Once an area of extensive paper and petroleum industries, Choctaw County is located in southwestern Alabama. The Choctaw National Wildlife Refuge, located near Coffeeville, is an important resting place for migrating birds and provides habitat for a number of Alabama animals. The county is governed by an elected four-member commission and includes seven incorporated communities.
· Founding Date: December 29, 1847
· Area: 909 square miles
· Population: 13,287 (2016 Census estimate)
· Major Waterways: Tombigbee River
· Major Highways: U.S. 84
· County seat: Butler
· Largest City: Butler
· Area: 909 square miles
· Population: 13,287 (2016 Census estimate)
· Major Waterways: Tombigbee River
· Major Highways: U.S. 84
· County seat: Butler
· Largest City: Butler
History

Major Cities and Demographics

Economy
Early settlers in Choctaw County produced cotton and other agricultural goods that they floated down the Tombigbee River to Mobile. The forestry industry has been the economic backbone of the county since its creation in 1847. In 1912, the railroad came to the county, reducing the reliance on water traffic and remained an important commercial transport method until the 1980s.

Employment
According to 2016 Census estimates, the workforce in Choctaw County was divided among the following industrial categories:
· Educational services, and health care and social assistance (25.1 percent)
· Manufacturing (19.5 percent)
· Retail trade (12.5 percent)
· Construction (8.5 percent)
· Agriculture, forestry, fishing and hunting, and extractive (8.3 percent)
· Transportation and warehousing, and utilities (6.0 percent)
· Professional, scientific, management, administrative and waste management services (4.7 percent)
· Other services, except public administration (4.6 percent)
· Arts, entertainment, and recreation, and accommodation and food services (2.9 percent)
· Finance and insurance, and real estate, rental, and leasing (2.6 percent)
· Public administration (2.2 percent)
· Information (1.9 percent)
· Wholesale trade (1.1 percent)
· Manufacturing (19.5 percent)
· Retail trade (12.5 percent)
· Construction (8.5 percent)
· Agriculture, forestry, fishing and hunting, and extractive (8.3 percent)
· Transportation and warehousing, and utilities (6.0 percent)
· Professional, scientific, management, administrative and waste management services (4.7 percent)
· Other services, except public administration (4.6 percent)
· Arts, entertainment, and recreation, and accommodation and food services (2.9 percent)
· Finance and insurance, and real estate, rental, and leasing (2.6 percent)
· Public administration (2.2 percent)
· Information (1.9 percent)
· Wholesale trade (1.1 percent)
Education
The Choctaw County School System currently employs nearly 140 teachers who serve more than 2,200 students in eight schools. In addition, there are two private schools in Choctaw County which enroll about 715 students.
Geography

The Tombigbee River flows along the eastern edge of the county, and several of its tributaries, including Wahalak, Big Tallawampa, Surveyors, Okatuppa, and Turkey creeks, cross the area. U.S. 84, running east-west in the southern part of the county, and State Highway 17, running north-south, are the county's major transportation routes. Butler-Choctaw County Airport is the county's only public airport.
Events and Places of Interest

Additional Resources
Heritage of Choctaw County, Alabama. Clanton, Ala.: Heritage Publishing Consultants, Inc., 2001.
Doggette, Edith. The Sims War. Huntsville, Ala.: Strode Publishers, 1982.