Huntsville, Alabama
Encyclopedia
Huntsville is a city located primarily in Madison County
in the central part of the far northern region of the U.S. state
of Alabama
. Huntsville is the county seat
of Madison County. The city extends west into neighboring Limestone County
. Huntsville's population was 180,105 as of the 2010 Census. The Huntsville Metropolitan Area
's population was 417,593. Huntsville is the fourth-largest city in Alabama and the largest city in the four-county Huntsville-Decatur Combined Statistical Area
, which in 2008 had a total population of 545,770.
It grew across nearby hills and along the Tennessee River
, adding textile
mills, then munitions factories, NASA
's Marshall Space Flight Center
and the United States Army Aviation and Missile Command
nearby at the Redstone Arsenal
. The National Trust for Historic Preservation
named Huntsville to its "America's Dozen Distinctive Destinations for 2010" list.
after Alexander Pope's English home at the request of LeRoy Pope. However, the town was renamed "Huntsville" on November 25, 1811 after its first settler.
. However, Hunt did not properly register his claim, and the area was purchased by Leroy Pope
, who imposed the name Twickenham on the area to honor the home village of his distant kinsman Alexander Pope
.
Twickenham was carefully planned, with streets laid out on the northeast to southwest direction based on the Big Spring (see images below). However, due to anti-English sentiment during this period, the name was changed to Huntsville to honor John Hunt, who had been forced to move to other land south of the new city.
Both John Hunt and Leroy Pope were Freemasons
and charter members of Helion Lodge#1.
and railroad industries. Many wealthy planters moved into the area from Virginia, Georgia, and the Carolinas. In 1819, Huntsville hosted a constitutional convention in Walker Allen's large cabinetmaking shop. The forty-four delegates meeting there 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, and the capital was then moved to another temporary location, Cahawba
, until the legislature selected Montgomery
as the permanent location.
In 1855, the Memphis and Charleston Railroad
was constructed through Huntsville, becoming the first railway to link the Atlantic seacoast with the lower Mississippi River.
Huntsville initially opposed secession from the Union in 1861, but provided many men for the Confederacy's efforts. The 4th Alabama Infantry Regiment, led by Col. Egbert J. Jones of Huntsville, distinguished itself at the Battle of Manassas/Bull Run
, the first major encounter of the American Civil War
. The Fourth Alabama Infantry, which contained two Huntsville companies, were the first Alabama troops to fight in the war and were present when Lee surrendered to Grant at Appomattox
in April 1865. Eight generals of the war were born in or near Huntsville, evenly split with four on each side.
On the morning of April 11, 1862, Union troops led by General Ormsby M. Mitchel
seized Huntsville to sever the Confederacy's rail communications. The Union troops were forced to retreat some months later, but returned to Huntsville in the fall of 1863 and thereafter used the city as a base of operations for the remainder of the war. While many homes and villages in the surrounding countryside were burned in retaliation for the active guerrilla warfare in the area, Huntsville itself was spared because it housed elements of the Union Army.
Lily Flagg
broke the world record for butter production in 1892, spawning an elaborate party wherein her Huntsville-resident owner General Samuel H. Moore painted his house butter yellow and arranged for electric lights for the dance floor. An area south of Huntsville was named Lily Flagg before 1906. This area was later annexed into the city.
. Huntsville became known as the Watercress
Capital of the World because of its abundant harvest in the area. Madison County led Alabama in cotton
production during this time.
, but this closed with only 18 vehicles built. With the encouragement of Senator John Sparkman
. the U.S. Army Air Force considered it for a major testing facility, but then selected another site. Redstone Arsenal was then prepared for disposal, but, again with assistance from Senator Sparkman, it was selected for the Army’s rocket and missile development.
In 1950, about 1,000 personnel were transferred from Fort Bliss, Texas, to Redstone Arsenal to form the Ordnance Guided Missile Center (OGMC). Central to this was a group of German scientists and engineers led by Wernher von Braun
that had originally been brought to America by Colonel Holger Toftoy
under Operation Paperclip
. As the Korean War
started, the OGMC was given the mission to develop what eventually became the Redstone Rocket. This rocket set the stage for America’s space program, as well as major Army missile programs, to be centered in Huntsville. Toftoy, then a Brigadier General, commanded OGMC and the overall Redstone Arsenal. In early 1956, the Army Ballistic Missile Agency (ABMA) under Major General John Medaris
was formed.
, into orbit using a Jupiter 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.
On July 1, 1960, 4,670 civilian employees, associated buildings and equipment, and 1840 acres (7.4 km²) of land transferred from ABMA to form NASA's George C. Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC). Wernher von Braun was MSFC's initial Director. On September 8, U.S. President Dwight D. Eisenhower
formally dedicated the MSFC.
During the 1960s, the major mission of MSFC was in developing the Saturn boosters
used by NASA in the Apollo Lunar Landing Program. For this, MSFC greatly increased its employees, and many new companies joined the Huntsville industrial community. The Cummings Research Park
was developed just north of Redstone Arsenal to partially accommodate this industrial growth, and has now became the second largest research park of this type in America.
Huntsville's economy was nearly crippled and growth almost came to a standstill in the 1970s following the closure of the Apollo program. However, the emergence of the Space Shuttle
, the International 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. In addition, new Army organizations have emerged at Redstone Arsenal, particularly in the ever-expanding field of missile defense
.
Huntsville is located at 34°42′N 86°35′W (34.7, -86.6). The city has a total area of 202 mi2. Recent annexations have moved Huntsville's area into Limestone County
a total of 21.5 mi2, or 13885 acres (5,619.1 ha).
Situated in the Tennessee River
valley, several plateau
s and large hills partially surround Huntsville. These plateaus are associated with the Cumberland Plateau
, and are locally called "mountains". Monte Sano Mountain (Italian for "Healthy Mount") is the most notable, and is east of the city along with Round Top (Burritt), Chapman, Huntsville, and Green Mountains. Others are Wade Mountain to the north, Rainbow Mountain to the west, and Weeden and Madkin Mountains on Redstone Arsenal
in the south. Brindlee Mountain is visible in the south across the Tennessee River.
As with other areas along the Cumberland Plateau, the land around Huntsville is karst
in nature. The city was founded around the Big Spring, which is a typical karst spring, and many cave
s perforate the limestone bedrock underneath the surface, as is common in karst areas. The headquarters of the National Speleological Society
are located in Huntsville.
(Köppen climate classification
Cfa). It experiences hot, humid summers and generally mild winters, with average high temperatures ranging from 89.4 °F (31.9 °C) in the summer to 48.9 °F (9.4 °C) during winter.
Some years, Huntsville experiences tornado
es during the spring and fall. On April 27, 2011, one of the largest tornado outbreaks in history, the April 25–28, 2011 tornado outbreak
, affected the Northern Alabama Area. During this event, an EF5
tornado that tracked near the Browns Ferry Nuclear Power Plant destroyed many transmission towers and caused a multi-day power outage for the majority of North Alabama
. Significant Damage from that same tornado was also taken in the Anderson Hills subdivision and in Harvest, Alabama. In total, nine people were killed in Madison County
alone and many others injured. Other significant tornado events include the Super Outbreak
in 1974, the November 1989 Tornado Outbreak that killed 21 and injured almost 500, and the Anderson Hills Tornado
that killed one and caused extensive damage in 1995. On January 21, 2010, Huntsville experienced a rare mid-winter tornado. It registered EF2 on the Enhanced Fujita scale
scale and did only moderate damage but received extensive media coverage as it was not rain-wrapped and thus easily photographed.
Since Huntsville is nearly 300 miles (482.8 km) inland, hurricanes are rarely experienced with their full force; however, many weakened tropical storms cross the area after a U.S. Gulf Coast landfall. While most winters have some measurable snow, significant snow is rare in Huntsville; but there have been some anomalies, like the 1963 New Year's Eve snowstorm, when 17 in (43 cm) fell within 24 hours. Likewise, the Blizzard of 1993 and a Groundhog Day
snowstorm in 1996 were substantial winter events for Huntsville. On Christmas Day 2010 Huntville recorded over 4 inches (10.2 cm) of snow in place, and on January 9–10, 2011 Huntsville 8.9 inches (22.6 cm) at the airport to over 10 inches (25.4 cm) in the suburbs.
of 2000, there were 158,216 people, 66,742 households, and 41,713 families residing in the city. The population density
was 909.0 people per square mile (351.0/km²). There were 73,670 housing units at an average density of 423.3 per square mile (163.4/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 64.47% White, 30.21% Black or African American, 0.54% Native American, 2.22% Asian, 0.06% Pacific Islander, 0.66% from other races, and 1.84% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 2.04% of the population.
There were 66,742 households out of which 27.6% had children living with them, 45.5% were married couples living together, 13.7% had a female householder with no husband present, and 37.5% were non-families. 32.3% of all households were made up of individuals and 9.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.29 and the average family size was 2.91. Same-sex couple households comprised 0.5 % of all househoulds.
Huntsville has developed small ethnic communities of African immigrants, East Asians esp. Chinese American
, Eastern European peoples, Latino
esp. Mexican
s and Puerto Rican
s, Middle Eastern nationalities and Southeast Asians esp. Vietnamese
and Laotian American
s in the 1990s and 2000s.
The current mayor of Huntsville is Tommy Battle
, who was elected in 2008. The Deputy Mayor/City Administrator is Rex Reynolds, who also serves as the city's Public Safety Director. The city has a five-member/district City Council. The current members are:
Council elections are "staggered", meaning that Districts 2, 3, and 4 had elections in August 2010, while Districts 1 and 5 will have elections simultaneously with mayoral elections in 2012.
The city has boards and commissions which control everything from schools and planning to museums and downtown development.
In July 2007 then Senator Barack Obama held the first fund raiser in Alabama for his Presidential campaign in Huntsville. Obama ended up winning the Alabama Democratic Primary and Madison County by large margins in 2008.
See also: List of mayors of Huntsville, Alabama
combined the police, fire, and animal services departments to create the Department of Public Safety. The former chief of police was appointed as its director. The new department has nearly 900 employees and an annual budget of $63 million.
, Cummings Research Park
(CRP), 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, and is over 38 years old. University 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 company ADTRAN
, computer graphics company Intergraph
and design and manufacturer of IT infrastructure Avocent
. Telecommunications provider Deltacom, Inc. and copper tube manufacturer and distributor Wolverine Tube are in the city. Cinram
manufactures and distributes 20th Century Fox
DVDs and Blu-ray Disc
s out of their Huntsville plant. Sanmina-SCI has a presence in the area. Fifty-seven Fortune 500
companies have operations in Huntsville.
In 2005, Forbes Magazine named the Huntsville-Decatur Combined Statistical Area
as 6th best place in the nation for doing business, and number one in terms of the number of engineers per total employment. In 2006, Huntsville dropped to 14th; the prevalence of engineers was not considered in the 2006 ranking.
s throughout the city. Huntsville has two enclosed malls—Madison Square Mall
, built in 1984, and Parkway Place
, built in 2002 on the site of the former Parkway City Mall. There is a lifestyle center called Bridge Street Town Centre
, completed in 2007, in Cummings Research Park
. Another mixed-use center is under construction on the former site of the Heart of Huntsville Mall
. It is to be called Constellation with a scheduled completion of the first buildings in 2011.
has been designated to develop NASA's future Space Launch Vehicle (SLV), and the U.S. Army Aviation and Missile Command (AMCOM) is responsible for developing a variety of rocket-based tactical weapons.
, that links the two cities of Huntsville and Decatur to I-65
. Alabama Highway 53 also connects the city with I-65
in Ardmore
, Tennessee
.
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. A trolley makes stops at tourist attractions and shopping centers. The city runs HandiRide, a demand-response transit system for the handicapped, and RideShare, a county-wide carpooling program.
to Chattanooga, Tennessee
. The original depot for this rail line, the Huntsville Depot
still exists as a railroad museum, though it no longer offers passenger service.
Another rail line, formerly part of the Louisville and Nashville Railroad (L&N)
, successor to the Nashville, Chattanooga and St. Louis Railway (NC&StL)
, is being operated by the Huntsville 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 the Tennessee River
, and terminating at Norton Switch, near Hobbs Island. This service, in continuous operation since 1894, presently hauls freight and provides transloading
facilities at its downtown depot location. Until the mid-fifties, the L&N provided freight and passenger service to Guntersville and points South. 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.
A third line, the Mercury and Chase Railroad, runs 10 miles (16.1 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 of Chase, Alabama
. The rail line originally connected Huntsville to NC&StL's Nashville-to-Chattanooga mainline in Decherd, Tennessee
. The depot was once the smallest union station
in the United States when it served the NC&StL and Memphis and Charleston Railroad
, a the predecessor to the Norfolk Southern.
. TVA has two plants that provide electricity to the Huntsville area- Browns Ferry Nuclear Power Plant in Limestone County and Guntersville Dam
in Marshall County. A third, Bellefonte Nuclear Power Plant
in Jackson County, was built in the 1980s but was never activated. Due to the rapid growth of the region, TVA has plans to eventually activate the plant.
Telephone service in Huntsville is provided by Deltacom, Inc., AT&T
, Knology
and Comcast
. Huntsville has 2 cable providers in the city limits: Comcast
and Knology
(Mediacom
in rural outlying areas). AT&T
has announced that it will start its DSL U-verse service in the Huntsville Decatur metro area on November 1, 2010.
combines the Huntsville International Airport
, International Intermodal Center, and Jetplex Industrial Park. The intermodal terminal transfers truck and train cargo. The port has on-site U.S. Customs and USDA
inspectors and is Foreign Trade Zone
No. 83.
is served by several regional and national carriers, including Delta Air Lines
, US Airways
, Continental
, United Airlines
, American Airlines
, and AirTran Airways
. Delivery companies have hubs in Huntsville, making flights to Europe, Asia, and Mexico.
has been Huntsville's only daily newspaper since 1996, when the Huntsville News closed. Before then, the News was the morning paper, and the Times was the afternoon paper until 2004. The Times has a weekday circulation of 60,000, which rises to 80,000 on Sundays.
A few alternative newspapers are available in Huntsville. The Valley Planet covers arts and entertainment in the Tennessee Valley area. The Redstone Rocket is a newspaper distributed throughout Redstone Arsenal's housing area covering activities on Redstone. Speakin' Out News is a weekly newspaper focused on African Americans. El Reportero is a Spanish-language newspaper for North Alabama.
.
.
TV Stations:
(2005). Portions of the film SpaceCamp
(1986) were filmed at Huntsville's U.S. Space and Rocket Center at the eponymous facility. The U.S. Space and Rocket Center stood in for NASA in the 1989 movie Beyond the Stars
starring Martin Sheen
, Christian Slater
, and Sharon Stone
. Parts of Tom and Huck
(1995) were filmed in Cathedral Caverns
, located near Huntsville. Following in the motif of the "Rocket City," Columbia Pictures filmed Ravagers (1979) in The Land Trust's Historic Three Caves Quarry, at the U.S. Space and Rocket Center, and on location at an antebellum home located next door to Lee High School. This cult classic starred Richard Harris
, Ernest Borgnine
, Ann Turkel
, Art Carney
and Cecily Hovanes.
