Tuscaloosa Public Library is a joint city-county agency with nearly 200,000 items and approximately 47,000 registered patrons (28% of the county's population). There are currently three branches: the Main branch, on Jack Warner Parkway; the Weaver-Bolden branch, in western Tuscaloosa; and the Brown branch in suburban Taylorville.
The University of Alabama, Stillman College and Shelton State Community College also have libraries open to the public for non-circulation use.
Museums in Tuscaloosa are located all over town, but are primarily concentrated in the downtown area or on the campus of UA. Museums that are downtown include CHOM: the Children's Hands-On Museum of Tuscaloosa and the Murphy African-American Museum. The Alabama Museum of Natural History
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 ...
and the Paul W. Bryant Museum are located on the UA campus. Additional museums and galleries are found across the river in Northport. The Jones Archaeological Museum is located south of Tuscaloosa at the Moundville Archaeological Park in Moundville.
Performing arts
Tuscaloosa is home to several performing arts organizations. Though some are affiliated with UA or Shelton State, several are independent organizations, including the Tuscaloosa Community Theater and Shakespeare troupe The Rude Mechanicals. These various organizations cooperate and coordinate their operations through the ''Arts and Humanities Council of Tuscaloosa County''. The Arts Council also operates the Bama Theatre.
The Bama Theatre is a 1,094-seat proscenium theatre located in downtown Tuscaloosa and is operated by The Arts and Humanities Council. The Bama Theatre was built between 1937 and 1938 under the New Deal
The New Deal was a series of wide-reaching economic, social, and political reforms enacted by President Franklin D. Roosevelt in the United States between 1933 and 1938, in response to the Great Depression in the United States, Great Depressi ...
-era Public Works Administration
The Public Works Administration (PWA), part of the New Deal of 1933, was a large-scale public works construction agency in the United States headed by United States Secretary of the Interior, Secretary of the Interior Harold L. Ickes. It was ...
as a movie palace
A movie palace (or picture palace in the United Kingdom) is a large, elaborately decorated movie theater built from the 1910s to the 1940s. The late 1920s saw the peak of the movie palace, with hundreds opening every year between 1925 and 1930. Wi ...
. At the time of its construction in 1938, it was the only air-conditioned building in Tuscaloosa. The theatre was renovated as a performing arts center in 1976 and housed the Tuscaloosa Symphony Orchestra and Theatre Tuscaloosa troupe until those groups moved into their own facilities.
Today, the Bama Theatre is the residence of the Tuscaloosa Children's Theatre Company and the Tuscaloosa Community Dancers. Additionally, it hosts the Arts Council's Bama Art House movie series. The Bama Theatre hosts a Jewish Film Festival in the spring, as well as several traveling film festivals. Additionally, the Bama Theatre has recently been serving as a concert venue, hosting recent performances by Joan Baez
Joan Chandos Baez (, ; born January 9, 1941) is an American singer, songwriter, musician, and activist. Her contemporary folk music often includes songs of protest and social justice. Baez has performed publicly for over 60 years, releasing mo ...
, Aimee Mann
Aimee Elizabeth Mann (born September 8, 1960) is an American singer-songwriter. Over the course of four decades, she has released ten studio albums as a solo artist. She is noted for her sardonic and literate lyrics about dark subjects, often d ...
, the Drive-By Truckers
Drive-By Truckers are an American rock music, rock band based in Athens, Georgia. Two of five current members (Patterson Hood and Mike Cooley (American musician), Mike Cooley) are originally from The Shoals region of northern Alabama and met as ...
, Umphrey's Mcgee
Umphrey's McGee, sometimes stylized as UM, is an American rock band originally from South Bend, Indiana. The band experiments with many musical styles, including rock, metal, funk, jazz, blues, reggae, electronic, bluegrass, country, and ...
, Ryan Adams
David Ryan Adams (born November 5, 1974) is an American Rock music, rock and Country music, country singer-songwriter. He has released 30 studio albums and three as a former member of Whiskeytown.
In 2000, Adams left Whiskeytown and released ...
, Chuck Leavell
Charles Alfred Leavell (born April 28, 1952) is an American musician. A member of the Allman Brothers Band throughout their commercial zenith in the 1970s, he subsequently became a founding member of the band Sea Level. He has served as the pri ...
and many other performing artists.
The Frank Moody Music Building on the UA campus holds a 1000-seat Concert Hall and a 140-seat Recital Hall. The Concert Hall features a three-story-tall, 5,000-pipe Holtkamp
The Holtkamp Organ Company of Cleveland, Ohio is United States, America's oldest continuously operating pipe organ workshop. The company was founded in 1855 by Gottlieb Votteler. The work produced by the shop has evolved over the years in terms of ...
organ and frequently hosts concerts and other musical events. The Recital Hall features a Schlicker organ
Organ and organs may refer to:
Biology
* Organ (biology), a group of tissues organized to serve a common function
* Organ system, a collection of organs that function together to carry out specific functions within the body.
Musical instruments
...
that was crafted in Buffalo, New York. The Tuscaloosa Symphony Orchestra, in its 35th year, is based at the Moody Music Building and is conducted by Adam Flatt.
Also on the UA campus, Rowand-Johnson Hall holds the Marian Gallaway Theatre, a 305-seat proscenium theater, the Allen Bales 170-seat thrust theatre
In theatre, a thrust stage (a platform stage or open stage) is one that extends into the audience on three sides and is connected to the backstage area by its upstage end. A thrust has the benefit of greater intimacy between performers and the ...
, and the 600-seat Morgan Auditorium. These facilities primarily host university-sponsored performing arts shows, such as Dance Alabama and the university's theater productions.
The Sandra Hall-Ray Fine Arts Centre on the Shelton State campus holds the Bean-Brown Theatre, a 450-seat proscenium theater, and the 100-seat Alabama Power Foundation Recital Hall.
Tuscaloosa is also home to the Alabama Choir School.
Coleman Coliseum is a 15,383-seat multipurpose arena that serves as the city of Tuscaloosa's municipal civic center. Because the City of Tuscaloosa does not have a civic center, the demand for events grew rapidly and the coliseum doubled its capacity in the 1970s. In the 1990s, marquee concerts and events that the arena had seen in the previous two decades grew scarce as the facility became more outdated and mostly devoted to Crimson Tide athletic events. In the hope that the university could pull more events at the facility, the coliseum underwent a significant renovation in 2005, costing over $24 million.
The coliseum has hosted a diversity of events including commencement exercises, a visit by President Ronald Reagan
Ronald Wilson Reagan (February 6, 1911 – June 5, 2004) was an American politician and actor who served as the 40th president of the United States from 1981 to 1989. He was a member of the Republican Party (United States), Republican Party a ...
, alumni gatherings, student convocations, concerts, operas, ballets, appearances by political figures, WCW Saturday Night
''WCW Saturday Night'' is an American weekly Saturday night television show on TBS that was produced by World Championship Wrestling (WCW). Launched in 1971 initially by Georgia Championship Wrestling, the program existed through various incarn ...
