Altoona, Pennsylvania | ||||||
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City | ||||||
City of Altoona | ||||||
Clockwise from top left: (1) View of Altoona from Brush Mountain, (2) Knickerbocker and Tavern, (3) Downtown, and (4) Fairview
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Nickname(s): The Mountain City, Railroad City, A-Town, Toona Town | ||||||
Location of Blair County in Pennsylvania |
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Location of Altoona in Blair County |
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Coordinates: 40°30′39″N 78°23′59″W / 40.5107°N 78.3997°WCoordinates: 40°30′39″N 78°23′59″W / 40.5107°N 78.3997°W | ||||||
Country | United States | |||||
State | Pennsylvania | |||||
County | Blair County | |||||
Founded | 1849 | |||||
Incorporated (borough) | February 6, 1854 | |||||
Incorporated (city) | 1868 | |||||
Government | ||||||
• Mayor | Matt Pacifico (R) | |||||
Area | ||||||
• City | 9.8 sq mi (25.3 km2) | |||||
• Water | 0 sq mi (0 km2) | |||||
Elevation | 1,206 ft (368 m) | |||||
Population (2010) | ||||||
• City | 46,320 | |||||
• Density | 5,069/sq mi (1,957.1/km2) | |||||
• Urban | 100,000 (est) | |||||
• Metro | 127,089 | |||||
• Demonym | Altoonian, Altoid | |||||
Time zone | EST (UTC−5) | |||||
• Summer (DST) | EDT (UTC−4) | |||||
ZIP codes | 16601, 16602, 16603 | |||||
Area code(s) | 814 | |||||
School District: | Altoona Area School District | |||||
Website | www.altoonapa.gov | |||||
Designated | April 01, 1947 |
Altoona is a city in central Pennsylvania Blair County, Pennsylvania, United States. It is the principal city of the Altoona Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA). The population was 46,320 at the time of the 2010 Census, making it the eleventh most populous city in Pennsylvania. The Altoona MSA includes all of Blair County and was recorded as having a population of 127,089 at the 2010 Census, around 100,000 of which live within a 5-mile (8.0 km) radius of the Altoona city center according to U.S. Census zip code population data. This includes the adjacent boroughs of Hollidaysburg and Duncansville, adjacent townships of Logan, Allegheny, Blair, Frankstown, Antis, and Tyrone, as well as nearby boroughs of Bellwood and Newry.
Having grown around the railroad industry, the city is currently working to recover from industrial decline and urban decentralization experienced in recent decades. The city is home to the Altoona Curve baseball team of the Double A Eastern League, which is the affiliate of the Major League Baseball team Pittsburgh Pirates. It also houses the 75+ year-old Altoona Symphony Orchestra, under the direction of Teresa Cheung. Prominent landmarks include the Horseshoe Curve, the Railroaders Memorial Museum, the Juniata Shops of the Altoona Works, the Mishler Theatre, the Cathedral of the Blessed Sacrament, and the Jaffa Shrine Center.