Huntsville's legacy in the space program continues to draw film producers looking for background material for space-themed films. During the pre-production of the film Apollo 13
(1995), the cast and crew spent time at Space Camp
and Marshall Space Flight Center
preparing for their roles. Space Camp was mentioned in the film Stranger than Fiction and was featured in a 2008 episode of Penn & Teller: B.S.! on NASA.
Of the 53 schools in the Huntsville City Schools system in 2007–2008, there were:
For grades 6–12, there are 11,696 students enrolled in the following schools:
The two magnet elementary schools are the Academy for Academics and Arts and the Academy for Science and Foreign Language. The three magnet middle schools are Williams Technology, The Academy for Academics and Arts, and the Academy for Science and Foreign Language, and the two magnet high schools are Lee High School (Huntsville, Alabama)
and New Century Technology High School.
Approximately 21 private, parochial, and religious schools serve students in grades pre-K–12. There are several accredited private Christian schools in the city. Among them are Pope John Paul II Catholic High School
, Faith Christian Academy, Oakwood Adventist Academy
, and Westminster Christian Academy. Randolph School
is the only independent, private K-12 school in the city.
60% of HCS teachers have at least a master's degree or better.
The University of Alabama in Huntsville is the largest university serving the greater Huntsville area. The research-intensive university has more than 7,700 students. Approximately half of the university’s graduates earn a degree in engineering or science, making the university one of the largest producers of engineers and physical scientists in Alabama.
Oakwood University, founded in 1896, is a Seventh-day Adventist
university with over 1,800 students and a member institution of the United Negro College Fund. It is one of the nation's leading producers of successful Black applicants to medical schools. The school was USCAA National Basketball Champions (2008) and the winner of the 19th and 20th Honda Campus All-Star Challenge National Championship Tournaments (2008 and 2009).
Various colleges and universities have satellite locations or extensions in Huntsville:
. The Main Library Archives contains a wealth of historical resources, including displays of photographic collections and artifacts, has Alabama's highest materials circulation rate, and features daily public programs. The library system provides free public access Internet computers and wireless Internet access in all facilities.
TAC promotes the visual arts with two galleries: art@TAC, using the walls near the company’s Von Braun Center offices and the JavaGalleria. TAC supports The Bench Project and the strategic planning effort to support Huntsville-Madison County’s economic development goals through expanded arts and cultural opportunities known as Create Huntsville.
, which originally opened in 1975 as the Von Braun Civic Center, has an arena capable of seating 10,000, a 2,000-seat concert hall, a 500-seat playhouse (~330 seats with proscenium staging), and 150000 square feet (13,935.5 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.
Madison County, Alabama
Madison County is a county of the U.S. state of Alabama, and is a major part of the Huntsville Metropolitan Area.It is also included in the merged Huntsville-Decatur Combined Statistical Area. The county is named in honor of James Madison, fourth President of the United States of America, and the...
in the central part of the far northern region of the U.S. state
U.S. state
A U.S. state is any one of the 50 federated states of the United States of America that share sovereignty with the federal government. Because of this shared sovereignty, an American is a citizen both of the federal entity and of his or her state of domicile. Four states use the official title of...
of Alabama
Alabama
Alabama is a state located in the southeastern region of the United States. It is bordered by Tennessee to the north, Georgia to the east, Florida and the Gulf of Mexico to the south, and Mississippi to the west. Alabama ranks 30th in total land area and ranks second in the size of its inland...
. Huntsville is the county seat
County seat
A county seat is an administrative center, or seat of government, for a county or civil parish. The term is primarily used in the United States....
of Madison County. The city extends west into neighboring Limestone County
Limestone County, Alabama
Limestone County is a county of the U.S. state of Alabama, and is included in the Huntsville Metropolitan Area.It is also included in the merged Huntsville-Decatur Metro Area. Its name comes from Limestone Creek, a local stream. In 2000, the population was 65,676. As of 2010 the county's...
. Huntsville's population was 180,105 as of the 2010 Census. The Huntsville Metropolitan Area
Huntsville Metropolitan Area
The Huntsville Metropolitan Area is a metropolitan statistical area in northern Alabama. The Huntsville Metropolitan Area's population was estimated at 395,645.-Counties:The metro area comprises two counties:Limestone and Madison.-Places:...
's population was 417,593. Huntsville is the fourth-largest city in Alabama and the largest city in the four-county Huntsville-Decatur Combined Statistical Area
Huntsville-Decatur Combined Statistical Area
The Huntsville-Decatur Combined Statistical Area is the most populated sub-region of North Alabama, and is the second fastest growing region in the State of Alabama, with 510,088 living within the CSA...
, which in 2008 had a total population of 545,770.
It grew across nearby hills and along the Tennessee River
Tennessee River
The Tennessee River is the largest tributary of the Ohio River. It is approximately 652 miles long and is located in the southeastern United States in the Tennessee Valley. The river was once popularly known as the Cherokee River, among other names...
, adding textile
Textile
A textile or cloth is a flexible woven material consisting of a network of natural or artificial fibres often referred to as thread or yarn. Yarn is produced by spinning raw fibres of wool, flax, cotton, or other material to produce long strands...
mills, then munitions factories, NASA
NASA
The National Aeronautics and Space Administration is the agency of the United States government that is responsible for the nation's civilian space program and for aeronautics and aerospace research...
's Marshall Space Flight Center
Marshall Space Flight Center
The George C. Marshall Space Flight Center is the U.S. government's civilian rocketry and spacecraft propulsion research center. The largest center of NASA, MSFC's first mission was developing the Saturn launch vehicles for the Apollo moon program...
and the United States Army Aviation and Missile Command
United States Army Aviation and Missile Command
The United States Army Aviation and Missile Command is primarily responsible for life cycle management of army missile, helicopter, unmanned ground vehicle and unmanned aerial vehicle weapon systems. The central part of AMCOM's job involves acquisition and sustainment support for aviation and...
nearby at the Redstone Arsenal
Redstone Arsenal
Redstone Arsenal is a United States Army base and a census-designated place adjacent to Huntsville in Madison County, Alabama, United States and is part of the Huntsville-Decatur Combined Statistical Area...
. The National Trust for Historic Preservation
National Trust for Historic Preservation
The National Trust for Historic Preservation is an American member-supported organization that was founded in 1949 by congressional charter to support preservation of historic buildings and neighborhoods through a range of programs and activities, including the publication of Preservation...
named Huntsville to its "America's Dozen Distinctive Destinations for 2010" list.
Etymology
John Hunt first settled in the location in 1805. It was named TwickenhamTwickenham
Twickenham is a large suburban town southwest of central London. It is the administrative headquarters of the London Borough of Richmond upon Thames and one of the locally important district centres identified in the London Plan...
after Alexander Pope's English home at the request of LeRoy Pope. However, the town was renamed "Huntsville" on November 25, 1811 after its first settler.
First settlers
Huntsville is named after Revolutionary War veteran John Hunt, the first settler of the land around the Big SpringBig Spring Park (Huntsville, Alabama)
Big Spring International Park is located in downtown Huntsville, Alabama. The park is built around its namesake "Big Spring", the original water source that the city of Huntsville was built around...
. However, Hunt did not properly register his claim, and the area was purchased by Leroy Pope
LeRoy Pope
LeRoy Pope was a prominent American planter, lawyer, and early settler of Madison County, Alabama. He purchased much of the land on which downtown Huntsville, Alabama now stands, and for his role in the establishment and early growth of that city, has been called the "Father of Huntsville." -Early...
, who imposed the name Twickenham on the area to honor the home village of his distant kinsman Alexander Pope
Alexander Pope
Alexander Pope was an 18th-century English poet, best known for his satirical verse and for his translation of Homer. He is the third-most frequently quoted writer in The Oxford Dictionary of Quotations, after Shakespeare and Tennyson...
.
Twickenham was carefully planned, with streets laid out on the northeast to southwest direction based on the Big Spring (see images below). However, due to anti-English sentiment during this period, the name was changed to Huntsville to honor John Hunt, who had been forced to move to other land south of the new city.
Both John Hunt and Leroy Pope were Freemasons
Freemasonry
Freemasonry is a fraternal organisation that arose from obscure origins in the late 16th to early 17th century. Freemasonry now exists in various forms all over the world, with a membership estimated at around six million, including approximately 150,000 under the jurisdictions of the Grand Lodge...
and charter members of Helion Lodge#1.
Incorporation 1811
In 1811, Huntsville became the first incorporated town in Alabama. However, the recognized "birth" year of the city is 1805, the year of John Hunt's arrival. The city's sesquicentennial anniversary was held in 1955 and the bicentennial was celebrated in 2005.Emerging industries
Huntsville's quick growth was from wealth generated by the cottonCotton
Cotton is a soft, fluffy staple fiber that grows in a boll, or protective capsule, around the seeds of cotton plants of the genus Gossypium. The fiber is almost pure cellulose. The botanical purpose of cotton fiber is to aid in seed dispersal....
and railroad industries. Many wealthy planters moved into the area from Virginia, Georgia, and the Carolinas. In 1819, Huntsville hosted a constitutional convention in Walker Allen's large cabinetmaking shop. The forty-four delegates meeting there wrote a constitution for the new state of Alabama
Alabama
Alabama is a state located in the southeastern region of the United States. It is bordered by Tennessee to the north, Georgia to the east, Florida and the Gulf of Mexico to the south, and Mississippi to the west. Alabama ranks 30th in total land area and ranks second in the size of its inland...
. 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, and the capital was then moved to another temporary location, Cahawba
Cahaba, Alabama
Cahaba, also spelled Cahawba, was the first permanent state capital of Alabama from 1820 to 1825. It is now a ghost town and state historic site. The site is located in Dallas County, southwest of Selma.-Capital:...
, until the legislature selected Montgomery
Montgomery, Alabama
Montgomery is the capital of the U.S. state of Alabama, and is the county seat of Montgomery County. It is located on the Alabama River southeast of the center of the state, in the Gulf Coastal Plain. As of the 2010 census, Montgomery had a population of 205,764 making it the second-largest city...
as the permanent location.
In 1855, the Memphis and Charleston Railroad
Memphis and Charleston Railroad
The Memphis and Charleston Railroad, completed in 1857, was the first railroad in the United States to link the Atlantic Ocean with the Mississippi River. Chartered in 1846 the railroad ran from Memphis, Tennessee to Stevenson, Alabama through the towns of Corinth, Mississippi and Huntsville,...
was constructed through Huntsville, becoming the first railway to link the Atlantic seacoast with the lower Mississippi River.
Civil War
First Battle of Bull Run
First Battle of Bull Run, also known as First Manassas , was fought on July 21, 1861, in Prince William County, Virginia, near the City of Manassas...
, the first major encounter of the American Civil War
American Civil War
The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
. The Fourth Alabama Infantry, which contained two Huntsville companies, were the first Alabama troops to fight in the war and were present when Lee surrendered to Grant at Appomattox
Appomattox, Virginia
Appomattox is a town in Appomattox County, Virginia, United States. The population was 1,761 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Appomattox County.Appomattox is part of the Lynchburg Metropolitan Statistical Area.-History:...
in April 1865. Eight generals of the war were born in or near Huntsville, evenly split with four on each side.
On the morning of April 11, 1862, Union troops led by General Ormsby M. Mitchel
Ormsby M. Mitchel
Ormsby MacKnight Mitchel was an American astronomer and major general in the American Civil War....
seized Huntsville to sever the Confederacy's rail communications. The Union troops were forced to retreat some months later, but returned to Huntsville in the fall of 1863 and thereafter used the city as a base of operations for the remainder of the war. While many homes and villages in the surrounding countryside were burned in retaliation for the active guerrilla warfare in the area, Huntsville itself was spared because it housed elements of the Union Army.
After the Civil War
After the Civil War, Huntsville became a center for cotton textile mills, such as Lincoln, Dallas and Merrimack. Each mill had its own housing community that included everything the mill workers needed (schools, churches, grocery stores, theatres, and hardware stores, all within walking distance of the mill).Lily Flagg
Lily Flagg
Signal's Lily Flagg 31035 , also spelled Flag, was a Jersey cow, the top butter producer in the world in 1892, owned by W. E. Matthews and General Samuel H. Moore of Huntsville, Alabama. During her record-breaking year, she weighed 950 pounds and produced 1047 pounds, ¾oz of butter...
broke the world record for butter production in 1892, spawning an elaborate party wherein her Huntsville-resident owner General Samuel H. Moore painted his house butter yellow and arranged for electric lights for the dance floor. An area south of Huntsville was named Lily Flagg before 1906. This area was later annexed into the city.
Great Depression 1930s
During the 1930s, industry declined in Huntsville due to the Great DepressionGreat Depression
The Great Depression was a severe worldwide economic depression in the decade preceding World War II. The timing of the Great Depression varied across nations, but in most countries it started in about 1929 and lasted until the late 1930s or early 1940s...
. Huntsville became known as the Watercress
Watercress
Watercresses are fast-growing, aquatic or semi-aquatic, perennial plants native from Europe to central Asia, and one of the oldest known leaf vegetables consumed by human beings...
Capital of the World because of its abundant harvest in the area. Madison County led Alabama in cotton
Cotton
Cotton is a soft, fluffy staple fiber that grows in a boll, or protective capsule, around the seeds of cotton plants of the genus Gossypium. The fiber is almost pure cellulose. The botanical purpose of cotton fiber is to aid in seed dispersal....
production during this time.
World War II
By 1940, Huntsville was still a small, quiet town with a population of about 13,000 inhabitants. This quickly changed in early 1941 when 35000 acres (141.6 km²) of land adjoining the southwest area of the city was selected by the U.S. Army for building three chemical munitions facilities: the Huntsville Arsenal, the Redstone Ordnance Plant (soon redesignated Redstone Arsenal), and the Gulf Chemical Warfare Depot. These operated throughout World War II, with combined personnel approaching 20,000.Missile Development
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 the Keller automobileKeller (automobile)
The Keller was an automobile produced by the Keller Motor Corp. of Huntsville, Alabama, United States, between 1948 and 1950. It was based on the earlier Bobbi-Kar produced by the Bobbi Motor Car Corp. of San Diego, California. Keller restyled the Bobbi-Kar and switched power from a four cylinder...
, but this closed with only 18 vehicles built. With the encouragement of Senator John Sparkman
John Sparkman
John Jackson Sparkman was an American politician from the state of Alabama. A conservative Southern Democrat, Sparkman served in the U.S. House of Representatives and the U.S. Senate from 1937 until 1979. He was the Democratic Party's nominee for Vice President as Adlai Stevenson's running mate in...
