Bessemer, Alabama

Bessemer, Alabama
The Jefferson County Courthouse in Bessemer
Nickname: 
The Marvel City
Location of Bessemer, Alabama
Coordinates: 33°22′16″N 86°58′22″W / 33.37111°N 86.97278°W / 33.37111; -86.97278
Country United States
State Alabama
CountyJefferson
Founded1886
IncorporatedSeptember 9, 1887
Founded byHenry Bessemer
Government
 • MayorKenneth E. Gulley
 • Council Districts1: Jarvis Collier
2: Chester W Porter
3: Sarah Person
4: Donna Thigpen
5: Teco Stephens
6: Carla Jackson
7: Cleo King
Area
 • Total
40.851 sq mi (105.804 km2)
 • Land40.639 sq mi (105.255 km2)
 • Water0.212 sq mi (0.548 km2)  0.52%
Elevation
509 ft (155 m)
Population
 (2020)
 • Total
26,019
 • Estimate 
(2024)
25,079
 • Density617.2/sq mi (238.29/km2)
Time zoneUTC–6 (Central (CST))
 • Summer (DST)UTC–5 (CDT)
ZIP Codes
35020–35023
Area codes205 and 659
FIPS code01-05980
GNIS feature ID2403864
Sales tax10.0%
Websitebessemeral.org

Bessemer is a city in Jefferson County, Alabama, United States and a southwestern suburb of Birmingham. The population was 26,019 at the 2020 census, and was estimated to be 25,079 in 2024. It is within the Birmingham–Hoover, AL Metropolitan statistical area, of which Jefferson County is the center. It developed rapidly as an industrial city in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.