| Official Name: | Milstead, Alabama |
| Settlement Type: | Unincorporated community |
| Pushpin Map: | Alabama#USA |
| Pushpin Label: | Milstead |
| Pushpin Label Position: | bottom |
| Pushpin Map Caption: | Location in Alabama##Location in the United States |
| Subdivision Type: | Country |
| Subdivision Type1: | State |
| Subdivision Type2: | County |
| Subdivision Name: | United States |
| Subdivision Name1: | Alabama |
| Subdivision Name2: | Macon |
| Elevation Ft: | 207 |
| Timezone: | Central (CST) |
| Utc Offset: | -6 |
| Coordinates: | 32.4425°N -85.8975°W |
| Timezone Dst: | CDT |
| Utc Offset Dst: | -5 |
| Area Code: | 334 |
| Blank Name: | GNIS feature ID |
| Blank Info: | 156715 |
Milstead, also known as Cowles or Cowles Station, is an unincorporated community in Macon County, Alabama, United States.
The community was named after the location where a gristmill once stood by the Tallapoosa River.[1] Milstead was located at the junction of the Tallassee and Montgomery Railway and the Western Railway of Alabama.[2]
Fort Decatur, a fort built during the Creek War, was located near Milstead. John Sevier died here while conducting a survey of Creek lands.[3]
A post office operated under the name Cowle's Station from 1867 to 1895, under the name Cowles from 1895 to 1896, and under the name Milstead from 1896 to 1964.[4]
Auburn University maintains the E.V. Smith Research Center in Milstead.