Why visit Albany
Townapedia lists 41 museums and landmarks, 42 parks and trails, 157 places to eat, 3 places to stay and 11 attractions in and around town.
Highlights include Ashkenaz Music & Dance, Cerrito Theatre, Berkeley City Club and Berkeley Day Nursery.
September is the warmest month, with average highs of 76°F; December lows average 43°F.
Weather in Albany
Forecast from the National Weather Service. Full forecast
About Albany
Albany is a city on the east shore of San Francisco Bay in northwestern Alameda County, California, United States. The population was 20,271 at the 2020 United States census.
From the Wikipedia article Albany, California (this version), under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Things to do11
Berkeley Community Theater
Cinema and theater · 3.0 mi
Theater on the campus of Berkeley High School in Berkeley, California, United States
Berkeley I-80 bridge
Bridge · 2.0 mi
Pedestrian bridge in Berkeley, California
Goldman School of Public Policy
School · 3.4 mi
Public policy school at the University of California, Berkeley
Graduate Theological Union
School · 3.2 mi
Group of eight private American theological schools
Institute of Buddhist Studies
School · 3.3 mi
Buddhist seminary and graduate school in Berkeley, California
Pacific Lutheran Theological Seminary
School · 3.1 mi
Lutheran (ELCA) seminary in Berkeley, California
UC Berkeley Extension
School · 2.9 mi
Extension school of the University of California, Berkeley
Zellerbach Hall
Cinema and theater · 3.5 mi
Performing arts center on the campus of the University of California, Berkeley
Museums and landmarks41
Berkeley City Club
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 3.4 mi
Historic building in Berkeley, California
Berkeley Day Nursery
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 2.0 mi
Historic place in Berkeley, California
Berkeley High School Campus Historic District
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 3.0 mi
Historic district in Berkeley, California
Berkeley Historic Civic Center District
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 3.0 mi
Historic district in Berkeley, California
Boone’s University School
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 3.2 mi
Historic building in Berkeley, California; former boy's school
California Hall (UC Berkeley)
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 3.4 mi
UC Berkeley campus building
Chamber of Commerce Building
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 3.0 mi
Historic place in Berkeley, California
Cloyne Court Hotel
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 3.5 mi
Student housing cooperative in Berkeley, California, USA
Corder Building
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 3.2 mi
Historic place in Berkeley, California
Doe Memorial Library
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 3.5 mi
Main library of the UC Berkeley Library System
Donald and Helen Olsen House
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 2.5 mi
Historic house in California, United States
Drawing Building
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 3.4 mi
University building in Berkeley, California
29 more on the map.
Parks, trails and playgrounds42
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César Chávez Park
Park · 1.3 mi
César Chávez Park, built on the site of a former landfill, offers a wide range of recreational opportunities in a marina setting with...
11 Spinnaker Way, Berkeley
Adventure Playground
Park · 1.9 mi
Urban park and adventure playground in Berkeley, California
Albany Mudflats Ecological Reserve
Park · 0.4 mi
Ecological reserve in San Francisco, California
John Hinkel Park
Park · 2.5 mi
Park in Alameda County, California, United States of America
Live Oak Park
Park · 2.7 mi
Park in Berkeley, United States of America
30 more on the map.
Restaurants and cafes157
Sushi Sho
Restaurant · Sushi · 1.6 mi
Sushi Sho was established in 1983 and the owner and master chef, Aki Kawata has been keeping the tradition of Edo-mae(Tokyo) and...
10749 San Pablo Avenue, El Cerrito
Fr-Sa 18:00-22:00
5 Tacos & Beers
Restaurant · Mexican · 1.1 mi
1175 Solano Avenue, Albany
We, Th 08:00-21:00; Mo 08:00-21:00; Tu 08:00-22:00; Fr...
