New Jersey
Discover New Jersey
New Jersey is a state in the Mid-Atlantic region of the United States. Located in the crossroads between New York City and Philadelphia, New Jersey is the most densely populated state in the US. In spite of its mostly suburban landscape, New Jersey is also known for its vibrant beach towns and natural wonders such as the Pine Barrens, the migratory birds of Cape May, the Delaware Water Gap, a 72 mi (116 km) portion of the Appalachian Trail, and the Palisades. Nicknamed the "Garden State" for its greenery, over a quarter of New Jersey's land is dedicated to agriculture. This can be seen in the blueberry farms and cranberry bogs scattered throughout the southern and western parts of the state. New Jersey is commonly divided into two geographic regions: North Jersey (Bergen, Essex, Hudson, Morris, Passaic, Sussex, and Warren counties) and South Jersey (Atlantic, Burlington, Camden, Cape May, Cumberland, Gloucester, and Salem counties). Basically, New York City is to North Jersey what Philadelphia is to South Jersey. A third region, Central Jersey (Hunterdon, Mercer, Middlesex, Monmouth, Ocean, Somerset, and Union counties), is sometimes included between North Jersey and South Jersey. However, this is debatable; Ocean County aligns closer to South Jersey, while the remainder of Central Jersey aligns closer to North Jersey. For the purpose of this guide, New Jersey will be further divided into four regions:
What to Experience in New Jersey
Famous Beaches
Taste of New Jersey...
New Jersey is famous for its Jersey tomatoes, sweet corn, blueberries, and cranberries, and other fresh produce which every visitor will want to experience in season. That is easy to do, because the state has approximately 25,000 eateries, more per square mile than any other state in the US. And if that's not enough, there are loads of farms you can visit and buy from directly. Furthermore, the climate and soils offered there provide for ideal berry-growing environments. They serve everything from fast food to haute cuisine, including Italian, French, Portuguese, Chinese, Indian, Korean, Japanese, and Syrian. There are also plenty of take-out shops and diners, which do not require reservations, seat patrons promptly, and offer large menus of inexpensive meals, which they serve quickly. Many are open 24 hours and breakfast is served all day. If you ever need to eat breakfast in New Jersey, try the local processed meat known as “Taylor Ham” or “Pork Roll”. The common rule is that “Taylor Ham” is typically used in the northern parts of the state, while “Pork Roll” is used in the southern parts of the state. A common sandwich eaten in New Jersey is a “Taylor Ham/Pork Roll, egg, and cheese”, typically served on either a Kaiser Roll or a bagel. New Jersey is also very well known for having a large amount of diners, which serve up all kinds of breakfast, lunch, and dinner food for a very reasonable price. Snack foods are also extremely popular, especially pizza, fries, and bagels.
A Rich Past
Explore the historical roots that shaped New Jersey into what it is today.
New Jersey's geography varies across the state. Much of the northern half of the state is made up of the easternmost hills of the Appalachian Mountains and other small ridge lines. Between these ridges lie the fertile river valleys that give New Jersey its "Garden State" nickname. High Point, near the borders of New York and Pennsylvania in Sussex County, is the highest mountain in the state at 1,803 ft (550 m). The southern half of the state is part of the Atlantic Plain, and as such is very flat. Much less developed, this area is covered in large part by the Pine Barrens. The Jersey Shore stretches along the coastline, and for much of its length is made up of narrow, long barrier islands. New Jersey is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the east, and by the states of New York to the north and northeast, Pennsylvania to the west, and Delaware to the southwest. The northeastern parts of New Jersey are suburbs of New York City, just across the Hudson River, and the southwestern parts are suburbs of Philadelphia, just across the Delaware River. Winter in the state is usually marked by cold temperatures and frequent snowstorms that can drop anywhere from a dusting to 2 ft (0.61 m). It is not unheard of in the worst winters for temperatures to drop below freezing for long stretches, especially in January and February. This varies from year to year, however, and in some years winter may feature relatively mild temperatures and only one or two snowstorms....
Location & Landscape
New Jersey's geography varies across the state. Much of the northern half of the state is made up of the easternmost hills of the Appalachian Mountains and other small ridge lines. Between these ridges lie the fertile river valleys that give New Jersey its "Garden State" nickname. High Point, near the borders of New York and Pennsylvania in Sussex County, is the highest mountain in the state at 1,803 ft (550 m). The southern half of the state is part of the Atlantic Plain, and as such is very flat. Much less developed, this area is covered in large part by the Pine Barrens. The Jersey Shore stretches along the coastline, and for much of its length is made up of narrow, long barrier islands. New Jersey is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the east, and by the states of New York to the north and northeast, Pennsylvania to the west, and Delaware to the southwest.
