New Jersey is a state situated in both the Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern areas of the USA. Located at the geographic hub of the heavily urbanized Northeast megalopolis, it is surrounded to the northwest, north, and northeast by New York State; on its eastern, southeast, and south 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 land area. According to a 2024 U. S. Demographics Bureau price quote, it is the 11th-most populated state, with over 9. 5 million locals, its greatest approximated matter ever. The state capital is Trenton, and the state's most heavily populated city is Newark. New Jacket is the only U. S. state in which every area is considered city by the U. S. Demographics Bureau. It is the most densely booming U. S. state. New Jacket was first lived in by Paleo-Indians as early as 13,000 BC. The Lenape were the dominant Aboriginal group when Europeans showed up in the early 17th century, and they were subdivided into dialectal teams such as the Munsee, in the north, and the Unami and the Unalachtigo, somewhere else. Dutch and Swedish homesteaders founded the first European settlements in the state, with the British later taking control of the area and developing the District of New Jacket, called after the Channel Island of Jacket. The colony's productive lands and relative spiritual resistance drew a large and diverse population. New Jacket was amongst the Thirteen Swarms that supported the American Change, hosting a number of essential battles and military commands in the American Revolutionary War earning the title, "Crossroads of the American Change." New Jacket continued to be in the Union during the American Civil War and given troops, sources, and army leaders in support of the Union Army. After the battle, the state became a major production center and a leading destination for immigrants, aiding drive the Industrial Revolution in the U. S. New Jacket was the website of many industrial, technical, and industrial technologies. Several famous Americans related to New Jersey have actually proven influential nationally and worldwide, including in academic community, advocacy, service, entertainment, government, armed forces, charitable management, and various other fields. New Jersey's central place in the Northeast megalopolis assisted sustain its fast development and suburbanization in the second fifty percent of the 20th century. Since the start of the 21st century, the state's economy has ended up being extremely diversified, with significant markets, consisting of New Jacket's role as the globe's biggest pharmaceutical market center—-- in addition to biotechnology, information technology, financing, electronic media, filmmaking, and tourism, and it has ended up being an Atlantic coast epicenter for logistics and distribution. New Jacket is a major location for immigrants and is home to among the world's most multicultural populaces. Resembling historical fads, the state has significantly re-urbanized, with development in cities outmatching suburbs considering that 2008. New Jacket is just one of one of the most affluent, informed, diverse, healthy and balanced, and very established states in the U. S., ranking high amongst states in numerous quality of life metrics. New Jersey had a median household revenue of $99,781 since 2023, the second-highest of any type of U. S. state behind Massachusetts.Almost one-tenth of all houses in the state, or over 323,000, are millionaires, the highest depiction of millionaires among all states. New Jersey's public college system continually places at or amongst the top of all U. S. states. As of 2024, a quarter of the state population is foreign born, the 2nd most after The golden state. In 2025, New Jacket was rated as having the healthiest state population overall. The state places near the top on both the American Human Being Growth Index and the conventional Human being Development Index. Consequently, New Jersey is commonly rated as one of the very best U. S. states, as well as among one of the most expensive states for homeowners to reside in. According to meteorology research study by the U. S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, New Jacket has actually been the fastest-warming state by typical air temperature level over a 100-year period beginning in the very early 20th century, which has been credited to warming of the North Atlantic Sea.