Dothan, AL Summary

photo by gusto

Dothan is a city of some 56,000 people located in the southeastern corner of Alabama, some 96 miles southeast of Montgomery. It has a fine museum and it serves as a good base for exploring the abundant natural attractions of the entire region.

The surrounding area was formerly inhabited by the Alibamu and Creek tribes. The first Europeans in the area were loggers. Cotton plantations followed, and Dothan was incorporated in 1885.

When the boll weevil wreaked havoc on the cotton crops, planters switched to peanuts and Houston County now supplies about a quarter of the nation’s groundnuts.

The National Peanut Festival starts on the first weekend in November.

The Dothan Visitor Center supplies a brochure outlining the many gardens of distinction to visit during the Azalea-Dogwood Trail and Festival in March. The town’s cultural centerpiece is the Wiregrass Museum of Art. Three miles north of town is Landmark Park where visitors will find a demonstration farm depicting a working day in the 1890s, wildlife exhibits, and hiking trails that lead into the woods. Northwest of Dothan is Fort Rucker. Its Army Aviation Museum houses the world’s largest collection of helicopters.

Situated at the intersection of Hwys 431, 84, and 231, Dothan has a small airport and a bus station.