Alabaster, AL

Alabaster's civic center occupies part of the former Siluria Cotton Mill complex, tying the present city directly to the industry that shaped its early growth. The mill opened along Buck Creek in 1896, and the surrounding Siluria community developed beside nearby Alabaster. Alabaster incorporated in 1953 and merged with Siluria in 1971. A historic water tower and small 19th-century jail remain on the municipal-complex grounds. The city recorded 33,284 residents in 2020, followed by a July 2025 estimate of 34,748. Census estimates for 2020–2024 put owner occupancy at 87.1 percent, the median owner-occupied value at $261,700, monthly costs for owners with a mortgage at $1,563, and median gross rent at $1,372. Workers' mean travel time was 30.6 minutes, useful context for a city connected to the Birmingham region by Interstate 65 and U.S. 31. Parks and recurring public events provide much of Alabaster's local calendar.

ATTRRivers Langley; SaveRivers / CC BY-SA 3.0

Veterans Park has five youth ballfields, two miles of lighted walking trails, ponds, disc golf, a dog park, skate park, playgrounds, pavilions, and an educational nature area. Buck Creek Park links athletic fields and a quarter-mile track to the one-mile Buck Creek Trail, which reaches the Depot area and passes fishing access, benches, and creekside space. City-run annual events include CityFest on the Thompson High School campus, a fall festival with arts, food, rides, and live music, a Christmas parade, and summer Dinner and Movie gatherings with food trucks. The Albert L. Scott Library currently provides physical and digital collections through CamelliaNet, Polaris, and Hoopla. Its role is set to expand: construction is underway on a roughly 19,000-square-foot library and an adjoining recreation center with three indoor courts, an indoor walking track, fitness space, and meeting rooms, with completion projected for spring or summer 2027.