, etc. Travis Tritt
James Travis Tritt (born February 9, 1963) is an American country music, country singer-songwriter. He signed to Warner Bros. Records in 1989, releasing seven studio albums and a greatest hits package for the label between then and 1999. In t ...
filmed his "Bible Belt
The Bible Belt is a region of the Southern United States and the Midwestern state of Missouri (which also has significant Southern influence), where evangelical Protestantism exerts a strong social and cultural influence. The region has been de ...
" country music video there. Some of the stars who have performed on its stages include The Rolling Stones
The Rolling Stones are an English Rock music, rock band formed in London in 1962. Active for over six decades, they are one of the most popular, influential, and enduring bands of the Album era, rock era. In the early 1960s, the band pione ...
, Elvis Presley
Elvis Aaron Presley (January 8, 1935 – August 16, 1977) was an American singer and actor. Referred to as the "King of Rock and Roll", he is regarded as Cultural impact of Elvis Presley, one of the most significant cultural figures of the ...
, Elton John
Sir Elton Hercules John (born Reginald Kenneth Dwight; 25 March 1947) is a British singer, songwriter and pianist. His music and showmanship have had a significant, lasting impact on the music industry, and his songwriting partnership with l ...
, Grateful Dead
The Grateful Dead was an American rock music, rock band formed in Palo Alto, California, in 1965. Known for their eclectic style that fused elements of rock, blues, jazz, Folk music, folk, country music, country, bluegrass music, bluegrass, roc ...
, Tom Petty
Thomas Earl Petty (October 20, 1950October 2, 2017) was an American singer, songwriter, and musician. He was the leader and frontman of the Rock music, rock bands Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers and Mudcrutch and a member of the late 1980s sup ...
, Led Zeppelin
Led Zeppelin were an English rock music, rock band formed in London in 1968. The band comprised vocalist Robert Plant, guitarist Jimmy Page, bassist-keyboardist John Paul Jones (musician), John Paul Jones and drummer John Bonham. With a he ...
, Ray Charles
Ray Charles Robinson (September 23, 1930 – June 10, 2004) was an American singer, songwriter, and pianist. He is regarded as one of the most iconic and influential musicians in history, and was often referred to by contemporaries as "The Gen ...
, Jimi Hendrix
James Marshall "Jimi" Hendrix (born Johnny Allen Hendrix; November 27, 1942September 18, 1970) was an American singer-songwriter and musician. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest and most influential guitarists of all time. Inducted ...
, Bob Dylan
Bob Dylan (legally Robert Dylan; born Robert Allen Zimmerman, May 24, 1941) is an American singer-songwriter. Described as one of the greatest songwriters of all time, Dylan has been a major figure in popular culture over his nearly 70-year ...
, Alan Jackson
Alan Eugene Jackson (born October 17, 1958) is an American country music singer-songwriter. He is known for performing a style widely regarded as "neotraditional country", as well as writing many of his own songs. Jackson has recorded 21 studi ...
, Reba McEntire
Reba Nell McEntire ( ; born March 28, 1955), or simply Reba, is an American country music, country singer and actress. Dubbed "Honorific nicknames in popular music, The Queen of Country", she has sold more than 75 million records worldwide. Sin ...
, Jay Leno
James Douglas Muir Leno ( ; born April 28, 1950) is an American television host, comedian, and writer. After doing stand-up comedy for years, he became the host of NBC's ''The Tonight Show with Jay Leno, The Tonight Show'' from 1992 until 200 ...
, Hank Williams, Jr.
Randall Hank Williams (born May 26, 1949), known professionally as Hank Williams Jr. or Bocephus, is an American singer-songwriter and musician. His musical style has been described as a blend of rock, blues, and country. He is the son of countr ...
, Daughtry, and B.o.B
Bobby Ray Simmons Jr. (born November 15, 1988), known professionally as B.o.B, is an American rapper, singer, songwriter, and record producer. Raised in Decatur, Georgia, Simmons signed with record producer Jim Jonsin's Rebel Rock Entertainm ...
.
In December 2010, construction on the Tuscaloosa Amphitheater
The Mercedes-Benz Amphitheater is an outdoor amphitheater in Tuscaloosa, Alabama that sits beautifully on 15 acres amidst the banks of the Black Warrior River. It's used primarily for music performances and has a capacity of 8,410.
The amphithea ...
officially wrapped up with the dedication ceremony taking place days after. The 7,470 capacity Tuscaloosa Amphitheater is blocks away from the downtown district and sits at the end of the Riverwalk on the banks of the Black Warrior River. Since its dedication ceremony in March 2011, a variety of performers have played there including John Legend
John Roger Stephens (born December 28, 1978), known professionally as John Legend, is an American singer, songwriter, and pianist. He began his musical career working behind the scenes for other artists, playing piano on Lauryn Hill's " Every ...
, The Lumineers
The Lumineers are an American alternative folk band based in Denver, Colorado. The founding members are Wesley Schultz (lead vocals, guitar) and Jeremiah Fraites (drums, percussion, piano). Schultz and Fraites began writing and performing to ...
, Flo Rida
Tramar Lacel Dillard (born September 16, 1979), known professionally as Flo Rida ( ), is an American rapper and singer. His 2007 debut and breakout single "Low (Flo Rida song), Low" was number one for 10 weeks in the United States and broke the ...
, Nelly
Cornell Iral Haynes Jr. (born November 2, 1974), better known by his stage name Nelly, is an American rapper, singer, and actor. He grew up in St. Louis, Missouri, and embarked on his musical career in 1993 as a member of the Midwest hip hop g ...
, TLC
TLC may refer to:
Arts and entertainment Television
* ''TLC'' (TV series), a 2002 British situational comedy television series that aired on BBC2
* TLC (TV network), formerly the Learning Channel, an American cable TV network
** TLC (Asia), an A ...
, ZZ Top
ZZ Top is an American rock band formed in Houston, Texas, in 1969. For almost 56 years, it consisted of vocalist-guitarist Billy Gibbons, drummer Frank Beard (musician), Frank Beard, and bassist-vocalist Dusty Hill prior to his death in 2021. ZZ ...
, ODESZA
Odesza (; stylized as ODESZA) is an American electronic music duo originating from Bellingham, Washington. It consists of Harrison Mills and Clayton Knight, known individually as Catacombkid and BeachesBeaches. They formed in 2012, shortly bef ...
, Mary J. Blige
Mary Jane Blige ( ; born January 11, 1971) is an American singer, songwriter, rapper, actress, and entrepreneur. Often referred to as the "Honorific nicknames in popular music, Queen of Hip-Hop Soul" and "Honorific nicknames in popular music, Qu ...
, Kenny Chesney
Kenneth Arnold Chesney (born March 26, 1968) is an American country singer. With 30 million albums sold worldwide, he released his debut, '' In My Wildest Dreams'', in 1994, and has since released 19 follow-ups. His albums spawned 27 singles tha ...
, Widespread Panic
Widespread Panic is an American rock band from Athens, Georgia. The current lineup includes guitarist/singer John Bell (musician), John Bell, bassist Dave Schools, drummer Duane Trucks, percussionist Domingo "Sunny" Ortiz, keyboardist John "JoJ ...
, Steely Dan
Steely Dan is an American rock band formed in Annandale-on-Hudson, New York, in 1971 by Walter Becker (guitars, bass, backing vocals) and Donald Fagen (keyboards, lead vocals). Originally having a traditional band lineup, Becker and Fagen cho ...
