Pelham, AL

Pelham is a Shelby County city and Birmingham suburb, south of the metro's core. Its biggest local feature is Oak Mountain State Park, Alabama's largest state park, which gives Pelham real outdoor access alongside the usual suburban schools, subdivisions, and commercial corridors. Pelham City Schools began operating independently in 2014, helping give the city a clearer civic identity. The community is named for Confederate officer John Pelham, but modern Pelham is best understood as a family-oriented Birmingham-area suburb with unusually good park access.