Southside, Alabama

Southside is a city in Etowah and Calhoun counties in the U.S. state of Alabama. It is included in the Gadsden Metropolitan Statistical Area. It incorporated in 1957. The population was 8,412 at the time of the 2010 United States Census. Located 8to south of downtown Gadsden, Southside is one of the fastest growing cities in northeast Alabama.In 2011, Southside narrowly escaped the massive devastation from the April 25–28, 2011 tornado outbreak which destroyed the community of Willow Point, just a few miles south of the city.HistorySouthside was first settled in 1850 as a small rural community with townships such as Green Valley, Cedar Bend, and Pilgrims Rest, and the town of Southside was formed when they banded together. Early Southside's primary source of income was farming.GeographySouthside is located in southern Etowah County on the south side of the Coosa River at (33.903597, -86.026105). A small part of the city extends south into Calhoun County. The city is in the foothills of the southern Appalachian Mountains.According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 49.6sqkm, of which 49.2sqkm is land and 0.4sqkm, or 0.87%, is water.EducationThe city is served by the Etowah County Board of Education. The city has one elementary school, one high school, and shares a middle school with neighboring Rainbow City. Students also have the option of attending schools in the Gadsden City school system.