Anniston, Alabama

**Anniston** is a city in, and county seat of, Calhoun County in the state of Alabama, United States. In 2020, the city had a population of 21,564.

## Chemical cleanup

In 2002, an investigation by_ 60 minutes_ showed Anniston was among the most toxic cities in the country. The main source of local contamination was a Monsanto chemical factory, which was closed.

## Notable Residents and Former Residents

- Francis T. Anderson, Civil War general.
- Michael Biehn, actor
- Anne Braden, Civil Rights activist
- June Burn, author
- Red Byron, NASCAR driver
- Asa Earl Carter, Segregationist, speech writer, and author of _The Education of Little Tree_
- Quinton Caver, American NFL football player
- B. B. Comer, Governor of Alabama.
- Michael Curry, NBA player
- Cow Cow Davenport, Boogie-woogie pianist
- Eric Davis, NFL corner back.
- William Levi Dawson, (b. 23 September 1899), composer of Negro Folk Symphony.
- Bobby Edwards, country singer
- Kevin Greene, retired American NFL football player
- Audrey Marie Hilley, famous for poisoning her husband and trying to poison her daughter.
- Thomas Kilby, Governor of Alabama.
- Perry Lentz, author and professor of English
- Lucky Millinder, Rhythm and blues and swing band leader and singer.
- Will Owsley, singer-songwriter.
- John L. Pennington, Newspaper publisher, governor of Dakota Territory.
- Patrick J. Que Smith, Grammy winning songwriter
- Shannon Spruill, professional wrestler
- David Satcher, former Surgeon General
- Vaughn Stewart, former NFL football player.

## Infobox (settlement)

- **official name**: Anniston, Alabama
- **settlement type**: City
- **nickname**: The Model City
- **image skyline**: Anniston, Alabama.JPG
- **image caption**: Downtown Anniston in 2012
- **image map**: File:Calhoun County Alabama Incorporated and Unincorporated areas Anniston Highlighted 0101852.svg
- **mapsize**: 250px
- **map caption**: Location of Anniston in Calhoun County, Alabama.
- **pushpin map**: Alabama#USA#North America
- **subdivision type**: List of sovereign states, Country
- **subdivision name**: United States
- **subdivision type1**: U.S. state, State
- **subdivision name1**: Alabama
- **subdivision type2**: List of counties in Alabama, County
- **subdivision name2**: Calhoun County, Alabama, Calhoun
- **established title**: Settled
- **established title2**: Municipal corporation, Incorporated
- **established date**: April 1872
- **established date2**: July 3, 1883
- **area total km2**: 118.87
- **area total sq mi**: 45.90
- **area land km2**: 118.69
- **area land sq mi**: 45.83
- **area water km2**: 0.18
- **area water sq mi**: 0.07
- **elevation m**: 219
- **elevation ft**: 719
- **population as of**: 2020 United States Census, 2020
- **population total**: 21564
- **population metro**: 116,736 (US: List of Metropolitan Statistical Areas, 327th)
- **population density km2**: 181.69
- **population density sq mi**: 470.57
- **timezone**: North American Central Time Zone, Central (CST)
- **utc offset**: -6
- **timezone dst**: CDT
- **utc offset dst**: -5
- **postal code type**: ZIP code
- **postal code**: 36201-36207
- **area code**: Area code 256, 256
- **area code type**: North American Numbering Plan, Area code
- **blank name**: Federal Information Processing Standard, FIPS code
- **blank info**: 01-01852
- **blank1 name**: Geographic Names Information System, GNIS feature ID
- **blank1 info**: 0159066
- **unit pref**: Imperial