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Rainbow City, Alabama
Rainbow City is a city of 10,284 people in Etowah County, Alabama.
Why visit Rainbow City
Townapedia lists 2 parks and trails, 21 places to eat, 1 place to stay and 2 attractions in and around town.
July is the warmest month, with average highs of 91°F; January lows average 33°F.
Weather in Rainbow City
Forecast from the National Weather Service. Full forecast
About Rainbow City
Rainbow City is a city in Etowah County, Alabama, United States. It incorporated in 1950. As of the 2020 census, Rainbow City had a population of 10,191. It is part of the Gadsden Metropolitan Statistical Area.
From the Wikipedia article Rainbow City, Alabama (this version), under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Things to do2
Parks, trails and playgrounds2
Restaurants and cafes21
Scooter's Coffee
Cafe · Coffee Shop · 3.1 mi
111 Church Street, Rainbow City
Mo-Th 05:00-20:30; Fr 05:00-21:00; Sa 06:00-21:00; Su 06:00-20:30
Popeye's Famous Fried Chicken
Restaurant · Chicken · 3.3 mi
3341 Rainbow Drive, Rainbow City
06:30-23:00
9 more on the map.
Where to stay1
History
This city was named after U.S. Highway 411, called Rainbow Drive, which runs through the middle of the city.
Hernando de Soto's troops were the first visitors to the area in 1540. In 1818, families from the Carolinas and Georgia began to migrate to the area and homestead land near the Coosa River, calling the area "Coosa Bend". This area was later called "Morgan's Cross Road", located at the intersection of the Gadsden-Ashville Road and Gilbert's Ferry Road.
John Sheffield Jones, the grandson of an original settler, donated $1,000 and the land for the construction of the first John S. Jones Elementary School. This school later burned to the ground; a new elementary school was built and serves the Rainbow City area today.
On April 2, 1831, a church was organized at the Harmony Meeting House. A few years later, the first Baptist association was organized. Harmony was one of the first five members in the association. The adjoining cemetery, Old Harmony Cemetery, has been declared a historic landmark.
From the History section of Rainbow City, Alabama on Wikipedia, under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Churches and places of worship24
Shopping2
Gas and EV charging4
Schools, colleges and libraries16
Healthcare1
Map of Rainbow City
73 places. The map loads OpenStreetMap tiles when you open it.
Climate by month
Monthly table
| Month | High | Low | Rain | Snow |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 53°F | 33°F | 5.7 in | 0.0 in |
| Feb | 57°F | 36°F | 5.2 in | 0.1 in |
| Mar | 66°F | 43°F | 5.4 in | 0.0 in |
| Apr | 75°F | 50°F | 5.1 in | 0.0 in |
| May | 82°F | 59°F | 4.8 in | 0.0 in |
| Jun | 88°F | 68°F | 4.6 in | 0.0 in |
| Jul | 91°F | 71°F | 4.7 in | 0.0 in |
| Aug | 90°F | 70°F | 4.5 in | 0.0 in |
| Sep | 85°F | 64°F | 4.5 in | 0.0 in |
| Oct | 75°F | 52°F | 3.5 in | 0.0 in |
| Nov | 64°F | 41°F | 4.2 in | 0.0 in |
| Dec | 56°F | 36°F | 5.5 in | 0.1 in |
U.S. Climate Normals 1991-2020 for Gadsden (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
Etowah County has had 18 federal disaster declarations since 2000, most often for severe storms.
- 2024-09-26: Hurricane Helene (Hurricane)
- 2020-09-14: Hurricane Sally (Hurricane)
- 2020-07-10: Severe Thunderstorms (Severe Storm)
- 2020-03-29: Covid-19 Pandemic (Biological)
- 2020-03-13: Covid-19 (Biological)
- 2018-04-26: Severe Storms And Tornadoes (Severe Storm)
OpenFEMA disaster declarations summaries.
Getting there and nearby towns
Northeast Alabama Regional Airport (GAD) is the nearest airport with scheduled flights listed in OpenStreetMap, 3 miles away.
- Attalla 4 mi northwest, about 7 min by car
- Southside 5 mi southeast, about 7 min by car
- Steele 6 mi west, about 10 min by car
- Gadsden 7 mi northeast, about 11 min by car
- Glencoe 9 mi east, about 14 min by car
- Tidmore Bend 12 mi northeast, about 19 min by car
- Ashville 12 mi southwest, about 20 min by car
- Hokes Bluff 13 mi east, about 22 min by car
- Lookout Mountain 15 mi northeast, about 24 min by car
- Alexandria 17 mi southeast, about 27 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
- ISS053-E-263251 - View of Earth, Earth Science and Remote Sensing Unit , Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center, Public domain
- 2025-09-15 13 29 28 Aerial view of western Etowah County, Alabama seen from an aircraft which departed from George Bush Intercontinental Airport, Famartin, CC BY-SA 4.0
- AL77nRoad-SingleLaneGreenBridge (35060804761), formulanone from Huntsville, United States, CC BY-SA 2.0
- 2025-09-15 13 30 03 Aerial view of Etowah County, Alabama (city of Gadsden visible bottom right) seen from an aircraft which departed from George Bush Intercontinental Airport, Famartin, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Macy Kate, CarolinePope22, CC BY-SA 4.0
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