Decatur (dɪˈkeɪtə(r)) is the largest city and

county seat A county seat is an administrative center, seat of government, or capital city of a county or civil parish. The term is in use in Canada, China, Hungary, Romania, Taiwan, and the United States. The equivalent term shire town is used in the US st ...

of Morgan County (with a portion also in Limestone County) in the

U.S. state In the United States, a state is a constituent political entity, of which there are 50. Bound together in a political union, each state holds governmental jurisdiction over a separate and defined geographic territory where it shares its sove ...

Alabama (We dare defend our rights) , anthem = "Alabama" , image_map = Alabama in United States.svg , seat = Montgomery , LargestCity = Huntsville , LargestCounty = Baldwin County , LargestMetro = Greater Birmingham , area_total_km2 = 135,765 ...

. Nicknamed "The River City", it is located in northern Alabama on the banks of

Wheeler Lake Wheeler Lake is located in the northern part of the state of Alabama in the United States, between Rogersville and Huntsville. Created by Wheeler Dam along the Tennessee River, it stretches from Wheeler Dam to Guntersville Dam. It is Alabama's ...

, along the

Tennessee River The Tennessee River is the largest tributary of the Ohio River. It is approximately 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 name ...

. The population in 2020 was 57,938. Decatur is the core city of the two-county large Decatur metropolitan area, which had an estimated population of 156,494 in 2020. Combined with the

Huntsville Metropolitan Area The Huntsville Metropolitan Statistical Area is a metropolitan statistical area on the northern border of Alabama. The metro area's principal city is Huntsville, and consists of two counties: Limestone and Madison. As of the 2020 United States ce ...

, the two create the

Huntsville-Decatur Combined Statistical Area The Huntsville–Decatur, AL 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 659,486 living within the CSA. It is also currently the 57th largest ...

, of which Decatur is the second-largest city. Like many southern cities in the early 19th century, Decatur's early success was based upon its location along a river. Railroad routes and boating traffic pushed the city to the front of

North Alabama North Alabama is a region of the U.S. state of Alabama. Several geographic definitions for the area exist, with all descriptions including the nine counties of Alabama's Tennessee Valley region. The North Alabama Industrial Development Associ ...

's economic atmosphere. The city rapidly grew into a large economic center within the

Tennessee Valley The Tennessee Valley is the drainage basin of the Tennessee River and is largely within the U.S. state of Tennessee. It stretches from southwest Kentucky to north Alabama and from northeast Mississippi to the mountains of Virginia and North Car ...

and was a hub for travelers and cargo between Nashville and

Mobile Mobile may refer to: Places * Mobile, Alabama, a U.S. port city * Mobile County, Alabama * Mobile, Arizona, a small town near Phoenix, U.S. * Mobile, Newfoundland and Labrador Arts, entertainment, and media Music Groups and labels * Mobile ( ...

, as well as Chattanooga and

New Orleans New Orleans ( , ,New Orleans

. Throughout the 20th century, the city experienced steady growth, but was eclipsed as the regional economic center by the fast-growing

Huntsville Huntsville is a city in Madison County, Limestone County, and Morgan County, Alabama, United States. It is the county seat of Madison County. Located in the Appalachian region of northern Alabama, Huntsville is the most populous city in th ...

during the

space race The Space Race was a 20th-century competition between two Cold War rivals, the United States and the Soviet Union, to achieve superior spaceflight capability. It had its origins in the ballistic missile-based nuclear arms race between the t ...

. Decatur now finds its economy heavily based on manufacturing, mining, cargo transit, chemical, and high-tech companies such as

Vulcan Materials Vulcan Materials Company () is an American company based in Birmingham, Alabama. It is principally engaged in the production, distribution and sale of construction materials. Vulcan is the largest producer of construction materials, primarily gra ...

, Daikin,

Toray is a multinational corporation headquartered in Japan that specializes in industrial products centered on technologies in organic synthetic chemistry, polymer chemistry, and biochemistry. Its founding business areas were fibers and textiles, ...

, and

United Launch Alliance United Launch Alliance (ULA), legally United Launch Alliance, LLC, is an American spacecraft launch service provider that manufactures and operates a number of rocket vehicles that are capable of launching spacecraft into orbits around Earth, ...

History

Initially, the area was known as "Rhodes Ferry Landing", named for Dr. Henry W. Rhodes, an early landowner who operated a ferry that crossed the

in the 1810s at the present-day location of Rhodes Ferry Park. The city was incorporated as Decatur in 1821. It was named in honor of Stephen Decatur; after he was killed in a duel in 1820,

President Monroe James Monroe ( ; April 28, 1758July 4, 1831) was an American statesman, lawyer, diplomat, and Founding Father who served as the fifth president of the United States from 1817 to 1825. A member of the Democratic-Republican Party, Monroe was ...

directed that the Alabama town be named for him. In the early 1830s, Decatur was the eastern terminus of the Tuscumbia, Courtland and Decatur Railroad, the first railway built west of the

Appalachian Mountains The Appalachian Mountains, often called the Appalachians, (french: Appalaches), are a system of mountains in eastern to northeastern North America. The Appalachians first formed roughly 480 million years ago during the Ordovician Period. They ...

. In 1850 the Tuscumbia, Courtland and Decatur was incorporated into the

Memphis & 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 track gauge, gauge railroad ran from Memphis, Tennessee to Stevenso ...

Because of its location on the Tennessee River at the strategically important crossing of two major railroads, Decatur was the site of several encounters during the

American Civil War The American Civil War (April 12, 1861 – May 26, 1865; also known by other names) was a civil war in the United States. It was fought between the Union ("the North") and the Confederacy ("the South"), the latter formed by states ...

. When the

Union Army During the American Civil War, the Union Army, also known as the Federal Army and the Northern Army, referring to the United States Army, was the land force that fought to preserve the Union of the collective states. It proved essential to th ...

occupied the city early in the war, the commanding general ordered all but four buildings in the town destroyed. Bricks from some of the churches in town were used to build stoves and chimneys for the buildings that housed soldiers. The four buildings that remained (and are still standing) are the Old State Bank, the Dancy-Polk House, the Todd House, and the Burleson-Hinds-McEntire House. After the Union victory in the

Battle of Atlanta The Battle of Atlanta was a battle of the Atlanta Campaign fought during the American Civil War on July 22, 1864, just southeast of Atlanta, Georgia. Continuing their summer campaign to seize the important rail and supply hub of Atlanta, Un ...

, a

Confederate Confederacy or confederate may refer to: States or communities * Confederate state or confederation, a union of sovereign groups or communities * Confederate States of America, a confederation of secessionist American states that existed between 1 ...

army under the command of General

John Bell Hood John Bell Hood (June 1 or June 29, 1831 – August 30, 1879) was a Confederate general during the American Civil War. Although brave, Hood's impetuosity led to high losses among his troops as he moved up in rank. Bruce Catton wrote that "the de ...

briefly sparred with a vastly outmanned garrison during the 1864

Battle of Decatur The Battle of Decatur was a demonstration (military), demonstration conducted from October 26 to October 29, 1864, as part of the Franklin-Nashville Campaign of the American Civil War. Union Army, Union forces of 3–5,000 men under Brigadier ...

