5th Avenue South

Fifth Avenue South (originally Avenue E) is a two-way, east-west avenue in Birmingham, one of the longest continuous avenues stretching across the city's south side. Portions of the street exist from North Titusville in the west to South East Lake in the east, but the main section runs from the Five Points South neighborhood all the way to Oak Ridge Park, becoming part of U.S. Highway 78 for a few blocks along its path.

Route

The beginning of 5th Avenue South is in the North Titusville neighborhood, west of downtown, at Center Street. It takes up from a short section of 5th Avenue Southwest that begins at Goldwire Street, about two blocks west of Center Street. The avenue ends at the intersection of 3rd Street and Omega Street.

In the Five Points South neighborhood, just east of the railroad tracks, the main portion of 5th Avenue South begins at 8th Street South. After passing under the raised portion of Interstate 65, in continues west through University of Alabama Birmingham campus into the Southside neighborhood. There it passes under the Elton B. Stephens Expressway (U.S. Highways 31 and 280) and continues west into the Forest Park-South Avondale neighborhood.

As it enters East Avondale, 4th Avenue South, which is also U.S. Highway 78, merges into 5th Avenue at 45th Street. Thus 5th become Highway 78 for a few blocks, until the two split at 47th Street. Highway 78 continues east along Crestwood Boulevard while 5th turns more northeastward, forming the border between East Avondale and Crestwood North.

At the railroad tracks, the main road continues northeast as 1st Avenue South while 5th Avenue splits of more eastward to remain inside Crestwood North along the south side of the tracks. It continues into Oak Ridge Park before ending at Antwerp Avenue.

Another section begins in the East Lake neighborhood at Ligdon Road where Hill Crest Behavioral Health Searvices is located, only to end at 71st Street. It begins again southwest of 75th Street and continues a short way into South East Lake before ending again at Vanderbilt Street. It resumes again one block northeast at 78th Street and ends at the entrance of Ossie Ware Mitchell Middle School at 81st Street. It resumes on the other side of the campus at 82nd Street before finally ending for good at 85th Street.

From 8th to 36th Street, the road provides two lanes of travel in each direction. It then becomes a two-lane road until meeting 4th Avenue and becoming Highway 78, where it is six lanes. North of Crestwood Boulevard, it is again four lanes until splitting off at the railroad tracks in Crestwood North. All other portions are two-lane, residential streets.

Notable locations

For an alphabetical list of locations, see the 5th Avenue South category.

North Titusville

• Center Street intersection (continues west as 5th Avenue Southwest)
• 1st Street South intersection
• Omega Street intersection (road ends)

Five Points South neighborhood

• 8th Street South intersection (road begins)
• 10th Street South intersection
  • Interstate 65 underpass
• 11th Street South intersection
• 12th Street South intersection
  • former site of the Lane Teacher Building
• 13th Street South intersection
  • 1321: Jefferson County Department of Human Resources building
• 14th Street South intersection
• 15th Street South intersection
  • North side
    • Arlington Business Center
      • 1506: Watts Realty
• 16th Street South intersection
  • North side (Block 158)
    • 1600: Children's Park Place
  • South side
    • Benjamin Russell Hospital for Children
• 17th Street South intersection (north only)
  • South side (Block 176)
    • Hazelrig-Salter Radiation Oncology Center and UAB Women and Infants Center
• 18th Street South intersection
  • South side
    • UAB North Pavilion
• 19th Street South intersection
  • North side
    • Southside Station
    • Parking lot (former site of the Parliament House (1964–2007))
  • South side
    • 1917: 1917 Clinic
• 20th Street South intersection
  • North side
    • 420 21st Street South
  • South side
    • Kirklin Clinic (former site of the Paul Hayne School)
• 21st Street South (Richard Arrington, Jr Boulevard) intersection
• 22nd Street South intersection
  • former location of Birmingham Brewing Company (1889) & Alabama Brewing Company
  • 2201: Liv on Fifth
  • 2222: Confederate Motors
• 23rd Street South intersection
  • 2309: Ted's Garage
  • The Quest
• 24th Street South intersection

Southside neighborhood

• 24th Street South intersection
• 25th Street South intersection
• Elton B. Stephens Expressway underpass
• 27th Street South intersection
• 29th Street South intersection
  • Davis Center
• 30th Street South intersection
• 35th Street South intersection
  • South side
    • former site of Williamson-Willey Pontiac Plaza
• 36th Street South intersection
  • 3625: Sound of Birmingham
• 37th Street South intersection

Forest Park-South Avondale

• 37th Street South intersection
  • Avondale United Methodist Church
• 40th Street South intersection (south only)
  • Avondale Regional Library
  • Avondale Park
  • 4036: Avondale Marble Works building
    • Parkside Cafe
    • Former location of Parkside Home & Garden (2000–2008)
• 41st Street South intersection (north only)
  • 4100: Munchies Food Store
  • 4439: Birmingham Fire Station No. 10/22
• 45th Street South intersection

Forest Park-South Avondale/East Avondale

• 45th Street/4th Avenue South intersection (becomes U.S. Highway 78 from west)
  • 4600: Nomtae
  • 4605: Avonwood Cleaners
  • 4612: former location of JoJo's Gun and Pawn
• 47th Street South intersection

East Avondale/Crestwood South

• 47th Street South intersection
• Crestwood Boulevard intersection (Highway 78 follows Crestwood to east)
• 48th Street South intersection

East Avondale/Crestwood North

• 48th Street South intersection
  • CMC Steel Alabama
• 62nd Street South intersection

Oak Ridge Park

• 62nd Street South intersection
• Antwerp Avenue (road ends)

East Lake neighborhood

• Higdon Road intersection (road begins)
  • 6869: Hill Crest Behavioral Health Services

South East Lake

• 81st Street South intersection (road ends)
  • Ossie Ware Mitchell Middle School
• 82nd Street South intersection (road begins)
• 85th Street South intersection (road ends)