The Morgan County Alabama map is best read as a set of connected corridors rather than one uniform county: Decatur anchors the Tennessee River and industrial north, Hartselle and Falkville define the older rail-and-U.S. 31 south, Priceville marks the I-65/Alabama 67 growth axis, Somerville and Eva orient the eastern uplands, and Trinity connects the county to the western industrial corridor. Wheeler Reservoir and the Appalachian foothills shape those relationships as strongly as the road network.
Table of Contents
Download the Morgan County map
The JPG separates the Decatur riverfront, the Hartselle–Falkville southern corridor, the Priceville–Somerville east, and the main road and water relationships across the county.
- Map file: Morgan County map
- File format: JPG
- Coverage: County boundary and selected labeled places
Quick Facts
| State | Alabama |
|---|---|
| County | Morgan County |
| County seat | Decatur |
| 2025 population estimate | 126,483 |
| 2020 census population | 123,421 |
| 2020 land area | 579.67 sq mi |
| 2020 population density | 212.9 per sq mi |
| Main routes | I-65, I-565, U.S. 31, U.S. 231, AL 20, AL 24, AL 36, AL 67 |
| Major water | Tennessee River and Wheeler Reservoir |
| Incorporated cities and towns | Decatur, Hartselle, Eva, Falkville, Priceville, Somerville, Trinity |
The U.S. Census Bureau estimates 126,483 residents as of July 1, 2025, 2.5 percent above the 2020 estimates base of 123,439. The 2020 census counted 123,421 residents, compared with 119,490 in 2010. Morgan County is therefore a moderate-growth county within the larger Huntsville–Decatur economic region rather than a stagnant rural county.
The county covers 579.67 square miles of land and had a 2020 density of 212.9 people per square mile. Mean travel time to work was 24.9 minutes in 2020–2024, which fits a county where commuting extends beyond Decatur toward Huntsville, Limestone County, Cullman County, and the I-65 corridor.
What the Map Shows
Decatur is the county seat, largest city, and the defining Tennessee River center. U.S. 31, Alabama 20 and 24, rail yards, river crossings, and the I-565 approach converge here, concentrating county government, industry, freight movement, and urban services in the north.
Hartselle is the second major city and belongs to a different geography. It was established beside the South and North Alabama Railroad around 1870, and its downtown still follows the rail-and-U.S. 31 corridor rather than a riverfront pattern.
Priceville sits about ten miles southeast of Decatur where I-65 meets Alabama 67. The city describes itself as the Crossroads of North Alabama, and its proximity to Huntsville and the international airport gives it a growth profile tied to commuting, highway access, and new residential development.
Somerville is an east-central small town beyond the immediate I-65 edge. Alabama 67 and county roads branch from this area toward Eva, Arab, and the eastern uplands, making Somerville a useful orientation point for the less urbanized side of Morgan County.
Eva marks the southeastern uplands near the Cullman and Marshall County directions. Its significance is geographic rather than metropolitan: it represents the transition from the Tennessee Valley floor into a more rolling rural landscape.
Falkville lies on the southern I-65/U.S. 31 corridor close to Cullman County. Compared with Hartselle, it is more directly exposed to interstate travel and southbound freight, giving southern Morgan County a stronger highway orientation.
Trinity anchors the western side between Decatur and Lawrence County. Alabama 20/U.S. 72 Alternate, rail infrastructure, and nearby industrial land connect it to the western Tennessee Valley manufacturing corridor rather than the eastern Huntsville commute zone.
County Layout and Location
Morgan County lies in north-central Alabama immediately south of the Tennessee River. Limestone and Madison counties are across or northeast of the river system, Marshall County is to the east, Cullman County to the south, and Lawrence County to the west.
I-65 is the strongest north-south regional route. It passes the Priceville and Falkville side of the county and links Morgan County directly with the Huntsville approach to the north and Cullman–Birmingham travel to the south.
I-565 forms the eastbound connection from the Decatur area toward Huntsville. Its presence is central to understanding why eastern Morgan County, especially the Priceville side, participates in the Huntsville employment and airport corridor.
U.S. 31 connects Decatur, Hartselle, and Falkville through their established urban centers. Although I-65 carries much of the through traffic, U.S. 31 remains the better route for reading how the older towns line up within the county.
Alabama 20/U.S. 72 Alternate creates the western Decatur–Trinity–Lawrence County axis, while Alabama 67 creates the Priceville–Somerville–Marshall County axis to the east. Those two routes separate the western industrial orientation from the eastern residential and commuter orientation.
