Fort Payne, AL Road Trips
Plan drives from Fort Payne, AL with practical route pages for distance, drive time, fuel cost, road character, and places to stop along the way.
Photo: Wikimedia Commons
Trip Routes
2
Longest Drive
264.3 mi
Dothan, AL
Quickest Drive
1h 41m
Madison, AL
Plan Around Fort Payne, AL
Popular Incoming Routes
Useful if Fort Payne, AL is the arrival point and you want the strongest routes into the city first.
Fort Payne, AL by the Numbers
Recent demographic snapshot from the US Census Bureau's American Community Survey.
Population
14,886
Median Income
$48,623
Median Home Value
$158,100
Median Age
39.3
Source: US Census Bureau ACS 5-year (public domain). See our methodology for details.
Fort Payne, AL at a Glance
Founded
1889
Elevation
906 ft
Area
56 mi²
Notable People from Fort Payne, AL
A sampling of people born in Fort Payne, AL.
Thomas H. Cook
1947
American writer
Katherine Stinson
1891–1977
American aviator
Philip Ober
1902–1982
American stage, film and television actor (1902-1982)
Tim Flock
1924–1998
American racecar driver (1924–1998)
Larry Nelson
1947
American professional golfer
Randy Owen
1949
American musician
Edward Anderson Stinson
1893–1932
American aviator (1893-1932)
Fonty Flock
1920–1972
racecar driver (1920-1972)
Jeff Cook
1949–2022
American country musician (1949–2022)
Landmarks & Historic Sites
Attractions and heritage-registered places located in Fort Payne, AL.
Fort Payne Boom Town Historic District
historic district in Alabama, United States
Fort Payne Residential Historic District
historic district in Alabama, United States
Fort Payne Main Street Historic District
historic district in Alabama, United States
Cherokee Plantation
Historic house and site
W. B. Davis Hosiery Mill
historic factory complex in Fort Payne, Alabama, USA
Fort Payne Opera House
theater and movie theater in Fort Payne, Alabama, United States
Fort Payne Depot Museum
railway station in Fort Payne, the United States of America
City data from Wikidata (Q79653), available under CC0. Photos from Wikimedia Commons under their respective licenses. See our methodology for details.
Traveler Guide to Fort Payne, AL
Fort Payne - is a small city in the northeast corner of Alabama with a population just under 13,000. It is the county seat and largest city in DeKalb County.
Originally Fort Payne was an important Cherokee village called Will's Town. In 1838 Captain John G. Payne selected the site to build a stockade to house Native Americans that would later be sent on the Trail of Tears. Fort Payne became the county seat of DeKalb County in 1878, and was incorporated in 1889. Fort Payne is known for the large number of sock mills in the area, and is sometimes referred to as the Sock Capital of the World. Fort Payne is in a valley bordered by Sand Mountain to the north and Lookout Mountain to the south. Visitor's can enjoy a variety of outdoor activities in the area.
Desoto State Park, 7104 DeSoto Parkway NE. Located on Lookout Mountain. Great location for hiking, camping, and enjoying the great outdoors. Little River Canyon National Preserve, 2141 Gault Ave N. Located just outside of town on Lookout Mountain. Great location for hiking. Opera House, 510 Gault Avenue N. Historic opera house built in 1889. For tours call 256-845-6888. Alabama Fan Club, 101 Glen Blvd SW. Fan club and museum dedicated to the country music band Alabama. Depot Museum, 105 5th St NE. The old Fort Payne train station now serves as a museum dedicated to the history of Fort Payne. Fort Payne Hosiery Museum, 514 Gault Ave N. Museum dedicated to the history of the sock industry in Fort Payne.
Popular outdoor activities include camping, hiking, fishing, hunting, birdwatching and skiing. Rock climbing is another popular activity which can be attempted at Buck's Pocket State Park, DeSoto State Park, or Little River Canyon National Preserve. Cloudmont Ski and Golf Resort.
New China Restaurant, 230 DeKalb Plaza Blvd. SW Santa Fe Cattle Co., 305 Ruby Tuesday Lane SW.
DeSoto State Park Lodge, 1299 Blalock Dr NE. You'll be quite close to nature here. +1 256-845-5380.
Isbell Field - 2200 Terminal Road. No commercial passenger service available. I-59 - connects Fort Payne with Chattanooga, TN to the northeast and Birmingham, AL to the southwest.
The best way to get around Fort Payne is by car.
Travel tips adapted from Fort Payne on Wikivoyage, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Content summarized; visit the source for the full article. See our methodology for how we use it.
Trips to Fort Payne, AL
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