, when the city was referred to as "A Tough Nut to Crack." Monuments at the Morgan County Alabama Courthouse June 2013 2

While the city was under Confederate control, plans for the Battle of Shiloh were mapped out within the Burleson-Hinds-McEntire House. These activities make the house one of the most historic buildings in Decatur. New Decatur was a city that rose out of the ashes of former Decatur west of the railroad tracks. New Decatur was founded in 1887 and incorporated in 1889. However, residents of the older Decatur resented the new town, founded and occupied by people who moved down from northern states. Animosity built until New Decatur renamed their town "Albany", after

Albany, New York Albany ( ) is the capital of the U.S. state of New York, also the seat and largest city of Albany County. Albany is on the west bank of the Hudson River, about south of its confluence with the Mohawk River, and about north of New York C ...

, in September 1916. The impetus to meld the two towns came from the need for a bridge, instead of a ferry, across the Tennessee River. The Decatur Kiwanis Club was formed with an equal number of members from each town to organize efforts to get the state to build the bridge. In 1925, the two cities merged to form one City of Decatur. There is a noticeable difference between the two sides of town. The cities developed differently at different times, and still to this day have somewhat different cultures. Eastern portions of Decatur tend to act more suburban and traditional, while western portions tend to look more metropolitan and contemporary. The Old State Bank, on the edge of downtown, is the oldest bank building in the State of

, being 173 years old. The first

wave pool A wave pool is a swimming pool in which there are artificially generated, large waves, similar to those of the ocean. Wave pools are often a major feature of water parks, both indoors and outdoors, as well as some leisure centres. History T ...

in the United States was built in Decatur and is still in operation at the Point Mallard Aquatic Center. The city has the largest

Victorian era In the history of the United Kingdom and the British Empire, the Victorian era was the period of Queen Victoria's reign, from 20 June 1837 until her death on 22 January 1901. The era followed the Georgian period and preceded the Edwardia ...

home district in the state of Alabama. Decatur is also home to Alabama's oldest opera house, the

Cotaco Opera House The Cotaco Opera House, also known as Masonic Building, was the first opera house constructed in the state of Alabama. It is located at 115 Johnston Street in historic downtown Decatur, Alabama. In 1889, the city of Decatur was the largest city ...

, which still stands on Johnston Street. In the past, its industries included repair shops of the Louisville and Nashville Railroad, car works, engine works, bottling plants, and manufacturers of lumber, sashes and blinds, tannic acid, fertilizers, cigars, flour, cottonseed oil, and various other products.

Geography

The

has traditionally been the northern border of the city and Morgan County, but a small portion of the city extends across the river into Limestone County between U.S. 31 and I-65. Major bodies of water in the city include

on the Tennessee River itself, plus Flint Creek, and Dry Branch, tributaries of the Tennessee River. The city extends to the other side of Flint Creek and the Refuge in the Indian Hills and Burningtree subdivision areas. The northern portion of Decatur sits on top of a short hill that overlooks the Tennessee River; this creates a very steep dropoff to the river shore at Rhodes Ferry Park. This hill allows the "Steamboat Bill" Memorial Bridge to leave the mainland at grade without any major sloping required to cross the river while not interfering with Decatur's heavy barge traffic. This hill extends from the banks of the river about south to the 14th St./Magnolia St. intersection with 6th Avenue (

US 31 U.S. Route 31 or U.S. Highway 31 (US 31) is a major north–south U.S. highway connecting southern Alabama to northern Michigan. Its southern terminus is at an intersection with US 90/ US 98 in Spanish Fort, Alabama. It ...

). South past the 14th St. and 6th Ave. intersection, land remains flat. South, and also west, past S.R. 67 there are a few minor ridges that sit within the city limits. According to the

U.S. Census Bureau The United States Census Bureau (USCB), officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the U.S. Federal Statistical System, responsible for producing data about the American people and economy. The Census Bureau is part of the ...

, the city has a total area of , of which are land and , or 10.68%, are water. Decatur is southwest of

, north of

Birmingham Birmingham ( ) is a City status in the United Kingdom, city and metropolitan borough in the metropolitan county of West Midlands (county), West Midlands in England. It is the second-largest city in the United Kingdom with a population of 1. ...

, and east of

Muscle Shoals Muscle Shoals is the largest city in Colbert County, Alabama, United States. It is located along the Tennessee River in the northern part of the state and, as of the 2010 census, the population of Muscle Shoals was 13,146. The estimated popu ...

Climate

Decatur has a humid subtropical climate (

Köppen Köppen is a German surname. Notable people with the surname include: * Bernd Köppen (born 1951), German pianist and composer * Carl Köppen (1833-1907), German military advisor in Meiji era Japan * Edlef Köppen (1893–1939), German author and ...

''Cfa'') with four distinct seasons. Winters are generally mild, with a January daily average temperature of . On average, the low temperature falls to the freezing mark or below on 59 days a year, and to or below on 9.2 days. Winters usually do not produce much snow; a large amount of snow is rare within the city limits. A small, measurable amount of snow can be experienced a few times each year. In 2011, Decatur received up to of snow in a single storm. It tied for the most since 1963. Summers are hot and humid with a July daily average temperature of . There are 51–52 days of + highs annually and 1.7 days of + highs.

Thunderstorms A thunderstorm, also known as an electrical storm or a lightning storm, is a storm characterized by the presence of lightning and its acoustic effect on the Earth's atmosphere, known as thunder. Relatively weak thunderstorms are somet ...

are common during the summer months. The latter part of summer tends to be drier. Autumn, which spans from mid-September to early-December, tends to be similar to spring in terms of temperature and precipitation, although it begins relatively dry. Precipitation averages about 53.4 inches per year and on average, is relatively (and uniformly) heavy from November to July, with December the single wettest month on average; August through October are slightly drier months on average. Occasionally, severe thunderstorms occur. These storms can produce damaging winds and large hail in addition to the usual hazards of lightning and very heavy rain. There is also the risk of

tornadoes A tornado is a violently 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. It is often referred to as a twister, whirlwind or cyclone, alth ...

. Severe thunderstorms can occur at any time of the year, but are most common during the spring months. A secondary severe weather season peaks in November. Occasionally from July to October, the Decatur area experiences strong winds and/or heavy to excessive rain from tropical disturbances. These commonly make landfall along the Gulf Coast as

hurricanes A tropical cyclone is a rapidly rotating storm system characterized by a low-pressure center, a closed low-level atmospheric circulation, strong winds, and a spiral arrangement of thunderstorms that produce heavy rain and squalls. Depend ...

but lose intensity as they move inland. The highest recorded temperature was on July 28, 1952, and August 16, 1954, while the lowest recorded temperature was on January 30, 1966.

Neighboring cities/towns

Athens Athens ( ; el, Αθήνα, Athína ; grc, Ἀθῆναι, Athênai (pl.) ) is both the capital and largest city of Greece. With a population close to four million, it is also the seventh largest city in the European Union. Athens dominates ...

(north) - Limestone County * Hartselle (south) - Morgan County * Hillsboro (west) - Lawrence County *

(northeast) - Madison/Limestone counties *

Madison Madison may refer to: People * Madison (name), a given name and a surname * James Madison (1751–1836), fourth president of the United States Place names * Madison, Wisconsin, the state capital of Wisconsin and the largest city known by this ...

