Arab () is a city mostly in Marshall County, with a portion in Cullman County, in the northern part of the U.S. state of Alabama, located from Guntersville Lake and Guntersville Dam, and is included in the Huntsville-Decatur Combined Statistical Area. The population was 8,461 at the 2020 census.

History

What is now Arab was established by Stephen Tuttle Thompson in the 1840s and was originally known as "Thompson's Village". The current name of the town was an unintentional misspelling by the United States Postal Service in 1882 of the city's intended name, taken from Arad Thompson, the son of the town founder, who had applied for a post office that year. "Arad" was one of three names sent to the Postal Service for consideration, the others being "Ink" and "Bird." Arab has frequently been noted on lists of unusual place names. Arab was incorporated on December 10, 1892.

Arab was a sundown town, with a sign warning Blacks not to stay in Arab after dark and, historically, even barring them during the day. Ku Klux Klan material was disseminated in Arab in 2014 and 2015.

Geography

Arab is located at an elevation of on top of Brindlee Mountain, near the southwest end of the Appalachian Plateau. The city is primarily in southern Marshall County; a small portion extends south into Cullman County. U.S. Route 231 runs north-to-south through Arab, and State Route 69 runs east-to-west, through the city's business district. US 231 leads north to Huntsville and south to Oneonta, while SR 69 leads east to Guntersville and southwest to Cullman.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of , of which are land and , or 0.99%, are water. The city lies on the Tennessee Valley Divide, with the north side draining either west to Cotaco Creek or east to Shoal Creek, both tributaries of the Tennessee River, while the south half of the city drains to the headwaters of the Mulberry Fork of the Black Warrior River, part of the Tombigbee River watershed.

Demographics

City of Arab

Arab Precinct (Marshall County 26th Precinct) first appeared on the 1920 U.S. Census. In 1960, it was changed to the Arab Census Division as part of a general reorganization of counties. The census division only includes the Marshall County portion of the town of Arab. The Cullman County portion is in the Baileyton-Joppa Census Division.

Government

Arab has a mayor-council form of city government consisting of five council members and a mayor. City elections occur every four years. Council seats are at-large and are not associated with districts. Arab City Schools is the public school district. Arab has its own paid police department. Their fire department has one station, sitting on top of Marshall County 911 center. Both are paid departments.

Infrastructure

Utilities

Electricity service in Arab is provided through Arab Electric Cooperative, which buys power through the Tennessee Valley Authority. Water service in Arab is provided through Arab Water Works, which gets water from Browns Creek in Guntersville Lake. Natural gas is also provided in Arab, through Marshall County Gas District, which is based out of Guntersville.

Transportation

thumb|Main Street (SR 69), northbound

  • 25px U.S. Highway 231
  • 25px Alabama State Route 69

Education

Residents are in the Arab City School District, regardless of county.

Notable people

  • Liles C. Burke, judge in the United States District Court for the Northern District of Alabama
  • Vernon Derrick, fiddle and mandolin player
  • Fred Nall Hollis, artist
  • Jill King, singer/songwriter
  • Jack Lively, Major League Baseball pitcher
  • Wayne Mills, country music singer

See also

  • List of sundown towns in the United States

References

  • City of Arab – Official Website
  • Arab Chamber of Commerce
  • History of Arab