Mayor: Jon Graham

Mayor’s Message

Hello, and welcome to the City of Calera’s website. As you tour these pages, you’ll discover all the reasons we are proud to call this city "home."

My name is Jon Graham and I am the Mayor of Calera. It is an honor to serve this city as mayor during a time of unprecedented change that has brought us recognition as the fastest growing city in the State of Alabama. We have just been recently named in CNN Money Magazine’s top 100 places to live in America.

Calera is situated in the south central portion of Shelby County in Central Alabama, in the heart of one of the largest chemical lime-producing areas of the United States. Named for the Spanish word for limestone, Calera has long since expanded its economy to include a wide variety of manufacturing and service industries. We are now rapidly-growing as a retail / restaurant community and are experiencing residential growth such as this area has never known.

Incorporated in 1887, Calera has remained a remarkably stable community based on a strong sense of faith, family values, and civic pride. Its friendly, small-town atmosphere coupled with its proximity to two of Alabama’s largest metropolitan areas, Birmingham and Montgomery, makes Calera the perfect place to live, work, and raise a family.

In recent years, our city government has taken a progressive approach in preparing our city for growth. Our police and fire departments, along with our sewer, water, and natural gas systems have been consistently upgraded and expanded so that Calera’s city services rank among the best in the state. In the transportation category, three interstate exits and ready rail access make Calera an excellent location for industrial and commercial development.

Completing the picture are our outstanding K-12 schools, a new modern library, a strong parks and recreation program, churches of many denominations and the University of Montevallo is only six miles away.

We take particular pride in:

  • George W. Roy Recreational Park with four pavilions, a state-of-the-art play area, a 0.42-mile walking track and an additional 40 acres master planned to be developed with a skate park / BMX facility, 18-hole disk golf facility, sand volleyball courts, walking trails, and other recreational activities.
  • Oliver Park, a 60-acre facility with a football stadium, five baseball / softball fields, newly-equipped basketball courts, a walking track, a nature trail, playgrounds, picnic facilities and an additional 58 acres to be developed with soccer / football fields, tennis courts, baseball / softball fields, and a track and field facility.
  • The Akridge Arboretum, Calera’s premier garden spot, located adjacent to a historic 1887 Presbyterian chapel. The church has been named to the state historical registry.
  • The Heart of Dixie Railroad Museum, the official railroad museum of the State of Alabama.
  • The world-class Timberline Golf Club, a superb par-71 semi-private course opened in 2002 and designed by PGA star Jerry Pate

I could list many more things about Calera that make me proud, but I’d like for you to see and experience them for yourself. Consider paying us a visit, either online or in person, and discover all that’s special about Calera.

Sincerely,
Jon Graham