(northeast) - Madison/Limestone counties (however Huntsville completely separates the two) * Mooresville (northeast) - Limestone County *

Moulton Moulton may refer to: Places in the United Kingdom ;In England *Moulton, Cheshire * Moulton, Lincolnshire **Moulton Windmill * Moulton St Mary, Norfolk * Moulton, Northamptonshire ** Moulton College, agricultural college ** Moulton Park, indus ...

(southwest) - Lawrence County * Priceville (east) - Morgan County *

Trinity The Christian doctrine of the Trinity (, from 'threefold') is the central dogma concerning the nature of God in most Christian churches, which defines one God existing in three coequal, coeternal, consubstantial divine persons: God th ...

(west) - Morgan County

Neighborhoods

Decatur is divided into four different regions of town (Northeast, Southeast, Northwest, Southwest). Southeast and Northeast Decatur lie east of the CSX Railroad's mainline. North of Lee Street, the dividing line is Bank Street which runs a block east of and parallel to the railroad. Northeast and Southeast and are divided by Moulton Street. Southwest consists of the area west of the CSX Railroad and south of Moulton Street. Northwest is bordered by Moulton Street, the CSX Railroad from Moulton Street to Lee Street and then by Bank Street from Lee Street to the Tennessee River. While there are few major cultural differences between the East and the West, minute differences such as street grid patterns, zoning patterns, and architectural styles are noticeable.

Northwest

*West Decatur (the portion north of Moulton Street)

Northeast

* Albany (New Decatur) *Downtown Decatur *East Acres *Old Decatur *Bank Street and Second Avenue (Downtown Shopping District) *Harborview (Riverfront) *Irvington (Limestone County) *Whiteside (Limestone County)

Southeast

*Bayside *Brookmeade *Burleson Mountain * Burningtree Mountain *Cedar Lake *Fairview *Flint *Hickory Hills *Indian Hills *Point Mallard Estates

Southwest

*Autumn Ridge *Austinville *Basham *Braswell *Cedar Ridge *Chapel Hill *Chula Vista *City View Estates *Deerfoot Estates *Dogwood Estates *Dunbarton *Flint *Graystone *Griffin Addition *Longleaf Estates * Moulton Heights *Oak Lea *Oakworth *Timberlake *Russell Village *Vestavia *West Decatur (the portion south of Moulton Street) *Westmeade *Woodtrail

Demographics

2000 census

As of the

census A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring, recording and calculating information about the members of a given population. This term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common censuses in ...

of 2000, there were 53,929 people, 21,824 households, and 14,753 families residing in the city. The population density was . There were 23,950 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 75.50%

White White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no hue). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully reflect and scatter all the visible wavelengths of light. White o ...

, 19.56%

Black Black is a color which results from the absence or complete absorption of visible light. It is an achromatic color, without hue, like white and grey. It is often used symbolically or figuratively to represent darkness. Black and white ...

African American African Americans (also referred to as Black Americans and Afro-Americans) are an ethnic group consisting of Americans with partial or total ancestry from sub-Saharan Africa. The term "African American" generally denotes descendants of ens ...

, 0.58% Native American, 0.70%

Asian Asian may refer to: * Items from or related to the continent of Asia: ** Asian people, people in or descending from Asia ** Asian culture, the culture of the people from Asia ** Asian cuisine, food based on the style of food of the people from Asi ...

, 0.13%

Pacific Islander Pacific Islanders, Pasifika, Pasefika, or rarely Pacificers are the peoples of the Pacific Islands. As an ethnic/racial term, it is used to describe the original peoples—inhabitants and diasporas—of any of the three major subregions of O ...

, 2.22% from

other races Other often refers to: * Other (philosophy), a concept in psychology and philosophy Other or The Other may also refer to: Film and television * ''The Other'' (1913 film), a German silent film directed by Max Mack * ''The Other'' (1930 film), a ...

, and 1.33% from two or more races. 5.64% of the population were

Hispanic The term ''Hispanic'' ( es, hispano) refers to people, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or Hispanidad. The term commonly applies to countries with a cultural and historical link to Spain and to viceroyalties forme ...

Latino Latino or Latinos most often refers to: * Latino (demonym), a term used in the United States for people with cultural ties to Latin America * Hispanic and Latino Americans in the United States * The people or cultures of Latin America; ** Latin A ...

of any race. There were 21,824 households, out of which 31.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 50.7% were married couples living together, 13.4% had a female householder with no husband present, and 32.4% were non-families. 28.9% of all households were made up of individuals, and 10.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.43 and the average family size was 2.99. In the city, the population was spread out, with 25.4% under the age of 18, 8.8% from 18 to 24, 29.6% from 25 to 44, 23.1% from 45 to 64, and 13.1% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females, there were 92.4 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 89.5 males. The median income for a household in the city was $37,192, and the median income for a family was $47,574. Males had a median income of $37,108 versus $22,471 for females. The

per capita income Per capita income (PCI) or total income measures the average income earned per person in a given area (city, region, country, etc.) in a specified year. It is calculated by dividing the area's total income by its total population. Per capita i ...

for the city was $20,431. About 11.9% of families and 14.9% of the population were below the

poverty line The poverty threshold, poverty limit, poverty line or breadline is the minimum level of income deemed adequate in a particular country. The poverty line is usually calculated by estimating the total cost of one year's worth of necessities for t ...

, including 21.2% of those under age 18 and 11.1% of those age 65 or over.

2010 census

As of the

of 2010, there were 55,683 people, 22,576 households, and 14,918 families residing in the city. The population density was . There were 24,538 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 66.5%

, 21.7%

, 0.7% Native American, 0.9%

, 0.1%

, 7.9% from

, and 2.2% from two or more races. 12.4% of the population were

of any race. There were 22,576 households, out of which 28.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 46.0% were married couples living together, 15.6% had a female householder with no husband present, and 33.9% were non-families. 29.9% of all households were made up of individuals, and 11.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.42 and the average family size was 2.99. In the city, the population was spread out, with 24.1% under the age of 18, 9.0% from 18 to 24, 26.1% from 25 to 44, 26.3% from 45 to 64, and 14.5% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 37.9 years. For every 100 females, there were 92.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 96.2 males. The median income for a household in the city was $43,090, and the median income for a family was $55,158. Males had a median income of $42,146 versus $27,477 for females. The

for the city was $23,615. About 12.8% of families and 17.5% of the population were below the

, including 28.3% of those under age 18 and 11.1% of those age 65 or over.

2020 census

As of the

2020 United States census The United States census of 2020 was the twenty-fourth decennial United States census. Census Day, the reference day used for the census, was April 1, 2020. Other than a pilot study during the 2000 census, this was the first U.S. census to of ...

, there were 57,938 people, 22,113 households, and 13,802 families residing in the city.

Economy

Decatur has grown to be the busiest river port on the Tennessee River. The Port of Decatur sees large amounts of barge traffic from up and down the Tennessee River, which has led to twelve Fortune 500 companies opening plants in the city. Major employers include

General Electric General Electric Company (GE) is an American multinational conglomerate founded in 1892, and incorporated in New York state and headquartered in Boston. The company operated in sectors including healthcare, aviation, power, renewable en ...

