New Jersey, the Garden State

Land area: 7,419 sq. mi. (46)
Population (2020): 9,288,994 (11), up 5.65% since 2010
Population density: 1252.05 per sq. mi. (1)
U.S. Representatives (2023-32): 12 (13 through 2012)
Entered Union: 18-Dec-1787 (3)
There’s a lot more to New Jersey than the Garden State Parkway and the New Jersey Turnpike. There’s prime hiking territory in High Point and Wawayanda State Parks and Stokes State Forest. Liberty State Park in Jersey City offers the closest vista to the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island. Cape May features rows of Victorian houses. Atlantic City inspired the Monopoly game board and is home to a dozen casinos. And the Meadowlands Sports Complex in East Rutherford hosts the Hambletonian harness race and hosted the 1995, 2000, and 2003 Stanley Cup champion New Jersey Devils.

On Sunday 26-Feb-2006, I completed a geographic goal by entering West Wildwood Borough in Cape May County. By doing so, I had succeeded in entering all 566 municipalities in New Jersey within the first 57 days of the calendar year. I revisited all 565 (Princeton Boro and Princeton Twp consolidated in 2013) during 2013-14 and photographed each of the municipal buildings.

Note: I’m not a county highpointer - someone who attempts to visit the highest point in every county. But I can claim two high points in New Jersey: High Point, the state’s tallest peak (1803 feet; 550 meters), in Sussex County; and Bald Mountain (1164 feet; 355 meters), in my former home county of Bergen.

No. of Counties I’ve Visited: 21 of 21

County Pop. (2020)     Latest Visit    County Seat Visited?
Atlantic274,53428-Sep-2023Mays Landingyes
Bergen955,73220-Sep-2024Hackensackyes
Burlington461,86020-Sep-2024Mount Hollyyes
Camden523,48519-Sep-2024Camdenyes
Cape May95,26328-Sep-2023Cape May Court Houseyes
Cumberland154,15228-Sep-2023Bridgetonyes
Essex863,72819-Sep-2024Newarkyes
Gloucester302,29419-Sep-2024Woodburyyes
Hudson724,85419-Sep-2024Jersey Cityyes
Hunterdon128,94715-Jul-2023Flemingtonyes
Mercer387,34019-Sep-2024Trentonyes
Middlesex863,16219-Sep-2024New Brunswickyes
Monmouth643,61528-Sep-2023Freeholdyes
Morris509,28529-Sep-2023Morristownyes
Ocean637,22928-Sep-2023Toms Riveryes
Passaic524,11820-Sep-2024Patersonyes
Salem64,83719-Sep-2024Salemyes
Somerset345,36115-Jul-2023Somervilleyes
Sussex144,22129-Sep-2023Newtonyes
Union575,34519-Sep-2024Elizabethyes
Warren109,63229-Sep-2023Belvidereyes
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