Hoover, Alabama, United States

🇺🇸 Hoover is a city in Jefferson and Shelby counties in north central Alabama, United States. Hoover is the largest suburban city in Alabama and the 6th largest city in Alabama. Hoover is part of the Birmingham, AL Metropolitan Statistical Area and is also included in the Birmingham-Cullman-Talladega, AL Combined Statistical Area. Hoover's territory is along the foothills of the Appalachian Mountains.

The Birmingham Barons Minor League Baseball team, which traces its history to 1885, played its home games at the 10,800-seat Hoover Metropolitan Stadium until 2013, when it moved to Regions Field in the Parkside District of Birmingham.

History This suburban area near the foothills of the Appalachian Mountains had been known as the Green Valley community since the 1930s; it was mostly a bedroom or residential community into the late 1970s and early 1980s. The City of Hoover was incorporated in 1967, named for William H. Hoover (1890–1979), a local insurance company owner.

On September 8, 1980, the city annexed the Riverchase business and residential community, gaining large office buildings, employers, and workers to increase the city's tax base. When Interstate I-459 was opened, a major interchange with Interstate I-65 was constructed within the borders of Hoover, improving access.

In 1986 the Riverchase Galleria multi-use complex opened; it has significantly increased the tax revenue for the city. It has also attracted new residents and businesses to the area. The city has grown extremely fast, aided by its annexations of territory as well as new developments. The city has expanded its facilities, and now operates a Municipal Center, Library, and Public Safety Center. The city expects to continue to increase in population, which has risen significantly since 2008. It numbered 81,619 as of the 2010 Census.

Geography Hoover has a total area of 43.65 square miles (113.1 km²), of which 43.13 square miles (111.7 km²) is land and 0.51 square miles (1.3 km²), or 1.17%, is water.

Many major highways pass through the city limits, including I-65, I-459, and U.S. Route 31. Via I-65 or US-31, downtown Birmingham is 11 mi (18 km) north, and Montgomery is 82 mi (132 km) south. Via I-459, Atlanta, GA is 152 mi (245 km) east, and Tuscaloosa is 53 mi (85 km) west.

Government The municipal government has operated under the Mayor-Council form of government since incorporation. The Mayor and City Council are elected on a non-partisan basis to concurrent four-year terms of office, which begin on October 1 of election year. Policy-making and legislative authority is vested in the City Council, which consists of seven "at-large" elected members (prior to 2004, the council consisted of five at-large members.) (Candidates for at-large elections must gain a majority of voters; such a system has been found in other cities in Alabama to limit the ability of minority voters to elect candidates of their choice.)

The city council is responsible for considering local resolutions and ordinances, adopting an annual budget, and appointing members to local boards and committees. The Mayor is responsible for carrying out and enforcing the city's policies and ordinances.

Economy The Riverchase Galleria shopping-hotel-office complex generates tax revenues for the city; it is also the location of numerous retail, hotel, and office workers. The Riverchase Office Park, and other office parks and buildings throughout Hoover, house many large corporations. Major shopping centres in the city include Riverchase Galleria on US 31, Patton Creek on SR 150, and Village at Lee Branch on US 280. The Central Business District is intersected by US 31, SR 150, and US 280. I-65 and I-459 intersect in the city.

Largest taxpayers Hoover 2015 annual financial report, ranking by largest sales and use taxpayers: • Costco • Wal-Mart • Sam's Club • Belk • Target • Regions Bank • Publix • Home Depot • Best Buy • Macy's.

Largest employers • Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Alabama (company headquarters); • Hoover City Schools; • Regions Financial (operations center); • AT&T Inc. (data center); • City of Hoover; • Walmart (two Walmart Supercenters and one Walmart Neighborhood Market store); • T-Mobile; • BE&K -.

Public safety Hoover Fire Department is a full-time career department operating from ten fire stations throughout the city. The city has one battalion. There are eight engine companies, two quints, one ladder truck, three ALS rescue/ambulances, and two battalion chief cars. All engine companies are staffed with a minimum of three people, with at least two being firefighter/paramedics. All engines are classified ALS (Advanced Life Support). The department also operates one heavy rescue truck, and one hazmat unit. Hoover Fire Department holds a Class 1 ISO rating. In 2016, the department responded to over 10,000 calls.

Hoover operates its own enhanced 911 emergency call centre, which has 24 operator positions, 2 communication supervisors, 1 department manager and is staffed 24/7.

Hoover provides traffic, severe weather, disaster information, and details on special events on low-power AM radio (1610 kHz).

