Saraland

Saraland is located in central Mobile County, in extreme southwest Alabama. It has a mayor-city council form of government.

History

Saraland Musical Park Originally part of a Spanish land grant, the area on which Saraland now stands first was settled by squatters as early as 1800. The town’s original name was Alvarez Station. Its present name reportedly came from a retired minister who established the first post office there in 1895 and named the town after his wife.

Saraland remained a small community until the mid-twentieth century, when Mobile’s expanding population began to spread into nearby communities. Saraland was incorporated in 1957 with 125 residents.

Demographics

According to 2020 Census estimates, Saraland recorded a population of 14,561. Of that number, 80.4 percent of respondents identified themselves as white, 11.4 percent as African American, 4.7 percent as two or more races, 1.7 percent as Asian, 1.5 percent as American Indian, and 0.9 percent as Hispanic. The town’s median household income was $61,116, and the per capita income was $33,799.

Employment

According to 2020 Census estimates, the workforce in Saraland was divided among the following industrial categories:

  • Educational services and health care and social assistance (23.5 percent)
  • Manufacturing (18.5 percent)
  • Professional, scientific, and management, and administrative and waste management services (9.0 percent)
  • Construction (8.7 percent)
  • Retail trade (8.0 percent)
  • Transportation and warehousing, and utilities (7.4 percent)
  • Arts, entertainment, and recreation, and accommodation and food services (7.0 percent)
  • Other services, except public administration (6.6 percent)
  • Finance and insurance, and real estate and rental and leasing (6.2 percent)
  • Public administration (2.7 percent)
  • Wholesale trade (2.0 percent)
  • Information (0.4 percent)

Education

Schools in Saraland are part of the Saraland City School System; the town has one elementary school, one middle school, and one high school.

Transportation

Saraland is bisected by U.S. Highway 43 (north-south). Interstate 65 runs about two miles to the west of the city. The closest major airport to Saraland is the Mobile Regional Airport, approximately 10 miles to the south.

Events and Places of Interest

The Saraland Civic Center has space that can be rented for various social events. The city has 10 municipal parks, with some featuring only playground areas and others including basketball courts, baseball and softball fields, and football fields. The city sponsors youth sports leagues in baseball, softball, and football.

The town holds an annual Christmas Parade.

Additional Resources

Mobile County Heritage Book Committee. The Heritage of Mobile County, Alabama. Clanton, Ala: Heritage Publishing Consultants, 2002.

External Links

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