Birmingham, the largest city in Alabama, has not always been the largest city in the state. In the early 1900s, Birmingham was the second largest city in the state, behind Mobile. By the mid-1900s, Birmingham had overtaken Mobile and become the largest city in Alabama. In the present day, Birmingham has a population of over 212,000, making it the largest city in the state by a wide margin. Despite its large population, Birmingham's growth has slowed in recent years, making it unlikely to overtake any other city in the near future.