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Alabama Counties
Alabama currently has sixty-seven counties. The oldest county, Washington, was created on June 4, 1800, when what is now Alabama was then part of the Mississippi Territory. The newest county is Houston, created on February 9, 1903.Lee County, Alabama History
Lee County Education, Geography, and History
Lee County is a county of the state of Alabama. Based on the 2010 census, the
population was 140,247. Lee County was created
on December 5, 1866 and was formed from Chambers County, Macon County,
Russell County and Tallapoosa County. The county
seat is Opelika, and the
largest city is Auburn. The county is named after Robert E. Lee, commanding general of the Army of Northern Virginia, and one of the most
senior flag officers in the Confederate Army.
Lee County comprises the Auburn-Opelika, AL Metropolitan Statistical Area, which is included in the Columbus-Auburn-Opelika, GA-AL Combined
Statistical Area.
Etymology - Origin of Lee County Name
Lee county was named for Confederate General Robert E. Lee.
Demographics:
County QuickFacts: CensusBureau Quick Facts
Lee County History
Lee County, Alabama
Lee County was created by the Alabama legislature on December 5, 1866. The county was named for Confederate General Robert E. Lee. The county lies on the eastern part of the Black Belt. It is bordered by Chambers, Tallapoosa, Macon, and Russell counties, and on the east by the Chattahoochee River and the State of Georgia. It currently encompasses 609 square miles. The county seat is located at Opelika, which in the Creek Indian language means "big swamp." Other towns and communities include Loachapoka and Auburn, the site of Auburn University.
In 1923, the town of Phenix City, located in the southeastern corner of Lee County, merged with the town of Girard, located in the northeastern corner of Russell County. To prevent the new town of Phenix City from straddling the Lee-Russell line, Lee County ceded to Russell County the 10 square miles (25.9 km2) in the southeastern corner surrounding Phenix City in exchange for 20 square miles (51.8 km2) in the northwest corner of Russell County surrounding the unincorporated community of Marvyn. This new territory is what forms the southern "panhandle" of Lee County.
Geography: Land and Water
As reported by the Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 616 square miles (1,600 km2), of which 608 square miles (1,570 km2) is land and 8.3 square miles (21 km2) (1.3%) is water.
The Chattahoochee River and its tributaries flow throughout the eastern half of the county, whereas the Tallapoosa River and its tributaries flow throughout the western half. Together, the rivers provide a number of scenic views as well as recreational and economic opportunities for visitors to and citizens of Lee County.
Neighboring Counties
Bordering counties are as follows:
- North: Chambers County
- Northeast: Harris County, Ga.
- East: Muscogee County, Ga.
- Southeast: Russell County
- Southwest: Macon County
- Northwest: Tallapoosa County
Education
Auburn University, a large comprehensive public university, is located in Auburn in Lee County.
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