Albany, Texas Facts for Kids

Quick facts for kids Albany, Texas
City
Shackleford County Courthouse
Motto(s): Home of the Hereford
Country	United States
State	Texas
County	Shackelford
Area
• Total	1.57 sq mi (4.06 km²)
• Land	1.57 sq mi (4.06 km²)
• Water	0.00 sq mi (0.00 km²)
Elevation	1,424 ft (434 m)
Population (2020)
• Total	1,854
• Density	1,180.89/sq mi (456.65/km²)
Time zone	UTC-6 (Central (CST))
• Summer (DST)	UTC-5 (CDT)
ZIP code	76430
Area code(s)	325
FIPS code	48-01648
GNIS feature ID	2409676

Albany is a city located in Shackelford County, Texas, in the United States. In 2020, about 1,854 people lived there. It is the main city, or county seat, of Shackelford County.

Discovering Albany, Texas
Fort Griffin Fandangle
Images for kids
See also

Discovering Albany, Texas

A Look Back: History

Albany was founded in 1873. A man named William Cruger, who was the county clerk, named it after his old home in Albany, Georgia.

Many important people were born in Albany. Lieutenant Colonel William Dyess was born here on August 9, 1916. He survived the difficult Bataan Death March during World War II. An air force base, Dyess Air Force Base, is named after him.

Another notable person is Major General Robert B. Williams. He was born in Albany on November 9, 1901. He was a leader in the World War II aerial bombing raid on Schweinfurt, Germany.

Where is Albany?

Albany is found northeast of Abilene. Abilene is the main city of Taylor County.

The city covers about 1.5 square miles (3.8 square kilometers) of land. There is no water area within the city limits.

Climate in Albany

Albany, Texas, has a climate with hot summers and mild winters. The highest temperatures often reach over 90 degrees Fahrenheit (32 degrees Celsius) in summer. Winters are usually cool, with average lows around freezing. The area gets a moderate amount of rain throughout the year.

Who Lives in Albany?

Historical population
Census	Pop.	%±
1880	129	—
1890	857	564.3%
1920	1,469	—
1930	2,422	64.9%
1940	2,230	−7.9%
1950	2,241	0.5%
1960	2,174	−3.0%
1970	1,978	−9.0%
1980	2,450	23.9%
1990	1,962	−19.9%
2000	1,921	−2.1%
2010	2,034	5.9%
2020	1,854	−8.8%
U.S. Decennial Census

In 2020, the city had 1,854 residents. There were 686 households and 405 families living in Albany.

Most people in Albany are White (about 82%). About 14% of the population is Hispanic or Latino. Other groups like Black or African American, Native American, and Asian people also live in Albany, making the community diverse.

Learning in Albany

The Albany Independent School District serves the students in Albany. The school mascot is the Lion, and the school colors are red and white.

Nancy Smith Elementary teaches students from pre-kindergarten to 6th grade. It was recognized as a National Blue Ribbon School in 2006.
Albany Junior/Senior High School is for students in grades 7 through 12.

Getting Around Albany

Highways

Several important roads pass through Albany, connecting it to other towns and cities:

U.S. Route 180
U.S. Route 283
Texas State Highway 6
Farm to Market 601
Farm to Market 1084

Air Travel

The Albany Municipal Airport is a public airport owned by the city. It is located about two nautical miles (3.7 kilometers) east of the city center.

Fort Griffin Fandangle

Since 1938, Albany has been home to Texas' oldest outdoor musical, the Fort Griffin Fandangle. This show happens during the last two weekends of June. It takes place at the Prairie Theater, near historic Fort Griffin. Fort Griffin was a military outpost built in 1867 and is now a state park.

The Fandangle show changes every year. It tries to bring back the feeling of the old American West. The show features covered wagons, buggies, a stagecoach, a copy of the first Texas Central Railroad train, and an oil derrick. You can also see cowboys whose ancestors guided Longhorn cattle herds along the nearby Great Western Cattle Trail.

The Dallas Morning News newspaper has said that Fandangle is "as professional as a multimillion dollar Broadway musical." The Abilene Reporter-News called the show "Frontier history served up with genuine earthiness, spiced by rare humor."