Huntsville is located in theAppalachian region ofnorthern Alabama, south of the state ofTennessee. It was founded within theMississippi Territory in 1805 and became an incorporated town in 1811. When Alabama was admitted as a state in 1819, Huntsville was designated for a year as the first capital, before the state capitol was moved to more central settlements. The city developed across nearby hills north of theTennessee River, adding textile mills in the late nineteenth century.
Due to settlement pressures after the United States gained independence, this area had become largely empty of indigenous peoples by the turn of the 19th century. An Indian trader and boatman named James Ditto established himself at a landing on the river prior to American settlement.[17]Revolutionary War veteranJohn Hunt was a pioneer in 1805 on land around theBig Spring. The US negotiated an1805 treaty with the Chickasaw and an1806 treaty with the Cherokee who ceded their claims to land to the federal government.[18]
TheBig Spring, the center of the street plan in Twickenham (renamed "Huntsville" in 1812)
The area was subsequently purchased byLeRoy Pope, who named itTwickenham after the home village of his distant kinsmanAlexander Pope.[19] Thomas Freeman and Pharoah Roach started government surveys in 1805.[20] Twickenham was carefully planned, with streets laid out in a northeast to southwest direction based on the flow of Big Spring. Given anti-British sentiment during this period after the Revolution and with tensions leading to theWar of 1812, in 1811 the town name was changed to "Huntsville" to honor pioneer John Hunt.[21]
Both John Hunt and LeRoy Pope wereFreemasons and charter members ofHelion Lodge #1, the oldest lodge in Alabama.[22]
In 1811, Huntsville became the first incorporated town in what is now Alabama. However, the recognized "founding" year of the city is 1805, the year of John Hunt's arrival.[23] David Wade settled in Huntsville in 1817. He built the David Wade House on the north side of what is now Bob Wade Lane (Robert B. Wade was David's grandson), just east of Mt. Lebanon Road.[24]
Huntsville's initial growth was based on wealth generated by the sale ofcotton fromplantations, for which there was international demand, and trade associated withrailroad industries. Many wealthy planters moved into the area fromVirginia,Georgia, andthe Carolinas to develop new cotton plantations.[25] The invention of thecotton gin in the late eighteenth century meant that uplands areas could be profitably cultivated with short-staple cotton, which could be grown in a much larger area than the long-staple cotton of the Sea Islands and Low Country. The increased use of cotton meant an increased use ofslave labor throughout the South as well.[26]
Likethe rest of Alabama, Huntsville was involved in theslave trade.[27] Slaves worked in factories and on cotton plantations.[28] Many cotton mills in the area relied on slave labor, most notably the Bell Factory, where slaves ran textile machinery. The factory was known throughout Alabama for its high levels of production.[29][25] Cotton mills grew Huntsville and the South's economies greatly, becoming 60% of all U.S. exports and connecting Huntsville to major cotton markets in Nashville, Memphis, and New Orleans.[25][26] An 1822 census showed that out of the 1,300 inhabitants of Huntsville, 448 were slaves, making up 36% of the city's population.[27]
In 1819, Huntsville hosted a constitutional convention in Walker Allen's large cabinet-making shop. The 44 delegates wrote a constitution for the new state of Alabama. In accordance with the new state constitution, Huntsville became Alabama's first capital when the state was admitted to the Union. This was a temporary designation for one legislative session only. The capital was moved to more central cities in the state; toCahaba, then toTuscaloosa, and finally toMontgomery.[30]
AUnion officer ofGeneral Mitchell's army sketched Huntsville during the 1862 occupation
Huntsville initially opposedsecession from the Union in 1861, but provided many men for theConfederacy's efforts.[32] The 4th Alabama Infantry Regiment, led by Col. Egbert J. Jones of Huntsville, distinguished itself at theBattle of Manassas/Bull Run, the first major encounter of theAmerican Civil War. The regiment, which contained two Huntsville companies, were the first Alabama troops to fight in the war. They were also present when GeneralRobert E. Lee surrendered toGrant atAppomattox Court House in April 1865. Nine generals of the war were born in or near Huntsville; five fought for the Confederacy and four for the Union.[33] Other Huntsville residents joined the Union Army and helped establish the Union Army's1st Alabama Cavalry Regiment.[34]
On the morning of April 11, 1862, Union troops led by General Ormsby M. Mitchel seized Huntsville in order to sever the Confederacy's rail communications and gain access to theMemphis & Charleston Railroad. Huntsville was the headquarters for the Eastern Division of the Memphis & Charleston.[35]
During the first occupation, Union officers took over many of the larger homes in the city while the enlisted soldiers camped in tents mainly on the outskirts. Union troops searched for Confederate troops hiding in the town and weapons. There was not much resistance, and they treated Huntsville residents in a relatively civil manner. However, residents of nearby towns reported harsher treatment.[36] Union troops were forced to retreat a few months later. In the fall of 1863, they returned to Huntsville, using it as a base of operations for the war in the South until the last months of 1864. According to the journal of a nearby resident, Union troops burned many homes and villages in the surrounding countryside in retaliation for the activeguerrilla warfare in the area. Many houses and buildings were burned,[37] although most of Huntsville was kept intact as it housed both Union officers and troops.[36]
During theReconstruction era, three delegates from Huntsville attended the 1867 Constitutional Convention includingAndrew J. Applegate, originally from Ohio, who went on to serve as Alabama's first Lieutenant Governor.[38] Councill Training School, which eventually becameWilliam Hooper Councill High School, was established as the first public school for African American students. It was named for educator and school founderWilliam Hooper Councill.[39]
