BlockLeeds, Alabama
27 topographic sheets cover this place, the earliest surveyed in 1889 and the latest in 1998. It stands in the Leeds census division. It lies in ZIP code area 35094. It lies near Mill Ridge. The Survey maps it on the Leeds quadrangle. 12,324 people lived here at the 2020 count. It stands 627 feet above sea level.
On record in Leeds
Buildings and businesses the archive holds for this place. Each opens its own page, with the source record it came from.
On the National Register 3 records
- Jonathan W. Bass Houselisted 2008
- Leeds Downtown Historic Districtlisted 1995
- Southern Railroad Depotlisted 1983
Population over time
2 figuresLeeds grew from 11,773 to 12,324 between 2010 and 2020. These are the recorded population figures Wikidata holds for this place, reached through the Geographic Names Information System number this page is keyed on rather than by name, so they belong to this place and not to another of the same name. Most are census counts, but not all are: an early figure may be a founding or settlement estimate, and an estimate published within five years of a census is left out. The change column is computed, and is left blank where more than 20 years separate a figure from the one before it, because a gap that long is not a change between two counts.
| Year | People | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2010 | 11,773 | |
| 2020 | 12,324 | +551 (+5%) |
Topographic sheets covering this place
13 surveys from 27 printed sheetsMatched by testing this settlement's coordinate against the published boundary of every sheet in the United States Geological Survey's historical collection. Each opens the scanned sheet at the Survey.
- 1889 USGS Birmingham quadrangle1:125000
- 1892 USGS Birmingham quadrangle1:125000
- 1895 USGS Birmingham quadrangle1:125000, 2 printings
- 1905 USGS Leeds quadrangle1:62500
- 1907 USGS Birmingham quadrangle1:125000, 5 printings
- 1907 USGS Leeds quadrangle1:62500, 3 printings
- 1953 USGS Birmingham quadrangle1:250000, 4 printings
- 1956 USGS Birmingham quadrangle1:250000
- 1957 USGS Birmingham quadrangle1:250000
- 1959 USGS Leeds quadrangle1:24000, 4 printings
- 1975 USGS Leeds quadrangle1:24000
- 1984 USGS Birmingham North quadrangle1:100000, 2 printings
- 1998 USGS Leeds quadrangle1:24000
Fires near this place
145 since 1994Regional context, not property-specific evidence. The federal wildfire occurrence database lists 145 fires within 5 miles of Leeds between 1994 and 2018, burning about 3,430 acres in total. 2 started naturally. 52 were recorded as arson. Distance is straight-line from the map coordinates, so a fire counted here may appear on a neighbouring settlement's page as well.
| Reported cause | Fires |
|---|---|
| Arson/incendiarism | 52 |
| Debris and open burning | 43 |
| Missing data/not specified/undetermined | 34 |
| Recreation and ceremony | 6 |
| Railroad operations and maintenance | 3 |
| Natural | 2 |
| Misuse of fire by a minor | 2 |
| Smoking | 2 |
| Equipment and vehicle use | 1 |
The most recent of them, most recent first, with the day each was reported and the service that recorded it.
| Date | Cause | Size | Reported by | Name on the report |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 7 September 1995 | Debris and open burning | 1.3 acres | Alabama Forestry Commission | not named |
| 3 September 1995 | Misuse of fire by a minor | 2.0 acres | Alabama Forestry Commission | not named |
| 17 September 2016 | Arson/incendiarism | 1.0 acres | Alabama Forestry Commission | 20160917-6 |
| 17 September 2003 | Smoking | under an acre | Alabama Forestry Commission | SMITH-SIMS ROAD, AL |
| 17 September 1999 | Arson/incendiarism | under an acre | Alabama Forestry Commission | not named |
| 16 September 1999 | Debris and open burning | 1.0 acres | Alabama Forestry Commission | not named |
| 16 September 1997 | Missing data/not specified/undetermined | 4.0 acres | Alabama Forestry Commission | not named |
| 13 September 1997 | Arson/incendiarism | 1.0 acres | Alabama Forestry Commission | not named |
Settlements close enough to share some of these fires:
Mines and quarries near this place
7 within 5 milesRegional context, not property-specific evidence. The federal mineral resources record lists 7 workings within 5 miles of Leeds: 4 past producers, 2 producers, 1 plant. 3 still produce. What was taken out: Iron, Barium-Barite, Sand and Gravel, Construction, Stone. Distance is straight-line from the map coordinates, so a quarry counted here may appear on a neighbouring settlement's page as well.
| Where | Site | Commodity | Status | Recorded |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Leeds Cement Plant | Stone | Plant | ||
| Leeds Mine & Quarry | Clay, Stone, Crushed/Broken | Producer | ||
| U.S. Steel Corp. Pit | Sand and Gravel, Construction | Producer | ||
| J M Dorough Mine | Barium-Barite | Past Producer | ||
| J.M. Dorough | Barium-Barite | Past Producer | Residual | |
| Leeds Brown Fe Mines | Iron | Past Producer | Residual | |
| Leeds Brown Iron Ore Mines | Iron | Past Producer | Goethite |
Storms near this place
18 since 1994Regional context, not property-specific evidence. The National Weather Service names Leeds in 18 storm reports between 1994 and 2025: 9 thunderstorm wind, 5 hail, 2 flash flood, 1 funnel cloud. The reports record 1 death. Each account below is quoted exactly as the forecast office filed it, from the NOAA Storm Events Database, and each date opens the federal record of that event.