, Jeff Dunham
Jeffrey Douglas Dunham (born April 18, 1962) is an American ventriloquist, stand-up comedian and actor who has also appeared on numerous television shows, including ''Late Show with David Letterman'', ''Comedy Central Presents'', ''The Tonig ...
, Jill Scott, and Fun
Fun is defined by the ''Oxford English Dictionary'' as "light-hearted pleasure, enjoyment, or amusement; boisterous joviality or merrymaking; entertainment".
Etymology and usage
The word ''fun'' is associated with sports, entertaining medi ...
. The amphitheater has held events such as the Blues and Brews Music Festival and a pro boxing match.
On November 7, 2023 during a Foreigner concert at the Tuscaloosa Amphitheater, the City of Tuscaloosa announced that the venue would be renamed the Mercedes-Benz Amphitheater in recognition of the company's long-standing sponsorship, support and impact on the region.
The Mercedes-Benz Amphitheater is home to the City of Tuscaloosa's annual Fourth of July Celebration on the River event. This free, family-friendly event features games and activities, a live performance by the Tuscaloosa Symphony Orchestra, and fireworks over the Black Warrior River.
Festivals and events
Before each football game is a massive gathering at the UA Quad, where people gather starting on Friday for tailgating
Tailgating is the action of a driver driving behind another vehicle while not leaving sufficient distance to stop without causing a collision if the vehicle in front stops suddenly.
The safe distance for following another vehicle varies depend ...
and the University of Alabama holds pep rallies on the Gorgas library steps. The Quad has hosted ESPN's '' College Gameday'' several times and also is a place to meet Alabama football legends on game day and perform the "Elephant Stomp" (a pre-game parade) to Bryant–Denny Stadium with the Alabama mascot " Big Al" and the Million Dollar Band.
Other annual city events worth noting are:
* Live at the Plaza – The City of Tuscaloosa's Live at the Plaza concert series is held annually on summer Friday nights at Government Plaza in downtown Tuscaloosa. This family-friendly event includes a wide variety of live, local music; a kids' zone; food trucks and vendors; and more.
* Sakura
The cherry blossom, or sakura, is the flower of trees in ''Prunus'' subgenus '' Cerasus''. ''Sakura'' usually refers to flowers of ornamental cherry trees, such as cultivars of ''Prunus serrulata'', not trees grown for their fruit (although ...
Festival – The Sakura festival celebrates the symbolic moment when a cherry blossom petal detaches itself to float earthward, which reminds one of the paradoxically fleeting, yet enduring, nature of life. Every March Tuscaloosa celebrates its ties with Japan and its Sister City of Narashino City. This festival features a Haiku Contest.
* Kentuck Festival of Arts – This annual event takes place during the third week in October near the banks of the Black Warrior River
The Black Warrior River is a waterway in west-central Alabama in the southeastern United States. The river rises in the extreme southern edges of the Appalachian Highlands and flows 178 miles (286 km) to the Tombigbee River, of which the ...
in Historic Downtown Northport. This nationally recognized event brings in visitors and artists from all over the United States. As several hundred talented artists bring their creations, several thousand visitors come to pay tribute to their skills. Those crowds come not only for the art, but also for the artistry of the days of old. Several artisans provide live demonstrations of blacksmithing, furniture making, quilting, and potting. There are music acts performing on stages and many varied foods available. In February, 2024, Kentuck and the City of Tuscaloosa announced the relocation of the 2024 Kentuck Festival of the Arts to Snow Hinton Park in Tuscaloosa.
* Moundville Native American Festival – This annual festival takes place at the Moundville Archaeological Park. Native American performing artists, craftspeople, and musicians entertain and educate visitors about the rich culture and heritage that makes Southeastern Indians unique. Visitors can look forward to learning about the society and culture that existed there 800 years ago.
* Dickens Downtown – An annual Victorian holiday celebration known as Dickens Downtown takes place on the first Tuesday night in December in Downtown Northport. Dickens is a community supported gathering to celebrate the true spirit of Christmas involving Theatre Tuscaloosa performing scenes from "A Christmas Carol", local choirs, the 5th Alabama Regimental Band, a real English Town Crier, father Christmas, and business and neighborhood open houses. As the area comes alive with characters and props straight from 'A Christmas Carol', local shops offer hot cocoa and cookies.
*Druid City Arts Festival - Since 2010, the DCAF has been held at Government Plaza downtown in the first week of April every year. The annual open-air festival is free for anyone to attend and hosts vendors from around the state of Alabama and the country that display art, amateur and professional alike, that is available for purchase in tents scattered throughout the plaza. Attendees can travel from tent to tent admiring and buying available pieces, food, and other trinkets from vendors. There's a dedicated Kids Zone where sidewalk chalking takes place, and there's usually free musical performances held under the pavilion in the center of the plaza. The festival celebrated its 10th anniversary on April 5 and 6, 2019; it was also the festival's first two-day event, which is usually held for just one day a year.
Points of interest
Notable points of interest in the city of Tuscaloosa include:
* Alabama Museum of Natural History
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 ...
* Alabama Stage and Screen Hall of Fame
* Bama Theatre
* Battle-Friedman House
* Bryant–Denny Stadium
Saban Field at Bryant–Denny Stadium is an outdoor stadium in the Southeastern United States, on the campus of the University of Alabama in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, Tuscaloosa. It is the home field of the Alabama Crimson Tide football team of the S ...
* Bryce Hospital
Bryce Hospital opened in 1861 in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, United States. It is Alabama's oldest and largest inpatient psychiatric facility. First known as the Alabama State Hospital for the Insane and later as the Alabama Insane Hospital, the buildin ...
* Christ Episcopal Church
* Denny Chimes
* Downtown Tuscaloosa Historic District
* Dr. John R. Drish House
The Dr. John R. Drish House, also known simply as the Drish House, is a historic Plantation house in the Southern United States, plantation house in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, Tuscaloosa, Alabama, United States. It is considered by state preservatio ...
* Dreamland Bar-B-Que
Dreamland Bar-B-Que is a barbecue restaurant chain based in Alabama. It was founded by "Big Daddy" John Bishop in the Jerusalem Heights neighborhood of Tuscaloosa, Alabama, in 1958, but has since franchised, opening Alabama restaurants in Birmi ...
* Gorgas House
* Hugh R. Thomas Bridge
* Jemison-Van de Graaff Mansion
* Moundville Archaeological Park
* Ol' Colony Golf Complex
* Paul Bryant Bridge
The Paul Bryant Bridge is a four-lane, , $28 million bridge spanning the Black Warrior River along Alabama State Route 297 in Tuscaloosa, Alabama. Construction of the , twin-span bridge commenced in March 2000. Originally slated to open in ...
* Paul W. Bryant Museum
* Queen City Pool and Pool House
* Tuscaloosa Amphitheater
The Mercedes-Benz Amphitheater is an outdoor amphitheater in Tuscaloosa, Alabama that sits beautifully on 15 acres amidst the banks of the Black Warrior River. It's used primarily for music performances and has a capacity of 8,410.
The amphithea ...
