[4] The municipality straddles the Limfjord, the waterway which connects the North Sea and the Kattegat east-to-west, and which separates the main body of the Jutland peninsula from the island of Vendsyssel-Thy north-to-south.

The former Aalborg municipality, including the island of Egholm, covered an area of 560 km2 (220 sq mi), with a total population of 192,353 (2005).

The former municipality was bordered by Sejlflod and Hals to the east, Dronninglund and Brønderslev to the north, Aabybro and Nibe to the west, and Støvring and Skørping to the south.

To the west, the Limfjord broadens into an irregular lake (salt water), with low, marshy shores and many islands.

[14] Every four years, Aalborg gathers young people from most of its twin towns for a week of sports, known as Ungdomslegene (Youth Games).