Portal:Hudson Valley/Selected article/6

Albany is the capital city of the U.S. state of New York, the seat of Albany County, and the central city of New York's Capital District. At roughly 150 miles (240 km) north of New York City, Albany sits on the west bank of the Hudson River, approximately 10 miles (16 km) south of its confluence with the Mohawk River. The city had an estimated population of 93,539 in 2008 and the population of the greater metropolitan area was estimated at 857,592 in 2009. Albany is the oldest continuously chartered city in the United States. The city was founded by the Dutch in 1614, but taken over by the English in 1664, at which time it received its current name in honor of the Duke of Albany. Albany was chartered as a city in 1686 and was one of the top ten most populous cities in the nation until 1860; it became the state capital in 1797. The city played an important role in advancements in transportation during the 19th century. Albany saw the longest tenure of any US city mayor with Erastus Corning 2nd. The city's current economy is based mainly in higher education, government, health care, and an emerging high-tech sector. Albany is a two-time winner of the All-America City Award (1991 and 2009).