# DeKalb County, Alabama

DeKalb County is a county in the northeastern part of the U.S. state of Alabama. As of the 2020 census, the population was 71,608. Its county seat is Fort Payne, and it is named after Major General Baron Johann de Kalb. DeKalb County is part of the Huntsville-Decatur-Albertville, AL Combined Statistical Area.

## History

DeKalb County was created by the Alabama legislature on January 9, 1836, from land ceded under duress to the Federal government by the Cherokee Nation prior to their forced removal to Indian Territory west of the Mississippi River.
The county was named for Major General Baron Johann de Kalb, a hero of the American Revolution.
The city of Fort Payne, now the county seat, developed around a fort of the same name, built in the 1830s to intern Cherokee of the region prior to their removal.
In the early 19th century, Sequoyah, the Cherokee man who independently created the Cherokee syllabary, a written system for his language, lived in this area. He had been born in a Cherokee town in Tennessee and migrated here in the early 1800s. His work enabled the Cherokee to publish the first Native American newspaper, The Phoenix, which they produced in Cherokee and English.
On the whole, DeKalb County is a dry county in terms of alcohol sales and consumption. In 2005, the city of Fort Payne passed a law to authorize the legal sale of alcohol. Collinsville and Henagar later also allowed alcohol sales.

## 21st-century natural events

The county's eastern edge, along the state line, was the epicenter of an earthquake on April 29, 2003, measuring 4.6 on the moment magnitude scale. Power was knocked out in the area, mirrors and pictures thrown to the floor, foundations cracked, and one chimney fell to the ground. The unusual earthquake for this region was felt over a significant portion of the southeastern states, including quite strongly in northeastern Alabama and neighboring northern Georgia, and nearby eastern Tennessee (especially near Chattanooga). It was also felt slightly in western upstate South Carolina, far west-southwestern North Carolina, south and southeastern Kentucky, and east-northeastern Mississippi.
DeKalb County had one of the highest death tolls in Alabama during a massive tornadic system in April 27, 2011, the 2011 Super Outbreak. A total of 31 deaths were reported in the county, 25 of them being a result of the 2011 Rainsville tornado, the last EF5 of the outbreak..

## Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 779 square miles (2,020 km$^2$), of which 777 square miles (2,010 km$^2$) is land and 1.6 square miles (4.1 km$^2$) (0.2%) is water.

### Adjacent counties

* Jackson County – north
* Dade County, Georgia – northeast (EST)
* Walker County, Georgia – east (EST)
* Chattooga County, Georgia – east (EST)
* Cherokee County – southeast
* Etowah County – south
* Marshall County – west

### National protected area

* Little River Canyon National Preserve (part)

## Demographics
### 2020 census

DeKalb County, Alabama – Racial and ethnic composition Note: the US Census treats Hispanic/Latino as an ethnic category. This table excludes Latinos from the racial categories and assigns them to a separate category. Hispanics/Latinos may be of any race. :
| Race / Ethnicity (NH = Non-Hispanic) | Pop 2000 | Pop 2010 | Pop 2020 | % 2000 | % 2010 | % 2020 |
| White alone (NH) | 58,436 | 57,997 | 54,529 | 90.67% | 81.56% | 76.15% |
| Black or African American alone (NH) | 1,064 | 1,029 | 1,019 | 1.65% | 1.45% | 1.42% |
| Native American or Alaska Native alone (NH) | 478 | 865 | 715 | 0.74% | 1.22% | 1.00% |
| Asian alone (NH) | 105 | 166 | 237 | 0.16% | 0.23% | 0.33% |
| Pacific Islander alone (NH) | 13 | 35 | 16 | 0.02% | 0.05% | 0.02% |
| Other race alone (NH) | 11 | 41 | 86 | 0.02% | 0.06% | 0.12% |
| Mixed race or Multiracial (NH) | 767 | 1,286 | 3,262 | 1.19% | 1.81% | 4.56% |
| Hispanic or Latino (any race) | 3,578 | 9,690 | 11,744 | 5.55% | 13.63% | 16.40% |
| Total | 64,452 | 71,109 | 71,608 | 100.00% | 100.00% | 100.00% |
As of the 2020 United States census, there were 71,608 people, 24,880 households, and 16,366 families residing in the county.

### 2010 census

As of the census of 2010, there were 71,109 people, 26,842 households, and 19,361 families living in the county. The population density was 92 people per square mile (36 people/km$^2$). There were 31,109 housing units at an average density of 39.9 units per square mile (15.4 units/km$^2$). The racial makeup of the county was 84.5% White (non-Hispanic), 1.5% Black or African American, 1.4% Native American, 0.3% Asian, 0.2% Pacific Islander, 9.9% from other races, and 2.2% from two or more races. 13.6% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.

### 2000 census

As of the census of 2000, there were 64,452 people, 25,113 households, and 18,432 families living in the county. The population density was 83 people per square mile (32 people/km$^2$). There were 28,051 housing units at an average density of 36 units per square mile (14 units/km$^2$). The racial makeup of the county was 92.55% White (non-Hispanic), 1.68% Black or African American, 0.80% Native American, 0.19% Asian, 0.06% Pacific Islander, 3.10% from other races, and 1.62% from two or more races. 5.55% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.
According to the census of 2000, the largest ancestry groups in DeKalb County were English 78.31%, Scotch-Irish 8.29%, Scottish 3.33%, Irish 3.31%, Welsh 1.22%, and African 1.68%.

