North Jersey | |
|---|---|
 Interactive map of North Jersey | |
| Country | United States |
| State | New Jersey |
| Largest cities | Newark andJersey City |
| Counties | |
| Elevation | 1,803 ft (550 m) |
| Population (2024) | |
• Total | 3,905,478 |
| Time zone | UTC−5 (EST) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC−4 (EDT) |
North Jersey, also known asNorthern New Jersey, comprises thenorthern portions of the U.S. state ofNew Jersey between the upperDelaware River and theAtlantic Ocean. As a distincttoponym, North Jersey is acolloquial one rather than anadministrative one, reflecting geographical and perceived cultural and other differences between it and thesouthern part of the state.[1][2]
North Jersey is characterized by its position, both geographically and culturally, within the greaterNew York City metropolitan area, as well as its high economic output, including its regional economic engines ofParamus inBergen County, which had $6 billion in annual retail sales as of 2018[3] andJersey City, whose financial district has been nicknamed "Wall Street West",[4]Newark Liberty International Airport inNewark, andPort Newark–Elizabeth Marine Terminal.
Bergen County is the most populous county in both North Jersey and the state and serves as the western terminus for theGeorge Washington Bridge, the world's busiest motor vehicle bridge, which connectsFort Lee, New Jersey toUpper Manhattan inNew York City.[5]Newark, located inEssex County, is New Jersey's most populous city. Jersey City andPaterson, located inHudson andPassaic counties, in North Jersey are the second and third most populous cities in the region and the state after Newark.
The exact definition of which counties constitute North Jersey is a subject of debate. Definitions of the North Jersey region of the state most consistently includeBergen,Essex,Hudson,Morris,Passaic,Sussex, andWarren counties, though definitions of North Jersey frequently vary and may include other New Jersey counties in theNew York metropolitan area that are sometimes differentiated as or consideredCentral Jersey, includingMiddlesex County,Union County,Monmouth County,Somerset County,Hunterdon County andMercer County.
Geologically, North Jersey is largely in thePiedmont Province, theHighlands Province, and theRidge and Valley Province. Depending on definitions, some are counted as being in theAtlantic coastal plain.
North Jersey has a Humid Continental Climate (Dfb) byKöppen.
One particular definition of North Jersey includes all points in New Jersey north ofI-295 in the western part of the state and all points north ofI-195 in the eastern part of the state. Another definition uses theold 1956-era 201 telephone area code, not the modern 201 area code, and all its additions, as this area code loosely included all of New Jersey north ofTrenton. Some residents of the northern tier of counties use a narrower definition, counting only that area north of the mouth of theRaritan River. Conversely, people inSouth Jersey and within thePhiladelphia metropolitan area, when using a two-portion approach that excludesCentral Jersey as a separate category, may define North Jersey as consisting ofOcean County and every county north of it, essentially placing all New Jersey counties that are within theNew York metropolitan area under the definition of North Jersey. The state is also sometimes described as having North Jersey and South Jersey separated from each other by Central Jersey.[6]
In 2008, the New Jersey State Department of Tourism divided the state into sixtourist regions with theGateway andSkylands regions included in North Jersey.[7]
The following counties are most consistently considered North Jersey:
North Jersey was the site of some of the earliest European settlements in what would become theUnited States of America. Itscolonial history started afterHenry Hudson sailed throughNewark Bay in 1609. Although Hudson was British, he worked for theNetherlands, so he claimed the land for the Dutch as part of the provincial colony ofNew Netherland,[8] with original settlements centered inBergen in today's Hudson County. In 1664, the region became part of theProvince of New Jersey.
During theAmerican Revolutionary War, New Jersey was a strategic location betweenNew York City, and theContinental Congress inPhiladelphia. Important materials necessary to the war effort were sometimes produced in North Jersey, and theContinental Army made its home in North Jersey for part of the war.George Washington, commanding general of theContinental Army, maintained his headquarters atFord Mansion inMorristown for part of the Revolutionary War, from December 1779 to June 1780. In the northwestern part of the state, iron mines and foundries supplied raw material for the Continental Army's guns and ammunition.
TheAmerican Industrial Revolution started by the founding of the North Jersey town ofPaterson. Today, the United States and the world enjoy the fruit born of seeds planted in North Jersey during the Industrial Revolution.Alexander Hamilton, Secretary for the Treasury and President of the Bank of New York during the end of the eighteenth century, selected theGreat Falls area, also known as the Passaic Falls, for an ambitious experiment. He promoted the natural power of the Great Falls as an excellent location for textile mills and other manufacturers.