938 Crawfish
Restaurant · Cajun, Vietnamese, Fusion · 1.1 mi
938 San Pablo Avenue
Tu, We, Fr 16:00-21:30; Th, Sa 15:00-21:30; Su 15:00-20:30
Artís Coffee
Cafe · Coffee Shop · 1.6 mi
1717 Fourth Street, Berkeley
Mo-Fr 08:00-17:00; Sa,Su 09:00-18:00
As You Wish Frozen Yogurt
Ice cream · Frozen Yogurt · 1.2 mi
1205 Solano Avenue, Albany
Mo-Su 12:00-21:30
Bua Luang
Restaurant · Thai · 1.2 mi
1166 Solano Avenue, Albany
Tu-Fr 11:30-14:30, 17:00-20:30; Sa, Su 12:00-15:00, 17:00-20:30
145 more on the map.
History
The first known residents were the Ohlone before Spanish settlement in the early 19th century.
In 1908, a group of local women protested the dumping of Berkeley garbage in their community. Armed with two shotguns and a twenty-two-caliber rifle, they confronted the drivers of the wagons near what is now the corner of San Pablo Avenue and Buchanan Street. The women told the drivers of the horse-drawn garbage wagons to go home, which they did quickly and without complaint. Shortly thereafter, the residents of the town voted to incorporate as the City of Ocean View.
In 1909, voters changed the name of the city, primarily to distinguish the city from the adjacent section of Berkeley which had previously been named Ocean View. On a vote of 38 to 6 the city was renamed in honor of Albany, New York, the birthplace of the city's first mayor, Frank Roberts.
The Albany Sauna is one of the oldest Finnish-style saunas open to the public in North America. Built in 1934 by Finnish-American Henry Walter Lundgren (a founding member of the Finnish Lodge in West Berkeley), the original furnace and rooms have been maintained.
Albany has a history of real estate discrimination, which made it difficult for non-white buyers to acquire property and build or rent homes in Albany.
From the History section of Albany, California on Wikipedia, under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Where to stay3
Churches and places of worship13
Episcopal Church of the Good Shepherd
Church · National Register of Historic Places · 1.9 mi
Living Hope International Christian Church
Church · Protestant · 1.3 mi
1221 Marin Avenue, Albany
Shopping30
Gas and EV charging14
Schools, colleges and libraries57
Healthcare5
Map of Albany
250 places. The map loads OpenStreetMap tiles when you open it.
Climate by month
Monthly table
| Month | High | Low | Rain | Snow |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 59°F | 43°F | 4.8 in | 0.0 in |
| Feb | 62°F | 44°F | 5.1 in | 0.0 in |
| Mar | 65°F | 46°F | 3.8 in | 0.0 in |
| Apr | 67°F | 47°F | 1.8 in | 0.0 in |
| May | 70°F | 49°F | 0.8 in | 0.0 in |
| Jun | 74°F | 52°F | 0.3 in | 0.0 in |
| Jul | 74°F | 53°F | 0.0 in | 0.0 in |
| Aug | 75°F | 54°F | 0.1 in | 0.0 in |
| Sep | 76°F | 54°F | 0.1 in | 0.0 in |
| Oct | 73°F | 52°F | 1.2 in | 0.0 in |
| Nov | 65°F | 47°F | 2.7 in | 0.0 in |
| Dec | 59°F | 43°F | 5.3 in | 0.0 in |
U.S. Climate Normals 1991-2020 for Berkeley Hcn (3 mi away), NOAA NCEI.
People and cost of living
American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2020-2024, U.S. Census Bureau. Estimates have margins of error, larger for small towns.
Disaster history
Alameda County has had 11 federal disaster declarations since 2000, most often for severe storms.
- 2023-04-03: Severe Winter Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Flooding, Landslides, And Mudslides (Severe Storm)
- 2023-01-14: Severe Winter Storms, Flooding, Landslides, And Mudslides (Flood)
- 2023-01-09: Severe Winter Storms, Flooding, And Mudslides (Flood)
- 2020-03-22: Covid-19 Pandemic (Biological)
- 2020-03-13: Covid-19 (Biological)
- 2017-04-01: Severe Winter Storms, Flooding, And Mudslides (Flood)
OpenFEMA disaster declarations summaries.
Getting there and nearby towns
Oakland International Airport (OAK) is the nearest airport with scheduled flights listed in OpenStreetMap, 12 miles away.
