When Henry Hudson sailed up the river that would eventually bear his name, he is thought to have landed at what is now the town of Bethlehem.

Normansville still exists today, though it is unnoticed by most living in Bethlehem since it is accessible only by one downhill road.

Delmar has become the most populous hamlet and its Delaware Avenue is the site of the present day town hall, police station, justice court, and public library, as well as numerous businesses.

The town has continued to grow, and is today considered to be an affluent suburb of the city of Albany.

Cunningham was elected to the position in the fall of 2007, then ran for reelection in November 2009, when he was defeated by council member Sam Messina.

John Clarkson defeated Kotary in the Democratic primary for the supervisor position in September 2011, and Clarkson subsequently defeated Kotary, running on the Republican line, in the general election in November 2011.

He served 3 terms and was succeeded by Democrat David VanLuven, who was first elected in November 2017.

The town operates five public elementary schools – Eagle, Elsmere, Glenmont, Hamagrael, and Slingerlands.

The building remains property of the Bethlehem Central School District and is currently leased to the Albany County Sheriff's Department.

According to the District web site, Clarksville school will remain closed for the indefinite future due to declining enrollment and economic issues.

The school district offers Continuing Education classes in a variety of topics for adult learners of all ages.

Residents in the hamlet of North Bethlehem are part of the Guilderland Central School District.

Residents in the hamlets of Selkirk and South Bethlehem are part of the Ravena-Coeymans-Selkirk Central School District.

The eastern town line, defined by the Hudson River, is the border of Rensselaer County.

Pursuant to Article X of the Public Service Law, PSEG Energy Resource & Trade LLC (originally filed by Niagara Mohawk Power Corporation (NMPC) in 1998) was granted a Certificate of Environmental Compatibility and Public Need for a 750-megawatt (MW) combined cycle natural gas powered plant in 2002.

It is located on a 186-acre former industrial area that was owned by NMPC and housed the former 376 MW coal-powered Albany Steam Station.

The amendment was granted noting that there would not be an increase in air emissions or facility footprint.

[18] In its 2018 adopted budget, the Town of Bethlehem noted a revenue of $214,941 from payments in lieu of taxes most of which can be assumed to come from the BEC.