Highland Lakes, AL

Highland Lakes is a census-designated place in Shelby County, located within the Highland Lakes subdivision off U.S. 280. It sits atop Double Oak Mountain, a southern extension of the Appalachian Mountains, which gives the community a higher, more tucked-away feel than many Birmingham-area suburbs. This is best understood as a planned residential enclave rather than a full town, with the appeal centered on homes, gates, lakes, mountain terrain, and access to the U.S. 280 corridor.