Comparing Tuscaloosa vs Northport living starts with a basic fact: they are two separate cities with separate governments, facing each other across the Black Warrior River, and their ZIP codes do not line up neatly with either city’s limits. Tuscaloosa uses four standard delivery ZIP codes plus PO-box codes and the University of Alabama’s own ZIP. Northport uses three standard ZIP codes and no PO-box ZIP of its own.
This guide lines up the structural differences people ask about before moving: city government, postal setup, school systems, population and land area by ZIP code area, river crossings, and civic anchors. It does not rank either city. Questions about which area is “better” depend on a household’s own needs, so the guide ends with a checklist of things to verify for a specific address.
Tuscaloosa vs Northport living at a glance
| Topic | Tuscaloosa | Northport |
|---|---|---|
| City government | City of Tuscaloosa; City Hall at 2230 7th Street (35401) | City of Northport, mayor-council; City Hall at 3500 McFarland Blvd (35476) |
| Side of the river | Mostly south bank, with some city territory north of the river | North bank |
| Standard ZIP codes | 35401, 35404, 35405, 35406 | 35473, 35475, 35476 |
| Other ZIP codes | PO-box ZIPs 35402, 35403, 35407, 35486; UA unique ZIP 35487 | None |
| Public school systems | Tuscaloosa City Schools or Tuscaloosa County School System, depending on the address | Public school campuses in the three ZIPs belong to the Tuscaloosa County School System |
| Public library | Tuscaloosa Public Library Main Library and Weaver Bolden Branch (both 35401) | No branch; book-vending machines at City Hall and Faucett Brothers Activity Center |
Two city governments, not one metro government
Tuscaloosa and Northport are separate municipalities. Each has its own mayor, council, city hall, permits office and city services. Northport was settled in 1813, took its current name in 1832 and was incorporated in 1871, according to the Encyclopedia of Alabama. The 2020 Census counted 31,125 people in the city of Northport, according to U.S. Census Bureau QuickFacts.
Large parts of both cities’ ZIP code areas are actually in unincorporated Tuscaloosa County, which is governed by the county rather than either city. The City of Tuscaloosa publishes a Zone Lookup app for checking whether an address is inside its city limits. For Northport, Tuscaloosa County Public Works’ Planning and City Limits map shows the city limits Northport supplies; it is general reference rather than survey grade, so confirm with the City of Northport. The guide to mailing addresses vs. city limits explains why a “Tuscaloosa” or “Northport” address does not settle the question.
How the postal setup differs
Tuscaloosa’s postal system is more layered. Besides its four standard delivery ZIP codes, it has four PO-box-only ZIP codes (35402, 35403, 35407 and 35486) and 35487, a unique ZIP the University of Alabama uses for campus mail. Those extra codes cover mailboxes and institutional mail, not neighborhoods. The guide to Tuscaloosa PO box ZIP codes covers how they work.
Northport is simpler on paper: 35473, 35475 and 35476 are all standard delivery ZIP codes. A September 2024 USPS Office of Inspector General report lists the Northport delivery unit as serving those three ZIP codes plus 35452, the ZIP associated with the separate town of Coker. The Northport ZIP codes guide walks through each one.
ZIP code areas compared: population and land
The figures below describe Census ZIP Code Tabulation Areas (ZCTAs), the Census Bureau’s statistical approximations of ZIP code areas. They are not city populations and not official USPS boundaries. Population figures are American Community Survey (ACS) 2024 five-year estimates reported by Census Reporter. Land area is calculated from the 2010 ZCTA boundaries used on this site’s map, water excluded.
| ZCTA | Primary postal city | Population estimate (ACS 2024 5-yr) | Land area, 2010 ZCTA (sq mi) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 35401 | Tuscaloosa | 43,459 | 47.6 |
| 35404 | Tuscaloosa | 22,445 | 16.8 |
| 35405 | Tuscaloosa | 49,420 | 47.6 |
| 35406 | Tuscaloosa | 18,904 | 84.8 |
| 35473 | Northport | 18,198 | 25.2 |
| 35475 | Northport | 20,745 | 215.0 |
| 35476 | Northport | 8,521 | 5.5 |
Two things stand out. First, the three Northport ZCTAs together hold about 47,000 people by these estimates, well above the 31,125 counted inside Northport’s city limits in 2020, which shows how much “Northport” postal territory lies outside the city. Second, 35475 covers far more land than any other area here, much of it rural land north of the city and around Lake Tuscaloosa. The ZIP code map guide shows where each area sits.
School systems: the biggest structural difference
Tuscaloosa County has two public school districts. Tuscaloosa City Schools (TCS) and the Tuscaloosa County School System (TCSS) have separate boards, central offices and zoning tools.
- Northport ZIP codes: every public school campus physically located in 35473, 35475 and 35476 belongs to TCSS. TCS operates no schools in those ZIP codes.
