U.S. Route 231 (US 231) in Alabama runs north–south up through the eastern half of

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 = 135,7 ...

for . US 231 enters the state from

Florida Florida is a state located in the Southeastern region of the United States. Florida is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the northwest by Alabama, to the north by Georgia, to the east by the Bahamas and Atlantic Ocean, and to th ...

south of

Madrid Madrid ( , ) is the capital and most populous city of Spain. The city has almost 3.4 million inhabitants and a metropolitan area population of approximately 6.7 million. It is the second-largest city in the European Union (EU), and ...

and exits into

Tennessee Tennessee ( , ), officially the State of Tennessee, is a landlocked state in the Southeastern region of the United States. Tennessee is the 36th-largest by area and the 15th-most populous of the 50 states. It is bordered by Kentucky to t ...

, running councurrently with US 431 north of Hazel Green. US 231 passes through the major cities of

Dothan Dothan is a place-name from the Hebrew Bible, identified with Tel Dothan. It may refer to: * Dothan, Alabama Dothan () is a city in Dale, Henry, and Houston counties and the Houston county seat in the U.S. state of Alabama. It is Alabama's ...

Troy Troy ( el, Τροία and Latin: Troia, Hittite: 𒋫𒊒𒄿𒊭 ''Truwiša'') or Ilion ( el, Ίλιον and Latin: Ilium, Hittite: 𒃾𒇻𒊭 ''Wiluša'') was an ancient city located at Hisarlik in present-day Turkey, south-west of Çan ...

, Montgomery, and

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 ...

. From the Florida state line to Wetumpka, US 231 is a major four-lane divided thoroughfare that connects

Central Alabama Central Alabama is a region in the state of Alabama. It is sometimes considered part of North Alabama because both regions are mountainous, but in some definitions they are different regions. The Valley and Ridge Province of the Appalachians cons ...

to the Florida Gulf Coast and Panama City. Between Wetumpka and

Arab The Arabs (singular: Arab; singular ar, عَرَبِيٌّ, DIN 31635: , , plural ar, عَرَب, DIN 31635: , Arabic pronunciation: ), also known as the Arab people, are an ethnic group mainly inhabiting the Arab world in Western Asia, No ...

, excluding its overlap with US 280 between Sylacauga and Harpersville as well as portions through major towns, the road is largely rural and two lanes. Between Arab and the Tennessee state line, the route returns to a four-lane divided highway; the route is upgraded to a limited-access freeway and adjoining

frontage road A frontage road (also known as an access road, outer road, service road, feeder road, or parallel road) is a local road running parallel to a higher-speed, limited-access road. A frontage road is often used to provide access to private drive ...

s named Memorial Parkway within the city of Huntsville. During its route through the state, US 231 runs concurrently with three state highways. Between the Florida state line and southern Dothan as well as between Huntsville and the Alabama state line, US 231 runs concurrent with unsigned State Route 1 (SR 1). Between northern Dothan and Huntsville, the route is overlaid with SR 53, which is unsigned along its portion with US 231 but does have a signed segment north of Huntsville. Finally, while bypassing Dothan, US 231 is overlaid with the signed SR 210).

Route description

, US 231 is paired with unsigned State Route 53 (SR 53) from Huntsville to Dothan. The route passes through mostly straight terrain between the

state line and Meridianville, which is home to its junction with Bob Wade Lane, which eventually becomes SR 255. The route descends down a slight hill and enters

. It becomes a freeway ( Memorial Parkway). It junctions with

US 72 U.S. Route 72 (US 72) is an east–west United States highway that travels for from southwestern Tennessee, throughout North Mississippi, North Alabama, and southeastern Tennessee. The highway's western terminus is in Memphis, Tennessee and ...

east/ Sparkman Drive. After a short concurrency with US 72, it splits off onto

University Drive University Drive is a major east–west thoroughfare in Huntsville, Alabama, following US Route 72 into the city from the west. The highway carries on average approximately 56,000 vehicles a day at . Route Description From the west, US 72 enter ...

