Tallapoosa

Formed December 18, 1832 (46^th county)

Tallapoosa County (41,316), Dadeville (3,083), Alexander City (14,847)

A 1962 red brick courthouse replaced an 1890’s courthouse in Dadeville.  It is located on a square at Broadnax, Cusseta, Columbus, and Tallassee streets.  Broadnax Street is Alabama State Highway 49 through the town.  Martin J. Lide designed this Modern style courthouse.  The building features a working clock and the grounds have veteran memorials.  There was an 1860 courthouse earlier in Dadeville.  Okfuskee was the county seat until 1838.  There is an auxiliary courthouse and an annex in Alexander City.  The county was established on December 18, 1832 from Montgomery and Shelby counties as the 46^th county.  The Tallapoosa River is the county’s name source.  Tallapoosa is a Native American word meaning “grandmother town.”  Tallapoosa County was the birthplace of 1 Alabama Governor, John M. Patterson.  Army officer Francis Langhorne Dade provided the county seat its name. 

Tallapoosa County government consists of a sheriff, revenue commissioner, and coroner (executive).  It has 5 commissioners (legislative.)  Three Circuit Judges serve Tallapoosa, Chambers, Macon and Randolph counties and a District Judge, a Probate Judge, a District Attorney, and a County Clerk serve Tallapoosa County (judicial.)  The county is in the east part of the state northeast of Montgomery, Alabama.  The Tallapoosa River forms part of the southwest border.  The center of the county is 6.7 miles West-Northwest of Dadeville nearer Jacksons’ Gap.  The county is surrounded clockwise by Clay, Randolph, Chambers, Lee, Macon, Elmore, and Coosa counties.  Dadeville is the county seat and Alexander City is the largest city.  Dadeville is 7.5% of the county population while Alexander City is 35.9% of the county population.  The county is pronounced TAL-A-POO-SA. 

The county has an area of 716.5 square miles.  It ranks 30 out of 67 in size.  It ranks 30 out of 67 in population in the state.  It has a density of 57.2 persons per square mile making it 29 out of 67 in the state.  Tallapoosa County has 54.0% of its population in its incorporated areas.  United States Highway 280 crosses diagonally from northwest to southeast, Coosa County to Lee County.  The county is shaped like the number 9.  Dadeville is slightly southeast of center in the county.  Alexander City is located is the northwest quarter of the county.  The county is in the Alexander City Micropolitan Statistical Area.