Baldwin County was established on December 21, 1809, ten years before Alabama became a state in 1819. It is the largest county in Alabama by area and is located on the eastern side of Mobile Bay near the Florida state line.
Baldwin was Alabama’s fastest growing county from 2010 to 2020, with 4 of the top 10 fastest growing cities in the state in recent years thanks to continued investment in area businesses.
Due to its proximity to the Gulf of Mexico, Baldwin County frequently endures tropical weather systems, including hurricanes.
The growing city of Foley is the principal city of the Micropolitan Statistical Area which includes all of Baldwin County. Since 1902, Foley has had a sustained growth and was incorporated in 1915.
The Creek Indian Enterprises Development Authority established a 14 acre amusement park in Foley called the Park at OWA which opened in 2017. Now a new water park called Tropic Falls will open in May 2022. This new water park will feature a retractable roof which will be the first of its kind in a water park.
Tropic Falls will have a lazy river and 11 water slides. Also included will be a 75-foot free-fall slide called Tangerine Scream. In addition, there is a 30,000 square foot wave pool called Big Water Bay and a new outdoor cafe.
This new OWA complex costing $70 million, will create 400 new jobs in the community and will not only be good for Baldwin County but the entire state and the region.
Local online entrepreneurs and retail startups have grown in recent years thanks to the demand for startup ventures and the need for more goods and services.