Moving from Norfolk and Hampton Roads to Huntsville and Redstone Arsenal

Moving from Naval Station Norfolk or elsewhere in Hampton Roads to Redstone Arsenal? This guide covers the drive, how the climate and costs compare, how Virginia and Alabama taxes differ, and the Alabama deadlines that start when you arrive.

Naval Station Norfolk sits in the Sewell's Point area of Norfolk, and the Navy describes it as the largest naval complex in the world.^[1] Distances and city data on this page use downtown Norfolk and the Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk metro area.

Quick facts: Norfolk, Va. vs. Huntsville

The drive: Norfolk, Va. to Huntsville

The fastest route we computed goes west on I-64 past Richmond, then south on I-81 through western Virginia into Tennessee, west on I-40 to Knoxville, south on I-75 to Chattanooga, and on to US-72 into Huntsville.^[2] Compare it with other routes in a live maps app for current traffic, construction and weather. If you're moving under orders, check what your travel entitlements cover before you plan stops.^[6]

Many families split it over two days, with a stop in southwest Virginia or around Knoxville. You can search hotels along your route on Expedia. For your first nights in North Alabama, compare Huntsville hotels on Hotels.com (affiliate link: we may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you; see our disclosure). Book refundable rooms if your pickup or delivery dates might still change.

Cost of living: Huntsville vs. Norfolk, Va.

The Bureau of Economic Analysis publishes Regional Price Parities (RPPs), which compare price levels across metro areas (U.S. average = 100). In 2024, overall prices were about 5% higher in the Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk metro than in Huntsville (93.1 vs. 97.9). Housing costs ran about 28% higher in Norfolk, Va. (99.8 vs. 77.9).^[5] RPPs are metro-wide averages and lag by about two years, so check current rents and listings for the neighborhoods you're considering.

Weather and climate

Huntsville is inland and higher, slightly warmer on average and a bit wetter. Norfolk's airport averages 61.6°F and 49.18 inches of precipitation a year; Huntsville's averages 62.9°F and 54.29 inches. Snowfall averages 6.2 inches in Norfolk and 2.4 inches in Huntsville (NOAA 1991-2020 normals). North Alabama also gets severe storms and tornadoes, so learn tornado safety and sign up for alerts from the National Weather Service Huntsville office.^[3,4,7,8]

Taxes: Alabama vs. Virginia

Active-duty members' state of legal residence, and military spouses' tax residency, follow federal rules such as the SCRA and the Military Spouses Residency Relief Act, so a PCS to Alabama doesn't automatically change your tax home. Start with Military OneSource's tax resources or free MilTax help.^[16] This is general information, not tax advice.

When you get to Huntsville

1. Before you leave: contact the Redstone Army Community Service Relocation Readiness Program as soon as you have orders (3443 Aerobee Road; Mon 1–4 p.m., Tue–Fri 7:30 a.m.–4 p.m.).^[17,18] Military members can set up household goods in DPS and build a checklist in Plan My Move.^[19,20]
2. Getting on post: DoD ID holders are enrolled automatically at their first gate scan, and family without DoD IDs register at the Visitor Control Center.^[21] Only Gate 9 is open 24/7; see Redstone Arsenal gate hours by gate.
3. Housing: choose your gate and building first, then compare neighborhoods near Redstone Arsenal, on-post housing and the waitlist, and how BAH works for Redstone.
4. Schools and child care: start with the school districts guide and Redstone child care.
5. Within 30 days: new Alabama residents must get an Alabama driver's license within 30 days, and an out-of-state vehicle must be registered within 30 days of entering the state. Active-duty members may keep their home-state registration. Details are in our car registration and license guide.^[22,23,24]
6. Then: work through the first-90-days checklist and sign up for severe-weather alerts. NWS Huntsville says March through May is the busiest severe-weather season, with a second peak in November (Huntsville tornado guide).^[25,8]