Athens

Athens: Limestone county courthouse

Athens, city, seat (1819) of Limestone county, northern Alabama, U.S., in the Tennessee River valley, about 25 miles (40 km) west of Huntsville. Settled in 1807 and named for Athens, Greece, it grew as an agricultural and timber centre. During the American Civil War, the town was occupied at intervals by Union troops until recaptured by Confederate General Nathan Bedford Forrest in 1864. Cotton dominated the economy until 1934, when power from the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) encouraged industrial development.

Cotton is still an important part of the economy, and manufacturing (including automotive parts and office furniture) and poultry processing have become major factors. Browns Ferry Nuclear Plant is southwest of Athens on the Tennessee River. Athens State University was founded in 1822, originally as a female academy. Joe Wheeler State Park is west of the city. The Tennessee Valley Old-Time Fiddlers Convention is held in October. Inc. 1818. Pop. (2000) 18,967; (2010) 21,897.