Opelika, Alabama 2025

In Lee County, Alabama, United States, Opelika [Oh-pee-lika] is a city. At the 2020 census, the population was 30,863. After a vote by the Opelika Board of Aldermen on February 9, 1955, Opelika became an incorporated city on February 23, 1955 [3]. It is the county seat of Lee County and a principal city of the Auburn-Opelika metropolitan area.

Downtown Opelika is on the south bank of the Tallapoosa River. The city's population more than doubled, from around 7,500 in 1900 to more than 18,000 in 1950. At that point, it was described as a city of approximately 36 square miles. In 2010, it had a population of 26,488. [4] According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 54.4 square miles (141 km3), of which 53.8 square miles (139 km2) is land and 0.6 square miles (1.6 km2), or 1.12%, is water. [5] [6]

Opelika's nickname, "The friendliest city in the world," was coined by John H. Hodges in the late 1960s. [7] [8] In 1978, a jingle was composed to promote the slogan through a brief musical ditty. The jingle was composed by Bill Ham, an announcer for radio station WKKR, in less than an hour. [8] [9] Its official city logo is a white letter "O" on a red background, similar to the logo of Ohio State University.

The Auburn Opelika Robert G. Pitts Airport (AUB), which serves the Columbus, Georgia, region, is located in Opelika. The Opelika–Auburn News and the Opelika Daily News are two locally published newspapers. Radio station WMXA-FM, 105.1, "The Bridge," is also based in the city.

Parts of the state routes 14, 280, and 51 (Old Decatur Road) in Opelika have a combined 136 acres (0.55 km2) industrial park. The STN Shoulder Systems plant, a subsidiary of the German automotive parts firm SteelTech, was opened in 1996 and employs about 120 people. [10]

Using Opelika's abundant resources, the community has made significant investments in economic development, education, healthcare, and cultural enrichment. Many industries, including textiles, plastics, and auto parts, still call Opelika home. However, Opelika's identity is also built on three separate sectors: healthcare, education, and retail.