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Living Here

Fountain Lake is the centerpiece of Albert Lea with boating, fishing and other recreation. Other local lakes, including Albert Lea Lake, are shallow wildlife waters popular for fishing and canoeing.

Albert Lea was the first certified Blue Zones community in the United States. Blue Zones is an international initiative that focuses on people living better and longer through healthy habits.

A person walks a dog along a pathway beside three green and yellow trees, with an empty bench nearby.

Residents and visitors like Albert Lea’s recreational opportunities. The community offers more than 40 park and recreation areas, including the 5-mile Blue Zones Walkway around Fountain Lake and the Blazing Star State Trail that connects the city to Myre-Big Island State Park. This state park, on the eastern shores of Albert Lea Lake, offers camping, nearly 25 miles of trails, birding with more than 200 species, and exploring across its 1,700 acres.

Albert Lea’s historic downtown is the largest of its kind in Minnesota. The downtown is full of unique retailers and restaurants. More than 50 events take place downtown every year, including the Thursdays on Fountain concert series, and the Fourth of July jamboree.

The fun doesn’t stop in the winter. The City Arena is busy with hockey and skating. Outdoor rinks are open at no charge at Academy, Hawthorne, Hayek and Lakeview parks. Anglers congregate on Fountain Lake in icehouses and out in the elements. The Big Freeze Festival offers a polar plunge, chili cook-off, shopping downtown and a theater production.

Businesswise, Albert Lea has gained regional prominence as an agricultural trade center. Major employers include Cargill, Ventura Foods and Select Foods. The local economy is diverse with health care providers like Mayo Clinic Health System, manufacturers like Innovance and Design Ready Controls, and warehousing services like Vortex Cold Storage.

For education, Albert Lea Area Schools offer strong academics and a variety of activities. Riverland Community College equips students for continued education or the workforce. Community Education offers classes and programs for all ages, including a rock gym for climbing year-round and a boathouse with canoe, kayak and paddleboard rentals in the summer.

The City of Albert Lea partners with many other government units and non-profit groups to make living in Albert Lea a great experience for everyone. 

For example, the city partners with the Shell Rock River Watershed District to improve the water quality of local lakes and streams. The Minnesota Department of Revenue collects a half-cent sales tax on certain purchases within city limits and the watershed district uses the tax to fund several projects. Albert Lea voters first approved the sales tax in 2005 and approved its extension in 2016.

Partnerships continue to build the community, including these recent projects: