The city of Albany sits in the heart of Oregon’s Willamette Valley, on the banks of the Willamette and its tributary, the Calapooia River. Home to 52,710 (2017 PSU Estimate), Albany is the 11th largest city in Oregon, the county seat of and largest city in Linn County, and the second largest city in Benton County.
From its river town beginnings, Albany has grown south and east first with the railroads, then state highways and Interstate 5, and across the Willamette into the farms and wooded hillsides of North Albany earning it the nickname of Oregon's "Hub City."
Albany is credited by historians and architects with having the most varied collection of historic buildings in Oregon. This collection includes styles from the 1840s through the late 1920s and is concentrated in an area of about 100 square blocks. Four historic districts are listed in the National Register of Historic Places by the United States Department of the Interior.
Albany is known as the rare metals capital of the world. Several local industries produce zirconium, hafnium, and titanium. Wood products, food processing, and manufactured homes production are major employers also.
Municipal government operates under a home rule charter in a Council-Manager form. Six City Councilors are elected to represent three geographic wards, and have overlapping 4-year terms. The Mayor is elected at large every two years. A full-time City Manager administers the affairs of the City for the Council.
