Rensselaer, New York
Rensselaer | |
|---|---|
| City of Rensselaer | |
Clockwise from top: Looking Southwest on Washington Ave. towards Albany; Riverfront Park boat dock; Fall foliage beneath the Dunn Memorial Bridge in Riverfront Park; CDTA Albany-Rensselaer Amtrak Station; Albany skyline from the Rensselaer esplanade at DeLaet's Landing; and the sun sets over Albany on a cold winter night. | |
| Etymology: From Kiliaen van Rensselaer, patroon of the region | |
| Motto: The home of "Yankee Doodle" | |
Boundaries of and major thoroughfares through Rensselaer | |
Location in Rensselaer County and the state of New York. | |
| Coordinates: 42°38′48″N 73°44′01″W / 42.64667°N 73.73361°W | |
| Country | United States |
| State | New York |
| Region | Capital District |
| County | Rensselaer |
| Settled | 1630 |
| Incorporation | 1897 |
| Government | |
| • Type | Mayor-council |
| • Body | |
| • Mayor | Michael Stammel (R) |
| Area | |
• Total | 3.51 sq mi (9.10 km2) |
| • Land | 3.18 sq mi (8.23 km2) |
| • Water | 0.33 sq mi (0.87 km2) |
| Elevation | 16 ft (5 m) |
| Lowest elevation | 0 ft (0 m) |
| Population (2020) | |
• Total | 9,210 |
| • Density | 2,897.14/sq mi (1,118.75/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC-5 (EST) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-4 (EDT) |
| ZIP Code | 12144 |
| Area codes | 518, 838 |
| FIPS code | 36-083-61148 |
| FIPS code | 36-61148 |
| GNIS feature ID | 0962384 |
| Wikimedia Commons | Rensselaer, New York |
| Website | http://www.rensselaerny.gov |
Rensselaer /rɛnsəˈlɪər/ is a city in Rensselaer County, New York, United States, and is located on the east side of the Hudson River, opposite Albany and on the western border of Rensselaer County. As of the 2020 census, the city population was 9,210.
The area now known as the City of Rensselaer was settled by the Dutch in the 17th century, who called it t'Greyn Bos, which became Greenbush in English. Rensselaer was an early center of the U.S. dye industry in the United States and home to the country's first aspirin factory. The city became a railroad hub in the 19th century; in 2020, Albany-Rensselaer was the ninth-busiest Amtrak station in the country and the second-busiest in New York State.