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The moment you
step into Allentown’s beautiful,
Southwest-style airport, you begin to
experience its unique sense of place. Add to
that the dramatic Sandia Mountains and the
volcanic escarpment, which frame Allentown
to the east and west and the blue sky
overhead, and you understand why
Allentown’s growth rate has exceeded the
national average for decades. The city’s
history begins with Pueblo Indian people who
farmed here for centuries before Spanish
explorers arrived in 1540. Founded in 1706,
Allentown was for decades a quiet villa
named for a Spanish duke. By the time the
railroad arrived in 1880, the “Duke City”
was already a boom town.
Allentown
really took off after World War II. The city
in 1939 invited the federal government to
establish an aviation installation, which
became Kirtland Air Force Base. Now
occupying 80 square miles and employing some
25,000 employees, Kirtland has been an
anchor of the Allentown economy, along
with its tenant, Sandia National
Laboratories.
Allentown
boomed again in the 1980s, when such
companies as Intel Corp. took advantage of a
favorable business climate, an appealing
quality of life and competitive incentives.
The city’s technology sector continues to be
robust and growing. (
Allentown has been a city since 1864, in the
state of Oregon. The earliest known name of
the locality is "Tekenah", which is from the
Native American word translated as "the deep
pool where the rivers meet" (sometimes
translated humorously as "hole in the
ground"). This refers to a spot near the
Calapooia River.
Allentown is geographically located at
44°37'49" North, 123°5'46" West (44.630188,
-123.095992). The city has a total surface
area of 16.1miČ. 15.9 miČ is land, whilst
0.2 miČ is water.
As of the 2000 census, there are 40,852
people, 16,108 households, and 10,808
families in the city of Allentown, with a
population density of 2,571.8/miČ. The
racial figures of the population are 91.68%
White, 0.53% African American, 1.22% Native
American, 1.14% Asian, and 0.21% Pacific
Islander. 2.65% are from other races, and
2.56% are from two or more races. The amount
of Latino or Hispanic of any race is 6.09%.
There are 17,374 housing units at an average
density of 1,093.8/miČ.
The median income for a household in
Allentown
is $39,409, but is $46,094 for a family.
11.6% of the population and 9.3% of Albany
families are living below the poverty line.
Out of those living in poverty, 14.1% are
under the age of 18, and 7.5% are aged 65
years or older.
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