The largest city in Escambia County, Atmore is located in southwestern Alabama near the Florida state line. It has a mayor-city council form of government. The Poarch Band of Creek Indians, the only federally recognized Indian Tribe in the state of Alabama, maintain their government headquarters and operate their Wind Creek Casino in Atmore. Famed boxer Evander Holyfield was born in Atmore.
History


Atmore became an agricultural center in the early part of the twentieth century, with cotton, corn, and potatoes being the dominant crops, and during the first two decades of the twentieth century the town was also a major producer of satsuma oranges. In the latter half of the century, cotton was largely replaced with soybeans and wheat as the major cash crops. Major industries in the latter half of the century included a natural gas processing plant, a carpet manufacturer, and a chemical company. In 1985, the Poarch Band of Creek Indians opened the first of what would be several casinos in Atmore.
Demographics
According to 2016 Census estimates, Atmore recorded a population of 10,067. Of that number, 50.2 percent identified themselves as African American, 44.7 percent as white, 1.9 as two or more races, 1.5 percent as Native American, and 0.8 percent as Hispanic. The town's median household income was $24,587 and the per capita income was $15,014.
Employment
The workforce in Atmore, according to 2016 Census estimates, was divided among the following industrial categories:
- Manufacturing (19.9 percent)
- Educational services, and health care and social assistance (16.0 percent)
- Retail trade (12.0 percent)
- Arts, entertainment, recreation, and accommodation and food services (11.2 percent)
- Transportation and warehousing and utilities (7.6 percent)
- Finance, insurance, and real estate, rental, and leasing (6.2 percent)
- Professional, scientific, management, and administrative and waste management services (6.2 percent)
- Construction (4.9 percent)
- Public administration (4.9 percent)
- Other services, except public administration (3.5 percent)
- Agriculture, forestry, fishing and hunting, and extractive (3.7 percent)
- Wholesale trade (2.3 percent)
- Information (1.6 percent)
Education
Schools in Atmore are part of the Escambia County School District; the town has two elementary schools, one middle school, and one high school as well as two private K-12 schools. Jefferson Davis Community College maintains a campus in Atmore, and the Reid State Technical College School of Nursing is also located in the town.
Transportation
Atmore is bisected by U.S. Highway 31 (east to west) and State Highway 21 (north-south). It is located five miles southeast of Interstate 65, connected to it by County Road 1. The Atmore Municipal Airport is located southeast of town; it has one runway.
Events and Places of Interest

The Atmore Country Club has a nine-hole golf course, and the Atmore YMCA offers a number of recreational programs, such as soccer, basketball, dance, and gymnastics. The Atmore Dragway and the Atmore Motocross Park hold regular races that draw competitors from across the South. Two wilderness areas, the Little River State Forest and the Magnolia Branch Wildlife Reserve, are located within a 20-minute drive of the town.

The nearby Poarch Band of Creek Indians, the only federally recognized Indian Tribe in the state of Alabama, operates the Wind Creek Casino and Hotel, located five miles north of Atmore. The Poarch Creeks hold an annual Thanksgiving Pow Wow each November.
Additional Resources
Escambia County Heritage Book Committee. The Heritage of Escambia County, Alabama. Clanton, Ala.: Heritage Publishing Consultants, 2002.
Additional Resources
Escambia County Heritage Book Committee. The Heritage of Escambia County, Alabama. Clanton, Ala.: Heritage Publishing Consultants, 2002.