* University of Alabama Arboretum
* Woolsey Finnell Bridge
The Woolsey Finnell Bridge is a four-lane, girder bridge spanning the Black Warrior River along U.S. Route 82 (McFarland Boulevard) in Tuscaloosa, Alabama
Tuscaloosa ( ) is a city in and the county seat of Tuscaloosa County, Alabama, Tusc ...
Sports
Tuscaloosa is known for its collegiate athletics—particularly the University of Alabama Crimson Tide football
The Alabama Crimson Tide football program represents the University of Alabama (variously Alabama, UA, or Bama) in the sport of American football. The Alabama Crimson Tide, Crimson Tide competes in the Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) of the Nat ...
team. The University of Alabama also currently fields championship-caliber teams in baseball, basketball, golf, women's gymnastics, and softball. These teams play in athletics facilities on the university campus, including Bryant–Denny Stadium
Saban Field at Bryant–Denny Stadium is an outdoor stadium in the Southeastern United States, on the campus of the University of Alabama in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, Tuscaloosa. It is the home field of the Alabama Crimson Tide football team of the S ...
(capacity of 102,000+), Coleman Coliseum
Coleman Coliseum is a 15,383-seat multi-purpose arena in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, on the campus of the University of Alabama. It is the current home of the Alabama Crimson Tide men's and women's basketball and women's gymnastics teams, and previo ...
(formerly Memorial Coliseum), Sewell-Thomas Stadium, Rhoads Stadium
The John and Ann Rhoads Softball Stadium (frequently shortened to Rhoads Stadium) is a college softball stadium located on the campus of the University of Alabama in Tuscaloosa, Alabama. It serves as the home field of the Alabama Crimson Tide s ...
, Foster Auditorium
Foster Auditorium is a multi-purpose facility at the University of Alabama in Tuscaloosa, Alabama. It was built in 1939 as a Works Progress Administration project and has been used for Alabama basketball, women's sports (in the 1970s and 1980s ...
and the Ol' Colony Golf Complex.
Stillman College
Stillman College is a Private college, private historically black colleges and universities, historically black Presbyterian Church (USA), Presbyterian college in Tuscaloosa, Alabama. It awards Bachelor of Arts and Bachelor of Science degrees i ...
fields teams in football, men's and women's basketball, baseball and softball, among other sports, although the school discontinued the football program after completing the 2015 season. In the past decade, Stillman has gone through a series of renovations, including a new football stadium, Stillman Stadium.
Previous professional teams calling Tuscaloosa home included the World Basketball Association
The World Basketball Association (WBA) was a semi-professional men's spring basketball league in the United States. The league suspended operations after the 2013 season.
History
The WBA was conceived in 2009, with seven teams scheduled to play. ...
's Druid City Dragons in 2006, and Tuscaloosa Warriors football team in 1963, with both folding after one season.
In 2008, Tuscaloosa hosted the USA Olympic Triathlon trials for the Beijing Games.
World renowned putter company T.P. Mills Co. was founded and is located in Tuscaloosa.
Tuscaloosa is also the birthplace and home of Deontay Wilder. He is a professional boxer that held the WBC Heavyweight Title from 2015 to 2020, making 10 successful title defenses. He is still active and boasts a record of 43 wins, 3 losses, and 1 draw with 42 wins coming by way of KO.
Parks and recreation
Tuscaloosa County Parks and Recreation Authority, known by the acronym PARA, is a county agency that receives a large amount of its funding from the city, and operates several parks and activity centers within the city. PARA is known for its participation in work therapy programs with the local United States Department of Veterans Affairs. Additional public recreational sites are owned and maintained by the University of Alabama and federal agencies such as Corps of Engineers.
The University of Alabama Arboretum is located on of land at the intersection of Veterans Memorial Parkway and Pelham Loop Road, adjacent to the VA Hospital. The arboretum's primary emphasis is on Alabama's native flora and fauna. It includes of walking trails through native piney woods and oak-hickory climax forest, a wildflower garden containing more than 250 species, ornamental plants, an experimental garden, a bog
A bog or bogland is a wetland that accumulates peat as a deposit of dead plant materials often mosses, typically sphagnum moss. It is one of the four main types of wetlands. Other names for bogs include mire, mosses, quagmire, and musk ...
garden, an open-air pavilion, and a children's garden. Two greenhouses contain collections of orchids, cacti, and tropical plants.
Capitol Park, Tuscaloosa at 6th Street and 28th Avenue is home to the ruins of the former state capitol building or State House State House or statehouse may refer to:
Buildings
*Aso Villa or State House, the official residence of the President of Nigeria
*Government House, Dominica or The State House, the official residence of the President of Dominica
* State House, Bar ...
from 1826 to 1845. It was later used by the Alabama Central Female College and burned down in 1923.
Other parks in Tuscaloosa include the Randall Family Park and Trailhead, Parker-Haun Park, the Western Riverwalk, Veterans Memorial Park, Tuscaloosa River Walk, the Park at Manderson Landing, J. Oviatt Bowers Park, Snow Hinton Park, Monnish Park, Annette N. Shelby Park, Kaulton Park, Palmore Park, and many others.
Government
Tuscaloosa has a strong-mayor variant mayor-council form of government, led by a mayor and a seven-member city council. The mayor and council members are elected concurrently for four-year terms. The mayor is elected by the city at-large while council members are elected to single-member districts. Neither the mayor nor the members of the city council is term-limited. All elected offices are nonpartisan. Elections take place in years following presidential election years, with run-off elections taking place six weeks later if necessary. Terms begin immediately after election. The most recent municipal elections were held in 2021.
The mayor is the chief executive and administrative officer of the city. His main duty is to oversee the day-to-day operation of city departments pursuant to executing policy enacted by the city council or, in the absence of any council policy, his own discretion. His other duties include preparing an operating budget each year for approval by the city council and acting as ambassador of the city. The mayor also presides over city council meetings but votes only in case of ties. The current mayor of Tuscaloosa is Walter Maddox
Walter Thomas Maddox (born December 27, 1972) is an American politician who has served as the 36th mayor of Tuscaloosa, Alabama, since 2005. From 2001 to 2005, he served on the Tuscaloosa City Council and as executive director of personnel for Tu ...
, who was elected to office in September 2005. Prior to Maddox, Alvin A. DuPont had served as mayor for 24 years.
Previous members of City Council include District 1 - Bobby E. Howard (2005), Burrell Odom (2013); District 2 - Harrison Taylor (1993); District 3 - the same; District 4 - Lee Garrison (1997), Matt Calderone (2013); District 5 - the same; District 6 - Bob Lundell (2005); District 7 - William Tinker, III (2005).
* William R. Bolling, 1828
* John Owen, 1828
* Wm. R. Smith, 1837
* Robt. S. Inge, 1837
* D. Henry Robinson, 1842
* Robert Blair, 1844–1848, 1859–1861, 1872
* James L. Childress, 1849
* Joseph C. Guild, 1850–1854
* David Woodruff, 1855
* L. S. Skinner, 1856–1858
* Robert Lacey, 1862
* Jesse E. Adams, 1863
* Obediah Berry, 1864–1865, 1873, 1877–1878
* Joseph C. Guild, 1866
* S. B. Smith, 1867
* John S. Garvin, 1867
* Josiah J. Pegues, 1868
* T. F. Samuel, 1869–1871
* John J. Harris, 1874–1876
* William C. Jemison, 1879–1890
* Henry B. Foster, 1891–1894
* William Jemison, 1895–1898
* ?
