County · code 01097
Mobile CountyAlabama
Mobile County is a county in Alabama, with its seat in the city of Mobile. The county was created in 1812 by the Mississippi Territory from non-county area in present-day Alabama and Mississippi.
- Founded1812
- County seatMobile
- Land area1,229 sq mi + 415 sq mi water
- Population414,809 2020 Census
- Parcels mapped213,791 checked 14 October 2026
Where it is
Mobile on the map of Alabama
Alabama has 67 counties and county equivalents, each with its own records office. Shapes with a page are links.
History
Founded in 1812
An old deed may name a county that no longer exists, or a boundary that has since moved.
Mobile County was created on August 1, 1812, by the Mississippi Territory from non-county area that was claimed but not fully controlled by the United States, with Spain actually controlling much of the area. On April 15, 1813, American forces captured the city of Mobile from Spain, effectively extending United States control over the territory between the Pearl and Perdido Rivers, previously claimed as part of Louisiana. Mobile County became a county in Alabama Territory on March 3, 1817, when Alabama Territory was created from Mississippi Territory. The county's boundaries changed several times through gains, losses, and exchanges with neighboring counties including Jackson, Baldwin, and Washington, with the Alabama-Mississippi border fixed by surveyors in 1820.
- 1812Mobile County created Mobile created by Mississippi Territory from non-county area in present Alabama and Mississippi that was claimed, but not fully controlled, by the United States. Spain actually controlled much of the area. · Terr. Papers U.S., 6:305
- 1812Lost territory Mobile lost to creation of Hancock (Mississippi) and Jackson (Mississippi). · Toulmin, Digest, ch. 6/p. 83; Miss. Terr. Stat., p. 108
- 1813Mobile County created American forces captured the city of Mobile from Spain, effectively extending United States control over the territory between the Pearl and Perdido Rivers, previously claimed by the United States as part of Louisiana and where Mobile had been created. · Cox, facing 2; Fuller, 202
- 1817Became part of Alabama Mobile became a county in Alabama Territory. · U.S. Stat., vol. 3, ch. 59 [1817], sec. 1/p. 371
- 1818Gained territory Mobile gained all of Non-County Area 4 (formerly part of Jackson, Mississippi); included part of present Mississippi. · Ala. Terr. Acts 1818, 1st sess., p. 21
Show all 15 changes
- 1812Mobile County created Mobile created by Mississippi Territory from non-county area in present Alabama and Mississippi that was claimed, but not fully controlled, by the United States. Spain actually controlled much of the area. · Terr. Papers U.S., 6:305
- 1812Lost territory Mobile lost to creation of Hancock (Mississippi) and Jackson (Mississippi). · Toulmin, Digest, ch. 6/p. 83; Miss. Terr. Stat., p. 108
- 1813Mobile County created American forces captured the city of Mobile from Spain, effectively extending United States control over the territory between the Pearl and Perdido Rivers, previously claimed by the United States as part of Louisiana and where Mobile had been created. · Cox, facing 2; Fuller, 202
- 1817Became part of Alabama Mobile became a county in Alabama Territory. · U.S. Stat., vol. 3, ch. 59 [1817], sec. 1/p. 371
- 1818Gained territory Mobile gained all of Non-County Area 4 (formerly part of Jackson, Mississippi); included part of present Mississippi. · Ala. Terr. Acts 1818, 1st sess., p. 21
- c. 1820Lost territory Mobile lost to Mississippi when surveyors demarcated the southern segment of the Alabama-Mississippi line, fixing the end point ten miles east of the mouth of the Pascagoula River. This southern terminus is approximately 3.7 miles east of its prior location, an adjustment authorized in the act admitting Alabama to the Union on 14 December 1819. · Van Zandt, 108-109
- 1820
- 1829
- 1832
- 1860Lost territory Mobile lost small area to Washington. · Ala. Acts 1859, 7th bien. sess., no. 416/p. 556
- 1863Gained territory Mobile gained small area from Washington to accommodate local property owners. · Ala. Acts 1863, called sess., no. 30/p. 31
- 1893Exchanged territory Mobile exchanged with Washington. · Ala. Acts 1892, bien. sess., no. 514/p. 1174
- 1895Lost territory Mobile lost small area to Washington. · Ala. Acts 1894, bien. sess., no. 450/p. 890
- 1901Gained territory Mobile gained small area from Washington. · Ala. Acts 1900, bien. sess., no. 800/p. 1937
- 1983Boundary clarified Mobile boundaries were redefined (no change).no change· Ala. Acts 1983, reg. sess., no. 83-533, secs. 1-3, 6/pp. 831-832
Land and parcels
What the maps cover in Mobile
Who publishes each layer, how good it is, and when we last checked.
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Parcels Good enough
Lot lines and tax-map numbers for 213,791 parcels. Drawn for tax purposes: usually within a few feet of a survey, but not a survey.
checked 14 October 2026 -
Address points Missing
No public address points layer found for Mobile County yet.
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Buildings Reference
Roof outlines traced from aerial imagery from FEMA Response Geospatial Office with Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL). Good for seeing what is on a lot; not accurate enough to set a fence from.
checked 18 October 2026
- Official
- from the office that keeps the record
- Good enough
- a reliable statewide or national copy
- Fallback
- a guide only; check the official record
- Missing
- nothing public found yet
People and land
Mobile by the Census
Source: US Census Bureau, 2020 Census; US Census Bureau, 2020 Gazetteer Files. Not endorsed or certified by the Census Bureau.
Rules and offices
Who to ask before you build, dig or sell
Official county pages only. We link to them; we do not copy them, because they change.
Inside a city or town, permits usually come from that city rather than the county.
County government
- County government
The official website of Mobile County.
See your own lot on these maps
Open Mobile County on Parcel Chart's free map and click your parcel. Save it with a free account; the full record of your place (site map, projects, documents) is Pro, in early access.
Questions
Common questions about Mobile County
- When was Mobile County founded?
- Mobile County was founded in 1812.
- What is the county seat of Mobile County?
- The county seat of Mobile County is Mobile.
- Is there an online parcel map for Mobile County?
- Yes. A public source publishes a parcel map of 213,791 parcels, rated good enough here. You can click any parcel on it in Parcel Chart's free map, no sign-in needed.
- Has Mobile County's boundary or name changed?
- Mobile County was created in 1812. Since then the Atlas of Historical County Boundaries records 13 later changes, chiefly involving Washington County, Baldwin County and Hancock (Miss.) County.
- Who issues building permits in Mobile County?
- The county's page on building permits: Inspection Services : Mobile County. Inside a city or town, ask that city first.
- Is my lot in a flood zone?
- We do not have flood maps for Mobile County yet. Look up the address on FEMA's Flood Map Service Center, which shows the effective flood map for any lot.
Nearby