Huntsville became a center for cottontextile mills, such as Lincoln,Dallas, and Merrimack. Each mill company constructed worker housing outside the city, creating communities that eventually included schools, churches, grocery stores, theaters, and hardware stores, all within walking distance of the mill. In many such company towns, workers were required to buy goods at the company stores, which sometimes overcharged them. The mill owners also established rules for behavior and could throw out workers from housing if they violated these policies. As was common for the time, work was highly segregated with only whites being allowed to work inside the mills and Blacks relegated to working outside as laborers and groundskeepers.[40]
During the 1930s, industry declined in Huntsville due to theGreat Depression. Huntsville became known as theWatercress Capital of the World because of its abundant harvest in the area. Madison County led Alabama in cotton production during this time.[41]
By 1940, Huntsville was still relatively small, with a population of about 13,000 inhabitants. This quickly changed in early 1941 when theU.S. Army selected 35,000 acres (140 km2) of land adjoining the southwest area of the city for building threechemical munitions facilities: theHuntsville Arsenal, the Redstone Ordnance Plant (soon redesignated Redstone Arsenal), and the Gulf Chemical Warfare Depot. These operated throughoutWorld War II, with combined personnel approaching 20,000. Resources in the area were strained as new workers flocked to the area, and the construction of housing could not keep up.[42]
At the end of the war in 1945, the munitions facilities were no longer needed. They were combined with the designation Redstone Arsenal (RSA), and a considerable political and business effort was made in attempts to attract new tenants. One significant start involved manufacturing theKeller automobile, but this closed after 18 vehicles were built. With the encouragement of US SenatorJohn Sparkman (D-AL), theU.S. Army Air Force considered this for a major testing facility, but selected another site. Redstone Arsenal was prepared for disposal, but Sparkman used his considerable Southern Democratic influence (theSolid South controlled numerous powerful chairmanships of congressional committees) to persuade the Army to choose it as a site for rocket and missile development.[42]
As theKorean War started, the Ordnance Guided Missile Center (OGMC) was given the mission to develop what eventually became theRedstone Rocket. This rocket set the stage for theUnited States' space program, as well as major Army missile programs, to be centered in Huntsville. Brigadier GeneralHolger Toftoy commanded OGMC and the overall Redstone Arsenal. In early 1956, theArmy Ballistic Missile Agency (ABMA) under Major GeneralJohn Medaris was formed.[42]
In 1950, about 1,000 personnel were transferred fromFort Bliss, Texas, to Redstone Arsenal to form the Ordnance Guided Missile Center (OGMC). Central to this was a group of about 200 German scientists and engineers, led byWernher von Braun; they had been brought fromNazi Germany to the United States by Colonel Holger Toftoy underOperation Paperclip following World War II. Assigned to the center at Huntsville, they settled and raised families.[43]
The city is nicknamed "The Rocket City" for its close association with U.S. space missions.[44] On January 31, 1958, ABMA placed America's first satellite,Explorer 1, into orbit using aJupiter-C launch vehicle, a descendant of the Redstone. This brought national attention to Redstone Arsenal and Huntsville, with widespread recognition of this being a major center for high technology.[45]
On July 1, 1960, 4,670 civilian employees, associated buildings and equipment, and 1,840 acres (7.4 km2) of land were transferred from ABMA to formNASA'sGeorge C. Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC). Wernher von Braun was MSFC's initial director. On September 8, PresidentDwight D. Eisenhower formally dedicated the MSFC.[46]
During the 1960s, the major mission of MSFC was in developing theSaturn boosters used by NASA in theApollo Lunar Landing Program. For this, MSFC greatly increased its employees, and many new companies joined the Huntsville industrial community. TheCummings Research Park was developed just north of Redstone Arsenal to partially accommodate this industrial growth, and has now become the second-largest research park of this type in America.[46]
Huntsville was selected as the permanent home of the United StatesSpace Operations Command in 2020, but in 2023 the Pentagon announced that the temporary headquarters would be expanded and remain in Colorado.[47] However, on September 2, 2025, presidentDonald Trump announced that the headquarters would be moved to Huntsville, because, according to Trump, "they fought harder for it than anybody else".[48]
Huntsville was a key location in thecivil rights movement. In 1962, students fromAlabama A&M University held the city's first lunch countersit-in.[49] After the mayor refused to address the protests, the Community Service Committee (CSC) was formed to help organize sit-ins and protests, as well asbail out arrested protestors.[50][51] In April 1962, a committee was formed by the city to "address the concerns of the African American community,"[52] and eight lunch counters, as well as a number of other public spaces, were desegregated.[52][51] On May 11, 1962, Huntsville became the first city in Alabama to be racially integrated.[51]
In June 1963, the admission of two Black students to the University of Alabama in Huntsville was challenged byGovernorGeorge Wallace. Wallace pushed back the registration dates for multiple state universities (presumably to allow more time forstate troopers to move into the area) but instead moved them toTuscaloosa. The students were admitted without issues. Around the same time, thecolor barrier was broken further when the first white person enrolled at Alabama A&M University.[53] In August 1963, a court ruling determined that Huntsville must desegregate their schools. Wallace used state troopers to stop four students from entering the first desegregated school. On September 6, the troopers announced that the desegregated schools were closed for three more days, but the Board of Education issued a statement denying the closure.[54] When the schools opened on September 9, Wallace was served a restraining order against further interference with the desegregation of Huntsville schools.[55] Huntsville became the first city in Alabama to desegregate its schools as well.[56]
