Ardmore

Downtown Ardmore Ardmore is located in north-central Limestone County on the northern border of the state; it lies across the border from Ardmore, Tennessee. It has a mayor/city council form of government.

History

Ardmore straddles the border between Alabama and Tennessee, largely because it grew up around a railroad line constructed by the Louisville and Nashville (L&N) Railroad through the area in 1912. The town originally was named Austin after the railroad official who chose it as a train stop. The railroad later changed the name to Ardmore, after a town in Pennsylvania. Ardmore was incorporated in 1922.

Demographics

According to 2020 Census estimates, Ardmore recorded a population of 1,347. Of that number, 84.9 percent of respondents identified themselves as white, 9.0 percent as African American, 2.2 percent as Hispanic, 1.9 percent as two or more races, 2.7 percent as American Indian, and 1.5 percent as Asian. The town's median household income was $35,417, and the per capita income was $19,094.

Employment

According to 2020 Census estimates, the workforce in Ardmore was divided among the following industrial categories:

• Manufacturing (20.4 percent)
• Educational services and health care and social assistance (15.3 percent)
• Retail trade (14.9 percent)
• Arts, entertainment, and recreation, and accommodation and food services (12.9 percent)
• Professional, scientific, and management, and administrative and waste management services (10.2 percent)
• Construction (11.7 percent)
• Other services, except public administration (5.8 percent)
• Information (2.4 percent)
• Finance and insurance, and real estate and rental and leasing (2.2 percent)
• Wholesale trade (2.1 percent)
• Transportation and warehousing, and utilities (2.0 percent)
• Public administration (1.3 percent)

Education

Ardmore is part of the Limestone County School District. The town has one elementary school and one high school.

Transportation

Ardmore is served by State Highway 251, which runs north-south through the town, and State Highway 53, which runs along the northern border of the town. Ardmore Airport serves general aviation and lies just west of the town.

Events and Places of Interest

The Alabama Welcome Center near Ardmore was noted for its 225-foot-tall Saturn 1B rocket. It was the predecessor of the Saturn V rocket that was used during the Apollo program. The rocket was taken down because of structural deterioration in 2023.

Each August, the town of Ardmore hosts a Crape Myrtle Festival in Ardmore City Park. The event features arts and crafts, live entertainment, and food vendors.

In April, Ardmore holds an annual Renaissance Festival, which offers visitors music, local food, and medieval games of skill. Ardmore also has an annual car show in the fall and a Christmas Parade.