205 Area Code 🌍☎️

Birmingham is a city in north central Alabama that serves as the county seat of Jefferson County and the third-most populous city in the state, with a population of 196,357 as of 2024, and a metropolitan area exceeding 1.19 million residents. Founded on June 1, 1871, by the Elyton Land Company as a planned industrial center and named after Birmingham, England, the city experienced explosive growth from 1881 to 1920, earning nicknames "The Magic City" and "The Pittsburgh of the South" due to its dominance in mining and steel production, supported by unique deposits of iron ore, coal, and limestone in close proximity. Though heavy industry declined in the late 20th century, Birmingham remains a significant manufacturing hub and serves as headquarters for Fortune 500 companies Regions Financial and Vulcan Materials Company, along with multiple Fortune 1000 firms. The city functions as a major regional economic, medical, and educational center, anchored by the University of Alabama at Birmingham's prominent medical and dental schools established in 1969, alongside Samford University, Miles College, and two community colleges. Birmingham also hosts the headquarters of the Southeastern Conference (SEC) and Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC), reinforcing its cultural and athletic influence across the Deep South, Piedmont, and Appalachian regions. Tuscaloosa, Alabama's fifth-most populous city with 99,600 residents at the 2020 census and an estimated 114,288 in 2025, is located in west-central Alabama on the Black Warrior River where the Gulf Coastal and Piedmont plains meet. Incorporated on December 13, 1819, and named after Chief Tuskaloosa, a 16th-century Muskogean leader defeated by Spanish explorer Hernando de Soto in 1540, the city served as Alabama's capital from 1826 to 1846 before the capital relocated to Montgomery. Known as "the Druid City" for its numerous water oaks planted downtown since the 1840s, Tuscaloosa is the home of the University of Alabama, Stillman College, and Shelton State Community College, making it the regional center of industry, commerce, healthcare, and education for West Alabama. The city's economy was boosted when Mercedes-Benz announced on September 30, 1993, plans to build its first North American automotive assembly plant in Tuscaloosa County, though the University of Alabama remains its dominant economic and cultural engine. City leaders adopted the moniker "The City of Champions" after the Alabama Crimson Tide football team won National Championships in the 2009, 2011, 2012, 2015, 2017, and 2020 seasons, and in 2008 Tuscaloosa hosted the USA Olympic Triathlon trials for the Beijing Games. Bessemer is a city in Jefferson County, Alabama, located approximately 15.3 miles southwest of Birmingham within the Birmingham-Hoover Metropolitan Statistical Area, with a 2020 population of 26,019 that declined to an estimated 25,079 by 2024. Founded in 1887 by the Bessemer Land and Improvement Company and named after Henry Bessemer, the city became a major steelmaking center from about 1890 through the 20th century due to nearby deposits of iron ore, coal, and limestone that attracted Southern migrants and European immigrants. The steel industry restructured in the late 20th century, with steel production ceasing within city limits, and by 2019 the city was named Alabama's "Worst City to Live in" by 24/7 Wall Street, reflecting economic decline and demographic challenges including a median household income of $37,844 and 30.7% of residents living below the poverty line. The population became majority African American by the 1950s, and as of 2023, the city had an estimated 50% employment rate with 14.4% of residents holding a bachelor's degree or higher. Bessemer spans 40.851 square miles in Jones Valley and features a humid subtropical climate characterized by hot, humid summers and mild winters.