, 3M,

Wayne Farms Wayne Farms LLC is an American producer and processor of poultry based in Oakwood, Georgia. As a subsidiary of ContiGroup, Wayne Farms operates hatcheries, feed mills, finishing farms, and processing facilities to supply poultry to retail and ...

Nucor Nucor Corporation is an American producer of steel and related products based in Charlotte, North Carolina. It is the largest steel producer in the United States, the largest "mini-mill" steelmaker (i.e. it uses electric arc furnaces to melt s ...

Bunge Limited Bunge Limited is an American agribusiness and food company, incorporated in Bermuda, and headquartered in St. Louis, Missouri, United States. As well as being an international soybean exporter, it is also involved in food processing, grain tr ...

, Daikin,

Hyosung Hyosung Corporation is a South Korean industrial Chaebol, founded in 1966. It operates in various fields, including the chemical industry, industrial machinery, IT, trade, and construction. It is known in Korea mostly for high-end apartments a ...

, Ascend Performance Materials, and the

Tennessee Valley Authority The Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) is a federally owned electric utility corporation in the United States. TVA's service area covers all of Tennessee, portions of Alabama, Mississippi, and Kentucky, and small areas of Georgia, North Carolin ...

. Decatur is also known as the "Home of

Meow Mix Meow Mix is a variety of dry and wet cat food known for its advertising jingle. It is a product of The J.M. Smucker Company as of March 23, 2015. Meow Mix was introduced in 1974 and sells many flavors, including Original Choice and Seafood Medl ...

", after the company bought a facility in town, and now utilizes its riverfront property to ship the finished product up and down the Tennessee River. Being part of the Huntsville-Decatur CSA, the city lies within the region having the most engineers per capita in the nation. A recent BRAC Base realignment will bring a population, conservatively estimated at 5,000−10,000 people (not including their families), to the area surrounding Redstone Arsenal. Approval of the

combined

Lockheed-Martin The Lockheed Martin Corporation is an American aerospace, arms, defense, information security, and technology corporation with worldwide interests. It was formed by the merger of Lockheed Corporation with Martin Marietta in March 1995. It is ...

and

Boeing The Boeing Company () is an American multinational corporation that designs, manufactures, and sells airplanes, rotorcraft, rockets, satellites, telecommunications equipment, and missiles worldwide. The company also provides leasing and p ...

's rocket manufacturing contracts to a central location at the plant in Decatur. All satellite launching rockets used by the U.S. government will be built in Decatur. This approval brought over 230 new jobs to the Decatur area. The ULA plant utilizes the Tennessee River to ship the rockets to Cape Canaveral. In March 2008, a $1.3 billion development, including a

Bass Pro Shops BPS Direct, L.L.C, doing business as Bass Pro Shops, is an American privately held retailer which specializes in hunting, fishing, camping, and other related outdoor recreation merchandise. With headquarters in Springfield, Missouri, Bass P ...

was announced for the Interstate 65/

Interstate 565 Interstate 565 (I-565) is a Interstate spur that connects I-65 in Decatur with U.S. Route 72 (US 72) in Huntsville in the US state of Alabama. I-565 serves the cities of Decatur, Madison, and downtown Huntsville. It also pro ...

interchange inside the city limits. The development, named Sweetwater, would have included more than of retail space, of medical and office space, 2,700 residences, and an entertainment venue with seating for up to 8,000 people. A school, fire department, parks and lakes were expected to support the future development. As of Spring 2010, this project still seems to be on the horizon, but there is no set date for the project to start. As of 2012, Bass Pro Shop has removed Decatur from its list of stores "Coming Soon" on its webpage. In 2013, Mayor Don Kyle announced that the "Sweet Water" complex was back on track, but has not announced whether Bass Pro Shops will be involved or not. Research from the Franklin Center for Government and Public Integrity suggests that the economic impact of Bass Pro Shops is typically limited despite the large subsidies the company often receives.

Tourism

Tourism is a major part of Decatur's economy. Hundreds of thousands of people from in and out of town, and from many other countries and territories, attend some of the premier festivals in the South. The Alabama Jubilee, begun in 1978, is the oldest hot air balloon race south of the Kentucky Derby's ''

Great Balloon Race The Kentucky Derby Festival is an annual festival held in Louisville, Kentucky, during the two weeks preceding the first Saturday in May, the day of the Kentucky Derby. The festival, Kentucky's largest single annual event, first ran from 1935 to ...

'' (from 1973). With visiting populations rising into 100,000, people crowd around more than 60 seven-story-tall balloons as they inflate. Because of the Alabama Jubilee, Decatur has been named "The Ballooning Capital of

" by the Alabama State Legislature. The Spirit of America Festival is one of the largest free

Fourth of July Independence Day (colloquially the Fourth of July) is a federal holiday in the United States commemorating the Declaration of Independence, which was ratified by the Second Continental Congress on July 4, 1776, establishing the United States ...

festivals in the south. More than 65,000 people arrive in Decatur to watch annual celebrations and the Miss Spirit of America beauty pageant. The contest was known as "Miss Point Mallard" from 1976 through 2013. It moved to the Princess Theatre in 2014. Another large event in Decatur and

, the

Racking Horse World Celebration The Racking Horse World Celebration is the largest show for the Racking Horse breed. It is held annually in late September at the Celebration Arena in Priceville, Alabama, a few miles outside Decatur. The Celebration encompasses over a week of ni ...

attracts horses from around the world to compete in the largest Racking Horse competition. Held in the

Celebration Arena The Celebration Arena is a 5,000-seat indoor arena located in Priceville, Alabama, near Decatur. It contains a 150-by-300-foot () arena floor that can be used not only for sporting events as well as rodeos and horse shows (most notably the world c ...

near Priceville, the celebration draws up to 75,000 fans and competitors each year. Th
Riverfest
barbeque cook-off at Ingalls Harbor is sanctioned by the Kansas City Barbeque Society and attracts competitors from across the country. Beginning in 1995, the festival has previously been selected as a top ten tourist event in the State of Alabama, festival goers can expect live, nationally known musical acts, children's activities, and award-winning barbeque. Proceeds benefit the local community including several charitable organizations. 2018 saw the opening of th
Cook Museum of Natural Science
located at 133 Fourth Avenue NE Decatur, Alabama 35601 and showcases a wide variety of native animal and plant species within a state of the art facility. Cook Museum of Natural Science has been nominated by USA Today in their 2020 10 Best Readers' Choice travel awards as one of the best new museums to open in the past two years. Cook Museum of Natural Science is the newspaper's only Alabama-based nominee.

Parks and recreation

Delano Park
Founded in 1887, the 28 acre Delano Park (pronounced DELL-uh-no) is Morgan County's oldest city park in continuous operation and an oasis in the heart of historic Decatur. At 125 years old, the park is recognized as a designed historic landscape and is listed on the National Historic Register.
Aquadome Recreation Center
offers a 25-yard indoor heated pool, basketball, pickleball, fitness classes and much more. Opened January 12, 1969, it continues to serve the City of Decatur with a wealth of recreational amenities.

