Albany

Albany, Georgia, county seat of Dougherty County, serves as southwest Georgia’s primary economic, cultural and transportation hub.

Albany, Georgia, county seat of Dougherty County, serves as southwest Georgia’s primary economic, cultural, healthcare, manufacturing, and transportation hub.

Albany is located 145 miles south of booming Atlanta and lies on the banks of the Flint River. The city has quick access to the markets of Florida, Alabama, and Georgia, along with accessibility to global markets through Atlanta, making it the primary trade center for the Southeast region. Determined to retain its small-town charm and quality of living, Albany also enjoys the amenities of a metropolitan area.

In 1998, Albany was rated by Money Magazine as “the most livable city in Georgia.” Located in the Plantation Trace region, yesterday’s cotton and indigo plantations were converted into quail-hunting preserves. Today, it is known as the “Quail Hunting Capital of the World.” From revitalized parks and historic preservation to innovation in education, healthcare, and workforce development, Albany is shaping a stronger future and has been recognized as a “Community on the Rise.”

The Albany MSA has a population, according to the most recent census, of approximately 150,000 people. Of that, Albany’s population of almost 77,000 enjoys an outstanding educational system. Dougherty County itself has SAT and ACT scores ranging in the top 10 percent statewide, and its elementary, middle and high schools are accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools. Dougherty County School System is the first in Georgia to implement the Cisco Networking Academy Program, a partnership with the Cisco Corporation that provides students with education in the computer-networking field. Albany State University, a member institution of the University System of Georgia, elevates Albany and the region by offering a broad array of graduate, baccalaureate, associate, and certificate programs through its main campuses in Albany, as well as at strategically placed branch sites and online. ASU has nearly 6,000 students enrolled. Albany Technical College, a public two-year institution of the Technical College System of Georgia, prepares individuals to meet workforce needs by utilizing industry-driven teaching and learning approaches including traditional, online, and customized business solutions.

Albany is a significant manufacturing and industrial hub in Southwest Georgia, with a diverse range of sectors including food and beverage processing, consumer goods, paper products, advanced manufacturing, and heavy machinery. Industries specializing in agriculture, defense, distribution and logistics, healthcare, and manufacturing call Albany home. While forestry and farming remain a large part of Albany, the city also boasts a diversified industrial economy, being home to large firms such as Molson Coors (formerly Miller Brewery), Mars Wrigley Confectionery, Georgia-Pacific Lumber, and Proctor and Gamble. Data Processing and Communication Industries are discovering the city, along with the Auto Parts and Transportation Equipment manufacturing companies. Five interstates are accessible through four lane highways that extend from Albany, making overnight trucking service possible as far west as Texas and as far north as Pennsylvania, allowing Albany to be a prime location for manufacturing and distribution.

Albany is a proud Marine Corps community serving as home to the Marine Corps Logistics Base (MCLB) Albany. Base tenant Marine Corps Logistics Command operates one of two Marine Depot Maintenance Command headquarters in the U.S., Marine Corps Production Plant Albany, which is where ground combat weapon systems are re-manufactured by skilled artisans and inventoried to re-enter the war theatre. Albany stands proudly as a beacon of military excellence and community spirit and has been recognized as a Military Community of Excellence.

Along with being a wonderful place to learn and to work, Albany is a great place to play. Each spring, Albany hosts the Albany COMBOS® Marathon and Half Marathon, bringing thousands of runners and family members to Albany and the surrounding communities. Recreational activities abound here, nationally acclaimed golf courses that are often hosts to tournaments, and The Parks at Chehaw, a 100-acre wild animal park. The Zoo at Chehaw is home to 234 specimens representing over 73 different species. Enjoy natural, outdoor exhibits including Cheetahs, Black Rhinos, Meerkats, Black Bears, and Alligators. The Flint RiverQuarium provides a one-of-a-kind adventure featuring a unique blue hole spring and is home to more than 160 different species. The RiverQuarium has quickly become the place to have fun and learn. The RiverQuarium tells the fascinating story of the Flint River and the mysterious blue-hole springs that help create it. The 175,000 gallon, 22-foot deep, open-air RiverQuarium Blue Hole is filled with fish, reptiles, and plants found in the Flint River’s ecosystem. The RiverQuarium also has an IWERKS Imagination Theater. RiverFront Park, only steps away from the RiverQuarium, is an interactive park comprised of Turtle Grove Playground, Festival Springs Fountain, the Bridge House, Horace King Overlook, and the River Walk. The six-acre park is on the banks of the Flint River and has a beautiful lawn for family picnics and gatherings, music- and light-animated play fountain, pavilion areas, and features large ceramic turtles. In the center of RiverFront Park is a life-size sculpture of the pioneering soul musician, Albany’s own Ray Charles, seated at a Baby Grand piano which rests on a rotating pedestal. Ray Charles’ melodies play at timed intervals, with water flowing over the pedestal and spilling into a reflecting pool at its base.

The Albany Symphony, southwest Georgia’s only professional symphony, performs at the Albany Municipal Auditorium. The Ritz Cultural Center offers many youth programs to allow the children of Albany to explore the arts. Theatre Albanyruns five major productions during its season as well as holding children’s theater and summer youth workshops during off-season. The Albany Ballet Theater and the Albany Chorale are two more examples of the culture that flourishes here. The Albany Museum of Art showcases a diverse collection of American, European, and Sub-Saharan African art from the 19^th Century through today.

History is preserved in Albany through the Thronateeksa Heritage Center . Thronateeska’s campus, known as Heritage Plaza, houses the Science Museum, the Wetherbee Planetarium, and the History Museum, all located on the only remaining brick street in Albany. Through Thronateeska’s efforts, the 1913 Union Station depot was preserved as a legendary landmark, converted into the History Museum, and listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1975. The History Museum features changing exhibits in two galleries.