Welcome to Salem ...
Salem is located in Lee County<1>.
While we don't have a date for the founding of Salem, you might consider that their post office opened in 1839.
When the people of Salem refer to themselves (known as a demonym), they frequently use Salemite<2>
Salem is 690 feet [210 m] above sea level.<3>.
Time Zone: Salem lies in the Central Time Zone (CST/CDT) and observes daylight saving time
Note: If you travel east from Salem (for example, toward Twin Chapel (GA)), you will soon leave Central Time and cross into the Eastern Time Zone (EST/EDT).
The telephone area code for Salem: (334)
The ZIP code for Salem: 36874<4>
Websites for Salem ...
Junior League: www.leecountyjuniorleague.com/
Communities Also Named Salem ...
While we believe that this Salem is located in Lee County, we know of another 3 Alabama communities named Salem. Those communities are located in the following counties: Dallas, Fayette and Limestone County.
Beyond Alabama, there are 122 communities that are also named Salem - they are located in Arkansas (5), Connecticut, Florida, Georgia (8), Idaho, Illinois (2), Indiana (4), Iowa, Kansas (7), Kentucky (4), Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan (2), Mississippi (6), Missouri (4), Montana, Nebraska, New Brunswick (2), New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina (8), Nova Scotia, Ohio (7), Oklahoma (3), Ontario (6), Oregon, Pennsylvania (4), South Carolina (4), South Dakota, Tennessee (7), Texas (8), Utah, Virginia (5), West Virginia (3), Wisconsin (2) and Wyoming.
For more information, see our Tidbits & Trivia Page for Salem.
Communities near Salem ...
We have created a list of 10 communities that are near Salem.
- Columbus
(16 miles [25.7 km] to the southeast)- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Columbus
- Columbus is located in Muscogee County (GA)
- Population from the 2020 Census: 196,442 people
- Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Columbus <5>
- Auburn
(14 miles [22.5 km] to the west)- Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Auburn have been provided by the GNIS.<6> The coordinates still need to be verified.
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Auburn
- Auburn is located in Lee County
- Population from the 2020 Census: 68,343 people
- Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Auburn <5>
- Maridale Estates
(16 miles [25.7 km] to the east)- Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Maridale Estates have been provided by the GNIS.<6> The coordinates still need to be verified.
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Maridale Estates
- Maridale Estates is located in Muscogee County (GA)
- Estimated population in 2019: 60,867 people
- Phenix City
(15 miles [24.1 km] to the southeast)- Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Phenix City have been provided by the GNIS.<6> The coordinates still need to be verified.
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Phenix City
- Phenix City is located in Russell County
- Population from the 2020 Census: 36,392 people
- Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Phenix City <5>
- Opelika
(9 miles [14.5 km] to the northwest)- Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Opelika have been provided by the GNIS.<6> The coordinates still need to be verified.
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Opelika
- Opelika is located in Lee County
- Population from the 2020 Census: 31,135 people
- Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Opelika <5>
- Mountain Hill
(15 miles [24.1 km] to the northeast)- Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Mountain Hill have been provided by the GNIS.<6> The coordinates still need to be verified.
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Mountain Hill
- Mountain Hill is located in Harris County (GA)
- Population from the 2010 Census: 11,554 people
- Valley
(14 miles [22.5 km] to the north)- Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Valley have been provided by the GNIS.<6> The coordinates still need to be verified.
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Valley
- Valley is located in Chambers County
- Population from the 2020 Census: 9,077 people
- Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Valley <5>
- Lanett
(18 miles [29 km] to the north)- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Lanett
- Lanett is located in Chambers County
- Population from the 2020 Census: 6,054 people
- Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Lanett <5>
- Smith's Station
(8 miles [12.9 km] to the southeast)- Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Smith's Station have been provided by the GNIS.<6> The coordinates still need to be verified.
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Smith's Station
- Smith's Station is located in Lee County
- Population from the 2020 Census: 5,804 people
- Glenns
(17 miles [27.4 km] to the east)
To Help With Your Genealogy Research ...
We have a couple of sections for those tracing their genealogy.
We created a list of cemeteries that are in the area around Salem. Our list includes the location of those cemeteries and we provide an overhead view. See our Cemetery List for Salem.
Using the information from an 1895 Atlas, we've created a list of communities that were in the area of Salem. Our list includes information such as whether the 1895 community had a post office or railroad service. See our List of 1890's Communities around Salem.
We also have a detailed list of newspapers that have been published in the area around Salem. See our Newspapers Page for Salem.
TripAdvisor Tourism Pages for Salem ...
Looking for more information about Salem? A wonderful source is the TripAdvisor website. We always start with the TripAdvisor Tourism page, where you can read an overview with links that will help you find lodging, restaurants and attractions.
In addition to the Tourism page for Salem, there are neighboring communities that also have Tourism pages. More information about those communities can be found on our TripAdvisor Page for Salem.
Adding Salem to Our Gazetteer ...
We originally found mention of Salem in both the FIPS-55 and the GNIS. For more information, see the FIPS and GNIS Codes sections on our Miscellaneous Page.
From our notes, the earliest published mention we've found for Salem was in the document titled List of Post Offices from Cameron Blevins and Richard Helbock.<7>
From that list, the Salem post office opened in 1839.
We also found Salem in the book titled List of Post Offices in the United States (1870).
For more details, see References and Mentions for Salem.
Off-the-Road Links ...
Unfortunately, we don't know of a website for Salem. If you can help, please contact us through our Feedback Page.
The official website for State of Alabama: https://www.alabama.gov/
Footnotes ...
| <1> | If you're interested in how the shape of Alabama's counties, including Lee, have changed over time, we recommend the Atlas of Historical County Boundaries. |
| <2> | A demonym is the name for a resident of a community which is usually derived from (or is related to) the name of that community. In other words, it's how the residents of Salem refer to themselves. It's important to note that there aren't any rules for taking a community's name and turning it into a demonym. A demonym is informal and while the majority of Salem may use one name, keep in mind that others may use something different. |
| <3> | The elevation is an estimate for the area around Salem - it will be higher in some places and lower in others. |
| <4> | ZIP Codes have been created by the United States Postal Service (USPS) as a way of grouping addresses to make delivery more efficient. The boundaries of the ZIP Code can be changed, re-assigned, eliminated or overlapped with other ZIP Codes. So keep in mind that any given ZIP Code is only 'loosely' associated with a community (such as Salem). When looking for a ZIP Code, whether Salem or elsewhere, it's always best to check the website of the United States Postal Service (USPS). |
| <5> | While we're fans and frequent users of TripAdvisor, you should know that we're also members of the TripAdvisor affiliate program. |
| <6> | The location has been supplied by the Geographic Names Information System - which is maintained by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS). While these values should be definitive, we found that accuracy can vary and you should double-check the location if accuracy is required. |
| <7> | A copy of their list with background information can be found at: https://cblevins.github.io/us-post-offices/data-biography/ |