Collinsville, AL

Collinsville sits in the Little Wills Valley of northeast Alabama, between Lookout Mountain and Big Ridge, with U.S. 11 running through town and I-59 about three miles away. The 2020 census counted 2,059 residents. The town spreads across DeKalb and Cherokee counties, and the valley setting gives its roads a clear north-south feel between Gadsden and Fort Payne. Koch Foods' poultry plant is a major workplace, making the town's weekday economy as visible as its weekend draw.

ATTRformulanone / CC BY-SA 2.0

Every Saturday, Collinsville Trade Day turns the south end of town into one of the South's largest outdoor markets. Antiques, tools, furniture, produce, clothes, and food vendors fill the grounds, and the event can bring thousands of visitors through the valley. Collinsville incorporated in 1887, and Collinsville Elementary and Collinsville High School serve local students. The town's everyday map is work, school, and U.S. 11; its Saturday map is stalls, shoppers, and the mountains framing the market. That mix gives Collinsville a footprint far larger than its population.