Ardmore is a town in northeastern Limestone County, Alabama, United States, and is included in the Huntsville-Decatur Metro Area. The population was 1,321 at the 2020 census, It borders its sister city Ardmore, Tennessee.
History
The settlement was originally named Austin, after Alex Austin, who selected the location as a site for a station along the Louisville and Nashville Railroad. The railroad company later renamed the town Ardmore, for the community of Ardmore, Pennsylvania. Ardmore, Alabama was incorporated in 1922.
By the mid-20th century, Ardmore had developed a diverse local economy supported by agriculture, industry, and retail businesses. The Ardmore Creamery was one of the town’s leading industries, playing a significant role in the regional dairy market. Additionally, the Ardmore Hosiery Mill provided jobs in textile manufacturing, contributing to the area’s economic stability. Farming also remained a crucial part of the local economy, with both Alabama and Tennessee farmers utilizing Ardmore as a commercial hub for distributing goods. The town's strategic location along major transportation routes made it an important center for commerce, attracting businesses that served customers from both states.
Education was a priority in Ardmore, with ongoing efforts to improve school facilities and resources for students. Ardmore School was considered a modern educational institution for its time, equipped to serve children from both sides of the state line. Investments in school infrastructure reflected the town’s commitment to providing quality education, despite the complexities of operating across two jurisdictions. The town’s dedication to education ensured that students had access to academic opportunities that prepared them for the future. This focus on learning, combined with industrial growth and civic engagement, helped Ardmore maintain its reputation as a progressive and resilient community in the mid-20th century.
Geography
Ardmore is the northernmost settlement in Alabama. The town is concentrated along Alabama State Route 53, which runs south to north along Ardmore Avenue before veering east along the state line, where it runs congruent with Tennessee State Route 7 on Main Street. Interstate 65, which connects Nashville and Birmingham, passes just west of Ardmore.
Main Street is the state line. The road heading northbound/westbound is in Tennessee, while southbound/eastbound is in Alabama.
According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of , of which is land and , is water.
|align-fn=center
|footnote=U.S. Decennial Census<br>2020 Census
Racial and ethnic composition
{| class="wikitable"
!Census<br>Year
!Population &<br>Racial<br>Majority
!State<br>Place<br>Rank
!County<br>Place<br>Rank
!White<br>(White, Non-<br>Hispanic 1980-
!Black
!Hispanic<br>(1980-
!Native<br>American
!Asian
!Pacific<br>Islander<br>(1980-
!Other
!2 or More<br>Races<br>(2000-
|-
|1930
|381 ↑
|219<small>th</small> ↑
|2<small>nd</small> X
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|-
|1950
|408 ↑
|260<small>th</small> ↓
|2<small>nd</small> X
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|-
|1960
|439 ↑
|259<small>th</small> ↑
|2<small>nd</small> X
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|-
|1970
|761 ↑
|238<small>th</small> ↑
|2<small>nd</small> X
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|-
|1980
|1,096 ↑
|238<small>th</small> X
|2<small>nd</small> X
|1,073 ↑ 97.9%
<td>8 (-) 0.7%</td>
|10 (-) 0.9%
<td>2 (-) 0.2%</td>
|2 (-) 0.2%
|
|1 (-) 0.1%
|
|-
|1990
|1,090 ↓
|250<small>th</small> ↓
|2<small>nd</small> X
|1,065 ↓ 97.7%
<td>18 ↑ 1.7%</td>
|6 ↓ 0.6%
<td>1 ↓ 0.1%</td>
|
|
|
|
|-
|2000
|1,034 ↓
|277<small>th</small> ↓
|2<small>nd</small> X
|988 ↓ 95.6%
<td>9 ↓ 0.9%</td>
|18 ↑ 1.7%
<td>5 ↑ 0.5%</td>
|8 (-) 0.8%
|1 (-) 0.1%
|12 (-) 1.2%<td>4 (-) 0.4%</td>
|-
|2010
|1,194 ↑
|282<small>nd</small> ↓
|4<small>th</small> ↓
|1,119 ↑ 93.7%
<td>23 ↑ 1.9%</td>
|16 ↓ 1.3%
<td>9 ↑ 0.8%</td>
|11 ↑ 0.9%
|1 X 0.1%
|7 ↓ 0.6%
<td>17 ↑ 1.4%</td>
|-
|}
2020 census
{| class="wikitable"
|+Ardmore racial composition
!Race
!Number
!Percent
|-
|White (non-Hispanic)
|1,144
|86.6%
|-
|Black or African American (non-Hispanic)
|33
|2.5%
|-
|Native American
|4
|0.3%
|-
|Asian
|8
|0.61%
|-
|Other/Mixed
|76
|5.75%
|-
|Hispanic or Latino
|56
|4.24%
|}
As of the 2020 census, there were 1,321 people, 571 households, and 344 families residing in the town.
The median age was 39.3 years. 22.4% of residents were under the age of 18 and 20.5% of residents were 65 years of age or older. For every 100 females there were 86.1 males, and for every 100 females age 18 and over there were 84.7 males age 18 and over.
Of the 571 households, 32.2% had children under the age of 18 living in them. Of all households, 40.5% were married-couple households, 17.9% were households with a male householder and no spouse or partner present, and 36.6% were households with a female householder and no spouse or partner present. About 34.0% of all households were made up of individuals and 19.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older.
There is a high school in Ardmore, Alabama called “Ardmore High School” and it has around 1,008 students. The high school consists of two separate parts: the middle school, where grades six through eight attend, and the high school, where grades nine through twelve attend.
The school was founded in 1915; the five acres of land cost a total of five dollars and was generously donated to the school. Residents of Ardmore helped construct the school building for an entire year. The original school building was only two stories tall. There were classrooms, a library, and a study hall area on the first floor, and they put a stage on the second floor of the building.
In 1917, the doors of the school opened to welcome its first students. Ten years later, Ardmore High School received its accreditation.
The school's mission statement since its opening has been: "The mission and purpose of Ardmore High School is to provide appropriate learning opportunities that promote academic, physical, and ethical growth of students enabling them to become productive citizens in an ever-changing society."
Notable people
- David Fanning, country music singer, songwriter, and record producer
- Lee Hodges, PGA Tour golfer
Photo Gallery
<gallery class="center" widths="140px">
File:AL53 North - Truck Route TN7 Sign - Ardmore (30784278918).jpg|Ardmore road signs at the state line
File:Ardmore-Highway53-W-al.jpg|Downtown Ardmore
File:Ardmore-Town-Hall-al.jpg|Ardmore town hall
File:Ardmore Airport.jpg|Ardmore airport
</gallery>