Mobile, city in southwestern Alabama. Mobile is the seat of Mobile County and serves as a port of entry on Mobile Bay at the mouth of the Mobile River. It is Alabama's only seaport, and one of the busiest in the United States; a deepwater channel in Mobile Bay links the city with the Gulf of Mexico and the Intracoastal Waterway. Major local manufactures include paper, ships, chemicals, forest products, textiles, processed food, aerospace equipment, and refined petroleum. The area is served by the Mobile Regional Airport.
Mobile retains an old Southern and French flavor, and it is known for its gardens and old houses, many of which are decorated with elaborate wrought-iron work. Spring Hill College (1830), a technical college, the University of Mobile (1961), the University of South Alabama (1963), and a community college are based in the city. Tourist attractions include Fort Condé, a partially reconstructed fort built by the French in 1711; the Romanesque Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception; the Museum of the City of Mobile; and the battleship USS Alabama, which is anchored in the harbor. Popular annual events are the Mardi Gras celebration and the Azalea Trail Festival.
