Smiths Station is a city in Lee County, Alabama, United States. As of the 2020 census, Smiths Station had a population of 5,384. It is part of the Columbus, Georgia metropolitan area. At the time of the 2000 census, it was still a census-designated place (CDP). The area that incorporated as Smiths Station in 2001 was much smaller than the CDP. Smiths Station, known to locals as "Smiths", is a bedroom community of Columbus, Georgia, and Phenix City, Alabama. Smiths Station High School has an enrollment of over 1,800 students and is the 11th-largest high school in the state.
History
Smiths Station was first settled in 1738. The Central of Georgia Railway was extended through the community from Columbus, Georgia to Opelika, Alabama in 1845. The depot was named for Broadus Smith, a prominent early settler who lived near the city's current location.
Local legend contends that around 1960, local Jon Ergan grew tired of writing Smiths Station, so he took it upon himself to drop "Station" from the name of the community.
Smiths Station was officially incorporated on June 22, 2001, and is Alabama's second newest city next to Center Point.
On November 3, 2023, the city's mayor, Bubba Copeland, died by suicide after being publicly outed by reporter Craig Monger of conservative news website 1819 News for cross-dressing and adopting a transgender persona online.
Geography
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the CDP had a total area of , of which is land and is water.
The city is located in the southeastern part of Lee County, adjacent to Phenix City, which it borders to the southeast. U.S. Routes 280 and 431 run through the eastern part of the city, leading northwest 19 mi (31 km) to Opelika and southeast 8 mi (13 km) to Phenix City. Numerous county and local roads also run through the city as well, leading to more rural areas in Lee County.
Climate
The climate in this area is characterized by relatively high temperatures and evenly distributed precipitation throughout the year. According to the Köppen Climate Classification system, Smiths Station has a humid subtropical climate, abbreviated "Cfa" on climate maps.
On March 3, 2019, an EF4 tornado ripped through Smiths Station at high-end EF2 strength. Major damage occurred to homes, businesses and trees in the area.
Demographics
From 1990 to 2001, the community was listed as Smiths CDP in the U.S. Census; the precipitous drop in population from 2000 to 2010 was due to just a segment of the CDP's incorporation as the city of Smiths Station. The remainder of the former CDP was disbanded as a separate entity for the 2010 census.
2020 census
As of the 2020 census, Smiths Station had a population of 5,384. The median age was 40.7 years. 23.6% of residents were under the age of 18 and 17.0% of residents were 65 years of age or older. For every 100 females there were 97.6 males, and for every 100 females age 18 and over there were 93.8 males age 18 and over.
91.0% of residents lived in urban areas, while 9.0% lived in rural areas.
There were 2,107 households in Smiths Station, including 1,566 families. Of all households, 33.6% had children under the age of 18 living in them. Of all households, 51.2% were married-couple households, 17.9% were households with a male householder and no spouse or partner present, and 24.8% were households with a female householder and no spouse or partner present. About 24.1% of all households were made up of individuals and 10.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older.
Transportation
Lee-Russell Public Transit provides dial-a-ride transit service throughout Smiths Station and the county.
Notable person
- Conway Twitty, a country music singer born Harold Lloyd Jenkins in 1933, attended Smiths Station High School, where he played high school baseball.
Gallery
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File:2021-03-08_Smiths_Station,_AL_-_City_Hall.jpg|Smiths Station City Hall
File:2021-03-08_Smiths_Station,_AL_-_Post_Office.jpg|Smiths Station Post Office (ZIP code: 36877)
File:Photo_of_the_School_2014-05-30_11-32.jpg|Smiths Station High School
File:Lowther House Complex Smiths Station Alabama.JPG|The Lowther House in Smiths Station was added to the National Register of Historic Places on
</gallery>