Jefferson County, AL
| Jefferson County, Alabama | |
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Jefferson County Courthouse in Birmingham during 2011
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 Location in the U.S. state of Alabama |
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 Alabama's location in the U.S. |
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| Founded | December 13, 1819 |
| Named for | Thomas Jefferson |
| Seat | Birmingham |
| Largest city | Birmingham |
| Area | |
| • Total | 1,124 sq mi (2,911 km2) |
| • Land | 1,111 sq mi (2,877 km2) |
| • Water | 13 sq mi (34 km2), 1.1% |
| Population (est.) | |
| • (2016) | 659,521 |
| • Density | 595/sq mi (230/km²) |
| Congressional districts | 6th, 7th |
| Time zone | Central: UTC-6/-5 |
| Website | jeffconline |
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Footnotes:
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Footnotes:
Jefferson County is the most populous county in the state of Alabama, in the United States. As of the 2010 census, the population was 658,466. Its county seat is Birmingham, which is also the most populous city in the state. Its growth as an industrial city in the 20th century established its dominance.
Jefferson County is included in the Birmingham-Hoover, AL Metropolitan Statistical Area.
In 2011, Jefferson County was $4.2 billion in debt and declared bankruptcy. The financial problems were related to costs of a huge sewer project. Corruption was found among six county commissioners including Gary White of Homewood. Just prior to sentencing White told the judge he "exercised very poor judgment" in letting Singh pay him in cash. But his biggest mistake, White told the judge, was deceiving his wife Judy.
This was the largest Chapter 9 (municipal) bankruptcy in the United States, until it was surpassed by that of Detroit, Michigan in 2013. Jefferson County emerged from bankruptcy in December 2013, following the approval of a bankruptcy plan by the United States bankruptcy court for the Northern District of Alabama, writing off more than $1.4 billion of the debt.
Jefferson County was established on December 13, 1819, by the Alabama Legislature. It was named in honor of President Thomas Jefferson. The county is located in the north-central portion of the state, on the southernmost edge of the Appalachian Mountains. It is in the center of the (former) iron, coal, and limestone mining belt of the Southern United States.
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