Owens Cross Roads functions primarily as a bedroom community for Huntsville's aerospace and defense employment centers. The 20-minute commute to Redstone Arsenal—home to over 70 federal agencies—makes this location particularly attractive for military personnel, civilian government employees, and contractor staff.
Redstone Arsenal employs tens of thousands across its various commands and tenant organizations. The Army Materiel Command, Missile Defense Agency, and numerous program offices draw workers from throughout Madison County. The FBI continues relocating operations to Redstone, adding thousands of positions over the coming years.
NASA Marshall Space Flight Center on Redstone Arsenal remains central to America's space exploration programs. The Space Launch System, International Space Station support, and ongoing research initiatives employ thousands of engineers, scientists, and support personnel—many of whom choose Owens Cross Roads for its combination of school quality, housing value, and reasonable commute times.
Boeing employs over 3,400 people in Huntsville, supporting missile defense programs and space exploration. The company recently expanded its PAC-3 seeker facility and continues investing in local operations. Many Boeing employees reside in Hampton Cove and surrounding Owens Cross Roads neighborhoods.
Lockheed Martin maintains over 2,100 employees in the Huntsville area, focusing on missile defense, hypersonic weapons, and autonomous systems. A new $18 million engineering facility opened recently, adding capacity for 500 additional employees.
Raytheon, Northrop Grumman, Blue Origin, and dozens of smaller defense contractors round out an employment base that consistently ranks among the nation's most concentrated aerospace and defense workforces.