. the U.S. Army Air Force considered it for a major testing facility, but then selected another site. Redstone Arsenal was then prepared for disposal, but, again with assistance from Senator Sparkman, it was selected for the Army’s rocket and missile development.
In 1950, about 1,000 personnel were transferred from Fort Bliss, Texas, to Redstone Arsenal to form the Ordnance Guided Missile Center (OGMC). Central to this was a group of German scientists and engineers led by Wernher von Braun
Wernher von Braun
Wernher Magnus Maximilian, Freiherr von Braun was a German rocket scientist, aerospace engineer, space architect, and one of the leading figures in the development of rocket technology in Nazi Germany during World War II and in the United States after that.A former member of the Nazi party,...
that had originally been brought to America by Colonel Holger Toftoy
Holger Toftoy
Major General Holger Nelson Toftoy was a United States Army officer linked to early rocketry such as the Redstone missile....
under Operation Paperclip
Operation Paperclip
Operation Paperclip was the Office of Strategic Services program used to recruit the scientists of Nazi Germany for employment by the United States in the aftermath of World War II...
. As the Korean War
Korean War
The Korean War was a conventional war between South Korea, supported by the United Nations, and North Korea, supported by the People's Republic of China , with military material aid from the Soviet Union...
started, the OGMC was given the mission to develop what eventually became the Redstone Rocket. This rocket set the stage for America’s space program, as well as major Army missile programs, to be centered in Huntsville. Toftoy, then a Brigadier General, commanded OGMC and the overall Redstone Arsenal. In early 1956, the Army Ballistic Missile Agency (ABMA) under Major General John Medaris
John Bruce Medaris
John Bruce Medaris was a U.S Army officer who was commander of the Army Ballistic Missile Agency during the 1950s. During this period, the agency developed the Redstone, Jupiter-C, and Saturn I....
was formed.
Space Flight
The city is nicknamed "The Rocket City" for its close history with U.S. space missions. On January 31, 1958, ABMA placed America's first satellite, Explorer IExplorer I
Explorer 1 was the first Earth satellite of the United States, launched as part of its participation in the International Geophysical Year...
, into orbit using a Jupiter 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.
On July 1, 1960, 4,670 civilian employees, associated buildings and equipment, and 1840 acres (7.4 km²) of land transferred from ABMA to form NASA's George C. Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC). Wernher von Braun was MSFC's initial Director. On September 8, U.S. President Dwight D. Eisenhower
Dwight D. Eisenhower
Dwight David "Ike" Eisenhower was the 34th President of the United States, from 1953 until 1961. He was a five-star general in the United States Army...
formally dedicated the MSFC.
During the 1960s, the major mission of MSFC was in developing the Saturn boosters
Saturn (rocket family)
The Saturn family of American rocket boosters was developed by a team of mostly German rocket scientists led by Wernher von Braun to launch heavy payloads to Earth orbit and beyond. Originally proposed as a military satellite launcher, they were adopted as the launch vehicles for the Apollo moon...
used by NASA in the Apollo Lunar Landing Program. For this, MSFC greatly increased its employees, and many new companies joined the Huntsville industrial community. The Cummings Research Park
Cummings Research Park
Cummings Research Park, located primarily in the city of Huntsville, Alabama is the second largest research park in the United States, and the fourth largest in the world. The Research Triangle Park in North Carolina is the only research park in the United States that is larger. Cummings Research...
was developed just north of Redstone Arsenal to partially accommodate this industrial growth, and has now became the second largest research park of this type in America.
Space Shuttle
The Space Shuttle was a manned orbital rocket and spacecraft system operated by NASA on 135 missions from 1981 to 2011. The system combined rocket launch, orbital spacecraft, and re-entry spaceplane with modular add-ons...
, the International Space Station
International Space Station
The International Space Station is a habitable, artificial satellite in low Earth orbit. The ISS follows the Salyut, Almaz, Cosmos, Skylab, and Mir space stations, as the 11th space station launched, not including the Genesis I and II prototypes...
, 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. In addition, new Army organizations have emerged at Redstone Arsenal, particularly in the ever-expanding field of missile defense
Missile defense
Missile defense is a system, weapon, or technology involved in the detection, tracking, interception and destruction of attacking missiles. Originally conceived as a defence against nuclear-armed Intercontinental ballistic missiles , its application has broadened to include shorter-ranged...
.
Geography
Limestone County, Alabama
Limestone County is a county of the U.S. state of Alabama, and is included in the Huntsville Metropolitan Area.It is also included in the merged Huntsville-Decatur Metro Area. Its name comes from Limestone Creek, a local stream. In 2000, the population was 65,676. As of 2010 the county's...
a total of 21.5 mi2, or 13885 acres (5,619.1 ha).
Situated in the Tennessee River
Tennessee River
The Tennessee River is the largest tributary of the Ohio River. It is approximately 652 miles long and is located in the southeastern United States in the Tennessee Valley. The river was once popularly known as the Cherokee River, among other names...
valley, several plateau
Plateau
In geology and earth science, a plateau , also called a high plain or tableland, is an area of highland, usually consisting of relatively flat terrain. A highly eroded plateau is called a dissected plateau...
s and large hills partially surround Huntsville. These plateaus are associated with the Cumberland Plateau
Cumberland Plateau
The Cumberland Plateau is the southern part of the Appalachian Plateau. It includes much of eastern Kentucky and western West Virginia, part of Tennessee, and a small portion of northern Alabama and northwest Georgia . The terms "Allegheny Plateau" and the "Cumberland Plateau" both refer to the...
, and are locally called "mountains". Monte Sano Mountain (Italian for "Healthy Mount") is the most notable, and is east of the city along with Round Top (Burritt), Chapman, Huntsville, and Green Mountains. Others are Wade Mountain to the north, Rainbow Mountain to the west, and Weeden and Madkin Mountains on Redstone Arsenal
Redstone Arsenal
Redstone Arsenal is a United States Army base and a census-designated place adjacent to Huntsville in Madison County, Alabama, United States and is part of the Huntsville-Decatur Combined Statistical Area...
in the south. Brindlee Mountain is visible in the south across the Tennessee River.
KARST
Kilometer-square Area Radio Synthesis Telescope is a Chinese telescope project to which FAST is a forerunner. KARST is a set of large spherical reflectors on karst landforms, which are bowlshaped limestone sinkholes named after the Kras region in Slovenia and Northern Italy. It will consist of...
in nature. The city was founded around the Big Spring, which is a typical karst spring, and many cave
Cave
A cave or cavern is a natural underground space large enough for a human to enter. The term applies to natural cavities some part of which is in total darkness. The word cave also includes smaller spaces like rock shelters, sea caves, and grottos.Speleology is the science of exploration and study...
s perforate the limestone bedrock underneath the surface, as is common in karst areas. The headquarters of the National Speleological Society
National Speleological Society
The National Speleological Society is an organization formed in 1941 to advance the exploration, conservation, study, and understanding of caves in the United States. Originally located in Washington D.C., its current offices are in Huntsville, Alabama...
are located in Huntsville.
Boundaries
The city is bounded by the following places:- ArabArab, AlabamaArab is a city in both Cullman County, Alabama and Marshall County, Alabama in the northeastern part of the U.S. state of Alabama, located ten miles from Guntersville Lake and Guntersville Dam, and is included in the Huntsville-Decatur Combined Statistical Area...
- AthensAthens, AlabamaAthens is a city in Limestone County, Alabama, United States. As of the 2000 census, the population of the city is 18,967. According to the 2009 U.S. Census estimates, the city had a population of 24,234...
- BrownsboroBrownsboro, AlabamaBrownsboro is an unincorporated community in Madison County, Alabama.-References:...
- East Limestone
- GurleyGurley, AlabamaGurley is a town in Madison County, Alabama, United States, and is included in the Huntsville-Decatur Combined Statistical Area. As of the 2000 census, the population of the town is 876.-History:...
- Harvest
- Hazel GreenHazel Green, AlabamaHazel Green is an unincorporated community and census-designated place in Madison County, Alabama, United States, and is included in the Huntsville-Decatur Combined Statistical Area. As of the 2010 census, the population of the community is 3,630.-History:...
- MadisonMadison, AlabamaAs of the census of 2000, there were 29,329 people, 11,143 households, and 8,067 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,266.5 people per square mile . There were 12,121 housing units at an average density of 523.4 per square mile...
- MeridianvilleMeridianville, AlabamaMeridianville is an unincorporated community and census-designated place in Madison County, Alabama, United States, and is included in the Huntsville-Decatur Combined Statistical Area. As of the 2010 census, the population of the community is 6,021....
- MonroviaMonrovia, AlabamaMonrovia is an unincorporated community in Madison County, Alabama, United States. It is bordered on the south by the city of Madison, on the southeast by the city of Huntsville, on the west by Limestone County and on the north by the community of Harvest....
- Moores MillMoores Mill, AlabamaMoores Mill is a census-designated place in Madison County, Alabama, United States, and is included in the Huntsville-Decatur Combined Statistical Area. The population was 5,178 at the 2000 census.-Geography:...
- New HopeNew Hope, AlabamaNew Hope is a city in Madison County, Alabama, United States, and is included in the Huntsville-Decatur Combined Statistical Area. As of the 2000 census, the population is 2,539.-History:...
- New MarketNew Market, AlabamaNew Market is a census-designated place in Madison County, Alabama, United States, and is included in the Huntsville-Decatur Combined Statistical Area. As of the 2000 census, the population of the CDP is 1,864...
- Owens Cross RoadsOwens Cross Roads, AlabamaOwens Cross Roads is a town in Madison County, Alabama, United States, and is included in the Huntsville-Decatur Combined Statistical Area. As of the 2010 Census, the population of the town is 1,521.-Geography:...
- Redstone ArsenalRedstone ArsenalRedstone Arsenal is a United States Army base and a census-designated place adjacent to Huntsville in Madison County, Alabama, United States and is part of the Huntsville-Decatur Combined Statistical Area...
(U.S. Army base) - ToneyToney, AlabamaToney is an unincorporated community in the northwestern part of Madison County, Alabama, United States. A part of the Huntsville-Decatur Combined Statistical Area, it is located at an elevation of 827 feet .-Public services:...
- TrianaTriana, AlabamaTriana is a town located on the southern county line of Madison County, Alabama, United States, and is included in the Huntsville-Decatur Combined Statistical Area. As of the 2000 census, the population of the town is 458.-Geography:...
Climate
Huntsville has a humid subtropical climateHumid subtropical climate
A humid subtropical climate is a climate zone characterized by hot, humid summers and mild to cool winters...
(Köppen climate classification
Köppen climate classification
The Köppen climate classification is one of the most widely used climate classification systems. It was first published by Crimea German climatologist Wladimir Köppen in 1884, with several later modifications by Köppen himself, notably in 1918 and 1936...
Cfa). It experiences hot, humid summers and generally mild winters, with average high temperatures ranging from 89.4 °F (31.9 °C) in the summer to 48.9 °F (9.4 °C) during winter.
Some years, Huntsville experiences tornado
Tornado
A tornado is a violent, dangerous, rotating column of air that is in contact with both the surface of the earth and a cumulonimbus cloud or, in rare cases, the base of a cumulus cloud. They are often referred to as a twister or a cyclone, although the word cyclone is used in meteorology in a wider...
es during the spring and fall. On April 27, 2011, one of the largest tornado outbreaks in history, the April 25–28, 2011 tornado outbreak
April 25–28, 2011 tornado outbreak
An extremely large and violent tornado outbreak, the largest tornado outbreak ever recorded, and popularly known as the 2011 Super Outbreak, occurred from April 25 to 28, 2011. The outbreak affected the Southern, Midwestern, and Northeastern United States, leaving catastrophic destruction in...
, affected the Northern Alabama Area. During this event, an EF5
EF5
EF5 is a nitroimidazole used in oncology research. Due to its similarity in chemical structure to etanidazole, EF5 binds in cells displaying hypoxia....
tornado that tracked near the Browns Ferry Nuclear Power Plant destroyed many transmission towers and caused a multi-day power outage for the majority of North Alabama
North Alabama
North Alabama is a region of the U.S. state of Alabama, generally considered to include 12 counties: Cherokee, Colbert, DeKalb, Franklin, Jackson, Lauderdale, Lawrence, Limestone, Madison, Marshall, Morgan, and Winston, with a combined population of 958,247, or 20.84% of the state's population as...
. Significant Damage from that same tornado was also taken in the Anderson Hills subdivision and in Harvest, Alabama. In total, nine people were killed in Madison County
Madison County
Madison County is the name of nineteen counties and one parish in the United States, most of which are named for James Madison, fourth President of the United States...
alone and many others injured. Other significant tornado events include the Super Outbreak
Super Outbreak
The Super Outbreak is the second largest tornado outbreak on record for a single 24-hour period, just behind the tornado outbreak of April 25–28, 2011...
in 1974, the November 1989 Tornado Outbreak that killed 21 and injured almost 500, and the Anderson Hills Tornado
Anderson Hills Tornado
Note: The following is adapted from a National Weather Service report about the Anderson Hills tornado.The Anderson Hills Tornado struck Huntsville, Alabama on May 18, 1995, killing one person and causing extensive damage and devastation, including the destruction of the Anderson Hills subdivision....
that killed one and caused extensive damage in 1995. On January 21, 2010, Huntsville experienced a rare mid-winter tornado. It registered EF2 on the Enhanced Fujita scale
Enhanced Fujita Scale
The Enhanced Fujita Scale rates the strength of tornadoes in the United States based on the damage they cause.Implemented in place of the Fujita scale introduced in 1971 by Ted Fujita, it began operational use on February 1, 2007. The scale has the same basic design as the original Fujita scale:...
scale and did only moderate damage but received extensive media coverage as it was not rain-wrapped and thus easily photographed.
Since Huntsville is nearly 300 miles (482.8 km) inland, hurricanes are rarely experienced with their full force; however, many weakened tropical storms cross the area after a U.S. Gulf Coast landfall. While most winters have some measurable snow, significant snow is rare in Huntsville; but there have been some anomalies, like the 1963 New Year's Eve snowstorm, when 17 in (43 cm) fell within 24 hours. Likewise, the Blizzard of 1993 and a Groundhog Day
Groundhog Day
Groundhog Day is a holiday celebrated on February 2 in the United States and Canada. According to folklore, if it is cloudy when a groundhog emerges from its burrow on this day, it will leave the burrow, signifying that winter-like weather will soon end...
snowstorm in 1996 were substantial winter events for Huntsville. On Christmas Day 2010 Huntville recorded over 4 inches (10.2 cm) of snow in place, and on January 9–10, 2011 Huntsville 8.9 inches (22.6 cm) at the airport to over 10 inches (25.4 cm) in the suburbs.
