New Jersey

New Jersey sits at the heart of the heavily built-up Northeast megalopolis, straddling the Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern regions of the United States. It is the fifth-smallest state by land area, covering 7,354 square miles, yet it holds over 9.5 million people as of a 2025 estimate—its highest population ever—making it the 11th-most populous state. It is the most densely populated state in the country, though the U.S. Census Bureau classifies urban areas by census tracts, not entire counties, and some counties contain rural areas. The capital is Trenton, and the largest city is Newark. The state is bordered by New York to the northwest, north, and northeast; the Atlantic Ocean to the east, southeast, and south; the Delaware River and Pennsylvania to the west; and Delaware Bay and Delaware to the southwest.

Human presence in the area dates back to at least 13,000 BC, with Paleo-Indians. By the time Europeans arrived in the early 1600s, the dominant Indigenous group was the Lenape, divided into dialectal groups: the Munsee in the north, and the Unami and Unalachtigo elsewhere. Dutch and Swedish colonists established the first European settlements, but the British later took control and created the Province of New Jersey, named after the Channel Island of Jersey. The colony’s fertile land and relative religious tolerance attracted a diverse population. New Jersey was one of the Thirteen Colonies that backed the American Revolution, hosting key battles and military commands, which earned it the nickname "Crossroads of the American Revolution." During the Civil War, it stayed in the Union, supplying troops, resources, and military leaders. Afterward, it became a major manufacturing hub and a prime destination for immigrants, fueling the U.S. Industrial Revolution. The state has been the site of numerous industrial, technological, and commercial innovations, and many influential Americans from New Jersey have shaped academia, social advocacy, business, entertainment, government, the military, non-profit leadership, and other fields.

Its central location in the Northeast megalopolis spurred rapid growth and suburbanization in the latter half of the 20th century. Since the early 2000s, the economy has diversified significantly.