Elmore County was created by the Alabama legislature on 1866 Feb. 15, from parts of Autauga, Coosa, Montgomery, and Tallapoosa Counties. It was named for General John Archer Elmore, a veteran of the American Revolution and early settler of Alabama. Elmore County lies in the east-central part of the state. It is drained by the Coosa and the Tallapoosa Rivers, which merge to form the Alabama River a few miles south of Wetumpka. It currently encompasses 622 square miles. The French established Fort Toulouse at the confluence of the Coosa and Tallapoosa in 1717, upon which site Gen. Andrew Jackson erected Fort Jackson in 1814, following the Battle of Horseshoe Bend. Wetumpka is the county seat. Other towns and communities include Eclectic, Tallassee, and Millbrook.

Denmark-native Edward Houk designed the graceful Bibb Graves Bridge in Wetumpka, named for then-Governor Graves. The bridge became the picturesque centerpiece for the "City of Natural Beauty."

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