A strategic location on the banks of the Tennessee River in North Alabama provides Decatur/Morgan County a central location to the Southeast and transportation options that make it easy to get just about anywhere.

Highway Transportation

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.  US 72 and US 36 provide additional east-west routes and US 31 is another north-south link to the area.

Air Transportation

Access to air travel is easy in Morgan County with short distances to three international airports and two local airports.

Huntsville International Airport (15 minutes)

Birmingham International Airport (1.25 hours)

Nashville International Airport (1.5 hours)

Local Airports

Pryor Field, Decatur, AL (Runway length 5,100 ft)

Rountree Field, Hartselle, AL (Runway length 3,600 ft)

Commercial Transportation

Motor Freight Service

Decatur is the hub of the Tennessee Valley motor freight system with 30 companies linking the area with all parts of the nation.  Thirty have terminals in Decatur and second morning delivery is common to major Midwest destinations such as Chicago, Detroit and Milwaukee.

River Transportation

The port at Mallard-Fox Creek and the Morgan County Port Authority Docks offer direct access to the Tennessee River, with a nine-foot, year-round navigable channel.  The ports also link the area to the Tennessee-Tombigbee Waterway, providing access to major ports in the east and west and to the Gulf Coast.  Mallard-Fox Creek is in a designated Foreign Trade Zone and U.S. Customs Port of Entry and offers resident industries a number of shipping and customs-related advantages.

Rail Transportation

Morgan County is also served by an outstanding rail-barge system.  Norfolk Southern Railway and CSX Transportation provide links to major rail terminals and Decatur's waterfront access ensures that barge traffic continues to be a major source of shipping for the area.

Air Cargo

The International Intermodal Center is located 12 miles northeast of Decatur and 22 miles northeast of Hartselle.  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 in order to accommodate the Group VI cargo aircraft.