The Clarke County Alabama map makes the most sense when the county is read as land between two major rivers. The Tombigbee River defines the western side, the Alabama River defines much of the eastern side, and the county narrows southward between them. Grove Hill anchors the interior crossroads, while Jackson, Thomasville, Coffeeville, and Fulton occupy very different parts of that river-bounded landscape.
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Download the Clarke County map
Open the county graphic as a JPG when you need the labeled places, river-bounded outline, and road relationships outside the webpage.
- Map file: Clarke County map
- File format: JPG
- Coverage: County boundary and selected labeled places
Quick Facts
| State | Alabama |
|---|---|
| County | Clarke County |
| County seat | Grove Hill |
| 2025 population estimate | 22,014 |
| 2020 land area | 1,238.42 sq mi |
| Main highways | U.S. 43, U.S. 84 |
| Major waters | Tombigbee River, Alabama River, Coffeeville Reservoir |
| Incorporated municipalities | Coffeeville, Fulton, Grove Hill, Jackson, Thomasville |
| File format | JPG |
The U.S. Census Bureau estimates 22,014 residents as of July 1, 2025, compared with 23,087 counted in the 2020 census. Clarke County has 1,238.42 square miles of land and a 2020 density of 18.6 people per square mile. That combination of large area and low density means its geography is better understood through separated town centers, river corridors, and highway junctions than through a continuous built-up area.
What the Map Shows
Grove Hill is the county seat and the central crossroads. Clarke County’s official history says the seat was moved here in the early 1830s because the site was more central to the county. U.S. 43 and U.S. 84 meet in the Grove Hill area, giving the town both an administrative role and a practical map-reading role: it is the point from which the other major communities can be oriented.
Jackson lies southwest of Grove Hill toward the Tombigbee side of the county. U.S. 43 runs directly through the city, while U.S. 84 is roughly 15 miles away according to the county’s Jackson profile. This places Jackson on the principal north-south highway while keeping it closely tied to the river-facing western part of Clarke County.
Thomasville occupies the northeastern corner. The county notes that Marengo County is only a few miles to the northwest and Wilcox County only a few miles to the north, which gives Thomasville a trade area extending beyond Clarke County itself. Its position is therefore best interpreted as a northeastern border center rather than a suburb of Grove Hill.
Coffeeville and Fulton represent two smaller but geographically distinct settings. Coffeeville sits in northwestern Clarke County beside the Tombigbee and Coffeeville Reservoir, with U.S. 84 passing through town. Fulton lies a few miles off U.S. 43 on Alabama 178 and developed around a railroad and lumber mill. One is strongly river-oriented; the other is an inland railroad-and-timber community.
County Layout and Location
Clarke County borders Marengo County on the north and Wilcox County plus a small part of Monroe County on the northeast. The Alabama River separates much of its eastern side from Monroe County and northern Baldwin County. On the west, the Tombigbee River separates Clarke County from Choctaw and Washington counties. The official county description characterizes the result as a roughly triangular county that narrows toward the south.
U.S. 43 is the main north-south framework, linking or closely serving Thomasville, Grove Hill, and Jackson. U.S. 84 supplies the principal east-west route, crossing the county through the Grove Hill area and continuing toward Coffeeville. Those two highways explain much of the internal hierarchy: Grove Hill is the intersection, while the other communities occupy branches of the network.
The river boundaries make the outer edge much less regular than a rectangular county. On the west, the Tombigbee and Coffeeville Reservoir create bends, backwater areas, and water crossings near the county line. On the east, the Alabama River follows a similarly winding boundary. A place that appears close across the river may therefore require a much longer road trip to reach a bridge or highway crossing.
Local Context
Clarke County was created by the Mississippi Territorial Legislature on December 10, 1812, before Alabama became a state. The county was named for General John Clarke of Georgia. The first county seat was at Clarksville, a settlement that no longer exists, before government functions moved to the present Grove Hill site.
The county’s five incorporated municipalities are Coffeeville, Fulton, Grove Hill, Jackson, and Thomasville. They do not form one uniform chain of towns. Grove Hill carries the courthouse function, Jackson and Thomasville serve different regional trade directions, Coffeeville is tied to the Tombigbee waterway, and Fulton retains a settlement pattern rooted in rail and timber activity.
The Tombigbee River is both a natural boundary and a navigable transportation system. Outdoor Alabama describes Coffeeville Reservoir as an approximately 8,500-acre impoundment on the Tombigbee extending about 97 miles from Demopolis to the dam near Coffeeville. Around northwestern Clarke County, the reservoir and river affect shoreline access, road placement, and the shape of the county edge.
The Alabama River performs the same boundary-defining role on the opposite side. Clarke County’s own location description emphasizes the land between the Alabama and Tombigbee rivers and the way the county narrows toward their lower reaches. That dual-river setting is the most county-specific feature on the map: the outline is literally built around two major waterways.
Ways to Use This Map
A good reading sequence begins at Grove Hill. Follow U.S. 43 northeast toward Thomasville and southwest toward Jackson, then use U.S. 84 to orient Coffeeville on the northwestern side. Once those highway relationships are established, trace the Tombigbee and Alabama rivers around the county’s outer edge to see why the shape tightens toward the south.
For more detailed local work, the County Commission district pages add communities such as Bashi, Morvin, Salitpa, Stave Creek, Tallahatta, Toddtown, and others that are not practical to label on a simplified graphic. Comparing those names with ALDOT road mapping reveals that the broad spaces between the five municipalities contain many smaller rural communities rather than empty territory.
- Orient Jackson, Thomasville, and Coffeeville from the Grove Hill crossroads.
- Separate the U.S. 43 north-south corridor from the U.S. 84 east-west corridor.
- Trace the Tombigbee and Alabama rivers as the western and eastern boundary systems.
- Add smaller commission-district communities when a project requires finer local detail.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does the map show every city and community?
No. The article graphic emphasizes the main labeled places. Clarke County’s commission districts identify many additional communities—including Bashi, Morvin, Salitpa, Stave Creek, Tallahatta, and Toddtown—so a county road map or district list is the better companion when those smaller localities matter.
Can the map be printed?
The JPG can be printed with standard image or document software. Because Clarke County has long, winding river boundaries, check the original pixel dimensions before a large enlargement if small labels and shoreline details need to remain crisp.
What does the download include?
The button opens the Clarke County graphic as a standalone JPG file. Saving that image gives you the map without webpage navigation, advertising areas, or surrounding article text, which keeps the file cleaner for document placement or offline storage.
Related Alabama County Maps
- Clay County Map | Ashland, Lineville, and Talladega National Forest
- Cleburne County Map
- Coffee County Map
- Colbert County Map
Sources
- Clarke County official location and community information
- Clarke County official history
- U.S. Census Bureau QuickFacts
- Alabama Department of Transportation functional-classification maps
- Outdoor Alabama: Coffeeville Reservoir
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