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Opelika, Alabama
Opelika is a city of 32,820 people in Lee County, Alabama, founded in 1854.
Why visit Opelika
Townapedia lists 14 museums and landmarks, 18 parks and trails, 176 places to eat, 20 places to stay and 4 attractions in and around town.
Highlights include AMC CLASSIC Tiger 13, Auburn University, Auburn City Hall and Auburn University Historic District.
July is the warmest month, with average highs of 90°F; January lows average 33°F.
Weather in Opelika
Forecast from the National Weather Service. Full forecast
About Opelika
Opelika (pronounced OH-pə-LY-kə) is a city and the county seat of Lee County in the east-central part of the U.S. state of Alabama. It is a principal city of the Auburn-Opelika Metropolitan Area. As of the 2020 census, the population of Opelika is 30,995, an increase of 17.1 percent from the 2010 Census where the population was 26,477. The Auburn-Opelika, AL MSA with a population of 174,241, along with the Columbus, Georgia metropolitan area, comprises the Greater Columbus combined statistical area, a region home to 501,649 residents.
From the Wikipedia article Opelika, Alabama (this version), under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Things to do4
Auburn University
School · 7.4 mi
Public university in Auburn, Alabama, United States
Museums and landmarks14
Auburn City Hall
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 7.6 mi
City hall
Auburn University Historic District
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 7.2 mi
Historic district in Auburn, Alabama
Cater Hall
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 7.3 mi
Building in Alabama, United States
G.W. Andrews Federal Building
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 0.9 mi
Government building in Opelika, Alabama
Lee County Courthouse
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 1.1 mi
Courthouse in Alabama, United States
Noble Hall
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 5.2 mi
Human settlement in Alabama, United States of America
Pebble Hill
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 6.6 mi
Building in Alabama, United States
Robert Wilton Burton House
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 6.8 mi
Former house in Auburn, Alabama
Spring Villa
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 6.4 mi
Building in Alabama, United States
Cullars Rotation
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 7.9 mi
Museum of East Alabama
Museum · 1.0 mi
121 South 9th Street, Opelika
Tu-Fr 10:00-16:00; Sa 14:00-16:00
Old Rotation
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 7.8 mi
2 more on the map.
Parks, trails and playgrounds18
Louise Kreher Forest Ecology Preserve
Park · 6.1 mi
Park in Alabama, United States of America
Duck Samford Stadium
Sports field and stadium · 5.3 mi
1600 East University Drive, Auburn
Pines Crossing Golf Course
Golf course · 4.5 mi
900 Country Club Drive, Auburn
RTJ Grand National Golf
Golf course · 2.9 mi
3000 Robert Trent Jones Trail, Opelika
6 more on the map.
Restaurants and cafes176
Another Broken Egg
Restaurant · Breakfast, Brunch · 4.7 mi
2311 Bent Creek Road, Auburn
Mo-Su 07:00-14:00
Applebee's
Diner · American · 4.6 mi
1627-34 Opelika Road, Auburn
Mo-Fr 11:00-24:00; Sa-Su 00:00-01:00,11:00-24:00
Bow & Arrow
Restaurant · Tex-Mex, Barbecue · 5.1 mi
2298 East University Drive
Mo-Sa 11:00-21:00; Su 11:00-15:00
Bruster's Ice Cream
Ice cream · Ice Cream · 4.8 mi
2172 East University Drive, Auburn
Mo-Th,Su 11:30-21:30; Fr-Sa 11:30-22:00
Casa Maria's Bar & Grill
Restaurant · Mexican · 2.5 mi
1703 Columbus Parkway
Mo-Th 11:00-21:15; Fr-Sa 11:00-22:00; Su 11:00-21:45
Chappy's Deli
Restaurant · American, Sandwich · 6.2 mi
754 East Glenn Avenue, Auburn
Mo-Fr 06:00-20:00; Sa 06:00-16:00
Chuck's Bar-B-Que of Opelika
Restaurant · Barbecue · 1.3 mi
905 Short Avenue, Opelika
Mo-Sa 08:00-18:00
Don Julios Mexican Grill
Restaurant · Mexican · 6.3 mi
2356 Moores Mill Road, Auburn
Mo-Su 11:00-21:30
Full Moon BBQ
Restaurant · Barbecue · 3.3 mi
2494 Enterprise Drive, Opelika
Mo-Th 10:30-21:00; Fr-Sa 10:30-22:00; Su 11:00-21:00
Jefferson's
Restaurant · Wings, Burger, Seafood · 1.0 mi
905 South Railroad Avenue, Opelika
Mo-Th 11:00-21:00; Fr-Sa 11:00-22:00; Su 11:00-20:00
Johnny Brusco's Pizza
Restaurant · Pizza · 5.3 mi
2408 East University Drive, Auburn
Mo-Sa 11:00-21:00
164 more on the map.
History
The Opelika area was first settled in 1832 after the Treaty of Cusseta was signed by the U.S. government and the Creek Nation. This treaty placed the land, and all other Creek territories east of the Mississippi River, under the possession of the United States government. Though the territory now belonged to the U.S., Opelika kept its Creek name, which translates to "large swamp", from opilwa (swamp) and lako (big).
Two decades after settlement, Opelika was chartered as a town on February 9, 1854, thanks to its rapid growth. This growth was due to the Montgomery & West Point Railroad Company's rail lines, which traversed the town and served as major means of transportation for unprocessed cotton between the northern and southern territories.
