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 and Mobile, as well as Chattanooga and New Orleans.

Throughout the 20th century, the city experienced steady growth but was eclipsed as the regional economic center by the fast-growing Huntsville during the space race.

Decatur now finds its economy heavily based on manufacturing, mining, cargo transit, chemical, and high-tech companies such as Vulcan Materials,[9] Daikin,[10] Toray,[11] and United Launch Alliance.

[14] Because of its location on the Tennessee River at the strategically important crossing of two major railroads, Decatur was the site of several encounters during the American Civil War.

When the Union Army occupied the city early in the war, the commanding general ordered all but four buildings in the town to be destroyed.

"[citation needed] While the city was under Confederate control, plans for the Battle of Shiloh were mapped out within the Burleson-Hinds-McEntire House.

The Decatur Kiwanis Club was formed with an equal number of members from each town to organize efforts to get the state to build the bridge.

The first wave pool in the United States was built in Decatur and is still in operation at the Point Mallard Aquatic Center.

The city extends to the other side of Flint Creek and the Refuge in the Indian Hills and Burningtree subdivision areas.

This hill allows the "Steamboat Bill" Memorial Bridge to leave the mainland at grade without any major sloping required to cross the river while not interfering with Decatur's heavy barge traffic.

Autumn, which spans from mid-September to early-December, tends to be similar to spring in terms of temperature and precipitation, although it begins relatively dry.

These storms can produce damaging winds and large hail in addition to the usual hazards of lightning and very heavy rain.

Occasionally from July to October, the Decatur area experiences strong winds and/or heavy to excessive rain from tropical disturbances.

The Port of Decatur sees large amounts of barge traffic from up and down the Tennessee River, which has led to twelve Fortune 500 companies opening plants in the city.

Major employers include General Electric, 3M, Wayne Farms, United Launch Alliance, Nucor, Bunge Limited, Daikin, Hyosung, Ascend Performance Materials, and the Tennessee Valley Authority.

[25] Decatur is also known as the "Home of Meow Mix", after the company bought a 200,000-square-foot (19,000 m2) facility in town, and now utilizes its riverfront property to ship the finished product up and down the Tennessee River.

[citation needed] A recent BRAC Base realignment will bring a population, conservatively estimated at 5,000−10,000 people (not including their families), to the area surrounding Redstone Arsenal.

[citation needed] Approval of the United Launch Alliance combined Lockheed-Martin and Boeing's rocket manufacturing contracts to a central location at the plant in Decatur.

[26] In March 2008, a $1.3 billion development, including a Bass Pro Shops was announced for the Interstate 65/Interstate 565 interchange inside the city limits.

Research from the Franklin Center for Government and Public Integrity suggests that the economic impact of Bass Pro Shops is typically limited despite the large subsidies the company often receives.

2018 saw the opening of the Cook Museum of Natural Science located at 133 Fourth Avenue NE Decatur, Alabama 35601 and showcases a wide variety of native animal and plant species within a state of the art facility.

The current members are: There are also many boards and commissions run by the city, supervising schools, planning, downtown development, and so on.

Past Decatur mayors include:[citation needed] In city elections (preliminary) on August 23, 2016, the preliminary election resulted in runoff of Don Kyle and Tab Bowling for Mayor with Jeremy Goforth, Reggie Jackson and Butch Matthews not receiving enough vote to make the runoff.

6th Avenue begins as both U.S. 72 Alternate and U.S. 31, and the two routes split after being carried by the twin-span "Steamboat Bill" Hudson Memorial Bridge that crosses the Tennessee River at the north central part of town.

The North Central Alabama Regional Council of Governments operates NARCOG Transit, which provides demand-response service in the city.

The Public Safety annex is located at 4119 Old Highway 31 in the Flint Community at the south end of the city and houses the Fire Department's administrative offices.

[citation needed] Decatur Fire & Rescue is an Advanced Life Support, full service department consisting of approx.

Decatur General is accredited by the Joint Commission and its medical staff consists of more than 200 physicians representing 20 specialties.

Decatur General Hospital is designated as a level two trauma center by the Alabama Department of Public Health.