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List of counties in New Jersey facts for kids

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Counties of New Jersey
Sussex County Essex County Passaic County Bergen County Warren County Morris County Hunterdon County Somerset County Hudson County Union County Middlesex County Mercer County Monmouth County Ocean County Burlington County Atlantic County Camden County Gloucester County Salem County Cumberland County Cape May CountyNew Jersey Counties
A clickable New Jersey county map
Clickable map of New Jersey counties
Location New Jersey
Number 21
Populations 65,338 (Salem) – 957,736 (Bergen)
Areas 47 square miles (120 km2) (Hudson) – 805 square miles (2,080 km2) (Burlington)
Government County government
Subdivisions Boroughs, cities, towns, townships, and villages

New Jersey has 21 counties. These counties contain 564 smaller areas called municipalities. Municipalities are like local towns or cities with clear borders. They include 252 boroughs, 52 cities, 15 towns, 241 townships, and 4 villages.

In New Jersey, a county is a local government level. It sits between the state government and the smaller municipalities. County governments have elected officials. These include a Board of County Commissioners, a sheriff, a clerk, and a surrogate. The surrogate handles things like wills and estates. Some counties might also have an elected county executive. Counties manage things like jails, parks, and some roads. The main office for a county's government and courts is called the county seat.

A Look Back: New Jersey's County History

New Jersey was once divided into two parts. These were East Jersey and West Jersey, from 1674 to 1702. The first counties were created in these two areas.

How New Jersey's Counties Were Formed

In 1675, East Jersey got its first counties. These were Bergen, Essex, Middlesex, and Monmouth. West Jersey's first counties were Burlington and Salem, created in 1681.

The newest county in New Jersey is Union County. It was formed in 1857. It was named "Union" because the Civil War was about to begin. The name showed support for keeping the United States united.

Where County Names Come From

Many New Jersey county names come from places in England. Others are named after important leaders. These leaders were active during the colonial and revolutionary times.

Population Differences Among Counties

Bergen County has the most people. In 2010, it had over 905,000 residents. Salem County is the least populated. In 2010, it had about 66,000 people.

Fair Representation: New Jersey's Legislature Changes

For a long time, the New Jersey Senate had 21 members. Each of New Jersey's 21 counties had one senator. This was true no matter how many people lived in that county.

The "One Person, One Vote" Rule

In the 1960s, the U.S. Supreme Court of the United States made an important decision. It said that state legislative districts must have about the same number of people. This is known as the "one man, one vote" principle.

Because of this, New Jersey had to change its system. The state's highest court agreed that the old system was unfair. It ordered changes to make sure everyone's vote counted equally.

New Districts for Fairer Voting

At first, the Senate tried a "weighted voting" system. This meant a senator's vote counted more if their county had more people. For example, the senator from Essex County would have more voting power than the senator from Cape May County. However, the Supreme Court said this was not allowed.

So, in 1966, New Jersey changed its constitution. The state was divided into 40 districts. Each district now has one senator and two assembly members. These districts are not based on county lines anymore. This ensures that every person's vote has equal weight.

Understanding FIPS Codes

NJ Counties by Population (2020 census)
New Jersey counties by population as of 2020 with darker colors indicating a higher population

The Federal Information Processing Standard (FIPS) code is a special number. The United States government uses it to identify counties. Each county has a unique five-digit FIPS code. For New Jersey, these codes always start with "34". The last three digits are the county's specific code. You can use a FIPS code to find census data for that county.

List of New Jersey Counties

County
 FIPS code County seat Largest City Est. Formed from Named for Density (per mi2) Pop. Area Map
 
