Connected to the west by the Mohawk River and Erie Canal, Schenectady developed rapidly in the 19th century as part of the Mohawk Valley trade, manufacturing, and transportation corridor. Residents of the new village developed farms on strip plots along the river. The name 'Schenectady' is derived from the Mohawk word skahnéhtati, meaning 'beyond the pines' and used for the area around Albany, New York. Schenectady was founded on the south side of the Mohawk River by Dutch colonists in the 17th century, many of whom came from the Albany area. It is in the same metropolitan area as the state capital, Albany, which is about 15 miles (24 km) southeast. The city is in eastern New York, near the confluence of the Mohawk and Hudson rivers.

As of the 2020 census, the city's population of 67,047 made it the state's ninth-most populous city and the twenty-fifth most-populous municipality by population. Schenectady ( / s k ə ˈ n ɛ k t ə d i/ ) is a city in Schenectady County, New York, United States, of which it is the county seat.