Cottondale, Alabama
Cottondale is a community of 2,632 people in Tuscaloosa County, Alabama.
Why visit Cottondale
Townapedia lists 3 parks and trails, 21 places to eat and 6 places to stay in and around town.
July is the warmest month, with average highs of 92°F; January lows average 35°F.
Weather in Cottondale
Forecast from the National Weather Service. Full forecast
About Cottondale
Cottondale is a census-designated place in Tuscaloosa County, Alabama, United States, now encompassed in the eastern suburbs of Tuscaloosa. As of the 2020 census, Cottondale had a population of 3,130. The ZIP Code is 35453. Alternative spellings include Cotton Dale, Kennedale, Kennidale and Konnidale.
From the Wikipedia article Cottondale, Alabama (this version), under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Parks, trails and playgrounds3
Restaurants and cafes21
Oasis Bar & Grill
Bar and pub · 0.7 mi
6720 University Boulevard East, Cottondale
Arby's
Fast food · Sandwich · 1.6 mi
3430 Buttermilk Road, Cottondale
Mo-Fr 09:30-24:00; Sa-Su 00:00-01:00,09:30-24:00
Bojangles'
Fast food · Chicken · 1.5 mi
4309 Veterans Memorial Parkway, Tuscaloosa
Mo-Sa 05:00-22:00; Su 06:00-22:00
9 more on the map.
Where to stay6
Red Roof PLUS+ Tuscaloosa - University
Motel and hotel · 1.9 mi
4810 Skyland Boulevard East, Tuscaloosa
Churches and places of worship28
Tuscaloosa Primitive Baptist Church
Church · Baptist · 0.9 mi
Every Sunday Morning at 10:30am, Bible Study Every Wednesday Night at 6:30pm
5102 University Blvd E, Tuscaloosa
Gospel Light Baptist Church
Church · Baptist
1436 Prude Mill Rd, Cottondale
16 more on the map.
History
Cottondale was the site of cotton mills where the Knights of Labor had some success in organizing drives in the late 1880s; and where "Mother" Jones worked in 1904 while studying conditions for working women and children in the South.
Little girls and boys, barefooted, walked up and down between the endless rows of spindles, reaching thin little hands into the machinery to repair snapped threads.... Tiny babies of six years old with faces of sixty did an eight-hour shift for ten cents a day.... The machines, built in the north, were built low for the hands of little children.
Cottondale was originally called Kennedale in honor of Joseph Kennedy, one of the owners of a local cotton mill. In 1876, the name was changed to Cottondale for the cotton mill.
From the History section of Cottondale, Alabama on Wikipedia, under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Shopping2
Gas and EV charging12
Schools, colleges and libraries23
Paul W Bryant High School
School · 2.8 mi
6315 Mary Harmon Bryant Drive, Cottondale
The Alberta School of Performing Arts
School · 2.9 mi
2700 University Blvd E, Tuscaloosa
Tuscaloosa County Juvenile Detention Center
School · 5.1 mi
5941 12Th Ave East, Tuscaloosa
Healthcare1
Map of Cottondale
96 places. The map loads OpenStreetMap tiles when you open it.
Climate by month
Monthly table
| Month | High | Low | Rain |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 56°F | 35°F | 5.1 in |
| Feb | 61°F | 38°F | 5.6 in |
| Mar | 68°F | 45°F | 5.5 in |
| Apr | 76°F | 52°F | 5.4 in |
| May | 84°F | 60°F | 4.0 in |
| Jun | 90°F | 68°F | 5.3 in |
| Jul | 92°F | 71°F | 4.9 in |
| Aug | 92°F | 71°F | 4.2 in |
| Sep | 87°F | 64°F | 3.5 in |
| Oct | 78°F | 53°F | 3.6 in |
| Nov | 66°F | 42°F | 4.8 in |
| Dec | 58°F | 37°F | 5.2 in |
U.S. Climate Normals 1991-2020 for Northport 2 S (8 mi away), NOAA NCEI.
People and cost of living
American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2020-2024, U.S. Census Bureau. Estimates have margins of error, larger for small towns.
Disaster history
Tuscaloosa County has had 20 federal disaster declarations since 2000, most often for hurricanes.
- 2024-09-26: Hurricane Helene (Hurricane)
- 2020-09-14: Hurricane Sally (Hurricane)
- 2020-05-21: Severe Storms And Flooding (Severe Storm)
- 2020-03-29: Covid-19 Pandemic (Biological)
- 2020-03-13: Covid-19 (Biological)
- 2017-10-08: Hurricane Nate (Hurricane)
OpenFEMA disaster declarations summaries.
Getting there and nearby towns
Tuscaloosa National Airport (TCL) is the nearest airport with scheduled flights listed in OpenStreetMap, 9 miles away.
- Tuscaloosa 5 mi northwest, about 8 min by car
- Northport 9 mi northwest, about 15 min by car
- Brent 24 mi southeast, about 39 min by car
- Centreville 25 mi southeast, about 40 min by car
- McCalla 26 mi east, about 41 min by car
- Hueytown 29 mi northeast, about 47 min by car
- Bessemer 30 mi northeast, about 49 min by car
- Concord 30 mi northeast, about 48 min by car
- Helena 33 mi east, about 54 min by car
- Alabaster 36 mi east, about 59 min by car
Drive times are estimates from straight-line distance, not routes.
Local news
Headlines from INDB, the NEMICO news database.
Reviews, tips and questions
Loading what members have shared...
Sources and licences
- NCES EDGE (Public domain): public schools
- NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991-2020 (Public domain): climate by month
- OpenFEMA (Public domain): disaster declarations
- OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL 1.0): places, airports, map data
- U.S. Census Bureau (Public domain): population, income, housing, education, commute
- Wikidata (CC0 1.0): elevation, founding date, time zone, website
- Wikimedia Commons (see each image): photos
- Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0): overview and history text
Photo credits
- Tuscaloosa Memorial Park - panoramio, qwesy qwesy, CC BY 3.0
- Hurricane Creek - Tuscaloosa, AL, Austin Lynch, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Papilio glaucus pupa 328277662, Alan Jeon, CC0
- Araneus miniatus 14735990, John P. Friel, CC BY 4.0
- Araneus miniatus 14735993, John P. Friel, CC BY 4.0
- Hampton Inn Tuscaloosa-East - panoramio, qwesy qwesy, CC BY 3.0
- Somewhere near Tuscaloosa - panoramio (1), qwesy qwesy, CC BY 3.0
- Notropis stilbius - Tayton Alvis - 589773619, Tayton Alvis, CC BY 4.0
- Notropis stilbius - Tayton Alvis - 589773573, Tayton Alvis, CC BY 4.0
- Notropis stilbius - Tayton Alvis - 589773598, Tayton Alvis, CC BY 4.0
.jpg){kind=link}
Page built October 30, 2026. Spotted a mistake? Tell us or suggest a place.