Alabama's opposition to desegregation at this time caused concern from the NASA AdministratorJames E. Webb, who investigated equal employment opportunities for Black people in Huntsville. After failing to attract high-level staff to Huntsville, Webb said that "some research work would have to be switched from Huntsville to New Orleans". This investigation into employment caused MSFC to open their engineering education programs to Black students at Alabama A&M andOakwood College, as well as for local contractors to "work for progress in race relations".[57][58]
The emergence of theSpace Shuttle, theInternational Space Station, and a wide variety of advanced research in space sciences led to a resurgence in NASA-related activities that has continued into the 21st century.[59] In addition, new Army organizations have emerged at Redstone Arsenal, particularly in the ever-expanding field ofmissile defense.[60]
This city is located at32°31′03″N87°50′11″W / 32.51750°N 87.83639°W /32.51750; -87.83639 (34.6934098, -86.5607619). According to theUnited States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 225.17 square miles (583.2 km2), of which 223.63 square miles (579.2 km2) is land and 1.54 square miles (4.0 km2), is water as of 2023.[8] According to theCity of Huntsville Statistics, the city has a total area of 226.62 square miles (586.9 km2), of which 225.09 square miles (583.0 km2) is land and 1.54 square miles (4.0 km2), is water as of 2024.[61]
Huntsville has grown through recent annexations west intoLimestone County by 21.5 square miles, 56 km2, 13,800 acres) in the early 2000s,[62] and south intoMorgan County with 1.03 square miles (2.7 km2; 660 acres; 270 ha) in 2018.[63][64] Huntsville also expanded over 1,000 acres intoMarshall County in 2025 nearHobbs Island, making Huntsville the onlymunicipality in Alabama to be located in 4 counties.[65] Huntsville is so large in fact that its easternmost point and westernmost point are 32.1 miles (51.7 km) apart and its northernmost point and southernmost point are 25.67 miles (41.31 km) apart as of September 2025.[66]
Situated in the Tennessee River valley, Huntsville is partially surrounded by severalplateaus, large hills, and mountains. These plateaus are associated with theCumberland Plateau.Monte Sano Mountain (Spanish for "Mountain of Health") is the most notable and is east of the city, along with Round Top (Burritt), Chapman, Huntsville, and Green mountains.[67] Others are Wade Mountain to the north, Rainbow Mountain to the west, and Weeden and Madkin mountains on theRedstone Arsenal property in the south.Brindley Mountain is visible in the south across the Tennessee River.[68]
As with other areas along the Cumberland Plateau, the land around Huntsville iskarst in nature. The city was founded around the Big Spring, which is a typical karst spring. Manycaves perforate thelimestone bedrock underneath the surface, as is common in karst areas. TheNational Speleological Society is headquartered in Huntsville.[69]
Huntsville has ahumid subtropical climate (Köppen climate classificationCfa). It experiences hot, humid summers and generally mild winters, with average high temperatures ranging from near 90 °F (32.2 °C) in the summer to 49 °F (9.4 °C) during winter.[70][71]
Huntsville is near the center of a large area of the U.S. mid-South that has maximum precipitation in the winter and spring, not summer. The average yearly precipitation is more than 54 inches. On average, the wettest single month is December, but Huntsville has a prolonged wetter season from November to May with, on average, nearly or over 5 or more inches of precipitation most of those months. On average, August to October represent slightly drier months, showing less than 3.6 inches or 91 millimetres of precipitation. Droughts can occur, primarily August through October, but usually there is enough rainfall to keep soils moist and vegetation lush. Much of Huntsville's precipitation is delivered bythunderstorms.[70] Thunderstorms are most frequent during the spring, and the most severe storms occur during the spring and late fall.[72] These storms can deliver largehail, damaging straight-line winds, andtornadoes. Huntsville lies in a region colloquially known asDixie Alley, an area more prone to violent, long-track tornadoes than most other parts of the US.[73][74]
On April 27, 2011, the largest tornado outbreak on record, the2011 Super Outbreak, affected northern Alabama. During this event,an EF5 tornado that tracked near theBrowns Ferry Nuclear Power Plant destroyed many transmission towers and caused a multi-day power outage for the majority of North Alabama. That same tornado also resulted in considerable damage to the Anderson Hills subdivision and inHarvest, Alabama. In total, nine people were killed in Madison County, and many others were injured.[75] Other significant tornado events include theSuper Outbreak in April 1974, theNovember 1989 tornado that killed 21 and injured over 460, and the1995 Anderson Hills tornado that killed one person and caused extensive damage.[76][77] On January 21, 2010, an EF2 tornado struck Huntsville, resulting in moderate damage. Because it was not rain-wrapped and was easily photographed, it received extensive media coverage.[78]
While most winters have some measurable snow, heavy snow is rare in Huntsville.[79] However, there have been some unusually heavy snowstorms, like the New Year's Eve 1963 snowstorm, when 17 inches or 0.43 metres fell within 24 hours. Likewise, theBlizzard of 1993 and theGroundhog Day snowstorm in February 1996 were substantial winter events for Huntsville. On Christmas Day 2010, Huntsville recorded over 4 inches or 0.10 metres of snow, and on January 9–10, 2011 it received 8.9 inches or 0.23 metres at the airport and up to 10 inches or 0.25 metres in the suburbs.[80]
Huntsville, Alabama – Racial and ethnic composition Note: the US Census treats Hispanic/Latino as an ethnic category. This table excludes Latinos from the racial categories and assigns them to a separate category. Hispanics/Latinos may be of any race.
