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North Alabama is a region of the U.S. state of Alabama, generally thought to include these 12 counties: Cherokee, Colbert, DeKalb, Franklin, Jackson, Lauderdale, Lawrence, Limestone, Madison, Marshall, Morgan, and Winston, with a combined population of 937,059.

The anchor city of this region of the state is Huntsville, but other cities of notable size include (in order of population): Decatur, Florence (along with its sister cities Muscle Shoals, Sheffield, and Tuscumbia), Madison, and Athens.

Decatur is considered a quasi anchor city for western North Alabama, being the largest economic center north of Birmingham, and west of Huntsville.

Locals tend to refer to this area as the "Tennessee Valley" in reference to the Tennessee River, which flows through the northernmost part of the state. A section of East Tennessee shares the "Tennessee Valley" moniker.

Of Interest

Local News from The Huntsville Times via Yahoo! News

Helping strangers because they care

Aug 29, 2008 9:35 am

Dirt smudges their faces. Sweat-soaked cloth makes their shirts cling to their arms. Their shoulders slope with fatigue.

'No waffling about the rules'

Aug 29, 2008 9:20 am

During his 25 years as Alabama A&M University's police chief, Clarence R. Howard kept a creased copy of the student handbook in his back pocket.

Attorney general King: America needs McCain

Aug 29, 2008 9:19 am

While the national spotlight shone on Democratic presidential nominee Barack Obama Thursday, Alabama Attorney General Troy King spoke up for presumptive Republican nominee John McCain during a visit t...

Will bankruptcy affect entire state?

Aug 29, 2008 9:19 am

MONTGOMERY - Observers say some Alabama cities and counties may have trouble borrowing money for at least a while to pay for new streets and schools if the Jefferson County Commission files bankruptcy...

City looks to improve public transit system

Aug 29, 2008 9:19 am

City officials are taking steps to make Huntsville's public transit system more user friendly. The City Council authorized a contract Thursday night to hire a public relations/marketing specialist for...

'This is watching history unfold'

Aug 29, 2008 9:19 am

On the afternoon of Aug. 28, 1963, Bob Hayden sat in a jeep about a mile from the Washington Monument, looking at a .30 caliber machine gun mounted on a tripod.

Board to seek funds for schools

Aug 29, 2008 9:19 am

The Madison County Board of Education hopes to secure $38 million from the bond market to pay for renovations and possibly a new middle school.

Local hotels, volunteers preparing for Gustav

Aug 29, 2008 9:18 am

With Hurricane Gustav churning toward the Gulf of Mexico on this the third anniversary that Katrina made landfall, some anxious coastal Louisiana residents are already eying Huntsville.

Riverboat oil spills in Guntersville harbor

Aug 28, 2008 9:25 am

GUNTERSVILLE - A Birmingham cleanup crew will return to Guntersville's harbor today to clean the hull of the 130-foot riverboat, The Debi Sue, that had somehow broken loose from where it was docked Tu...

New mayors picked in Albertville, Arab, Grant

Aug 28, 2008 9:25 am

ALBERTVILLE - The Marshall County towns of Albertville, Arab and Grant will have new mayors when newly elected municipal officials take office Nov. 3.

Greg Norman's Southern Cross Developments Selects River Rim Ranch

Greg Norman’s Southern Cross Developments, proprietor of the exclusive “Norman Estates” real estate brand, is pleased to announce that River Rim Ranch in Teton Valley, Idaho will be the location for its newest project, the “Norman Ranch Estates. [Read More]

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