Government

Decatur Mayor Tab Bowling (40792132104) (1)

The current mayor of Decatur is Tab Bowling, who was elected in 2016 The city has a five-member/district City Council. The current members are: *District 1 Billy Jackson *District 2 Kyle Dukes Pike *District 3 Carlton McMasters *District 4 Hunter Pepper *District 5 Jacob Ladner (Council President) There are also many boards and commissions run by the city, supervising schools, planning, downtown development, and so on.

Past mayors and city councilmen

Past Decatur mayors include: * Tab Bowling (2016-current) * Don Stanford (2008–2012) * Don Kyle (2004–2008; 2012-2016) * Lynn Fowler (2000–2004) * Julian Price (1994–2000) * Bill Dukes (1976–1994) * Russell Bolding (1972–1976) * J. Gilmer Blackburn (1962–1968) * H.R. Summer (1952–1954) * Charles Kirby was appointed in 2011 after Ronny Russell resigned. In city elections (preliminary) on August 23, 2016, the preliminary election resulted in runoff of Don Kyle and Tab Bowling for Mayor with Jeremy Goforth, Reggie Jackson and Butch Matthews not receiving enough vote to make the runoff. Tab Bowling defeated Don Kyle (Oct 6, 2016) with 75% of the vote.

Education

Austin High and Decatur High are the two main high schools of the city. With the addition of the

International Baccalaureate The International Baccalaureate (IB), formerly known as the International Baccalaureate Organization (IBO), is a nonprofit foundation headquartered in Geneva, Switzerland, and founded in 1968. It offers four educational programmes: the IB D ...

Program to Austin and Decatur High Schools, Decatur has become the first Alabama school system north of Birmingham and one of five in the state to offer the honors program for juniors and seniors (as of July 2006).

Public schools

High schools

* Austin High School * Decatur High School

Middle schools

*Decatur Middle School *Austin Middle School *Austin Junior High

Private schools

*Decatur Heritage Christian Academy *Cornerstone Christian School *Faith Christian Academy (K-12) (SACS & ACSI) *St. Ann's Catholic School (K-8)

Higher education

*Alabama Center for the Arts * Calhoun Community College System *Strayer University

Media

Newspapers

The Decatur Daily ''The Decatur Daily'' is a daily (five days a week) newspaper serving Decatur, Alabama and the Tennessee Valley in the North Alabama area of the United States. As of September 30, 2006, it had an average daily circulation of 20,824 and a Sunday ...

'' has been the only major newspaper based in the Decatur Metropolitan Area since 1912, and one of the few family owned newspapers in

. It has an average daily circulation of 20,824 and a Sunday circulation of 23,840. The paper circulates in the morning to an area that includes Morgan County, Lawrence County, and Limestone County, and parts of Cullman County, and Winston County. ''

The Huntsville Times ''The Huntsville Times'' is a thrice-weekly newspaper published in Huntsville, Alabama, and printed in Birmingham, Alabama. It also serves the surrounding areas of north Alabama's Tennessee Valley region. The ''Times'' formerly operated as an a ...

'' is the only other newspaper with a larger circulation in the Huntsville-Decatur Combined Statistical Area, and has been in circulation since 1996 to most area counties, when the ''Huntsville News'' closed. Before then, the ''News'' was the morning paper, and the ''Times'' was the afternoon paper. After the ''News'' closed, the ''Times'' remained an afternoon paper until 2004.

Cable/Phone

Spectrum A spectrum (plural ''spectra'' or ''spectrums'') is a condition that is not limited to a specific set of values but can vary, without gaps, across a continuum. The word was first used scientifically in optics to describe the rainbow of colors ...

AT&T AT&T Inc. is an American multinational telecommunications holding company headquartered at Whitacre Tower in Downtown Dallas, Texas. It is the world's largest telecommunications company by revenue and the third largest provider of mobile te ...

and

WOW! WideOpenWest (doing business as WOW!) is the sixth largest cable operator in the United States with their network passing 3,248,600 homes and businesses. The company offers landline telephone, cable television, and broadband Internet services ...

offer cable TV to Decatur.

, Spectrum and WOW! offer phone service to Decatur. With AT&T, Huntsville and Madison are local calls (Madison County only), but Athens is long distance. Decatur comes within of Athens and touches Huntsville. AT&T has begun rolling out their fiber network as of 2018.

Infrastructure

Transportation

Air

Decatur is served by two major airports. The

Huntsville International Airport Huntsville International Airport (Carl T. Jones Field) is a public airport and spaceport ten miles southwest of downtown Huntsville, in Madison County, Alabama, United States. The airport is part of the Port of Huntsville (along with the Inte ...

, in suburban

is the second busiest airport in Alabama, behind

Birmingham International Airport Birmingham Airport , formerly ''Birmingham International Airport'', is an international airport located east-southeast of Birmingham city centre, west-northwest of Coventry slightly north of Bickenhill village, in the Metropolitan Boroug ...

. The city is also served by the busiest regional airport in Alabama, the

Pryor Field Regional Airport Pryor Field Regional Airport is a public airport located three miles (5 km) northeast of the central business district of Decatur and south of Athens, in Limestone County, Alabama, United States. It is owned by Decatur/Athens Airport Auth ...

Roads

Decatur's main thoroughfares are U.S. Route 31 (6th Avenue), U.S. Route 72 Alternate ( S.R. 20), State Route 24, and State Route 67. 6th Avenue begins as both U.S. 72 Alternate and U.S. 31, and the two routes split after being carried by the twin-span "Steamboat Bill" Hudson Memorial Bridge that crosses the

at the north central part of town. SR 20/Alternate U.S. 72 continues west towards

The Shoals ''The'' () is a grammatical article in English, denoting persons or things already mentioned, under discussion, implied or otherwise presumed familiar to listeners, readers, or speakers. It is the definite article in English. ''The'' is the m ...

and

Florence Florence ( ; it, Firenze ) is a city in Central Italy and the capital city of the Tuscany Regions of Italy, region. It is the most populated city in Tuscany, with 383,083 inhabitants in 2016, and over 1,520,000 in its metropolitan area.Bilan ...

. U.S. 31 connects the city to

in the north, and Cullman in the south. A portion of S.R. 67 is known as Beltline Road, and serves as a partial

beltway A ring road (also known as circular road, beltline, beltway, circumferential (high)way, loop, bypass or orbital) is a road or a series of connected roads encircling a town, city, or country. The most common purpose of a ring road is to assist i ...

around the city. Interstate 65 runs east of the city, and connects the area to Nashville in the north and

in the south.

begins in Limestone County northeast of the city, and connects to Huntsville. Transforming U.S. 72 Alternate into an extension of Interstate 565 into the city has been discussed in the past.

=Major highways

= * Interstate 65 *

* U.S. Highway 31 *
U.S. Highway 72 Alternate * SR 20 *

SR 24 Route 24, or Highway 24, can refer to: International * European route E24 Australia * Lyell Highway (Tasmania) * Central Arnhem Road, NT Austria * Verbindungsspange Rothneusiedel Canada * Alberta Highway 24 * British Columbia Highway 24 * ...

