Phenix City lies immediately west across the Chattahoochee River from Columbus, Georgia and observes Eastern Time on a de facto basis (in contrast to the rest of Alabama, which observes Central Time) due to Phenix City's strong economic ties to Columbus.

It is also home to Phenix Lumber Company, which has been described as the deadliest workplace in the United States because of its high rate of accidents and safety violations.

The city manager, who holds the task of organizational matters, is Wallace Hunter.

[6] It is the easternmost settlement in the state of Alabama as well as the Central Time Zone, but it and some other nearby areas unofficially observe Eastern Time, as these areas are part of the metropolitan area of the considerably larger city of Columbus, Georgia, which is in the Eastern Time Zone and adjacent to the city across the Chattahoochee River to the east.

U.S. Route 80 runs through the northern and western parts of the city, leading west 44 mi (71 km) to Tuskegee and northeast to Columbus, Georgia.

The climate in this area is characterized by relatively high temperatures and evenly distributed precipitation throughout the year.

[10] Union General James Wilson was met with Confederate opposition as he crossed the Chattahoochee River in an attempt to destroy the military industry of Columbus, Georgia.

To compound the confusion, the nearby railroad depot was called Knight's Station.

It was not clear if it was named for Phenix Mills in nearby Columbus, Georgia or for the fabled bird.

It appeared as Phenix City on the 1890 U.S. census and was incorporated as such on February 19, 1897, by the state legislature.

Phenix City was notorious during the 1940s and 1950s for being a haven for organized crime, prostitution, and gambling.

Many of its customers came from the United States Army training center at Fort Benning, Georgia.

The leaders of the crime syndicate in Phenix City were Jimmie Matthews and Hoyt Shepherd.

The bordertown was the subject of an acclaimed film, The Phenix City Story, made in 1955.

The denominations include:[13] As of the census of 2000, there were 28,265 people, 11,517 households, and 7,566 families residing in the city.

As of the 2020 United States census, there were 38,816 people, 14,716 households, and 9,170 families residing in the city.

Unlike the rest of Alabama which lies in the Central Time Zone, Phenix City's proximity to the larger city of neighboring Columbus, Georgia, located in the Eastern Time Zone, and its strong economic links leads Phenix City (including its municipal government) and localities within a 10–15 mi (16–24 km) radius (such as Smiths Station) to observe Eastern Time on a de facto basis.