Which neighborhood is "best" depends on which gate and building you'll commute to, your school district, and your budget. Start with the gates, then look at areas.
We are not a real estate service and don't recommend agents or listings, and we don't sell referrals. Use this page to narrow down areas, then do your own research.
Jump to the comparison tables: drive time to Gate 9, rent and home values, and BAH vs. rent.
Start with the gates
Official Redstone Arsenal gate hours as of October 24, 2026:[1]
| Gate | Hours (closed federal holidays unless noted) |
|---|---|
| Gate 9, Rideout Road (main gate) | Open 24/7. The Visitor Control Center is on the way to Gate 9. |
| Gate 1, Martin Road (East) | 5:30 a.m.-1 p.m.; outbound only 1:30-9 p.m., Mon-Fri |
| Gate 3, Redstone Road | 6-9 a.m., Mon-Fri |
| Gate 7, Martin Road (West) | 5:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m.; outbound only 1:30-9 p.m., Mon-Fri |
| Gate 8, Goss Road (Drake Ave. & Patton Rd.) | 1:45-9 p.m. Mon-Fri; 5:30 a.m.-9 p.m. Sat-Sun |
| Gate 10, Patton Road | 5:30 a.m.-9 p.m., Mon-Fri |
Because only Gate 9 is open around the clock, shift workers and anyone arriving after the morning should plan routes through it. Gate hours change, so check the current hours before you sign a lease.
Drive time to Gate 9
Gate 9 is the only gate open around the clock, so it's the fairest common yardstick. We measured from a fixed point in each community to Gate 9 with an open-source routing engine.[2,3] Rush hour, school zones and the line at the gate will add time. Drive your real route at your real shift time before you sign anything.
| Starting point | Distance | Drive time, no traffic |
|---|---|---|
| Madison (City Hall) | 6.8 mi | ≈12 min |
| Downtown Huntsville | 6.5 mi | ≈11 min |
| South Huntsville (Whitesburg Dr. at Airport Rd.) | 9.0 mi | ≈16 min |
| Hampton Cove (Hampton Cove Elementary) | 15.3 mi | ≈25 min |
| Harvest (Census place center) | 15.5 mi | ≈21 min |
| Hazel Green (Census place center) | 20.1 mi | ≈27 min |
| Meridianville (Census place center) | 16.8 mi | ≈24 min |
| Athens (Limestone County Courthouse) | 22.6 mi | ≈33 min |
| Decatur (City Hall) | 21.1 mi | ≈27 min |
Your building matters as much as your town. Commuters from South Huntsville and Hampton Cove may use Gate 1 or Gate 7 on Martin Road in the morning. Those gates have limited hours (see the table above).[1]
Compare the towns: rent, home values and income
These are official Census Bureau survey estimates covering 2020–2024. They are five-year averages, so today's prices are probably higher, but they're the best apples-to-apples comparison across towns.[4,5]
| Place | Population | Median home value | Median gross rent | Household income | Avg. commute (min) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Madison (city) | 60,106 | $398,800 ±12,889 | $1,453 ±56 | $134,655 | 20.2 |
| Huntsville (city)* | 222,791 | $293,600 ±8,403 | $1,171 ±24 | $74,714 | 19.7 |
| Harvest (CDP) | 5,955 | $281,300 ±34,088 | $1,236† ±798 | $101,910 | 26.0 |
| Meridianville (CDP) | 11,150 | $291,900 ±12,338 | $1,348† ±633 | $97,434 | 25.2 |
| Moores Mill (CDP) | 6,378 | $274,000 ±16,399 | $1,288† ±381 | $96,774 | 23.1 |
| Hazel Green (CDP) | 3,940 | $230,800 ±16,448 | $992† ±154 | $86,271 | 25.9 |
| Athens (city) | 29,002 | $270,000 ±18,606 | $899 ±89 | $69,922 | 24.6 |
| Decatur (city) | 57,361 | $210,200 ±8,614 | $896 ±56 | $61,563 | 21.1 |
“Avg. commute” is the Census mean travel time to work: the average one-way trip for all workers who live in each place, to any job. It isn't specific to Redstone.
