New Jersey is a state situated in both the Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern areas of the USA. Situated at the geographical center of the greatly urbanized Northeast megalopolis, it is surrounded to the northwest, north, and northeast by New York State; on its east, southeast, and southern 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 Jacket is the fifth-smallest state in acreage. According to a 2024 U. S. Census Bureau estimate, it is the 11th-most populous state, with over 9. 5 million citizens, its highest possible approximated count ever before. The state funding is Trenton, and the state's most populous city is Newark. New Jacket is the only U. S. state in which every region is considered urban by the U. S. Demographics Bureau. It is one of the most densely populated U. S. state. New Jersey was first lived in by Paleo-Indians as early as 13,000 BC. The Lenape were the leading Indigenous team when Europeans arrived in the early 17th century, and they were partitioned into dialectal teams such as the Munsee, in the north, and the Unami and the Unalachtigo, somewhere else. Dutch and Swedish colonists established the very first European settlements in the state, with the British later confiscating control of the area and developing the Province of New Jersey, named after the Channel Island of Jersey. The nest's abundant lands and relative spiritual resistance attracted a large and diverse population. New Jersey was among the Thirteen Colonies that sustained the American Revolution, hosting several pivotal battles and armed forces commands in the American War of independence gaining the title, "Crossroads of the American Transformation." New Jacket remained in the Union during the American Civil Battle and provided troops, resources, and military leaders on behalf of the Union Military. After the battle, the state emerged as a major production center and a leading destination for immigrants, assisting drive the Industrial Change in the U. S. New Jacket was the site of numerous industrial, technological, and industrial innovations. Numerous famous Americans associated with New Jersey have actually proven significant across the country and globally, consisting of in academic community, advocacy, business, enjoyment, government, military, non-profit management, and various other fields. New Jersey's central area in the Northeast megalopolis aided sustain its rapid development and suburbanization in the 2nd half of the 20th century. Considering that the beginning of the 21st century, the state's economic situation has actually become extremely branched out, with significant industries, consisting of New Jacket's function as the globe's biggest pharmaceutical market hub—-- along with biotechnology, infotech, financing, digital media, filmmaking, and tourist, and it has come to be an Atlantic seaboard center for logistics and distribution. New Jacket is a major destination for immigrants and is home to among the globe's most multicultural populations. Resembling historic patterns, the state has increasingly re-urbanized, with growth in cities outpacing residential areas because 2008. New Jacket is one of the most wealthy, informed, varied, healthy and balanced, and very created states in the U. S., ranking high amongst states in a number of quality of life metrics. New Jacket had an average household earnings of $99,781 as of 2023, the second-highest of any U. S. state behind Massachusetts.Almost one-tenth of all families in the state, or over 323,000, are millionaires, the highest possible depiction of millionaires among all states. New Jacket's public institution system regularly places at or among the top of all U. S. states. Since 2024, a quarter of the state populace is foreign birthed, the second most after The golden state. In 2025, New Jersey was placed as having the healthiest state population overall. The state rates near the top on both the American Human Growth Index and the common Human Growth Index. Subsequently, New Jersey is typically ranked as one of the most effective U. S. states, along with among the most pricey states for citizens to reside in. According to climatology research study by the U. S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, New Jacket has actually been the fastest-warming state by average air temperature over a 100-year duration start in the very early 20th century, which has actually been attributed to warming of the North Atlantic Ocean.