Location
Commonly known by locals as The River City, Decatur is located in Limestone and Morgan counties on the banks of Wheeler Lake along the Tennessee River with a 2007 reported population of 55,740.
Decatur over the years has grown to be the busiest river port on the Tennessee River, with The Port of Decatur seeing large amounts of barge traffic up and down the river. The busy port is one of the city’s features that has led to over twenty Fortune 500 companies opening manufacturing plants in the city.
Neighborhoods / Subdivisions / Schools
Unofficially Decatur is sectioned into four different areas of town (Northeast, Southeast, Northwest, Southwest). The reason for the existence of these four vernacular areas is because of The Beltline which is a main shopping and traffic conduit through the middle of the city.
There are many subdivisions and neighborhoods of various flavors throughout the city. Some of the larger neighborhoods of interest to many buyers are Almon Place Homes, Burningtree Homes, Oak Lea homes, and Pointe Mallard Estates.
The Decatur City School System operates 2 high schools, Austin and Decatur High, as well as several middle, and elementary schools located throughout the city. Both Austin and Decatur high offer the International Baccalaureate honors program. The 2 high schools of course form a River City Rivalry and their annual football game is a community event.
Decatur Al Real Estate
There are several ways to search all of the various Decatur Homes for sale. One of the best ways is to explore properties in the city is through our Decatur Search Map thus having a mapped location for the various subdivision listings of interest.
Families with school aged children often do research on the various school systems and focus their home search on an explicit elementary, middle, and high school. Our School System Search Menu facilities this type of detailed mls search with ease. Others focus primarily on a particular High School so be sure to visit our Austin High School District Homes for Sale and Decatur High School District Homes for Sale pages.
History
Initially the area was known as Rhodes Ferry Landing, named for an early landowner who operated a ferry that crossed the Tennessee River in the 1810s at the present-day location of Rhodes Ferry Park. The city was renamed later in 1821 at the direction of President Monroe to the state of Alabama, in honor of Stephen Decatur, who was killed in a duel in 1820.
Because of its strategic location on the river and the then Memphis & Charleston Railroad, Decatur was the site of several military ventures during the American Civil War. All but three of the city’s buildings were burned down during the 1864 Battle of Decatur.
In modern times, tourism is a major part of the city’s economy. Hundreds of thousands of people from diverse locations attend some of the most popular festivals in the South.
* The Alabama Jubilee is one of the oldest hot air balloon races in the south with recent visitors estimated between 75,000 to 100,000 people. Thus, Decatur is also known as The Ballooning Capital of Alabama.
* The Spirit of America Festival, another local favorite, is one of the largest 4th of July festivals in the south hosted on the Point Mallard Park grounds.
* Riverfest is an annual celebration at Ingalls Harbor, along the beautiful Tennessee River, in this festival barbecuers come from all over the country to try their luck at beating the local favorite Big Bob Gibson’s Barbecue, a seven-time world champion winner.