Transport Hoover is served by two interstate highways, 65 and 459, with a major interchange near the centre of the city. Major arterial roads include U.S. Route 31 as a north–south route through the middle of the city, U.S. Route 280 in the eastern portion of the city, Route 150 as an east–west road connecting the city centre to the western side, and Valleydale Road connecting Route 31 and Route 280. Hoover is also served by the Birmingham-Jefferson County Transit Authority.

Communities • Acton • Altadena • Bluff Park • Caldwell Mill • Chace Lake • Country Club Highlands • Deer Valley • Georgetown • Green Valley • Greystone • Inverness • Lake Crest • Lake Cyrus • Lake Wilborn • Patton Chapel • Pinewood • Riverchase • Rocky Ridge • Ross Bridge • Russet Woods • Shades Mountain • Shoal Creek • Southlake • The Preserve • Trace Crossings

Parks • Aldridge Gardens • Bluff Park Community Center and Playground • Blue Ridge Park • Georgetown Park • Howard Lake Park • Inverness Park • Loch Haven Park • Moss Rock Preserve • Ross Park • Russet Woods Park • Star Lake Park • Sertoma Park • Veterans Park • Wildflower Park • Chace Lake Park.

Education Primary and secondary schools Hoover is served by Hoover City Schools. It has ten elementary schools, three middle schools, and two high schools, Spain Park High School and Hoover High School. Both schools have ranked high for excellent academics, being rated close to the top five hundred schools in the country. During the 2005–2006 school year, some 2,451 students enrolled in Hoover High School, 1,400 in Spain Park High School, with a total of 11,433 students in the Hoover City School system. Spain Park received the National Blue Ribbon Award in 2008.

Berry Middle School, which served as the city's first high school before the present Hoover High was constructed, was closed after the 2005–2006 academic year. Students were moved to a new Berry Middle School constructed near the site of Spain Park High School. A poll of residents in 2007 favored selling the school, possibly to the independent Shades Mountain Christian School. Simmons Middle School and Bumpus Middle School are the city's other middle schools.

Given the population expansion, the city built Riverchase Elementary to relieve overcrowding of some schools. The student population bubble is advancing in the system, and in the 2011–2012 academic year, Bumpus Middle School and its students were relocated to the former freshman centre of Hoover High School. The former Bumpus site became Brock's Gap Intermediate School in 2011. The former Berry site became the current Bumpus Middle School in 2011. Brock's Gap served 5th and 6th graders until 2018 when Hoover Rezoning went into effect. They now serve 3rd, 4th, and 5th graders. Bumpus Middle School served only 7th and 8th graders until 2018 because of Hoover Rezoning. They now serve 6th, 7th, and 8th graders.

Education: Universities The Shelby-Hoover campus of the Jefferson State Community College is in Shelby County, is in Hoover, near Spain Park High School. Faulkner University has a campus on Valleydale Road; The University of Alabama in Birmingham (UAB) in downtown Birmingham is only 8–10 miles away, and features the premier medical school of Alabama.

Miscellaneous education The Birmingham Supplementary School Inc. (BSS, バーミングハム日本語補習校 Bāminguhamu Nihongo Hoshūkō), a part-time Japanese school, holds its classes at the Shelby-Hoover campus. Its office is at the Honda Manufacturing of Alabama, LLC facility in unincorporated Talladega County, near Lincoln. The school opened on September 1, 2001.

Media Hoover has one television station, WBMA, branded as ABC 33/40, with its studio within the Hoover city limits. The metro area has TV broadcasting stations that serve the Birmingham-Anniston-Tuscaloosa Designated Market Area (DMA), as defined by Nielsen Media Research. Charter Communications, Bright House Networks, and AT&T U-verse provide cable television service to specific communities in Hoover. DirecTV and Dish Network provide direct broadcast satellite television, including both local and national channels.

No radio stations operate from Hoover, although residents are served by numerous stations from the Birmingham market. (WERC-FM is licensed to Hoover but its studio is located in Birmingham.)

Two newspapers serve Hoover: the Over the Mountain Journal newspaper, published twice monthly and delivered for free to select neighborhoods in Hoover and nearby communities; and the Hoover Sun, published monthly and mailed for free to roughly 24,000 homes and businesses in Hoover.

Notable people • Ben Chapman, was an outfielder and manager in Major League Baseball. Chapman's playing reputation was eclipsed by the role he played in 1947 as manager of the Phillies, antagonizing Jackie Robinson • George Pickens, National Football League wide receiver for the Pittsburgh Steelers • Chris Richards, American professional soccer player who plays as a center-back for Premier League club Crystal Palace and the United States national team

Points of interest • Aldridge Botanical Gardens • Hoover Metropolitan Stadium (formerly Regions Park), home of the SEC baseball tournament • Riverchase Galleria • Ross Bridge Golf Resort and Spa, which boasts the third-longest golf course in the world • Moss Rock Preserve • The Library Theatre