Living in Columbiana

City street light with American flag and Liberty Day banner
City street light with American flag and Liberty Day banner

Welcome to the City of Columbiana.  Columbiana is located in southern Shelby County and serves as the Shelby County seat.

Incorporated in 1837, with corporate limits one an half miles in each direction of the public square, Columbiana was first called Columbia.  An act of the Legislature changed the name to Columbiana on January 13, 1832. Prior to the Civil War, an iron foundry was located in Columbiana.  During the war, CB Churchill operated a foundry for the Confederate government.  It was burned in 1865. Since this time, the city has been growing in both population and diversity.

Living in Columbiana provides a unique opportunity to be close to many activities and environments without the congestion of a larger city.

One of the most appealing places is the downtown area.  The main street area underwent a revitalization that has been showcased in Design Alabama (Fall/Winter 2005).  For those who enjoy history, Columbiana provides that in the County Courthouse, the Shelby County Historical Museum and the George Washington Museum.  For the lover of the fine arts, The Shelby County Arts Council will meet your every need.

Columbiana is home to Shelby County High School, whose students come from several communities in the county (Wilsonville, Shelby, Columbiana, Summer Hill, Four Mile) which provides students with an opportunity to come in as freshmen with students from neighboring communities and experience their high school years together.

Columbiana is a tight-knit community and offers a “Mayberry” existence just a short distance away from Montgomery, the state capitol and Birmingham, the state’s largest city.  Positioned between the two, it gives residents the opportunity to experience either city with a short drive (Montgomery-1 1/2 hours and Birmingham-45 mins).

For those who enjoy access, but not the traffic and noise of a city, Columbiana is an ideal place to live.  Bordered by Calera, Chelsea, Alabaster and Pelham, all larger municipalities who have experienced significant residential and business growth recently, Columbiana is still a quiet place to live and raise a family.