* John C. Pearson, circa 1931
* ?
* Luther Davis, circa 1937
* ?
* J. S. Robertson, circa 1952
* J. Hal McCall, 1953–1956
* George Van Tassel, 1956–1969
* C. Snow Hinton, Jr., 1969–1976
* Ernest W. "Rainy" Collins, 1976–1981
* Alvin P. DuPont, 1981–2005
* Walter Maddox
Walter Thomas Maddox (born December 27, 1972) is an American politician who has served as the 36th mayor of Tuscaloosa, Alabama, since 2005. From 2001 to 2005, he served on the Tuscaloosa City Council and as executive director of personnel for Tu ...
, September 2005–present
The city council acts as the legislative body of the city. It is powered by state law to consider policy and enact law and to make appointments to city boards. The council also considers the budget proposed by the mayor for approval. The majority of work in the council is done by committee. These committees usually consist of three council members, one of whom will be chairman, and relevant non-voting city employees.
Tuscaloosa, as the largest county seat in western Alabama, serves a hub of state and federal government agencies. In addition to the customary offices associated with the county courthouse, namely two district court judges, six circuit court judges, the district attorney and the public defender, several Alabama state government agencies have regional offices in Tuscaloosa, such as the Alabama Department of Transportation and the Alabama State Troopers (the state police).
Tuscaloosa is in the federal jurisdiction of the . There is a courthouse in Tuscaloosa simply called the Federal Courthouse. Several federal agencies operate bureaus out of the courthouse.
Federally, Tuscaloosa is split between the 4th and 7th Congressional Districts, which are represented by Robert Aderholt
Robert Brown Aderholt ( ; born July 22, 1965) is an American politician and attorney serving as the U.S. representative for since 1997. He is a member of the Republican Party. The district includes most of Tuscaloosa County north of the Blac ...
( R) and Terri Sewell
Terrycina Andrea "Terri" Sewell (; born January 1, 1965) is an American lawyer and politician. A member of the Democratic Party (United States), Democratic Party, she has served since 2011 as the United States House of Representatives, U.S. repre ...
( D), respectively. In addition, Alabama's senior senator until 2023, Richard Shelby
Richard Craig Shelby (born May 6, 1934) is an American lawyer and politician who served as a United States senator from Alabama from 1987 to 2023. First elected to the U.S. Senate in 1986 as a Democrat, Shelby switched to the Republican Party i ...
( R), is a resident of Tuscaloosa.
On the state level, the city is split among the 5th, 21st, and 24th Senate districts and 62nd, 63rd, and 70th House districts in the Alabama State Legislature.
In December 2009, construction on the new federal courthouse of Tuscaloosa began. The $67 million building was the centerpiece of a major downtown urban renewal project. According to information released by the General Services Administration, the building is with parking. It houses the U.S. District Court, U.S. Bankruptcy Court and Social Security Administration office.
The Northern District of Alabama has only one facility suitable for holding a major criminal trial in Huntsville. However, Huntsville lacks the facilities for safely moving criminal suspects in and out of the building safely. Tuscaloosa's new federal courthouse will anchor the federal structure for the whole Northern District of Alabama.
Education
Higher education
The University of Alabama is the largest university in the state of Alabama in terms of enrollment. Enrolling approximately 40,000 students on a campus, UA has been a part of Tuscaloosa's identity since it opened its doors in 1831. Stillman College
Stillman College is a Private college, private historically black colleges and universities, historically black Presbyterian Church (USA), Presbyterian college in Tuscaloosa, Alabama. It awards Bachelor of Arts and Bachelor of Science degrees i ...
, which opened in 1875, is a historically black
Historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs) are institutions of higher education in the United States that were established before the Civil Rights Act of 1964 with the intention of serving African Americans. Most are in the Southern U ...
liberal arts college enrolling approximately 1,200 students on a campus. Additionally, Shelton State Community College
Shelton State Community College is a public community college in Tuscaloosa, Alabama. Operated by the Alabama State Department of Postsecondary Education, Shelton is one of the largest two-year colleges in the state. Approximately 4,500 student ...
, one of the largest community colleges in Alabama, is located in the city. The school enrolls around 4,000 students from all backgrounds and income levels.
Primary and secondary education
The Tuscaloosa City School System serves the city. It is overseen by the Tuscaloosa City Board of Education, which is composed of eight members elected by district and a chairman elected by a citywide vote. The Board appoints a Superintendent to manage the day-to-day operations of the system. Operating with a $100 million budget, the system enrolls approximately 10,300 students. The system consists of 24 schools: 13 elementary schools (12 zoned and 1 magnet), 6 middle schools (5 zoned and 1 magnet), 3 high schools ( Paul W. Bryant High School, Central High School and Northridge High School), and 2 specialty schools (the Tuscaloosa Center for Technology, a vocational school, and Oak Hill School for special needs students). In 2002, the system spent $6,313 per pupil, the 19th highest amount of the 120 school systems in the state.
The Tuscaloosa County School System serves the county excluding the city. It is overseen by the Tuscaloosa County Board of Education, which is composed of seven elected members. The Board appoints a Superintendent to lead the school system. The system enrolls approximately 18,000 students which are served utilizing a budget of approximately $180 million. The school system consists of 34 schools—6 high schools, 8 middle schools and 19 elementary schools. It also provides services for special needs students at Sprayberry Education Center. In 2013 the school system hired its first minority superintendent of Hispanic/Latin origin who is also only the second female.
Tuscaloosa is also served by several private schools, both secular and religious, including Tuscaloosa Academy
Tuscaloosa Academy (TA) is a private school in Tuscaloosa, Alabama. It has been described as a segregation academy.
History
The school opened with grades one through seven in September 1967, the year Alabama public schools were forced to desegre ...
, American Christian Academy, Holy Spirit Catholic School, North River Christian Academy, the Capitol School, and Tuscaloosa Christian School (in neighboring Cottondale).
From 1923 to 2011, the state-run William D. Partlow Developmental Center has served the intellectually disabled
Intellectual disability (ID), also known as general learning disability (in the United Kingdom), and formerly mental retardation (in the United States), Rosa's Law, Pub. L. 111-256124 Stat. 2643(2010).Archive is a generalized neurodevelopmental ...
, offering these citizens a public education as well as seeing to their other needs.
Weekend education
Previously the Tuscaloosa Saturday School, a weekend Japanese educational program, provided Japanese language instruction for Japanese citizen children and other children in the area.[北米の補習授業校一覧]
(). MEXT
The , also known as MEXT, is one of the eleven ministries of Japan that compose part of the executive branch of the government of Japan.
History
The Meiji period, Meiji government created the first Ministry of Education in 1871. In January 2001 ...
. January 2, 2003. Retrieved on April 6, 2015. "タスカルーサ TUSCALOOSA SATURDAY SCHOOL
(連絡先) Box 870254, Tuscaloosa, AL 35487-0254, U.S.A. (学校所在地)7 Riverside Circle, Tuscaloosa, AL 35487, U.S.A."
