Oxford, Alabama Facts for Kids

Oxford is a city in Calhoun, Talladega, and Cleburne counties in the State of Alabama. The population was 22,069 at the 2020 census,. Oxford is one of two principal cities of and included in the Anniston-Oxford Metropolitan Statistical Area, and it is the largest city in Calhoun County by population.

Geography
History
Infrastructure
- Transportation
- Law enforcement
Demographics
- 2020 census
Points of interest
Economy
Education
Notable people
See also

Geography

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 31.0 square miles (80.3 km²), of which 30.7 square miles (79.4 km²) is land and 0.35 square miles (0.9 km²), or 1.07%, is water.

Oxford lies among the foothills at the southern end of the Blue Ridge Mountains. Nearby Cheaha Mountain is Alabama's highest point and offers expansive views of the surrounding wilderness and the city below. Much of the city's southern border is shared with the Talladega National Forest.

Major bodies of water include Oxford Lake, Lake Hillabee, Snows Creek and Choccolocco Creek, which bisects the city.

View from Pulpit Rock on Cheaha Mountain. Oxford lies just in front of Coldwater Mountain in the distance.

History

Founded in the early 1850s, Oxford was the first city in Calhoun County to be incorporated, in 1852. When the town was formed, it was originally named Lick Skillet. The name was later changed to "Oxford" due to the presence of a narrow crossing of Chocolocco Creek that allowed farmers to ford cattle from one side of the creek to the other. Since 1970, Oxford has annexed large amounts of land to the south and west, including the communities of Coldwater and Bynum. In 1970, it was all in Calhoun County, but today it includes areas in Talladega County.

A smaller municipality, Hobson City, was once a part of Oxford. The area, then known as the Mooree Quarter, is one square mile, and is located north and west of Oxford, and south and west of Anniston. In the last years of the 19th century, according to tradition, in the course of political elections, a black man managed to be elected justice of the peace in Oxford. This being unacceptable to the city fathers, they appealed to the powers in the state capital, and an 'arrangement' was made. The city boundaries were redrawn, in similar fashion to a gerrymander, and the quarter was excluded, becoming a town unto itself. The new town became incorporated on August 16, 1899 as Hobson City, taking the name of a naval hero of the Spanish–American War. The intention was that the largely black population of this quarter would no longer skew the elections of the now almost exclusively white Oxford. Another result was the creation of only the second town in the United States (after Eatonville, Florida) with 100% black government, and an almost 100% black population (at least at first).

On April 26, 2016, Oxford unanimously approved a bathroom bill making it illegal to enter the restroom of a person's opposite gender to what is stated on their birth certificate. On May 4, 2016, in a 3-2 vote, the city rescinded it.

Infrastructure

Transportation

Major highways passing through Oxford include:

Interstate 20
U.S. Highway 78 (Hamric Drive)
U.S. Highway 431 (Leon Smith Parkway from I-20 northward)
State Route 21 (Quintard Drive)
State Route 202

Law enforcement

The city maintains a sixty four-man police department. The agency is divided into Uniform Division, Criminal Investigation Division, Administrative Division. The agency also has several specialized units including Special Investigations Division, Emergency Services Unit, Traffic Homicide Unit, Aviation Unit, and Honor Guard.

Demographics

Historical population
Census	Pop.	%±
1880	780	—
1890	1,473	88.8%
1900	1,372	−6.9%
1910	1,090	−20.6%
1920	1,108	1.7%
1930	1,206	8.8%
1940	1,393	15.5%
1950	1,697	21.8%
1960	3,603	112.3%
1970	4,361	21.0%
1980	8,939	105.0%
1990	9,362	4.7%
2000	14,592	55.9%
2010	21,348	46.3%
2020	22,069	3.4%
U.S. Decennial Census 2018 Estimate

2020 census

Oxford racial composition
Race	Num.	Perc.
White (non-Hispanic)	15,309	69.37%
Black or African American (non-Hispanic)	3,645	16.52%
Native American	69	0.31%
Asian	377	1.71%
Pacific Islander	9	0.04%
Other/Mixed	910	4.12%
Hispanic or Latino	1,750	7.93%

As of the 2020 United States census, there were 22,069 people, 7,871 households, and 5,604 families residing in the city. As of the census of 2020, there were 22,069 people, 8,072 households, and 5,955 families residing in the city. The population density was 677 people per square mile (265.9/km²). There were 8,806 housing units at an average density of 284 per square mile (109.6/km²).

There were 8,072 households, out of which 32.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 55.4% were married couples living together, 13.9% had a female householder with no husband present, and 26.2% were non-families. 22.6% of all households were made up of individuals, and 9.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.61 and the average family size was 3.05.

In the city, the population was spread out, with 25.2% under the age of 18, 8.0% from 18 to 24, 26.8% from 25 to 44, 26.7% from 45 to 64, and 13.3% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 37.8 years. For every 100 females, there were 93.0 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 96.0 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $57,887, and the median income for a family was $53,612. Males had a median income of $46,008 versus $30,231 for females. The per capita income for the city was $27,568. About 10.8% of families and 13.4% of the population were below the poverty line, including 22.3% of those under age 18 and 7.4% of those age 65 or over.

Points of interest

Home of The Southern Preppers Expo (every September) www.thesouthernpreppers.com
Quintard Mall
Oxford Exchange
Oxford Lake Park

Economy

The city's growth in recent years can be attributed mainly to the presence of Interstate 20 and Oxford's central location between Atlanta and Birmingham. The Quintard Mall is the only fully enclosed shopping mall between Birmingham and Douglasville, Georgia. Several other shopping centers dot the landscape of Oxford with the most recent being the construction of the Oxford Commons which is just off exit 188 on Interstate 20.

Education

Oxford's public schools are administered by the Oxford City School System. There are four elementary schools, one middle school, and one high school. A new Oxford High School building opened in August 2010, as well as a new Technical Building.

Notable people

Kwon Alexander, NFL, New Orleans Saints
The Bridges, folk rock band
K. J. Britt, NFL, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Rick Burgess, half of the nationally syndicated radio program Rick and Bubba
Asa Earl Carter, Ku Klux Klan leader, segregationist speech writer, and later famed western novelist
Tae Davis, NFL, Cleveland Browns
Trae Elston, NFL, Miami Dolphins
Chris Hammond, former Major League Baseball pitcher
Terry Henley, former Auburn University and National Football League running back
Vic Henley, professional comedian
Maud McLure Kelly, first woman lawyer in Alabama
Lash LeRoux, cartoonist and former professional wrestler
Bobby McCain, NFL, Miami Dolphins
Felton Snow, baseball player in the Negro leagues
Jackson Stephens, Major League Pitcher Cincinnati Reds
Jim Stephens, former Major League Baseball catcher
Roc Thomas, NFL, Minnesota Vikings

Oxford, Alabama facts for kids

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