* SR 67

Water (River)

Large shipments can move from Decatur to the

Atlantic Ocean The Atlantic Ocean is the second-largest of the world's five oceans, with an area of about . It covers approximately 20% of Earth's surface and about 29% of its water surface area. It is known to separate the " Old World" of Africa, Europe ...

via the

to the

Mississippi River The Mississippi River is the second-longest river and chief river of the second-largest drainage system in North America, second only to the Hudson Bay drainage system. From its traditional source of Lake Itasca in northern Minnesota, it fl ...

and the

Gulf of Mexico The Gulf of Mexico ( es, Golfo de México) is an ocean basin and a marginal sea of the Atlantic Ocean, largely surrounded by the North American continent. It is bounded on the northeast, north and northwest by the Gulf Coast of the United ...

. The United States builds some of its space launch vehicles in Decatur (

vehicles only), and ships them to both Cape Canaveral and

Vandenberg Air Force Base Vandenberg may refer to: * Vandenberg (surname), including a list of people with the name * USNS ''General Hoyt S. Vandenberg'' (T-AGM-10), transport ship in the United States Navy, sank as an artificial reef in Key West, Florida * Vandenberg Sp ...

via this water route.

Rail

Decatur has two railroads, the Norfolk Southern Railway, and CSX Transportation (CSX) main line, the S&NA North Subdivision (Nashville to Birmingham). CSX operates a yard downtown. Norfolk Southern main line is the Memphis District East End. The line runs from

Sheffield, Alabama Sheffield is a city in Colbert County, Alabama, United States, and is included in the Shoals metropolitan area. As of the 2010 census, the population of the city was 9,039. Sheffield is the birthplace of "country-soul pioneer" and songwriter Arth ...

, to

Chattanooga, Tennessee Chattanooga ( ) is a city in and the county seat of Hamilton County, Tennessee, United States. Located along the Tennessee River bordering Georgia, it also extends into Marion County on its western end. With a population of 181,099 in 2020 ...

. The rest of the line, west of Sheffield to

Memphis, Tennessee Memphis is a city in the U.S. state of Tennessee. It is the seat of Shelby County in the southwest part of the state; it is situated along the Mississippi River. With a population of 633,104 at the 2020 U.S. census, Memphis is the second-mos ...

, is the Memphis District West End. The line receives

trackage rights Railway companies can interact with and control others in many ways. These relationships can be complicated by bankruptcies. Operating Often, when a railroad first opens, it is only a short spur of a main line. The owner of the spur line may ...

in Stevenson, Alabama, from CSX on their Chattanooga Subdivision to Chattanooga. Until 1971 the Decatur Union Depot was served by several

Louisville and Nashville The Louisville and Nashville Railroad , commonly called the L&N, was a Class I railroad that operated freight and passenger services in the southeast United States. Chartered by the Commonwealth of Kentucky in 1850, the road grew into one of the ...

trains (''

Humming Bird Hummingbirds are birds native to the Americas and comprise the biological family Trochilidae. With about 361 species and 113 genera, they occur from Alaska to Tierra del Fuego, but the vast majority of the species are found in the tropics aro ...

,'' '' Pan-American'' and ''

South Wind A south wind is a wind that originates in the south and blows in a northward direction. Words used in English to describe the south wind are auster, buster (a violent south gale), föhn/foehn (alps), ghibli (Libya with various spellings), friage ...

'') originating in

Chicago (''City in a Garden''); I Will , image_map = , map_caption = Interactive Map of Chicago , coordinates = , coordinates_footnotes = , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name ...

Cincinnati Cincinnati ( ) is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Hamilton County. Settled in 1788, the city is located at the northern side of the confluence of the Licking and Ohio rivers, the latter of which marks the state line wit ...

and terminating at

New Orleans New Orleans ( , ,New Orleans

Miami, Florida Miami ( ), officially the City of Miami, known as "the 305", "The Magic City", and "Gateway to the Americas", is a East Coast of the United States, coastal metropolis and the County seat, county seat of Miami-Dade County, Florida, Miami-Dade C ...

, to the south.

Amtrak The National Railroad Passenger Corporation, doing business as Amtrak () , is the national passenger railroad company of the United States. It operates inter-city rail service in 46 of the 48 contiguous U.S. States and nine cities in Canada ...

from 1971 until 1979 operated the '' Floridian'' that made a station stop in Decatur. The Southern Railway's ''

Tennessean Tennessean refers to someone or something of, from, or related to the state of Tennessee, including: * ''The Tennessean'' newspaper * Tennessean (train) See also * List of people from Tennessee * Tennessine Tennessine is a synthetic chemic ...

'' served points to the east and west. The station is now a municipal museum.

Public safety

The Public Safety Department consists of the Decatur Police Department and Decatur Fire & Rescue. The Public Safety annex is located at 4119 Old Highway 31 in the Flint Community at the south end of the city and houses the Fire Department's administrative offices. This is also the site of the fire and police training facilities. The Police and Fire Departments currently cover approx. in and around the city. Both the Decatur Police and Decatur Fire & Rescue are dispatched by the Morgan County E-911 Center. The Decatur Police Department consists of approx. 140 officers, assigned to 4 divisions (Operations, Management Services, Criminal Investigations, & Administration). The current Chief of Police is Nate Allen. Decatur Fire & Rescue is an Advanced Life Support, full service department consisting of approx. 115 firefighters. The department currently runs 6 Engine Companies (with 3 in reserve), 2 Ladder Companies, 1 Heavy Rescue (which also responds as part of AL-TF3), 1 Brush Truck, 1 HazMat Unit, 1 Battalion Chief Vehicle, and several other staff and support vehicles out of 8 Fire Stations. The current Fire Chief is Tracy Thornton. Decatur is also home to the Morgan County Rescue Squad, an all volunteer organization, who responds to water, cave and high angle rope rescues all throughout Morgan County. They operate multiple land vehicles, 4 response boats and several smaller vessels out of 1 station (also located in Flint) and 2 boat houses on the Tennessee River, with approximately 30-40 members.

Emergency medical services and healthcare

Decatur is served by First Response EMS, which began operations in July 2012. First Response is a private company contracted through the city of Decatur to provide emergency medical services. Air Evac Lifeteam provides aeromedical services for the city of Decatur and North Alabama. Decatur is served by two hospitals, Decatur General Hospital and Parkway Medical Center. Decatur General Hospital is a 273-bed, general acute care hospital and a 64-bed behavioral medicine hospital making it the third largest employer in Morgan County. Decatur General is accredited by the Joint Commission and its medical staff consists of more than 200 physicians representing 20 specialties. Decatur General Hospital is designated as a level two trauma center by the Alabama Department of Public Health. Parkway Medical Center is a 120-bed hospital that is designated as a level three trauma center by the Alabama Department of Public Health. As of January 1, 2012,

Huntsville Hospital The Huntsville Hospital Health System, also known as Huntsville Hospital, is a public, not-for-profit hospital organization consisting of several sites and buildings originating in the downtown area of Huntsville, Alabama. The Huntsville Hospital ...

is the full owner of Parkway Medical Center. Parkway was formally a private not-for-profit hospital until their purchase from the public Huntsville Hospital System.

is the region's referral center and also serves as North Alabama's level one trauma center. As of November 2010, Decatur General Hospital and

are affiliate hospitals, ensuring the continued tradition and excellence of public, not-for-profit health care in North Alabama.