As of the2020 census, there were 215,006 people, 92,074 households, and 52,924 families residing in the city.[90] Thepopulation density was 985.7 inhabitants per square mile (380.6/km2) There were 100,391 housing units. The racial makeup of the city was 55.17% White, 29.0% Black or African American, 0.40% Native American, 2.51% Asian, 0.12% Pacific Islander, and 4.63% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino people of any race were 7.75% of the population.
Huntsville's main economic influence is derived from aerospace and military technology.[91] Redstone Arsenal, Cummings Research Park (CRP), Jetplex Industrial Park, and NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center comprise the main hubs for the area's technology-driven economy. CRP is the second largest research park in the United States and the fourth largest in the world. TheUniversity of Alabama in Huntsville is a center for technology and engineering research in the area. There are commercial technology companies such as the network access companyADTRAN, computer graphics companyIntergraph and designer and manufacturer of IT infrastructureAvocent.Sanmina-SCI has a presence in the area. A number ofFortune 500 companies have operations in Huntsville.[92]
There are several strip malls andshopping malls throughout the city. Huntsville has one enclosed mall,Parkway Place, built in 2002 on the site of the former Parkway City Mall.[93] A larger mall built in 1984,Madison Square Mall, was closed in 2017. The site has since been redeveloped into the mixed use MidCity district.[94] A lifestyle center,Bridge Street Town Centre, was completed in 2007, in Cummings Research Park.[95]
Huntsville is a key city in rocket-propulsion research for NASA and various organizations run by the Army.[96] The Marshall Space Flight Center has been designated to develop NASA'sSpace Launch System (SLS),[96] and theU.S. Army Aviation and Missile Command (AMCOM) is responsible for developing a variety of rocket-based tactical weapons.[97]
Toyota Motor Manufacturing Alabama was constructed in 2003 and is located in North Huntsville Industrial Park. The plant has 1,800 employees as of 2022. The plant manufactures engines for Toyota vehicles.[98]Navistar Huntsville Powertrain Manufacturing Plant was opened in 2008 and provides powertrain components to Navistar's vehicle assembly plants in Springfield, Ohio and Escobedo, Mexico. The plant is located north of Huntsville International Airport.[99]Mazda Toyota Manufacturing USA was constructed in 2021 with a plan to hire 4,000 employees.[100] The facility produces Toyota and MazdaSUVs andpickup trucks. such as theToyota Corolla Cross andMazda CX-50. The majority of the plant is located in Huntsville with the southern third located in the unincorporated community ofGreenbrier.[101]
More than 25 biotechnology firms have developed in Huntsville due to the Huntsville Biotech Initiative.[102] The HudsonAlpha Institute for Biotechnology is part of the 4,000 acres (1,600 ha) Cummings Research Park. The non-profit HudsonAlpha Institute has contributedgenomics andgenetics work to the Encyclopedia of DNA Elements (ENCODE).[103] For-profit business ventures within the Biotech Campus focus on subjects such as diagnosing disease, immune responses to cancer,protein crystallization,lab-on-a-chip technologies, and agricultural technologies.[104] The University of Alabama in Huntsville (UAH) created a doctoral program in biotechnology to help develop scientists to support HudsonAlpha in addition to the emerging biotechnology economy in Huntsville.[105]
In 2018,Meta broke ground on a $1.5 billiondata center in North Huntsville Industrial Park, and was opened in 2021. In June 2022, they announced they would be expanding the facility to seven buildings across a 3.5 million square foot area, but paused construction in December. The company advertised that the facility runs on 100% renewable energy and provides 300+ jobs to the community.[106][107][108]
Twickenham Historic District was chosen as the name of the first of three of the city's historic districts. It features homes in the Federal and Greek Revival architectural styles introduced to the city by Virginia-born architectGeorge Steele about 1818.[110] The 1819Weeden House Museum was home to female artist and poetHoward Weeden, whose watercolors include portraits of African Americans.[111]Old Town Historic District contains a variety of styles, with homes dating from the late 1820s through the early 1900s.[112]Lowe Mill Village andLincoln Mill and Mill Village Historic District were established during the textile boom of the 1890s and were recognized for their historical importance in 2011, along with Dallas Mill Village.[113]
EarlyWorks Family of Museums runs multiple museums in Huntsville. EarlyWorks Children's Museum is an interactive history museum.[114][115]Alabama Constitution Village features eight reconstructed Federal style buildings, with living-museum displays downtown.[116] TheHuntsville Depot, completed in 1860, is the oldest extant railroad depot in Alabama and one of the oldest extant depots in the United States.[117][115]
Burritt on the Mountain, located on Monte Sano Mountain, is a regional history museum and event venue featuring a 1950s mansion, interpretive historic park, nature trails, and scenic overlooks.[118][115] Harrison Brothers Hardware Store, established in 1879, is the oldest operating hardware store in Alabama. Now owned by the Historic Huntsville Foundation, it is still a working store and museum.[119][120]Huntsville Museum of Art in Big Spring International Park offers permanent displays, traveling exhibitions, and educational programs.[121][115]North Alabama Railroad Museum features locomotives, coach cars, and other train cars.[122]
TheUnited States Space & Rocket Center features the United States Space Camp, Aviation Challenge, and the onlySaturn V rocket designated aNational Historic Landmark.[123][124][115] The U.S. Veterans Memorial Museum displays more than 30 military vehicles from World War I to the present, including the world's oldest jeep, artifacts, and small arms dating back to the Revolutionary War.[125][126]