## Transportation
### Major highways

* Interstate 59
* U.S. Route 11
* State Route 35
* State Route 40
* State Route 68
* State Route 75
* State Route 117
* State Route 176
* State Route 227

### Rail

* Norfolk Southern Railway

## Government

DeKalb County is strongly Republican. Eighty-four percent of its voters supported Donald Trump in 2020, and no Democrat has carried it since Southerner Jimmy Carter did so in 1976. Populist appeal in the county during the period of "Redemption" meant that even during the "Solid South" era DeKalb County sometimes supported victorious Republican presidential candidates, as it did during the three Republican landslides of the 1920s.
United States presidential election results for DeKalb County, Alabama :
| Year | Republican | Republican | Democratic | Democratic | Third party(ies) | Third party(ies) |
| Year | No. | % | No. | % | No. | % |
| 2024 | 25,633 | 86.42% | 3,758 | 12.67% | 269 | 0.91% |
| 2020 | 24,767 | 84.37% | 4,281 | 14.58% | 308 | 1.05% |
| 2016 | 21,405 | 82.88% | 3,622 | 14.02% | 799 | 3.09% |
| 2012 | 18,331 | 76.54% | 5,239 | 21.87% | 380 | 1.59% |
| 2008 | 17,957 | 74.77% | 5,658 | 23.56% | 400 | 1.67% |
| 2004 | 16,904 | 69.94% | 7,092 | 29.34% | 173 | 0.72% |
| 2000 | 12,827 | 63.23% | 7,056 | 34.78% | 402 | 1.98% |
| 1996 | 9,823 | 54.14% | 6,544 | 36.07% | 1,776 | 9.79% |
| 1992 | 10,519 | 48.73% | 8,245 | 38.20% | 2,821 | 13.07% |
| 1988 | 11,478 | 60.60% | 7,333 | 38.72% | 129 | 0.68% |
| 1984 | 12,098 | 62.53% | 7,212 | 37.27% | 39 | 0.20% |
| 1980 | 9,673 | 51.75% | 8,820 | 47.19% | 197 | 1.05% |
| 1976 | 6,597 | 40.14% | 9,759 | 59.37% | 81 | 0.49% |
| 1972 | 9,434 | 71.27% | 3,759 | 28.40% | 44 | 0.33% |
| 1968 | 5,314 | 35.76% | 1,274 | 8.57% | 8,271 | 55.66% |
| 1964 | 6,746 | 57.69% | 0 | 0.00% | 4,948 | 42.31% |
| 1960 | 5,585 | 48.82% | 5,844 | 51.08% | 12 | 0.10% |
| 1956 | 5,684 | 49.56% | 5,768 | 50.30% | 16 | 0.14% |
| 1952 | 3,997 | 43.37% | 5,209 | 56.52% | 11 | 0.12% |
| 1948 | 2,743 | 43.31% | 0 | 0.00% | 3,590 | 56.69% |
| 1944 | 2,627 | 37.52% | 4,366 | 62.35% | 9 | 0.13% |
| 1940 | 2,810 | 34.02% | 5,432 | 65.77% | 17 | 0.21% |
| 1936 | 4,620 | 42.92% | 6,121 | 56.87% | 23 | 0.21% |
| 1932 | 3,496 | 44.88% | 4,217 | 54.13% | 77 | 0.99% |
| 1928 | 5,761 | 59.27% | 3,957 | 40.71% | 2 | 0.02% |
| 1924 | 3,434 | 53.35% | 3,003 | 46.65% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1920 | 4,852 | 55.17% | 3,894 | 44.28% | 49 | 0.56% |
| 1916 | 1,190 | 39.35% | 1,787 | 59.09% | 47 | 1.55% |
| 1912 | 492 | 19.49% | 1,379 | 54.61% | 654 | 25.90% |
| 1908 | 1,103 | 43.15% | 1,395 | 54.58% | 58 | 2.27% |
| 1904 | 1,237 | 40.31% | 1,716 | 55.91% | 116 | 3.78% |

## Communities
### Cities

* Fort Payne (county seat)
* Henagar
* Rainsville

### Towns

* Collinsville (partly in Cherokee County)
* Crossville
* Fyffe
* Geraldine
* Hammondville
* Ider
* Lakeview
* Mentone
* Pine Ridge
* Powell
* Sand Rock (mostly in Cherokee County)
* Shiloh
* Sylvania
* Valley Head

### Unincorporated communities

* Adamsburg
* Alpine
* Aroney
* Beaty Crossroads
* Cartersville
* Chigger Hill
* Dawson
* Dog Town
* Grove Oak
* Guest
* Hopewell
* Lake Howard
* Loveless
* Sulphur Springs
* Ten Broeck
* Whiton

### Ghost towns

* Battelle
* Bootsville
* Rawlingsville