Global InformationNew Jersey information
New Jersey | |
|---|---|
State | |
| State of New Jersey | |
 Flag  Seal | |
| Nickname: The Garden State[1] | |
| Motto(s): Liberty and prosperity | |
 Map of the United States with New Jersey highlighted | |
| Country | United States |
| Before statehood | Province of New Jersey |
| Admitted to the Union | December 18, 1787 (3rd) |
| Capital | Trenton |
| Largest city | Newark |
| Largest county or equivalent | Bergen |
| Largest metro and urban areas | New York |
| Government | |
| • Governor | Phil Murphy (D) |
| • Lieutenant Governor | Tahesha Way (D) |
| Legislature | New Jersey Legislature |
| • Upper house | Senate |
| • Lower house | General Assembly |
| Judiciary | Supreme Court of New Jersey |
| U.S. senators | Bob Menendez (D) Cory Booker (D) |
| U.S. House delegation | 8 Democrats 3 Republicans 1 vacant (list) |
| Area | |
| • Total | 8,722.58 sq mi (22,591.38 km2) |
| • Land | 7,354.22[2] sq mi (19,047.34 km2) |
| • Water | 1,368.36 sq mi (3,544.04 km2) 15.7% |
| • Rank | 47th |
| Dimensions | |
| • Length | 170 mi (273 km) |
| • Width | 70 mi (112 km) |
| Elevation | 250 ft (80 m) |
| Highest elevation (High Point[3][a]) | 1,803 ft (549.6 m) |
| Lowest elevation (Atlantic Ocean[3]) | 0 ft (0 m) |
| Population (2020[5][6]) | |
| • Total | 9,288,994 |
| • Rank | 11th |
| • Density | 1,263.0/sq mi (487.6/km2) |
| • Rank | 1st |
| • Median household income | $97,126 in 2,022[4] |
| • Income rank | 3rd |
| Demonym(s) | New Jerseyan (official),[7] New Jerseyite[8][9] |
| Language | |
| • Official language | None |
| • Spoken language |
|
| Time zone | UTC−05:00 (Eastern) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC−04:00 (EDT) |
| USPS abbreviation | NJ |
| ISO 3166 code | US-NJ |
| Traditional abbreviation | N.J. |
| Latitude | 38°56′ N to 41°21′ N |
| Longitude | 73°54′ W to 75°34′ W |
| Website | nj |
New Jersey is a state situated within both the Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern regions of the United States. It is the most densely populated of all 50 U.S. states, and is situated at the center of the Northeast megalopolis. New Jersey is bordered on its north and east by New York state; on its east, southeast, and south by the Atlantic Ocean; on its west by the Delaware River and Pennsylvania; and on its southwest by Delaware Bay and Delaware. At 7,354 square miles (19,050 km2), New Jersey is the fifth-smallest state in land area, but with close to 9.3 million residents as of the 2020 United States census, its highest decennial count ever, it ranks 11th in population. The state capital is Trenton, and the state's most populous city is Newark. New Jersey is the only U.S. state in which every county is deemed urban by the U.S. Census Bureau with 13 counties included in the New York metropolitan area, seven counties in the Philadelphia metropolitan area, and Warren County part of the heavily industrialized Lehigh Valley metropolitan area.
New Jersey was first inhabited by Paleo-Indians as early as 13,000 B.C.E., with the Lenape being the dominant Indigenous group when Europeans arrived in the early 17th century. Dutch and Swedish colonists founded the first European settlements in the state,[10] with the British later seizing control of the region and establishing the Province of New Jersey, named after the largest of the Channel Islands.[11][12] The colony's fertile lands and relative religious tolerance drew a large and diverse population. New Jersey was among the Thirteen Colonies that supported the American Revolution, hosting several pivotal battles and military commands in the American Revolutionary War. On December 18, 1787, New Jersey became the third state to ratify the United States Constitution, which granted it admission to the Union, and it was the first state to ratify the U.S. Bill of Rights on November 20, 1789.
New Jersey remained in the Union during the American Civil War and provided troops, resources, and military leaders in support of the Union Army. After the war, the state emerged as a major manufacturing center and a leading destination for immigrants, helping drive the Industrial Revolution in the U.S. New Jersey was the site of many industrial, technological, and commercial innovations,[13] including the first town (Roselle) to be illuminated by electricity, the first incandescent light bulb, and the first steam locomotive.[14] Many prominent Americans associated with New Jersey have proven influential nationally and globally, including in academia, advocacy, business, entertainment, government, military, non-profit leadership, and other fields.