Demographics
As of the censusCensus
A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring and recording information about the members of a given population. It is a regularly occurring and official count of a particular population. The term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common...
of 2000, there were 158,216 people, 66,742 households, and 41,713 families residing in the city. The population density
Population density
Population density is a measurement of population per unit area or unit volume. It is frequently applied to living organisms, and particularly to humans...
was 909.0 people per square mile (351.0/km²). There were 73,670 housing units at an average density of 423.3 per square mile (163.4/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 64.47% White, 30.21% Black or African American, 0.54% Native American, 2.22% Asian, 0.06% Pacific Islander, 0.66% from other races, and 1.84% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 2.04% of the population.
There were 66,742 households out of which 27.6% had children living with them, 45.5% were married couples living together, 13.7% had a female householder with no husband present, and 37.5% were non-families. 32.3% of all households were made up of individuals and 9.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.29 and the average family size was 2.91. Same-sex couple households comprised 0.5 % of all househoulds.
Huntsville has developed small ethnic communities of African immigrants, East Asians esp. Chinese American
Chinese American
Chinese Americans represent Americans of Chinese descent. Chinese Americans constitute one group of overseas Chinese and also a subgroup of East Asian Americans, which is further a subgroup of Asian Americans...
, Eastern European peoples, Latino
Latino
The demonyms Latino and Latina , are defined in English language dictionaries as:* "a person of Latin-American descent."* "A Latin American."* "A person of Hispanic, especially Latin-American, descent, often one living in the United States."...
esp. Mexican
Mexico
The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
s and Puerto Rican
Puerto Rico
Puerto Rico , officially the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico , is an unincorporated territory of the United States, located in the northeastern Caribbean, east of the Dominican Republic and west of both the United States Virgin Islands and the British Virgin Islands.Puerto Rico comprises an...
s, Middle Eastern nationalities and Southeast Asians esp. Vietnamese
Vietnamese American
A Vietnamese American is an American of Vietnamese descent. They make up about half of all overseas Vietnamese and are the fourth-largest Asian American group....
and Laotian American
Laotian American
A Laotian American is a resident of the United States who was originally from Laos, a person of Laotian descent residing in America, or a citizen born in the United States whose parents were originally from Laos. Laotian Americans are included in the larger category of Asian Americans...
s in the 1990s and 2000s.
Demographic distribution
| Age | <18 | 18-24 | 25-44 | 45-64 | 65+ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Distribution % | 23.1 | 10.7 | 29.3 | 23.4 | 13.4 |
Sex ratio and income distribution
| Median Median In probability theory and statistics, a median is described as the numerical value separating the higher half of a sample, a population, or a probability distribution, from the lower half. The median of a finite list of numbers can be found by arranging all the observations from lowest value to... Age |
37 |
|---|---|
| Sex Ratio F:M | 100:92.8 |
| Sex Ratio age 18+ F:M | 100:89.7 |
| Median Income | $41,074 |
| Family Median Income | $52,202 |
| Male Median Income | $40,003 |
| Female Median Income | $26,085 |
| Per capita Per capita Per capita is a Latin prepositional phrase: per and capita . The phrase thus means "by heads" or "for each head", i.e. per individual or per person... Income |
$24,015 |
| Percent Below poverty | 12.8 |
| Age < 18 Below Poverty | 18.7 |
| Age 65+ Below Poverty | 9.0 |
Politics and government
Tommy Battle
Tommy Battle is the mayor of Huntsville, Alabama. His term began November 3, 2008.Battle served one term on the Huntsville City Council from 1984-1988. He made an unsuccessful run for mayor in 1988. Battle moved to Huntsville in 1980 to operate Britling's Buffet, which he sold in 1989. Battle...
, who was elected in 2008. The Deputy Mayor/City Administrator is Rex Reynolds, who also serves as the city's Public Safety Director. The city has a five-member/district City Council. The current members are:
- District 1 (Northwest): Richard Showers, Sr.
- District 2 (East): Mark Russell (President)
- District 3 (Southeast): John Olshefski
- District 4 (Southwest): Bill Kling
- District 5 (West): Will Culver.
Council elections are "staggered", meaning that Districts 2, 3, and 4 had elections in August 2010, while Districts 1 and 5 will have elections simultaneously with mayoral elections in 2012.
The city has boards and commissions which control everything from schools and planning to museums and downtown development.
In July 2007 then Senator Barack Obama held the first fund raiser in Alabama for his Presidential campaign in Huntsville. Obama ended up winning the Alabama Democratic Primary and Madison County by large margins in 2008.
See also: List of mayors of Huntsville, Alabama
Public safety and health
In 2007, Mayor Loretta SpencerLoretta Spencer
Loretta Purdy Spencer was the mayor of Huntsville, Alabama. Her first term began October 4, 1996, and her last term ended on November 3, 2008....
combined the police, fire, and animal services departments to create the Department of Public Safety. The former chief of police was appointed as its director. The new department has nearly 900 employees and an annual budget of $63 million.
Fire
The Huntsville Fire Department has 19 engine companies, 4 ladder/rescue companies, and 2 hazardous materials companies located in 17 stations throughout the city of Huntsville. Many Huntsville firefighters are members of the regional Hazardous Materials and Heavy Rescue response teams. The day-to-day operations of the department are currently carried out by the department's Fire Chief.EMS
Huntsville Emergency Medical Services Inc.(HEMSI) provides emergency services to Huntsville and surrounding Madison county. HEMSI operates 17 ALS ambulance crews, 2 BLS ambulance crews, and 1 wheel chair transport from 12 stations located in Huntsville and Madison County. HEMSI also operates 1 ALS ambulance crew at The Marshall Space Flight Center located on Redstone Arsenal.Police
The Huntsville Police Department has 3 precincts and 1 downtown HQ, 360 sworn officers, 150 civilian personnel, and patrols an area of 194.7+ square miles (this number has grown due to recent annexations).Police Academy
The Huntsville Police Academy is one of the oldest police academies in the United States. As of 2009, the academy has graduated 50 basic classes and 47 lateral ones.Hospitals
- Huntsville Hospital SystemHuntsville Hospital SystemThe Huntsville Hospital System also known as Huntsville Hospital is a public, not-for-profit hospital campus consisting of several sites and buildings originating in the downtown area of Huntsville, Alabama...
- Crestwood Medical CenterCrestwood Medical CenterCrestwood Medical Center is a medical complex located in Huntsville, Alabama. As of 2011, there were 1,012 employees in the medical complex. It is accredited by the Joint Commission.-History:...
Economy
Huntsville's main economic influence is derived from aerospace and military technology. Redstone ArsenalRedstone Arsenal
Redstone Arsenal is a United States Army base and a census-designated place adjacent to Huntsville in Madison County, Alabama, United States and is part of the Huntsville-Decatur Combined Statistical Area...
, Cummings Research Park
Cummings Research Park
Cummings Research Park, located primarily in the city of Huntsville, Alabama is the second largest research park in the United States, and the fourth largest in the world. The Research Triangle Park in North Carolina is the only research park in the United States that is larger. Cummings Research...
(CRP), and NASA
NASA
The National Aeronautics and Space Administration is the agency of the United States government that is responsible for the nation's civilian space program and for aeronautics and aerospace research...
's Marshall Space Flight Center
Marshall Space Flight Center
The George C. Marshall Space Flight Center is the U.S. government's civilian rocketry and spacecraft propulsion research center. The largest center of NASA, MSFC's first mission was developing the Saturn launch vehicles for the Apollo moon program...
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, and is over 38 years old. University of Alabama in Huntsville
University of Alabama in Huntsville
The University of Alabama in Huntsville is a state-supported, public, coeducational research university, located in Huntsville, Alabama, United States, is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools to award baccalaureate, master's and doctoral degrees, and is organized in five...
is a center for technology and engineering research in the area. There are commercial technology companies such as the network access company ADTRAN
Adtran
ADTRAN, Inc. is a provider of telecommunications networking equipment and internetworking products.Its headquarters are in Huntsville, Alabama.The company is ISO 9001 and TL9000 certified.ADTRAN was a NASDAQ-100 Index stock from 1996 to 1998....
, computer graphics company Intergraph
Intergraph
Intergraph Corporation is an American software development and services company. It provides enterprise engineering and geospatially powered software to businesses, governments, and organizations around the world. Intergraph operates through two divisions: Process, Power & Marine and Security,...
and design and manufacturer of IT infrastructure Avocent
Avocent
Avocent, a business of Emerson Network Power, is an information technology products manufacturer headquartered in Huntsville, Alabama. Avocent was formed in 2000 from the merger of the world’s two largest KVM switch manufacturers: Apex and Cybex Computer Products Corporation...
. Telecommunications provider Deltacom, Inc. and copper tube manufacturer and distributor Wolverine Tube are in the city. Cinram
Cinram
Cinram International Income Fund is a Toronto, Ontario-based manufacturer of pre-recorded DVDs, VHS videocassettes, CD-Audio, CD-ROMs, and audio cassettes. Cinram was established in 1969 in Montreal by Isidore Philosophe and Samuel Sokoloff....
manufactures and distributes 20th Century Fox
20th Century Fox
Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation — also known as 20th Century Fox, or simply 20th or Fox — is one of the six major American film studios...
DVDs and Blu-ray Disc
Blu-ray Disc
Blu-ray Disc is an optical disc storage medium designed to supersede the DVD format. The plastic disc is 120 mm in diameter and 1.2 mm thick, the same size as DVDs and CDs. Blu-ray Discs contain 25 GB per layer, with dual layer discs being the norm for feature-length video discs...
s out of their Huntsville plant. Sanmina-SCI has a presence in the area. Fifty-seven Fortune 500
Fortune 500
The Fortune 500 is an annual list compiled and published by Fortune magazine that ranks the top 500 U.S. closely held and public corporations as ranked by their gross revenue after adjustments made by Fortune to exclude the impact of excise taxes companies collect. The list includes publicly and...
companies have operations in Huntsville.
In 2005, Forbes Magazine named the Huntsville-Decatur Combined Statistical Area
Huntsville-Decatur Combined Statistical Area
The Huntsville-Decatur Combined Statistical Area is the most populated sub-region of North Alabama, and is the second fastest growing region in the State of Alabama, with 510,088 living within the CSA...
as 6th best place in the nation for doing business, and number one in terms of the number of engineers per total employment. In 2006, Huntsville dropped to 14th; the prevalence of engineers was not considered in the 2006 ranking.
Retail
There are several strip malls and shopping mallShopping mall
A shopping mall, shopping centre, shopping arcade, shopping precinct or simply mall is one or more buildings forming a complex of shops representing merchandisers, with interconnecting walkways enabling visitors to easily walk from unit to unit, along with a parking area — a modern, indoor version...
s throughout the city. Huntsville has two enclosed malls—Madison Square Mall
Madison Square Mall
Madison Square Mall is Huntsville, Alabama's largest enclosed shopping center, encompassing over . It is also now the oldest extant enclosed shopping mall in the city. Anchored by JCPenney, Dillard's Outlet, Sears, and Belk, the mall is located on the corner of University Dr. Madison Square Mall is...
, built in 1984, and Parkway Place
Parkway Place
Parkway Place is an upscale shopping mall in Huntsville, Alabama.The mall opened on October 16, 2002, on the site of the older Parkway City Mall, which was torn down to allow for the construction of the newer facility. The mall is located at the intersection of Memorial Parkway and Drake Avenue...
, built in 2002 on the site of the former Parkway City Mall. There is a lifestyle center called Bridge Street Town Centre
Bridge Street Town Centre
Bridge Street Town Centre is a lifestyle center in Huntsville, Alabama, USA. It was developed by Q&S Holdings and designed by TSArchitects, both of Los Angeles. The center is located in Cummings Research Park at the intersection of Old Madison Pike, Interstate 565, and Research Park Boulevard...
, completed in 2007, in Cummings Research Park
Cummings Research Park
Cummings Research Park, located primarily in the city of Huntsville, Alabama is the second largest research park in the United States, and the fourth largest in the world. The Research Triangle Park in North Carolina is the only research park in the United States that is larger. Cummings Research...
. Another mixed-use center is under construction on the former site of the Heart of Huntsville Mall
Heart of Huntsville Mall
The Heart of Huntsville Mall was a shopping mall located in Huntsville, Alabama. It opened in 1961. The mall was demolished in 2007 to make way for a new $150 million mixed-use development called "Constellation."-History:...
. It is to be called Constellation with a scheduled completion of the first buildings in 2011.
Space & Defense
Huntsville remains the center for rocket-propulsion research in NASA and the Army. The Marshall Space Flight CenterMarshall Space Flight Center
The George C. Marshall Space Flight Center is the U.S. government's civilian rocketry and spacecraft propulsion research center. The largest center of NASA, MSFC's first mission was developing the Saturn launch vehicles for the Apollo moon program...
has been designated to develop NASA's future Space Launch Vehicle (SLV), and the U.S. Army Aviation and Missile Command (AMCOM) is responsible for developing a variety of rocket-based tactical weapons.
Transportation
Huntsville is served by several U.S. Highways, including 72, 231, 431 and an Interstate highway spur, I-565Interstate 565
-External links:***...
, that links the two cities of Huntsville and Decatur to I-65
Interstate 65
Interstate 65 is a major Interstate Highway in the United States. The southern terminus is located at an intersection with Interstate 10 in Mobile, Alabama, and its northern terminus is at an interchange with Interstate 90 , U.S. Route 12, and U.S...
. Alabama Highway 53 also connects the city with I-65
Interstate 65
Interstate 65 is a major Interstate Highway in the United States. The southern terminus is located at an intersection with Interstate 10 in Mobile, Alabama, and its northern terminus is at an interchange with Interstate 90 , U.S. Route 12, and U.S...
in Ardmore
Ardmore, Tennessee
Ardmore is a city in Giles and Lincoln counties in the U.S. state of Tennessee. The population was 1,213 at the 2010 census. Ardmore is the site of a Tennessee Department of Tourist Development Welcome Center...
, Tennessee
Tennessee
Tennessee is a U.S. state located in the Southeastern United States. It has a population of 6,346,105, making it the nation's 17th-largest state by population, and covers , making it the 36th-largest by total land area...
.
Public transit
Public transit in Huntsville is run by the city's Department of Parking and Public Transit. The Huntsville ShuttleHuntsville Shuttle Bus
The Huntsville Shuttle fixed-route bus system began in 1990 in response to thegrowing population and congestion of the city of Huntsville, Alabama. The system is run by the city of Huntsville, and is funded by city and federal funds...
runs 11 fixed routes throughout the city, mainly around downtown and major shopping areas like Memorial Parkway
Memorial Parkway (Huntsville)
Memorial Parkway is a major thoroughfare in Huntsville, Alabama. It, in whole or in part, follows U.S. Route 231, U.S. Route 431, U.S. Route 72, and State Route 53 through the Huntsville city limits...
and University Drive and has recently expanded some of the buses to include bike racks on the front for a trial program. A trolley makes stops at tourist attractions and shopping centers. The city runs HandiRide, a demand-response transit system for the handicapped, and RideShare, a county-wide carpooling program.