Atlantic County 001 Mays Landing Egg Harbor Township 47,842 1837 Gloucester County The Atlantic Ocean, which forms the county's eastern border 490.58 &&&&&&&&&0275213.&&&&&0275,213 &&&&&&&&&&&&0561.&&&&&0561 sq mi
(&&&&&&&&&&&01453.&&&&&01,453 km2)		 A county in the southeast part of the state. It is medium in size.
Bergen County 003 Hackensack Hackensack 46,030 1683 One of four original counties created in East Jersey Bergen, New Netherland settlement 4,092.89 &&&&&&&&&0957736.&&&&&0957,736 &&&&&&&&&&&&0234.&&&&&0234 sq mi
(&&&&&&&&&&&&0606.&&&&&0606 km2)		 A county in the northeast part of the state. It is small.
Burlington County 005 Mount Holly Evesham Township 46,826 1694 One of two original counties created in West Jersey The old ancient name for an inland market near Bridlington, England 582.82 &&&&&&&&&0469167.&&&&&0469,167 &&&&&&&&&&&&0805.&&&&&0805 sq mi
(&&&&&&&&&&&02085.&&&&&02,085 km2)		 A county in the southern part of the state. It gets wider as it goes northeast. It is one of the largest counties.
Camden County 007 Camden Cherry Hill 74,553 1844 Gloucester County Charles Pratt, 1st Earl Camden (1714–1794), an English supporter of the colonists during the American Revolution 2,374.76 &&&&&&&&&0527196.&&&&&0527,196 &&&&&&&&&&&&0222.&&&&&0222 sq mi
(&&&&&&&&&&&&0575.&&&&&0575 km2)		 A county in the southwest part of the state. It is very small.
Cape May County 009 Cape May Court House Lower Township 22,057 1692 Burlington County Cape May, named in turn for the 17th-century Dutch explorer Cornelius Jacobsen Mey, who explored and surveyed the Delaware Bay to the south of the county 371.02 &&&&&&&&&&094610.&&&&&094,610 &&&&&&&&&&&&0255.&&&&&0255 sq mi
(&&&&&&&&&&&&0660.&&&&&0660 km2)		 A county the makes up the southern tip of the state. It is one of the smallest.
Cumberland County 011 Bridgeton Vineland 60,780 1748 Salem County Prince William, Duke of Cumberland (1721–1765), second son of George II of Great Britain and military victor at the Battle of Culloden in 1746 311.51 &&&&&&&&&0152326.&&&&&0152,326 &&&&&&&&&&&&0489.&&&&&0489 sq mi
(&&&&&&&&&&&01267.&&&&&01,267 km2)		 A county in the southern part of the state, west of the tip. It is averagely sized.
Essex County 013 Newark Newark 311,549 1683 One of four original counties created in East Jersey The county of Essex in England 6,754.90 &&&&&&&&&0851117.&&&&&0851,117 &&&&&&&&&&&&0126.&&&&&0126 sq mi
(&&&&&&&&&&&&0326.&&&&&0326 km2)		 A county in the northeast part of the state. It is one of the smallest.
Gloucester County 015 Woodbury Washington Township 48,677 1686 Burlington County The city of Gloucester, England 948.99 &&&&&&&&&0308423.&&&&&0308,423 &&&&&&&&&&&&0325.&&&&&0325 sq mi
(&&&&&&&&&&&&0842.&&&&&0842 km2)		 A county in the southwest part of the state. It is averagely sized.
Hudson County 017 Jersey City Jersey City 292,449 1840 Bergen County The English explorer Henry Hudson (d. 1611), who explored portions of New Jersey's coastline 15,010.04 &&&&&&&&&0705472.&&&&&0705,472 &&&&&&&&&&&&&047.&&&&&047 sq mi
(&&&&&&&&&&&&0122.&&&&&0122 km2)		 A county in the northeast part of the state. It is the smallest county.
Hunterdon County 019 Flemington Raritan Township 23,447 1714 Burlington County Robert Hunter (1664–1734), the Colonial Governor of New Jersey from 1710 to 1720 302.75 &&&&&&&&&0130183.&&&&&0130,183 &&&&&&&&&&&&0430.&&&&&0430 sq mi
(&&&&&&&&&&&01114.&&&&&01,114 km2)		 A county in the west part of the state, just north of the divide between north and south. It is averagely sized.
Mercer County 021 Trenton Hamilton Township 92,297 1838 Burlington County, Hunterdon County, Middlesex County, and Somerset County The Continental Army General Hugh Mercer (1726–1777), who died at the Battle of Princeton 1,688.81 &&&&&&&&&0381671.&&&&&0381,671 &&&&&&&&&&&&0226.&&&&&0226 sq mi
