Transportation

Athens and Limestone County, Alabama are connected to the nation and the world through an easily accessed infrastructure of roads, airports, railways, and ports.

Limestone County offers industries quick access to major shipping routes in the Southeast. Most of the Southern United States is within 400 miles of Athens and Limestone County. The county is served by 30 truck transit lines, with seven lines located in Limestone County.
Visit the Alabama Department of Transportation website.

There are currently two Interstate-65 interchanges in Limestone County at U.S. Highway 31 (mile marker 354) and U.S. Highway 72 (mile marker 351). A third interchange is being constructed at mile marker 347, which will be Huntsville-Browns Ferry Road (Limestone County 24). The new interchange will provide quicker access to Interstate-65 for the McCallum Sweeney Consulting Certified Automotive Megasite, as well as other nearby industrial parks and sites.

Interstate-565 extends between Decatur and Huntsville, Alabama. The Huntsville International Airport and International Intermodal Center are located off of the Interstate and land and buildings are available within minutes from the major route.

Other major shipping routes in Athens and Limestone County, Alabama include U.S. Highway 72 and U.S. Highway 31. Highway 72 links Athens with Huntsville, Alabama and Chattanooga, Tennessee, as well as Florence, Alabama and Memphis, Tennessee.

Located at the Port of Huntsville in Huntsville, Alabama, the International Intermodal Center gives area industries the ability to ship and receive goods internationally. The Intermodal Center is a U.S. Customs Port of Entry, serviced by all major freight forwarders. Through the center, industries can receive, transfer, store, and distribute international and domestic cargo via air, rail, and highway.
Visit the International Intermodal Center website.

Limestone County, Alabama has a regional airport within the county for corporate and private aircraft, and is in close proximity to the Huntsville International Airport, as well as other major area airports.

Huntsville International Airport, located just outside Limestone County near Madison, Alabama, is serviced by most of the major airline carriers, offering non-stop flights to 10 cities in the United States. The airport offers one-stop international flights and also has hangars and services for corporate aircraft.
Visit the Huntsville International Airport website.

A former World War II pilot training facility, Pryor Field has a 6,100 foot lighted run way and serves both private and corporate aircraft. The airport is located in southern Limestone County.

Limestone County is located less than two hours from the Birmingham International Airport in Birmingham, Alabama and the Nashville International Airport in Nashville, Tennessee. Both airports offer one-stop international flights.

Two major railroads, CSX Transportation and Norfolk Southern Railway serve Athens, offering conventional transportation as well as piggyback service.

The Tennessee River gives Athens-Limestone County access to barge and river shipping. The nearest port facility is 13 miles from Athens. This river has links to the Tennessee-Tombigbee Waterway with networks that include the Ohio, upper Mississippi River, and Tennessee River System. The Tenn-Tom River saves about 750 miles on the trip to the Gulf of Mexico at Mobile.