Shelby, Alabama

Shelby, Alabama
Census-designated place
Location of Shelby in Shelby County, Alabama.
Shelby, Alabama
Coordinates: 33°06′37″N 86°35′03″W
Country	United States
State	Alabama
County	Shelby
Area
• Total	19.01 sq mi (49.24 km2)
• Land	18.76 sq mi (48.59 km2)
• Water	0.25 sq mi (0.66 km2)
Elevation	495 ft (151 m)
Population  (2020)
• Total	940
• Density	50.11/sq mi (19.35/km2)
Time zone	UTC-6 (Central (CST))
• Summer (DST)	UTC-5 (CDT)
Area code(s)	205, 659
GNIS feature ID	126669

Shelby is a census-designated place and unincorporated community in Shelby County, Alabama, United States. Its population was 1,044 as of the 2010 census. The area is near Lay Lake and Waxahatchee Creek. Shelby Iron Park is located at the heart of the area. Two sites in Shelby, The Brick House and the Old Shelby Hotel, are listed on the Alabama Register of Landmarks and Heritage.

History

Shelby was home to the Shelby Iron Company. During the American Civil War, iron plating from the iron works was used on the CSS Tennessee, CSS Huntsville, and CSS Tuscaloosa. At this time, Shelby was connected to Columbiana by the Shelby Iron Company Railroad, which allowed the iron works to be connected to the Alabama and Tennessee River Railroad. A detachment of General Emory Upton's division of Wilson's Raiders destroyed the ironworks on March 31, 1865.

Demographics

Historical population

Census	Pop.	Note	%±
1880	567		—
1890	753		32.8%
2010	1,044		—
2020	940		−10.0%
U.S. Decennial Census

Shelby Iron Works was listed on the 1880 U.S. Census and was shortened to Shelby in 1890 as an incorporated town. It did not appear again as a separately returned community until 120 years later in 2010 as a census-designated place.