Branches of theHuntsville-Madison County Public Library include: South Huntsville Public Library, North Huntsville Public Library, Downtown Huntsville Public Library, Cavalry Hill Public Library, Gurley Public Library, Madison Public Library, Monrovia Public Library, New Hope Public Library, Tillman D. Hill Public Library of Hazel Green, and Triana Public Library.[127] The Huntsville-Madison County Public Library has Alabama's highest materials circulation rate,[128][129] and features a historical resource archive.[130]
Arts Huntsville, established as The Arts Council (TAC), includes over 100 local arts organizations and advocates,[131] and promotes visual arts with two galleries: art@TAC, and JavaGalleria. TAC supports Create Huntsville, a county initiative to expand arts and cultural opportunities.[132]
The Huntsville Museum of Art opened in 1970.[133] It purchased the largest privately owned, permanent collection of art by American women in the U.S., featuringAnna Elizabeth Klumpke, among others.[134] The Huntsville Photographic Society started in 1956, dedicated to furthering the art and science of photography in North Alabama.[135] The Huntsville Art League started in 1957, adopting the name "The Huntsville Art League and Museum Association" (HALMA).[136] In addition to their Visiting Artists and "Limelight Artists" series, which highlight both nonresident and member artists at the home office, HALMA features its members' works at galleries located in the Jane Grote Roberts Auditorium of the Huntsville-Madison County Public Library Main Branch, the Heritage Club, and the halls of theHuntsville Times.[137]
Panoply Arts Festival occurs every spring, and includes demonstrations, performances, competitions, workshops, and fireworks.[138][139][140] The Cigar Box Guitar Festival occurs each June, and is the world's longest running Cigar Box Guitar festival, featuring live music using home made instruments.[141][142] The Galaxy of Lights is a holiday-themed light showcase hosted by theHuntsville Botanical Garden each winter. The Botanical Garden hosts a fun-run through the event.[143][144][145]
The Huntsville Community Chorus Association (HCCA) is one of Alabama's oldest performing arts organizations, with its first performance dating to December 1946. HCCA produces chorale concerts and musical theater productions.[146][147][148] TheHuntsville Symphony Orchestra (HSO) is Alabama's oldest continuously operating professional symphony orchestra, featuring performances of classical, pops and family concerts, and music education programs in public schools.[149][150][151] The Huntsville Youth Orchestra was founded by Russell Gerhart, founding conductor of the Huntsville Symphony Orchestra, in 1961.[152][153] Huntsville Chamber Music Guild was organized in 1952 to promote and present chamber music programs; the group seeks to present recitals in which artists are presented in works of the classical masters.[154][155]
Broadway Theatre League was founded in 1959. BTL presents a season of national touring Broadway productions each year, a family-fun show, and additional season specials. Shows are presented in the Von Braun Center's Mark C. Smith Concert Hall.[156][157]
Fantasy Playhouse Children's Theatre, Huntsville's oldest children's theater, was founded in 1961. Fantasy Playhouse Theater Academy, the organization's dance, music, and art school, teaches children and adults each year.[158][159] Fantasy Playhouse regularly produces three plays a year with an additional play,A Christmas Carol, produced early each December.[160] Independent Musical Productions (IMP), was founded in 1993 and stagesmusical productions performed by volunteers from the community. Three musicals are presented throughout the year, as well as several Cabaret performances at smaller local venues to round out each season. IMP is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization and offers technical and performance workshops for the community.[161][162]
TheVon Braun Center, which originally opened in 1975 as the Von Braun Civic Center, includes 10,000-seat capacity arena, a 2,000-seat concert hall, a 500-seat playhouse (330 seats with proscenium staging), and 150,000 square feet (14,000 m2) of convention space. Both the arena and concert hall have undergone major renovations; as a result, they have been rechristened the Propst Arena and the Mark C. Smith Concert Hall, respectively.[163][164]
A number of local breweries are located in Huntsville. Straight to Ale Brewery opened in 2010 in North Huntsville,[165] later relocated to South Huntsville,[166] and then moved to Campus 805 in West Huntsville.[167][168] Yellowhammer Brewing opened in 2010 in West Huntsville.[169] It later moved to a new facility at Campus 805 in West Huntsville.[170] Salty Nut Brewery opened in 2013 in North Huntsville and moved to West Huntsville on brewery row.[171][172][173] Green Bus Brewing in downtown Huntsville opened in late 2015.[174][175]
Huntsville has numerous sports venues. The Von Braun Center has a maximumseating capacity of 9,000.[182]Toyota Field is a baseball park with a capacity of about 7,000 in nearby Madison that is home to the AA-minor leagueRocket City Trash Pandas team.[183][184] A former baseball park,Joe Davis Stadium, was converted into a 6,000-seatsoccer-specific stadium in 2023 for Huntsville City FC. The soccer field was named the Wicks Family Field to honor and recognize the Wicks family's contributions.[185] A number of smaller stadiums are used by universities or public schools, includingLouis Crews Stadium with a capacity of 21,000,[186] andMilton Frank Stadium with a capacity of 12,000.[187] The Merrimack Soccer Complex has 14 soccer fields used by youth soccer organizations.[188][189] TheHuntsville Speedway is a quarter mile oval race track used for race days and other events.[190][191]
