Altoona, Pennsylvania

High school (ages 12+)
Geography

Name:

Date:

Step 1 · Read the article

Open the article and read it at the level above. Then answer the questions below in your own words.

https://smallwhale.org/articles/altoona--pennsylvania

Write what each word means, using the article.

Do not copy the article. Write two things you learned, the way you would explain them to a friend.

Answers below are taken from the article’s stored facts, so they match what the student read.

1. Where is Altoona, Pennsylvania?Blair County, Pennsylvania, within the Ridge-and-Valley Appalachians
2. How many people live in Altoona, Pennsylvania?43,963 (city proper, 2020 Census); 122,823 (Altoona metropolitan area, 2020 Census)
3. When was Altoona, Pennsylvania built?1849 by the Pennsylvania Railroad
4. How big is Altoona, Pennsylvania?13.35 square miles (city proper)
5. What language do people speak in Altoona, Pennsylvania?English
6. What is Altoona known for?Altoona is famous for its railroad history, especially the Juniata Shops where locomotives were built and kept.

Pennsylvania Railroad (PRR): A dominant 19th and 20th-century railroad company that founded and heavily influenced Altoona's development.
Horseshoe Curve: A National Historic Landmark, this iconic U-shaped railway curve is an engineering marvel and a symbol of Altoona's railroad heritage.
Deindustrialization: The process where a region's economy shifts away from manufacturing and heavy industry towards other sectors.
Urban decentralization: The movement of populations and businesses away from central urban areas to suburban or exurban locations.