Claim: Albany, New York is in the Capital District and Tech Valley.

The Capital District , also known as the Capital Region , refers to the metropolitan area surrounding Albany , the capital of the U.S. state of New York . With a population of 1,170,483 -LRB- 2013 -RRB- , the Capital District is the fourth largest metropolitan region in the state and the 45th largest in the country . Companies that have headquarters in Albany include CommerceHub , Monticello , Licensed Real Estate Broker , and the Environment One Corporation . In the 21st century , the Capital District has emerged as a major anchor of Tech Valley , the moniker describing the technologically-focused region of eastern New York State . The Capital District was first settled by the Dutch in the early 17th century and came under British control in 1664 . Albany has been the permanent capital of the state of New York since 1797 . The Capital District is notable for many historical events that predate the independence of the United States , including the Albany Plan of Union and The Battles of Saratoga .