The Capital District, also known as the Capital Region, refers to the metropolitan area surrounding Albany, the capital of the U.S. state of New York. With a population of 1,170,483 (2013), the Capital District is the third largest metropolitan region in the state and the 45th largest in the country. Fortune 500 companies that have headquarters in Albany include American Express, CommerceHub, JPMorgan Chase & Co., Merrill Lynch, General Electric, Verizon, Goldman Sachs, International Paper, Key Bank,  f.y.e. stores, and the Environment One Corporation. In the 21st century, the Capital District has emerged as a major anchor of Tech Valley, the moniker describing the technologically-focused region of eastern New York State. The Capital District was first settled by the Dutch in the early 17th century and came under British control in 1664. Albany has been the permanent capital of the state of New York since 1797. The Capital District is notable for many historical events that predate the independence of the United States, including the Albany Plan of Union and The Battles of Saratoga.

A capital territory or capital district is normally a specially designated administrative division where a country's seat of government is located. As such, in a federal model of government, no state or territory has any political or economic advantage relative to the others because of the national capital lying within its borders. A capital territory can be a specific form of federal district.