City (pop., 2000: 158,216), northern Alabama, U.S. Originally called Twickenham, it was the first community in Alabama to be granted a city charter, in 1811.
It was the site of Alabama's first constitutional convention (1819) and served briefly as the state capital. Settled around Big Spring (still used as a water supply), it is a commercial centre for hay, cotton, corn, and tobacco. The George C. Marshall Space Flight Center and the University of Alabama in Huntsville (1950) are located there.