Gulf Shores is a

resort city A resort town, resort city or resort destination is an urban area where tourism or vacationing is the primary component of the local culture and economy. A typical resort town has one or more actual resorts in the surrounding area. Sometimes ...

in Baldwin County,

Alabama Alabama ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern and Deep South, Deep Southern regions of the United States. It borders Tennessee to the north, Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia to the east, Florida and the Gu ...

, United States. As of the 2020 Census, the population was 15,014.

Geography

Gulf Shores is located on the

Gulf of Mexico The Gulf of Mexico () is an oceanic basin and a marginal sea of the Atlantic Ocean, mostly surrounded by the North American continent. It is bounded on the northeast, north, and northwest by the Gulf Coast of the United States; on the southw ...

, and is the southernmost settlement in the state of Alabama. It is served by

Alabama State Route 59 State Route 59 (SR 59) is a state highway in Baldwin and Monroe counties in the southwestern portion of the U.S. state of Alabama. The highway extends from Gulf Shores on the Gulf of Mexico coast to Uriah in rural southwestern Ala ...

(Gulf Shores Parkway), which leads north to Foley. Route 182 (Beach Boulevard) runs east-west along the shore front, while Route 180 (Fort Morgan Road) runs parallel to it, north of Little Lagoon.

Gulf State Park Gulf State Park is a public recreation area on the Gulf of Mexico in the city of Gulf Shores in southern Baldwin County, Alabama. The state park's mostly encompass the land behind the Gulf Shores beach community, between Highway 59 and SH 16 ...

occupies a large eastern part of the city. According to the

U.S. Census Bureau The United States Census Bureau, officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the U.S. federal statistical system, responsible for producing data about the American people and economy. The U.S. Census Bureau is part of the U ...

, the city has a total area of , of which is land and , or 17.24%, is water.

Climate

Gulf Shores has a

humid subtropical climate A humid subtropical climate is a subtropical -temperate climate type, characterized by long and hot summers, and cool to mild winters. These climates normally lie on the southeast side of all continents (except Antarctica), generally between ...

, with long, hot summers, and mild and sunny winters. Daily highs in winter are close to and nighttime lows are near . Daytime highs in summer are near and evening lows near . Ocean surf temperatures are quite warm from May through November, often well into the low 80s. As a result of being located on the northern coast of the Gulf of Mexico, Gulf Shores is vulnerable to

tropical cyclone A tropical cyclone is a rapidly rotating storm system with a low-pressure area, a closed low-level atmospheric circulation, strong winds, and a spiral arrangement of thunderstorms that produce heavy rain and squalls. Depending on its locat ...

s. In September 1979,

Hurricane Frederic Hurricane Frederic, known in Latin America as Federico, was an intense and damaging tropical cyclone that carved a path of destruction from the Lesser Antilles to Quebec, in particular devastating areas of the United States Gulf Coast. Though ...

caused massive destruction, leveling most of the town. On September 16, 2004,

Hurricane Ivan Hurricane Ivan was a large, long-lived, and devastating tropical cyclone that caused widespread damage in the Caribbean and United States. The ninth named storm, the sixth hurricane, and the fourth major hurricane of the active 2004 Atlantic h ...

made landfall in Gulf Shores, causing extensive wind and flooding damage. In 2005, while the city was still cleaning up from Ivan,

Hurricane Katrina Hurricane Katrina was a powerful, devastating and historic tropical cyclone that caused 1,392 fatalities and damages estimated at $125 billion in late August 2005, particularly in the city of New Orleans and its surrounding area. ...

caused extensive damage and flooding. The area was then struck again on September 16, 2020, when

Hurricane Sally Hurricane Sally was a destructive and slow-moving tropical cyclone that was the first hurricane to make landfall in the U.S. state of Alabama since Hurricane Ivan, Ivan in 2004 Atlantic hurricane season, 2004, coincidentally on the same date i ...

made landfall on the 16 year anniversary of Ivan, causing extensive damage and widespread flooding.

Demographics

2020 census

As of the 2020 United States census, there were 15,014 people, 5,810 households, and 3,347 families residing in the city.

2010 census

As of the

census A census (from Latin ''censere'', 'to assess') is the procedure of systematically acquiring, recording, and calculating population information about the members of a given Statistical population, population, usually displayed in the form of stati ...

of 2010, there were 9,741 people living in the city. The

population density Population density (in agriculture: Standing stock (disambiguation), standing stock or plant density) is a measurement of population per unit land area. It is mostly applied to humans, but sometimes to other living organisms too. It is a key geog ...

was . There were 6,810 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 97.54%

White White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no chroma). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully (or almost fully) reflect and scatter all the visible wa ...

