Located near the geographic center of the state in the Coosa River Valley, Talladega County is home to the Talladega Superspeedway race track and the state's highest mountain. The county was also the birthplace and childhood home of actor Jim Nabors, known for his roles as Gomer Pyle on The Andy Griffith Show and Gomer Pyle USMC television series in the 1960s as well as a substantial recording career. Talladega County is governed by an elected five-member commission.

The first and only county seat of Talladega County was established at Talladega City in 1834. Until the first courthouse was built in 1838, the court met in various homes and buildings. The first courthouse was a three-story structure, later reduced to two stories with a clock tower. Repairs and additions were made to the courthouse in 1882 and again in 1905. In 1912, the courthouse was struck by a tornado, and suffered fire damage in 1925. In 1977, the courthouse underwent major restoration. According to the Alabama Historical Commission, the Talladega County courthouse is the oldest courthouse in continuous use in the state of Alabama.

Like most of Alabama, farming was the prevailing occupation of Talladega County until well into the twentieth century. A number of crops were grown in the county, but wheat was the predominant crop. With its long stretches of upland forests, lumbering was also an important part of the economy of Talladega County.

By the early twentieth century, a series of locks and dams along the Coosa River enabled the movement of goods on the river and made manufacturing a greater part of the county's economy. Dam construction in the 1930s and 1940s brought hydroelectric power to the area, and manufacturing boomed. In 1941, the U.S. Army operated the Alabama Army Ammunition Plant, just outside Childersburg, producing chemicals such as TNT and smokeless powder. Shut down in 1945, the plant is now a Superfund toxic clean-up site.

Textile manufacturing was especially important until the early twenty-first century, when Avondale Mills closed down in July 2006. During the Sylacauga is sometimes known as The Marble City because it sits on a solid deposit of hard, white marble. Gantt's Quarry, near Sylacauga, is one of the largest marble quarries in the South. Today, the automotive industry is the largest industry in Talladega County.

The Kymulga Grist Mill, Covered Bridge, and Park are located just northeast of Childersburg. Built by a Confederate soldier, the mill and bridge are more than 140 years old and are listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Several of the park's trees are believed to be older than the mill itself. Visitors to the mill and bridge can picnic in the adjacent park with its many animals and plants. Other places in Talladega County of historic significance include the Talladega Courthouse Square Historic District, the Sylacauga Historic District, Swayne Hall on the Talladega College Campus, and the Silk Stocking District in Talladega.

The county has a total area of 760 square miles, of which 737 square miles is land and 23 square miles (3.1%) is water. The population recorded in the 1840 Federal Census was 12,587. The 2010 census recorded 82,291 residents in the county.

Neighboring counties are Calhoun County (north), Cleburne County (northeast), Clay County (east), Coosa County (south), Shelby County (southwest), and St. Clair County (northwest).

Communities in the county include Childersburg, Lincoln, Oxford (partly in Calhoun County), Sylacauga, Talladega, Bon Air, Munford, Oak Grove, Talladega Springs, Vincent (partly in Shelby and St. Clair Counties), Waldo, Fayetteville, Mignon, Alpine, Bemiston, Curry, Eastaboga (partly in Calhoun County), Fishtrap, Hopeful, Kahatchie, Kentuck, Liberty Hill, Mardisville, Old Eastaboga, Sycamore, Winterboro, and Gantts Quarry.

Alabama Genealogy & History Network has many records on our county websites. Thousands of County marriage records are located on the county websites. Many counties have cemetery listings. Please visit the county or counties of interest to you.

Birth Records - The Alabama Department of Public Health maintains records of births from 1908 to present. This was the year Alabama began keeping official birth records. You can obtain official copies of birth certificates by visiting the birth record page on their website and following the instructions. Since there are no official birth records before 1908 for births prior to that date you will need to determine birth information from census records, bible records, baptismal records, cemetery tombstones, etc.

Death Records - The Alabama Department of Public Health maintains death records after 1908 on file. This was the year Alabama began keeping official death records. You can obtain official copies of death certificates by visiting the death record page on their website and following the instructions. Since there are no official death records before 1908 for deaths prior to that date you will need to determine death information from census records, bible records, funeral home records, cemetery tombstones, etc.

Marriage Records - We have thousands of county marriage records on our county websites. These dates will assist you greatly in obtaining a copy of the original marriage license. The Alabama Department of Public Health can provide you with information for marriages that took place from 1936 to present by by visiting the marriage record page on their website and following the instructions.

All existing county marriage records for any date not listed above (and for the dates listed above for that matter) may be obtained from the county's Probate Office in which the marriage was held.

Divorce Records - The Alabama Department of Public Health maintains divorce records from 1950 to present. You can obtain official copies of devorce records by visiting the divorce record page on their website and following the instructions. Records for divorces occuring before 1950 may be obtained from the Circuit Clerk in the county where the divorce took place.