| Revision as of 12:49, 19 December 2004 editJapanese Searobin (talk | contribs)10,270 editsm +ja:← Previous edit | Revision as of 13:26, 21 December 2004 edit undoRambot (talk | contribs)139,851 edits Updated internal references. Added Template:Mapit-US-cityscale external links. Reorganized and cleaned up the page.Next edit → | ||
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| Before Huntsville earned the moniker "''Rocket City''" along with its rapid growth, it was known as the ] Capital of the World. Watercress grew along the stream from the Big Spring downtown. | Before Huntsville earned the moniker "''Rocket City''" along with its rapid growth, it was known as the ] Capital of the World. Watercress grew along the stream from the Big Spring downtown. | ||
| == Geography == | == Geography == | ||
| ] | ] | ||
| Huntsville is located at 34°42' North, 86°35' West (34.7, -86.6) |
Huntsville is located at 34°42' North, 86°35' West (34.7, -86.6){{GR|1}}. | ||
| According to the ], the city has a total area of 451.8 ] (174.4 ]). 450.8 km² (174.1 mi²) of it is land and 1.0 km² (0.4 mi²) of it is water. The total area is 0.22% water. | According to the ], the city has a total area of 451.8 ] (174.4 ]). 450.8 km² (174.1 mi²) of it is land and 1.0 km² (0.4 mi²) of it is water. The total area is 0.22% water. | ||
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| == Demographics == | == Demographics == | ||
| As of the ] |
As of the ]{{GR|2}} of ], there are 158,216 people, 66,742 households, and 41,713 families residing in the city. The ] is 351.0/km² (909.0/mi²). There are 73,670 housing units at an average density of 163.4/km² (423.3/mi²). The racial makeup of the city is 64.47% ], 30.21% ] or ], 0.54% ], 2.22% ], 0.06% ], 0.66% from ], and 1.84% from two or more races. 2.04% of the population are ] or ] 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 ] 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. | There are 66,742 households out of which 27.6% have children under the age of 18 living with them, 45.5% are ] 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. | ||
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| == Links == | == Links == | ||
| * | * | ||
| {{Alabama}} | {{Alabama}} | ||
| ⚫ | ] | ||
| == External links == | |||
| {{Mapit-US-cityscale|34.712341|-86.596296}} | |||
| ] | ] | ||
| ] | ] | ||
| ] | ] | ||
| ⚫ | ] | ||
Revision as of 13:26, 21 December 2004
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, gained the nickname "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 Aviation and Missile Command (AMCOM). 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)Template:GR.
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 451.8 km² (174.4 mi²). 450.8 km² (174.1 mi²) of it is land and 1.0 km² (0.4 mi²) 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.
Huntsville is located in the Tennessee Valley. Several outlying islands of the Cumberland Plateau partially surround the city. Monte Sano is the most notable, and lies east of the city along with Burritt Mountain, Huntsville Mountain and Green Mountain. Other outliers around the city are Wade Mountain to the north, Rainbow Mountain to the west, and Ward and Madkin Mountains on Redstone Arsenal. Brindley Mountain is visible to the south across the Tennessee River.
As with other areas along the Cumberland Pleateau, the land around Huntsville is karst in nature. Indeed, Huntsville was founded around Big Spring, which is a typical karst spring. Also, as is typical of karst areas, a large number of caves are found underneath the city.
Demographics
As of the censusTemplate:GR of 2000, there are 158,216 people, 66,742 households, and 41,713 families residing in the city. The population density is 351.0/km² (909.0/mi²). There are 73,670 housing units at an average density of 163.4/km² (423.3/mi²). 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 population, 18.7% of those under the age of 18 and 9.0% of those 65 and older are living below the poverty line.
Huntsville has Huntsville International Airport, which also serves Decatur, Alabama. The airport features an intermodal terminal for transfer of cargo to truck and train.
History
Huntsville was named after John Hunt, the first Anglo-Saxon owner of the land around Big Spring. John Hunt, unfortunately, did not register his claims properly, and his prime land was sold to Leroy Pope. Pope imposed the name of Twickenham on the area to honor his relative Alexander Pope's home city, although the name was changed to Huntsville by the people, who wished to honor Hunt. In 1811, Huntsville became the first incorporated town in what is now Alabama. However, the recognized "birth" year of the city is 1805, due to the sesquentennial anniversiary being held in 1955 and the bicentennial being scheduled for 2005.
The city of Huntsville quickly grew from wealth generated by cotton. In 1819, Huntsville hosted a constitutional convention in the large cabinetmaking shop of a man named Walker Allen, who died the year before. Fourty-four delegates met to write a constitution for the state of Alabama. Huntsville served as the first capitol of the state when Alabama was admitted to the union.
In 1855, the Memphis and Charleston Railroad was laid through Huntsville. On April 11, 1862 During the American Civil War, Union troops led by General Mitchell took the town in order to sever the confederate railroad communication along this line. Union troops then used Huntsville as a base for operations in the area.
After the Civil War, Huntsville became a center for cotton textile mills such as Lincoln and Merrimack. Several Huntsville neighborhoods were built to house mill workers.
In 1940, Huntsville was still a small town with a population of only 13,150. This changed at the onset of World War II when Huntsville was chosen as the site of several military manufacturing plants. The plants were almost shut down in 1949 when they were no longer needed, but instead, the military used the area for missile research. In 1950, the military brought rocket scientist Wernher von Braun to Huntsville to work on the United States' fledgling space program. Supposedly the hills of northern Alabama reminded von Braun of his native Germany.
Education
Huntsville City Schools educates the majority of K-12 students in Huntsville.
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.
Neighborhoods
- Five Points
- Twickenham
- West Huntsville
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
- Triana, Alabama
