Woodville was settled about 1815 by Henry Derrick[3] and is the oldest town in Jackson County.

The surrounding area was the site of considerable guerrilla warfare and small actions during the American Civil War, including the Skirmish at Paint Rock Bridge.

U.S. Route 72, which intersects SR 35 in the southern part of Woodville, connects the town with Scottsboro to the east and Huntsville to the west.

The Cumberland Plateau rises just north of Woodville, and the Paint Rock River passes just to the west.

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 6.7 square miles (17 km2), all land.

The racial makeup of the town was 96.98% White, 1.71% Native American, 0.13% Asian, and 1.18% from two or more races.