Huntsville, Alabama
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.
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.
\nBefore Huntsville earned the monkier "
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
\n
\nHuntsville 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 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/Bankhead Parkway, US highway 72.
Demographics
\nAs 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/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 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
\nHuntsville City Schools educates the majority of K-12 students in Huntsville. Alabama A&M University and The Universtiy 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
\nHuntsville is home to the annual arts festivals Panoply of the Arts in the spring and Big Spring Jam in the fall.
Category:Cities in Alabama
