Birmingham, city in the Jones Valley of north central Alabama at the southern end of the Appalachian Mountains. Birmingham is the seat of Jefferson County, and part of the city is in Shelby County. It is the largest city in Alabama and is a regional hub of transportation, commercial, and cultural activity. The city also is a health-care center for the surrounding region. Birmingham has a diversified industrial base; manufactures include railroad and aircraft equipment, chemicals, valves, automotive parts and equipment, and plastics. Port facilities on the nearby Black Warrior River link the city to the Tennessee-Tombigbee Waterway and to the Gulf of Mexico. Air transportation is through Birmingham Airport.
Among Birmingham's educational institutions are Samford University (1841), Birmingham-Southern College (1856), Miles College (1905), and the Birmingham campus of the University of Alabama (established in the city in 1969), the city's largest employer. The city also has two community colleges. Sites of interest include the Birmingham Museum of Art, which has an impressive collection of Renaissance paintings; the Birmingham Civil Rights Institute; and the Southern Museum of Flight.