(&&&&&&&&&&&&0585.&&&&&0585 km2)		 A county in the western part of the state, just above an indentation. It is small compared to its neighbors.
Middlesex County 023 New Brunswick Edison 107,588 1683 One of four original counties created in East Jersey The historic county of Middlesex in England 2,776.92 &&&&&&&&&0863623.&&&&&0863,623 &&&&&&&&&&&&0311.&&&&&0311 sq mi
(&&&&&&&&&&&&0805.&&&&&0805 km2)		 A county in the northern part of the state. It is averagely sized.
Monmouth County 025 Freehold Borough Middletown Township 67,106 1683 One of four original counties created in East Jersey The historic County of Monmouth in Great Britain 1,361.86 &&&&&&&&&0642799.&&&&&0642,799 &&&&&&&&&&&&0472.&&&&&0472 sq mi
(&&&&&&&&&&&01222.&&&&&01,222 km2)		 A county in the central-western part of the state. It is averagely sized and gets skinnier in the west.
Morris County 027 Morristown Parsippany-Troy Hills 56,162 1739 Hunterdon County Colonel Lewis Morris (1671–1746), colonial governor of New Jersey at the time of the county's formation 1,096.85 &&&&&&&&&0514423.&&&&&0514,423 &&&&&&&&&&&&0469.&&&&&0469 sq mi
(&&&&&&&&&&&01215.&&&&&01,215 km2)		 A county in the northern part of the state, landlocked by other counties. It is well-sized.
Ocean County 029 Toms River Lakewood Township 135,158 1850 Monmouth County and Burlington County The Atlantic Ocean, which forms the eastern border of New Jersey 1,036.47 &&&&&&&&&0659197.&&&&&0659,197 &&&&&&&&&&&&0636.&&&&&0636 sq mi
(&&&&&&&&&&&01647.&&&&&01,647 km2)		 A county in the southeast part of the state. It is large and gets skinnier in the south.
Passaic County 031 Paterson Paterson 159,732 1837 Bergen County and Essex County Pasaeck, a Lenape word meaning "valley" 2,775.11 &&&&&&&&&0513395.&&&&&0513,395 &&&&&&&&&&&&0185.&&&&&0185 sq mi
(&&&&&&&&&&&&0479.&&&&&0479 km2)		 A county in the north-central part of the state. It is small, and has two wide parts with a skinny area between them.
Salem County 033 Salem Pennsville Township 12,684 1694 One of two original counties created in West Jersey Salem, Biblical town, which takes its name from the Hebrew word for "peace." 193.31 &&&&&&&&&&065338.&&&&&065,338 &&&&&&&&&&&&0338.&&&&&0338 sq mi
(&&&&&&&&&&&&0875.&&&&&0875 km2)		 A county in the southwest part of the state. It is averagely sized.
Somerset County 035 Somerville Franklin Township 68,364 1688 Middlesex County The county of Somerset in England 1,143.74 &&&&&&&&&0348842.&&&&&0348,842 &&&&&&&&&&&&0305.&&&&&0305 sq mi
(&&&&&&&&&&&&0790.&&&&&0790 km2)		 A county landlocked by other counties in the northern part of the state. It is small.
Sussex County 037 Newton Vernon Township 22,358 1753 Morris County The county of Sussex in England 280.48 &&&&&&&&&0146132.&&&&&0146,132 &&&&&&&&&&&&0521.&&&&&0521 sq mi
(&&&&&&&&&&&01349.&&&&&01,349 km2)		 A county in the northwest corner of the state. It is larger than most surrounding counties.
Union County 039 Elizabeth Elizabeth 137,298 1857 Essex County The union of the United States, which was being threatened by the dispute over slavery 5,560.45 &&&&&&&&&0572726.&&&&&0572,726 &&&&&&&&&&&&0103.&&&&&0103 sq mi
(&&&&&&&&&&&&0267.&&&&&0267 km2)		 A county in the northeast part of the state, on an indentation. It is one of the smallest counties.
Warren County 041 Belvidere Phillipsburg 15,249 1824 Sussex County The American Revolutionary War General Joseph Warren (1741–1775), killed at the Battle of Bunker Hill 310.76 &&&&&&&&&0111252.&&&&&0111,252 &&&&&&&&&&&&0358.&&&&&0358 sq mi
(&&&&&&&&&&&&0927.&&&&&0927 km2)		 A county in the northwest part of the state. It is averagely sized.

See also

Kids robot.svg In Spanish: Anexo:Condados de Nueva Jersey para niños

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