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is a city in Dale County, Alabama, United States. At the 2000 census the population was 4,653. It is part of the Enterprise–Ozark Micropolitan Statistical Area. The city's nickname is "Gateway to Fort Rucker", as this U.S. Army post is located just north of town. Cairns Army Airfield is located to the south of Daleville on the road to nearly Clayhatchee.
Daleville, originally known as "Dale's Court House", was founded circa 1830 by veterans of the Creek Indian War who had settled in Dale County following that conflict. It was the original county seat of Dale County but lost that honor when Coffee County split from Dale in 1841, at which time the seat was removed first to Newton, and then later to Ozark where it remains today.
Long a tiny farming community, Daleville saw significant expansion during the mid-to-late twentieth century with the establishment and enlargement of Fort Rucker, the U.S. Army's primary aviation training post. Douglas Brown, a former mayor of Ozark, teamed up with two Georgia businessmen, L.C. Hall and Bob Culpepper, to develop the city. Securing a 1.5 million dollar loan, the trio purchased of land in Daleville, constructed a lagoon sewer system and began to build the town house by house, shopping center by shopping center. Numerous military personnel then made their homes in the community, and many elected to stay after their retirement or otherwise completing their service obligation. This large military presence gives the town a more cosmopolitan populace than other nearby towns farther away from the base.
Daleville was the victim of an F1 Tornado on 24 November 2001, part of the Arkansas-Mississippi-Alabama tornado outbreak that occurred on 23 and 24 November of that year. Two restaurants and two industrial buildings were destroyed; a local lounge suffered severe damage, as well. Also damaged were maintenance buildings, one aircraft, 25 businesses, a church, gas station, two supermarkets, a bank and several homes. Twenty-five people inside the lounge were injured, but no fatalities were reported.