There are more than60 parks within the city limits of Huntsville.[199] In 2013, for the fifth time in seven years, Huntsville was named a 'Playful City USA' byKaBOOM! for their efforts to provide a variety of play opportunities for children that included after school programs and parks within walking distance of home.[200]
Centered on the natural Big Spring in downtown Huntsville isBig Spring International Park, containing the Huntsville Museum of Art. Fish and ducks live in the spring and in surrounding water bodies. There is a waterfall and a constantly lit gas torch.[201][202] John Hunt Park is the city's largest park, with 428 acres (173 ha) of open space, tennis courts, soccer fields, and walking trails, as well as facilities near the sports fields.[203][204]
Burritt on the Mountain atop Monte Sano Mountain features a mid-century mansion and museum, a historic park depicting rural life in the 19th century, nature trails, and functions as a venue for regional events throughout the year.[205][206][207][208] The Huntsville Botanical Garden's 112 acres (45 ha) site features educational programs, woodland paths, grassy meadows, and vast floral collections.[209][210]
There are six main golf courses in Huntsville. Hampton Cove is one of the eleven courses making up theRobert Trent Jones Golf Trail, featuring two championship 18-hole courses, one par-three course, and a driving range.[215][216] Sunset Landing Golf Course is an 18-hole golf course next toHuntsville International Airport.[217][218] The Links on Redstone Arsenal is available for Military, NASA, and others that have base access. The Links has four separate 9-hole courses (two of which can be used forfootgolf) and a driving range.[219][220] The Ledges is an exclusive 18-hole championship golf course, also offering abanquet hall, grand hall, and a number of meeting rooms at their clubhouse.[221][222]
The current mayor of Huntsville isTommy Battle, who was first elected in 2008 and then re-elected in 2012, 2016, and 2020. The City Administrator is John Hamilton, who replaced Rex Reynolds on January 1, 2014, when Reynolds retired.[223]
The city has a five-member (1 per district) City Council.[224] Council elections are staggered, meaning that Districts 2, 3, and 4 had elections in August 2018, while Districts 1 and 5 had elections simultaneously with mayoral elections in 2020. The city has boards and commissions which control most public services and development projects.[225] In 2020, the city announced that they would build a new $80 million city hall, planned to centralize all boards and committees in one building.[226]
In July 2007, then SenatorBarack Obama held the first fundraiser in Alabama for his presidential campaign in Huntsville.[227] In 2022, former Rep.Mo Brooks (R-5th Congressional District, AL) announced his retirement from the U.S. House of Representatives to run for the Senate. In November,Dale Strong won the election to replace Mo Brooks.[228]
K–12 public education in Huntsville is provided byHuntsville City Schools.[229] In the 2022–2023 school year 23,939 students attended Huntsville City Schools. According toU.S. News & World Report, "49% of high school students tested at or above the proficient level for reading, and 45% tested at or above that level for math". They also stated that high schoolers have a 92% graduation rate.[230]
Of the 46 schools in the Huntsville City Schools system in 2020–2021, there were:[230]
Huntsville has four main higher education institutions.The University of Alabama in Huntsville is the largest university serving the greater Huntsville area, with 9,636 undergraduate students in 2022–2023.[241] About half of its graduates earn a degree in engineering or science, making it one of the larger producers of engineers and physical scientists in Alabama.[242] The Carnegie Foundation ranks the school very highly as a research institution, placing it among the top 75 public research universities in the nation.[243]Alabama A&M University is the oldest university in the Huntsville area, dating to 1875. With over 5,000 students,[244] it is home to the AAMU Historic District with 28 buildings and four structures listed in theUnited States National Register of Historic Places.Oakwood University, founded in 1896, is aSeventh-day Adventist university with over 1,300 students and a member institution of the United Negro College Fund.[245]J.F. Drake State Community and Technical College, founded in 1961, is a public technical college with 872 students as of 2022.[246]
Various colleges and universities have satellite locations or extensions in Huntsville.Calhoun Community College's Cummings Research Park location offers in-person technical and medical programs.[247]Columbia College's Redstone Arsenal location andEmbry-Riddle Aeronautical University's Redstone Arsenal location offer higher education programs in-person andonline to military individuals and their families.[248][249]Faulkner University's Research Park location andStrayer University's Research Park offers in-person and online learning.[250][251]Georgia Institute of Technology's Redstone Arsenal research institute is the "Development and technology home for Army Air Defense Systems, Missile Defense Systems, Rotary Wing Aviation Technology and more..." and offers professional training in those areas.[252]
The Huntsville Times has been Huntsville's only daily newspaper since 1996, when theHuntsville News closed. Before then, theNews was the morning paper, and theTimes was the afternoon paper until 2004. TheTimes has a weekday circulation of 60,000, which rises to 80,000 on Sundays. Both papers were owned by theNewhouse chain.[257]
In May 2012, Advance Publications, owner of the Times, announced that the Times would become part of a new company called the Alabama Media Group, along with the other three newspapers and two websites owned by Advance. As part of the change, the newspapers moved to a three-day publication schedule, with print editions available only on Wednesday, Friday and Sunday. The Huntsville Times and its sister papers publish news and information seven days a week onAL.com.[258][259][260] As of 2023, print editions have stopped production.
