The town is located in the southeast corner of Saratoga County and north-northwest of Troy at the junction of the Erie Canal and the Hudson River.

[2] Fortunes were made here by industrialists such as the brothers Hugh and Canvas White, the Knickerbocker, Kavanaugh, Button, Breslin, and King families.

[2] His son George Washington Eddy established the Hudson and Mohawk Foundry, which produced stoves, iron castings, and steam car wheels.

The easternmost section and locks of the Erie Canal pass through the town and connect with the Hudson River.

The racial makeup of the town was 94.8% White, 1.3% African-American, 0.1% Native American, and 1.5% Asian; in addition, 1.8% of residents were Hispanic or Latino.