The Land

The county is located on US 78, about 16 miles northwest of Birmingham, in the north-central portion of Alabama. It is the 20th largest in size, containing 804 square miles. Elevation ranges from about 298 to about 664 feet. Less than one percent of the land is owned by the federal government; 13 percent is in agriculture. The county is located within the Sand Mountain major land resource area. The land surface is highly dissected and contains narrow valleys and broad plateaus. Water supplies are adequate for domestic uses in most areas. There are several public water systems throughout the county, but many rural residents have dug wells as a source of water. Smith Dam located on the Sipsey Fork of the Black Warrior River creates more than 8,000 acres of surface water for habitat and recreation. Drainage is provided by tributaries of the Black Warrior River. Coal and timber are major resources of Walker County. The oak and pine forest include loblolly, longleaf, slash and shortleaf pines, red and white oak, sweetgum and yellow poplar.

The county is served by Greyhound bus service and two railroads, Burlington-Northern and Norfolk-Southern. Scheduled airline service is available in Birmingham. Bevill Field, which has a 4,803 foot, lighted runway, provides service for personal and business aircraft. Access to the Tennessee-Tombigbee Waterway is available via the Mulberry Fork of the Black Warrior River, which traverses the county from north to south at Cordova, the location of the Alabama Inland Docks.

The Climate

Walker County lies within the state's Upper Plains climatological region, which has a moist subtropical climate - mild winters, warm summers and ample precipitation throughout the year. the average annual temperature is 61°F. Temperatures in January range from an average low of 32°F to an average high of 51°F and in July from an average low of 68°F to an average high of 90°F. Annual precipitation averages 59 inches, with an average relative humidity of 85% at 6am and 64% at 6pm. Snowfall averages 2.4 inches. The growing season averages 203 days, with the last freeze usually occurring in early April and the first usually occurs in late October. The sun shines an average of 58% of the daylight hours. Prevailing winds are from the south during winter and from the southeast during summer.