Gordo, Alabama

Gordo, Alabama
Town
Location in Pickens County and the state of Alabama Location in Pickens County and the state of Alabama
Coordinates:
Country	United States
State	Alabama
County	Pickens
Government
• Mayor	Craig Patterson
Area
• Total	3.2 sq mi (8.2 km2)
• Land	3.2 sq mi (8.2 km2)
• Water	0 sq mi (0 km2)
Elevation	282 ft (86 m)
Population (2000)
• Total	1,677
• Density	524.1/sq mi (204.5/km2)
Time zone	Central (CST) (UTC−6)
• Summer (DST)	CDT (UTC−5)
ZIP code	35466
Area code	205
FIPS code	01-30736
GNIS feature ID	0119169

Gordo is a town in Pickens County, Alabama, United States. At the 2000 census the population was 1,677.

History

A post office called Gordo has been in operation since 1847. The name of the town likely commemorates the 1847 Battle of Cerro Gordo in the Mexican–American War.

Geography

Gordo is located at (33.321461, -87.903729).

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 3.2 square miles (8.3 km²), of which 3.2 square miles (8.3 km²) is land and 0.31% is water.

Demographics

Historical population
Census	Pop.		%±
1910	707		—
1920	642		−9.2%
1930	811		26.3%
1940	934		15.2%
1950	952		1.9%
1960	1,714		80.0%
1970	1,991		16.2%
1980	2,112		6.1%
1990	1,918		−9.2%
2000	1,677		−12.6%
2010	1,750		4.4%
Est. 2014	1,689		−3.5%
U.S. Decennial Census 2013 Estimate

As of the 2010 United States Census, there were 1,750 people residing in the town. 58.9% were White, 37.8% African American, 0.2% Native American, 0.2% Asian, 0.9% from some other race and 2.0% of two or more races. 1.5% were Hispanic or Latino of any race.

As of the census of 2000, there were 1,677 people, 728 households, and 474 families residing in the town. The population density was 527.1 people per square mile (203.6/km²). There were 810 housing units at an average density of 254.6 per square mile (98.3/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 58.91% White, 40.31% Black or African American, 0.18% Native American, 0.30% from other races, and 0.30% from two or more races. 1.25% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.

There were 728 households out of which 27.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 45.3% were married couples living together, 17.6% had a female householder with no husband present, and 34.8% were non-families. 33.0% of all households were made up of individuals and 17.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.30 and the average family size was 2.92.

In the town the age distribution of the population shows 24.2% under the age of 18, 8.8% from 18 to 24, 24.3% from 25 to 44, 23.9% from 45 to 64, and 18.8% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 41 years. For every 100 females there were 82.5 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 77.0 males.

The median income for a household in the town was $23,813, and the median income for a family was $35,714. Males had a median income of $27,500 versus $21,029 for females. The per capita income for the town was $13,937. About 17.5% of families and 23.1% of the population were below the poverty line, including 32.4% of those under age 18 and 19.3% of those age 65 or over.

Education

Education in Gordo is overseen and governed by the Pickens County Board of Education. Students of Gordo and its surrounding areas are served by Gordo Elementary School and Gordo High School.

Notable people

• Verdo Elmore, former Major League Baseball player for the St. Louis Browns
• Larry Blakeney, former Auburn quarterback and head coach at Troy University.