Troy, New York

Troy is a city in the Rensselaer County, New York, United States. It is located on the western edge of the county, on the eastern bank of the Hudson River just northeast of the capital city of Albany. At the 2020 census, the population of Troy was 51,401.

The area had long been occupied by the Mohican Indian tribe, but Dutch settlement began in the mid-17th century. The Dutch colony was conquered by the English in 1664, renamed Troy in 1789 and was incorporated as a town in 1791.

Troy has close ties to Albany and nearby Schenectady, forming a region called the Capital District. Troy is noted for its Victorian architecture and is home to a number of institutions of higher learning, including Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Hudson Valley Community College and Russell Sage College.

History

1500 to 1700: the Mohican and the Skiwia Native Americans

Before Europeans arrived, the Mohican people lived along the Hudson River near where it meets the Mohawk River. Two Mohican groups owned the land around the Poesten Kill and Wynants Kill streams. The land between these streams, which is most of today’s downtown Troy and South Troy, belonged to another Mohican group. These lands were sold to the Dutch in the 1600s, with many Mohicans involved in the sales.

1700: The Dutch and the British

Troy was part of Rensselaerswyck, a large land area created by Kiliaen van Rensselaer. One of the first settlers was Dirck Van der Heyden, who bought a farm in 1707.

The 1800s: Canals, shipping, early industrialization

The city was named Troy in 1789, after the famous ancient city. It became a village in 1801 and a city in 1816. The Erie Canal, finished in 1825, helped Troy grow by making it easier to move goods.

Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI), founded in 1824, helped support science and technology. Troy was also important for steel, with one of the first American Bessemer converters built there. The city made precision instruments, iron parts for buildings, and even baseball teams played there long ago.

Financial success and flaming destruction

Troy was very wealthy in the 1800s, especially with steel and trade. Sadly, fires came close to destroying the city three times, including a big fire in 1862.

Pioneering in the world of sports

Troy was an early home for professional baseball, with teams like the Troy Haymakers and the Troy Trojans playing there in the 1800s.

Politics, commerce and growth abound

In the late 1800s and early 1900s, Troy made many kinds of machines and tools. It was also famous for making shirts and collars, thanks to an idea by Hannah Lord Montague.

2000 to today

Like many older industrial cities, Troy has faced challenges with losing factories and people moving away. Efforts are now being made to preserve the city’s history and plan for its future.

Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau, Troy covers 11.0 square miles (28 km²), with 0.6 square miles (1.6 km²) of that being water.

Troy sits a few miles north of Albany near where important waterways meet via the Hudson River. It is the end point of the New York Barge Canal. The city is located on the western edge of Rensselaer County. The Hudson River forms the western border of both the city and the county, separating it from Albany County. Troy touches several nearby places: Schaghticoke to the north, Brunswick to the east, and North Greenbush to the south. Across the river to the west are Colonie, the villages of Menands and Green Island, and the cities of Watervliet and Cohoes. To the northwest, Troy also borders the village of Waterford in Saratoga County.

The land along the river is flat, but it rises steeply to higher ground toward the east. The average height above sea level is 50 feet, with the highest point reaching 500 feet in the eastern part of the city. Several small rivers, called "kills" from the Dutch word for creek, flow through Troy and empty into the Hudson. The Poesten Kill and Wynants Kill are the largest, and they each have small lakes and waterfalls along their paths. Troy also has several lakes and reservoirs, such as Ida Lake, Burden Pond, Lansingburgh Reservoir, Bradley Lake, Smarts Pond, and Wright Lake.

Climate

Troy experiences a humid continental climate (Köppen Dfa). The average yearly temperature is 50.9 °F (10.5 °C). July is the warmest month with an average of 74.9 °F (23.8 °C), while January is the coldest with an average of 25.5 °F (−3.6 °C). The city receives about 42.09 inches (1,069 mm) of rain each year.

Demographics

2020 census

According to the 2020 census, Troy had a population of 51,401 people. The median age was 31 years. About 19% of the residents were younger than 18, and 12% were 65 or older. For every 100 females, there were about 101 males.

All residents lived in urban areas.

There were 21,045 households in Troy. About 24% of these households had children under 18 living in them. Around 23% were married couples living together, 27% had a male householder without a spouse, and 38% had a female householder without a spouse. About 39% of households were made up of individuals, and 12% had someone living alone who was 65 or older.

There were 24,325 housing units, with 13% being vacant. The rate of vacant homes for sale was 2%, and the rate of vacant rental units was 8%.

2010 census

In the 2010 census, 50,129 people lived in Troy, in 20,121 households and 10,947 families. The population density was 4,840 people per square mile, with 23,474 housing units. The racial makeup of the city was 70% White, 16% African American, less than 1% Native American, 3% Asian, and 4% from two or more races. About 8% of the population identified as Hispanic or Latino.