Railroads
Huntsville has two active commercial rail lines. The mainline is run by Norfolk Southern, which runs from MemphisMemphis, Tennessee
Memphis is a city in the southwestern corner of the U.S. state of Tennessee, and the county seat of Shelby County. The city is located on the 4th Chickasaw Bluff, south of the confluence of the Wolf and Mississippi rivers....
to Chattanooga, Tennessee
Chattanooga, Tennessee
Chattanooga is the fourth-largest city in the US state of Tennessee , with a population of 169,887. It is the seat of Hamilton County...
. The original depot for this rail line, the Huntsville Depot
Huntsville Depot
The Huntsville Depot located on the Norfolk Southern Railway line in downtown Huntsville is the oldest surviving railroad depot in Alabama and one of the oldest in the United States...
still exists as a railroad museum, though it no longer offers passenger service.
Another rail line, formerly part of the Louisville and Nashville Railroad (L&N)
Louisville and Nashville Railroad
The Louisville and Nashville Railroad was a Class I railroad that operated freight and passenger services in the southeast United States.Chartered by the state of Kentucky in 1850, the L&N, as it was generally known, grew into one of the great success stories of American business...
, successor to the Nashville, Chattanooga and St. Louis Railway (NC&StL)
Nashville, Chattanooga and St. Louis Railway
The Nashville, Chattanooga and St. Louis Railway was a railway company operating in the southern United States in Kentucky, Tennessee, Alabama and Georgia...
, is being operated by the Huntsville and Madison County Railroad Authority (HMCRA)
Huntsville and Madison County Railroad Authority
The Huntsville and Madison County Railroad Authority was created in 1984 to operate on 14 miles of track that was abandoned by the Louisville and Nashville Railroad....
. The line connects to the Norfolk Southern line downtown and runs 13 miles (21 km) south, passing near Ditto Landing on the Tennessee River
Tennessee River
The Tennessee River is the largest tributary of the Ohio River. It is approximately 652 miles long and is located in the southeastern United States in the Tennessee Valley. The river was once popularly known as the Cherokee River, among other names...
, and terminating at Norton Switch, near Hobbs Island. This service, in continuous operation since 1894, presently hauls freight and provides transloading
Transloading
For the data downloading process, see sideload.Transloading is the process of transferring a shipment from one mode of transportation to another. It is most commonly employed when one mode cannot be used for the entire trip, as for instance when goods must be shipped internationally from one inland...
facilities at its downtown depot location. Until the mid-fifties, the L&N provided freight and passenger service to Guntersville and points South. 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.
A third line, the Mercury and Chase Railroad, runs 10 miles (16.1 km) weekend tourist rides on part of another former NC&StL and L&N line from the North Alabama Railroad Museum
North Alabama Railroad Museum
The North Alabama Railroad Museum, Inc. is a railway museum in Chase, Alabama. The museum, incorporated in 1966, is owned and operated by the North Alabama Chapter of the National Railway Historical Society. The museum has a collection of rolling stock, a small train station, and a small heritage...
's Chase Depot, located in the community of Chase, Alabama
Chase, Alabama
Chase is an unincorporated community in Madison County, Alabama. The community was a railroad stop....
. The rail line originally connected Huntsville to NC&StL's Nashville-to-Chattanooga mainline in Decherd, Tennessee
Decherd, Tennessee
Decherd is a city in Franklin County, Tennessee, United States. The population was 2,246 at the 2000 census. It is part of the Tullahoma, Tennessee Micropolitan Statistical Area.-History:...
. The depot was once the smallest union station
Union station
A union station is the term used for a train station where tracks and facilities are shared by two or more railway companies, allowing passengers to connect conveniently between them...
in the United States when it served the NC&StL and Memphis and Charleston Railroad
Memphis and Charleston Railroad
The Memphis and Charleston Railroad, completed in 1857, was the first railroad in the United States to link the Atlantic Ocean with the Mississippi River. Chartered in 1846 the railroad ran from Memphis, Tennessee to Stevenson, Alabama through the towns of Corinth, Mississippi and Huntsville,...
, a the predecessor to the Norfolk Southern.
Utilities
Electricity, water, and natural gas are all provided in Huntsville by Huntsville Utilities (HU). HU purchases and resells power from the Tennessee Valley AuthorityTennessee Valley Authority
The Tennessee Valley Authority is a federally owned corporation in the United States created by congressional charter in May 1933 to provide navigation, flood control, electricity generation, fertilizer manufacturing, and economic development in the Tennessee Valley, a region particularly affected...
. TVA has two plants that provide electricity to the Huntsville area- Browns Ferry Nuclear Power Plant in Limestone County and Guntersville Dam
Guntersville Dam
Guntersville Dam is a hydroelectric dam on the Tennessee River in Marshall County, in the U.S. state of Alabama. It is one of nine dams on the river owned and operated by the Tennessee Valley Authority, which built the dam in the late 1930s as part of a New Deal era initiative to create a...
in Marshall County. A third, Bellefonte Nuclear Power Plant
Bellefonte Nuclear Generating Station
The Bellefonte Nuclear Generating Station is a partially completed nuclear power plant located in Hollywood, Alabama. A total of four reactors have been proposed over a period of 40 years, and billions of dollars have been spent, but no electricity has yet been produced. The site has sat idle for...
in Jackson County, was built in the 1980s but was never activated. Due to the rapid growth of the region, TVA has plans to eventually activate the plant.
Telephone service in Huntsville is provided by Deltacom, Inc., AT&T
AT&T
AT&T Inc. is an American multinational telecommunications corporation headquartered in Whitacre Tower, Dallas, Texas, United States. It is the largest provider of mobile telephony and fixed telephony in the United States, and is also a provider of broadband and subscription television services...
, Knology
Knology
Knology Inc. is a cable company that formed in 1994 by ITC Holding Company, Inc, a telecommunications holding company in West Point, Georgia that also founded Internet service provider Mindspring. In late 1994, shortly after Knology's inception, two employees made a $600,000 investment to make...
and Comcast
Comcast
Comcast Corporation is the largest cable operator, home Internet service provider, and fourth largest home telephone service provider in the United States, providing cable television, broadband Internet, and telephone service to both residential and commercial customers in 39 states and the...
. Huntsville has 2 cable providers in the city limits: Comcast
Comcast
Comcast Corporation is the largest cable operator, home Internet service provider, and fourth largest home telephone service provider in the United States, providing cable television, broadband Internet, and telephone service to both residential and commercial customers in 39 states and the...
and Knology
Knology
Knology Inc. is a cable company that formed in 1994 by ITC Holding Company, Inc, a telecommunications holding company in West Point, Georgia that also founded Internet service provider Mindspring. In late 1994, shortly after Knology's inception, two employees made a $600,000 investment to make...
(Mediacom
Mediacom
Mediacom is a cable television and communications provider in the United States. Founded in July 1995, it serves primarily smaller markets in the Midwest and Southern United States. Formerly a publicly traded firm, it went private in a $600.0 million transaction in March 2011 and is, as of 2011,...
in rural outlying areas). AT&T
AT&T
AT&T Inc. is an American multinational telecommunications corporation headquartered in Whitacre Tower, Dallas, Texas, United States. It is the largest provider of mobile telephony and fixed telephony in the United States, and is also a provider of broadband and subscription television services...
has announced that it will start its DSL U-verse service in the Huntsville Decatur metro area on November 1, 2010.
Ports
The inland Port of HuntsvillePort of Huntsville
The Port of Huntsville is an inland port located in Huntsville, Alabama that consists of the:* Huntsville International Airport* International Intermodal Center* Jetplex Industrial Park-External links:*...
combines the Huntsville International Airport
Huntsville International Airport
Huntsville International Airport , also known as Carl T. Jones Field, is an airport located 9 miles southwest of the central business district of Huntsville, a city in Madison County, Alabama, United States...
, International Intermodal Center, and Jetplex Industrial Park. The intermodal terminal transfers truck and train cargo. The port has on-site U.S. Customs and USDA
United States Department of Agriculture
The United States Department of Agriculture is the United States federal executive department responsible for developing and executing U.S. federal government policy on farming, agriculture, and food...
inspectors and is Foreign Trade Zone
Foreign trade zone
A foreign-trade zone in the United States is a geographical area, in United States Ports of Entry Ports of Entry, where commercial merchandise, both domestic and foreign receives the same Customs treatment it would if it were outside the commerce of the United States...
No. 83.
Air service
Huntsville International AirportHuntsville International Airport
Huntsville International Airport , also known as Carl T. Jones Field, is an airport located 9 miles southwest of the central business district of Huntsville, a city in Madison County, Alabama, United States...
is served by several regional and national carriers, including Delta Air Lines
Delta Air Lines
Delta Air Lines, Inc. is a major airline based in the United States and headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia. The airline operates an extensive domestic and international network serving all continents except Antarctica. Delta and its subsidiaries operate over 4,000 flights every day...
, US Airways
US Airways
US Airways, Inc. is a major airline based in the U.S. city of Tempe, Arizona. The airline is an operating unit of US Airways Group and is the sixth largest airline by traffic and eighth largest by market value in the country....
, Continental
Continental Airlines
Continental Airlines was a major American airline now merged with United Airlines. On May 3, 2010, Continental Airlines, Inc. and UAL, Inc. announced a merger via a stock swap, and on October 1, 2010, the merger closed and UAL changed its name to United Continental Holdings, Inc...
, United Airlines
United Airlines
United Air Lines, Inc., is the world's largest airline with 86,852 employees United Air Lines, Inc., is the world's largest airline with 86,852 employees United Air Lines, Inc., is the world's largest airline with 86,852 employees (which includes the entire holding company United Continental...
, American Airlines
American Airlines
American Airlines, Inc. is the world's fourth-largest airline in passenger miles transported and operating revenues. American Airlines is a subsidiary of the AMR Corporation and is headquartered in Fort Worth, Texas adjacent to its largest hub at Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport...
, and AirTran Airways
AirTran Airways
AirTran Airways, a subsidiary of the Dallas, Texas-based Southwest Airlines, is an American low-cost airline headquartered in Orlando, Florida. AirTran operates over 650 daily flights , primarily in the eastern and midwestern United States...
. Delivery companies have hubs in Huntsville, making flights to Europe, Asia, and Mexico.
Newspapers
The Huntsville TimesThe Huntsville Times
The Huntsville Times is the daily morning newspaper published in Huntsville, Alabama, and also serves the surrounding areas of north Alabama's Tennessee Valley region. The Times formerly operated as an afternoon paper, but moved to mornings after The Huntsville News ceased publication...
has been Huntsville's only daily newspaper since 1996, when the Huntsville News closed. Before then, the News was the morning paper, and the Times was the afternoon paper until 2004. The Times has a weekday circulation of 60,000, which rises to 80,000 on Sundays.
A few alternative newspapers are available in Huntsville. The Valley Planet covers arts and entertainment in the Tennessee Valley area. The Redstone Rocket is a newspaper distributed throughout Redstone Arsenal's housing area covering activities on Redstone. Speakin' Out News is a weekly newspaper focused on African Americans. El Reportero is a Spanish-language newspaper for North Alabama.
Radio
Huntsville is the 106th largest radio market in the United States. Huntsville's National Weather Service forecast and warning station broadcasts as KIH20KIH20
KIH20 is a NOAA Weather Radio station that serves the greater Huntsville, Alabama, area...
.
Television
The Huntsville DMA serves 15 counties in North Alabama and 6 counties in Southern Middle TennesseeTennessee
Tennessee is a U.S. state located in the Southeastern United States. It has a population of 6,346,105, making it the nation's 17th-largest state by population, and covers , making it the 36th-largest by total land area...
.
TV Stations:
- WBQR-CA 3 Spanish-language/ethnic programming.
- WTZT 11 Independent (AthensAthens, AlabamaAthens is a city in Limestone County, Alabama, United States. As of the 2000 census, the population of the city is 18,967. According to the 2009 U.S. Census estimates, the city had a population of 24,234...
). - WHNT 19/DT 59 CBSCBSCBS Broadcasting Inc. is a major US commercial broadcasting television network, which started as a radio network. The name is derived from the initials of the network's former name, Columbia Broadcasting System. The network is sometimes referred to as the "Eye Network" in reference to the shape of...
- also has ION and Retro Television NetworkRetro Television NetworkThe Retro Television Network is a system of television stations that airs classic television shows as well as more recently produced programs...
programs. - WHIQ 25/DT 24 PBSPublic Broadcasting ServiceThe Public Broadcasting Service is an American non-profit public broadcasting television network with 354 member TV stations in the United States which hold collective ownership. Its headquarters is in Arlington, Virginia....
/Alabama Public TelevisionAlabama Public TelevisionAlabama Public Television is a state network of Public Broadcasting Service member non-commercial educational Public television stations serving the US state of Alabama. The television stations are licensed by the Alabama Educational Television Commission, which was created by the Alabama state...
. - WAAY 31/DT 32 ABCAmerican Broadcasting CompanyThe American Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network. Created in 1943 from the former NBC Blue radio network, ABC is owned by The Walt Disney Company and is part of Disney-ABC Television Group. Its first broadcast on television was in 1948...
. - W38BQ 38 3ABN3ABNThree Angels Broadcasting Network, or 3ABN for short, is a nonprofit, 24-hour television and radio network that primarily focuses on Christian and health-oriented programming...
/Trinity Broadcasting NetworkTrinity Broadcasting NetworkThe Trinity Broadcasting Network is a major American Christian television network. TBN is based in Costa Mesa, California, with auxiliary studio facilities in Irving, Texas; Hendersonville, Tennessee; Gadsden, Alabama; Decatur, Georgia; Miami, Florida; Tulsa, Oklahoma; Orlando, Florida; and New...
. - WAFFWAFF (TV)WAFF is the NBC television network affiliate in Huntsville, Alabama. The station broadcasts on UHF channel 49 and serves the northern portion of Alabama and several counties in southern Tennessee.-Decatur years, 1954 - 69:...
48/DT 49 NBCNBCThe National Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network and former radio network headquartered in the GE Building in New York City's Rockefeller Center with additional major offices near Los Angeles and in Chicago... - WZDXWZDXWZDX is the Fox-affiliated television station for North Alabama's Tennessee Valley. Licensed to Huntsville, it broadcasts a high definition digital signal on UHF channel 41 from a transmitter on Monte Sano Boulevard Southeast in Madison County . The station can also be seen on Knology channel 4 as...
