BlockOur Town, Alabama
11 topographic sheets cover this place, the earliest surveyed in 1906 and the latest in 1981. It stands in the Alexander City census division. It lies in ZIP code area 35010. The Survey maps it on the Our Town quadrangle. 605 people lived here at the 2020 count. It stands 659 feet above sea level.
Population over time
2 figuresOur Town fell from 641 to 605 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 | 641 | |
| 2020 | 605 | -36 (-6%) |
Topographic sheets covering this place
6 surveys from 11 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.
- 1906 USGS Dadeville quadrangle1:125000, 3 printings
- 1955 USGS Phenix City quadrangle1:250000, 3 printings
- 1957 USGS Phenix City quadrangle1:250000
- 1958 USGS Phenix City quadrangle1:250000
- 1971 USGS Our Town quadrangle1:24000, 2 printings
- 1981 USGS Opelika quadrangle1:100000
Fires near this place
40 since 1994Regional context, not property-specific evidence. The federal wildfire occurrence database lists 40 fires within 5 miles of Our Town between 1994 and 2019, burning about 248 acres in total. 3 started naturally. 13 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 |
|---|---|
| Debris and open burning | 13 |
| Arson/incendiarism | 13 |
| Missing data/not specified/undetermined | 5 |
| Recreation and ceremony | 4 |
| Natural | 3 |
| Equipment and vehicle use | 1 |
| Fireworks | 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 24 September 2016 | Missing data/not specified/undetermined | 1.0 acres | Alabama Forestry Commission | 20160924-14 |
| 22 September 2018 | Missing data/not specified/undetermined | 1.0 acres | Alabama Forestry Commission | 20180922-8 |
| 16 September 1998 | Debris and open burning | 1.0 acres | Alabama Forestry Commission | not named |
| 9 August 2010 | Debris and open burning | 3.0 acres | Alabama Forestry Commission | not named |
| 29 August 2007 | Natural | 3.0 acres | Alabama Forestry Commission | not named |
| 29 August 2002 | Arson/incendiarism | under an acre | Alabama Forestry Commission | not named |
| 25 August 1998 | Arson/incendiarism | under an acre | Alabama Forestry Commission | not named |
| 24 August 2002 | Arson/incendiarism | 30 acres | Alabama Forestry Commission | not named |
Settlements close enough to share some of these fires:
Mines and quarries near this place
1 within 5 milesRegional context, not property-specific evidence. The federal mineral resources record lists 1 working within 5 miles of Our Town: 1 occurrence. None of them still produces. What was taken out: Titanium. 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dixie Farms Deposit | Titanium | Occurrence |
Storms near this place
16 since 2008Regional context, not property-specific evidence. The National Weather Service names Our Town in 16 storm reports between 2008 and 2025: 6 hail, 6 thunderstorm wind, 3 tornado, 1 lightning. The reports record 1 death and 6 injuries. 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| March 2012 | Tornado (EF2) | Our Town | 1 killed, 2 hurt | A tornado touched down just west of Highway 63 in western Tallapoosa County, where it uprooted and snapped scores of trees. It continued northeastward and passed just north of Wind Creek State Park, where it produced significant and widespread tree damage between Highway 128 and the shores of Lake Martin. The tornado caused significant damage to several homes in the Pineywoods Area. It then crossed Lake Martin and came ashore in the River Bend Subdivision, where it snapped or uprooted hundreds more trees. The tornado continued moving to the northeast and crossed Highway 280, just west of Midway, producing minor tree damage. It passed north of Jacksons Gap and passed just south of Eagle Creek, where it widened to over one-quarter mile. It destroyed one double-wide manufactured home and two single-wides. As the storm crossed Alabama 49, it lofted and destroyed a single-wide manufactured home, fatally injuring one individual. The tornado path broadened to approximately 1000 yards as it crossed Elder Road. Farther to the east, approximately 14 homes received mainly roof damage and scores of trees were snapped or uprooted on Buttston Road, just north of Denver Road. The tornado continued into eastern Tallapoosa County, and then moved into Chambers County, where it eventually lifted. |
| July 2008 | Lightning | Our Town | 3 hurt, $1,000 | Two separate lightning strikes hit 3 people in Wind Creek State Park. All 3 were injured, and one had to be taken to the hospital. Another lightning strike destroyed a boat house in the same area. |
