It is hard to imagine that many people believe New York to be the capital of the state. Sometimes it is even thought to be the capital of the country, however, mostly by foreigners. Gone are the days when the most populous city in the U.S. served as the capital of the country. Actually, it was the capital of the United States (not of the state) just for 5 years (1785-90).

Albany is the capital of the U.S. state of New York and the seat of Albany County. Albany is located on the west bank of the Hudson River approximately 10 miles (16 km) south of its confluence with the Mohawk River and approximately 135 miles (220 km) north of New York City.

The city was settled in the early 17th century, but became the capital of the state only in 1797. It used to be a very important center of commerce and even today people travel to Albany for state business. According to the 2010 census, the population of the city was 97,856.

The city was the first European settlement in the state. It is one of the oldest surviving settlements of the original British thirteen colonies.

More Info: en.wikipedia.org