[4] Altaysky District is located in the southeast of Altay Krai, on the border with the Altai Republic.

The first small settlement of Russians occurred with the founding of Lower Kayancha in 1796.

[3] In the early 1900s, the royal court advanced funds to build a horse-drawn carriage road from Biysk south through the district to Mongolia; this road became the Chuysky Highway.

The district's economy centers on agriculture, primarily livestock and the related forage crops.

The flat plains of the district support grain and sunflower crops, and there is a fish-cultivation center.