Altai is the administrative center of the Altai district. The city is located in an intermontane basin bordered by hills and spurs of the Altai mountain ranges – Holzun and Listvyaga, 12 km south of the left bank of the Bukhtarma River.
Mount Ostruha, located in the eastern part of the city, has a height of 949.8 m. In the south is the Mount Eagle with a height of 1156 m. This area of the Altai mountain system is historically called Rudny Altai.
