For $0\le \alpha\le 1$, Nikiforov proposed to study the spectral properties of the family of matrices $A_{\alpha}(G)=\alpha D(G)+(1-\alpha)A(G)$ of a graph $G$, where $D(G)$ is the degree diagonal matrix and $A(G)$ is the adjacency matrix. The $\alpha$-spectral radius of $G$ is the largest eigenvalue of $A_{\alpha}(G)$. We give upper bounds for $\alpha$-spectral radius for unicyclic graphs $G$ with maximum degree $\Delta\ge 2$, connected irregular graphs with given maximum degree and and some other graph parameters, and graphs with given domination number, respectively. We determine the unique tree with second maximum $\alpha$-spectral radius among trees, and the unique tree with maximum $\alpha$-spectral radius among trees with given diameter. For a graph with two pendant paths at a vertex or at two adjacent vertex, we prove results concerning the behavior of the $\alpha$-spectral radius under relocation of a pendant edge in a pendant path. We also determine the unique graphs such that the difference between the maximum degree and the $\alpha$-spectral radius is maximum among trees, unicyclic graphs and non-bipartite graphs, respectively.