| Decatur is a city in Limestone
and Morgan Counties in the U.S. state of Alabama. The city, known as "The
River City", is located in Northern Alabama on the banks of Wheeler Lake,
along the Tennessee River. It is the largest city and county seat of Morgan
County.
Decatur is also the core
city of the two-county large Decatur Metropolitan Area which had 150,125
in 2006. Combined with the Huntsville Metropolitan Area, the two create
the Huntsville-Decatur Combined Statistical Area, of which, Decatur is
the second largest city.
Like many southern cities
in the early 1800s, Decatur's early success was based upon its location
along a river. Railroad routes and boating traffic pushed the city to the
front of North Alabama's economic atmosphere. The city rapidly grew into
a large economic center within the Tennessee Valley and was a hub for travelers
and cargo between Nashville/Chattanooga and Mobile/New Orleans. Throughout
the 20th century, the city experienced steady growth, but was eclipsed
as the regional economic center by a fast growing Huntsville during the
space race. The city now finds its economy heavily based on manufacturing
industries, cargo transit, and hi-tech industries such as General Electric,
and the United Launch Alliance.
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