Lee County was established on December 5, 1866 from portions of Macon, Russell, Chambers and Tallapoosa counties (Acts 1866-7, No. 61).  Lee County is located in east central Alabama along the Alabama-Georgia border. 

The 2000 Census showed Lee County's population as 115,092, with a 32% growth rate.  It is Alabama's 8th most populated county, and the 4th fastest growing.  [U.S. Census Estimate Data: 2001: 116,696 residents; 2002: 117,972 residents; 2003: 119,561 residents; 2004: 120,714]  The racial makeup of the county is 74% white, 23% black or African American, and 3% Asian, Hispanic, Native American or other races.  The median income for a household in the county is $30,952.  The 2004 unemployment rate was commendably low at 3.8%, partly due to the fact that over 80% of adults age 25 and over have a high school diploma, and almost 30% have college degrees.

Opelika, the county seat, lies approximately 100 miles southeast of Birmingham (the largest city in Alabama), 60 miles northeast of Montgomery (the state capital of Alabama), 100 miles southwest of Atlanta, Georgia, and 30 miles northwest of Columbus, Georgia.  The county encompasses a total land area of approximately 609 square miles.

Lee County is well connected with transportation.  US Interstate Highway I-85, which connects Montgomery, Alabama with Atlanta, Georgia and points north, runs through the county in a generally southwest-to-northeast direction.  Three major state highways, Alabama Highways 51, 147 and 169, and three major federal highways, U. S. Highways 29, 280 and 431, traverse the County and provide access to outlying areas.  Main lines of the Norfolk-Southern Railway system (Birmingham to Columbus, Georgia, formerly a part of the Central of Georgia Railroad), and the CSX system (Montgomery to Atlanta, formerly a part of the Western Railway of Alabama), intersect at Opelika.

Education is considered by many as the number one industry in Lee County.  The citizens of Lee County take great pride in their support of K through 12 education not only with local funding but with volunteer time and other support.  The Lee County school system, the Auburn City school system and the Opelika City school system are all considered among the best in Alabama and even the Southeast.  In addition, Lee County is the home of Auburn University, the largest institution of higher education in Alabama with just over 23,000 students.  The University is the largest employer in the county with over 5,200 employees.  Lee County also hosts Southern Union State Community College, a two-year postsecondary institution offering day and evening classes, and several excellent private schools.

The medical community is well represented in the area, including East Alabama Medical Center.  EAMC is a public, non-profit 350-bed regional referral center in Opelika, and is the second largest employer in Lee County with over 2,500 employees.  It is served by almost 150 physicians.

Location, transportation, education and health care are all significant components when measuring quality of life, and are just some of the many reasons Lee County has become one of the fastest growing counties in the State of Alabama!