Auburn-Opelika Lee County An Overview
By Jon Dougherty
In future issues of HomeSeeker this column will be dedicated to current and developing real estate news in the Lee County–Auburn–Opelika area. This first column, however, is a brief overview of the area and why it is so treasured and revered by the people who have chosen to live, work and raise their families here.
For those of you who have lived here for a while, these facts may be well known to you. However, if you are new to Lee County, hopefully, this will be a good place to start learning about the area. If you are looking for a place that has the benefits of a major university, historic old-town charm, great real estate prices, a vibrant growing community and central to the major cities of Birmingham, Atlanta and Montgomery – then Lee County is for you
Lee County
Lee County, named for General Robert E. Lee, is one of Alabama’s 67 counties. The 2000 census reported that there were 115,092 people living in the county comprising 45,702 households. The 2001 estimated population of Lee County was 116,572, according to the Auburn–Opelika Tourism Bureau, with Auburn University students comprising approximately 23,000 of the population or about 20% of the entire county. The current estimates are a population of more than 125,000 persons for Lee County.
Auburn is the largest city in Lee County and Opelika, the next largest, is also the county seat. The other cities and towns in the county are Loachapoka, Notasulga (partially in Macon County), Smiths Stations, Phenix City (partially in Russell County) and Waverly (partially in Chambers County).
Auburn
Auburn was founded in 1836 and takes it name from a line in a poem by Oliver Goldsmith, The Deserted Village, “Sweet Auburn, the loveliest village of the plain.” To say the town is influenced by Auburn University would be the greatest of understatements. Originally chartered in 1856 as The East Alabama Male College, a Methodist Institution, today Auburn is world renowned and the largest university in Alabama with a 2006 enrollment of 22,498.
With a U.S. census estimated 2005 population of 49,928 for the town of Auburn, it is safe say that Auburn is a university town. Not only is about one out of two residents a student, but AU is the largest employer in the area with more than 5,000 employees, according to the Auburn-Opelika Tourism Bureau.
Auburn University’s historic brick buildings, gorgeous green lawns, and spectacular 1900-acre campus define the town of Auburn. The town supports AU’s teams with a passion. The depth of the University’s athletics is phenomenal including baseball, men’s and women’s basketball, cross country, swimming, tennis, track and field, volleyball, gymnastics and, of course, football.
This is a football town. This past year the Auburn Tigers finished with a record of 11-2 and defeated Nebraska in the 71st Cotton bowl. The football fervor takes over the town on game days and afterwards thousands of AU fans go downtown to celebrate. As is often said, “You don’t know football fever until you have lived in an SEC football town.”
Opelika
Opelika, contiguous to and just east of Auburn, is the county seat of Lee County. Opelika was founded around 1836 by settlers after the signing of a treaty with the indigenous natives of the Creek Nation in 1832. The words “opilu,” meaning swamp and “laka,” meaning lake, come from the Creek language of Muskogee.
Opelika grew up in the 1800’s as a railroad town and that can still be seen today with its numerous bridges gracefully arching over the tracks and leading you into downtown Opelika. Freight trains still run through the town daily.
Opelika is a city of 25,000 that has embraced its historic past while plunging full steam into becoming a center for today’s industrial base. The city’s motto sums it up well, “Rich in Heritage with a Vision for the Future.”
The Northside Historic District is a wonderful area of restored Victorian and Greek homes from the 19th century. The downtown area is being revitalized yet keeping its historic and architectural charm.
But Opelika is not a sleepy little hamlet. It is one of the fastest growing areas in the country. Also, it has possibly the best golf courses in the country including the Grand National Golf Course, part of the Robert Trent Jones Golf Trail. Named one of the “Top Six Places to Retire” by Kiplinger Magazine Opelika growth is certainly on track.
Opelika means business. In 2005 it was ranked the top Alabama community for business recruitment by the Economic Development Association of Alabama. It was also ranked #1 in the South “Small Market of the Year” by Southern Business and Development magazine.
Opelika’s Tiger Town, the retail shopping center complex at 280 and I-85, just continues to expand with major national tenants. Opelika keeps attracting large new businesses to its industrial parks and area. With a population of 25,000 and city budget of $21 million, according to the Auburn-Opelika Tourism bureau, Opelika has positioned itself for continued economic growth that will benefit its current and future residents.
(Many thanks to Robyn Bridges of the Auburn-Opelika Tourism Bureau for some of the above information)
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