. The route almost immediately junctions with

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 pr ...

(I-565). It then junctions with a two-part interchange (Clinton Avenue/

US 431 U.S. Route 431 (US 431) is a spur of U.S. Route 31. It currently travels for approximately from US 231/ Alabama State Route 210 and US 231 Business (US 231 Bus.) and US 431 Bus. in Dothan, Alabama, to Owensboro, ...

South/SR 53 North; Governors' Drive). Here, it gains SR 53 and loses US 431. The route continues south as a freeway until it reaches a specific point when it becomes a four-lane divided highway. It passes by

Redstone Arsenal Redstone Arsenal (RSA) is a United States Army post and a census-designated place (CDP) adjacent to Huntsville in Madison County, Alabama, United States and is part of the Huntsville-Decatur Combined Statistical Area. The Arsenal is a garrison ...

Gate 3's access road, Hobbs Road. The route continues south until it reaches the Clement C. Clay Bridge. It promptly crosses 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 names, ...

into Morgan County. The route eventually junctions with SR 36. It climbs up Brindlee Mountain into Union Hill. While climbing, the route makes a slight curve from the southwest to the southeast that is easily noticeable on road maps. It then passes through Morgan City and enters Marshall County. The route heads through mountainous terrain to

, which is home to its junction with SR 69. This junction is a diamond interchange and is directly above the line with Cullman County. There are no major junctions in Cullman County. It eventually crosses the line into Blount County. The road turns to the southwest and junctions with SR 67. It quickly junctions with

US 278 U.S. Route 278 (US 278) is a parallel route of US 78. It currently runs for from Hilton Head Island, South Carolina, to Wickes, Arkansas at US 71/ US 59, passing through five states in the process. Landmarks along its route inclu ...

. Eventually, the route reaches Blountsville, and past Blountsville, the route junctions with SR 79 North. It reaches Cleveland and splits off from SR 79, which continues on its right of way to

Birmingham Birmingham ( ) is a city and metropolitan borough in the metropolitan county of West Midlands in England. It is the second-largest city in the United Kingdom with a population of 1.145 million in the city proper, 2.92 million in the West ...

. US 231 then junctions with SR 160 West, which continues on its next right-of-way. It passes through mountains until it reaches Oneonta, which is home to its junction with SR 75. The route climbs up a high hill and descends it, now crossing into St. Clair County. The route eventually junctions with

US 11 {{Infobox road , country=USA , type=US , route=11 , map={{maplink, frame=yes, plain=yes, frame-align=center, frame-width=290, frame-height=330, type=line, from=U.S. Route 11.map , map_custom=yes , map_notes=US 11 in red, US 11E in blue, US 11W in ...

and then

I-59 Interstate 59 (I-59) is an Interstate Highway located in the southeastern United States. It is a north–south route that spans from a junction with I-10 and I-12 at Slidell, Louisiana, to a junction with I-24 near Wildwood, Georgia. The ...

. It enters

Ashville Ashville or Asheville may refer to: Places United States * Ashville, Alabama * Ashville, Louisville, Kentucky * Ashville, New York * Asheville, North Carolina ** Asheville metropolitan area ** Asheville School ** Asheville High School ** Ashevil ...

. It junctions with SR 23 and

US 411 U.S. Route 411 (US 411) is an alternate parallel-highway associated with US 11. US 411 extends for about from US 78 in Leeds, Alabama, to US 25W/ US 70 in Newport, Tennessee. US 411 travels through nor ...

/ SR 25 North. After a moderate concurrency with the two routes, US 411 and SR 25 turn southwest towards

Leeds Leeds () is a city and the administrative centre of the City of Leeds district in West Yorkshire, England. It is built around the River Aire and is in the eastern foothills of the Pennines. It is also the third-largest settlement (by populati ...

. US 231 heads directly south towards

Pell City Pell City is a city in and one of the county seats of St. Clair County, Alabama, United States, other seat being Ashville. At the 2020 census, the population was 12,939. At the 2010 census, the city-limit population jumped to 12,695. It was h ...

