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HUNTSVILLE, ALABAMA - USA
Huntsville is a city located in Madison County, Alabama. As of the 2000
census, the population of the city is 158,216. The city is the county seat
of Madison County. The current mayor is Loretta Spencer.
On September 8, 1960, US President Dwight D. Eisenhower formally dedicated
the Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville (NASA had already activated
the facility on July 1).
Huntsville, also home of the Redstone Arsenal
and the U.S. Space & Rocket Center, is better known as the "Rocket City,"
due to its long time history with U.S. space missions. Huntsville has been a
key piece in space technology development since the 1950s, when a group of
German scientists headed by Dr. Wernher von Braun developed the first
rockets for the U.S Army. Their work there included design of the Redstone
ballistic missile (a variant of which, the Jupiter-C, took the U.S. first
satellite and astronauts into space) and the Saturn V, the rocket utilized
by the Apollo program manned moon missions. Huntsville continues to play a
key role in the United States' space shuttle and International Space Station
programs; it is estimated that 1 in 13 of Huntsville's population are
employed in some engineering line of work.
Huntsville is also the location of the U.S. Army Missile Command (MICOM).
Huntsville's contributions to United States Cold War missile armament and
technology earned it a "red star" designation as a target of the Soviet
Union in the event of a nuclear exchange, fourth behind only New York City,
Washington, DC, and NORAD.
Before Huntsville earned the moniker "Rocket City" along with its rapid
growth, it was known as the Watercress Capital of the World. Watercress grew
along the stream from the Big Spring downtown.
Geography
Huntsville is located at 34°42' North, 86°35' West (34.7, -86.6)1.
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 451.8 km˛
(174.4 mi˛). 450.8 km˛ (174.1 mi˛) of it is land and 1.0 km˛ (0.4 mi˛) of it
is water. The total area is 0.22% water.
The main north-south route through Huntsville is US highway 231, Memorial
Parkway. Locals call it "The Parkway." Interstate highway 565 runs east-west,
as does University Drive/Pratt Ave/Bankhead Parkway, US highway 72. Alabama
State Highway 53 runs northwest out of the city. US highway 431 runs
southeast from the city.
Demographics
As of the census2 of 2000, there are 158,216 people, 66,742 households, and
41,713 families residing in the city. The population density is 351.0/km˛
(909.0/mi˛). There are 73,670 housing units at an average density of 163.4/km˛
(423.3/mi˛). The racial makeup of the city is 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. 2.04% of the
population are Hispanic or Latino of any race.
There are 66,742 households out of which 27.6% have children under the age
of 18 living with them, 45.5% are married couples living together, 13.7%
have a female householder with no husband present, and 37.5% are non-families.
32.3% of all households are made up of individuals and 9.2% have someone
living alone who is 65 years of age or older. The average household size is
2.29 and the average family size is 2.91.
In the city the population is spread out with 23.1% under the age of 18,
10.7% from 18 to 24, 29.3% from 25 to 44, 23.4% from 45 to 64, and 13.4% who
are 65 years of age or older. The median age is 37 years. For every 100
females there are 92.8 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there
are 89.7 males.
The median income for a household in the city is $41,074, and the median
income for a family is $52,202. Males have a median income of $40,003 versus
$26,085 for females. The per capita income for the city is $24,015. 12.8% of
the population and 9.8% of families are below the poverty line. Out of the
total people living in poverty, 18.7% are under the age of 18 and 9.0% are
65 or older.
Huntsville has Huntsville International Airport, which also serves Decatur,
Alabama. The airport features an intermodal terminal for transfer of cargo
to truck and train.
Education
Huntsville City Schools (http://www.hsv.k12.al.us/) educates the majority of
K-12 students in Huntsville. The private college preparatory Randolph School
has produced its share of astronauts and dignitaries.
Alabama A&M University and The University of Alabama in Huntsville provide
higher education. Also located in the area are Calhoun Community College,
Virginia College, Oakwood College, and a local branch of the Florida
Institute of Technology.
Festivals
Huntsville is home to the annual arts festivals Panoply of the Arts in the
spring and Big Spring Jam in the fall.
Vicinity
These places are near Huntsville:
Ardmore, Alabama
Ardmore, Tennessee
Athens, Alabama
Decatur, Alabama
Gurley, Alabama
Hartselle, Alabama
Harvest, Alabama
Lacey's Spring, Alabama
Madison, Alabama
Meridianville, Alabama
Monrovia, Alabama
Moores Mill, Alabama
New Hope, Alabama
Normal, Alabama
Old Monrovia, Alabama
Owens Cross Roads, Alabama
Priceville, Alabama
Toney, Alabama.
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