- Tuscaloosa ZIP codes: an address may be zoned for TCS or for TCSS. TCSS runs Holt Elementary and Holt High in 35404 and Hillcrest High, Hillcrest Middle, Englewood Elementary and Taylorville Primary in 35405, all with Tuscaloosa addresses.
Where a school building sits does not decide who may attend it. Run the address through the TCS zoning map and the TCSS Infofinder tool linked from the TCSS Student Services page, then confirm with the district. The guide to Tuscaloosa and Northport school zones covers magnet programs and zoning in detail.
Civic anchors on each side of the river
Tuscaloosa
- The University of Alabama, with physical addresses largely in 35401 and campus mail in 35487.
- DCH Regional Medical Center, 809 University Blvd. E. (35401).
- Downtown city government around Tuscaloosa City Hall and Government Plaza (35401).
- Tuscaloosa Public Library Main Library, 1801 Jack Warner Parkway (35401), and Weaver Bolden Branch, 2522 Lanier Ave. (35401).
Northport
- Northport City Hall, 3500 McFarland Boulevard (35476).
- Kentuck Art Center’s main campus, 503 Main Avenue (35476), in Historic Downtown Northport. Kentuck also runs galleries in Tuscaloosa, and its annual festival is now held at Snow Hinton Park in Tuscaloosa.
- DCH Northport Medical Center, 2700 Hospital Drive (35476).
- Library access: the Tuscaloosa Public Library’s Northport branch closed in 1998. Today the library lists book-vending machines at Northport City Hall and at the Faucett Brothers Activity Center (35473) rather than a staffed branch.
Getting between the two cities
Four road bridges link the banks in this stretch of the river: the privately owned Black Warrior Parkway toll bridge, the Hugh R. Thomas Bridge (US 43/AL-69), the Woolsey Finnell Bridge (US 82) and the Paul W. Bryant Bridge (AL-297). The Tuscaloosa Transit Authority does not list a Northport route. The Tuscaloosa and Northport commute guide covers each bridge and the main roads.
Checklist: questions to answer before choosing
Because ZIP codes, city limits and school zones are separate layers, a meaningful Tuscaloosa vs Northport living comparison has to happen address by address. For each property you are considering:
- Is it inside Tuscaloosa city limits, Northport city limits, or unincorporated county? Check the city tools or call the city.
- Which school district and which specific schools is it zoned for? Run both districts’ lookup tools.
- What is the correct ZIP code and mailing city according to USPS?
- Which utility providers serve the address? Confirm with each provider rather than assuming by city name.
- Which bridge or route would daily trips use, and is any construction planned on it?
- Is the parcel near the river or a creek? Check the FEMA Flood Map Service Center.
- Where are the nearest library, hospital and city offices you would actually use?
For a step-by-step research method, see choosing housing by ZIP code in Tuscaloosa and Northport. Students comparing areas near campus may also find a separate local student-housing guide useful.
Facts in this guide were checked against the sources below on October 10, 2026. Addresses, programs and boundaries can change; confirm with the official source before relying on them.
Sources
- City of Tuscaloosa — Government (accessed October 10, 2026)
- City of Tuscaloosa — FAQs (accessed October 10, 2026)
- City of Tuscaloosa — Zone Lookup (accessed October 10, 2026)
- Tuscaloosa County Public Works — Planning and City Limits map (accessed October 10, 2026)
- City of Northport — Official website (accessed October 10, 2026)
- USPS Office of Inspector General — Northport Post Office report 24-125-2-R24 (accessed October 10, 2026)
- USPS Office of Inspector General — Tuscaloosa Main Post Office report 24-125-3-R24 (accessed October 10, 2026)
- U.S. Census Bureau — ZIP Code Tabulation Areas (accessed October 10, 2026)
- Census Reporter — ZCTA profiles (ACS 2024 5-year), e.g. 35475 (accessed October 10, 2026)
- Tuscaloosa City Schools — Zoning map (accessed October 10, 2026)
- Tuscaloosa County School System — Student Services (accessed October 10, 2026)
- Tuscaloosa County School System — School directory (accessed October 10, 2026)
- Tuscaloosa Public Library — Locations and hours (accessed October 10, 2026)
- DCH Health System — DCH Regional Medical Center (accessed October 10, 2026)
- DCH Health System — Locations (accessed October 10, 2026)
- Kentuck — Visit (accessed October 10, 2026)
- City of Tuscaloosa — Government Plaza (accessed October 10, 2026)
- FEMA — Flood Map Service Center (accessed October 10, 2026)
- Encyclopedia of Alabama — Northport (accessed October 10, 2026)
- U.S. Census Bureau — QuickFacts: Northport city, Alabama (Population, Census, April 1, 2020) (accessed October 10, 2026)
- Tuscaloosa Transit Authority — Route information (accessed October 10, 2026)
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