The Capital Region, a center for government, rich in colleges and universities, and poised for growth in high-technology, is the hub of Upstate New York. Home to Albany, the state capital, and historic Saratoga Springs , it is the link between New York City, Boston, Montreal and Central New York State

Area
5,199 square miles

Weather
Mean Daily Temperature: January 21.5° F; July 72.0° F

Location
The eight-county Capital Region is located midway along the eastern border of New York State . Its topography encompasses sections of the fertile Hudson and Mohawk river valleys, as well as portions of the state's two major mountain ranges, the Adirondacks and the Catskills.

Quality of Life
A captivating mix of architectural styles and attractions and a variety of cultural and recreational offerings, all surrounded by the tranquil beauty of farms and woodlands, makes the Capital Region a highly desirable place in which to live and work. Sports fans enjoy a variety of professional and collegiate sporting events, or take to the outdoors for water sports, golfing, hiking or skiing. The charming community of Saratoga Springs offers world-class thoroughbred horseracing and elegant mineral springs, and is the summer home of the New York City Ballet and the Philadelphia Orchestra.

Workforce

Market Access
The Capital Region's strategic location allows it easy access to the markets of the Northeast, Mid-Atlantic, and Midwestern states, as well as eastern Canada . The region is at the crossroads of I-87 and I-90, the state's major interstate highways, and is about equidistant from New York City , Boston and Montreal .

Transportation
Highways: Three major interstate highways-the New York State Thruway (I-87/I-90), the Adirondack Northway (I-87) and I-88-serve all parts of the region.  Air Service: A number of major national airlines and regional commuters provide air service and air freight service at the newly expanded Albany International Airport . Other smaller airports service outlying areas. Rail Service: CSX Corp., CP Rail Systems and Amtrak provide railway freight and passenger service in all directions.  Bus Service: The Capital District Transportation Authority serves a four-county metropolitan area, while a half-dozen private commuter service lines provide local and long-distance service.  Port Facilities: Ocean-going vessels berth at the deep-water Port of Albany on the Hudson River . The New York State Canal System connects the area with the Great Lakes ports of Buffalo and Oswego .

Industries
The Capital Region is rapidly taking the lead as a national hotspot for high-technology economic development. It is home to premier high-tech research institutions such as GE Global Research, Wadsworth Center , Knolls Atomic Power Lab, and Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute. Two high-tech industries that are seeing tremendous success in this region are nanotechnology and fuel cells. International SEMATECH, a consortium of the twelve major computer chip manufacturers in the world, and Plug Power, a world-wide leader in fuel cell research and development, are two of the many companies that are working to make this region a leader in the technologies of the future. Other high-tech strengths include software development, power generation equipment, and medical products. The Capital Region has attracted a significant number of distribution and warehousing centers. These centers utilize the region's excellent transportation systems to access their growing Northeast markets.

In addition to government employment, the Albany-Schenectady-Troy area has a diversified private sector. The sectors that generate the largest amount of export income within the region include professional, scientific and technical services; education; and insurance carriers. The region's most important export and income-generating manufacturing industry is chemicals.

Research and Development partnerships between the University at Albany 's Center for Advanced Thin Film Technology and Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute's (RPI) Center for Advanced Interconnect Science and Technology have drawn an industry-sponsored semiconductor research center to the region, positioning the area to attract new manufacturing to the state. Manufacturing accounts for six percent of all non-farm jobs in the region, with General Electric Co. as a major employer. RPI also houses a new $100 million Center for Biotechnology. The Center's mission is to create a forum for experts in various fields to meet and work together to create solutions to current problems in the industry.

Selected Employers
General Electric Co., Schenectady and Selkirk
MapInfo, Troy
Boston Scientific Corp., Glens Falls
Albany Molecular Research, Inc., Albany
Finch Pruyn & Co., Glens Falls
Philips Electronics, Albany
SIGroup, Schenectady
Taconic Farms Inc., Hudson

Health Care
Albany Medical Center, Albany
Albany Memorial Hospital, Albany
Columbia Memorial Hospital, Hudson
Glens Falls Hospital, Glens Falls
St. Peter's Hospital, Albany
Samaritan Hospital, Troy
Saratoga Hospital and Nursing Home, Saratoga Springs
Seton Health/St. Mary's Hospital, Troy
Stratton VA Medical Center, Albany

Education: Major College and University Enrollments

More than 67,000 students are enrolled in the area's 10 four-year and 11 two-year colleges and universities.

Population