Huntsville, AL Metro Area
The Huntsville, AL metro area is made up of 2 counties in Alabama: Madison and Limestone. About 556,444 people lived there on July 1, 2025 (Census estimate), 13.2% more than in April 2020.
- Population, July 2025
- 556,444 13.2% more than in April 2020
- Type
- Metropolitan statistical area
- Counties
- 2, both central
- Land area
- 1,365 sq mi (3,535 km²)
- Time zone
- Central TimeUTC-06:00 in January; UTC-05:00 in July
- State
- Alabama
- Combined statistical area
- Huntsville-Decatur-Albertville, AL-TN
- CBSA code
- 26620
Counties in the Huntsville, AL metro area, largest first
| County | Role | Population, July 2025 | Share of the area |
|---|---|---|---|
| Madison County | Central | 433,516 | 77.9% |
| Limestone County | Central | 122,928 | 22.1% |
A central county holds the area’s core, an urban area of at least 50,000 people. This area has no outlying counties: no neighboring county sends enough commuters to join it. A county belongs to one metro or micro area at most, and it counts whole, countryside included.
Principal city
- Huntsville222,791 people
OMB names the area after its largest principal cities. A principal city is the area’s largest city, plus any other city that is very large or a big job center, and smaller ones with at least as many jobs as working residents (2020 Census and commuting figures). People counts are American Community Survey 2020–2024 5-year estimates.
Part of the Huntsville-Decatur-Albertville, AL-TN combined statistical area
OMB joins neighboring metro and micro areas into a combined statistical area when enough people commute between them. The other 4 areas in this one, largest first:
- Decatur, AL Metro Area160,326 people
- Albertville, AL Micro Area103,537 people
- Fort Payne, AL Micro Area74,085 people
- Fayetteville, TN Micro Area36,853 people
Bordering metro and micro areas, nearest first
Areas with a county on this area’s edge. Distances are straight lines between the areas’ largest cities.
- Decatur, AL Metro Area20 mi southwest
- Fayetteville, TN Micro Area32 mi north
- Scottsboro, AL Micro Area36 mi east
- Albertville, AL Micro Area40 mi southeast
- Florence-Muscle Shoals, AL Metro Area57 mi west
Before using this answer on a form
A metro or micro area is a statistical area that OMB draws for federal statistics. It is not a city, a local government or a mailing address, and it is not a measure of urban and rural: whole counties count, rural parts included. Programs that use metro areas, such as housing income limits or wage rates, can use their own version of these lists; check the program’s own list for an address.
Find the metro area where you are now, find your county, or see every metro and micro area by population.