Nestled in the foothills of the Appalachian Mountains, Huntsville combines small-town charms with a big-city atmosphere of scientific progress. The city contains 20 mountains with beautiful natural scenery, including Monte Sano Mountain. It has also been a hub for innovation and technology throughout history. Currently, the city is home to NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center and the Redstone Arsenal. About 197,000 people live in Huntsville today. Many of them work in the tech industry. Huntsville is known as a great place to live because it offers so many cutting-edge tech jobs in an area with a low cost of living.

Huntsville began making its name as a weapons tech developer during World War II. In 1941, the U.S. Army built the Huntsville Arsenal, the Redstone Ordnance Plant, and the Gulf Chemical Warfare Depot. Eventually, these three munitions plants fused to become Redstone Arsenal. Engineers at Redstone Arsenal produced the Redstone Rocket, America's first large ballistic missile. After that, Huntsville became a center for space technology. In 1960, the George C. Marshall Space Flight Center opened. The center's original purpose was to build Saturn boosters for the Apollo Lunar Landing Program. As a result, Huntsville became known as "The Rocket City." The Cummings Research Park also opened in Huntsville in the '60s. It is now the second-largest research park of its kind in the entire country.

Today, Huntsville locals can appreciate their city's technological history in museums. The U.S. Space & Rocket Center houses one of the world's largest collections of spacecraft on public display. It is also home to Space Camp and the Aviation Challenge, where children can learn about space exploration and robotics. At the U.S. Veterans Memorial Museum, visitors can see military technology from the Revolutionary War through the present day.

Besides museums, Huntsville has several public parks and natural sights for locals to explore. Hikers can enjoy trails through Monte Sano Mountain, Rainbow Mountain, Madkin Mountain, and many others. Rainbow Mountain even has caves, such as the Rainbow Pit Cave, which adventure-seekers can delve into. Green Mountain houses the Madison County Nature Trail, open to the public through all four seasons. The trail encircles Sky Lake, where people can fish for a small fee. The Huntsville Botanical Garden is also open year-round. It has a scenic aquatic garden, a wildflower nature trail, and the nation's largest butterfly house. The Children's Garden and Nature Center features eight specialty gardens for little ones to have fun in.

Huntsville also boasts a diverse nightlife and food scene. Pints & Pixels is a small, local version of Dave & Buster's, with food, cocktails, and arcade games for grown-ups. At Stand Up Live, locals enjoy drinks and top-notch comedy acts. The Wine Cellar offers paired wine and cheese tastings in a comfy, relaxed atmosphere. Local favorite restaurants include Ol' Heidelberg, Rosie's Mexican Cantina, and Pane e Vino Pizzeria.

Huntsville has another, less fun feature that homeowners have to think about: trees. Trees on your property need a lot of care, from regular pruning to fertilization and pest control. They can also be a pain to remove when they rot or fall down. LawnStarter can take care of all these problems for you. Simply download the LawnStarter app, enter your ZIP code, and describe the services you need. Then, we will match you with the best tree care pros in your area. These pros can maintain or remove your trees, so you have one less thing to worry about and more free time for having fun in Huntsville.