A few alternative newspapers are available in Huntsville. TheRedstone Rocket is a newspaper distributed throughout Redstone Arsenal's housing area covering activities on Redstone.[261]Speakin' Out News is a weekly newspaper focused on African Americans.[262]Huntsville Magazine is a quarterlylifestyle magazine, which, "Serves as a guide to the best of the city with insightful reads on culture, people, entertainment, and businesses catalyzing the city's transformation."[263][264]
A few feature films have been shot in Huntsville, includingSpaceCamp,20 Years After (2008, originally released asLike Moles, Like Rats)[268] andConstellation (2005).[269] Columbia Pictures filmedRavagers (1979) in The Land Trust's Historic Three Caves Quarry, at the U.S. Space and Rocket Center, and at an antebellum home.[270]Dark Entities (2022) takes place in Huntsville and was filmed throughout North Alabama.[271]
Huntsville's legacy in the space program continues to draw film producers looking for background material for space-themed films. During the pre-production ofApollo 13 (1995), the cast and crew spent time at Space Camp and Marshall Space Flight Center preparing for their roles.[272]
In 2010, Huntsville's WAFF-48 News interviewedAntoine Dodson, who at the time was a resident of the Lincoln Parkhousing project, after an alleged intruder attempted to rape his sister in her second-story bedroom.[273][274] The interview immediately gained so much popularity that it inspired several musicalremixes, including one particular music video byThe Gregory Brothers, known as the "Bed Intruder Song". The popularity from the news interview would later turn Dodson into anInternet celebrity and jumpstart his career in music and acting.
Public transit in Huntsville is run by the city's Department of Parking and Public Transit.[277] TheHuntsville Orbit runs 11 fixed routes throughout the city, mainly around downtown and major shopping areas like Memorial Parkway and University Drive and has recently expanded some of the buses to include bike racks on the front for a trial program.[278] The city runs Access, a demand-response transit system for the handicapped,[279] and CommuteSmart, a county-wide carpooling program.[280]
There are several bicycle routes in the city.[281][282] There are bike paths for exercise available.[283] Huntsville's government is working to improve bicycle network within the city limits.[284] In 2020, Huntsville released a master plan for a 70-mile bicycling and walking trail, named Singing River Trail of North Alabama, to connect downtown Huntsville to the cities of Madison, Decatur, and Athens.[285]
Huntsville has two active commercial rail lines. The mainline is run byNorfolk Southern, which runs fromMemphis toChattanooga, Tennessee. The original depot for this rail line, the Huntsville Depot, still exists as arailroad museum, though it no longer offers passenger service.[286][287]
Another rail line, formerly part of theLouisville and Nashville Railroad (L&N), successor to theNashville, Chattanooga and St. Louis Railway (NC&StL), is being operated by theHuntsville and Madison County Railroad Authority (HMCRA). The line connects to the Norfolk Southern line downtown and runs 13 miles (21 km) south, passing near Ditto Landing on theTennessee River, and terminating at Norton Switch, near Hobbs Island. This service, in continuous operation since 1894, presently hauls freight and providestransloading facilities at its downtown depot location. Until the mid-1950s, the L&N provided freight and passenger service to Guntersville. The rail cars were loaded onto barges at Hobbs Island. The barge tows were taken upstream through the Guntersville Dam & Locks and discharged at Port Guntersville. Remnants of the track supporting piers still remain in the river just upstream from Hobbs Island. The service ran twice daily. L&N abandoned the line in 1984, at which time it was acquired by the newly created HMCRA, a state agency.[288]
A third line, the Mercury and Chase Railroad, runs 10-mile (16 km) weekend tourist rides on part of another former NC&StL and L&N line from the North Alabama Railroad Museum's Chase Depot, located in the community ofChase, Alabama. Their collection includes one of the oldest diesel locomotives in existence (1926). The rail line originally connected Huntsville to NC&StL's Nashville-to-Chattanooga mainline inDecherd, Tennessee. The depot was once the smallestunion station in the United States when it served the NC&StL and Memphis and Charleston Railroad, the predecessor to the Norfolk Southern.[122]
Huntsville International Airport is served by several regional and national carriers, includingAmerican Airlines,Breeze Airways,Delta Air Lines, andUnited Airlines.[291] Delivery companies have hubs in Huntsville, making flights to Europe, Asia, and Mexico.[292] The airport was reported to have the highest fares in the United States in 2014.[293]
Huntsville is also served by theMeridianville–locatedMadison County Executive Airport, sometimes denoted as Huntsville Executive Airport due to its proximity to the city.[294] The airport is ageneral aviation airport and does not have any regularly scheduled commercial services.[295]
Telephone service in Huntsville is provided byAT&T,EarthLink,WOW!, andComcast. Comcast and WOW! are the two cable providers in the Huntsville city limits.Mediacom operates in rural outlying areas. AT&T announced the start of itsDSL U-verse service in the Huntsville-Decatur metro area in November 2010.[300] AT&T andGoogle offer fiber Internet service across the city.[301][302]