Notable people

* Joseph Abbott, Texas politician *

Richard W. Austin Richard Wilson Austin (August 26, 1857 – April 20, 1919) was an American politician, attorney and diplomat. A Republican, he served in the United States House of Representatives from 1909 to 1919, representing Tennessee's 2nd district. ...

, U.S. congressman *

Cynthia Bailey Cynthia Denise Bailey (born February 19, 1967) is an American model, reality television personality, and actress. Born and raised in Alabama, she moved to New York City at the age of 18 to pursue a modeling career. There, she signed a five-year ...

, model (''

Real Housewives of Atlanta ''The Real Housewives of Atlanta'' (abbreviated ''RHOA'') is an American reality television series that premiered on Bravo on October 7, 2008. Developed as the third installment of ''The Real Housewives'' franchise, it has aired fourteen seaso ...

'') * Loren C. Ball, amateur astronomer, discoverer of asteroid 34351 Decatur *

Taye Biddle RaTavious Anton "Taye" Biddle (born February 27, 1983) is an American football wide receiver. He was previously with the Sacramento Mountain Lions of the United Football League. He was signed by the Carolina Panthers as an undrafted free agent ...

, professional football player *

Lucas Black Lucas York Black (born November 29, 1982) is an American film and television actor. He is best known as the main character Sean Boswell in '' The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift'' (2006), of which he would later reprise the character in '' Fur ...

, actor * Alonzo Boone, Negro league baseball player *

Marv Breeding Marv Eugene Breeding (May 8, 1934 – December 31, 2006) was an American professional baseball second baseman who played four seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Baltimore Orioles, Washington Senators and Los Angeles Dodgers between ...

, former

Major League Baseball Major League Baseball (MLB) is a professional baseball organization and the oldest major professional sports league in the world. MLB is composed of 30 total teams, divided equally between the National League (NL) and the American League (AL), ...

second baseman *

Deonte Brown Deonte Brown (born January 15, 1998) is an American football offensive guard for the Carolina Panthers of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at Alabama. Early years Brown attended Austin High School in Decatur, Alab ...

, former University of Alabama lineman and national champion *

Anna Laura Bryan The Miss Alabama competition is the pageant that selects the representative for the state of Alabama in the annual Miss America Competition. Alabama has won three Miss America titles: Deidre Downs in 2005, Heather Whitestone (the first deaf wo ...

Miss Alabama The Miss Alabama competition is the pageant that selects the representative for the state of Alabama in the annual Miss America Competition. Alabama has won three Miss America titles: Deidre Downs in 2005, Heather Whitestone (the first deaf w ...

2012 *

Rufus Columbus Burleson Rufus Columbus Burleson (August 7, 1823 – May 14, 1901) was the president of Baylor University in Waco, Texas, from 1851 to 1861 and again from 1886 to 1897. Biography Burleson was born near Decatur in northern Alabama. In 1840, he moved to Na ...

, president of

Baylor University Baylor University is a private Baptist Christian research university in Waco, Texas. Baylor was chartered in 1845 by the last Congress of the Republic of Texas. Baylor is the oldest continuously operating university in Texas and one of the ...

from 1851 to 1861 and 1886 to 1897 * Charlie Burse, blues musician, noted for his skill playing a

ukulele The ukulele ( ; from haw, ukulele , approximately ), also called Uke, is a member of the lute family of instruments of Portuguese origin and popularized in Hawaii. It generally employs four nylon strings. The tone and volume of the instrumen ...

* Kendrick Burton, former professional football

defensive line In gridiron football, a lineman is a player who specializes in play at the line of scrimmage. The linemen of the team currently in possession of the ball are the offensive line, while linemen on the opposing team are the defensive line. A numb ...

man * Jason Carthen, former professional football player and public speaker * David Charles, neurologist * Grace Curzon, Marchioness Curzon of Kedleston, second wife of

Lord Curzon George Nathaniel Curzon, 1st Marquess Curzon of Kedleston, (11 January 1859 – 20 March 1925), styled Lord Curzon of Kedleston between 1898 and 1911 and then Earl Curzon of Kedleston between 1911 and 1921, was a British Conservative statesman ...

, Viceroy of India *

Bill J. Dukes Bill J. Dukes (February 26, 1927 – December 18, 2014) was an American politician from Decatur, Alabama. Born in Tarma, Kentucky, Dukes served in the United States Army. He then received his bachelor's degree from Bowling Green College of Com ...

, Alabama politician and mayor of Decatur from 1976 to 1994 * Paul T. Entrekin, aviator and stunt pilot *

Pop Gates William Penn "Pop" Gates (August 30, 1917 – December 1, 1999) was an American professional basketball player. Early life He was born in Decatur, Alabama and attended high school in New York, New York. During high school studies he earned All-Co ...

, former professional basketball player and member of the Harlem Globetrotters *

Jerry Gillespie Jerry Wayne Gillespie (born Decatur, Alabama) is an American country songwriter. He co-wrote " Do You Love as Good as You Look", a #1 song in 1981 for The Bellamy Brothers and wrote " Heaven's Just a Sin Away", a #1 country hit in 1977 for The K ...

, songwriter *

Chad Girodo Chad Alan Girodo (born February 6, 1991) is an American former professional baseball pitcher. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Toronto Blue Jays, who drafted him in 2013. Girodo played in the Blue Jays' minor league organization f ...

, MLB pitcher *

Eugene C. Gordon Major Eugene C. Gordon (1845 - 1913) was a railroad construction engineer, Confederate Officer in the Civil War and subsequently founded and led Decatur Land Improvement and Furnace Company, Inc. which developed the area near Decatur, Alabama which ...

, founder of

Decatur Land Improvement and Furnace Company {{more citations needed, date=March 2010 Decatur Land Improvement and Furnace Company, Inc. was a company which engaged in a planned urban development in the state of Alabama in the late nineteenth century. On January 11, 1887, as Decatur, Alabama ...

Micky Hammon Micky Hammon is a former American politician serving in the Republican Party who became the Majority Leader of the Alabama House of Representatives, representing the 4th district, Limestone and Morgan counties.Alabama House of Representatives *

Christopher Columbus Harris Christopher Columbus Harris (January 28, 1842 – December 28, 1935) represented Alabama's 8th congressional district in the United States House of Representatives. Early life Harris was born in Lawrence County, Alabama near the community ...

, U.S. congressman from 1914 to 1915 * Robin Henderson, Associate Director, Management, of the

NASA The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA ) is an independent agencies of the United States government, independent agency of the US federal government responsible for the civil List of government space agencies, space program ...

Marshall Space Flight Center * Richard Hendrix, professional basketball player * Charlie Hodge, singer, vocal coach, musician, and close friend of

Elvis Presley Elvis Aaron Presley (January 8, 1935 – August 16, 1977), or simply Elvis, was an American singer and actor. Dubbed the "Honorific nicknames in popular music, King of Rock and Roll", he is regarded as Cultural impact of Elvis Presley, one ...

* Mae Jemison, first African American woman in space * Dean Jones, actor *

Leslie Kelley Leslie Howard Kelley (born December 9, 1944) is a former American football fullback/linebacker in the National Football League for the New Orleans Saints. He played college football at Alabama and played just 3 seasons in the NFL without ever ...

