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 16.1mi². 15.9 mi² is land, whilst 0.2 mi² 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/mi². 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/mi².

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 Allentown 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.