A strategic location on the banks of the Tennessee River in North Alabama makes Decatur a great place to live and do business.
Our community is a major transportation hub in the Southeast with two thirds of the country’s population and three quarters of manufacturing jobs in the U.S. within a 750-mile radius. Interstate 65 links Morgan County to a north-south interstate system. This interstate also connects with I-565 to provide an east-west connection. US 72 provides an additional east-west route and US 31 is a another north-south link to the area.
Highway Transportation
Interstate 65, located four miles east of downtown Decatur, connects the Gulf Coast to the Great Lakes. US 31, a four-lane, north-south highway, travels through Decatur. Alabama Highway 20/US 72A is the main east-west route between Memphis and Atlanta and runs through Decatur. AL 67 is the western perimeter business road that connects Decatur to the counties sough and east. AL 24, a four-lane divided highway, travels southwest from Decatur. If you have questions or maintenance concerns, please contact the Alabama Department of Transportation (ALDOT) . All other streets within the City of Decatur are maintained by Street & Environmental Services.
Railroads & Waterways
Norfolk Southern System’s main east-west line connects Decatur with major rail terminals in the U.S. The Tennessee-Tombigbee Waterway links Morgan County with other major inland waterway ports. A year-round, nine-foot channel from Knoxville, in east Tennessee, to the Ohio River in West Kentucky, is provided by the Tennessee River, Decatur’s northern boundary. Industries utilize three public barge terminals as well as the “piggy back” services offered by rail and barge companies.
Air Transportation
Huntsville International Airport – part of the Port of Huntsville – provides non-stop service to 10 destinations on eight major airlines with approximately 90 daily arrivals and departures. The airport is also home to cargo operators and freight forwards which provide Boeing 747 cargo service to Europe, Mexico and Hong Kong. The airport is making minor modifications to its 12,600 and 10,000 foot runways to be able to accommodate Group VI cargo aircraft.
There are two options for general aviation services: Decatur-Athens Aero Services at Pryor Field and Signature Flight Support at Huntsville International Airport .
International Intermodal Center
The International Intermodal Center at the Port of Huntsville is a unique transportation complex that offers three major modes of transportation: air, rail and highway. The IIC provides at one central hub location the ability to transfer, store, and distribute cargo throughout the global marketplace. The IIC is designated a Port of Entry and has 24-hour on-site US Customs and Border Protection inspectors and is part of Foreign Trade Zone No. 83.