Pelham, Alabama
27 topographic sheets cover this place, the earliest surveyed in 1890 and the latest in 1997. It stands in the Alabaster-Helena census division. It lies in ZIP code area 35124. It lies near Fungo Valley. The Survey maps it on the Helena quadrangle. 24,318 people lived here at the 2020 count. It stands 502 feet above sea level.
Population over time
2 figuresPelham grew from 21,352 to 24,318 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 | 21,352 | |
| 2020 | 24,318 | +2,966 (+14%) |
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.
- 1890 USGS Bessemer quadrangle1:125000
- 1892 USGS Bessemer quadrangle1:125000, 2 printings
- 1905 USGS Bessemer Iron District quadrangle1:62500, 2 printings
- 1905 USGS Bessemer Special quadrangle1:48000
- 1907 USGS Bessemer Iron District quadrangle1:62500, 3 printings
- 1907 USGS Bessemer Special quadrangle1:62500
- 1953 USGS Birmingham quadrangle1:250000, 4 printings
- 1956 USGS Birmingham quadrangle1:250000
- 1957 USGS Birmingham quadrangle1:250000
- 1959 USGS Helena quadrangle1:24000, 7 printings
- 1975 USGS Helena quadrangle1:24000
- 1984 USGS Birmingham South quadrangle1:100000, 2 printings
- 1997 USGS Helena quadrangle1:24000
Fires near this place
84 since 1994Regional context, not property-specific evidence. The federal wildfire occurrence database lists 84 fires within 5 miles of Pelham between 1994 and 2020, burning about 751 acres in total. 1 started naturally. 17 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 | 30 |
| Arson/incendiarism | 17 |
| Railroad operations and maintenance | 12 |
| Missing data/not specified/undetermined | 9 |
| Equipment and vehicle use | 6 |
| Recreation and ceremony | 5 |
| Smoking | 1 |
| Other causes | 1 |
| Natural | 1 |
| Misuse of fire by a minor | 1 |
| Power generation/transmission/distribution | 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6 September 1995 | Debris and open burning | 1.0 acres | Alabama Forestry Commission | not named |
| 27 September 2015 | Missing data/not specified/undetermined | 3.0 acres | Alabama Forestry Commission | NER-20150927-001 |
| 24 September 1999 | Arson/incendiarism | under an acre | Alabama Forestry Commission | not named |
| 20 September 1999 | Arson/incendiarism | 3.0 acres | Alabama Forestry Commission | not named |
| 18 September 1999 | Arson/incendiarism | 4.0 acres | Alabama Forestry Commission | not named |
| 17 September 1998 | Debris and open burning | 1.0 acres | Alabama Forestry Commission | not named |
| 14 September 1998 | Arson/incendiarism | 35 acres | Alabama Forestry Commission | not named |
| 6 August 1999 | Railroad operations and maintenance | 1.0 acres | Alabama Forestry Commission | not named |
Settlements close enough to share some of these fires:
Mines and quarries near this place
10 within 5 milesRegional context, not property-specific evidence. The federal mineral resources record lists 10 workings within 5 miles of Pelham: 3 past producers, 3 producers, 3 unknowns, 1 prospect. 3 still produce. What was taken out: Iron, Stone, Crushed/Broken, Calcium. 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alabaster Lime Plant | Calcium | Past Producer | ||
| Helena Quarry | Stone, Crushed/Broken | Producer | ||
| Landmark Quarry & Lime Mill | Calcium | Producer | ||
| Scotrock Quarry | Stone, Crushed/Broken | Producer | ||
| Helena, Ne Of | Iron | Past Producer | Residual | |
| Johnson Prospect | Iron | Prospect | ||
| Siluria, W Of | Iron | Past Producer | Residual | |
| Unnamed | Iron | Unknown | ||
| Unnamed | Iron | Unknown | ||
| Unnamed | Iron | Unknown |
Storms near this place
37 since 1995Regional context, not property-specific evidence. The National Weather Service names Pelham in 37 storm reports between 1995 and 2021: 19 thunderstorm wind, 12 hail, 3 flash flood, 2 lightning. No death or injury is recorded in these reports. 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| June 2003 | Flash Flood | Pelham | $400,000 | Radar estimated rain was falling at a rate up to 3 inches an hour in Riverchase and Pelham. Rain amounts over a two hour period were from 5 to 6 inches. Several roads were flooded and temporarily impassable. Several small streams rose out of their banks. A few homes were flooded in Riverchase. The Pelham Fire Department performed a few swift water rescues. Seventy-five homes and six businesses received varying degrees of flood damage in Pelham along Highway 261. No injuries were reported. |
| August 2005 | Thunderstorm Wind | Pelham | $120,000 | no account filed |
