
· Founding Date: June 29, 1815
· Area: 1,025 square miles
· Population: 21,975 (2016 Census estimate)
· Major Waterways: Alabama River
· Major Highways: U.S. 84
· County Seat: Monroeville
· Largest City: Monroeville
· Area: 1,025 square miles
· Population: 21,975 (2016 Census estimate)
· Major Waterways: Alabama River
· Major Highways: U.S. 84
· County Seat: Monroeville
· Largest City: Monroeville
History

Claiborne served as the first county seat of Monroe County. In 1832, the seat was moved to the more centrally located Monroeville. A year later, the first county courthouse burned and all records were lost. A new brick courthouse and jail were constructed in the 1850s. In 1903, the Monroe County government built a new courthouse, and the old building became the county's first bank. The 1903 courthouse, now known as the Old Courthouse, is part of the Monroe County Heritage Museum. The present-day courthouse, known as the New Courthouse, was built in 1963 and continues to serve Monroe County.
Major Cities and Demographics

Economy

Employment
According to 2016 Census estimates, the workforce in Monroe County was divided among the following industrial categories:
· Manufacturing (20.0 percent)
· Educational services, and health care and social assistance (18.0 percent)
· Retail trade (11.7 percent)
· Arts, entertainment, recreation, and accommodation and food services (8.6 percent)
· Public administration (7.8 percent)
· Construction (7.6 percent)
· Transportation and warehousing, and utilities (7.3 percent)
· Professional, scientific, management, and administrative and waste management services (6.0 percent)
· Other services, except public administration (4.7 percent)
· Agriculture, forestry, fishing and hunting, and extractive (2.9 percent)
· Finance and insurance, and real estate, rental, and leasing (2.1 percent)
· Wholesale trade (1.8 percent)
· Information (1.2 percent)
· Educational services, and health care and social assistance (18.0 percent)
· Retail trade (11.7 percent)
· Arts, entertainment, recreation, and accommodation and food services (8.6 percent)
· Public administration (7.8 percent)
· Construction (7.6 percent)
· Transportation and warehousing, and utilities (7.3 percent)
· Professional, scientific, management, and administrative and waste management services (6.0 percent)
· Other services, except public administration (4.7 percent)
· Agriculture, forestry, fishing and hunting, and extractive (2.9 percent)
· Finance and insurance, and real estate, rental, and leasing (2.1 percent)
· Wholesale trade (1.8 percent)
· Information (1.2 percent)
Education
The Monroe County school system employs approximately 560 teachers and administrators who serve more than 4,300 students in 12 primary and secondary schools. Monroe Academy, a private K–12 school located in Monroeville, employs approximately 24 teachers and administrators who serve more than 550 students. A branch of Coastal Alabama Community College, a two-year institution, is located in Monroeville and offers academic and technical education programs.
Geography

The Alabama River runs along the western border of the county and is home to 144 species of fish. Tributaries of the lower Alabama River fan out across the county, offering a range of recreational opportunities and scenic views. Monroeville is the only major city in the lower basin.
U.S. Highway 84 is Monroe County's major transportation route. It runs east-west in a southerly direction across the middle of the county. The Monroe County Airport and the Monroeville Aviation and Avionics Center are the county's two airports.
Events and Places of Interest
Monroe County offers many opportunities for recreational activities. Located in the southeast part of the county, the Claude Kelley State Park (also known as Little River State Park) covers 960 acres and includes a 25-acre lake. The park offers visitors a range of outdoor activities, including swimming, fishing, boating, picnicking, and camping. The Monroe County State Lake is a 94-acre lake located just west of Beatrice known for its bass, channel catfish, and bluegill fishing.

The community of Claiborne is an abandoned town located on the Old Federal Road. It was the site of Fort Claiborne, a stockade established by Gen. Ferdinand Claiborne during the Creek War of 1813-14. The fort was a stop on the Marquis de Lafayette's tour of the United States in 1825 to celebrate the nation's 50th anniversary. Today, visitors can tour the James Dellet plantation and three historic cemeteries. Just south of Claiborne, visitors can tour one of the state's oldest buildings, the Perdue Hill Masonic Hall, built in 1823.
Each May, the Alabama Writers' Symposium meets at Coastal Alabama Community College. Published and aspiring writers from Monroe County and the rest of the state come together to read and critique each other's writing. The old railroad town of Peterman hosts the annual Peterman Station Arts and Crafts Show in November.
Additional Resources
Brantley, Mary E. Early Settlers along the Old Federal Road in Monroe and Conecuh Counties, Alabama. Baltimore: Gateway Press, 1976.
Additional Resources
Brantley, Mary E. Early Settlers along the Old Federal Road in Monroe and Conecuh Counties, Alabama. Baltimore: Gateway Press, 1976.
The Heritage of Monroe County, Alabama. Clanton, Ala.: Heritage Publishing Consultants, 2004.