Albany

Albany commonly refers to several places around the world. The most prominent is Albany, the capital of New York, United States. Located on the west bank of the Hudson River, it serves as the state’s seat of government. The city hosts the New York State Capitol and several state agencies, hospitals, colleges, and cultural institutions. The area was settled by Europeans in the early 17th century as Fort Orange, a Dutch trading post; it was renamed Albany after the Duke of Albany when the English gained control in 1664. It developed as a political and economic center, with government, education, healthcare, and research institutions.

Other places named Albany include Albany, Western Australia, a regional city on the southern coast that functions as a port, service hub, and gateway to natural attractions; Albany, Georgia, a city in southwestern Georgia and the county seat of Dougherty County with a long history in cotton trade and regional commerce; Albany, Oregon, a city in the Willamette Valley that serves as the county seat of Linn County and a center for manufacturing and services; and Albany, California, a small Bay Area city in Alameda County near Berkeley and Oakland.

In addition to these, numerous other towns and counties bear the name Albany in the United States and elsewhere. The name is derived from the title Duke of Albany in Scotland and England, and it has often been applied to capitals, counties, and towns as a commemorative or aspirational designation.