Huntsville, Alabama is known as "The Rocket City" for having an important role in developing space technology since the 1950s. Its economy is one of the strongest economies in the Southeast, highlighted by a low unemployment rate and income levels that regularly lead the region. Though smaller than many major metropolitan areas, the city's low-cost advantages and attractive lifestyle have been major factors in moving to Huntsville. Being the fourth largest city in Alabama, it has an estimated population of 176,645.
Economy:
Huntsville's main economic influence comes from aerospace and military technology. The presence of Redstone Arsenal, Cummings Research Park (CRP), and NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center mark the city's technology-driven economy. CRP is the second largest research park in the United States and the fourth largest in the world, and is over 38 years old. Huntsville is also home for commercial technology companies such as the network access company ADTRAN and computer graphics company Intergraph. Several Fortune 500 companies operating in Huntsville offer a broad base of manufacturing, retail and service industries.
Forbes, in 2009, named Huntsville the Fourth Best Place for Recession Recovery in the nation. This was based on data on gross domestic product from Moody's Economy.com, unemployment and employment data from the Bureau of Labor, home prices and affordability from the National Association of Homebuilders and population data from the U.S. Census Bureau. This feat has greatly contributed in keeping Huntsville moving companies busy.
History:
Named after Revolutionary War veteran John Hunt, Huntsville became the first incorporated town in Alabama in 1811. However, the city honors the year of John Hunt's arrival, 1805, as its "birth" year. Huntsville celebrated its centennial in 1955 and the bicentennial was held in 2005.
Huntsville boasted what may have been the first public water system in America in 1823. Made up of a wooden pump, wooden storage tank, and a few hundred feet of hollowed cedar logs it carried water from the "Big Spring." The growth in population and a roster of accomplishments made Huntsville an important figure the Mississippi Territory. When Alabama was made a state in 1819 and Huntsville was chosen as the first Capital. A missile project in Redstone Arsenal, one of the city's two arsenals, in 1958 paved the way for the complete U. S. Army missile development and training program and the space vehicle center for the National Aeronautics and Space Administration to be firmly established in Huntsville. Today, the city is consistently recognized by a variety of national publications as one of the best places to live and work.
Tourism:
Situated in the foothills of the Appalachian Mountains and surrounded by numerous lakes and the winding Tennessee River, Huntsville presents numerous opportunities for outdoor activities such as biking, hiking and water sports. When vacationing in Huntsville, you can find out more about the U.S. Space & Rocket Center, Huntsville Botanical Garden, Unclaimed Baggage Center, Burritt on the Mountain, Cathedral Caverns, Ave Maria Grotto, Shrine of the Most Blessed Sacrament and many more great places to visit. Places of interest for arts enthusiast include the Huntsville Art League, Theater Huntsville, Merrimack Hall and Huntsville Community Ballet.