Paterson attracted skilled craftsmen and engineers from Europe to run the mills and produced a large concentration of creative and able people. During the mid-nineteenth century, many of the engines and materials that would be used to colonize a continent were made here.Thomas Edison installed one of the first hydroelectric power plants in the world, which still provides electricity today, using the Great Falls as an energy source.
InWest Orange, Edison created the first technicalresearch and development facility with hisinvention factory. Electric light, improved motion pictures, and sound recording, were among the hundreds of inventions produced here.[9]
The seven counties that are most commonly included in North Jersey have an estimated total population of 3,905,478 as of 2024; this rises to 4,499,638 with the inclusion of Union County.[10] As of the 2000U.S. Census, the demographics of all the seven main counties combined are 66.8%White, 18.5%Hispanic or Latino, 15.4%African American, 6.6%Asian, 0.2%Native American, and 0.1%Pacific Islander.
| 2017 Rank | Municipality | County | Population in 2017 | Population in 2010 | Municipal Type |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Newark | Essex | 285,154 | 277,140 | City |
| 2 | Jersey City | Hudson | 270,753 | 247,597 | City |
| 3 | Paterson | Passaic | 148,678 | 146,199 | City |
| 4 | Clifton | Passaic | 86,607 | 84,136 | City |
| 5 | Passaic | Passaic | 71,247 | 69,781 | City |
| 6 | Union City | Hudson | 70,387 | 66,455 | City |
| 7 | Bayonne | Hudson | 67,186 | 63,024 | City |
| 8 | East Orange | Essex | 65,378 | 64,270 | City |
| 9 | North Bergen | Hudson | 63,659 | 60,773 | Township |
| 10 | Hoboken | Hudson | 55,131 | 50,005 | City |
| 11 | Wayne | Passaic | 55,072 | 54,717 | Township |
| 12 | Irvington | Essex | 54,865 | 53,926 | Township |
| 13 | West New York | Hudson | 54,227 | 49,708 | Town |
| 14 | Parsippany-Troy Hills | Morris | 53,201 | 53,238 | Township |
| 15 | Bloomfield | Essex | 50,970 | 47,315 | Township |
| 16 | West Orange | Essex | 48,425 | 46,207 | Township |
| 17 | Hackensack | Bergen | 45,248 | 43,010 | City |
| 18 | Kearny | Hudson | 42,670 | 40,648 | Town |
| 19 | Teaneck | Bergen | 41,311 | 39,776 | Township |
| 20 | Montclair | Essex | 39,227 | 37,669 | Township |
| 21 | Fort Lee | Bergen | 37,907 | 35,345 | Borough |
| 22 | Belleville | Essex | 36,498 | 35,926 | Township |
| 23 | Fair Lawn | Bergen | 33,710 | 32,457 | Borough |
| 24 | Garfield | Bergen | 32,393 | 30,487 | City |
| 25 | City of Orange | Essex | 30,813 | 30,134 | Township |
| 26 | Livingston | Essex | 30,142 | 29,366 | Township |
| Rank | County | Population in 2022 | County seat | Area |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Bergen | 952,997 | Hackensack | 234 sq mi (606 km2) |
| 2 | Essex | 849,477 | Newark | 126 sq mi (326 km2) |
| 3 | Hudson | 703,366 | Jersey City | 47 sq mi (122 km2) |
| 4 | Passaic | 513,936 | Paterson | 185 sq mi (479 km2) |
| 5 | Morris | 511,151 | Morristown | 469 sq mi (1,215 km2) |
| 6 | Sussex | 146,084 | Newton | 521 sq mi (1,349 km2) |
| 7 | Warren | 110,926 | Belvidere | 358 sq mi (927 km2) |
Sports allegiances are often divided between the northern and southern portions of the state.[2] The2009 World Series divided the people of New Jersey, because South Jersey residents generally root for thePhiladelphia Phillies, while North Jersey residents usually root for theNew York Yankees or theNew York Mets. A similar trend exists for most other major sports, with North Jersey residents supporting theBrooklyn Nets or theNew York Knicks in basketball, theNew Jersey Devils, or theNew York Rangers in hockey, theNew York Red Bulls orNew York City FC in soccer, and theNew York Giants or theNew York Jets in football.
The former farming community already sees more retail sales than any other zip code in the country...More than $6 billion in retail sales happen in Paramus each year.
For one, NJ.com readers overwhelmingly agreed that Central Jersey does, in fact, exist. More than 50,000 of the votes received went toward categorizing Central Jersey towns, far outweighing those received for North and South Jersey.
40°47′29″N74°15′45″W / 40.7915°N 74.2624°W /40.7915; -74.2624
