Albany, New York

Albany is the capital of the state of New York in the United States of America. As of the 2000 census, it has a population of 95,658. It is the county seat of Albany County. Albany lies 145 miles (233 kilometers) north of and slightly east from New York City, and slightly to the south of the juncture of the Mohawk and Hudson Rivers.

In addition to the state government, Albany is the home of the University at Albany, a university center of the State University of New York. Several other colleges are located in Albany, including the College of Saint Rose, Excelsior College, Albany Law School, Albany Medical College, and the Albany College of Pharmacy.

Some locals of Albany jokingly refer to it as Smallbany.

On the southern section of Albany's downtown lies the Empire State Plaza. Within the plaza is the Erastus Corning Tower, which stands at 589 feet (180 meters), making it the tallest building in New York State outside of New York City.

Several US Navy ships have been named Albany.

History

Albany, next after Jamestown, Virginia, was the first settlement in the old thirteen colonies. The Dutch who built a fort there in 1614 called the place New Orange, after the Prince of Orange. When the land was taken by the British in 1664, the name was changed to Albany, in honor of the Duke of York and Albany, who later became James VII of Scotland and II of England, the Duke of Albany being a Scottish title given generally to a younger son of the Scottish King since 1398. The name derived from Alba; the Gaelic name for Scotland.

William Alexander died there in 1783.

It was made the state capital in 1797.

Noted industrialist and founder of the New York Central Railroad Erastus Corning called Albany home and served as its mayor from 1834 to 1837. His great-grandson, Erastus Corning II, served as mayor of Albany from 1941 until 1983, one of the longest single mayoral terms of any major city in the United States.

Geography

Albany is located at 42°39'35" North, 73°46'53" West (42.659829, -73.781339)¹.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 21.8 mi² (56.6 km²). 21.4 mi² (55.4 km²) of it is land and 0.5 mi² (1.2 km²) of it is water. The total area is 2.15% water.

Demographics

As of the census² of 2000, there are 95,658 people, 40,709 households, and 18,400 families residing in the city. The population density is 4,474.6/mi² (1,727.5/km².) There are 45,288 housing units at an average density of 2,118.4/mi² (817.9/km².) The racial makeup of the city is 63.12% White, 28.14% African American, 0.31% Native American, 3.26% Asian, 0.04% Pacific Islander, 2.15% from other races, and 2.98% from two or more races. 5.59% of the population are Hispanic or Latino of any race.

There are 40,709 households out of which 22.0% have children under the age of 18 living with them, 25.3% are married couples living together, 16.1% have a female householder with no husband present, and 54.8% are non-families. 41.9% of all households are made up of individuals and 11.5% have someone living alone who is 65 years of age or older. The average household size is 2.11 and the average family size is 2.95.

In the city the population is spread out with 20.0% under the age of 18, 19.3% from 18 to 24, 29.2% from 25 to 44, 18.1% from 45 to 64, and 13.4% who are 65 years of age or older. The median age is 31 years. For every 100 females there are 90.6 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there are 86.5 males.

The median income for a household in the city is $30,041, and the median income for a family is $39,932. Males have a median income of $31,535 versus $27,112 for females. The per capita income for the city is $18,281. 21.7% of the population and 16.0% of families are below the poverty line. Out of the total people living in poverty, 28.8% are under the age of 18 and 12.5% are 65 or older.

See also

• Albany International Airport