Climate
Winter in the state is usually marked by cold temperatures and frequent snowstorms that can drop anywhere from a dusting to 2 ft (0.61 m). It is not unheard of in the worst winters for temperatures to drop below freezing for long stretches, especially in January and February. This varies from year to year, however, and in some years winter may feature relatively mild temperatures and only one or two snowstorms. Spring in New Jersey starts out cold and often damp, with rainstorms common in March. By late April and early May, temperatures begin to rise and trees and flowers bloom throughout the state. Summer features brilliant sun, with occasional heat waves. Humidity is often high, but the months are punctuated by spells of lower humidity that bring everyone outside to enjoy the weather. Leaves start to turn color in September and nor'easters (large subtropical rainstorms that travel up the coast) begin to occur, continuing through October.
Essential Information
Getting There
Multiple OptionsThere are several airports in and near New Jersey, including: Numerous bus companies serve New Jersey, with the typical long-distance intercity bus lines offering limited stops between New York and Philadelphia, Baltimore, and Washington, DC. Some of the same companies also offer express service direct from New York or Philadelphia to Atlantic City. Commuter buses operate from New York and Philadelphia to locations in northern and central New Jersey not served by the long-distance carriers. Unlike in other states, fares on the intercity bus lines are not much more expensive than a commuter bus and are sometimes less expensive than rail travel: Operates a single route through New Jersey with stops in Newark Penn Station, Newark Liberty International Airport, Iselin Metropark, New Brunswick, Princeton Jct and Trenton on the Northeast Regional and the Keystone Service....
Regions
Explore AreasNew Jersey is commonly divided into two geographic regions: North Jersey (Bergen, Essex, Hudson, Morris, Passaic, Sussex, and Warren counties) and South Jersey (Atlantic, Burlington, Camden, Cape May,…...
Getting Around & Staying
Getting Around
Absolutely no smoking or vaping is allowed in any transportation facility including those that are outdoors. Violators are subject to fines or even arrest by transit police. There are numerous companies operating trains within New Jersey: In addition to the above there are numerous other private companies operating local buses within specific counties and commuter routes from those counties to New York City. Some traffic oddities are particular to New Jersey. Left turns are not permitted at intersections on many of the major divided highways in suburban and urban areas. Instead, exit ramps for left turns and U-turns are often found after the intersection and loop around to the cross street, providing opportunities to return to the desired intersection and make a U-turn back onto the original road or continue straight on the cross street, having ultimately made a "left turn".
Language & Talk
English is spoken throughout the state, and Spanish speakers can be found in most of the large cities and suburban areas of the Gateway region. Furthermore, the state has attracted immigrants from around the world, giving a true international feel (akin to New York) most prevalent in the northern and central parts of the state. Spanish as a second language can be found just about everywhere. Italian speakers and speakers of Southern Italian languages can still be found among the ranks of the well established Italian-American communities throughout the state, though not as much as in former times, as younger generations are often purely English-speaking.
Safety Information
Safety Overview
New Jersey is a fairly safe place to visit. Suburban and countryside areas are very safe along with most Jersey Shore towns. Cities are mostly safe but do exercise common travel sense. Some neighborhoods of Camden, Newark, Atlantic City, Jersey City, and Trenton are crime prone but it is unlikely that you will visit these areas. As in most US cities, when out at night, stay in well lit and well trafficked areas and you will be fine. New Jersey has the highest density of car ownership in the United States so expect crowded highways and the occasional irate driver. Many major highways are under construction for expansion purposes, resulting in delays. Traffic tends to move well above the speed limit on the New Jersey Turnpike, The Garden State Parkway, or other highways and you can expect to be tail-gated when driving in the left lane. Best to stick in the middle or right lane if you don't like that sort of thing. The watchword is, drive defensively.
Nearby Destinations
Glimpses of New Jersey
City skyline of New Jersey, as seen from a Boardwalk
city skyline near body of water during daytime
building beside body of water during night time
Surrounded by family, friends & good food - Thanksgiving is one of my absolute favorite holidays. Took the drone out for a quick flight and flew to max altitude to grab a nice shot of the trees changing and the great autumn colors. Be thankful for what you have; you’ll end up having more. If you concentrate on what you don’t have, you will never, ever have enough.
a red house sitting on top of a lush green hillside
temple under blue sky
Skyline view from Liberty State Park
A large body of water with a city in the background
New Jersey skyline from Manhattan, New York
brown concrete building near body of water during daytime
City skyline of New Jersey, as seen from a Boardwalk
city skyline near body of water during daytime
building beside body of water during night time