Elmore

Formed February 15, 1866 (53^rd county)

Elmore County (87,974), Wetumpka (7,223), Millbrook (16,557)

The concrete and pillared structure gives it a governmental appearance.  The 1931 building is located at Commerce and Main streets.  Alabama State Highway 111 is Main Street.  Warren, Knight and Davis were the designers for this Classical Revival courthouse.  Veteran memorials are in front of the structure on the grounds.  An 1868 courthouse was also located in Wetumpka.  A Judicial Building was added in 1995.  General John A. Elmore is the source of the county’s name.  The county seat got its title from a Native American word meaning “water sounding.”  The county was formed on February 15, 1866 from parts of Autauga, Coosa, Montgomery, and Tallapoosa counties as the 53^rd county.  Wetumpka has always been the county seat. 

Elmore County government consists of a sheriff, revenue commissioner, and coroner (executive).  It has 5 commissioners (legislative.)  Three Circuit Judges serve Elmore, Autauga, and Chilton counties and two District Judges, a District Judge, a Probate Judge, a District Attorney, and a County Clerk serve Elmore County (judicial.)  The center of the county is 6.1 miles Northeast of Wetumpka nearer Shady Acres.  The county is surrounded clockwise by Coosa, Tallapoosa, Macon, Montgomery, Autauga, and Chilton counties.  The county is rectangular except for the southern border, which follows the river.  Wetumpka is in the southwest quarter of the county.  Millbrook is in the extreme southwest corner of the county and extends into Autauga County.  Wetumpka is the county seat and Millbrook is the largest city.  Wetumpka is 8.2% of the county population while Millbrook is 18.8% of the county population.  The county seat is pronounced WEE-TUM-KA.

The county has an area of 618.5 square miles.  It ranks 46 out of 67 in size.  It ranks 18 out of 67 in population in the state.  It has a density of 144.8 persons per square mile making it 16 out of 67 in the state.   Elmore County has 38.4% of its population in its incorporated areas.  Interstate Highway 65 crosses the extreme southwest tip of the county entering from Autauga County, west, and exiting into Montgomery County, south.  United States Highway 231 enters from Coosa County on the north and goes into Montgomery County on the south.  The Tallapoosa River is most of its eastern and southern borders.  The Coosa River cuts the western part of the county.  The county is in the Montgomery Metropolitan Statistical Area.