The City of Albany with the population of 51,270 sits in the heart of western Oregon’s Willamette River valley, on the banks of the Willamette and its tributary, the Calapooia River. From its river town beginnings, Albany has grown south and east with the railroads, state highways and Interstate 5, and across the Willamette into the farms and wooded hillsides of North Albany.
The city lies within both Benton and Linn counties. Albany is the largest city in Linn County and serves as the county seat.
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.