Daphne, Alabama

Daphne is in central Baldwin County, about 11 miles east of Mobile, on bluffs ranging from sea level to 120 feet above Mobile Bay [1]. It is nicknamed the Jubilee City for its jubilees, when large numbers of crabs, fish and shrimp become trapped in shallow coastal waters. The town was settled in 1874 and named by William Howard, a hotel owner and postmaster, possibly after a shrub his wife admired. The 2020 census counted 26,578 residents.

History

Tensaw, Alabama, Creek, Seminole and Choctaw peoples lived in the area, and explorers are documented visiting around 1557. In the first half of the 1800s the area was known by three landings: Belrose, Hollywood and Shorts. Daphne was the Baldwin County seat from 1868 to 1901. After railroad expansion the legislature approved moving the seat to Bay Minette on February 5, 1901, and Daphne officials refused to surrender the records, which Bay Minette officials took at night in October 1901 [1].

Community

Baldwin County Public Schools serve the city, and private schools include Bayside Academy. The Daphne History Museum occupies the 1858 Daphne Old Methodist Church, and the American Sport Art Museum and Archives is on the United States Sports Academy campus. Events include the Gulf Coast Zydeco Music and Crawfish Festival in May and the Eastern Shore Jubilee Festival, which draws roughly 30,000 to 35,000 visitors a year [1]. See Fairhope and Gulf Coast of Alabama.

Incorporation and early history

Daphne began as an unincorporated community on April 9, 1874, when its post office opened, and was formally incorporated on July 8, 1927, after a request signed by 41 landowners. James M. Voltz became its first mayor, and a 1946 effort to revoke incorporation failed. People have lived in the area since at least 9000 BC; Spanish explorers arrived in the 1550s, France claimed Mobile Bay in 1710, Britain gained the land in 1763, Spain regained it in 1783, and it became United States territory in 1814. The county seat moved from Daphne to Bay Minette in 1900-1901, and Italian immigrants settled the area beginning in 1888.[2]

Eastern Shore and the Jubilee

Daphne lies on the eastern shore of Mobile Bay along Interstate 10, about 11 miles east of Mobile, and is grouped locally with Spanish Fort and Fairhope as the Eastern Shore. Its nickname, The Jubilee City, refers to the Mobile Bay jubilee, when crabs, shrimp and other sea life move toward the shallows. The 2020 census counted 27,462 residents, up from 21,570 in 2010, making it the most populous city in Baldwin County.[2]

Schools and economy

Public schools are run by the Baldwin County Board of Education and include Daphne High School. Private schools include Bayside Academy, Christ the King Catholic School and Bayshore Christian School, and the United States Sports Academy and a Huntingdon College graduate campus are located in the city. Education, health care and social assistance are the largest employment sectors, followed by retail; agriculture, once central, now contributes under one percent of local output.[2]

FAQs

Why is it called the Jubilee City? For the jubilees in Mobile Bay.

When was it the county seat? 1868 to 1901.

Sources

1. Encyclopedia of Alabama: Daphne
2. Wikipedia: Daphne, Alabama

Editorially reviewed by Specialty Digest Editorial TeamLast reviewed November 10, 2026Researched and drafted with AI assistanceReport an issue