New Jersey is a state situated in both the Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern areas of the United States. Situated at the geographical hub of the heavily urbanized Northeast megalopolis, it is surrounded to the northwest, north, and northeast by New york city State; on its east, southeast, and southern by the Atlantic Sea; 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 Jacket is the fifth-smallest state in acreage. According to a 2024 U. S. Census Bureau estimate, it is the 11th-most heavily populated state, with over 9. 5 million locals, its highest approximated matter ever before. The state resources is Trenton, and the state's most populated city is Newark. New Jersey is the only U. S. state in which every area is regarded urban by the U. S. Census Bureau. It is one of the most largely inhabited U. S. state. New Jersey was initial occupied by Paleo-Indians as early as 13,000 BC. The Lenape were the dominant Aboriginal team when Europeans got here in the very early 17th century, and they were subdivided into dialectal groups such as the Munsee, in the north, and the Unami and the Unalachtigo, in other places. Dutch and Swedish homesteaders established the initial European settlements in the state, with the British later seizing control of the area and developing the Province of New Jacket, called after the Network Island of Jersey. The colony's fertile lands and family member spiritual tolerance drew a large and diverse populace. New Jersey was amongst the Thirteen Swarms that supported the American Change, organizing a number of critical fights and military commands in the American War of independence gaining the title, "Crossroads of the American Change." New Jacket stayed in the Union during the American Civil War and given soldiers, sources, and military leaders on behalf of the Union Military. After the war, the state emerged as a major manufacturing center and a leading location for immigrants, aiding drive the Industrial Transformation in the U. S. New Jersey was the site of numerous industrial, technical, and commercial technologies. Several prominent Americans connected with New Jacket have shown prominent across the country and around the world, consisting of in academic community, campaigning for, organization, home entertainment, federal government, armed forces, charitable leadership, and other fields. New Jersey's main location in the Northeast megalopolis helped fuel its rapid growth and suburbanization in the second fifty percent of the 20th century. Considering that the start of the 21st century, the state's economy has ended up being highly diversified, with significant sectors, including New Jacket's duty as the world's largest pharmaceutical market center—-- in addition to biotechnology, infotech, finance, digital media, filmmaking, and tourism, and it has become an Atlantic seaboard epicenter for logistics and circulation. New Jacket is a significant destination for immigrants and is home to one of the world's most modern populations. Echoing historical patterns, the state has increasingly re-urbanized, with development in cities outmatching suburban areas given that 2008. New Jersey is among one of the most wealthy, enlightened, varied, healthy and balanced, and highly created states in the U. S., ranking high amongst states in a number of lifestyle metrics. New Jacket had a typical home income of $99,781 as of 2023, the second-highest of any kind of U. S. state behind Massachusetts.Practically one-tenth of all houses in the state, or over 323,000, are millionaires, the highest representation of millionaires among all states. New Jacket's public institution system consistently ranks at or amongst the top of all U. S. states. Since 2024, a quarter of the state populace is international born, the second most after California. In 2025, New Jacket was ranked as having the healthiest state population in general. The state ranks near the top on both the American Human Being Development Index and the typical Human being Advancement Index. As A Result, New Jacket is commonly placed as one of the best U. S. states, along with one of the most expensive states for homeowners to reside in. According to meteorology research by the U. S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, New Jacket has actually been the fastest-warming state by ordinary air temperature over a 100-year period start in the very early 20th century, which has actually been attributed to warming of the North Atlantic Sea.