Jefferson County is the most populous county in the U.S. state of Alabama, located in the central portion of the state. As of the 2020 census, its population was 674,721. Its county seat is Birmingham. Its rapid growth as an industrial city in the 20th century, based on heavy manufacturing in steel and iron, established its dominance. Jefferson County is the central county of the Birmingham-Hoover, Alabama Metropolitan Statistical Area.
Jefferson County was established on December 13, 1819, by the Alabama Legislature. It was named in honor of former President Thomas Jefferson. The county is located in the north-central portion of the state, on the southernmost edge of the Appalachian Mountains. It is in the center of the (former) iron, coal, and limestone mining belt of the Southern United States.
Most of the original settlers were migrants of English ancestry from the Carolinas. Jefferson County has a land area of about 1,119 square miles (2,900 km2). Early county seats were established first at Carrollsville (1819 – 21), then Elyton (1821 – 73).
Founded around 1871, Birmingham was named for the industrial English city of the same name in Warwickshire. That city had long been a center of iron and steel production in Great Britain. Birmingham was formed by the merger of three towns, including Elyton. It has continued to grow by annexing neighboring towns and villages, including North Birmingham.
Jefferson County is a growing Alabama community with affordable housing and plenty of available retail space for new businesses. As a business-friendly community, Jefferson County welcomes new visitors and new residents, tech entrepreneurs, and value-added businesses.
Jefferson County always embraces cultural equality, diversity, inclusion, equity and has many historic business-friendly communities. Jefferson County is rolling out the “Welcome to Jefferson County” welcome mat to new entrepreneurs, new startups, business founders, new residents and more value-added businesses.
Business startups in retail sales, clothing, fashion, music, beauty, healthcare, legal, medical services, information technology, restaurants, online sales, cleaning services, beauty salons, barber shops, and new entrepreneurs are always in demand in a local growing enterprising business community. Shop Local! Buy Local!