city, seat (1899) of Calhoun county, eastern Alabama, U.S. It lies in the foothills of the Appalachian Mountains, about 60 miles (95 km) east of Birmingham. Founded in 1872 by Samuel Noble, Daniel Tyler, and Tyler's sons as a private industrial community (opened to the public in 1883), it was originally named for the Woodstock Iron Company; to avoid confusion with another Woodstock in Alabama, it was renamed Anniston (Annie's Town) for the wife of Alfred Tyler, the company president.

Metal products and textiles are the city's major manufactures. The Anniston Museum of Natural History has a notable collection of bird specimens, and the Berman Museum showcases military-related artifacts. Cheaha State Park, in nearby Talladega National Forest, is the location of Cheaha Mountain, Alabama's highest point (2,407 feet 【734 metres】). Fort McClellan (1917–99) was headquarters of the Women's Army Corps (1942–78) from 1954. Jacksonville State University is 13 miles (21 km) north of Anniston in Jacksonville. Inc. 1883. Pop. (1990) city, 26,623; Anniston MSA, 116,034; (2000) city, 24,276; Anniston MSA, 112,249.