- Berkeley 2 mi southeast, about 3 min by car
- El Cerrito 2 mi northeast, about 3 min by car
- Emeryville 4 mi south, about 6 min by car
- Richmond 5 mi northwest, about 8 min by car
- San Pablo 5 mi north, about 8 min by car
- El Sobrante 6 mi north, about 9 min by car
- Piedmont 7 mi southeast, about 11 min by car
- Pinole 8 mi north, about 13 min by car
- Orinda 8 mi east, about 13 min by car
- Oakland 10 mi southeast, about 16 min by car
Drive times are estimates from straight-line distance, not routes.
Local news
Headlines from INDB, the NEMICO news database.
Reviews, tips and questions
Loading what members have shared...
Sources and licences
- NCES EDGE (Public domain): public schools
- NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991-2020 (Public domain): climate by month
- OpenFEMA (Public domain): disaster declarations
- OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL 1.0): places, airports, map data
- U.S. Census Bureau (Public domain): population, income, housing, education, commute
- Wikidata (CC0 1.0): elevation, founding date, time zone, website, landmarks and historic places
- Wikimedia Commons (see each image): photos
- Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0): overview and history text
Photo credits
- Albany Hill from Albany Bulb, LPS.1, CC0
- Albany State Marine Reserve & Albany Mudflats Ecological Reserve, Albany, California, US, Clyde Charles Brown, CC BY-SA 4.0
- 2010Jun12-AlbanyBulb-ConcreteSlabsAboveTrailWithHikersAndBeach, Mark Fickett, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Wildflowers at the Albany Bulb 1, Mx. Granger, CC0
- Wildflowers at the Albany Bulb 2, Mx. Granger, CC0
- Albany (California) banner - wildflowers, Mx. Granger, CC0
- 20220905 085143 Albany bulb, tbo, CC0
- 20220905 Albany beach with dogs, tbo, CC0
- Albany Beach, tbo47, CC BY-SA 4.0
- 20220905 085355 Albany bulb, tbo, CC0
- 20211011 115358 Albany bulb beach California, tbo47, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Wildflowers at the Albany Bulb 3, Mx. Granger, CC0
- 2022 Albany bulb art painting, tbo47, CC BY-SA 4.0
- 20220905 090054 Albany bulb, tbo, CC0
- 2022 Albany bulb art statue, tbo47, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Rock Piano^ Albany Bulb (San Francisco, CA) - panoramio, Gracjan Rötke, CC BY 3.0
- Art à Albany bulb, Tbo47, CC0
- Rocky shore on Albany Bulb, April 2021, Pi.1415926535, CC BY-SA 4.0
- 20220905 090355 Albany bulb, tbo, CC0
- Cesar-chavez-park-hilltop, Staeiou, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Berkeley Women's City Club (Berkeley, CA), Sanfranman59, CC BY-SA 3.0
- George C. Edwards Stadium (Berkeley, CA), Sanfranman59, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Hilgard Hall (Berkeley, CA), Sanfranman59, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Giannini Hall (Berkeley, CA), Sanfranman59, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Fox Court (Berkeley, CA), Sanfranman59, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Boone's University School (Berkeley, CA), Sanfranman59, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Old Berkeley High School (Berkeley, CA), Sanfranman59, CC BY-SA 3.0
- UC Berkeley Naval Architecture Building - back - 2015-07-25, James Lin, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Loring House (Berkeley, CA), Sanfranman59, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Chamber of Commerce Building, (Berkeley, CA), Sanfranman59, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Garfield Intermediate School (Berkeley, CA), Sanfranman59, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Berkeley Day Nursery (Berkeley, CA), Sanfranman59, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Corder Building (Berkeley, CA), Sanfranman59, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Golden Sheaf Bakery (Berkeley, CA), Sanfranman59, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Martin Luther King Jr Civic Center (Berkeley, CA), Sanfranman59, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Point Isabel, Richmond, California, US, Clyde Charles Brown, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Ostrea lurida 410459474, Tynen Benson, CC BY 4.0
- Ostrea lurida 410459489, Tynen Benson, CC BY 4.0
- Ostrea lurida 517460173, Tynen Benson, CC BY 4.0
- Ostrea lurida 517460170, Tynen Benson, CC BY 4.0
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