Media
''The Tuscaloosa News
The '' Tuscaloosa News '' is a daily newspaper serving Tuscaloosa, Alabama, United States, and the surrounding area in west central Alabama. It is owned by Gannett.
In 2012, Halifax Media Group acquired the ''Tuscaloosa News''. Prior to that ...
'' is the major daily newspaper serving the city. ''The Tuscaloosa News'' also publishes several websites and ''Tuscaloosa Magazine''. The primary news website is tuscaloosanews.com. Tidesports.com focuses on University of Alabama sports. ''The Tuscaloosa News'' offices were located west of downtown on a bluff overlooking the Black Warrior River. In October 2023, Mayor Walt Maddox announced that the former ''News'' office building is slated to be razed to make way for a new municipal recreation center.
''The Planet Weekly'' is the largest of the several alternative weekly newspapers
Alternative or alternate may refer to:
Arts, entertainment and media
* Alternative (''Kamen Rider''), a character in the Japanese TV series ''Kamen Rider Ryuki''
* Alternative comics, or independent comics are an alternative to mainstream superh ...
published in the area. Additionally, each of the three colleges in the area are served by student-published periodicals, the largest being ''The Crimson White
''The Crimson White'', known colloquially as "''The CW''," is a student-run publication of the University of Alabama published twice a week under The Crimson White Media Group. Its circulation in the fall and spring is about 14,000, and it is dis ...
'', the independent, student-run newspaper of the University of Alabama and one of several UA-affiliated student publications.
''Kids Life Magazine'' is a free publication which focuses on family friendly events in the Tuscaloosa area.
Tuscaloosa is part of the Birmingham-Tuscaloosa-Anniston television market, which is the 40th largest in the nation. All major networks have a presence in the market. WCFT 33 is the ABC affiliate, WIAT 42 is the CBS affiliate, WBRC 6 is the Fox affiliate, WVTM 13 is the NBC affiliate, WBIQ 10 is the PBS affiliate, WTTO 21 is the CW affiliate, WABM 68 is the MyNetworkTV affiliate and WVUA-CD 7 is the This TV affiliate. WVUA-CD is the only station that originates its broadcast in Tuscaloosa; it is owned by the University of Alabama and its studios are part of UA's Digital Media Center.
Tuscaloosa is the 234th largest radio market in the nation. In January 2007, of the top-ten-rated radio stations, two were urban, three were country, two were contemporary, and one each was gospel, oldies, and talk radio.
Tuscaloosa serves as home base to Alabama Public Radio
Alabama Public Radio (APR) is a network of public radio stations based in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, United States, that serves roughly the western half of the state of Alabama with classical music, folk music, and nostalgic music programs, as well a ...
, the state's largest public-radio network. APR's main studios are housed at the University of Alabama, and the flagship signal, WUAL-FM
WUAL-FM (91.5 FM) is a non-commercial, listener-supported radio station in Tuscaloosa, Alabama. It is owned by the University of Alabama and is the flagship station of Alabama Public Radio. It signed on the air on .
WUAL-FM is a Class C1 ...
, originates from a transmitter south of town. WUAL serves Tuscaloosa, portions of the Birmingham metro area and several counties of west-central Alabama. The University of Alabama also houses WVUA-FM
WVUA-FM (90.7 FM, "The Capstone") is the student-run college radio station at the University of Alabama. The station was established for the purpose of giving students an environment in which they could learn to be radio broadcasters.
History
...
, a 24/7 college radio station run completely by students. Clear Channel Communications
iHeartMedia, Inc., or CC Media Holdings, Inc., is an American mass media corporation headquartered in San Antonio, Texas. It is the holding company of iHeartCommunications, Inc., formerly Clear Channel Communications, Inc., a company founded by ...
and Townsquare Media
Townsquare Media, Inc. (formerly Regent Communications until 2010) is an American radio network and media company based in Purchase, New York. The company started in radio and expanded into digital media toward the end of the 2000s, starting wit ...
both own and operate a cluster of radio stations in Tuscaloosa, that form the majority of the market.
NOAA Weather Radio
NOAA Weather Radio (NWR), also known as NOAA Weather Radio All Hazards, is an automated 24-hour network of Very high frequency, VHF Frequency modulation, FM weather radio stations in the United States which broadcast weather information direct ...
station KIH60 broadcasts weather and hazard information for Tuscaloosa and the surrounding vicinity.
Infrastructure
Health and medicine
DCH Regional Medical Center is the main medical facility in Tuscaloosa. Operated by the publicly controlled DCH Healthcare Authority, the 610-bed hospital opened in 1916 as the Druid City Infirmary. The emergency department at DCH operates a trauma center (but it is not verified as one by the American College of Surgeons, however) that serves all of west central Alabama and is one of the busiest in the state. The DCH Healthcare authority also operates Northport Medical Center in neighboring Northport.
Other major medical centers in Tuscaloosa include the 702-bed Veterans Affairs Medical Center-Tuscaloosa, the 422-bed Bryce Hospital, Mary S. Harper Geriatric Psychiatry Center, and Taylor Hardin Secure Medical Facility.
Transportation
Tuscaloosa is connected to other parts of the country via air, rail, road and sea. The city lies at the intersection of several highways, including three U.S. Highway system, federal highways (U.S. Route 11 in Alabama, US 11, US 43 (AL), US 43, and US 82 (AL), US 82), three Alabama state highways (State Route 69 (Alabama), SR 69, State Route 215 (Alabama), SR 215, and State Route 216 (Alabama), SR 216) and two duplexed (conjoined) Interstate Highway, Interstates (Interstate 20 (Alabama), I-20/Interstate 59 (Alabama), I-59). Interstate 359 spurs off from I-20/I-59 and heads northward, ending in downtown Tuscaloosa.
Tuscaloosa also contains one toll road on the Black Warrior Parkway (I-20/I-59), charging $1.25 for automobiles, and one toll bridge (Black Warrior Parkway bridge).
Rail
Amtrak provides passenger rail service to Tuscaloosa though the Crescent (Amtrak), Crescent line, which connects the area to major cities along the east coast from New York City to New Orleans. Tuscaloosa station is situated at 2105 Greensboro Avenue, one mile (1.6 km) south of downtown. Norfolk Southern Railway and Alabama Southern Railroad provide freight services to the area. Kansas City Southern Railway, KCS previously provided service to the area before leasing its lines to Watco in July 2005.
Bus
Greyhound Bus Lines provides passenger bus service to Tuscaloosa. The Tuscaloosa Transit Authority operates the Tuscaloosa Trolley System while the University of Alabama operates a separate bus service known as CrimsonRide. The Tuscaloosa Trolley provides local public bus transportation with four fixed routes that operate Monday through Friday from 5:00 am to 6:00 pm. The trolley's paint job is an illusion; it is an El Dorado Transmark RE bus, painted to look like a trolley.
Airport
The Tuscaloosa National Airport (KTCL) is 3.5 miles northwest of Tuscaloosa in Tuscaloosa County, Alabama. Owned and operated by the City of Tuscaloosa, the airport is an FAA-designated National General Aviation Airport and Part 139 Certified. Tuscaloosa National Airport covers 826 acres at an elevation of 170’ including two runways: Runway 4/22 is 6,499’ x 150’ and 12/30 is 4,000’ by 100’. Primary services provided by the airport include supporting annual collegiate athletic charters, freight charters in support of the local automotive and industrial community, flight training, transient operations, game day operations, aircraft maintenance, medical services and military flights. The Tuscaloosa National Airport provides an overall $48.6 million annual economic impact for the region.
