Even Alabama’s tiniest towns played a role in the state’s history. From time to time, we check in on towns with fewer than 100 residents. The 2023 Census data, the latest available, shows the number of towns in that category has risen from 17 in 2017 and 16 in 2013.

Note: This list includes only incorporated towns.

Three new towns have been added since our last check in 2017: Lowndesboro, Myrtlewood and Ridgeville. One town, Haleburg in Henry County, has grown to 114 residents and has been removed from the list.

We’ve provided the population, county and physical size of each town and, where it was available, some background information. These are in order from smallest to largest.

Oak Hill, population 13

Down from 26 people in 2017. Covers 0.6 square miles in Wilcox County. The town of Oak Hill, settled in 1830, was initially called The Ridge. It was incorporated in 1910. Alabama Gov. Benjamin Meek Miller (1931-35) was an Oak Hill native.

Emelle, population 24

Down from 53 people in 2017. Covers 0.2 square miles in Sumter County. Emelle was named after Emma Dial and Ella Dial, the daughters of the man who donated the land for the town. The town was started in the 19th century but not incorporated until the 1980s. The town is known for being the site of the largest hazardous waste landfill in the country. The 1930 lynching of resident Esau Robinson in the town was featured in a Time magazine article on July 14, 1930.

Memphis, or Old Memphis, population 25

Down from 29 people in 2017. Covers .4 square miles in Pickens County. Memphis was incorporated before 1850. In 1984 when the town had $40 in the bank, it was listed as the poorest town in the country, according to the Tuscaloosa News at the time.

McMullen, population 29

Up from 10 people in 2017. Covers .1 mile in Pickens County. McMullen was the smallest town in the state in population until 2020. It is still the smallest town in area, according to the Encyclopedia of Alabama.

Dayton, population 27

Down from 53 in 2017. Covers 1 square mile in Marengo County. Dayton was incorporated in 1844. It once had male and female academies, a hotel, cotton gin, oil mill, blacksmith shop, tavern, cabinet shop, drug store and several general merchandise stores. One of its surviving homes is the William Poole House, which is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

Natural Bridge, population 35

Down from 37 people in 2017. Covers .4 square miles in Winston County. The town is notable for its nearby rock arch, also named Natural Bridge, which spans 127 feet. Residents in the town take turns being mayor.

Benton, population 38

Down from 49 people in 2017. Covers .3 square miles in Lowndes County. “Benton was first called Maull’s Landing, as it was located on the Alabama River on land bought by James Maull, who laid out a town on the acreage in 1832,” said the Encyclopedia of Alabama. The town, named for Thomas Hart Benton, was incorporated in 1834.

Mooresville, population 48

Down from 53 people in 2017. Covers .1 square mile in Limestone County. Mooresville is known for being an almost perfectly preserved 19th century village. It is an oft-photographed town of pre-Civil War homes and buildings and the site of the filming of the 1995 Disney movie “Tom and Huck.” Mooresville Post Office is the oldest continuously operating post office in the state.

Ethelsville, population 50

Down from 81 people in 2017. Covers .6 square miles in Pickens County. “In 1843, local resident John H. Alexander uncovered a shield and pair of copper scales while plowing his fields,” the Encyclopedia of Alabama said. “The shield was engraved with the word ‘Hispana,’ which most historians have recognized as evidence that Spanish explorer Hernando de Soto likely passed through Pickens County.”

Cardiff, population 52

Down from 55 people in 2017. Covers .2 square miles in Jefferson County. Cardiff is named after the capital of Wales in Great Britain.

The town, made up of many Scottish and Welsh immigrants, was “officially incorporated in January 1900, when it boasted more than 560 residents, several stores, two blacksmith shops, and a saloon,” according to the Encyclopedia of Alabama.

Goldville, population 56

Up from 55 people in 2017. Covers 1 square mile in Tallapoosa County. Named after the discovery of large gold deposits in the area in 1842, Goldville was once home to more than 3,500 people, many of whom were gold prospectors. According to a website on the history of gold mining in Tallapoosa County, the town once had 14 merchants, seven saloons and two hotels. The town had 10 good years before miners left for California in 1850 upon hearing news of the gold rush there. A historical marker states the town was dormant for more than 100 years and was “reinstated” as a municipality on July 9, 1973.

Petrey, population 64

Up from 58 people in 2017. Covers .8 square miles in Crenshaw County. “The town originally was called Forkland, but the name was eventually changed because so many Petreys were living in the area,” according to the Encyclopedia of Alabama. It was located on the Atlantic Coast Line Railroad until the company ended passenger service. When railroads serviced the area, Petrey had several businesses and even a hotel. Its schools had as many as 250 students at the town’s height.

Myrtlewood, population 16

New to the list since 2017; down from more about 130 people. Covers 2.60 square miles in Marengo County. The community originally named Rembert Hills was renamed by residents “because of the many crepe myrtles that grew in the area.” In 1955, a paper mill was built there and it was finally incorporated in 1957.

Needham, population 71

Down from 94 people in 2017. Covers .6 square miles in Choctaw County. The Walter Wilson gristmill was the center of life in Needham during the early 20th century. Today it is the centerpiece of a community park. Originally called Bogueloosa after a nearby creek, the town was renamed in honor of Civil War veteran Eli W. Needham, according to the Encyclopedia of Alabama.

Union Grove, population 71

Down from 77 people in 2017. Covers .6 miles in Marshall County. The town was originally named Parches Cove. It was renamed “Union” Grove because federal troops camped there during the Civil War, according to the Encyclopedia of Alabama. It was incorporated in 1962.

Lowndesboro, population 79

New to the list since 2017; down from about 115 people. Covers .79 square miles in Lowndes County. Lowndesboro is known for preserving its historic structures. “Lowndesboro’s Historic District, which includes many churches, mansions, cottages, and other structures, was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1973,” according to the Encyclopedia of Alabama. Rosewood (1855) and Meadowlawn (1853) are two of the most notable Greek Revival mansions. The Christian Methodist Episcopal church (1830) is topped by a cupola that was salvaged from Alabama’s first capitol building in Old Cahaba.

Blue Springs, population 79

Down from 96 people in 2017. Covers 2.9 miles in Barbour County. This tiny town is home to Blue Springs State Park, a 103-acre park along the banks of the Choctawhatchee River near the center of town. It offers a spring pool, campground and picnicking. Blue Reindeer Creek is a designated historical site.

Ridgeville, population 83

New to the list since 2017. Covers .82 square miles in Etowah County. Ridgeville was incorporated in 1968. Macedonia African Methodist Episcopal Church, built ca. 1906, is listed on the Alabama Register of Landmarks and Heritage.

Faunsdale, population 84

Down from 96 people in 2017. Covers .2 square miles in Marengo County. Faunsdale was named for nearby Faunsdale Plantation and is home to the area’s only Amish Mennonite church: Cedarcrest Mennonite Church.