Saint Clair

Formed November 20, 1818 (21^st county)

Saint Clair County (91,471), Ashville (2,350), Pell City (12,935), Moody (13.186)

The 1844 white brick courthouse is located at Courthouse Square which is 5^th and 6^th avenues and Court and 5^th streets.  United States Highway 231 is 5^th Street at the courthouse.  The courthouse is a Greek Revival design from Littleton Yarbrough.  The building was enlarged in 1886, 1911, 1945, 1964, and 1982 and remodeled in 2011.  A 1994 Administration Center supports the Ashville courthouse.  The building features columns and the grounds have veteran memorials and a Liberty Bell replica.  There is an auxiliary 1955 courthouse in Pell City.  It sits on Cogswell between 18^th and 19^th streets.  This Modern Colonial was designed by Martin J. Lide.  This newer courthouse resembles the Ashville structure. The Pell City structure was renovated and enlarged in 2002.  Both Ashville and Pell City have been county seats since the county formation.  The county is named for General Arthur St. Clair.  Saint Clair County was the birthplace of 1 Alabama Governor, Rufus W. Cobb.  The county seat is named for Senator John Ashe.  The county was established on November 20, 1818 from Shelby County as the 21^st county.

Saint Clair County government consists of a sheriff, revenue commissioner, and coroner (executive).  It has 5 commissioners (legislative.)  Two Circuit Judges, Two District Judges, and a Probate Judge, a District Attorney, and a County Clerk serve Saint Clair County (judicial.)  The county is located in east central Alabama just to the east of Birmingham, Alabama.  The center of the county is 21.9 miles South-Southwest of Ashville nearer Odenville.  The county is surrounded clockwise by Etowah, Calhoun, Talladega, Shelby, Jefferson, and Blount counties.  Ashville and Pell City are county seats and Moody is the largest city.  Ashville is 2.6%, Pell City is 14.1%, and Moody is 14.4% of the county population. 

The county has an area of 631.9 square miles.  It ranks 42 out of 67 in size.  It ranks 24 out of 67 in population in the state.  It has a density of 91.3 persons per square mile making it 24 out of 67 in the state.  Saint Clair County has 61.9% of its population in its incorporated areas.  Interstate Highway 20 crosses east to west in the county, from Talladega County to Jefferson County.  Interstate Highway 59 diagonals the county, northeast to southwest, from Etowah County to Jefferson County.  United States Highway 11 parallels Interstate Highway 59 from Etowah County to Jefferson County.  United States Highway 78 parallels Interstate Highway 20 from Talladega County to Jefferson County.  United States Highway 231 crosses north to south, Blount County to Shelby County.  United States Highway 411 also parallels Interstate Highway 59 from Etowah County to Jefferson County.  The Coosa River forms the eastern border of the county.  The county shape is like an Indian head.  Ashville is in the top quarter of the county.  Pell City is located in the southeast corner of the county.  The county is in the Birmingham-Hoover Metropolitan Statistical Area.