Major highways
Tuscaloosa is served by many major highways, including Interstate 20 in Alabama, I-20, Interstate 59, I-59, and U.S. Route 82. I-20/59 run west to east through the southern part of the city, leading northeast 58 mi (93 km) to Birmingham and southwest 96 mi (154 km) to Meridian, Mississippi. US 82 runs northwest to southeast through the city, locally known as McFarland Boulevard, and leads southeast 103 mi (166 km) to Montgomery, Alabama and northwest 59 mi (95 km) to Columbus, Mississippi. Many other state and local highways run through the city as well, in addition to a tolled bypass on the western side of the city connecting those coming from the west on US 82 to I-20/59 without going through the main part of the city.
Port of Tuscaloosa
The Port of Tuscaloosa is a river port located in the City of Tuscaloosa and administered by the Alabama State Port Authority.
The Black Warrior River is bounded along nearly its entire course by a series of Lock (water transport), locks and dams. They form a chain of narrow reservoirs, providing aids to navigation and barge handling as well as hydroelectric power and drinking water. The Black Warrior River watershed is a vital river basin entirely contained within Alabama, America's leading state for freshwater biodiversity. Near Tuscaloosa, the river flows out of the rocky Cumberland Plateau and enters the sandy East Gulf Coastal Plain. Barge transportation in and out of the Port of Tuscaloosa and other commercial navigation make the Black Warrior a silent giant in the state of Alabama's economy. Although the Port of Tuscaloosa is a small one, it is one of the larger facilities on the Black Warrior River at waterway mile marker 338.5. There are no railway connections at this port as they primarily concentrate on the shipment of dry bulk commodities, including lignite, coal and coal coke. The federal government and the City of Tuscaloosa share the ownership of the Port of Tuscaloosa; the operation of the port is leased out to Powell Sales and has been run by them since 1997.
At waterway mile marker 343.2 on the opposite side of the river is a steel company with its own tracks at the rear of the plant connecting with the Kansas City Southern Railroad for barge shipments of iron and steel products such as ingots, bars, rods, steel slabs, plates and coils. Tuscaloosa Steel Corporation was one of the first U.S. steel companies to implement the Steckel Mill Technology.
The Port of Tuscaloosa grew out of the system of locks and dams on the Black Warrior River built by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers in the 1890s. Its construction opened up an inexpensive transportation link to the Gulf seaport of Mobile, Alabama that stimulated the mining and metallurgical industries of the region that are still in operation.
The United States Army Corps of Engineers, Army Corps of Engineers has maintained a system of locks and dams along the Black Warrior River for over a century to allow navigability all the way up to Birmingham. Barge traffic thus routinely runs through Tuscaloosa to the Alabama State Docks at Mobile, Alabama. Via the Tennessee-Tombigbee Waterway, Tenn-Tom Waterway, the city is connected to the Ohio River valley and beyond.
Notable people
(B) denotes that the person was born there.
Arts and entertainment
*Paco Ahlgren, writer and financial journalist; author of ''Discipline''
*Annie Greene Brown, born in Tuscaloosa, author of ''Fireside Battles''
*Hannah Brown, born in Tuscaloosa, Miss Alabama USA, Miss Alabama USA 2018; contestant on ''The Bachelor (season 23), The Bachelor''; star of ''The Bachelorette (season 15), The Bachelorette''
*Rick Bragg, Pulitzer Prize-winning author and former reporter for ''The New York Times''; resides in Tuscaloosa
*Willie D. Burton, born in Tuscaloosa, sound technician in the film industry; Academy Award winner for ''Bird (1988 film), Bird'' and ''Dreamgirls (film), Dreamgirls''
*Frank Calloway, folk artist
*Thad Carhart, author of ''The Piano Shop on the Left Bank''
*Tom Cherones, born in Tuscaloosa, University of Alabama alumnus; television producer and director known for ''Seinfeld'', ''NewsRadio'', and ''Desperate Housewives''
*Chase Coleman, born in Tuscaloosa, actor known for his role in the HBO series ''Boardwalk Empire''
*Mary Dees, raised in Tuscaloosa, film actress during the 1930s, including ''The Last Gangster'' and ''The Women (1939 film), The Women''; stand-in for Jean Harlow in ''Saratoga (film), Saratoga''; appeared in Three Stooges shorts, Marx Brothers comedies, and on Broadway
*Robert Gibson (wrestler), Robert Gibson, one-half of the professional wrestling team The Rock 'n' Roll Express
*Frances Nimmo Greene, born in Tuscaloosa, educator, and author
*Vera Hall, folk music, folk singer inducted into the Alabama Women's Hall of Fame
*Charlie Daniels Band, Charlie Hayward, born in Tuscaloosa, musician, and bass guitarist for the Charlie Daniels Band
*Watt Key, born in Tuscaloosa, fiction author best known for ''Alabama Moon''
*Chuck Leavell
Charles Alfred Leavell (born April 28, 1952) is an American musician. A member of the Allman Brothers Band throughout their commercial zenith in the 1970s, he subsequently became a founding member of the band Sea Level. He has served as the pri ...
, raised in Tuscaloosa, member of The Allman Brothers Band, and keyboardist for The Rolling Stones
The Rolling Stones are an English Rock music, rock band formed in London in 1962. Active for over six decades, they are one of the most popular, influential, and enduring bands of the Album era, rock era. In the early 1960s, the band pione ...
*William March, highly decorated member of the United States Marine Corps; writer of psychological fiction, including ''The Bad Seed''; buried at Evergreen Cemetery in Tuscaloosa
*Debra Marshall, born in Tuscaloosa, professional wrestler with World Wrestling Entertainment
*Madeline Mitchell, Miss Tuscaloosa and Miss Alabama USA, Miss Alabama USA 2011; 2nd runner-up at the Miss USA pageant
*Tim Samaras, storm chaser known for starring in ''Storm Chasers (TV series), Storm Chasers''
*Brandon Scott (actor), Brandon Scott, born in Tuscaloosa, actor known for his roles in ''Grey's Anatomy'', ''Wreck-It Ralph'', and ''The Last of Us''
*Johnny Shines, musician and member of the Blues Hall of Fame
*Dylan Riley Snyder, born in Tuscaloosa, actor known for his roles in Broadway's ''Tarzan (musical), Tarzan'', the comedy-drama film ''Life During Wartime (film), Life During Wartime'', and TV sitcom ''Kickin' It''
*Maria Brewster Brooks Stafford, educator
*Reed Timmer, storm chaser known for starring in ''Storm Chasers (TV series), Storm Chasers'' and ''Tornado Glory''
*Dinah Washington, born in Tuscaloosa, blues, R&B, and jazz singer; member of Rock and Roll Hall of Fame
*Kellie Wells (writer), Kellie Wells, University of Alabama professor and short story writer
Politics
*Robert J. Bentley, dermatologist and elected governor of Alabama in 2010
*Abdurrahim El-Keib, interim prime minister of Libya (2011–2012); lived in Tuscaloosa while a professor at University of Alabama
*Walter Flowers, reared in Tuscaloosa, United States Congressman, served on committee that voted for impeachment of President Richard Nixon
*Lewis McAllister, Tuscaloosa businessman and first Republican Party (United States), Republican to serve in Mississippi House of Representatives since Reconstruction era in the United States, Reconstruction, 1962-1968
*Robert Morrow (Texas politician), Robert Morrow, chairman of Republican Party of Travis County, Texas, considered a conspiracy theorist, born in Tuscaloosa c. 1964
*Condoleezza Rice, lived in Tuscaloosa as a child while her father taught at Stillman College
Stillman College is a Private college, private historically black colleges and universities, historically black Presbyterian Church (USA), Presbyterian college in Tuscaloosa, Alabama. It awards Bachelor of Arts and Bachelor of Science degrees i ...