From the History section of Opelika, Alabama on Wikipedia, under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Where to stay20
Holiday Inn Express & Suites Opelika Auburn
Motel and hotel · 3.6 mi
1801 Capps Landing, Opelika
Churches and places of worship48
Auburn University Chapel
Church · National Register of Historic Places · 7.1 mi
Ebenezer Missionary Baptist Church
Church · National Register of Historic Places · 6.8 mi
First Methodist Church - Education and Administration Building
Church · Methodist · 0.9 mi
702 Avenue A, Opelika
Opelika First Baptist Church
Church · Baptist · 1.0 mi
301 South 8th Street, Opelika
Shopping41
Gas and EV charging46
Schools, colleges and libraries24
Healthcare15
Medical Arts Pharmacy
Clinic and pharmacy · 2.2 mi
121 North 20th Street, Opelika
Stop Watch Urgent Care
Clinic and pharmacy · 6.2 mi
2415 Moores Mill Road, Auburn
Map of Opelika
250 places. The map loads OpenStreetMap tiles when you open it.
Climate by month
Monthly table
| Month | High | Low | Rain | Snow |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 56°F | 33°F | 5.0 in | 0.0 in |
| Feb | 60°F | 36°F | 5.3 in | 0.0 in |
| Mar | 67°F | 42°F | 5.5 in | 0.0 in |
| Apr | 74°F | 48°F | 4.8 in | 0.0 in |
| May | 81°F | 58°F | 4.0 in | 0.0 in |
| Jun | 87°F | 65°F | 4.5 in | 0.0 in |
| Jul | 90°F | 69°F | 4.8 in | 0.0 in |
| Aug | 88°F | 69°F | 4.4 in | 0.0 in |
| Sep | 84°F | 63°F | 3.3 in | 0.0 in |
| Oct | 75°F | 51°F | 3.6 in | 0.0 in |
| Nov | 66°F | 40°F | 4.3 in | 0.0 in |
| Dec | 58°F | 35°F | 5.7 in | 0.0 in |
U.S. Climate Normals 1991-2020 for Opelika (4 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
Lee County has had 15 federal disaster declarations since 2000, most often for hurricanes.
- 2024-09-26: Hurricane Helene (Hurricane)
- 2020-09-14: Hurricane Sally (Hurricane)
- 2020-03-29: Covid-19 Pandemic (Biological)
- 2020-03-13: Covid-19 (Biological)
- 2019-03-05: Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, And Tornadoes (Tornado)
- 2017-09-11: Hurricane Irma (Hurricane)
OpenFEMA disaster declarations summaries.
Getting there and nearby towns
Auburn University Regional Airport (AUO) is the nearest airport with scheduled flights listed in OpenStreetMap, 4 miles away.
- Auburn 7 mi southwest, about 12 min by car
- Waverly 12 mi northwest, about 20 min by car
- Valley 15 mi northeast, about 25 min by car
- Huguley 15 mi northeast, about 24 min by car
- Lanett 17 mi northeast, about 27 min by car
- Phenix City 25 mi southeast, about 40 min by car
- Columbus 31 mi east, about 50 min by car
- Alexander City 37 mi northwest, about 1 h by car
- Pike Road 51 mi southwest, about 1 h 15 min by car
- Eufaula 53 mi south, about 1 h 30 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
- First Baptist Church Opelika Alabama (2), AuburnPilot, Public domain
- Lewis Hine, Velma Smith, reportedly 12 years old, Opelika, Alabama, 1914, Lewis Hine, Public domain
- Opelika, Alabama - downtown, Lissoy at English Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Seafood noodle soup Opelika Alabama, Robert S. Donovan from Anderson, SC, USA, CC BY 2.0
- Lee County Courthouse Front, 2Krunchy, CC BY 4.0
- Ben Nowland, Jennifer Snyder, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Pepperell Mill, Jnich0le07, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Sweat-Bee-on-coreopsis, Roland DeWitt, CC BY-SA 4.0
- ND filter experiment, Robert S. Donovan from Anderson, SC, USA, CC BY 2.0
- VW CC (mine) with APR stage I ^ II intake - panoramio, Dane Poset, CC BY-SA 3.0
- ISS066-E-141996 - View of Earth, Earth Science and Remote Sensing Unit , Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center, Public domain
- ISS063-E-26466 - View of Earth, Earth Science and Remote Sensing Unit, NASA Johnson Space Center, Public domain
- ISS066-E-141995 - View of Earth, Earth Science and Remote Sensing Unit , Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center, Public domain
- ISS063-E-26464 - View of Earth, Earth Science and Remote Sensing Unit, NASA Johnson Space Center, Public domain
- ISS030-E-42461 - View of Earth, Earth Science and Remote Sensing Unit , Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center, Public domain
- ISS063-E-26467 - View of Earth, Earth Science and Remote Sensing Unit, NASA Johnson Space Center, Public domain
- ISS063-E-26463 - View of Earth, Earth Science and Remote Sensing Unit, NASA Johnson Space Center, Public domain
- ISS051-E-38635 - View of Earth, Earth Science and Remote Sensing Unit , Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center, Public domain
- ISS066-E-141997 - View of Earth, Earth Science and Remote Sensing Unit , Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center, Public domain
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