Tuscaloosa, Alabama
City in Alabama, United States / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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Tuscaloosa (/ˌtʌskəˈluːsə/ TUS-kə-LOO-sə) is a city in and the seat of Tuscaloosa County in west-central Alabama, United States,[4] on the Black Warrior River where the Gulf Coastal and Piedmont plains meet. Alabama's fifth-most populous city, it had an estimated population of 102,432 in 2022. It was known as Tuskaloosa until the early 20th century.[5] It is also known as "the Druid City" because of the numerous water oaks planted in its downtown streets since the 1840s.[6]
Tuscaloosa, Alabama | |
|---|---|
 View of Downtown Tuscaloosa from Greensboro Avenue | |
 Flag  Seal  Logo | |
| Nickname(s): Druid City, T-Town, City of Champions | |
| Motto: "Together we can build a bridge to the future." | |
 Location of Tuscaloosa in Tuscaloosa County, Alabama | |
  Tuscaloosa Location within Alabama Show map of Alabama Tuscaloosa Location within the United States Show map of the United States | |
| Coordinates: 33°12′24″N 87°32′5″W | |
| Country | United States |
| State | Alabama |
| County | Tuscaloosa |
| Incorporated | December 13, 1819[1] |
| Government | |
| • Type | Mayor-Council |
| • Mayor | Walt Maddox (D) |
| • Council President | Cynthia Almond |
| Area | |
| • City | 72.02 sq mi (186.52 km2) |
| • Land | 61.94 sq mi (160.43 km2) |
| • Water | 10.07 sq mi (26.09 km2) |
| Elevation | 222 ft (68 m) |
| Population (2020) | |
| • City | 100,618[3] |
| • Rank | US: 313th AL: 5th |
| • Density | 1,607.93/sq mi (620.83/km2) |
| • Urban | 139,114 (US: 233rd) |
| • Metro | 235,628 (US: 190th AL: 5th) |
| Time zone | UTC−6 (CST) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC−5 (CDT) |
| ZIP codes | 35401-35407, 35485-35487 |
| Area code(s) | 205 & 659 |
| FIPS code | 01-77256 |
| GNIS feature ID | 0153742 |
| Website | www |
Incorporated on December 13, 1819, it was named after Tuskaloosa, the chief of a band of Muskogean-speaking people defeated by the forces of Spanish explorer Hernando de Soto in 1540 in the Battle of Mabila, in what is now central Alabama.[7] 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; and 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, Stillman College and Shelton State Community College. While it attracted international attention when Mercedes-Benz announced on September 30, 1993 that it would build its first North American automotive assembly plant in Tuscaloosa County,[8] the University of Alabama remains the city's dominant economic and cultural engine, making it a college town. City leaders adopted the moniker "The City of Champions" after the Alabama Crimson Tide football team won the College Football National Championship in their 2009, 2011, 2012, 2015, 2017 and 2020 seasons.
In 2008, Tuscaloosa hosted the USA Olympic Triathlon trials for the Beijing Games.[9]