| May 2004 | Thunderstorm Wind | Pelham | $100,000 | no account filed |
| March 2010 | Flash Flood | Pelham | $50,000 | After briefly letting up for a short time, another burst of heavy rainfall caused flash flooding in the city of Pelham. Several people had to be rescued from flooded townhomes. |
| May 2006 | Lightning | Pelham | $20,000 | One house, on Tall Timber Drive, caught on fire after being struck by lightning. |
| June 2003 | Thunderstorm Wind | Pelham | $16,000 | Several trees were blown down in Pelham. One tree fell on a sailboat producing moderate damage. |
| May 2003 | Thunderstorm Wind | Pelham | $12,000 | A billiard hall sustained roof damage and several trees were blown down along US 31. |
| May 2005 | Thunderstorm Wind | Pelham | $8,000 | Several trees were blown down in Inverness. |
| January 1998 | Thunderstorm Wind | Pelham | $5,000 | no account filed |
| June 1998 | Thunderstorm Wind | Pelham | $5,000 | no account filed |
| January 1997 | Hail | Pelham | $5,000 | no account filed |
| August 2003 | Lightning | Pelham | $3,000 | Lightning struck a brick mailbox housing containing a metal mailbox with explosive force knocking a number of bricks in different directions. The lightning strike was believed responsible for damage to cable equipment at several houses including at least one television set and one computer that were rendered inoperable. |
| April 2000 | Hail | Pelham | $3,000 | Golfball size hail was reported in Pelham on CR 11. |
| March 2009 | Thunderstorm Wind | Pelham | $2,000 | Several trees were blown down on Roy Drive, and blocked the roadway. |
| July 2002 | Thunderstorm Wind | Pelham | $2,000 | Several trees were knocked down in Pelham. |
| July 1995 | Thunderstorm Wind | Pelham | $2,000 | Several trees were reported down in the Indian Springs area about five miles northeast of Pelham in northern Shelby County. |
| January 2009 | Thunderstorm Wind | Pelham | $1,000 | A few trees were blown down on CR-11, and CR-334. |
| June 2009 | Thunderstorm Wind | Pelham | $1,000 | Power lines were blown down on US-31, in Pelham. |
| August 2001 | Thunderstorm Wind | Pelham | $1,000 | A few small trees were blown down in Pelham. |
| August 2021 | Thunderstorm Wind | Pelham | - | Several trees uprooted in the city of Pelham and around Shelby County. |
| March 2020 | Thunderstorm Wind | Pelham | - | Several trees uprooted in the city of Pelham. |
| July 2012 | Thunderstorm Wind | Pelham | - | Strong winds caused the partial collapse of the awning at the Jet Pep gas station. |
| July 2012 | Thunderstorm Wind | Pelham | - | Powerlines were reported down on Kelly Drive. |
| July 2012 | Flash Flood | Pelham | - | A portion of Birmingham South Campground flooded and evacuations were necessary. |
| May 2012 | Thunderstorm Wind | Pelham | - | Several trees were snapped or uprooted across Pelham, resulting in power outages. |
| April 2011 | Hail | Pelham | - | Quarter size hail fell in the Dearing Downs Subdivision off of County Road 52 in Helena. |
| December 2005 | Hail | Pelham | - | Nickel to quarter size hail was reported near Inverness. The hail covered the ground in several locations. |
| April 2004 | Hail | Pelham | - | Dime to penny size hail fell from Pelham to Alabaster. |
| March 2003 | Hail | Pelham | - | Penny size hail was observed in Pelham. |
| May 2003 | Hail | Pelham | - | Dime to quarter size hail was reported in several locations including Alabaster, Helena, Pelham, and Indian Springs. |
| December 2000 | Hail | Pelham | - | Nickel size hail was reported near SR 119. |
| April 1998 | Hail | Pelham | - | Dime size hail was reported in Indian Springs by amateur radio storm spotters. |
| July 2012 | Hail | Pelham | - | no account filed |
| April 2011 | Hail | Pelham | - | no account filed |
| August 2005 | Hail | Pelham | - | no account filed |
| January 1997 | Thunderstorm Wind | Pelham | - | no account filed |
| April 1996 | Funnel Cloud | Pelham | - | 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Blueberry Estates | 0.7 miles | 27 | |
| Dearing Downs | 1.1 miles | 27 | |
| Mallard Point | 1.2 miles | 27 | |
| Keystone | 1.2 miles | 27 | |
| Hunters Glen | 1.5 miles | 27 | |
| Hardy | 1.5 miles | 27 | |
| Cahaba Valley Estates | 1.6 miles | 27 | |
| Kingwood | 1.7 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 Pelham | An encyclopaedic summary. Its text is share-alike, so it is linked here rather than copied. |
| Wikidata item Q79479 | 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 124572. 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.












