Albany (originally known as Fort Orange, in 1664 renamed "Albany" to honor the Duke of York and Albany)- founded 1609, capital (1797) of the state of New York, U.S., and seat (1683) of Albany county. It lies along the Hudson River, 143 miles (230 km) north of New York City. The heart of a metropolitan area that includes Troy and Schenectady, it is a port of entry, the northern terminus of the deepwater Hudson River Channel, and a natural transshipment point between ocean-going vessels and the New York State Barge Canal routes west to the Great Lakes... It's Dutch heritage is reflected in many street names and in the annual May Tulip Festival held in Washington Park. In 1689 one of the first intercontinental conventions was held in Albany to discuss a system of mutual defense... The city was one of the first in the U.S. to establish a commercial airport in 1919. It is also a site of the first railroad in America that ran between Albany and Schenectady, a distance of 11 miles.