The Chilton County Alabama map works best when the county is divided into several geographic zones: the Clanton–Thorsby–Jemison corridor along I-65 and U.S. 31, the rural west around Maplesville and Plantersville, the Verbena–Mountain Creek side to the southeast, and the Coosa River–Lay Lake edge in the east. That structure adds far more local context than treating Chilton County only as Alabama’s peach-growing center.
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Download the Chilton County map
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- Map file: Chilton County map
- File format: JPG
- Coverage: County boundary and selected place labels
Quick Facts
| State | Alabama |
|---|---|
| County | Chilton County |
| County seat | Clanton |
| 2025 population estimate | 47,708 |
| 2020 land area | 692.84 sq mi |
| Main highways | I-65, U.S. 31, U.S. 82, AL 22 |
| Major waters | Coosa River and Lay Lake |
| File format | JPG |
The U.S. Census Bureau estimates 47,708 residents as of July 1, 2025, a 6.0 percent increase from the 2020 estimates base. The 2020 census counted 45,014 people on 692.84 square miles of land, producing a density of 65.0 people per square mile. Clanton itself is estimated at 9,289 residents in 2025, reinforcing its role as the county’s strongest urban and administrative center.
What the Map Shows
Clanton sits near the center of the county where Interstate 65 and U.S. 31 form the primary north-south corridor. U.S. 82 and Alabama 22 add major east-west movement, so Clanton is not simply the county-seat label—it is the point where the county’s strongest transportation directions come together.
Jemison and Thorsby lie north of Clanton along the U.S. 31/I-65 side of the county. Their spacing creates a continuous northern growth corridor toward Shelby County and the Birmingham region. Maplesville, by contrast, lies well to the west on the Alabama 22 side and belongs to a more dispersed rural network.
South and southeast of Clanton, places such as Verbena, Stanton, Mountain Creek, and Pletcher occupy the transition toward Autauga County. ALDOT’s April 2026 functional-classification map places these communities among county roads and small streams, making clear that the southern half is not empty space between Clanton and the county line.
Plantersville and Isabella help define the southwestern and western countryside toward Perry, Dallas, and Bibb counties. As distance from I-65 increases, road patterns become less concentrated and settlement becomes more widely spaced. That contrast is one of the most important differences between central Chilton County and its western side.
County Layout and Location
Chilton County occupies central Alabama between Shelby County to the north, Bibb County to the northwest, Perry County to the west, Dallas and Autauga counties to the south, and Coosa County to the east. Its position between Birmingham and Montgomery gives the I-65 corridor unusually strong regional importance compared with the more local east-west roads.
I-65 and U.S. 31 provide the main north-south framework. U.S. 82 crosses the Clanton area east-west, while Alabama 22 links Maplesville and the western countryside with Clanton and the Coosa River side. Reading those routes together explains why the Clanton–Thorsby–Jemison strip and the Maplesville–Plantersville side of the county developed as different travel environments.
The eastern edge is shaped as much by water as by roads. The Coosa River and Lay Lake system lies along the Coosa County side, and the ALDOT map also marks Mountain Creek and numerous smaller water features. Bridges and lake access therefore matter more in the east than they do across the broader inland road grid to the west.
Local Context
Chilton County was created on December 30, 1868, from portions of Autauga, Bibb, Perry, and Shelby counties. It was first called Baker County and was renamed in 1874 for William Parish Chilton. Clanton became the county seat and later grew around rail and highway connections that concentrated public services and commerce in the center of the county.
Peach production remains one of the county’s most recognizable identities. The Encyclopedia of Alabama describes Chilton County as the dominant peach-producing county in the state, and Clanton’s peach-shaped water tower has become a visual symbol of that industry. On a map, however, the more useful point is that orchards and farm communities occupy the rolling central and northern landscape around the main transportation corridor rather than a single compact district.
Lay Lake adds a very different landscape on the eastern side. Outdoor Alabama describes it as a roughly 12,000-acre Coosa River reservoir bordering Chilton and several neighboring counties. The water creates an irregular county edge, so the eastern boundary must be read as a river-and-reservoir landscape rather than a simple straight line.
West of Clanton, the county becomes more rural and less water-dominated. Isabella, Maplesville, and Plantersville are connected by state and county roads across rolling terrain, while Clanton and the northern corridor carry a denser concentration of highway access and urban services. Those differences give Chilton County several distinct internal geographies within one county outline.
Ways to Use This Map
A practical reading sequence begins at Clanton, moves north through Thorsby and Jemison, then west toward Maplesville and Plantersville, southeast toward Verbena and Mountain Creek, and finally east toward the Coosa River–Lay Lake edge. Following those directions exposes how the county changes from highway-centered development to dispersed rural roads and then to a reservoir boundary.
For transportation analysis, separate I-65/U.S. 31 as the north-south spine from U.S. 82/AL 22 as the principal east-west routes. For agricultural history, place the Clanton and northern orchard region against that road network. For physical geography, isolate Lay Lake and the Coosa River side. Each layer highlights a different Chilton County-specific pattern instead of repeating a generic county-map description.
- Compare the Clanton–Thorsby–Jemison corridor with the western rural communities.
- Trace I-65/U.S. 31 separately from U.S. 82/AL 22.
- Use Maplesville and Plantersville to orient the western side of the county.
- Read the Coosa River and Lay Lake as part of the eastern county boundary.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does the map show every city and community?
No. The graphic uses a selective label set. ALDOT’s 2026 county map identifies many additional places—including Isabella, Stanton, Mountain Creek, Pletcher, New Convert, Fairview, Cooper, and Kincheon—along with the county roads that connect them.
Can the map be printed?
The JPG works with standard image and document software. If the lake shoreline or smaller community labels need to remain readable on a large sheet, compare the original pixel dimensions with the planned enlargement before printing.
What does the download include?
The button opens the Chilton County graphic as a standalone JPG. Saving the image directly keeps webpage menus and other interface elements out of the file when it is inserted into a document or stored offline.
Related Alabama County Maps
- Choctaw County Map | Mississippi Border Communities and the Tombigbee River
- Clarke County Map | River Boundaries, Jackson, and Eight Community Labels
- Clay County Map | Ashland, Lineville, and Talladega National Forest
- Cleburne County Map
Sources
- Chilton County Commission official website
- U.S. Census Bureau QuickFacts
- ALDOT 2026 Chilton County functional-classification map
- Outdoor Alabama: Lay Lake
- The Encyclopedia of Alabama: Chilton County
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