Cardiff

Cardiff is located in west-central Jefferson County in the central part of the state. It has a mayor/city council form of government.

The first settlers in the Cardiff area came in the 1830s. The town was built near coal mines for workers of the Sloss Iron and Steel Company under the direction of Edward M. Tutwiler. A chief engineer of the Georgia Pacific, Tutwiler oversaw the construction of mining camps for the railroad in the 1880s. Many of the subsequent residents had mined in Scotland and Wales; the town was named for Cardiff, Wales. The many Scottish and Welsh immigrants formed their own soccer team, called the Cardiff Primrose Football Club.

After several attempts in the 1890s, the town officially incorporated in January 1900, when it boasted more than 560 residents, several stores, two blacksmith shops, and a saloon. In 1911, the town instituted a street tax of $2.50 a year that would be waived if the male members of a household spent time three days a week on street upkeep. Maintenance of town streets was carried out in this manner until 1946. Cardiff's downtown burned on July 20, 1919, causing a general downturn in the town's fortunes. The area also was hit with a series of mine strikes at the same time, so most of the businesses did not rebuild. By 1930, the population had dropped to 146.

According to 2020 Census estimates, Cardiff recorded a population of 46. Of that number, 100.0 percent of respondents identified themselves as white. The per capita income was $17,035.

Employment

According to 2016 Census estimates, the workforce in Cardiff was divided among the following industrial categories:

Students in Cardiff attend Jefferson County schools; no public schools are located within the town limits.

County Highway 71 runs north-south through the town. Five Mile Creek forms the southern border of the town. Interstate 22 that connects Birmingham, Jefferson County, with Memphis, Tennessee, is located just south of the town. The Norfolk Southern Railway operates a line that runs through its southern edge.

Additional Resources

Jefferson County Heritage Book Committee. The Heritage of Jefferson County, Alabama. Clanton, Ala.: Heritage Publishing Consultants, 2002.