54/DT 41 FoxFox Broadcasting CompanyFox Broadcasting Company, commonly referred to as Fox Network or simply Fox , is an American commercial broadcasting television network owned by Fox Entertainment Group, part of Rupert Murdoch's News Corporation. Launched on October 9, 1986, Fox was the highest-rated broadcast network in the...
. - WAMYWAMY-TV"WAMY-TV" is the MyNetworkTV-affiliated television station for the Tennessee Valley area of Northeastern Alabama. In most areas, the station broadcasts on Comcast and Charter cable channel 8. As a result, its logo refers to this although it is known on-air as My WAMY. There some locations,...
45/DT 54.2 My Network TV. - NASANASAThe National Aeronautics and Space Administration is the agency of the United States government that is responsible for the nation's civilian space program and for aeronautics and aerospace research...
television available on local access channels 2 or 13.
Movie theaters
There are 6 movie theaters located in Huntsville. They are:- Rave Valley Bend 18Rave Motion PicturesRave Cinemas, formerly known as "Rave Motion Pictures," often called Rave and owned by Rave Cinemas, LLC, is a movie theater brand founded in 1999. It is formerly headed by Thomas W. Stephenson, Jr., former CEO of Hollywood Theaters, and currently headed by Rolando B. Rodriguez, former Vice...
- Regal Hollywood Stadium 18Regal Entertainment GroupRegal Entertainment Group also known as REG is a movie theater chain headquartered in Knoxville, Tennessee. Regal operates the largest and most geographically diverse theater circuit in the United States, consisting of 6,775 screens in 548 locations in 39 states and the District of Columbia as of...
- Monaco Pictures 14
- Regal Madison Square Stadium 12Regal Entertainment GroupRegal Entertainment Group also known as REG is a movie theater chain headquartered in Knoxville, Tennessee. Regal operates the largest and most geographically diverse theater circuit in the United States, consisting of 6,775 screens in 548 locations in 39 states and the District of Columbia as of...
- Spacedome IMAX TheaterUnited States Space & Rocket CenterThe U.S. Space & Rocket Center in Huntsville, Alabama is a museum showcasing rockets, achievements, and artifacts of the U.S. space program. The facility is also home to United States Space Camp and Aviation Challenge...
- Carmike 10Carmike CinemasCarmike Cinemas Inc. is a motion picture exhibitor headquartered in Columbus, Georgia in the United States of America. As of December 31, 2010 it operates or has an interest in 239 theaters with 2,236 screens in 35 states, making it the fourth largest theatre company in the United States.Carmike...
Feature films shot in Huntsville
A few feature films have been shot in Huntsville, including 20 years After (2008 originally named Like Moles, Like Rats in 2006), Air Band (2005), and ConstellationConstellation (film)
Constellation is a film that was released by Codeblack Entertainment and 20th Century Fox in 2007. Prior to theatrical release the film won several Audience and Jury Awards at Festivals. It had its French Premiere in Cannes,...
(2005). Portions of the film SpaceCamp
SpaceCamp
SpaceCamp is a 1986 American film based on a book by Patrick Bailey and Larry B. Williams and inspired by the U.S. Space Camp in Huntsville, Alabama. Directed by Harry Winer from a screenplay by Clifford Green and Casey T. Mitchell, the film stars Kate Capshaw, Kelly Preston, Larry B...
(1986) were filmed at Huntsville's U.S. Space and Rocket Center at the eponymous facility. The U.S. Space and Rocket Center stood in for NASA in the 1989 movie Beyond the Stars
Beyond the Stars
Beyond the Stars is a 1989 drama film written and directed by David Saperstein and starred Martin Sheen, Christian Slater, Sharon Stone, Olivia d'Abo and F. Murray Abraham....
starring Martin Sheen
Martin Sheen
Ramón Gerardo Antonio Estévez , better known by his stage name Martin Sheen, is an American film actor best known for his performances in the films Badlands and Apocalypse Now , and in the television series The West Wing from 1999 to 2006.He is considered one of the best actors never to be...
, Christian Slater
Christian Slater
Christian Michael Leonard Slater is an American actor. He made his film debut with a small role in The Postman Always Rings Twice before playing a leading role in the 1985 film The Legend of Billie Jean...
, and Sharon Stone
Sharon Stone
Sharon Vonne Stone is an American actress, film producer, and former fashion model. She achieved international recognition for her role in the erotic thriller Basic Instinct...
. Parts of Tom and Huck
Tom and Huck
Tom and Huck is a 1995 Disney film starring Jonathan Taylor Thomas, Brad Renfro, Joey Stinson, and Rachael Leigh Cook; it is based on Mark Twain's novel The Adventures of Tom Sawyer. In the film, mischievous young Tom Sawyer witnesses a murder by the vicious Native American known as "Injun Joe"...
(1995) were filmed in Cathedral Caverns
Cathedral Caverns State Park
Cathedral Caverns State Park is located in northern Marshall County, Alabama, southeast of the town of Woodville. The cave is located in Kennamer Cove. The cave is also just from Grant. The cave was originally named Bats Cave. The cave was first developed as an attraction by Jay Gurley in the late...
, located near Huntsville. Following in the motif of the "Rocket City," Columbia Pictures filmed Ravagers (1979) in The Land Trust's Historic Three Caves Quarry, at the U.S. Space and Rocket Center, and on location at an antebellum home located next door to Lee High School. This cult classic starred Richard Harris
Richard Harris
Richard St John Harris was an Irish actor, singer-songwriter, theatrical producer, film director and writer....
, Ernest Borgnine
Ernest Borgnine
Ernest Borgnine is an American actor of television and film. His career has spanned more than six decades. He was an unconventional lead in many films of the 1950s, including his Academy Award-winning turn in the 1955 film Marty...
, Ann Turkel
Ann Turkel
Ann Kathryn Turkel is an American actress and model.Turkel studied at the Musical Theatre Academy.She was photographed for American Vogue...
, Art Carney
Art Carney
Arthur William Matthew “Art” Carney was an American actor in film, stage, television and radio. He is best known for playing Ed Norton, opposite Jackie Gleason's Ralph Kramden in the situation comedy The Honeymooners....
and Cecily Hovanes.
Huntsville's legacy in the space program continues to draw film producers looking for background material for space-themed films. During the pre-production of the film Apollo 13
Apollo 13 (film)
Apollo 13 is a 1995 American drama film directed by Ron Howard. The film stars Tom Hanks, Kevin Bacon, Bill Paxton, Gary Sinise, Kathleen Quinlan and Ed Harris. The screenplay by William Broyles, Jr...
(1995), the cast and crew spent time at Space Camp
United States Space Camp
U.S. Space Camp is owned and operated by the Alabama Space Science Exhibit Commission d.b.a. U.S. Space & Rocket Center in Huntsville, Alabama. "Space Camp" refers to both the actual camp and a family of related camp programs offered year-round by the facility. The camp provides residential and...
and Marshall Space Flight Center
Marshall Space Flight Center
The George C. Marshall Space Flight Center is the U.S. government's civilian rocketry and spacecraft propulsion research center. The largest center of NASA, MSFC's first mission was developing the Saturn launch vehicles for the Apollo moon program...
preparing for their roles. Space Camp was mentioned in the film Stranger than Fiction and was featured in a 2008 episode of Penn & Teller: B.S.! on NASA.
K–12 education
The majority of K–12 students in Huntsville attend Huntsville City Schools. In the 2007–2008 school year 22,839 students attended Huntsville City Schools, 77% of all students scored at or above state and national ACT averages, and of the 1279 members of the graduating class, "approximately 92% of the students indicated that they planned to enter a post-secondary institution for further study, 43% obtained scholarship & monetary awards," and "received 2,988 scholarships totaling $33,619,040, had forty-one National Merit Scholars, three National Achievement Scholars, and two perfect ACT scores."Of the 53 schools in the Huntsville City Schools system in 2007–2008, there were:
- 25 elementary, and
- Two K–8, which serve 10,836 students.
For grades 6–12, there are 11,696 students enrolled in the following schools:
- Eleven middle schools (grades 6–8)
- Seven high schools
- Three special centers (two Schools of Choice and one Program of Choice [1B])
- Four magnet schools (two with grades K–8 and two with grades 9–12)
The two magnet elementary schools are the Academy for Academics and Arts and the Academy for Science and Foreign Language. The three magnet middle schools are Williams Technology, The Academy for Academics and Arts, and the Academy for Science and Foreign Language, and the two magnet high schools are Lee High School (Huntsville, Alabama)
Lee High School (Huntsville, Alabama)
Lee High School is a four-year public high school that serves students in grades 9-12 from Huntsville, in Madison County, Alabama in the United States, as a part of Huntsville City Schools.-History:...
and New Century Technology High School.
Approximately 21 private, parochial, and religious schools serve students in grades pre-K–12. There are several accredited private Christian schools in the city. Among them are Pope John Paul II Catholic High School
Catholic High School (Huntsville, Alabama)
Pope John Paul II Catholic High School is a coed grades 9-12 college preparatory school, located in Huntsville, Alabama. Catholic High School is the only Catholic parochial high school in the greater Huntsville area. It was founded in 1996 at 4810 Bradford Drive. A new campus was completed in...
, Faith Christian Academy, Oakwood Adventist Academy
Oakwood Adventist Academy
Oakwood Adventist Academy, also referred to as Oakwood Academy or OAA, is a Seventh-day Adventist co-educational K-12 school located on the campus of Oakwood University in Huntsville, Alabama. The K-12 head principal is Sharon Lewis and the K-8 principal is Delma Harvey.-History:Oakwood Adventist...
, and Westminster Christian Academy. Randolph School
Randolph School
Randolph School is an American independent private kindergarten-through-12th-grade college preparatory school chartered in 1959 in Huntsville, Madison County, Alabama. It started in an antebellum home on Randolph Street with just a few elementary classes...
is the only independent, private K-12 school in the city.
60% of HCS teachers have at least a master's degree or better.
Budgeting
The following was the disposition of annual funding in 2007: Instructional services - 54%, Instruction support services - 15%, Operation and maintenance - 11%, capital outlay - 8%, auxiliary services - 7%, general administrative services - 3%, and debt and other expenditures - 2%.Higher education
Huntsville's higher education institutions include:- Alabama A&M University
- J.F. Drake State Technical College
- Oakwood University
- University of Alabama in HuntsvilleUniversity of Alabama in HuntsvilleThe University of Alabama in Huntsville is a state-supported, public, coeducational research university, located in Huntsville, Alabama, United States, is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools to award baccalaureate, master's and doctoral degrees, and is organized in five...
- Southeastern Institute of TechnologySoutheastern Institute of TechnologySoutheastern Institute of Technology , Huntsville, Alabama, was formed in 1976 as a private, not-for-profit, professional school under the provisions of Title 10 of the Code of Alabama...
(inactive)
The University of Alabama in Huntsville is the largest university serving the greater Huntsville area. The research-intensive university has more than 7,700 students. Approximately half of the university’s graduates earn a degree in engineering or science, making the university one of the largest producers of engineers and physical scientists in Alabama.
Oakwood University, founded in 1896, is a Seventh-day Adventist
Seventh-day Adventist Church
The Seventh-day Adventist Church is a Protestant Christian denomination distinguished by its observance of Saturday, the original seventh day of the Judeo-Christian week, as the Sabbath, and by its emphasis on the imminent second coming of Jesus Christ...
university with over 1,800 students and a member institution of the United Negro College Fund. It is one of the nation's leading producers of successful Black applicants to medical schools. The school was USCAA National Basketball Champions (2008) and the winner of the 19th and 20th Honda Campus All-Star Challenge National Championship Tournaments (2008 and 2009).
Various colleges and universities have satellite locations or extensions in Huntsville:
- Athens State UniversityAthens State UniversityAthens State University, located in Athens, Alabama, USA, is a two-year upper level university. Athens State is the only two-year upper level university in the state of Alabama. Thirty-three different majors are offered to junior and senior students....
- Calhoun Community CollegeCalhoun Community CollegeCalhoun Community College is a two-year institution of higher learning, located in Decatur, Alabama, United States.The largest of the 27 two-year institutions comprising the Alabama Community College System, Calhoun is an open-admission, coeducational, comprehensive community college dedicated to...
- Calhoun Community College at Cummings Research Park
- Calhoun Community College at Redstone Arsenal
- Columbia CollegeColumbia College of MissouriColumbia College is a private co-educational liberal arts university based in Columbia, Missouri. The school offers day and evening classes on its Columbia Campus, extension courses through its nationwide campuses and ties with U.S. military bases , and online courses...
- Embry-Riddle Aeronautical UniversityEmbry-Riddle Aeronautical UniversityEmbry-Riddle Aeronautical University is a private university in the US specializing in aviation and aerospace engineering. It teaches the science, practice, and business of aviation and aerospace. Called "The Harvard of the Sky" by Time Magazine in 1979, Embry-Riddle has a history dating back to...
- Faulkner UniversityFaulkner UniversityFaulkner University is a private Christian university, located in Montgomery, Alabama, USA, and affiliated with the Church of Christ. The University was founded in 1942 as Montgomery Bible School. In 1953 the school's name was changed to Alabama Christian College . In 1965, the college was moved to...
- Florida Institute of TechnologyFlorida Institute of TechnologyFlorida Institute of Technology, also known as Florida Tech, is an independent private technical research university located in Melbourne, Florida, United States. Founded in 1958 as Brevard Engineering College, the institute has been known by its present name since 1966. Florida Tech's curriculum...
- Georgia Institute of TechnologyGeorgia Institute of TechnologyThe Georgia Institute of Technology is a public research university in Atlanta, Georgia, in the United States...
- Huntsville Regional Medical Campus of the University of Alabama at BirminghamUniversity of Alabama at BirminghamThe University of Alabama at Birmingham is a public university in Birmingham in the U.S. state of Alabama. Developing from an extension center established in 1936, the institution became an autonomous institution in 1969 and is today one of three institutions in the University of Alabama System...
School of Medicine - Virginia CollegeVirginia CollegeVirginia College is a non Regionally Accredited chain of private for-profit post-secondary institutions located primarily in the Southeastern United States. It is a Proprietary college which, in comparison to traditional colleges or universities, offers classes related to specific professions...
- Huntsville Hospital and Crestwood Medical Center has an accredited school of radiologic technologyRadiologyRadiology is a medical specialty that employs the use of imaging to both diagnose and treat disease visualized within the human body. Radiologists use an array of imaging technologies to diagnose or treat diseases...
Historic districts
- Twickenham Historic DistrictTwickenham Historic DistrictTwickenham Historic District was the first historic district designated in Huntsville, Alabama, USA. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places on January 4, 1973. The name derives from an early name for the town of Huntsville, named after Twickenham, England, by LeRoy Pope...