, former professional football player * Seth Kimbrough, professional BMX rider, former front man of

Mortal Treason Mortal Treason is an American metalcore band from the Huntsville, Alabama area. Their first album '' A Call to the Martyrs'' was released in 2004. Then after major lineup changes, its second album '' Sunrise over a Sea of Blood'' was released i ...

Gary Knotts Gary Everett Knotts (born February 12, 1977) is an American former professional baseball pitcher. He attended Northwest Shoals Community College and was selected by the Florida Marlins in the eleventh round of the 1995 Major League Baseball draft ...

, baseball player * Alan Koch, former Major League Baseball

pitcher In baseball, the pitcher is the player who throws ("pitches") the baseball from the pitcher's mound toward the catcher to begin each play, with the goal of retiring a batter, who attempts to either make contact with the pitched ball or draw ...

Cricket Lee Cricket Lee (born March 17, 1953 in Decatur, Alabama) is an American entrepreneur Entrepreneurship is the creation or extraction of economic value. With this definition, entrepreneurship is viewed as change, generally entailing risk beyond wha ...

, entrepreneur and inventor * Donald Lourie, member of the College Football Hall of Fame and former president of the

Quaker Oats Company The Quaker Oats Company, known as Quaker, is an American food conglomerate based in Chicago. It has been owned by PepsiCo since 2001. History Precursor miller companies In the 1850s, Ferdinand Schumacher and Robert Stuart founded oat mills. Sc ...

Seybourn Harris Lynne Seybourn Harris Lynne (July 25, 1907 – September 10, 2000) was an American jurist. He was United States district judge for the United States District Court for the Northern District of Alabama. He was Chief Judge of the court from 1953 to 1973. ...

, federal judge from 1946 to 1973 *

Rolando McClain Rolando Marquise McClain (born July 14, 1989) is a former American football linebacker. He played college football at Alabama, where he was recognized as a unanimous All-American and won the 2010 BCS National Championship. He was selected eig ...

, current Dallas Cowboys linebacker * Chuck Murphy, American Anglican bishop *

Arthur Orr Arthur Orr (born May 25, 1964) is an American politician serving in the Alabama State Senate and as the Executive Vice President for Cook's Pest Control. First elected in 2006, he is currently Chairman of the Senate Finance and Taxation Education ...

, member of the

Alabama Senate The Alabama State Senate is the upper house of the Alabama Legislature, the state legislature of the U.S. state of Alabama. The body is composed of 35 members representing an equal number of districts across the state, with each district conta ...

John O'Sullivan John O'Sullivan may refer to: Sports *John O'Sullivan (cricketer) (1918–1991), New Zealand cricketer *John O'Sullivan (cyclist) (born 1933), Australian cyclist *John O'Sullivan (footballer) (born 1993), Irish footballer for Accrington Stanley *J ...

, conservative columnist and pundit *

Luther Patrick Luther Patrick (January 23, 1894 – May 26, 1957) was a U.S. Representative from Alabama. Early life Born near Decatur, Alabama, Patrick attended the local public schools, Louisiana State University at Baton Rouge, and Purdue University, L ...

, U.S. congressman from 1937 to 1943 * Ray Pepper, former Major League Baseball

outfielder An outfielder is a person playing in one of the three defensive positions in baseball or softball, farthest from the batter. These defenders are the left fielder, the center fielder, and the right fielder. As an outfielder, their duty is to c ...

* Josh Pearson, wide receiver and Super Bowl champion for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers * Bennie Perrin, former Arizona Cardinals safety * Charles Redding Pitt, U.S. Attorney for the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Alabama; Democratic politician *

Jerraud Powers Jerraud Powers (born July 19, 1987) is a former American football cornerback. He played college football at Auburn and was drafted by the Indianapolis Colts in the third round of the 2009 NFL Draft. He also played for the Arizona Cardinals ...

, former NFL defensive back *

Andy Price Andy Price is a British television and film composer. He has scored more than 50 films for television and more than 25 productions for theatres around the country, including the Bristol Old Vic, National Youth Theatre and the RSC. Price has com ...

, comic artist, known for illustrating '' My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic'' *

Gary Redus Gary Eugene Redus (born November 1, 1956) is an American former professional baseball outfielder, who played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Cincinnati Reds, Philadelphia Phillies, Chicago White Sox, Pittsburgh Pirates, and Texas Ranger ...

, baseball player * Kristopher Reisz, novelist *

Philip Rivers Philip Michael Rivers (born December 8, 1981) is an American former football quarterback who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 17 seasons, primarily with the Chargers franchise. He played college football at NC State and was se ...

, former San Diego Chargers quarterback *

Johnny Sandlin John Everett Sandlin Jr. (April 16, 1945 – September 19, 2017) was an American recording engineer and record producer. He is best known for producing albums by bands such as the Allman Brothers Band, Widespread Panic, Wet Willie, and Col. Bruce ...

, musician, recording engineer,

record producer A record producer is a recording project's creative and technical leader, commanding studio time and coaching artists, and in popular genres typically creates the song's very sound and structure. Virgil Moorefield"Introduction" ''The Producer as ...

Rip Sewell Truett Banks "Rip" Sewell (May 11, 1907 – September 3, 1989) was a right-handed starting pitcher in Major League Baseball who played 13 years in the major leagues with the Detroit Tigers (1932) and Pittsburgh Pirates (1938–1949). Sewell ...

, professional baseball player *

Charles Christopher Sheats Charles Christopher Sheats (April 10, 1839 – May 27, 1904) was an attorney and politician, elected as a U.S. Representative from Alabama. He previously had served as the consul to Elsinore, Denmark, as the United States worked to expand trade ...

U.S. congressman The United States House of Representatives, often referred to as the House of Representatives, the U.S. House, or simply the House, is the lower chamber of the United States Congress, with the Senate being the upper chamber. Together they ...

from 1873 to 1875 * Perry Stephens, actor and singer * Mandisa Stevenson, basketball player with the

Women's National Basketball Association The Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA) is an American professional basketball league. It is composed of twelve teams, all based in the United States. The league was founded on April 22, 1996, as the women's counterpart to the Natio ...

*David Stewart (American football), David Stewart, former professional football offensive tackle *Skip Stewart, aerobatic pilot *Travis S. Taylor, aerospace engineer and subject of National Geographic Channel's ''Rocket City Rednecks'' *Gordon Terry, bluegrass music, bluegrass and country music fiddler and guitarist *Randy Thornhill, entomologist and evolutionary biologist *Carson Tinker, professional football long snapper *Judith Toups, birder and columnist for the ''Sun Herald'' of Biloxi *Phil Waldrep, minister *Don Whitmire, former professional football offensive tackle *Mildred Wolfe, artist

References

External links

* {{Authority control Decatur, Alabama, Cities in Morgan County, Alabama Cities in Limestone County, Alabama Cities in Alabama Decatur metropolitan area, Alabama Huntsville-Decatur, AL Combined Statistical Area County seats in Alabama Inland port cities and towns of the United States Populated places established in 1821 Alabama populated places on the Tennessee River