Fort Payne is a city in DeKalb County, Alabama, home to about 14,927 people across 56 square miles. Its ZIP codes are 35967 and 35968, and parts of 35984 are in Fort Payne too.
Homes sold for a median of $157 per square foot across 2 ZIP codes in the three months ending August 2026, and 0 of 2 were seller’s markets.
Mostly Fort Payne
Mostly Fort Payne; also Pine Ridge and Rainsville
Mostly Mentone; part is in Fort Payne
Each card is that ZIP code’s whole market, including any part outside Fort Payne. Seller’s market: under 4 months of supply; buyer’s market: over 6. Methodology
We’re writing up Fort Payne’s story and what everyday life there is like, for people thinking about moving in.
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| Nearest major airport | Birmingham-Shuttlesworth International Airport (BHM)85 miles away |
|---|---|
| Closer regional airport | Chattanooga Metropolitan Airport (Lovell Field) (CHA)50 miles away |
| Nearest city of 250,000+ | Atlanta, GA88 miles away |
| Nearest city of 1 million+ | Chicago, IL521 miles away |
Straight-line distances from the center of Fort Payne; driving is longer.
Source: Airports from OurAirports (scheduled passenger service); city centers and populations from the U.S. Census Bureau.
Source: Members of Congress from the congress-legislators project; districts from the Census Bureau’s relationship files; governor and mayor from Wikidata.
Fort Payne had 14,877 residents in the 2020 census, up 15% since 2000.
It’s the 49th largest of 591 towns in Alabama by population.
DeKalb County grew from 23,558 residents in 1900 to 71,608 in 2020.
DeKalb County, 1900–2020
Source: U.S. Census Bureau decennial censuses (counties 1900–1990 from the Bureau’s historical county file).
Average highs peak around 91°F in summer, and winter lows average 32°F. About 58.1 inches of rain and melted snow fall in a typical year.
Source: NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals, Ft Payne, AL weather station (about a mile away).
20,004 jobs at 1,165 businesses in DeKalb County. The biggest industries by employees:
Source: U.S. Census Bureau County Business Patterns 2023 (private employers; jobs counted where people work).
191 doctors and other health care providers list an office in Fort Payne’s ZIP codes.
Nearest hospitals
Providers with an office here
| Primary care doctors | 27 |
|---|---|
| Specialist doctors | 26 |
| Dentists | 12 |
| Nurse practitioners and physician assistants | 59 |
| Mental health providers | 37 |
| Physical and occupational therapists | 21 |
| Optometrists | 6 |
| Chiropractors | 3 |
| Pharmacies | 8 |
Source: Hospitals from CMS Hospital General Information (ratings are CMS overall star ratings); straight-line distances; providers from the CMS National Plan and Provider Enumeration System (NPPES), by practice address and primary specialty.
Parks (11 nearby)
Grocery stores (4 nearby)
Pharmacies (2 nearby)
Libraries (1 nearby)
Museums (2 nearby)
Theaters and performance venues (2 nearby)
Counts are within about 5 miles of the center of town.
Source: Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors (openstreetmap.org/copyright), as mapped by volunteers; it can miss places or include closed ones.
Established in 1889.
Notable people born here
Source: Wikidata (wikidata.org), the free knowledge base; people are listed by place of birth.
Public schools here are run by DeKalb County, Fort Payne City. Check each district’s attendance zones for a specific address.
| School | Grades | Students | Type | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ruhuma Junior High SchoolFt Payne | Pre-K–8 | 175 | Public | 6.4 mi |
| Williams Avenue Elementary SchoolFort Payne | Pre-K | 131 | Public | 1.0 mi |
| Wills Valley Elementary SchoolFort Payne | K–2 | 738 | Public | 3.4 mi |
| Little Ridge Intermediate SchoolFort Payne | 3–5 | 792 | Public | 4.4 mi |
| Alternative SchoolFort Payne | 5–12 | — | Alternative Education | 1.4 mi |
| Fort Payne Middle SchoolFort Payne | 6–8 | 741 | Public | 4.3 mi |
| Fort Payne High SchoolFort Payne | 9–12 | 1,106 | Public | 3.9 mi |
Source: U.S. Department of Education, NCES: Common Core of Data (2024-2025) for public schools. Listed by address; we don’t rate schools.
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Shares ZIP codes with Pine Ridge, Mentone, Rainsville, Sylvania and Henagar.
Town boundaries don’t always match ZIP codes: a ZIP code can cross into neighboring towns, and a town can share a ZIP code with its neighbors. Facts describe the town itself; market figures describe whole ZIP codes.