. The route heads through extremely hilly terrain as a two-lane and three-lane road. It reaches Coal City and junctions with SR 144. It continues down through the same terrain to

I-20 Interstate 20 (I‑20) is a major east–west Interstate Highway in the Southern United States. I-20 runs beginning at an interchange with I-10 in Scroggins Draw, Texas, and ending at an interchange with I-95 in Florence, South Carolina. Between ...

. It reaches

US 78 The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...

and then SR 34. US 231 reaches Shelby County. It parallels the

Coosa River The Coosa River is a tributary of the Alabama River in the U.S. states of Alabama and Georgia. The river is about long.U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline dataThe National Map, accessed April 27, 201 ...

as it reaches Vincent, which is home to its next junction with SR 25. They continue south to Harpersville. SR 25 junctions with US 231 for the last time here as US 231 turns onto

US 280 U.S. Route 280 (US 280) is a spur of U.S. Highway 80. It currently runs for 392 miles (631 km) from Blichton, Georgia at US 80 to Birmingham, Alabama at I-20/ I-59. For much of its route, US 280 travels through rural areas and smaller citi ...

. The routes then cross into Talladega County. After a long journey to Sylacauga, the route turns off of US 280 at its junction with SR 21, which is a Diamond Interchange. The route enters Coosa County near this point. In Coosa County, the route junctions with SR 22 in Rockford. It then enters Elmore County after a long journey south. In Elmore County, there are no major junctions until it reaches SR 9. This point is the line with the city of Wetumpka. The route junctions with SR 14 and SR 170 north of the city. Within the city, the routes (SR 9, US 231, and SR 21) junction with SR 111. The routes then enter Montgomery County. The routes junction with SR 152/Northern Boulevard, a half-beltway around Montgomery. The routes join the half-beltway. SR 152 ends at this point, though. The routes turn from east to south and junction with Atlanta Highway. The routes junction with

I-85 Interstate 85 (I-85) is a major Interstate Highway in the Southeastern United States. Its southern terminus is at an interchange with I-65 in Montgomery, Alabama; its northern terminus is an interchange with I-95 in Petersburg, Virginia, n ...

and gain

US 80 The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...

. The routes turn to the west. US 231 and

US 82 U.S. Route 82 (US 82) is an east–west United States highway in the Southern United States. Created on July 1, 1931 across central Mississippi and southern Arkansas, US 82 eventually became a 1,625-mile (2,615 km) route extending from ...

turn to the south. SR 21, US 80, and SR 9 continue onward with US 82 west to

I-65 Interstate 65 (I-65) is a major north–south Interstate Highway in the central United States. As with most primary Interstates ending in 5, it is a major crosscountry, north–south route, connecting between the Great Lakes and the Gulf ...

US 331 U.S. Route 331 (US 331) is a spur of U.S. Route 31. It currently runs for from Santa Rosa Beach, Florida east of Fort Walton Beach at US 98 to Montgomery, Alabama at US 80 and US 82. Unlike US 131, US 231, and US ...

, and

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 U.S. Route 90, US 90/U.S. Route 98, US 98 i ...

. US 82 and US 231 continue onward to

Pike Road Pike Road is a town in Montgomery County, Alabama, United States. As of the 2020 census, the population was 9,439, up from 5,406 at the 2010 census. It is part of the Montgomery metropolitan area. Pike Road was founded in 1815. Pike Road was in ...

, which is not a road, but a town. South of here, US 82 turns off of US 231 and US 231 continues onward on a four-lane divided highway into Pike County. There are no major junctions in Pike County until US 231 reaches

. Here, the route junctions with

US 29 U.S. Route 29 (US 29) is a north–south United States highway that runs for from Pensacola, Florida to the western suburbs of Baltimore, Maryland in the Southern United States, connecting the Florida Panhandle to the Baltimore-Washington me ...

