Lee County is a county located in east central Alabama. As of the 2020 census the population was 174,241. The county seat is Opelika, and the largest city is Auburn. The county was established in 1866 and is named for General Robert E. Lee (1807–1870), who served as General in Chief of the Armies of the Confederate States in 1865. Lee County comprises the Auburn-Opelika, AL Metropolitan Statistical Area, which is included in the Columbus-Auburn-Opelika, GA-AL Combined Statistical Area.
History
19th century
Lee County was established by the State Legislature on December 5, 1866, comprising parts of Macon, Tallapoosa, Chambers, and Russell counties. In an election to determine the county seat, Opelika was chosen over Auburn and Salem.
20th century
In 1923, Phenix City, located in the southeastern corner of Lee County, merged with the town of Girard, located in the northeastern corner of Russell County. To prevent the new town of Phenix City from straddling the Lee-Russell line, Lee County ceded to Russell County the in the southeastern corner surrounding Phenix City in exchange for in the northwest corner of Russell County surrounding the unincorporated community of Marvyn. This territory is what forms the southern "panhandle" of Lee County. Even after the land swap with Russell County, however, the city limits of present-day Phenix City stretch into the southeastern corner of Lee.
21st century
On March 3, 2019, a series of tornadoes hit the county, killing 23 people and injuring others. The deaths and injuries occurred in the community of Beauregard, situated southeast of the Auburn-Opelika metropolitan area.
Geography
According to the United States Census Bureau, the county has a total area of , of which is land and (1.3%) is water.
The county straddles the fall line between the Piedmont region to the north, and the Gulf coastal plain to the south. Thus, northern areas of the county are hillier compared to southern areas of the county.
Major highways
- 20px Interstate 85
- 20px U.S. Highway 29
- 20px U.S. Highway 80
- 24px U.S. Highway 280
- 24px U.S. Highway 431
- 20px State Route 14
- 20px State Route 51
- 20px State Route 147
- 20px State Route 169
Adjacent counties
- Chambers County (north)
- Harris County, Georgia (northeast)
- Muscogee County, Georgia (east)
- Russell County (south)
- Macon County (southwest)
- Tallapoosa County (northwest)
Railroads
- CSX A&WP Subdivision
- Norfolk Southern Central of Georgia District