Fayette, Lamar and Marion counties boast a variety of scenic wonders and outdoor fun. But since the opening of Interstate 22, a direct route between Birmingham and Memphis, all three have seen business growth, too.
While each county enjoys its own personality, the three have banded together for economic development purposes — creating the Northwest Alabama Economic Development Alliance. And now the counties anticipate an additional economic boost as the West Central Alabama Highway takes shape.
“We have high hopes for the highway, especially the connector road from Fayette to I-22,” says Tom Wisemiller, president/CEO of the Northwest Alabama Economic Development Alliance. “Not only will it help with access to industrial parks, but also the potential for growth,” Wisemiller adds.
The region also expects an economic boost from the newly opened Blue Creek mine, a project of Warrior Met Coal near Berry in Fayette County. The company invested some $1Â billion in the project, which includes a rail load-out facility in Fayette County plus other features.
Metals are a key element in the regional economy along with a specialty in manufactured housing and furniture, particularly cabinets.
The region has also seen recent connectivity improvements as Tombigbee Communications celebrated the completion of a $145Â million fiber internet project spanning 4,200 miles of fiber serving 100,000 residents across eight Alabama counties. With that project, the Northwest Alabama EDA region has among the best rural broadband coverage in Alabama. Lamar County currently has 100% coverage; Marion County, 100% coverage; and Fayette County, 95% coverage and growing.
The counties also are home to two campuses of Bevill State Community College, one in Hamilton in Marion County and one in Fayette in Fayette County, and three hospitals, North Mississippi Health Services-South Marion, North Mississippi Medical Center-Hamilton and Fayette Medical Center.
Even as business opportunities grow, the region treasures its scenic wonders — the Sipsey Valley River Wilderness Area, Bear Creek Lakes and the Tennessee-Tombigbee Waterway all offer opportunities to take to the water, whether by canoe, kayak, tube or powerboat. And the region is home to the state’s largest deer population.
For more on Fayette, Lamar and Marion counties, see the links below:
This section appears in the February 2026 issue of Business Alabama.