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 architectArchitectAn architect is a person trained in the planning, design and oversight of the construction of buildings. To practice architecture means to offer or render services in connection with the design and construction of a building, or group of buildings and the space within the site surrounding the...
George Steele about 1818, and contains the most dense concentration of antebellum homes in Alabama. The 1819 Weeden House Museum, home of female artist and poet Howard Weeden, is open to the public, as are several others in the district. - Old Town Historic District contains a variety of styles (Federal, Greek Revival, Queen Anne, and even California cottages), with homes dating from the late 1820s through the early 1900s.
- Five Points Historic District, the newest historic district, consists predominantly of bungalows built around the turn of the 20th century, by which time Huntsville was becoming a mill town.
Museums
- US Space & Rocket CenterUnited States Space & Rocket CenterThe U.S. Space & Rocket Center in Huntsville, Alabama is a museum showcasing rockets, achievements, and artifacts of the U.S. space program. The facility is also home to United States Space Camp and Aviation Challenge...
is home to the US Space CampUnited States Space CampU.S. Space Camp is owned and operated by the Alabama Space Science Exhibit Commission d.b.a. U.S. Space & Rocket Center in Huntsville, Alabama. "Space Camp" refers to both the actual camp and a family of related camp programs offered year-round by the facility. The camp provides residential and...
and Aviation Challenge programs as well as the only Saturn VSaturn VThe Saturn V was an American human-rated expendable rocket used by NASA's Apollo and Skylab programs from 1967 until 1973. A multistage liquid-fueled launch vehicle, NASA launched 13 Saturn Vs from the Kennedy Space Center, Florida with no loss of crew or payload...
rocket designated a National Historic LandmarkNational Historic LandmarkA National Historic Landmark is a building, site, structure, object, or district, that is officially recognized by the United States government for its historical significance...
. - Alabama Constitution VillageAlabama Constitution VillageThe Alabama Constitution Village is a historical open air museum in Huntsville, Alabama that reenacts life in 1819. The eight buildings include a law office, print shop, land surveyor's office, post office, cabinetmaker's shop and residence....
features eight reconstructed Federal style buildings, with living-museums displays downtown. - Burritt Museum and Park, located on Monte Sano Mountain, is a regional history museum featuring a 1930s mansion, nature trails, scenic overlooks and more.
- Clay House Museum is an antebellum home built ca. 1853 and showcases decorative styles up to 1950 and an outstanding collection of NoritakeNoritakeis a porcelain maker headquartered in Nagoya, Aichi Prefecture, Japan.- History :Noritake Co., Limited, commonly known as "Noritake," grew out of a trading company established in Tokyo and in New York City by the Morimura Brothers in 1876. In 1904, key members of this trading company created the...
PorcelainPorcelainPorcelain is a ceramic material made by heating raw materials, generally including clay in the form of kaolin, in a kiln to temperatures between and...
. - Early Works Museum is a child friendly interactive museum in downtown Huntsville.
- Harrison Brothers Hardware Store established in 1879, is the oldest operating hardware store in Alabama. Though now owned and operated by the Historic Huntsville Foundation, it is still a working store, and part museum featuring skilled craftsmen who volunteer to run the store and answer questions.
- The Historic Huntsville DepotHuntsville DepotThe Huntsville Depot located on the Norfolk Southern Railway line in downtown Huntsville is the oldest surviving railroad depot in Alabama and one of the oldest in the United States...
completed in 1860 is the oldest surviving railroad depot in Alabama and one of the oldest surviving depots in the United States. - Huntsville Museum of ArtHuntsville Museum of ArtHuntsville Museum of Art is a museum located in Huntsville, Alabama. It was originally established by city Ordinance No. 70-134, on August 13, 1970, which established the Museum Board of the City of Huntsville. The museum held its first exhibition in 1973 and moved to its first permanent facility...
in Big Spring International Park offers permanent displays, traveling exhibitions, and educational programs for children and adults. - Sci-Quest is an interactive premiere hands-on museum for early childhood education, aged four through sixth grade.
- North Alabama Railroad MuseumNorth Alabama Railroad MuseumThe North Alabama Railroad Museum, Inc. is a railway museum in Chase, Alabama. The museum, incorporated in 1966, is owned and operated by the North Alabama Chapter of the National Railway Historical Society. The museum has a collection of rolling stock, a small train station, and a small heritage...
is a railroad museum with over 30 pieces of rolling stock.
Parks
- Monte Sano State ParkMonte Sano State ParkMonte Sano State Park is a mountaintop retreat located in Huntsville, Alabama. It has 1930s Civilian Conservation Corps rustic cottages, built during the Great Depression, and a prime location with hiking trails overlooking scenic views, picnic areas, and modern campsites...
has over 2000 acre (8.1 km²) and features hiking and bicycling trails, rustic cabins built by the Civilian Conservation CorpsCivilian Conservation CorpsThe Civilian Conservation Corps was a public work relief program that operated from 1933 to 1942 in the United States for unemployed, unmarried men from relief families, ages 18–25. A part of the New Deal of President Franklin D...
, campsites, full RVRecreational vehicleRecreational vehicle or RV is, in North America, the usual term for a Motor vehicle or trailer equipped with living space and amenities found in a home.-Features:...
hook-ups, and a recently reconstructed lodge. - Big Spring International Park is a park in downtown Huntsville centered on a natural water body (Big Spring). The park contains the Huntsville Museum of Art. Festivals are held there, such as the Panoply Arts Festival and the Big Spring Jam. There are fish in the spring's niche. There is a waterfall and a constantly-lit gas torch.
- Huntsville Botanical GardenHuntsville Botanical GardenThe Huntsville Botanical Garden is a 112 acres botanical garden located at 4747 Bob Wallace Avenue, Huntsville, Alabama, near the U.S. Space & Rocket Center. It is open year-round for a fee...
features educational programs, woodland paths, broad grassy meadows and stunning floral collections. - Land Trust of Huntsville & North Alabama is a member supported, non-profit organization dedicated to the conservation of the natural heritage of the area, and has preserved more than 5000 acre (20.2 km²) of open space, wildflower areas, wetlands, working farms and scenic vistas in North Alabama, including 1,000+ acres (4.0 km²) of the Monte Sano Preserve (Monte Sano Mountain), 1,000+ acres (4.0 km²) of the Blevins Gap Preserve (Huntsville & Green Mountains), and 813 acre (3.3 km²) of the Wade Mountain Preserve. Volunteers have created and maintain 33+ miles (53+ km) of public trails - all of which are within the Huntsville city limits.
- The Lydia Gold Skatepark, located behind the Historic Huntsville Depot is open to the public. In 2003, it was dedicated to the late Lydia Leigh Gold (1953–1993), an area skateboarding activist in the 1980s and the former owner of “Tattooed Lady Comics and Skateboards.” Helmets are the only pad requirement. No bikes, scooters, or other wheeled vehicles are allowed – only skateboards and rollerblades are permitted.
Festivals
- The Annual North Alabama International Festival is held in October at the UAHuntsville Shelby Center for Science and Technology. This free family event features displays from many nations, presentations, travel/historic literature, hosts in native apparel, children’s activities, and other audio-visuals emblematic of the participating countries. In addition, there are live performances and demos, as well as an ethnic food-tasting event and international food vendors.
- Big Spring JamBig Spring JamBig Spring Jam is an annual three-day music festival taking place in Huntsville, Alabama. The Jam, which began in 1993, typically takes place the fourth weekend in September, beginning Friday and ending Sunday. It features acts from all genres of music including local bands, emerging talent, old...
is an annual three-day music festival held on the last full weekend of September in and around Big Spring International Park in downtown Huntsville. Presented is a diversity of music including rock, country, Christian, kid-friendly, and oldies. - The Panoply Arts FestivalPanoply Arts FestivalThe Panoply Arts Festival, an annual three-day celebration of the arts in Huntsville, Alabama, has been a Huntsville tradition since it first opened on Friday, 14 May 1982...
is an annual arts festival that began on 14 May 1982. It is presented by The Arts Council and is held on the last full weekend of each April in Big Spring International Park and the Von Braun Center. The festival includes performance stages featuring presentations, demonstrations, performances, competitions, and workshops to promote the arts. There are children's activities, a Global Village, strolling performers, and nightly fireworks displays. Panoply has had three record attendances in a row, averaging 100,000 for 2007, 2008, and 2009. The Southeast Tourism Society consistently ranks the festival among their "Top Twenty Events" and Governor Bob Riley has announced it as one of Alabama's top ten tourism events. - Con†Stellation is an annual general-interest science fiction convention. Con†Stellation (also written as Con*Stellation) has been generally held over a Friday-Sunday weekend in September each year (as of 2009).
Public golf courses
- Becky Pierce Municipal Golf Course, known locally as the "Muni", off Airport Road (named for the old airport, not near the current airport).
- Sunset Landing Golf Club (located next to the airport)
- Colonial Golf Course
- Fox Run Golf Course
- Redstone Arsenal Golf Course (Open to military ID holders)
- Hampton Cove is one of the eleven courses making up the Robert Trent Jones Golf TrailRobert Trent Jones Golf TrailThe Robert Trent Jones Golf Trail is a collection of championship caliber golf courses, designed by Robert Trent Jones, Sr., distributed across the state of Alabama, as part of investments by the Retirement Systems of Alabama. The Trail started with 378 holes at eight sites throughout the state,...
; named after Hampton CoveHampton CoveHampton Cove is a master-planned community located in Huntsville, Alabama. Situated in the foothills and valleys of North Alabama's Cumberland Plateau, the community lies in the coves between Monte Sano Mountain and Green Mountain to the west and Keel Mountain to the east.Hampton Cove has 2,000...
, it features two championship 18-hole courses and one par-three course (Huntsville, AL) - Harvest Hills Golf Course (Harvest, AL)
- Chriswood Golf Course (Athens, AL)
- Southern Gayles (Athens, AL)
- Canebrake Club (Athens, AL)
- Richland Golf Center (Huntsville, Al)
Private golf courses
- Established in 1925, the historic Huntsville Country Club boasts a challenging 18-hole course with dining and banquet facilities located just North of downtown at 2601 Oakwood Avenue.
- The Ledges is Huntsville's newest golf community with 18 holes, dining and banquet facilities overlooking Jones Valley.
- Valley Hill Country Club features 27 holes in South Huntsville's Jones Valley.
Libraries
The Huntsville Madison County Public Library, founded in 1818, is Alabama's oldest continually operating library system. It has 12 branches throughout the county including one bookmobileBookmobile
A bookmobile or mobile library is a large vehicle designed for use as a library. It is designed to hold books on shelves so that when the vehicle is parked the books can be accessed by readers. It usually has enough space for people to sit and read books inside. Mobile libraries are often used to...
. The Main Library Archives contains a wealth of historical resources, including displays of photographic collections and artifacts, has Alabama's highest materials circulation rate, and features daily public programs. The library system provides free public access Internet computers and wireless Internet access in all facilities.
Arts associations
Several arts groups have passed the 50-year mark: Huntsville Community Chorus Association; Huntsville Art League; Theatre Huntsville (through its parent company); Broadway Theatre League; Fantasy Playhouse Children’s Theatre; Rocket City Chorus; Huntsville Symphony Orchestra; and Huntsville Photographic Society among them.The Arts Council
Founded in October 1962 as a non-profit, 501(c)(3) organization, the Arts Council, Inc. (TAC) includes over 100 local arts organizations and advocates. TAC sponsors the arts through five core programs:- Arts Education — including the “Meet the Artist” interactive, “distance learning” program at Educational Television and ArtVentures summer arts camp;
- Member services;
- the annual Panoply Arts Festival
- Concerts in the Park, a series of “summer serenades under the stars” held at Big Spring International Park in partnership with the City
- Community Information Services, featuring “Boost Your Buzz,” an annual publicity workshop.
TAC promotes the visual arts with two galleries: art@TAC, using the walls near the company’s Von Braun Center offices and the JavaGalleria. TAC supports The Bench Project and the strategic planning effort to support Huntsville-Madison County’s economic development goals through expanded arts and cultural opportunities known as Create Huntsville.
Performing arts
- The Huntsville Community Chorus Association (HCCA) is one of Alabama's oldest performing arts organizations, with its first performance dating to December 1946 (per its website, the Mobile Opera Guild — the state's oldest — first performed in April of that year). HCCA produces choral concerts and musical theater productions. In addition, the company features its madrigal singers; "Glitz!" (a show choir); a chamber chorale; an annual summer melodrama/fundraiser; and three children's groups: the Huntsville Community Chorus (HCC) Children's Chorale (ages 3–5); the HCC Treble Chorale (ages 6–8); and the HCC Youth Chorale (ages 9–12).
- 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. Recent productions include Mamma Mia!Mamma Mia!Mamma Mia! is a stage musical written by British playwright Catherine Johnson, based on the songs of ABBA, composed by Benny Andersson and Björn Ulvaeus, former members of the band. Although the title of the musical is taken from the group's 1975 chart-topper "Mamma Mia", the plot is fictional, not...
, A Chorus LineA Chorus LineA Chorus Line is a 1975 musical about Broadway dancers auditioning for spots on a chorus line. The book was authored by James Kirkwood, Jr. and Nicholas Dante, lyrics were written by Edward Kleban, and music was composed by Marvin Hamlisch....
, The Color PurpleThe Color PurpleThe Color Purple is an acclaimed 1982 epistolary novel by American author Alice Walker. It received the 1983 Pulitzer Prize for Fiction and the National Book Award for Fiction...
, and An Evening with Patti LuPone and Mandy Patinkin. - The Flying Monkey Arts Center is in the historic Lowe Mill under the auspices of Lowe Mill ARTS and Entertainment and hosts events such as the traditional Cigar Box Guitar festival, the Sex Workers' Art Show, concerts, and many presentations of the Film Co-op.
- Huntsville Symphony OrchestraHuntsville Symphony OrchestraThe Huntsville Symphony Orchestra is a symphonic orchestra located in Huntsville, Alabama. The current conductor and music director is Gregory Vajda. Vajda has been the conductor since the 2011-2012 season.-See also:*Alabama Symphony Orchestra...
is Alabama's oldest continuously operating professional symphony orchestra, featuring performances of classical, pops and family concerts, and music education programs in public schools. - Fantasy Playhouse Children's Theatre, Huntsville's oldest children's theater, was founded in 1960. An all-volunteer organization, Fantasy Playhouse performs for the children of north Alabama on stage and off. Fantasy Playhouse Theater Academy, the organization's dance, music, and art school, teaches children and adults each year. Fantasy Playhouse regularly produces three plays a year with an additional play, A Christmas Carol, produced early each December.
