One explanation of the city's name is that the word Altoona is a derivative of the Latin word altus, meaning high.
That … See more

Altoona lies at the base of Brush Mountain within Logan Valley and Pleasant Valley. According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 9.8 square miles (25.4 km ), all land. Altoona is situated in t… See more

As of the 2010 census, the city was 93.8% White, 3.3% Black or African American, 0.1% Native American, 0.4% Asian, and 2.0% were two or more races. 1.3% of the population was of Hispanic or Latino ancestry. T… See more

Historically, the sole economic force driving the growth of Altoona into a City was the Pennsylvania Railroad (PRR). While the various local railroad shops still employ over a thousand people, they are no longer the driving … See more