Why visit Irondale
Townapedia lists 8 museums and landmarks, 11 parks and trails, 19 places to eat, 7 places to stay and 2 attractions in and around town.
Highlights include Grand River Drive-in, Fire Station No. 12, Fire Station No. 19 and Ruffner Mountain.
July is the warmest month, with average highs of 91°F; January lows average 35°F.
Weather in Irondale
Forecast from the National Weather Service. Full forecast
About Irondale
Irondale is a city in Jefferson County, Alabama, United States. It is a suburb of Birmingham, northeast of Homewood and Mountain Brook. At the 2020 census, the population was 13,497.
From the Wikipedia article Irondale, Alabama (this version), under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Things to do2
Museums and landmarks8
Fire Station No. 12
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 5.2 mi
Fire station in Alabama, United States of America
Fire Station No. 19
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 4.2 mi
Fire station in Birmingham, Alabama, United States
Lakewood Historic District
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 3.4 mi
Historic district in Birmingham, Alabama
Woodlawn City Hall
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 5.4 mi
City hall in Birmingham, Alabama
Woodlawn Commercial Historic District
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 5.4 mi
Historic district in Alabama, United States
Woodlawn Highlands Historic District
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 5.3 mi
Historic district in Birmingham, Alabama, United States
Barber Vintage Motorsports Museum
Museum · 2.6 mi
6030 Barber Motorsports Parkway, Birmingham
Apr 01-Sep 30 Mo-Sa 10:00-18:00, Su 12:00-18:00; Oct 01-Mar 31...
Parks, trails and playgrounds11
Ruffner Mountain
Hiking and trails · 2.5 mi
Ruffner Mountain is a 1,040 acre urban nature preserve located in Birmingham, Alabama. It is one of the largest privately held 501 (c)...
1214 81st Street S, Birmingham
Tu-Sa 09:00-17:00; Su 13:00-17:00
Flora Johnston Nature Park
Park · 3.0 mi
The Flora Johnston Nature Trail is located in Irondale, Alabama just of Montevallo Road. The park has two trails, an upper and lower,...
311 Elder St, Irondale
sunrise-sunset
Ellard Park
Park · 2.6 mi
9.46 acres of beautiful, scenic, quiet and tranquil surroundings. It is equipped with picnic tables and small barbecue pits. It is a...
Ruffner Court, Irondale
Ruffner Park
Park · 3.0 mi
RUFFNER PARK is a scenic 20.3 acre baseball and softball complex. The complex is made up of six lighted baseball fields, a concession...
301 Ruffner Road, Irondale
Restaurants and cafes19
Irondale Cafe
Restaurant · Regional, Southern · 2.8 mi
1906 1st Avenue North, Irondale
Su-Fr 11:00-14:30
Captain D's
Fast food · Seafood · 3.5 mi
7718 Crestwood Boulevard, Birmingham
Mo-Th 10:30-22:00; Fr-Sa 10:30-23:00; Su 10:30-22:00
Chick-fil-A
Fast food · Chicken · 3.7 mi
1648 Montclair Road, Irondale
Mo-Th 06:30-21:00; Fr, Sa 06:30-22:00; Su closed
Gus' Hot Dogs
Fast food · Hot Dog · 2.1 mi
5415 Beacon Drive, Irondale
Mo-Fr 10:30-16:00; Sa 10:30-15:00; Su closed
7 more on the map.
History
On October 5, 1887, the people of Irondale petitioned for incorporation. The town incorporated as Irondale (after Irondale Furnace) on October 19, 1887, following a vote on October 17, 1887. In 1891, Golden Rule Bar-B-Q, the oldest restaurant in Alabama, was founded in Irondale.
The 1916 Irondale earthquake, magnitude 5.1, caused some damage in the area, and was felt in neighboring states.
In 1981, Mother Angelica founded the Eternal Word Television Network, after starting operations in a garage.
On August 25, 2020, Irondale voters elected James D. Stewart Jr. as the first black mayor in the city's history.
From the History section of Irondale, Alabama on Wikipedia, under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Where to stay7
Hampton Inn & Suites Birmingham Airport Area
Motel and hotel · 1.9 mi
950 Old Grants Mill Road, Birmingham
Holiday Inn Express & Suites Birmingham-Irondale (East)
Motel and hotel · 2.0 mi
811 Old Grants Mill Road, Birmingham
Quality Inn Airport - Southeast
Motel and hotel · 1.9 mi
3910 Kilgore Memorial Drive, Birmingham
Churches and places of worship25
Church of the Highlands
Church · Nondenominational · 1.6 mi
4700 Highlands Way, Birmingham
Chapel - Church of the Highlands
Church · Nondenominational · 1.6 mi
4700 Grants Mill Road, Birmingham
Lakewood Baptist Church
Church · Southern Baptist · 3.3 mi
8300 9th Avenue South, Birmingham
Shopping3
Gas and EV charging9
Schools, colleges and libraries32
Brookwood Forest Elementary School
School · 5.4 mi
3701 S Brookwood Rd, Mountain Brook
Cherokee Bend Elementary School
School · 3.9 mi
4400 Fair Oaks Dr, Mountain Brook
Healthcare3
Map of Irondale
119 places. The map loads OpenStreetMap tiles when you open it.
Climate by month
Monthly table
| Month | High | Low | Rain | Snow |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 54°F | 35°F | 5.0 in | 0.4 in |
| Feb | 59°F | 38°F | 5.0 in | 0.3 in |
| Mar | 67°F | 45°F | 5.7 in | 0.5 in |
| Apr | 75°F | 52°F | 5.1 in | 0.0 in |
| May | 82°F | 61°F | 4.9 in | 0.0 in |
| Jun | 88°F | 68°F | 4.8 in | 0.0 in |
| Jul | 91°F | 72°F | 5.4 in | 0.0 in |
| Aug | 91°F | 71°F | 4.3 in | 0.0 in |
| Sep | 86°F | 65°F | 4.0 in | 0.0 in |
| Oct | 76°F | 54°F | 3.3 in | 0.0 in |
| Nov | 65°F | 43°F | 4.2 in | 0.0 in |
| Dec | 57°F | 38°F | 4.9 in | 0.2 in |
U.S. Climate Normals 1991-2020 for Birmingham Ap 72228 (5 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, 6 miles away.
- Leeds 5 mi east, about 8 min by car
- Mountain Brook 5 mi southwest, about 9 min by car
- Vestavia Hills 7 mi southwest, about 11 min by car
- Center Point 7 mi north, about 12 min by car
- Birmingham 8 mi west, about 13 min by car
- Trussville 10 mi northeast, about 16 min by car
- Homewood 10 mi southwest, about 17 min by car
- Moody 10 mi northeast, about 17 min by car
- Clay 10 mi north, about 17 min by car
- Hoover 14 mi southwest, about 23 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
- Irondale Cafe; Irondale, Alabama, Rivers Langley; SaveRivers, CC BY-SA 3.0
- BFRS Fire Station 12 1920, Bfrspubed, CC BY-SA 3.0
- FireStn19, Mthunter58, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Church of the Highlands, Church of the Highlands, CC BY-SA 4.0
Page built October 30, 2026. Spotted a mistake? Tell us or suggest a place.