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Interesting Facts
- Although Montgomery is now the capital of Alabama, Tuscaloosa used to bear this distinction. From 1826 to 1846, Tuscaloosa served the state as its leading city. Because of growth in the eastern part of the state, the capital was moved to the more central location of Montgomery, at the time causing the city of Tuscaloosa to loose over half its population.
- Bearing the distinction of being the 5th largest city in the state, the city of Tuscaloosa has a population of approximately 89,000. Including the Greater Tuscaloosa area, the count jumps to about 206,000. The expanded metropolitan statistical area (MSA) includes the cities of Northport, Vance and Brookwood.
- At its inception, Tuscaloosa was known as the "Black Warrior Village," as it was perched along the shores of the Black Warrior River at the start of the Tuscaloosa Basin. Original residents of long-ago Tuscaloosa included the Choctaw and Creek tribes. Due to intense fighting between Native American tribes and early settlers, almost all the native tribes were eventually driven from the area, with the final blow coming in the form of Andrew Jackson's 1836 forced evacuation known as the "Trail of Tears."
- The University of Alabama is synonymous with the city of Tuscaloosa. During football season, life centers around the Crimson Tide and the contagious fan-fever. This notable school was first established in 1827 and classes began on April 18, 1831, with a total of 52 enrolled students.
- In 1993, Tuscaloosa caught the eye of international automaker Mercedes-Benz. It was then the mega corporation announced it would build its first North American automotive assembly plant in the city, bringing an economic boon to the area.
- Tuscaloosa has relatively mild weather, yet still offers four distinct seasons with lows dipping just at or below freezing during the winter. Spring and autumn temps range from the 50s to the 80s with about 5 inches of rain per month, and summer highs can climb into the 90s. The area does experience a decided hurricane season during summer and fall when violent storms are known to move south to north and east to west. Severe weather season is generally during spring and fall when low and high pressure air systems interact.
- Although the University of Alabama is what first comes to mind when thinking education in Tuscaloosa, two other notable colleges make their homes here as well, Stillman College and Shelton State Community College. Stillman College, a historically Black liberal arts college, opened its doors in 1875 and enrolls about 1000 students today. Shelton State stands as one of Alabama's largest community colleges and serves 5000 students each semester.
- One of the last great movie houses built in the South, the Bama Theatre dates back to 1938 and features outstanding Art Deco architecture and a stunning interior that follows the Moorish style of the Spanish Renaissance. Today it houses the Tuscaloosa Children's Theatre and offers showings of classic films and live performances.
- Go Tide! You'll hear this cheer chanted time and again if you're anywhere near Tuscaloosa during football season. The entire town sleeps, eats and breathes this exciting college sport. And it's no wonder, since the Tide have quite a record, with 12 national championships, tying the University of Notre Dame for most college football wins in history. The Tide also have the highest number of SEC championships, the largest number of bowl appearances and the most bowl wins of any college team.
- The meandering Black Warrior River flows through the heart of Tuscaloosa and has provided for the area's sustenance and economic prosperity for centuries. The name of this river has unique significance to the city's name. It's reported that the city was named for a native Choctaw Creek Indian Chief named Tuskaloosa, which means "Black Warrior."
