Alpine Hills is a City in the State of Catawba. Founded in 1851 as Fort Blount, the city was renamed in honor of Francis S. Bartow the first brigade commander to die in combat during the American Civil War. The city had a population of 16,959 in 2009. It is part of the Cockatielville−Indian Spring Metropolitan Statistical Area, which had an estimated population of 584,383 in 2009. Located near the source of the Peace River, Alpine Hills is approximately 39 miles (63 km) east of the Huro-Atlantic Erklar Orv Riwar and 50 miles (80 km) southwest of the Greater Orlando area. The city is near the center of "Lightning Alley" and has frequent afternoon thunderstorms in the summer, but typically has sunny and mild winters. Government, mining, and agriculture are the major sectors of the area's eco