Interstate 65 in Alabama

Interstate 65 (I-65) meanders across 366 miles (589 km) of the Alabama countryside linking six of the state's 10 largest cities. The highway links together many important roadways that make commerce inside and outside of the state's boundaries possible. It starts at I-10 near Mobile. The route passes through or near the major cities of Montgomery, Birmingham, Decatur, Huntsville, and Athens before entering Tennessee in the north near the town of Ardmore, Alabama.

The entire Alabama portion of I-65 is dedicated as Heroes Highway in honor of Central Intelligence Agency officer Johnny Micheal Spann and all of the people who died during the September 11 attacks.

I-65 starts its northward journey in Mobile as a three-lane freeway at a directional T interchange with I-10 not far from the Gulf of Mexico. From there, it runs northeast, intersecting with I-165 in Prichard. At exit 13 in Saraland, the Interstate transitions from three to two lanes. The highway next crosses the Mobile–Tensaw River Delta at the General W.K. Wilson Jr. Bridge. En route to Montgomery, it passes county seats Evergreen (Conecuh County) and Greenville (Butler County). In the case of a hurricane evacuation on Alabama's coast, I-65 can be converted to an evacuation route where all lanes flow in the northbound direction from Mobile to Montgomery. This process is known as contraflow. The terrain on this stretch of road is slightly hilly, aside from a stretch in southern Conecuh County near Castleberry, where the road is slightly mountainous as it descends over 400 feet (120 m) into the southern plains of Alabama.

As the I-65 approaches the Montgomery city limits, the Hyundai Motor Company's automotive plant can be found just off freeway. It can be accessed using the Pintlala–Hope Hull exit (exit 164). After entering the city limits, I-65 intersects U.S. Route 80 (US 80, exit 167; which leads to Selma toward the west) where the Interstate gains an additional lane for a total of three lanes in each direction. Further on, it intersects the southern terminus of I-85 and crosses the Alabama River north of the city. At exit 181, which provide access to Prattville and Wetumpka, I-65's lanes drop to two.

At Chilton County, I-65 enters the Birmingham metropolitan area. Approximately halfway between Montgomery and Birmingham, it passes Clanton, the county seat, where the water tower, visible from the road, is shaped and painted to resemble a huge peach. Between exit 212 (State Route 145 (SR 145)) and exit 219 (County Road 42), I-65 was designated "War on Terror Memorial Highway" in 2014.

I-65 junctions with US 31 (exit 238) in Alabaster, where the Interstate carries three to four lanes until I-20/I-59. I-65 intersects I-459 in Hoover, then passes through the cities of Vestavia Hills and Homewood, which often generate heavy traffic. As the Interstate passes by downtown Birmingham, southbound travelers have a view of the Vulcan statue atop Red Mountain. At the north edge of downtown, I-65 reaches the I-20/I-59 intersection (exit 261) with a crossover interchange, often called "Malfunction Junction", through which the highway has five lanes, continuing on northward with four.

North of Birmingham at mile 266, interchange ramps provide access to parallel US 31. It is here that I-65 meets the eastern terminus of I-22, which heads northwest to Memphis, Tennessee, filling in a gap in the Interstate Highway System. After which, I-65 intersects Walker Chapel Road (exit 267) in Fultondale, where the Interstate drops to three lanes. The Interstate then continues 98 miles (158 km) in the general direction of Huntsville, crossing the Blount–Cullman county line (milemarker 291), where lanes transition from three to two, as well as passing the city of Cullman on the way. After entering the Decatur metropolitan area, in southern Morgan County, the Interstate passes Decatur. The highway connects the Huntsville–Decatur metropolitan area as it crosses Wheeler Lake (Tennessee River) on a 2.6-mile (4.2 km) bridge. The Interstate emerges again into the fringes of Decatur in an open area of seemingly "endless" cotton fields where it intersects, inside Decatur, with SR 20, U.S. Route 72 Alternate (US 72 Alt.), and the spur route I-565 to Huntsville.

Between Walkers Chapel Road in Fultondale and the Tennessee River in Decatur (Limestone County), I-65 has been designated the "Ronald Reagan Memorial Highway". The sign designating the north end of this portion of road cites Reagan's speech in Decatur on July 4, 1984. The Interstate then continues, passing Athens, and merges with US 31. The two routes travel concurrently approximately 12 miles (19 km) to the Tennessee state line.