Located in east-central Alabama, Coosa County is home to several recreational water resources, including Lay Lake, Lake Martin, and Mitchell Lake. During the late twentieth century, the county was a center of the textile industry. The county is governed by an elected five-member commission and includes three incorporated communities.
· Founding Date: December 18, 1832
· Area: 657 square miles
· Population: 10,864 (2016 Census estimate)
· Major Waterways: Coosa River
· Major Highways: U.S. 280, U.S. 231
· County Seat: Rockford
· Largest City: Goodwater
· Area: 657 square miles
· Population: 10,864 (2016 Census estimate)
· Major Waterways: Coosa River
· Major Highways: U.S. 280, U.S. 231
· County Seat: Rockford
· Largest City: Goodwater
History

Major Cities and Demographics

Economy

In 1966, textile manufacturer Avondale Mills opened a plant in Coosa County, providing the county with several hundred jobs in its spinning facilities. In 1999, the plant employed 350 workers and was producing 350,000 pounds of yarn per year. In May 2006, Avondale Mills announced plans to close its Coosa County plant. Madix Inc., a manufacturer of office and store fixtures, partitions, and shelving, constructed a plant in Goodwater in the 1990s. Other business include Sterling Lumber Company, a sawmill and planing company, and Wingfield Engineering, a custom controls manufacturer and fabricator company.
Employment
According to 2016 Census estimates, the workforce in Coosa County was divided among the following industrial categories:
· Manufacturing (20.3 percent)
· Educational services, and health care and social assistance (18.7 percent)
· Transportation and warehousing, and utilities (11.4 percent)
· Professional, scientific, management, and administrative and waste management services (9.7 percent)
· Arts, entertainment, recreation, and accommodation and food services (7.8 percent)
· Retail trade (7.2 percent)
· Public administration (6.6 percent)
· Construction (5.7 percent)
· Finance and insurance, and real estate, rental, and leasing (4.5 percent)
· Other services, except public administration (4.2 percent)
· Wholesale trade (1.8 percent)
· Agriculture, forestry, fishing and hunting, and extractive (1.1 percent)
· Information (1.0 percent)
· Educational services, and health care and social assistance (18.7 percent)
· Transportation and warehousing, and utilities (11.4 percent)
· Professional, scientific, management, and administrative and waste management services (9.7 percent)
· Arts, entertainment, recreation, and accommodation and food services (7.8 percent)
· Retail trade (7.2 percent)
· Public administration (6.6 percent)
· Construction (5.7 percent)
· Finance and insurance, and real estate, rental, and leasing (4.5 percent)
· Other services, except public administration (4.2 percent)
· Wholesale trade (1.8 percent)
· Agriculture, forestry, fishing and hunting, and extractive (1.1 percent)
· Information (1.0 percent)
Education
The Coosa County School System currently employs approximately 100 teachers who serve more than 1,700 students in six schools.
Geography

The Coosa River runs along the western border of the county, and several of its tributaries cross the county. The county's major transportation routes are U.S. 280, which runs north-south in the northeastern corner of the county, and U.S. 231, which runs north-south through the center of the county. Coosa County Airport in Goodwater is the county's only public airport.
Events and Places of Interest

Additional Resources
Brewer, George. History of Coosa County, Alabama. Easley, S.C.: Southern Historical Press, 1987.
Heritage of Coosa County, Alabama. Clanton, Ala.: Heritage Publishing Consultants, Inc., 1999.