| January 2012 | Thunderstorm Wind | Our Town | 1 hurt | A swath of straight line wind damage 10.7 miles long began one mile southwest of U.S. Highway 63 on County Road 11 where several trees were uprooted. The damage extended to the northeast, through Wind Creek State Park, across U.S. Highway 280, and ended north of Jacksons Gap. The most heavily damaged area, where damage was consistent with 90 MPH winds, was on the west side of Lake Martin along Piney Woods Rd, where several homes and an RV were destroyed by falling trees. A small church sustained minor roof damage along U.S. Highway 280, near Midway Estates Rd. Wind damage ended 1.6 miles north of Jacksons Gap, where several trees were knocked down along Rock Springs Rd. |
| April 2009 | Hail | Our Town | $20,000 | Hail up to the size of golf balls fell along AL-63, near the Our Town community. Several windows were broken out and vehicles were damaged. |
| April 2011 | Tornado (EF1) | Our Town | $10,000 | A tornado touched down 6.4 miles west of Central, along County Road 334 in Elmore County. The tornado moved to the northeast and crossed the Coosa County line. The tornado then crossed State Highway 9 and continued moving east, eventually crossing into Tallapoosa County. The tornado lifted on the east side of northern Lake Martin. In Tallapoosa County, numerous trees were snapped or uprooted. |
| April 2009 | Hail | Our Town | $5,000 | Baseball sized hail was reported on AL-63, just northeast of the Kowaliga Bridge. |
| February 2025 | Thunderstorm Wind | Our Town | - | Trees were downed in the Willow Point area. |
| May 2024 | Hail | Our Town | - | Golf ball size hail was reported by real estate management personnel along Lake Martin. |
| August 2024 | Thunderstorm Wind | Our Town | - | Several trees were downed around Kowaliga. |
| January 2023 | Hail | Our Town | - | Quarter size hail reported along Highway 63 south of Alexander City. |
| January 2023 | Tornado (EF2) | Our Town | - | National Weather Service meteorologists surveyed damage in central Tallapoosa County and determined that it was consistent with an EF2 tornado, with maximum winds near 130 mph. This long track tornado began in Autauga County and tracked across northwest Elmore County, southern Coosa County and into Tallapoosa about one mile south of Newman Road. Tornado damage continued into Tallapoosa County with a corridor of timber damaged observed along Cedar Creek and Elkahatchee Roads. Timber was snapped and uprooted and consistent with EF1 damage here. The tornado continued northeast crossing Highway 63 and approaching the Wind Creek State Park area. The tornado then moved toward Coven Abbett Highway and then Elbert Road. Several homes sustained damage here, some significant with roofs blown off, boat houses destroyed, and adjacent significant timber damage as dozens of large hardwood trees were snapped and uprooted. Areas impacted near here were Elbert Drive, Loblolly Lane, and Elbert Road. The tornado then crossed the northern section of Lake Martin before impacting additional lakefront homes. Numerous homes were damaged on River Run Road and the adjacent side streets. Some homes sustained significant damage with entire roofs blown away and exterior walls collapsed or removed. At least two homes were shifted from their foundation. The high-end EF-2 damage here could be partly due to the interaction of the tornado with the lake surface, as well as the exposed nature of these homes since most structures inland seemed to be sheltered from adjacent heavily wooded areas. The tornado also damaged homes along Lake Ridge Drive. The tornado continued northeast causing pockets of EF1 timber damage as it crossed Highway 280. The tornado then moved across the rest of Tallapoosa County causing mainly varying degrees of timber damage in the EF0 to EF1 range, including the Sessions area. The weakening tornado then crossed into Chambers County just north of Highway 118. |
| March 2023 | Hail | Our Town | - | Golf ball size hail reported near Wind Creek State Park. |
| March 2023 | Hail | Our Town | - | Quarter size hail reported near Lake Martin. |
| March 2017 | Thunderstorm Wind | Our Town | - | Several trees uprooted and power lines downed in Wind Creek State Park. |
| July 2015 | Thunderstorm Wind | Our Town | - | Several trees uprooted in Wind Creek State Park. |
| March 2013 | Thunderstorm Wind | Our Town | - | A large tree branch fell onto a patrol car, causing damage to the vehicle. |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bulgers | 0.7 miles | 11 | |
| Wind Creek Farms | 1.1 miles | 11 | |
| Dyke (historical) | 2.0 miles | 11 | |
| Mount Zion | 2.1 miles | 11 | |
| Rover (historical) | 2.6 miles | 11 | |
| Island Home (historical) | 3.2 miles | 11 | |
| Alkehatchee (historical) | 3.8 miles | 11 | |
| Oakfuskee (historical) | 4.7 miles | 12 |
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 Our Town | An encyclopaedic summary. Its text is share-alike, so it is linked here rather than copied. |
| Wikidata item Q1263419 | 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 158894. 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.