Monroeville, Alabama | |
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City | |
Nickname(s): The Literary Capital of Alabama | |
Motto: "Moving the Past Forward" | |
Location in Monroe County and the state of Alabama |
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Coordinates: 31°31′5″N 87°19′39″W / 31.51806°N 87.32750°W | |
Country | United States |
State | Alabama |
County | Monroe |
Area | |
• Total | 13.4 sq mi (34.7 km2) |
• Land | 13.4 sq mi (34.6 km2) |
• Water | 0.008 sq mi (0.02 km2) |
Elevation | 413 ft (126 m) |
Population (2010) | |
• Total | 6,519 |
• Density | 488/sq mi (188.4/km2) |
Time zone | Central (CST) (UTC-6) |
• Summer (DST) | CDT (UTC-5) |
ZIP codes | 36460–36462 |
Area code(s) | 251 Exchanges: 575,743 |
FIPS code | 01-50192 |
GNIS feature ID | 0152359 |
Website | www |
Monroeville is a city in Monroe County, Alabama, United States, the county seat of Monroe County. At the 2010 census its population was 6,519.
It is known as the hometown of two prominent writers of the post-World War II period, Truman Capote and Harper Lee, who were childhood friends in the 1930s. Lee's 1960 novel, To Kill a Mockingbird, earned her the Pulitzer Prize. The lasting fame of To Kill a Mockingbird became a tourist draw for the town. In 1997, the Alabama Legislature designated Monroeville and Monroe County as the "Literary Capital of Alabama."
The town was initially known as Walker's Mill and Store, named for Major Walker, the area's first white settler. In 1832, the county seat was relocated to Monroeville from Claiborne on the Alabama River. The settlement was briefly renamed "Centerville" due to its location in the center of the county, but then it was formally changed to Monroeville. The town was not formally incorporated until April 15, 1899.
Monroeville is located at 31°31′5″N 87°19′39″W / 31.51806°N 87.32750°W (31.518075, -87.327543).
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 13.4 square miles (34.7 km2), of which 13.4 square miles (34.6 km2) is land and 0.0077 square miles (0.02 km2), or 0.05%, is water.