Overview

Introduction to Fort Payne, Alabama

Fort Payne, Alabama is 47 miles SW of Chattanooga, Tennessee (center to center) and 89 miles NW of Atlanta, Georgia. It is in De Kalb County.

Fort Payne History

Fort Payne was originally inhabited by the Cherokee Indians and known as the village of Willstown. Sequoyah, the inventor of the Cherokee syllabary, also resided in this area for some time. Later on, the area was renamed after a fort that was built along the Trail of Tears in the 1830s. The fort was named after Major John Payne. The city became the county seat of DeKalb County in 1878. Fort Payne was incorporated in 1889.

Fort Payne and nearby Attractions

  • Fort Payne Depot Museum
  • Little River Canyon National Preserve
  • DeSoto State Park
  • Lookout Mountain Wild Animal Park
  • Cloudland Canyon State Park
  • Russell Cave National Monument

Things To Do In Fort Payne

You can visit the Fort Payne Boom Town Historic District and Fort Payne Residential Historic District while staying in the city. It is also worth visiting the Alabama Fan Club and Museum. Golf lovers can enjoy their leisure hours at the Terrapin Hills Golf Estates. The Little River Canyon National Preserve, Fort Payne Depot Museum, and DeSoto State Park are also ideal for spending a family day out.

Fort Payne Transportation

Air transportation is available from Richard B Russell Airport.

Fort Payne Higher Education

The University of Tennessee-Chattanooga, Gadsden State Community College, University of Alabama in Huntsville, and several other colleges and universities offer higher educational facilities.

Demographics

People

Total Population14,006
Male Share of the Population49.3%
Female Share of the Population50.7%
Senior Citizens14.3%
Employed Population 16+5,563
Age of the Population39

Families

% of people married44.7%
Average household size3

Education and Earnings

Population % with Bachelor Degree or Higher11.1%
Median Earnings25+$28,882
Median Earnings Without High School Qualification$19,031
Median Earnings With High School Degree$30,164

Wealth

Median Family Income$49,530
% Above Poverty Level76.7%
% Below Poverty Level23.3%

Commute & Sprawl

Average Commute Time20 minutes
% Working from Home2%
% Walking and Biking to Work1.4%
% Using Public Transportation%

Housing

People Living Alone35.1%
Median Gross Rent$596
Median House Value$119,400

Ancestry

Other(often includes Hispanic and African American)39.9%
Irish8.6%
German6.8%
English5.4%
Italian0.9%
Dutch0.8%
Scottish0.6%
Welsh0.5%
French Except Basque0.5%
Polish0.4%
Russian0.4%
African0.2%
Swedish0.2%
Hungarian0.2%
Portuguese0.2%
West Indian0.1%
British0.1%
Bulgarian0.1%
Canadian0.1%
Greek0.1%
Czech0.1%
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Fort Payne Almanac

CategoryValue
CountyDeKalb County
Standard Zip Codes35967, 35968
Phone Area Codes256
Time ZoneAmerica/Chicago
Approximate Latitude34.45
Approximate Longitude-85.69

Fort Payne Climate

Nearest Weather Stations

Notes:

  • Temp ranges are avg daily min and max for the month
  • Precipitation is rainfall (and rainfall equiv of snowfall)

StationVALLEY HEAD
Distance10.3 miles
Jan Temp26 to 48 F
Apr Temp42 to 70 F
Jul Temp65 to 88 F
Oct Temp44 to 72 F
Annual Precip58.3 inches
StationLAFAYETTE 5 SW
Distance24.4 miles
Jan Temp29 to 48 F
Apr Temp43 to 71 F
Jul Temp66 to 88 F
Oct Temp46 to 72 F
Annual Precip58.3 inches
StationROME
Distance34.6 miles
Jan Temp29 to 50 F
Apr Temp45 to 72 F
Jul Temp67 to 88 F
Oct Temp47 to 72 F
Annual Precip56.1 inches

Nearby Cities and Towns

LocationPopulationMedian Family Income
Collinsville2,074$26,250
Fyffe1,357$51,477
Hammondville526$57,083
Rainsville5,018$38,306
Sylvania2,413$56,389
Valley Head660$34,875

Fort Payne Public Libraries

Fort Payne - Dekalb County Public Library
504 GRAND AVENUE NW
Fort Payne, Alabama
(256) 845-2671

library logo

More Information for Librarians

Fort Payne Hospitals

Dekalb Regional Medical Center
(Proprietary)
200 Medical Center Drive
(256) 845-3150

Fort Payne Public Schools

Alt Sch
155 20th Street Ne
ZIP: 35967
Other
Fort Payne High Sch
201 45th St Ne
ZIP: 35967
High
Total Enrollment 873
Fort Payne Middle Sch
4910 Martin Ave Ne
ZIP: 35967
Middle
Total Enrollment 944
Williams Avenue Elem Sch
1700 Williams Ave Ne
ZIP: 35967
Primary
Total Enrollment 496
Wills Valley Elem Sch
4111 Williams Ave Ne
ZIP: 35967
Primary
Total Enrollment 855
Sources :
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Info for Fort Payne Government Officials


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