As of 2004, Tom (Kent) Martin is Altoona's mayor.

Altoona-Blair County Airport is the commercial airport serving Altoona.

A town is house to the Altoona Curve baseball team of the Double A Eastern League. Altoona is served by a career fire department of 65 personnel, the big career department between Harrisburg & Pittsburgh, PA.

History
The major railroad town, Altoona was founded by the Pennsylvania Railroad in 1849 as the places for the construction complex. It was incorporated as a borough in 1854. A town grew chop-chop in the late 19th century, its population roughly 2,000 inside '54, 10,000 inside '70, and 20,000 in '80.

A require for locomotives during a Civil War stimulated much of this incubation, & per late years of the war Altoonthe was referred to as a worthful city for the Northward. It was considered by Confederate General Robert E. Lee as a target during the Army of Northern Virginia's mid-1863 entry into Pennsylvania, before being repelled at the Battle of Gettysburg. Likewise guiding light is the Union's War Governors' Conference, held at Altoona's Logan House.

Luminary is the Horseshoe Curve, the notable curving part of track owned per Pennsylvania Railroad, today a tourist attraction and National Historic Landmark, and its funicular. the Curve was wont to raise trains to a sufficient altitude to cross the Allegheny Ridge to the west, beyond which was the steel town of Pittsburgh and the rest of the american United States. A Horseshoe Curve, because of it being a industrial link to the american U.S., was the primary target of eight Nazi saboteurs whom infiltrated the United States early in the war (1942) by being dropped off by Kriegsmarine U-Boats. These spies were of German heritage and were chosen because of their with sleep in the U.S. for therefore long. A class action's leader became unnerved per plot to kill military and civilian targets (especially Jewish businesses) and turned around everyone within his team. He was a l1 one to escape execution. A team would arguably keep around succeeded (or even stimulated considerable damage) got he non turned the babies around, for the FBI had clues given to them by the Coast Guard watchman, but got there are there are no leads & no suspects early.

In the early 20th century, the Railroad's Altoona Works complex employed at its peak a bit of 1Five,000 humans & covered tierce miles (5 kilometre) around length, 218 landed estate (880,000 m²) of yards & 37 estate (150,000 m²) of indoor workshop floor space within 122 buildings. A PRR built several of its have locomotive engine at a Works, a few 7,873 all told, a endure existence constructed inside 1946. Items began to decline steadily from either that point, & virtually all of the plant is currently yearn no more.

Altoona is likewise one of a dual seats of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Altoona-Johnstown as the location of the Cathedral of the Blessed Sacrament, which was mass produced the cathedral and rechristened from St. John's Church within 1851.

Inside 2000, Altoona became sister cities with St. Pölten, Austria.

Geography
Altoona is placed at 40°30'39" North, 78°23'59" West (Xl.510720, -78.399758).

Based on data from a United States Census Bureau, the city has the number vicinity of Twenty-five.Tierce km² (9.8 mi²). Xxv.Triplet kilometer² (Ennead.Eight mi²) of these are l& and none of the front yard is covered using fluids.

Demographics
When of the censusof 2000, there are 49,523 people, 20,059 family, & 12,576 families living in the city. A population density is 1,957.1/km² (5,069.7/mi²). There are 21,681 housing units at an typical density of 856.8/km² (2,219.5/mi²). A racial makeup of the city is 96.01% White, 2.49% African American, 0.10% Native American, 0.32% Asian, 0.02% Pacific Islander, 0.24% from other races, and 0.83% from two or more races. Zero.74% of the people are Hispanic or Latino of any race.

There are 20,059 menage away from which Twenty-eight.4% keep around tykes under a age of Xviii swallow the two, 44.6% come married couples living together, 13.8% have a female homeowner by owning there is no married man present, & 37.3% come non-families. 31.6% of tons family come processed higher of people & Fourteen.7% own soul residing alone world health organization is 65 years aged or even older. A typical menage size is Deuce.37 & a typical personal size is Two.98.

In a city the people is spread retired by having Twenty-two.9% under a age of Xviii, Ten.9% from either 18 to 2 dozen, Xxvii.3% from either 25 to 44, Xxii.0% from either 45 to 64, & Sixteen.8% world health organization come 65 years aged or even older. A median age is 37 years. For each Hundred females there are 88.Trey males. For each Hundred females age Xviii & terminated, there are 84.V males.

the median income for a home in the city is $28,248, & the median income for a personal is $36,758. Males have a median income of $28,851 versus $21,242 for females. A per capita income for the city is $15,213. Xvii.7% of the people & Xii.9% of families come following a poverty line. Away from a aggregate people, Xxiv.1% of victims under a age of 18 & 9.0% of people 65 & older come residing following a poverty level.