Income and economy

In 2013, the median household income in Troy was $37,805, which was lower than the New York state average. The median family income was $47,827. About 27% of the population lived in poverty.

By 2020, the median household income had risen to $45,728. The percentage of people living in poverty had decreased by 3% since 2013.

Educational attainment for people aged 25 or older showed that 87% had graduated from high school or higher, and 27% had a bachelor's degree or higher. From 2015 to 2019, 89% of households had a computer, and 82% had broadband internet access.

Economy

Troy is known as the "Collar City" because it used to make many shirts and collars. A woman named Mrs. Montague started making detachable collars in 1820 to help her husband have clean shirts every day. This idea led to many new types of clothing and even helped start the first laundry store and the first female union in the country. For many years, Troy made most of the collars worn in America and was also a big place for making iron.

Today, Troy has changed. Many old factories have closed or moved away, but new jobs are growing, especially in video game development thanks to RPI, a big school in the city. There are also offices and creative businesses in the downtown area. RPI is the biggest private employer in Troy.

Arts and culture

Troy has many beautiful old buildings with Victorian and Belle Époque styles. The city's special location near rivers and canals helped it grow, and many famous movies like Ironweed and The Age of Innocence were filmed there. You can see ironwork, stone carvings, and colorful glass in many buildings.

Troy holds many fun events each year. The big Flag Day parade started in 1967 and stopped in 2017. Every June, there is a River Fest with art, crafts, and music. In December, people enjoy the Victorian Stroll, and each Thanksgiving, there is a fun run called the Troy Turkey Trot. There are also many other events like outdoor concerts, a BBQ competition, and a farmers market.

Government

The city of Troy has a mayor who leads the government and makes sure everything runs smoothly. The mayor is in charge of enforcing laws and managing city departments like finance, public safety, and parks. The mayor serves for four years and can be re-elected once.

Troy also has a city council with seven members. One member represents the whole city, and six others represent different parts of Troy. They help make decisions for the city. The current council started in January 2026.

Troy is divided into smaller areas called election districts, which help organize voting and representation. These districts are part of larger groups like state and U.S. districts.

Education

Troy has a rich history of education. In 1824, the Rensselaer School was founded, which later became RPI. In 1821, Emma Willard started the Troy Female Seminary, which became Emma Willard School in 1895. This school was the first high school for girls in America. Later, in 1916, the Female Seminary opened again as Russell Sage College, a college for women. All these schools are still open today.

Troy is also home to Hudson Valley Community College, which has about 10,000 students. The city has two public school districts, Troy and Lansingburgh. There are three private high schools: La Salle Institute, Emma Willard School, and Catholic Central High School. There is also a K-12 charter school system called Troy Prep.

Infrastructure

Transportation

Regional buses

Regional and local buses are run by the Capital District Transportation Authority, known as CDTA. The CDTA Blue Line, Red Line, and Purple Line serve Troy with fast bus service, connecting to Albany, Cohoes, Waterford, and Watervliet.

Roads

US 4 runs north to south through Troy along River Street and 3rd and 4th Streets. New York State Route 7 goes east to west on Hoosick Street, using the Collar City Bridge to cross the Hudson River. This part of Route 7 overlaps with the northern end of Interstate 787, which ends in Troy. New York State Route 2 also runs east to west on Congress Street, crossing the Hudson River at the Congress Street Bridge.

Rail

Several railroads, including the New York Central Railroad, Delaware and Hudson Railroad, Rutland Railroad, and Boston and Maine Railroad, used to offer train service to Troy. By the late 1950s, only the Boston and Maine trains were left. The last of these trains came from Boston, Massachusetts in 1958. Troy Union Station closed and was torn down that same year. Today, Amtrak serves the Albany-Rensselaer station, about 8.5 miles south of Troy.

Fire Department

The Troy Fire Department has 119 firefighters who work from six stations across the city. They run five engine companies, a special rescue-engine company, two ladder trucks, three ambulances, a unit for dangerous material situations, and two rescue boats.

Health care

Northeast Health now oversees Troy's two big hospitals, Samaritan Hospital and St. Mary's Hospital.

Notable people

Troy, New York, has been home to many interesting people over the years. Joe Alaskey was a voice actor known for his work with Looney Tunes characters. Dave Anderson was a Pulitzer Prize-winning sportswriter for The New York Times, born in Troy. David Baddiel is a well-known comedian. Garnet Douglass Baltimore was the first African-American graduate of Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute and made important contributions as a civil engineer and landscape designer.

Other notable figures include John C. Baker, a US Army major general, and Thomas Baker, a U.S. infantryman who received the Medal of Honor for bravery in the Battle of Saipan. George Packer Berry served as Dean of Harvard Medical School. Nick Brignola, an internationally famous jazz musician, was born in Troy and lived his whole life in the area. Dorothy Lavinia Brown was an African American surgeon, legislator, and teacher who grew up in the Troy Orphan Asylum and graduated top of her class from Troy High School in 1937.