Alabama · United States
Huntsville travel guide
Huntsville is a city in Alabama, United States, home to about 215,000 people.
- Nearest airport
- HSV19 km · Huntsville International Airport
- Currency
- USDUnited States dollar
- Time zone
- America/Chicago
- Language
- Carolinian, Chamorro, Hawaiian
About
About Huntsville
Huntsville is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Alabama. The population was 215,006 at the 2020 census, making it the 100th-most populous city in the U.S., while the Huntsville metropolitan area has an estimated 542,000 residents and is the second-most populous metropolitan area in the state.
Huntsville was founded in 1805 by a Virginia man named John Hunt. For the first 140 years of its history, the city was a sleepy cotton town. In 1950, the US Army transferred Dr. Werner von Braun and his team of German rocket scientists to Redstone Arsenal. Within a decade, the city became a center for rocket design and construction. In 1960, NASA opened the Marshall Space Flight Center, which has played a significant role in the Mercury-Redstone (named after Redstone Arsenal), Gemini, and Apollo manned space programs. Huntsville is home to almost 200,000 residents (2018).
Wikipedia and Wikivoyage contributors, CC BY-SA 4.0; excerpted.
Things to do
What to see and do in Huntsville
See
While not widely known as a tourist destination, Huntsville does have a number of attractions of interest.
- U.S. Space and Rocket Center Museum
- Huntsville Museum of Art
- EarlyWorks Museum Complex
- Alabama Constitution Village
- Historic Huntsville Depot
- EarlyWorks Children's History Museum
- Burritt on the Mountain
- Harrison Brothers Hardware
- North Alabama Railroad Museum
- Veterans Memorial Museum
- Weeden House Museum
- Huntsville Land Trust Trails
Do
- Wilcoxon Municipal Ice Complex
- Robert Trent Jones-Hampton Cove Golf Course
- Space Camp/Aviation Challenge
- Civil Axe Throwing
- RockAxe City Throwing Club
- Theatre Huntsville
- Huntsville Community Chorus Association
- Huntsville Havoc
- Huntsville Speedway
- Huntsville Dragway
- Alabama–Huntsville Chargers
- Con*Stellation
Wikivoyage contributors, CC BY-SA 4.0; excerpted.
Where to stay
Hotels in Huntsville
2 hotels within 25 km of the centre, as recorded in Wikidata. Each name links to its encyclopedia article where there is one.
| Hotel | Opened | From centre |
|---|---|---|
| Russel Erskine Hotel | 1.9 km | |
| Yarbrough Hotel | 2.1 km |
When to go
The best time to visit Huntsville
Huntsville has no month that is both mild and dry by the measure used here. July is the warmest month, with average highs of 32 °C; December is the wettest, with about 156 mm of rain.
Comfortable means average daytime high between 18 °C and 29 °C and under 80 mm of rain in the month. Averages for 1991–2020 over the surrounding area, a grid square about 50 km across, so a coast or a nearby mountain can make the town itself warmer or cooler. Data: CRU TS v4.10, Climatic Research Unit, University of East Anglia (Open Database License).
Getting there
Getting to Huntsville: airports and arrival
The nearest airport with scheduled flights is Huntsville International Airport (HSV), about 19 km from the city centre in a straight line; Northwest Alabama Regional Airport (MSL, 94 km) and Birmingham-Shuttlesworth International Airport (BHM, 129 km) are also within reach.
Getting around
Huntsville is very car-oriented. Public transportation is not popular in Huntsville, but does exist. The city offers 13 bus routes, including a Tourist Trolley, which loops past most of the city's attractions and shopping areas. Turnovers between buses can be between fifteen minutes in downtown and one hour in outlying areas. There are also two free weekend evening routes that serve Downtown, Five Points, and the Medical District.
Wikivoyage contributors, CC BY-SA 4.0; excerpted.
HSV · Huntsville International Airport
MSL · Northwest Alabama Regional Airport
BHM · Birmingham-Shuttlesworth International Airport
Local knowledge
Eating, drinking and staying safe in Huntsville
Eat
Like most cities, Huntsville does have its fair share of fast-food restaurants, but there are many local eateries as well that serve every budget and taste. Because of Huntsville's diverse population, there are ethnic restaurants that specialize in Greek, Indian, Thai, and many other ethnicities.
Stay safe
Though crime levels are above average for a city in its population bracket, most of the crime is restricted to inner city neighborhoods that would be of no interest to visitors. In general, the most dangerous region of the city is the northern neighborhoods (particularly the northwest). In addition to crime, if hiking on Monte Sano or engaging in some other outdoor activity, be aware that during the summer, temperatures can hit triple digits and one can dehydrate quickly. Be sure to consume an adequate amount of fluids during the warm temperatures.
Wikivoyage contributors, CC BY-SA 4.0; excerpted.
Questions
Huntsville: questions travellers ask
When is the best time to visit Huntsville?
Huntsville has no month that is both mild and dry by the measure used here. July is the warmest month, with average highs of 32 °C; December is the wettest, with about 156 mm of rain.
Which airport is closest to Huntsville?
The nearest airport with scheduled flights is Huntsville International Airport (HSV), about 19 km from the city centre in a straight line; Northwest Alabama Regional Airport (MSL, 94 km) and Birmingham-Shuttlesworth International Airport (BHM, 129 km) are also within reach.
What currency is used in Huntsville?
United States dollar (USD).
Nearby
Destinations near Huntsville
Sources: city facts from Wikidata and Wikipedia; airports from OurAirports; climate from CRU TS v4.10 (University of East Anglia Climatic Research Unit), 1991–2020 monthly means, 0.5° grid; places to stay, guest scores and amenities from each operator's own public pages. How this guide is made.