, 0.22%

Black Black is a color that results from the absence or complete absorption of visible light. It is an achromatic color, without chroma, like white and grey. It is often used symbolically or figuratively to represent darkness.Eva Heller, ''P ...

African American African Americans, also known as Black Americans and formerly also called Afro-Americans, are an Race and ethnicity in the United States, American racial and ethnic group that consists of Americans who have total or partial ancestry from an ...

, 0.44% Native American, 0.30% Asian, 0.04%

Pacific Islander Pacific Islanders, Pasifika, Pasefika, Pacificans, or rarely Pacificers are the peoples of the list of islands in the Pacific Ocean, Pacific Islands. As an ethnic group, ethnic/race (human categorization), racial term, it is used to describe th ...

, 0.40% from other races, and 1.07% from two or more races. Of the population 1.23% were

Hispanic The term Hispanic () are people, Spanish culture, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or broadly. In some contexts, Hispanic and Latino Americans, especially within the United States, "Hispanic" is used as an Ethnici ...

or Latino of any race. There were 2,344 households, out of which 20.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 56.2% were married couples living together, 7.0% had a female householder with no husband present, and 34.1% were non-families. Of all households 26.7% were made up of individuals, and 10.0% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.15 and the average family size was 2.56. Of the population 16.4% was under the age of 18, 6.7% from 18 to 24, 24.8% from 25 to 44, 29.0% from 45 to 64, and 23.1% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 46 years. For every 100 females, there were 97.3 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 95.5 males. The median income for a household in the city was $41,826, and the median income for a family was $51,862. Males had a median income of $40,259 versus $22,467 for females. The

per capita income Per capita income (PCI) or average income measures the average income earned per person in a given area (city, region, country, etc.) in a specified year. In many countries, per capita income is determined using regular population surveys, such ...

for the city was $24,356. About 6.8% of families and 9.9% of the population were below the

poverty line The poverty threshold, poverty limit, poverty line, or breadline is the minimum level of income deemed adequate in a particular country. The poverty line is usually calculated by estimating the total cost of one year's worth of necessities for ...

, including 6.4% of those under age 18 and 6.5% of those age 65 or over. Since the year 2000, Baldwin County as a whole has experienced rapid population growth, second only to Shelby County in Alabama."Census 2000 Demographic Profile Highlights" (for Gulf Shores, AL),

US Census Bureau The United States Census Bureau, officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the U.S. federal statistical system, responsible for producing data about the American people and economy. The U.S. Census Bureau is part of the U ...

, 2007, webpage
US-Census-GulfShoresAL
.

Economy

Tourism

Tourism dominates the economy of Gulf Shores. The 2010 BP oil spill was expected to adversely affect both local real estate and beach tourism. After a year of decline, the tourism economy in Gulf Shores returned to pre-spill levels. Attractions in Gulf Shores include Alabama Gulf Coast Zoo; Pelican Place at Craft Farms, a shopping mall;

Waterville USA Waterville USA, or simply known as Waterville, is a water and amusement park located a quarter-mile from the Gulf of Mexico in the city of Gulf Shores, Alabama, on Gulf Shores Parkway ( Alabama State Route 59). The park opened in 1986, and si ...

, a family amusement/waterpark; and 10 golf courses.

Hangout Music Festival The Hangout Music Festival (commonly referred to as Hangout Fest or Hangout) is an annual three-day music festival held on the white sand beaches of Gulf Shores, Alabama. The main stages are the Hangout Stage and the Surf Stage (located on opposit ...

is an annual three-day music festival on the beach each May. Some residents opposed the building of a new hotel on state property, and the use of BP Oil spill funds to finance projects other than environmental repair. In 2022, the city introduced a plan to make a $15 million revitalization of Gulf Place, a public beach area. Amenities will include a boardwalk, parking, green space, and restrooms. The project will involve sustainable and low-impact development strategies, including stormwater management, and beach dune restoration to provide animal habitat and protection from storm surge.

Education

Public education was originally administered by Baldwin County Public Schools. The Gulf Shores City School System was established in 2017. Schools include: * Gulf Shores High School (grades 9–12) * Gulf Shores Middle School (grades 7–8) * Gulf Shores Elementary School (grades K–6)

Infrastructure

Jack Edwards National Airport is located in Gulf Shores and offers services from Gulf Air Center, Salt Air Aviation Center and Platinum Air Center. Countywide

dial-a-ride Demand-responsive transport (DRT), also known as demand-responsive transit, demand-responsive service,
US National Trans ...

transit service is provided by BRATS, the Baldwin Regional Area Transit System.

References

External links

* {{authority control Beaches of Alabama Cities in Alabama Cities in Baldwin County, Alabama Landforms of Baldwin County, Alabama Populated coastal places in Alabama