*Richard C. Shelby, U.S. senator, chairman of the United States Senate Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs and Chairman of the United States Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies
*Margaret D. Tutwiler, Margaret Tutwiler, former resident of Tuscaloosa, served in three presidential administrations, former ambassador to Kingdom of Morocco, under Secretary for Public Diplomacy and Public Affairs in State Department
*Lurleen Wallace, born in Tuscaloosa, former governor of Alabama
*Coleman Young, born in Tuscaloosa, served as mayor of Detroit from 1974 to 1993
Sports
*Tim Anderson (baseball), Tim Anderson, born in Tuscaloosa, Major League Baseball player for Miami Marlins
*Javier Arenas (American football), Javier Arenas, lives in Tuscaloosa, NFL cornerback and return specialist for Atlanta Falcons; cousin of Gilbert Arenas
*Ollie Brown (baseball), Ollie Brown, born in Tuscaloosa, Major League Baseball player
*Bear Bryant, lived and died in Tuscaloosa, iconic Alabama Crimson Tide football, Alabama coach in College Football Hall of Fame
*Keydren Clark, Keydren "Kee-Kee" Clark, born in Tuscaloosa, basketball player who averaged 25.9 points per game during NCAA career at Saint Peter's Peacocks basketball, Saint Peter's
*Sylvester Croom, born in Tuscaloosa, first African-American head football coach in Southeastern Conference
*Bennie Daniels, Major League Baseball player
*Otis Davis (born 1932), Olympic track and field athlete, gold medals in 400 metres, 400 metre dash and 4 × 400 metres relay at 1960 Summer Olympics, setting a World record progression 400 metres men, world record in the former event(B)
*Joe Dawson (basketball), Joe Dawson, born in Tuscaloosa, American-Israeli basketball player, 1992 Israeli Basketball Premier League MVP
*George Foster (baseball player), George Foster, born in Tuscaloosa, Major League Baseball player
*Butch Hobson, born in Tuscaloosa, Major League Baseball player and manager
*Rusty Jackson, born in Tuscaloosa, punter who played for NFL's Los Angeles Rams and Buffalo Bills
*Kirani James, lives in Tuscaloosa and won gold at London 2012 Summer Olympics in the 400m
*Rob Jones (racing driver), Rob Jones, born in Tuscaloosa, stock car racing driver
*Patton Kizzire, raised in Tuscaloosa, PGA Tour golfer, attended Tuscaloosa High School, and Northridge High School
*Frank Lary, attended University of Alabama, pitcher and 3-time All-Star in Major League Baseball
*Angel Martino, born in Tuscaloosa, Olympic swimmer
*Lee Maye, born in Tuscaloosa, Major League baseball player
*Nate Miller (offensive lineman), Nate Miller, born in Tuscaloosa, pro football player
*Billy Neighbors, born in Tuscaloosa, football guard for University of Alabama and NFL's Washington Redskins and Boston Patriots; inducted in College Football Hall of Fame 2003
*Willie Nixon, lived in Tuscaloosa for unspecified period prior to career, Negro League baseball player
*Andy Phillips (baseball), Andy Phillips, born in Tuscaloosa, former major league baseball player, and Alabama Crimson Tide baseball, Alabama baseball assistant coach
*Dicky Pride, born in Tuscaloosa, PGA Tour golfer
*Chase Purdy, born in Tuscaloosa, NASCAR driver
*Tike Redman, born in Tuscaloosa, MLB player for Pittsburgh Pirates, New York Mets, and Baltimore Orioles
*David Robertson (baseball), David Robertson, raised in Tuscaloosa, attended Central and Bryant High School and University of Alabama, pitcher for New York Yankees
The New York Yankees are an American professional baseball team based in the Boroughs of New York City, New York City borough of the Bronx. The Yankees compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) Am ...
*Mason Rudolph (golfer), Mason Rudolph, died in Tuscaloosa, PGA Tour golfer
*Joe Sewell, attended University of Alabama, MLB player in National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum, Baseball Hall of Fame
*John Stallworth, born in Tuscaloosa, played football for Pittsburgh Steelers, played in six AFC championships and went to four Super Bowls
*Frank Thomas (American football), Frank Thomas, lived and died in Tuscaloosa, University of Alabama head football coach
*D. J. White, born in Tuscaloosa, basketball player for NBA's Charlotte Bobcats
*Deontay Wilder, born in Tuscaloosa, boxer, 2008 Olympic bronze medalist and Former WBC World Heavyweight Champion
Other
*F. J. Duarte, Frank Duarte, laser physicist, taught at University of Alabama
*Sylvia Hitchcock, Miss Alabama USA 1967, Miss USA 1967 and Miss Universe 1967
*Robert Shelton (Ku Klux Klan), Robert Shelton, Imperial Wizard of United Klans of America
*Shannon Shorr, professional poker player
*James Spann, meteorologist
*Mary Tillotson, CNN journalist
*Michael Tuomey, first Alabama state geologist
*Robert J. Van de Graaff, designer of the Van de Graaff generator
*Taylor Demonbreun, World Record holder
*Jimmy Wales, Internet entrepreneur and a co-founder and promoter of Wikipedia
Sister cities
The Tuscaloosa Sister Cities Commission was formed in 1986. The city currently has sister city relationships with cities in three countries:
* Narashino, Chiba, Narashino, Chiba Prefecture, Chiba, Japan
* Schorndorf, Baden-Württemberg, Germany
* Sunyani–Techiman, Techiman, Ghana (Two cities partnered as one sister city)
See also
*National Register of Historic Places listings in Tuscaloosa County, Alabama
*List of properties on the Alabama Register of Landmarks and Heritage in Tuscaloosa County, Alabama, Properties on the Alabama Register of Landmarks and Heritage in Tuscaloosa County, Alabama
*West End Christian School hostage crisis (1988)
*USS Tuscaloosa, USS ''Tuscaloosa'', 2 ships
References
Bibliography
External links
City of Tuscaloosa – Official Website
Chamber of Commerce of West Alabama
{{Authority control
Tuscaloosa, Alabama,
1819 establishments in Alabama
Cities in Alabama
Cities in Tuscaloosa County, Alabama
County seats in Alabama
Former state capitals in the United States, Alabama
Populated places established in 1819
Tuscaloosa, Alabama metropolitan area
Alabama placenames of Native American origin