, SR 10 west, and SR 87. US 231 continues southeast to Brundidge, which is home to its junctions with SR 10 east, SR 93, and SR 125. The route then cuts a corner of Coffee County. There are no major junctions in Coffee County. The route then enters into Dale County. The route junctions with SR 123 and SR 51 in the far-vicinity of

Ariton, Alabama Ariton is a town in Dale County, Alabama, United States. At the 2020 census, the population was 662. It was incorporated in April 1906. The name is a blend of its two predecessor town names: ''Ari''osto and Charl''ton''. Ariton is part of the O ...

. The route reaches

Ozark The Ozarks, also known as the Ozark Mountains, Ozark Highlands or Ozark Plateau, is a physiographic region in the U.S. states of Missouri, Arkansas, Oklahoma and the extreme southeastern corner of Kansas. The Ozarks cover a significant porti ...

, which is home to its junctions with SR 27, SR 249, and once again SR 123. In Midland City, the route junctions with SR 134 and SR 605. The route has officially entered the Dothan Metropolitan Area. In Houston County, the route has no major junctions until it reaches the

Ross Clark Circle State Route 210 (SR 210), also known as Ross Clark Circle or simply "The Circle" to locals, is a route overlaid by US 84, US 231, and US 431 encircling Dothan, Alabama in Houston County. For many years, the SR 210 designation appeared on state ...

, which is

US 84 U.S. Route 84 (US 84) is an east–west U.S. Highway that started as a short Georgia–Alabama route in the original 1926 scheme. Later, in 1941, it had been extended all the way to Colorado. The highway's eastern terminus is a short dista ...

and SR 210. This same junction is the junction with US 231 Bus. and the point where SR 53 ultimately leaves its state-wide concurrency with US 231. The route turns south onto the Ross Clark Circle and heads to the junction with US 84 Bus. East/US 84 West. Here, US 84 leaves the Ross Clark Circle. It then continues southeast until it reaches

SR 52 The following highways are numbered 52: Australia * Kings Highway (Australia) * Isis Highway ( Childers to Ban Ban Springs) - Queensland State Route 52 (Wide Bay–Burnett Region) * Gillies Highway - Queensland State Route 52 (Far North Queensla ...

. SR 52 does not have a business route, unlike US 231 and US 84. The route turns to the full east and junctions with US 431 once again, for the first time since Huntsville, Alabama, alongside US 431 Bus. This junction marks the southern terminus of US 431. The route turns south off of the Ross Clark Circle with SR 1. It then heads south for the

state line. The route junctions with SR 109 in Hodgesville and SR 605 once again in

, before finally crossing the state line into

Campbellton, Florida Campbellton is a town in Jackson County, Florida, United States. The population was 230 at the 2010 census. Geography Campbellton is located in northwestern Jackson County at (30.948587, –85.396472). It sits on a small hill at the junction ...

History

When US 231 was first assigned along with the rest of the

United States Numbered Highway System The United States Numbered Highway System (often called U.S. Routes or U.S. Highways) is an integrated network of roads and highways numbered within a nationwide grid in the contiguous United States. As the designation and numbering of these hi ...

in 1926, the route ran only as far north as Montgomery. In 1952, the route was extended through the rest of the state and on to

Indiana Indiana () is a U.S. state in the Midwestern United States. It is the 38th-largest by area and the 17th-most populous of the 50 States. Its capital and largest city is Indianapolis. Indiana was admitted to the United States as the 19th st ...

. The section of US 231 in

was built as a bypass around the downtown area. The original route ran up what is now Whitesburg Drive on the south side of the city, and Meridian Street in the north. A portion on the north side of Brindlee Mountain, south of Huntsville, was damaged by a landslide in 2020. It was replaced by an elevated section.

Major intersections

References

{{State detail page browse, type=US, route=231, statebefore=Florida, state=Alabama, stateafter=Tennessee Alabama

231 Year 231 ( CCXXXI) was a common year starting on Saturday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar. At the time, it was known as the Year of the Consulship of Claudius and Sallustus (or, less frequently, year 984 ''Ab urbe c ...