The Tennessee River limits the number of direct northbound crossings. Decatur bridge approaches and the I-65 crossing channel traffic into a few fixed points, so apparent proximity to Limestone or Madison County does not always translate into a short drive.
Local Context
Morgan County traces its official records to 1819, when the county was known as Cotaco County. The Morgan County Archives identifies that year as the beginning of the county’s recorded history, and Decatur later became the enduring courthouse and records center.
Decatur developed first as a Tennessee River crossing. The city records that the settlement was renamed Decatur in 1820 and incorporated in 1826, with fertile river-valley land and water access attracting early settlement.
Rail transportation transformed the same location. In 1836 Decatur became the eastern terminus of the first railroad west of the Appalachian Mountains, joining river and rail transport in one place and establishing the industrial logic that still shapes the city.
Wheeler Reservoir is the dominant water body along the county’s northern edge. TVA lists 67,070 acres of water surface and 1,027 miles of shoreline across the reservoir, making the Decatur riverfront part of a much larger managed Tennessee River system.
Wheeler National Wildlife Refuge adds a second layer to that water geography. Established in 1938, the roughly 35,000-acre refuge includes deep river channels, tributary creeks, tupelo swamps, backwater embayments, bottomland hardwoods, pine uplands, and agricultural fields.
The refuge is managed specifically for migratory wildlife as well as habitat diversity. Large wintering populations of ducks, geese, and sandhill cranes use the area, along with a smaller number of endangered whooping cranes, making the Decatur–Priceville floodplain both an industrial and conservation landscape.
Hartselle illustrates a different transportation era. The town was placed beside the South and North Alabama Railroad and even shifted its original site because the first location was impractical for a station, leaving a downtown form strongly tied to the railroad.
Priceville illustrates the next transportation shift. Its growth accelerated after I-65 was built, and the city now emphasizes its location at I-65 and Alabama 67 with quick access to Huntsville International Airport. Morgan County therefore contains river, rail, Interstate, and commuter-driven settlement patterns within one compact area.
Ways to Use This Map
Begin with the Tennessee River and Decatur, then follow U.S. 31 south through Hartselle to Falkville. That sequence establishes the county seat, the older rail towns, and the southern I-65 corridor in one view.
Next place Priceville at the I-65/Alabama 67 junction and continue east toward Somerville and Eva. This separates the Huntsville-facing growth corridor from the older Decatur–Hartselle spine.
Finally, add Wheeler Reservoir and Wheeler National Wildlife Refuge along the north and Trinity on the west. The resulting pattern explains how water, wetlands, industrial land, foothills, and highway access divide Morgan County into several recognizable subregions.
- Use Decatur as the county-government, Tennessee River, rail, and industrial anchor.
- Trace Hartselle and Falkville along the U.S. 31/rail/I-65 southern corridor.
- Read Priceville, Somerville, and Eva as the Alabama 67 and Huntsville-facing eastern side.
- Use Trinity to orient the western Alabama 20/Lawrence County industrial corridor.
- Overlay Wheeler Reservoir and Wheeler NWR to explain the northern water, wetland, and floodplain landscape.
FAQ
Why should Priceville be read separately from Decatur even though Decatur is the county center?
Decatur is the traditional county-seat, river, rail, and industrial center. Priceville grew around a different system: I-65, Alabama 67, Huntsville commuting, and airport access. Reading both locations together reveals the shift from older river-and-rail geography toward Interstate-driven growth.
Are Wheeler Reservoir and Wheeler National Wildlife Refuge the same place?
No. Wheeler Reservoir is the much larger TVA-managed Tennessee River impoundment, while Wheeler National Wildlife Refuge is a roughly 35,000-acre federal refuge that overlaps parts of the reservoir and surrounding floodplain. Their boundaries and management purposes are different.
Why do Hartselle and Decatur have different urban forms even though they are close?
Decatur grew from a Tennessee River crossing and later a major rail junction, while Hartselle was deliberately established beside a railroad station inland. Decatur therefore emphasizes river crossings, industrial waterfronts, and large transport nodes; Hartselle’s historic core follows the rail corridor and U.S. 31.
Related Alabama County Maps
Sources
- U.S. Census Bureau QuickFacts
- Morgan County official communities
- Morgan County Archives
- City of Decatur history
- City of Hartselle history
- City of Priceville official information
- TVA Wheeler Reservoir
- U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service Wheeler NWR
Green Map creates custom-edited map images using open geographic data sources such as geoBoundaries, Natural Earth, OpenStreetMap, and government open data.
These maps are edited visual materials, not raw data files, and are provided for education, documents, presentations, and graphic reference.