- Theatre Huntsville, the result of a merger between the Twickenham Repertory Company (1979–1997) and Huntsville Little Theatre (1950–1997), is a 501(c)(3), non-profit, all-volunteer arts organization that presents six plays each season in the Von Braun Center Playhouse. It produces the annual "Shakespeare on the Mountain" in an outdoor venue, such as Burritt on the Mountain. Presentations range from The ForeignerThe Foreigner (play)The Foreigner is a play by Larry Shue.Set in a resort-style fishing lodge in rural Georgia, the comedy revolves around two of its guests, Englishman Charlie Baker and Staff Sergeant Froggy LeSueur. Charlie is so pathologically shy that he is unable to speak...
and Noises OffNoises OffNoises Off is a 1982 play by English playwright Michael Frayn. The idea for it was born in 1970, when Frayn was standing in the wings watching a performance of Chinamen, a farce that he had written for Lynn Redgrave...
to the occasional musical (Little Shop of HorrorsLittle Shop of Horrors (musical)Little Shop of Horrors is a rock musical, by composer Alan Menken and writer Howard Ashman, about a hapless florist shop worker who raises a plant that feeds on human blood. The musical is based on the low-budget 1960 black comedy film The Little Shop of Horrors, directed by Roger Corman...
and NunsenseNunsenseNunsense is a musical comedy with a book, music, and lyrics by Dan Goggin. Originating as a line of greeting cards, Goggin expanded the concept into a cabaret that ran for 38 weeks, and eventually into a full-length musical...
). In addition, TH presents drama-related workshops (stage management, stage makeup, etc.), as announced. - Independent Musical Productions, was founded in 1993 and presents at least one annual main production such as RagtimeRagtimeRagtime is an original musical genre which enjoyed its peak popularity between 1897 and 1918. Its main characteristic trait is its syncopated, or "ragged," rhythm. It began as dance music in the red-light districts of American cities such as St. Louis and New Orleans years before being published...
, Civil War, 1776, Into the Woods, RENTRentRent may refer to:*Renting, a system of payment for the temporary use of something owned by someone else ; the payments for such use are typically referred to as "rent"...
, and Sweeney ToddSweeney Todd: The Demon Barber Of Fleet StreetSweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street is a 1936 British film produced and directed by George King.-Plot:The film features Tod Slaughter in one of his most famous roles as barber Sweeney Todd. Sweeney Todd was wrongly sentenced to life in prison. After his release 15 years later, he begins...
. Standard and original musicals for children as well as outreach programs complete the season. - Plays are performed at Renaissance Theatre, with two stages, the MainStage (upstairs) and the Alpha Stage (downstairs), each with seating about 85. The theaters are housed in the former Commissary Building for the historic Lincoln Mill Village.. In addition to well-known and mainstream titles, Renaissance produces original, controversial, and offbeat plays. It was the site for the East Coast premiere of "The Maltese Falcon."
- Merrimack Hall Performing Arts Center is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that opened in 2007, after nearly $3 million in renovations to the historic building. It was once the social center of the Merrimack Mill Village in the early 1900s. The Company Store, gymnasium, bowling alley, were all there and provided a place for socialization and recreation to all of the village's residents. Merrimack Hall now includes a 302-seat performance hall, a 3000 ft2 foot dance studio, and rehearsal and instructional spaces for musicians. Productions and performers include Menopause The MusicalMenopause the MusicalMenopause, The Musical debuted March 28, 2001 in Orlando, Florida, in a 76-seat theatre that once housed a perfume shop. The original cast members were Shelly Browne as the Power Woman, Patti McGuire as the Iowa Housewife, Pammie O'Bannon as the Earth Mother and Wesley Williams as the Soap Star...
, Dixie's Tupperware Party, Billy Bob Thornton and The Boxmasters, Dionne Warwick, Lisa Loeb, Claire Lynch, and the Second City Comedy Troupe. - Ars Nova School of the ArtsArs Nova School of the ArtsArs Nova School of the Arts is a conservatory located in Huntsville, Alabama providing education in fine arts, particularly music and theatre, to students of all ages. The school is operated under a non-profit corporation also bearing the name Ars Nova. Ars Nova, Inc...
is a conservatory for music and performing arts. Ars Nova produces musical theatre, opera, and operetta for the local stage. - The Huntsville Youth Orchestra was founded by Russell Gerhart, founding conductor of the Huntsville Symphony Orchestra, in 1961. The HYO is a non-profit corporation whose purpose is to “foster, promote, and provide the support necessary for students from North Alabama to experience musical education in an orchestral setting.” The organization has six ensembles: the Huntsville Youth Symphony, Sinfonia, Philharmonia, Concert Orchestra, Intermezzo Orchestra, and Novice Strings.
- 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.
Visual arts
- The Huntsville Museum of Art opened in 1970. It purchased the largest privately owned, permanent collection of art by American women in the U.S., featuring and Anna Elizabeth KlumpkeAnna Elizabeth KlumpkeAnna Elizabeth Klumpke , was American portrait and genre painter born in San Francisco, California, United States....
, among others.
- The Huntsville Photographic Society started in 1956. A non-profit organization, the HPS is dedicated to furthering of the art and science of photography in North Alabama.
- The Huntsville Art League started in 1957, adopting the name “The Huntsville Art League and Museum Association” (HALMA). In addition to their Visiting Artists and “Limelight Artists” series, which highlight both nonresident and member artists at the home office, HAL features its members’ works at galleries located in the Jane Grote Roberts Auditorium of the Huntsville-Madison County Public Library – Main, the Heritage Club, and the halls of the Huntsville Times.
Convention center and arena
The Von Braun CenterVon Braun Center
The Von Braun Center , known as the Von Braun Civic Center until 1997, is a multi-purpose indoor arena, meeting, and performing arts complex, with a maximum arena seating capacity of 10,000, located in Huntsville, Alabama...
, which originally opened in 1975 as the Von Braun Civic Center, has an arena capable of seating 10,000, a 2,000-seat concert hall, a 500-seat playhouse (~330 seats with proscenium staging), and 150000 square feet (13,935.5 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.
Other
- The National Speleological SocietyNational Speleological SocietyThe National Speleological Society is an organization formed in 1941 to advance the exploration, conservation, study, and understanding of caves in the United States. Originally located in Washington D.C., its current offices are in Huntsville, Alabama...
is headquartered in Huntsville on Cave Street. - The Von Braun Astronomical SocietyVon Braun Astronomical SocietyThe Von Braun Astronomical Society is a society of amateur and professional astronomers dedicated to education and public outreach on behalf of astronomy based in Huntsville, Alabama, United States....
has two observatories and a planetarium on 10 acres (40,000 m²) in Monte Sano State Park.
Sports
- Rocket City UnitedRocket City UnitedRocket City United is an American soccer team based in Huntsville, Alabama, United States. Founded in 2007, the team plays in the National Premier Soccer League , a national amateur league at the fourth tier of the American Soccer Pyramid, in the Southeast Division.The team plays its home games at...
- National Premier Soccer LeagueNational Premier Soccer LeagueThe National Premier Soccer League is a United States soccer league recognized by the United States Soccer Federation and FIFA as a Division IV league...
(NPSL) - Huntsville StarsHuntsville StarsThe Huntsville Stars are a minor league baseball team of the Southern League and are the Double-A affiliate of the Milwaukee Brewers. They are located in Huntsville, Alabama and are named for the space industry with which Huntsville is economically tied .The Stars play their home games at Joe W...
- Southern LeagueSouthern League (baseball)The Southern League is a minor league baseball league which operates in the Southern United States. It is classified a Double-A league. The original league was formed in , and shut down in . A new league, the Southern Association, was formed in , consisting of twelve teams...
(Class AA) baseball for Milwaukee BrewersMilwaukee BrewersThe Milwaukee Brewers are a professional baseball team based in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, currently playing in the Central Division of Major League Baseball's National League...
, formerly affiliated with the Oakland A's - Huntsville HavocHuntsville HavocThe Huntsville Havoc are a professional ice hockey team in the Southern Professional Hockey League . They play their home games at the Von Braun Center in downtown Huntsville, Alabama.-History:...
- Southern Professional Hockey LeagueSouthern Professional Hockey LeagueThe Southern Professional Hockey League is a low-level professional ice hockey league based in Charlotte, North Carolina, with teams located in the southeastern United States.- History :...
(SPHL) - Huntsville Speedway - stock car racingStock car racingStock car racing is a form of automobile racing found mainly in the United States, Canada, New Zealand, Great Britain, Brazil and Argentina. Traditionally, races are run on oval tracks measuring approximately in length...
- Alabama HammersAlabama HammersThe Alabama Hammers are a professional indoor football team in the Professional Indoor Football League. Based in Huntsville, Alabama, the Hammers play their home games at the Von Braun Center....
- Southern Indoor Football League - Dixie Derby GirlsDixie Derby GirlsThe Dixie Derby Girls is an all-women, flat-track roller derby league that was founded in December 2004. Located in Huntsville, Alabama, DDG is a member of the Women's Flat Track Derby Association .- 2006 Season :...
Women's Flat Track Derby AssociationWomen's Flat Track Derby AssociationThe Women's Flat Track Derby Association is an association of women's flat track roller derby leagues in the United States. The organization was founded in April 2004 as the United Leagues Coalition but was renamed in November 2005. It is registered in Raleigh, North Carolina as a 501 business...
(WFTDA) - Huntsville hosts the annual AHSAAAlabama High School Athletic AssociationThe Alabama High School Athletic Association , based in Montgomery, is the agency which oversees interscholastic athletic programs for public schools in Alabama....
State Soccer Championship tournament finals in mid-May at the Huntsville Soccer Complex - Alabama A&M BulldogsAlabama Agricultural and Mechanical UniversityAlabama Agricultural and Mechanical University, also known as Alabama A&M University or AAMU, is a public, historically black university, Land-grant university located in Normal, Madison County, Alabama....
(NCAA D-I/I-AA, SWACSouthwestern Athletic ConferenceThe Southwestern Athletic Conference is a college athletic conference headquartered in Birmingham, Alabama, which is made up of historically black universities in the Southern United States...
) and UAH ChargersUniversity of Alabama in HuntsvilleThe University of Alabama in Huntsville is a state-supported, public, coeducational research university, located in Huntsville, Alabama, United States, is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools to award baccalaureate, master's and doctoral degrees, and is organized in five...
(NCAA D-II, GSCGulf South ConferenceThe Gulf South Conference is a College Athletic Conference which operates in the southeastern United States. It participates in the NCAA's Division II.-History:...
& CHA) athletics - Huntsville Rugby Club - USA Rugby South Div. II
- Oakwood College Ambassadors Men's College Basketball (USCAA Div. 1)
- Tennessee Valley TigersTennessee Valley TigersThe Tennessee Valley Tigers is a women's American football team located in Huntsville, Alabama. The Tigers joined the Women's Spring Football League in 2011 and will play their first WSFL season in the spring of 2012. This will be the Tigers' fourth season overall, after three seasons in the...
- Independent Women's Football LeagueIndependent Women's Football LeagueThe Independent Women's Football League was founded in 2000, and began play in 2001.IWFL founders began with the goal to establish a quality women's football league that would be respected as the top level of women's tackle football in the world.... - Rocket City Titans - 2010 Inaugural Semi Pro football season. Part of the Premier South Football League.
Past sports franchises
- Alabama HawksAlabama HawksThe Alabama Hawks were a professional American football team based in Huntsville, Alabama. They were members of the Continental Football League during the league's last two years . The team was in the Eastern Division of the Atlantic Conference. During the 1968 season, the team was also known as...
(1968–69) (Continental Football LeagueContinental Football LeagueThe Continental Football League was a professional minor American football league that operated in North America from 1965 through 1969. It was established following the collapse of the original United Football League, and hoped to become the major force in professional football outside of the...
) - Huntsville Lasers (1991–92) (Global Basketball AssociationGlobal Basketball AssociationThe Global Basketball Association was a minor league with various franchises in the United States. Teams were located throughout the South and Midwest...
) - Huntsville BlastHuntsville BlastThe Huntsville Blast was a minor league professional ice hockey team and member of the East Coast Hockey League . The Blast played at the Von Braun Center Arena in Huntsville, Alabama for the 1993–94 ECHL season. Previously the franchise played as the Roanoke Valley Rampage in Vinton, Virginia...
(1993–94) (East Coast Hockey League) - Huntsville Fire (1997–98) (Eastern Indoor Soccer LeagueEastern Indoor Soccer LeagueThe Eastern Indoor Soccer League was an attempt to create a regional minor indoor soccer league. The league featured teams from the Southeastern United States...
) - Huntsville Channel CatsHuntsville Channel CatsThe Huntsville Channel Cats was a professional ice hockey team based in Huntsville, Alabama. The franchise was a member of several different leagues, the Southern Hockey League , the Central Hockey League and the South East Hockey League...
/Huntsville Tornado (1995–2001, 2003–04) (Southern Hockey League 1995-96; Central Hockey LeagueCentral Hockey LeagueThe Central Hockey League is a mid-level professional hockey league, owned by Global Entertainment Corporation. Its current champions are the Bossier-Shreveport Mudbugs, which defeated the Colorado Eagles four games to three in the 2011 playoffs....
1996–2001; South East Hockey LeagueSouth East Hockey LeagueThe South East Hockey League was a minor ice hockey league formed in August 2003. It succeeded the short-lived Atlantic Coast Hockey League and had 4 teams for its first and only season. Jim Riggs was the commissioner....
2003-04) - Huntsville FlightHuntsville FlightThe Huntsville Flight was a National Basketball Development League team based in Huntsville, Alabama. Playing their home games at the Von Braun Center, the Flight was a charter franchise for the 2001-02 season but folded after the 2004-05 season...
(2001–05) (NBA Development LeagueNBA Development LeagueThe NBA Development League, or NBA D-League, is the National Basketball Association's official minor league basketball organization. Known until summer 2005 as the National Basketball Development League , the NBA D-League started with eight teams in the fall of 2001...
) - Tennessee Valley RaptorsRock River RaptorsThis page is for the Continental Indoor Football League team, for the National Premier Soccer League team also based in Rockford, see Rockford Raptors....
(2005) (United Indoor FootballUnited Indoor FootballUnited Indoor Football was a United States indoor football league that started in 2005. Ten owners from the National Indoor Football League, including one expansion and two from arenafootball2 took their franchises and formed their own league...
league)
Stadiums
- Joe Davis Stadium
- Goldsmith-Schiffman FieldGoldsmith-Schiffman FieldGoldsmith-Schiffman Field is a multi-purpose stadium in Huntsville, Alabama. It is used mainly for middle school and high school football. It was also home to the now-defunct Alabama Renegades of the National Women's Football Association.-History:...
- Milton Frank StadiumMilton frank stadiumMilton Frank Stadium is a 12,000-seat multi-purpose stadium in Huntsville, Alabama. It was used for Alabama A&M football games before the creation of Louis Crews Stadium. It is currently used mainly for Huntsville City Schools high school and middle school football and soccer games. Construction...
- Louis Crews Stadium