Fayette

Formed December 20, 1824 (34^th county)

Fayette County (16,326), Fayette (4,282)

The yellow brick and masonry courthouse in Fayette County was designed by J. E. Wilbanks. Built in 1911 in Beaux Arts style it is located on Temple Avenue between Columbus and 1^st Street Northwest.  Alabama State Highway 18 is Columbus Street.  A County Office building was added in 1965.  The building features columns and a dome with a working clock.  An eternal flame and veteran memorials are on the grounds.  Marquis de Lafayette is the namesake for the county and county seat.  He is also the namesake for the county seat of Chambers County.  Fayette County was created on December 20, 1824 from parts of Marion, Pickens, Tuscaloosa, and Walker counties as the 34^th county.  Fayette has been the county seat from the beginning. 

Fayette County government consists of a sheriff, revenue commissioner, and coroner (executive).  It has 6 commissioners (legislative.)  Two Circuit Judges serve Fayette, Lamar, and Pickens counties and a District Judge, a Probate Judge, a District Attorney, and a County Clerk serve Fayette County (judicial.)  The county is located in northwest Alabama.  The center of the county is 7.7 miles Northeast of Fayette.  The county is surrounded clockwise by Marion, Walker, Tuscaloosa, Pickens, and Lamar counties.  Fayette is west and slightly south of the center of the county.  Fayette is the county seat and the largest city.  It is 26.2% of the county population.

The county has an area of 627.7 square miles.  It ranks 43 out of 67 in size.  It ranks 52 out of 67 in population in the state.  It has a density of 25.7 persons per square mile making it 48 out of 67 in the state.  Fayette County has 41.5% of its population in its incorporated areas.  United States Highway 43 crosses from north to south from Marion County into Tuscaloosa County.  The county is shaped like a rectangle with an L attached to the east side.  The Sipsey River crosses north to south through the county.