Alabama's Gulf Coast

By: Graci Pennington

Gulf Shores is a booming town on Alabama’s Gulf Coast that’s history can be traced back for centuries.

Tourists know the area for its beautiful white sand and big blue waters of the Gulf of Mexico. Locals, however, remember the town for what it used to be.

According to Britannica, the Gulf Intracoastal Waterway was completed in Alabama 1937.  This waterway extended from the Apalachee Bay, Florida, westward to the Mexican border at Brownsville, Texas, for more than 1,100 miles. It runs through the heart of Gulf Shores.

The completion of the Intracoastal Waterway and the opening of the Gulf State Park in 1939, were both crucial factors in attracting people to the Gulf Shores area, according to Gulfshores.gov.

Previously, Gulf Shores was a small fishing community that dated back until the early 1800’s. In 1956, the recorded population was 120, according to gulfshores.gov.

“Growing up Gulf Shores we had one grocery store, and it was the only one in the area of Baldwin County. People who were residents in Foley and Orange Beach had to drive to Gulf Shores to buy their groceries,” said Jeremy Sullivan, a long-time resident.

“In the late 1950’s you could drive along the beach road, and there were very few houses. You could park your car and go to the beach anywhere there wasn’t a house. I also remember in the late 1960’s you could buy a lot on Fort Morgan Road for $300. We thought who wants a piece of sand? I wish we would have bought a bunch of them now,”.

By the 1960’s, the town started thriving by adding family-owned grocery stores, restaurants and motels for tourists.

“During the colder months the island basically shut down because there were no tourists here,” said Sullivan.

According to Gulfshores.gov, in the effort to generate business for the seasons the island arranged fishing rodeos and a national shrimp festival that started in 1971.

This event was held in October and now has become a national tourist attraction with 200,000 people in attendance over a four-day period each year.

In 1979, Hurricane Fredric took a toll on the community, causing $2.3 billion in damages. After that, development surged with increased construction of condominiums, restaurants and retail outlets. Gulf Shores was starting to boom.

Currently, according to the Census, Gulf Shores is growing at a rate of 1.69 percent annually. With large growth in a small town, there comes many upsides but also downsides.

“With change, the price of everything goes up like rent, food and groceries. Our tourists keep us going and keep our beautiful beaches funded. The vacationers are what keep us all motivated to keep changing down here,” resident Stephen Shillito said.

“I personally love the growth. When I was growing up there was only two lanes going to and from the beach. Now there are four and multiple ways to get access to the sand. The snow birds keep us company during the winter, and business is always booming,” Sullivan said.

Since the early 2000’s, Gulf Shores has welcomed several new restaurants, condominiums and amusements parks inviting more tourists every year. One of the newest developments in the recent years is the Gulf Shores International Airport at Jack Edwards Field. (JKA).

The airport, originally named Canal Field, became operational in 1942 and was first used as an outlying field for the Naval Air Station in Pensacola, Florida. In 1983, the airport was purchased by the city of Gulf Shores and has since become a valuable asset in the growth and economic development for surrounding communities.  

Because of the number of annual air operations that include takeoffs and landings, JKA is the second busiest airport in the state of Alabama.  Within the last year, JKA transformed into an international airport due to the growth and business within the community.

“A growing airport will allow for more tourists to come and experience the great beaches of Alabama instead of flying into further airports like Pensacola and Birmingham. This type of growth is creating more jobs at the airport and business for local owned businesses,” pilot Seth Keahey said.

As the airport continues to grow, continual planning and development will give it the ability to be a competitive transportation hub for the cities of Gulf Shores, Orange Beach and South Baldwin County.

Baldwin County is also home to four colleges with multiple in person and online opportunities for students.  The continuing growth of development in the region, complemented by the natural attractions available in coastal areas, makes it attractive for real estate, retail and resort development.  

“Our city is the fasted growing community in the state. The growth is great for money and business. Local businesses and residents have more opportunities for work. Tourists and customers have more options in all different criteria,” real estate agent Austin said.

Each year Gulf Shores 32 miles of white sugar sand beaches encounter nearly seven million visitors according to gulfshores.gov, injecting more than $5 billion dollars into the local economy.

In the Gulf Coast area, there are more than 17,661 condos in 2022. August remains the busiest month for the small community.

The city has to prepare for the summer months by enforcing stricter rules to keep their beaches clean and safe.

The city contracts with Republic Services to provide weekly residential garbage services for standard household garbage. The community also implements special recycling days throughout the year where you can drop off items that are not typically accepted.

OWA is a new and large attraction located in the Gulf Shores area. OWA is an amusement and water park that opened in July of 2017 and now has 22 attractions. It is the first indoor waterpark hotel with $100 million expansion. The indoor water park is set to open sometime in 2022.

“This is something to be excited about for tourists, especially for the younger crowds. When your kids get tired of the beach, it’s only a 15-minute drive from the ocean,” Shillito said.

With beautiful beaches, friendly people, and great weather year-round, there are so many reasons to love visiting Gulf Shores, consistently recognized as one of the nation's best beach towns.