Baldwin County is located in the southwest corner of the state, bordered by the Gulf of Mexico, Mobile Bay, Florida, and adjoining counties in Alabama. It is one of the largest counties in land area east of the Mississippi River, home to more than 200,000 residents, and is the fastest growing county in Alabama and one of the fastest growing counties in the nation. Baldwin County is the location of the first public school in Alabama, built in 1799 by the community of Tensaw, and today's schools remain community centers. The schools in the county are located in seven areas identified as "feeder patterns", the educational path a student takes from kindergarten through 12th grade.