Albany is committed to providing a healthy, safe, and accessible city, and strives to lift every voice in our community. 
-City of Albany Mission Statement

The City of Albany’s mission statement represents the character of our special community. Albany, California is a small city of 18,539 (2010 census) residents, located within the greater San Francisco Bay area. Albany today combines a small-town ambience with its central location in a major metropolitan region.

Albany prides itself on being a safe, community-oriented city, with strong services and programs for youth, families and the elderly. It is a city made up largely of single-family homes and small businesses.  Albany's small town character is exemplified by its "Main Street," Solano Avenue, a pedestrian friendly business district composed primarily of small "mom and pop" shops, and home to some of the Bay area's best restaurants! Albany's public schools have an outstanding reputation with student test scores at the elementary, middle and high school levels among the highest in the state. Our city is beautifully located on the eastern shoreline of the San Francisco Bay, directly east of the Golden Gate Bridge.

Surrounded by the San Francisco Bay to the west, the Berkeley Hills to the East, and the communities of Berkeley, El Cerrito, Kensington, and Richmond, Albany’s 1.7 square miles offer a fascinating diversity within a small town community. Located next to the University of California, Berkeley and with a highly ranked public school system (Albany Unified School District) of its own, Albany provides a warm environment for families and students alike. Community events, the arts, and a vibrant commercial district cater to the needs of the community. The Solano Stroll, an annual event, closes over one mile of Solano Avenue to traffic, drawing close to 100,000 annually to this open air parade and fair.

Recreational opportunities abound, including the newly created East Shore State Park, the San Francisco Bay Trail, Golden Gate Fields Race Track, and a plethora of organized sports for adults and children. Albany and its surrounding environs offer a wide variety of recreational uses, including walking, hiking and bicycle paths along the shoreline, hills, and creeks of the East Bay area. 

Easily accessible to San Francisco by both freeway and public transportation, Albany residents enjoy world-class entertainment, shopping, and all the benefits of living within one of the most interested metropolitan regions in the world!