Albany, New York

Capital city of New York, United States / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

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Albany (/ˈɔːlbəni/ (Loudspeaker.svglisten) AWL-bən-ee) is the capital city of the U.S. state of New York and the seat of Albany County. It is located on the west bank of the Hudson River, about 10 miles (16 km) south of its confluence with the Mohawk River, and about 135 miles (220 km) north of New York City.

Quick facts: Albany, Country, State, Region, County... ▼
Albany
State capital
City of Albany
A medley of different scenes to represent the diversity of the city. At top is a photo of the city's skyline, juxtaposing modern towers from the 1960s with older buildings dating back to the 19th century. Above center, right shows cookie-cutter, single-family houses, all two-stories with porches. Below center, right shows the marquee of a buff- and red-brick theater; marquee reads "PALACE". Bottom is a panoramic view of an open courtyard split by reflecting pools and surrounded by four modern, glass and concrete towers on left and one taller tower on right; in center is a Romanesque, granite, five-story capitol building. Below center, left shows a city street populated with old brick buildings. Above center, left shows a modern, glass and concrete tower surrounded by a shorter building of the same style.
Clockwise from top: Downtown from Rensselaer; middle-class housing in the Helderberg neighborhood; Palace Theatre; Empire State Plaza from the Cultural Education Center; North Pearl Street at Columbia Street; and the State Quad at SUNY Albany
A flag with three equal horizontal stripes colored orange, white, and blue from top to bottom. In the center is the city seal (except for text and circular outline).
Flag
Circular seal with central images of a shield at center and sailing ship above it, with a European man to the left and a Native American to the right. The seal's edge reads "THE SEAL OF THE CITY OF ALBANY" with "ASSIDUITY" in a banner above the bottom.
Seal
Etymology: Named for the Scottish Duke of Albany, whose title comes from the Gaelic name for Scotland: Alba
Nicknames: 
Motto: 
Assiduity[lower-alpha 3]
Map shows Albany on the west bank of the Hudson, surrounded by the towns of Colonie, Guilderland, and Bethlehem. Roads are also shown. Interstates 90, 87, and 787 pass through the city boundaries.
Boundaries of and major thoroughfares through Albany
Located on the east border of the county, north of center. County is located in east section of the state, just south of center.
Location of Albany in Albany County (top) and of Albany County in New York state (bottom)
Albany is located in New York
Albany
Albany
Location of Albany in New York (state)
Albany is located in the United States
Albany
Albany
Location within the United States
Albany is located in North America
Albany
Albany
Location within North America
Coordinates: 42°39′09″N 073°45′26″W
CountryUnited States
StateNew York
RegionCapital District
CountyAlbany
Settled1614; 409 years ago (1614)
Incorporated1686; 337 years ago (1686)
Government
 • TypeStrong mayor-council
 • MayorKathy Sheehan (D)
Area
[3]
 • State capital21.94 sq mi (56.81 km2)
 • Land21.40 sq mi (55.44 km2)
 • Water0.53 sq mi (1.38 km2)
 • Metro
2,811.6 sq mi (7,282 km2)
Elevation
[4]
148 ft (45 m)
Highest elevation
(Loudonville[lower-alpha 4])
378 ft (115 m)
Lowest elevation
(Hudson River[lower-alpha 5])
2 ft (0.6 m)
Population
 (2020)
 • State capital99,224
 • Estimate 
(2022)
100,826 (US: 329th)
 • Density4,635.77/sq mi (1,789.90/km2)
 • Urban
593,142 (US: 73rd)
 • Urban density2,186.3/sq mi (844.1/km2)
 • Metro
1,170,483 (US: 63rd)
 • Metro density416.3/sq mi (160.7/km2)
DemonymAlbanian[6]
Time zoneUTC−5 (EST)
 • Summer (DST)UTC−4 (EDT)
ZIP Codes
12201–12212, 12214, 12220, 12222–12232
Area codes518, 838
Geocode977310, 978659
ISO 3166 code36-01000
FIPS code36-01000
GNIS feature ID977310[4]
Websitealbanyny.gov
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The city is known for its architecture, commerce, culture, institutions of higher education, and rich history. It is the economic and cultural core of the Capital District of the State of New York, which comprises the Albany–Schenectady–Troy Metropolitan Statistical Area, including the nearby cities and suburbs of Troy, Schenectady, and Saratoga Springs. With an estimated population of 1.1 million in 2013, the Capital District is the third most populous metropolitan region in the state. As of 2020, Albany's population was 99,224.

The Hudson River area was originally inhabited by Algonquian-speaking Mohican (Mahican), who called it Pempotowwuthut-Muhhcanneuw.[7] The area was settled by Dutch colonists who, in 1614, built Fort Nassau for fur trading and in 1624, built Fort Orange. In 1664, the English took over the Dutch settlements, renaming the city Albany in honor of the Duke of Albany, the future James II. The city was officially chartered in 1686 under English rule. It became the capital of New York in 1797 after the formation of the United States. Albany is one of the oldest surviving settlements of the original British thirteen colonies; no other city in the United States has been continuously chartered as long.[8]

In the late 18th century and throughout most of the 19th, Albany was a center of trade and transportation. The city lies toward the north end of the navigable Hudson River. It was the original eastern terminus of the Erie Canal, connecting to the Great Lakes, and was home to some of the earliest railroads in the world. In the 1920s a powerful political machine controlled by the Democratic Party arose in Albany. In the latter part of the 20th century, Albany's population shrank because of urban sprawl and suburbanization. In the 1990s, the New York State Legislature approved for the city a US$234 million building and renovation plan, which spurred redevelopment downtown.[9] In the early 21st century, Albany's high-technology industry grew, with great strides in nanotechnology.[10][11]