The Huntsville Fire and Rescue provides fire protection for the city.[303] On a daily basis the department staffs and coordinates twenty-one engine companies, five ladder trucks, four rescue trucks, along with a Special Operations Division that includes Hazardous Materials Units, Technical Rescue Units, and several specialized support units. Huntsville Fire & Rescue also has Fire Investigations, emergency response dispatch, logistics, and training divisions.[304]
Huntsville has two volunteer public safety organizations in their city. The Huntsville-Madison County Rescue Squad is the county-wide volunteer rescue organization with tasks ranging from vehicle extrication to water rescues.[305] The other is the Huntsville Cave Rescue Unit which is the region's only all-volunteer cave rescue organization. It is tasked with cave, cliff and high angle rope rescues. These organizations are located in Huntsville but operate both in the city and outside with HCRU, responding to many cave rescue calls coming from caves well outside the city limits.[306]
Huntsville Hospital in the downtown area is the largest hospital andtrauma center. In 2021, Huntsville Hospital opened the Orthopedic & Spine Tower, a seven-story building with 24 surgical orthopedic suites,[307] which brings the total bed count to 881 for Huntsville Hospital.[308] Located further south, Crestwood Medical Center is a smaller, 180-bed[309]teaching hospital that is ranked nationally in two specialties.[310] Huntsville Emergency Medical Services, Inc. (HEMSI) provides emergency medical services to Huntsville and surrounding Madison county. HEMSI operates from 12 stations with a fleet of 36 ambulances.[311]
The Huntsville Police Department has three precincts and one downtown headquarters, over 500 sworn officers,[312] 200 civilian personnel, and patrols an area of approximately 220 square miles. The department also boasts its own academy, which has been in operation since 1965.[313]
Huntsville spent $1.2 million in 2015 to buy body cameras to be used by the Huntsville Police Department. Mayor Tommy Battle pushed for the purchase of the body cameras, saying: "We can provide a trust situation with police and our general public."[314] The mayor also said: "Having that body cam there, having the police video there record what actually happens, and when people come in with complaints against Huntsville police officers, they get to see the action that actually happened."[315]
Following the conviction of a former Huntsville police officer for murder, after he was originally cleared of any wrongdoing by the Police department,[316] the City of Huntsville voted to change the way police shootings are reviewed. Beginning in August 2021, all shootings that result in death that occur by Huntsville Police are to be investigated by theAlabama Law Enforcement Agency instead.[317] The first investigation following the policy change started in January 2022 after an off-duty Huntsville police officer allegedly killed his girlfriend.[318][319] The officer had initially reported the death as a suicide; however, it was later investigated as a homicide.[320] An advisory council created by the city[321] described actions by Huntsville Police department (HPD) as being "in a manner that was, at a minimum, unprofessional and on multiple occasions in violation of HPD policy."[322][323]
^Mean monthly maxima and minima (i.e. the expected highest and lowest temperature readings at any point during the year or given month) calculated based on data at said location from 1991 to 2020.
^"62 – Chapter V.".A Digest of the Laws of the State of Alabama: Containing The Statutes and Resolutions in Force at the end of the General Assembly in January, 1823. New-York: Ginn & Curtis, J. & J. Harper, Printers. 1828. pp. 774–775.
^Edward Chambers Betts. (1909).Early History of Huntsville Alabama 1804 to 1870. Revised 1916. Montgomery, Alabama: The Brown Printing Company. p. 6.Library of Congress website Retrieved October 7, 2023.
^Hill, Sarah H. (January 16, 2008)."Cherokee Indian Removal".Encyclopedia of Alabama. RetrievedDecember 18, 2022.
^Kathleen Paul Jones. "Madison County, Mississippi. Territorial Period, 1801-1817."The Huntsville Historical Review, Vol. 1, No. 1, January 1971. p. 35.Univ. of Ala. Huntsville website Retrieved October 7, 2023.
^Record, James, and John McCormick; "Huntsville, Alabama: Rocket City, U.S.A.", pamphlet published in 1953 by Strode Publishers
^Cole, R.T. (1996). Stocker, Jeffrey D. (ed.).From Huntsville to Appomattox: R.T. Coles's History of 4th Regiment, Alabama Volunteer Infantry, C.S.A., Army of Northern Virginia. United States: University of Tennessee Press.ISBN978-1-57233-340-6.OCLC149517107.
^North Alabama Civil War generals: 13 wore gray, the rest blue. Madison, Alabama: Tennessee Valley Civil War Round Table. 2014.ISBN978-1-63318-182-3.OCLC1141202898.
^Cline, Wayne (1997).Alabama Railroads. Tuscaloosa: The University of Alabama Press. p. 4.
^abRohr, Nancy M.; Chadick, Mary Jane (2005).Incidents of the war: the Civil War journal of Mary Jane Chadick. Huntsville, Alabama: SilverThreads Publishing.ISBN978-0-9707368-1-9.OCLC62675679.
This list is incomplete. Marshall Space Flight Center is in anunincorporated area near Huntsville. The vast majority of the city is in the Huntsville School District with small portions in the other three.
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