Vestavia Hills is located primarily in Jefferson County, but portions of the city also lie within Shelby County. The city sits at the top of Shades Mountain, which is part of the southernmost reaches of the Appalachian Mountains. It is named for the estate of early resident George Battey Ward. The city limits also encompass the communities of Liberty Park and Cahaba Heights. Vestavia Hills has a mayor/council form of government.
Early History

Ward died in 1940, and the estate was purchased by developer Charles Byrd, who conceived of a planned community of 1,000 homes named Vestavia Hills atop the mountain. The home itself was taken over by the Vestavia Hills Baptist Church, and a portion of the original structure now makes up part of the modern church. The Temple of Sybil was moved in 1976 to an outcrop marking the entrance to the community, now known as Sibyl Temple Park. Byrd began constructing homes in 1946 in response to the housing boom that followed World War II, and the town soon hosted an elementary school and several churches. During that same period, the Montgomery Highway was constructed to connect the community with the state capital.

Demographics
According to 2016 Census estimates, Vestavia Hills recorded a population of 34,243. Of that number, 91.1 percent identified themselves as white, 4.5 percent as Asian, 2.9 percent as Hispanic, 2.4 percent as black, 0.8 as two or more races, and 0.1 percent as American Indian and Alaska Native. The city's median household income was $93,178, and per capita income was $51,797.
Employment
According to 2016 Census estimates, the workforce in Vestavia was divided among the following industrial categories:
· Educational services, and health care and social assistance (28.1 percent)
· Finance, insurance, and real estate, rental, and leasing (13.9 percent)
· Professional, scientific, management, and administrative and waste management services (13.7 percent)
· Retail trade (10.2 percent)
· Arts, entertainment, recreation, accommodation, and food services (6.5 percent)
· Construction (5.0 percent)
· Manufacturing (4.7 percent)
· Other services, except public administration (4.5 percent)
· Wholesale trade (3.4 percent)
· Information (2.7 percent)
· Transportation and warehousing and utilities (2.5 percent)
· Public administration (2.2 percent)
· Agriculture, forestry, fishing and hunting, and extractive (1.1 percent)
· Finance, insurance, and real estate, rental, and leasing (13.9 percent)
· Professional, scientific, management, and administrative and waste management services (13.7 percent)
· Retail trade (10.2 percent)
· Arts, entertainment, recreation, accommodation, and food services (6.5 percent)
· Construction (5.0 percent)
· Manufacturing (4.7 percent)
· Other services, except public administration (4.5 percent)
· Wholesale trade (3.4 percent)
· Information (2.7 percent)
· Transportation and warehousing and utilities (2.5 percent)
· Public administration (2.2 percent)
· Agriculture, forestry, fishing and hunting, and extractive (1.1 percent)
Education
The Vestavia Hills City Schools system includes five elementary schools, two middle schools, and one high school.
Transportation
Vestavia Hills is bisected by U.S. Highway 31, which runs north-south through the city and connects with Interstate 65 to the south. Birmingham-Shuttlesworth International Airport, located 11 miles to the north, is the closest airport.
Events and Places of Interest
Every spring, typically in February or March, the city hosts its Dogwood Festival, which features crafts and a beauty pageant. Vestavia Hills has three parks and two sports facilities that offer picnic areas, playgrounds, walking trails, and fields for various athletic activities.