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Randolph, AL, the Bibb County Town That Almost Was

Photo of Randolph Post Office 2021

By Julie Holdsambeck, Associate Broker, eXp Realty, Central Alabama. Updated October 29, 2026.

Randolph, Alabama is a small unincorporated community in Bibb County, with about 1,271 people in its ZIP code, 36792, at the 2020 Census (ZIP-Codes.com). It grew up on the Mobile and Ohio Railroad, and in the 1850s it came close to taking the county seat away from Centreville (Encyclopedia of Alabama). Randolph itself is quiet country, so the fun is in its history and the day trips close by: Brierfield Ironworks Historical State Park, the Bibb County Public Fishing Lake, and the river towns of Centreville and Brent.

Randolph at a glance

  • Where: Bibb County, Central Alabama, ZIP 36792. The ZIP also reaches into Chilton County (ZIP-Codes.com).
  • Status: unincorporated community, so there’s no city government (U.S. Geological Survey)
  • Post office: postmasters on record since 1839 (Wikipedia, citing the USPS Postmaster Finder)
  • Population: 1,271 in ZIP 36792 at the 2020 Census (ZIP-Codes.com)
  • Land: about 64 square miles in the ZIP code (same source)
  • Neighbors: Brierfield, Maplesville, Jemison, Centreville and Montevallo all border the ZIP (same source)
  • Public school: Randolph Elementary, part of the Bibb County School District

How did Randolph, Alabama get its name?

Randolph was most likely named for Randolph County, North Carolina, where many of its early settlers came from, according to Virginia Foscue’s Place Names in Alabama (University of Alabama Press, 1989). So the name came south with the people who settled here.

It’s an old community, too. Randolph has had postmasters since 1839 (Wikipedia, citing the USPS Postmaster Finder). That’s 74 years before Brent incorporated in 1913 (Encyclopedia of Alabama).

Did Randolph almost become the Bibb County seat?

Yes. In the 1857 and 1858 session of the Alabama Legislature, there was a vote to move the Bibb County seat from Centreville to Randolph. Centreville won and kept the courthouse, and it finished a new one in 1859 (Encyclopedia of Alabama).

Randolph wasn’t some tiny crossroads, either. A Bibb County history written around 1870, about a dozen years after the vote, says Centreville had about 300 people and Randolph had about 200 (ALGenWeb, Bibb County history). Do the math and Randolph was two-thirds the size of the county seat. If that vote had gone the other way, you might be driving to Randolph today to record a deed.

What was the railroad’s role in Randolph?

Randolph sits on the former Mobile and Ohio Railroad line (Wikipedia). The same railroad built through Centreville in 1898 and set off a building boom of stores and hotels there (Encyclopedia of Alabama).

The Alabama Department of Archives and History keeps a photograph of the Randolph train station, taken by John Timothy Morgan Weeks, who lived in Randolph for many years (Alabama Mosaic). If you love old depots, it’s worth a look.

What is there to do near Randolph?

Randolph is a place to live quietly and drive out for fun. Here are the best day trips nearby.

  • Brierfield Ironworks Historical State Park, in the neighboring Brierfield ZIP. It preserves Civil War-era furnace ruins with scenic trails, plus camping and cabins. The furnace site dates to 1861, when it started as the Bibb County Iron Company. The park is open sunrise to sunset every day of the year at 240 Furnace Parkway (Brierfield Ironworks).
  • Bibb County State Public Fishing Lake, a 100-acre lake 7.5 miles north of Centreville off Highway 5. It has a boat ramp, an accessible fishing pier and pavilion, and a concession stand with bait and snacks. It’s stocked with largemouth bass, bluegill, redear sunfish, channel catfish and crappie, and a fishing permit costs $5 (Outdoor Alabama). Call the lake managers at (205) 340-4093 before you go, since hours change by season.
  • Centreville, the county seat, for the Cahaba River canoe launch, tubing in summer and the historic courthouse square. See my guide to things to do in Centreville, AL.
  • Brent, for Miller’s Pottery and camping at Payne Lake in the Talladega National Forest. See my guide to things to do in Brent, AL.

How many people live in Randolph, and why are there three numbers?

ZIP-Codes.com shows three population figures for ZIP 36792: 1,271 from the 2020 Census, 674 from the 2024 American Community Survey, and 1,595 as its own 2026 estimate (ZIP-Codes.com).

So which one do you believe? This one would’ve made a good lesson for my old math class. The Census number is a full count of everyone, taken once every ten years. The American Community Survey only asks a sample of households and then estimates the rest. In a small, spread-out place like Randolph, a sample that small can miss by a lot. That’s how you end up with 674, which is about half the Census count. The 2026 figure is a private projection, not a count. When I need one number for a small community, I use the Census count. For Randolph, that means about 1,271 people.

What should you know before buying in Randolph?

Randolph is unincorporated, so there’s no city hall or city council. Bibb County government handles local services, and that changes a few things for a buyer. Here’s what I go over with clients looking at land and homes out in the county.

Call the county before you plan a project. If you want to add a shop, a barn or a second home on the property, ask Bibb County what’s required before you buy.

Check internet and cell service at the exact address. Service can change a lot from one road to the next in rural Alabama. Ask the neighbors and call providers before you make an offer.

Ask about well and septic. Many country homes have them. Get them inspected, and ask for any maintenance records.

Be honest about the land. Ten acres sounds wonderful on a listing. Keeping up ten acres year after year is a different question.

Map your drives. Time the trip to your doctor, your family and your grocery store before you fall in love with a view.

The median home value in ZIP 36792 was $130,300 in the 2024 American Community Survey, based on what owners reported (ZIP-Codes.com). That’s a different measure from sale prices, so for a specific property, ask your agent for recent sales nearby.

Julie’s take

Randolph is the kind of place people find on a back road and then can’t stop thinking about. If that’s you, good. Take the long way through it on a weekday and a weekend, because country roads feel different on a Tuesday than on a Saturday. Have lunch in Centreville and see how the drive feels. And if you’re moving out of a house you’ve lived in for decades, read my guide on how to downsize a longtime family home before you pack the first box. Not sure a move makes sense at all? Start with my 6 signs it’s time to downsize in Central Alabama.

Frequently asked questions about Randolph, AL

Where is Randolph, Alabama?

Randolph is an unincorporated community in Bibb County, Alabama, with the ZIP code 36792. The ZIP code also reaches into Chilton County and borders Brierfield, Maplesville, Jemison, Centreville and Montevallo.

Is Randolph, AL a town?

No. Randolph is an unincorporated community, so it has no city government. Bibb County handles local services. It does have its own post office, with postmasters on record since 1839.

Did Randolph almost become the Bibb County seat?

Yes. During the 1857 and 1858 session, the Alabama Legislature voted on moving the Bibb County seat from Centreville to Randolph. Centreville kept the county seat and finished a new courthouse in 1859.

What is the population of Randolph, AL?

ZIP code 36792, which covers Randolph, had 1,271 residents at the 2020 Census. Survey estimates for the area range widely because so few households are sampled.

What is there to do near Randolph, AL?

Nearby day trips include Brierfield Ironworks Historical State Park, the 100-acre Bibb County State Public Fishing Lake, the Cahaba River and historic courthouse square in Centreville, and Miller’s Pottery and the Talladega National Forest in Brent.

Thinking about Randolph?

Thinking about your next move in Central Alabama? Call or text Julie at 205-928-9376, or start the conversation at yourcentralalabama.com. No pressure to sell. We start by figuring out what makes sense for you.

Sources

Equal Housing Opportunity