New Jersey's central location in the Northeast megalopolis helped fuel its rapid growth and suburbanization in the second half of the 20th century. Since the beginning of the 21st century, the state's economy has become highly diversified, with major sectors including biotechnology, pharmaceuticals, information technology, finance, and tourism, and it has become an Atlantic seaboard epicenter for logistics and distribution. New Jersey remains a major destination for immigrants and is home to one of the world's most ethnically diverse and multicultural populations.[15][16] Echoing historical trends, the state has increasingly re-urbanized, with growth in cities outpacing suburbs since 2008.[17]
As of 2022, New Jersey had the highest annual median household income, at $96,346, of all 50 states.[18] Almost one-tenth of all households in the state, or over 323,000, are millionaires, the highest representation of millionaires among all states.[19] New Jersey's public school system consistently ranks at or among the top of all U.S. states.[20][21][22][23] According to climatology research by the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, New Jersey has been the fastest-warming state by average air temperature over a 100-year period beginning in the early 20th century, which has been attributed to warming of the North Atlantic Ocean.[24]
- ^ The Garden State and Other New Jersey State Nicknames Archived September 2, 2019, at the Wayback Machine, Robert Lupp, New Jersey Reference Services, New Jersey State Library, October 12, 1994.
- ^ "New Jersey". State & County QuickFacts. U.S. Census Bureau. Archived from the original on October 31, 2013. Retrieved October 30, 2013.
- ^ a b "Elevations and Distances in the United States". United States Geological Survey. 2001. Archived from the original on October 15, 2011. Retrieved October 24, 2011.
- ^ "Quickfacts New Jersey". United States Census Bureau. Archived from the original on March 12, 2021. Retrieved April 26, 2024.
- ^ "QuickFacts New Jersey". United States Census Bureau. Archived from the original on July 18, 2021. Retrieved March 4, 2023.
- ^ "2020 Census Apportionment Results". census.gov. United States Census Bureau. Archived from the original on April 26, 2021. Retrieved April 26, 2021.
- ^ "GPO Style Manual 2008" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on February 21, 2011. Retrieved July 25, 2010.
- ^ "New Jersey—Definition and More from the Free Merriam-Webster Dictionary". Merriam-Webster. Archived from the original on May 31, 2013. Retrieved June 3, 2013.
- ^ "Definition of New Jerseyite". Dictionary.reference.com. Archived from the original on June 16, 2013. Retrieved July 25, 2010.
- ^ "NJ History Outline". USGenNet. Archived from the original on April 30, 2010. Retrieved July 25, 2010.
- ^ "New Jersey". MSN Encarta. Archived from the original on October 29, 2009. Retrieved July 25, 2010 – via Webcitation.org.
- ^ "Encyclopedia—New Jersey History". 2000–2011 Pearson Education, publishing as Infoplease. Archived from the original on September 30, 2011. Retrieved September 18, 2011.
- ^ Mansnerus, Laura (September 26, 1999). "New Jersey's Cities: Sad Urban Presence Encircled by Wealth". The New York Times. Archived from the original on September 17, 2017. Retrieved December 21, 2017.
- ^ "The Official Web Site for The State of New Jersey | Famous Firsts in New Jersey". www.nj.gov. Archived from the original on February 13, 2023. Retrieved February 12, 2023.
- ^ Sheingold, Dave (March 24, 2016). "Bergen County leads population growth trend, halts flow to other parts of N.J". northjersey.com. Archived from the original on March 24, 2016. Retrieved March 24, 2016.
- ^ Lynn, Kathleen (October 25, 2015). "What's the future for suburban office space?". northjersey.com. Archived from the original on October 26, 2015. Retrieved October 25, 2015.
- ^ Maag, Chrispher (April 15, 2016). "Population rebounds around train stations in N.J". northjersey.com. Archived from the original on April 18, 2016. Retrieved April 15, 2016.
- ^ Katie Kausch (September 14, 2023). "N.J. ranks highest in U.S. for household income. See new Census list". NJ Advance Media. Retrieved September 14, 2023.
- ^ Burrows, Dan. "Millionaires in America 2020: All 50 States Ranked How many millionaires are in America and where do they live? The states with the highest number of millionaire households just might surprise you." Archived January 28, 2021, at the Wayback Machine, Kiplinger, May 28, 2020. Accessed November 23, 2020. "Millionaire households: 323,443 Total households: 3,312,916 Concentration of millionaires: 9.76%... For the second year in a row, New Jersey is the top spot for millionaires per capita in the U.S. Like Connecticut, New Jersey has a high concentration of millionaires largely thanks to its proximity to New York City."
- ^ Heyboer, Kelly (September 2, 2020). "N.J. has the best public schools in the nation – again, ranking says". New Jersey On-Line LLC. Archived from the original on September 3, 2020. Retrieved September 2, 2020.
- ^ Heyboer, Kelly (September 4, 2019). "N.J. has the No. 1 public schools in the nation, ranking says". New Jersey On-Line LLC. Archived from the original on September 4, 2019. Retrieved September 4, 2019.
- ^ Napoliello, Alex (August 4, 2014). "New Jersey has the best school systems in U.S., report says". New Jersey On-Line LLC. Archived from the original on April 24, 2019. Retrieved September 5, 2019.
- ^ Hubbard, Kaia (February 27, 2018). "The 10 Best U.S. States for Education—2. New Jersey". U.S. News & World Report. Archived from the original on May 3, 2018. Retrieved May 2, 2018.
- ^ Bruce A. Scruton (August 30, 2021). "New Jersey tops list of states warming up the fastest". New Jersey Herald. Archived from the original on February 4, 2023. Retrieved March 30, 2023.
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