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Helena, Alabama
Helena is a city of 21,769 people in Jefferson County, Alabama, founded in 1845.
Why visit Helena
Townapedia lists 9 parks and trails, 32 places to eat, 2 places to stay and 1 attraction in and around town.
July is the warmest month, with average highs of 92°F; January lows average 35°F.
Weather in Helena
Forecast from the National Weather Service. Full forecast
About Helena
Helena () is a city in Jefferson and Shelby counties in the state of Alabama. Helena is considered a suburb of Birmingham and part of the Birmingham-Hoover Metropolitan Area. As of 2025, the population estimate is 23,388.
From the Wikipedia article Helena, Alabama (this version), under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Things to do1
Parks, trails and playgrounds9
Restaurants and cafes32
Zou’s Kitchen Chinese Restaurant
Restaurant · Chinese · 2.1 mi
1917 County Road 58
Su, Tu-Th 11:00-21:00; Fr-Sa 11:00-21:30
20 more on the map.
Where to stay2
Churches and places of worship13
Shopping5
Gas and EV charging9
Schools, colleges and libraries25
Greenwood Elementary School
School · 4.4 mi
5012 Roselyn Road Southeast, Bessemer
Healthcare3
Map of Helena
99 places. The map loads OpenStreetMap tiles when you open it.
Climate by month
Monthly table
| Month | High | Low | Rain |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 55°F | 35°F | 5.1 in |
| Feb | 60°F | 38°F | 5.6 in |
| Mar | 68°F | 45°F | 5.3 in |
| Apr | 76°F | 51°F | 5.2 in |
| May | 83°F | 60°F | 4.2 in |
| Jun | 90°F | 68°F | 4.2 in |
| Jul | 92°F | 71°F | 4.8 in |
| Aug | 92°F | 70°F | 4.4 in |
| Sep | 87°F | 64°F | 3.9 in |
| Oct | 76°F | 52°F | 3.6 in |
| Nov | 65°F | 42°F | 4.7 in |
| Dec | 57°F | 37°F | 4.7 in |
U.S. Climate Normals 1991-2020 for Helena (3 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
Jefferson County has had 26 federal disaster declarations since 2000, most often for severe storms.
- 2024-09-26: Hurricane Helene (Hurricane)
- 2021-12-21: Severe Storms And Flooding (Severe Storm)
- 2021-04-26: Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, And Tornadoes (Severe Storm)
- 2020-09-14: Hurricane Sally (Hurricane)
- 2020-03-29: Covid-19 Pandemic (Biological)
- 2020-03-13: Covid-19 (Biological)
OpenFEMA disaster declarations summaries.
Getting there and nearby towns
Birmingham-Shuttlesworth International Airport (BHM) is the nearest airport with scheduled flights listed in OpenStreetMap, 21 miles away.
- Alabaster 6 mi southeast, about 10 min by car
- Hoover 8 mi northeast, about 12 min by car
- Bessemer 8 mi northwest, about 12 min by car
- McCalla 8 mi west, about 13 min by car
- Pelham 10 mi east, about 15 min by car
- Hueytown 11 mi northwest, about 18 min by car
- Homewood 13 mi north, about 21 min by car
- Calera 14 mi southeast, about 22 min by car
- Chelsea 14 mi east, about 23 min by car
- Vestavia Hills 15 mi northeast, about 24 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, landmarks and historic places
- Wikimedia Commons (see each image): photos
- Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0): overview and history text
Photo credits
- Old Town Helena Snow, Civilengtiger, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Site Plan, Foundation Remnant, Steam Engine Foundation, and details - Billy Gould Coal Mine, Confluence of Cahaba River and Buck Creek, Helena, Shelby County, AL, Martin, Robert, creator, Public domain
- AL261bridgebuckcreekhelenaalabamaIMG 8723, Civilengtiger, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Hunter Street Baptist Church Building, Helmsb at English Wikipedia, Public domain
- ISS050-E-71007 - View of Earth, Earth Science and Remote Sensing Unit , Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center, Public domain
- Shades Crest, AL 9.21.14 (173), NealVickers, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Shades Crest, AL 9.21.14 (186), NealVickers, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Shades Crest, AL 9.21.14 (162), NealVickers, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Shades Crest, AL 9.21.14 (144), NealVickers, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Historic marker and commemorative plaque in Brock gap, Hoover, Birmingham, Alabama, USA, Ragib, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Tortoiseshell cat photo, Fred7668, CC0
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Page built October 30, 2026. Spotted a mistake? Tell us or suggest a place.