BAH vs. rent near Redstone
Basic Allowance for Housing is set by duty-station ZIP code, pay grade and dependency status, so look up your exact rate in the official DoD BAH calculator.[6] For 2026, DoD says BAH rates rose an average of 4.2% nationwide, effective January 1, 2026. BAH keeps a member cost-sharing element of five percent of the national average housing cost for each pay grade, which works out to $93 to $212 a month depending on grade and dependency status. Under individual rate protection, a member who keeps uninterrupted BAH eligibility at the same location won't see their rate go down.[7]
To sanity-check your BAH against the local market, compare it with HUD's Fair Market Rents for the Huntsville and Decatur metros.[8]
| Area | Studio | 1 BR | 2 BR | 3 BR | 4 BR |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Huntsville metro (Madison & Limestone counties) | $1,030 | $1,136 | $1,310 | $1,690 | $2,109 |
| Decatur metro (Morgan & Lawrence counties) | $755 | $776 | $961 | $1,262 | $1,550 |
We don't publish BAH dollar figures we can't confirm from the official DoD tables. Third-party BAH sites sometimes lag or contain errors, so always confirm in the DTMO calculator. ACS median gross rent includes utilities, as HUD FMRs do. City-level medians: Madison $1,453, Huntsville $1,171, Athens $899, Decatur $896 a month.[4]
Areas people commonly consider
Published commute estimates from local relocation guides are listed below for comparison. Treat every estimate as a starting point.
Madison (City of Madison)
A separate city west of Huntsville along I-565, with its own school district (Madison City Schools). Local guides commonly estimate about 15 to 25 minutes to the arsenal.[9,10] Schools: Madison City Schools.[11]
South Huntsville
Established neighborhoods south of downtown along Memorial Parkway, east of the arsenal, near the Martin Road and Redstone Road gates (Gates 1 and 3), which keep limited hours. Mostly served by Huntsville City Schools; check your address.[12]
Hampton Cove / Owens Cross Roads
Southeast of Huntsville, past Monte Sano. Larger master-planned areas. Published estimates run about 20 to 30 minutes to the gates.[9] School zoning varies by address.
Harvest, Monrovia and Meridianville
Unincorporated Madison County north and northwest of Huntsville (Harvest and Monrovia) and north along US-231/431 (Meridianville). These areas have newer subdivisions and are generally served by Madison County Schools; check your zone.[13]
Athens (Limestone County)
The Limestone County seat, west of Huntsville via I-565/I-65. Served by Athens City Schools inside city limits and Limestone County Schools outside them.[14,15]
Decatur (Morgan County)
Southwest of the arsenal across the Tennessee River. Served by Decatur City Schools inside the city. Plan your route to an open gate carefully.[16]
How to choose
- Find out your building and which gate you'll use, and your shift times.
- Check the gate's hours (above) and drive the route at rush hour.
- Look up the school zone with the district, then read the state report card. See schools.
- Compare housing costs yourself. For overall price levels, see cost of living.
- Ask Redstone ACS Relocation Readiness about on- and off-post housing options.[17]
Frequently asked questions
Which Redstone Arsenal gate is open 24 hours?
Is Madison, AL, a separate city from Huntsville?
What school district serves Harvest, AL?
Sources
Facts on this page were checked against these sources on October 24, 2026. Rules, hours and figures change, so confirm with the official source before you act.
- Redstone Arsenal: Visitor Information (gate hours, access policy)
- OSRM open-source routing engine (driving route estimate, computed Oct 24, 2026)
- OpenStreetMap (Gate 9 and town-center coordinates; © OpenStreetMap contributors)
- U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates (tables B01003, B19013, B25064, B25077, B08013, B08303), retrieved via Census Reporter
- U.S. Census Bureau: American Community Survey (about the data and margins of error)
- Defense Travel Management Office: BAH rate lookup (official calculator)
- Department of War (DoD) release, Dec. 11, 2025: 2026 Basic Allowance for Housing rates
- HUD USER: Fair Market Rents, FY2026 (Huntsville, AL MSA and Decatur, AL MSA)
- VeteranPCS: Best neighborhoods near Redstone Arsenal (published commute estimates)
- Jonesing Realty: Redstone Arsenal relocation (published commute estimates)
- Madison City Schools
- Huntsville City Schools
- Madison County Schools
- Athens City Schools
- Limestone County Schools
- Decatur City Schools
- Redstone Arsenal MWR: Relocation Readiness extra support (school liaison, housing, finances)