Rensselaer County, New York

Rensselaer County, New York
Rensselaer County Courthouse
Location within the U.S. state of New York
Coordinates: 42°42′36″N 73°29′24″W / 42.71000°N 73.49000°W / 42.71000; -73.49000
Country United States
State New York
FoundedFebruary 7, 1791 (1791-02-07)
Named afterKiliaen van Rensselaer
SeatTroy
Largest cityTroy
Area
 • Total
665 sq mi (1,720 km2)
 • Land652 sq mi (1,690 km2)
 • Water13 sq mi (34 km2)  1.9%
Population
 (2020)
 • Total
161,130
 • Density247/sq mi (95/km2)
Time zoneUTC−5 (Eastern)
 • Summer (DST)UTC−4 (EDT)
Congressional districts19th, 20th
Websitewww.rensco.com

Rensselaer County /rɛnsəˈlɪər/ ren-sə-LEER is a county in the U.S. state of New York. As of the 2020 census, the population was 161,130, it's highest decennial count ever. Its county seat is Troy. The county is named in honor of the family of Kiliaen van Rensselaer, the original Dutch owner of the land in the area. The county is part of the Capital District region of the state.

Rensselaer County is part of the Albany-Schenectady-Troy, NY Metropolitan Statistical Area.