Helena, Alabama

Helena, Alabama
City
"Old Town" Helena during a rare snowfall on January 19, 2008: These buildings date to the late 1800s.
Flag Seal
Location of Helena in Jefferson County and Shelby County, Alabama.
Coordinates: 33°16′47″N 86°51′22″W / 33.27972°N 86.85611°W / 33.27972; -86.85611
Country	United States
State	Alabama
Counties	Shelby, Jefferson
Government
• Mayor	J. Brian Puckett
Area [1]
• Total	22.38 sq mi (57.95 km2)
• Land	22.06 sq mi (57.13 km2)
• Water	0.32 sq mi (0.82 km2)
Elevation [2]	453 ft (138 m)
Population  (2022)
• Total	21,560
• Density	948.2/sq mi (366.09/km2)
Time zone	UTC-6 (Central (CST))
• Summer (DST)	UTC-5 (CDT)
ZIP code	35080, 35022
Area code	205
FIPS code	01-34024
GNIS feature ID	2404677[2]
Website	http://www.cityofhelena.org/

Helena (/həˈlinə/) is a city in Jefferson and Shelby counties in the state of Alabama. Helena is considered a suburb of Birmingham and part of the Birmingham-Hoover Metropolitan Area. As of 2022 the United States Census Bureau estimates the population to be 21,862.

Helena is highly regarded as a place to live and raise children; Business Week ranked the city as the 13th "Best Place to Raise Your Kids" in 2007.^[3] It has the eighth-lowest crime rate per population in the U.S., and the city was ranked in Money magazine's 2007 list of "Best Places to Live: Top 100" in the U.S., placing at number 91.^[4] The Alabama League of Municipalities awarded Helena the 2008 Municipal Achievement Award (population 10,001 to 20,000).^[5]

Helena initially incorporated in 1877, but reincorporated in 1917 after errors were discovered in the initial incorporation papers.^[6] Its population was not recorded separately in the U.S. Census until 1920, reflecting the later date of incorporation.