[3] Including the village of Scotia, the town of Glenville encompasses the part of Schenectady County north of the Mohawk River.

Glen, who was a native of Scotland, acquired a large tract of land in the area in the 1650s.

[4][5] He named his manor at Scotia after his native country (Glen Sanders Mansion).

The town of Glenville is regarded as a bedroom community, with many residents finding employment at General Electric in adjacent Schenectady, various New York state offices in nearby Albany, and numerous Capital District corporations, educational institutions, and health care industries.

The town is split among four public school districts; Scotia-Glenville, Burnt Hills-Ballston Lake, Amsterdam and Niskayuna.

Mohawk Valley Airport is located three nautical miles (6 km) northwest of the central business district of Scotia.