| When | Event | Place named | Harm | What the report says |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| February 2008 | Tornado (EF1) | Leeds | 1 killed, $1,000,000 | After investigating a very complex pattern of widespread damage with both a ground survey team and an aerial survey, surveys teams concluded that a portion of the damage in the city of Leeds was caused by a tornado. The tornado touched down east of Interstate 20 near Henry Ellen Rd, where trees falling on a mobile home caused one fatality to an elderly woman. The tornado tracked east-southeastward, roughly between the railroad tracks and US-78 towards the city center. There was significant roof damage to several buildings along Highway 78 from Leeds City Park in the downtown area, windows were blown out of several businesses, buildings were partially de-roofed, and the brick facade of one building was collapsed. The old rock wool warehouse facility received major irreparable damage. The most concentrated and significant material damage occured near Leeds High School. Fencing around the girls softball field was mangled and twisted, and a large batting catch was overturned and rolled. Tall wooden utility poles with field lighting were snapped half way up. Several homes just to the east of the athletic fields received significant damage. Over the path of this tornado, an estimated 30 to 40 homes and 20 to 30 businesses were damaged or destroyed. Several hundred trees were either snapped off or were uprooted along the path. Aside from the one fatality, no other injuries were reported. |
| June 1999 | Flash Flood | Leeds | $300,000 | Three to five inches of rain, most in a two hour period, caused area streams and creeks to overflow. According to newspaper reports, at least 18 homes and 14 businesses were flooded. Several roads were flooded and were temporarily closed. Many residents were rescued by the Leeds Fire Department. The Leeds Fire House was also substantially damaged by the high water. |
| September 2009 | Flash Flood | Leeds | $50,000 | Many streets in the city of Leeds had to be closed due to flooding. Several cars became stranded in the flood waters. |
| July 1999 | Thunderstorm Wind | Leeds | $50,000 | Brief heavy rain, small hail, and damaging wind occurred in Leeds. The wind collapsed a roof at Ron's Automotive in Leeds. The collapsed roof damaged three cars inside the building and nine cars that were in the outside car lot. The storm also knocked down trees and produced minor damage to several mobile homes in Leeds Park. |
| April 2011 | Thunderstorm Wind | Leeds | $15,000 | Numerous trees were blown down across the city. At least one fell onto a house. |
| May 2005 | Thunderstorm Wind | Leeds | $8,000 | Several trees were knocked down in Leeds. |
| January 1997 | Hail | Leeds | $5,000 | no account filed |
| June 2010 | Thunderstorm Wind | Leeds | $3,000 | Several trees were blown down along Main Street. |
| April 2008 | Thunderstorm Wind | Leeds | $2,000 | A few trees were blown down just east of the city of Leeds. |
| November 2025 | Thunderstorm Wind | Leeds | - | Numerous trees were downed around Leeds, some falling on homes and vehicles. |
| May 2023 | Thunderstorm Wind | Leeds | - | Several trees uprooted in the city of Leeds. |
| May 2023 | Hail | Leeds | - | Nickel size hail reported just southwest of the city of Leeds. |
| June 2020 | Thunderstorm Wind | Leeds | - | Several trees uprooted in the city of Leeds. |
| April 2019 | Thunderstorm Wind | Leeds | - | Several trees uprooted in the city of Leeds. |
| May 2003 | Funnel Cloud | Leeds | - | A funnel cloud was reported over Leeds. |
| June 1994 | Hail | Leeds | - | Large tree limbs were downed in Trussville and three-quarter inch hail was reported in Leeds and Graysville. |
| April 2017 | Hail | Leeds | - | no account filed |
| February 2008 | Hail | Leeds | - | no account filed |
Nearest settlements
The eight closest, with where each one stands in the county. Distances are straight-line, computed from the Geographic Names Information System coordinates.
| Map | Place | Distance | Sheets |
|---|---|---|---|
| Maplewood | 0.8 miles | 27 | |
| Russell Heights | 0.9 miles | 27 | |
| Oak Crossing | 1.5 miles | 27 | |
| Cahaba Hills | 1.7 miles | 27 | |
| Scott City | 1.9 miles | 27 | |
| Cedar Grove (historical) | 2.5 miles | 27 | |
| Lola City | 3.5 miles | 27 | |
| Lovick | 3.8 miles | 27 |
Elsewhere
Matched on this settlement's Geographic Names Information System number rather than its name, so it cannot be a different place of the same name in another state.
| Wikipedia article on Leeds | An encyclopaedic summary. Its text is share-alike, so it is linked here rather than copied. |
| Wikidata item Q79869 | The structured record the population and elevation above come from. Public domain (CC0). |
Provenance
This settlement is recorded in the Geographic Names Information System as feature 152018. The sheet list is computed by point-in-boundary test against the United States Geological Survey's historical topographic inventory. Both are works of the United States government and carry no copyright under 17 U.S.C. 105.
Wildfire. Short, Karen C. 2022. Spatial wildfire occurrence data for the United States, 1992-2020 [FPA_FOD_20221014]. 6th Edition. Fort Collins, CO: Forest Service Research Data Archive. https://doi.org/10.2737/RDS-2013-0009.6 Collected with United States Government funding and usable without additional permissions or fees.
Mines and quarries. USGS Mineral Resources Data System (MRDS) https://mrdata.usgs.gov/mrds/ A work of the United States government, no copyright under 17 U.S.C. 105.
Storms. NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information, Storm Events Database https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/stormevents/ A work of the United States government, no copyright under 17 U.S.C. 105. Narratives are quoted verbatim from the National Weather Service report and are not edited or summarised.