Fort Payne is a city in and county seat of DeKalb County, in northeastern Alabama, United States.
European-American settlers gradually developed the settlement around the former fort. It grew rapidly in the late 19th century based on industrial resources and manufacturing increasing in the early 20th centuries. At the beginning of the 21st century, it still had 7000 workers in 100 mills producing varieties of socks, nearly half the world production. The country music group Alabama is based in Fort Payne. The city also houses the group's fan club and museum.