34°53′13.41″N86°19′25.32″W / 34.8870583°N 86.3237000°W /34.8870583; -86.3237000
North Alabama is a region of theU.S. state ofAlabama. Several geographic definitions for the area exist, with all descriptions including the nine counties of Alabama'sTennessee Valley region. The North Alabama Industrial Development Association also listsCherokee,Cullman,Franklin, andWinston counties in the region.[1] The Alabama Mountain Lakes Tourist Association expands the definition further to includeBlount,Etowah, andMarion counties.[2]
Huntsville is the region's largest metropolitan area.[3]Decatur andFlorence-Muscle Shoals are classified as metropolitan areas as well.Albertville,Cullman,Fort Payne, andScottsboro are each the hubs of their own micropolitan regions.[4] Other cities of notable size includeMadison andAthens.
Locals tend to refer to this area as the "Tennessee Valley" in reference to theTennessee River, which flows through the northernmost part of the state. Large parts of North Alabama are low upland, the eastern regions part of theCumberland Plateau, marked by tablelands incised with gorges, some of them, such asLittle River Canyon inDeKalb County, of considerable depth.[5]
North Alabama 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.[6]
North Alabama is bordered to the north byMiddle Tennessee, to the east bynorthwest Georgia, to the south byCentral Alabama and theBirmingham metropolitan area, and to the west byNorth Mississippi. The entire region is located in theCentral Time Zone.
The Tennessee River traverses nearly the entire width of North Alabama, flowing southwest into the state nearBridgeport, and flowing northwest out of the state nearWaterloo. All of the region’s metropolitan areas are located in the Tennessee River valley. TVA hydroelectric dams create the reservoirs ofGuntersville Lake,Wheeler Lake, andWilson Lake along the river’s course through Alabama.Alabama Power also manages two reservoirs in the region, maintainingWeiss Lake on theCoosa River andLewis Smith Lake on theBlack Warrior River.
Geologically, the Cumberland Plateau, marked by wooded steep-sided plateaus separated by deep valleys, dominates the eastern portion of the region. The Highland Rim, covered mostly by the Tennessee River delta, includes the north-central and northwestern portions of the region. The Valley and Ridge section, defined by narrow ridges separated by steep valleys, covers parts of the southeastern portion of the region. The far western areas of the region are covered by a northern stretch of the East Gulf Coastal Plain.[7]
North Alabama comprises the following counties, according to the most common definition of the region.
The northern areas of Alabama contain a wide variety of industrial, manufacturing, and high-tech corporations with both large and small operations.[11] Each of the three economic centers in the region (Huntsville, Decatur, and Florence) have a distinct type of economic base. The entire region relies heavily on row-crop, cattle and poultry production. Agribusiness plays a vital role in The Valley. Some of the largest row-crop operations in the state reside on farms in The Valley.
The Huntsville area is home to the U.S. Army’s Redstone Arsenal, the largest employer in the region, as well as NASA’s Marshall Spaceflight Center.[12][13] Nearby Cummings Research Park, the second largest research park in the nation, is home to high-tech defense contracting firms such asBoeing,SAIC, andDynetics.[14] Huntsville has also increasingly become a center for auto manufacturing, with Toyota Manufacturing Alabama and the joint venture Mazda Toyota Manufacturing USA both located in the city.
The Decatur area, in the central part of the region, has long been a center for shipping and manufacturing due to its location on the Tennessee River. It is home to numerous industrial and manufacturing companies, includingGeneral Electric,Nucor, and3M. Food processing facilities such asWayne Farms and Gemstone Foods have significant facilities in the area as well.United Launch Alliance produces launch vehicles for NASA and other agencies at its manufacturing, assembly, and integration facility in Decatur. TheTennessee Valley Authority also has roots in the area.[15]
The Florence-Muscle Shoals area, also known as "The Shoals", hosts an array of manufacturing companies, including North American Lightning, Constellium, and FreightCar America. Many residents of the Shoals are employed in healthcare and education.[16]
The most visited attractions in North Alabama are theU.S. Space and Rocket Center, Wheeler Wildlife Refuge, theRobert Trent Jones Golf Trail, andPoint Mallard Park. Other popular destinations includeLake Guntersville State Park,Joe Wheeler State Park,Huntsville Botanical Gardens,Little River Canyon National Preserve, theShrine of the Most Blessed Sacrament, theAlabama Music Hall of Fame, and the Cook Museum of Natural Science. The area’s largest annual festival is theW.C. Handy Music Festival.[17]
North Alabama is home to several two and four year colleges. The region’s public universities areAlabama A&M University,Athens State University, theUniversity of North Alabama, and theUniversity of Alabama in Huntsville.Oakwood University is the area’s largest private university. Two year colleges in the area includeCalhoun Community College,J.F. Drake State Community & Technical College,Northeast Alabama Community College,Northwest-Shoals Community College,Snead State Community College, andWallace State Community College.[18][19]
