Clanton is a city in Chilton County, Alabama, United States. It is part of theBirmingham–Hoover–Cullman Combined Statistical Area. At the 2010 census the population was 8,619. The city is the county seat of Chilton County. Clanton is the site of the geographic center of the U.S state ofAlabama.
The town was founded by Alfred Baker in 1868, when Chilton County was formed. Clanton was named in honor of General James H. Clanton, abrigadier in the Confederate States Army, and was incorporated on April 23, 1873. Baker was also elected first mayor of the town. Nearby Lay Lake Dam and Mitchell Dam became Alabama Power's first two dams in the state, bringing economic improvements to the area. Immigrants played a part in starting the county's peach industry more than a century ago. Today, the peach industry is the number one industry in Chilton County, not only bringing fame to the county, but also millions of dollars to the local economy. The city of Clanton constructed a water tower in the form of a peach in 1993, becoming a landmark for travelers along Interstate 65.
Early civil rights activist Ida B. Wells reproduced a photographic postcard depicting an 1891 lynching in Clanton to educate the white public of the atrocities committed against blacks.
During World War II, a small German prisoner of war camp was located in Clanton.
Clanton is located southeast of the center of Chilton County at 32°50'23.316" North, 86°37'41.477" West (32.839810, -86.628188).Clanton, Alabama, in Chilton county, is 37 miles NW of Montgomery, Alabama (center to center) and 144 miles SW of Atlanta, Georgia.
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 22.1 square miles (57.2 km2), of which 21.9 square miles (56.8 km2) is land and 0.15 square miles (0.4 km2), or 0.62%, is water.
The Chilton County School System provides public education for Clanton. Students in Clanton may attend any public school in Chilton County.[18]
High schools
Chilton County High School (Grades 9 through 12)
LeCroy Technical Center (Grades 10 through 12)
Middle school
Clanton Middle School (Grades 6 through 8)
Elementary schools
Clanton Intermediate School (Grades 3 through 5)
Clanton Elementary School (Grades K through 2)
College
Jefferson State Community College - Chilton-Clanton Campus
Clanton has hosted the annual Chilton County Peach Festival since 1952.
The Clanton Conference and Performing Arts Center (CCPAC) is a multi-purpose facility adjacent to the Jefferson State Community College–Clanton campus. The City of Clanton and Jefferson State Community College have worked closely to develop a state-of-the-art multi-purpose facility for trade shows, special events and conferences.
Clanton Parks & Rec: