A new veterans cemetery is planned for Huntsville after the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs awarded more than $18 million in federal funding for the project.
The VA awarded $18,094,445 to establish the Alabama Veterans Memorial Cemetery-North through its fiscal year 2026 Veterans Cemetery Grant Program. The department will also reimburse up to $875,706 for the fabrication and delivery of pre-placed crypts.
New cemetery to serve North Alabama veterans
The planned cemetery is expected to provide a closer resting place for thousands of veterans and their families across North Alabama.
According to the funding announcement, more than 42,000 veterans in the region live outside the 75-mile service area of an existing state or national veterans cemetery. The new facility is expected to help close that gap and serve veterans and their families for more than 200 years.
U.S. Rep. Robert Aderholt, who represents Alabama’s 4th Congressional District, welcomed the funding, saying the investment would help ensure veterans receive lasting recognition and honor for their service.
Alabama’s second veterans cemetery
The Alabama Veterans Memorial Cemetery-North will be the state’s second veterans cemetery. Alabama’s existing veterans cemetery is located in Spanish Fort, which can be a six-hour drive for residents in parts of North Alabama.
The new Huntsville-area facility is intended to improve access to burial services for veterans who currently live far from an established cemetery.
Federal funding supports veterans cemeteries nationwide
The Huntsville project is part of a record $106.5 million awarded by the VA during fiscal year 2026 to support 21 veterans cemeteries across states, territories and tribal nations. The total represents the highest annual funding amount since the grant program began in 1980.
The VA says its cemetery grants help ensure that more than 94% of veterans living in the United States have access to a veterans cemetery within 75 miles of home.
The federal investment marks a major step toward expanding burial access for veterans and their families in North Alabama.
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