Based on data from the 2010 census, among places with a population above 50,000, West New York was the second-most densely populated municipality in the United States, with more than 52,800 people per square mile.[17]

The initial patent for the land that would become Bloomfield Township was granted to the English Puritan colonists of Newark, and the area assigned to Essex County in 1675, and Newark Township in 1693. From the 1690s to about the 1720s, much of the northern and eastern land was sold to descendants of New Netherland colonists who had settled Acquackanonk, and the remainder mostly to English families. Speertown (now Upper Montclair), Stone House Plains (now Brookdale), and Second River (now Belleville and Nutley) were essentially Dutch and Jersey Dutch-speaking, while Cranetown, Watsessing, and the Morris Neighborhood (now North Center) were predominantly English. Starting in the mid-18th century, the English and Dutch neighborhoods gradually integrated, with Thomas Cadmus being among the first Dutchmen to settle in an English neighborhood.

Howell Township was incorporated as a township by an act of the New Jersey Legislature on February 23, 1801, from portions of Shrewsbury Township. Portions of the township were taken to form Brick Township in the newly created Ocean County (February 15, 1850), Wall Township (March 7, 1851) and Farmingdale (April 8, 1903).[22] The township was named for Richard Howell, who served from 1794 to 1801 as the third Governor of New Jersey.[23][24]

The area of present-day Plainfield was originally formed as Plainfield Township, a township that was created on April 5, 1847, from portions of Westfield Township, while the area was still part of Essex County. On March 19, 1857, Plainfield Township became part of the newly created Union County.[19]

Wayne was formed as a township by an act of the New Jersey Legislature on April 12, 1847, from portions of Manchester Township. Totowa was formed from portions of Wayne and Manchester Township on March 15, 1898.[21][22] Points of interest include William Paterson University, Willowbrook Mall, Wayne Towne Center, High Mountain Park Preserve, and Dey Mansion.

For 2020, New Brunswick had a population of 55,266,[22] representing a 0.2% increase from the 55,181 people enumerated at the 2010 United States Census,[23][24][24][25] which in turn had reflected an increase of 6,608 (+13.6%) from the 48,573 counted in the 2000 Census.[26] The Census Bureau’s Population Estimates Program calculated that the city’s population was 55,676 in 2019,[22] ranking the city the 689th-most-populous in the country.[12] Due to the concentration of medical facilities in the area, including Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital and medical school, and Saint Peter’s University Hospital, New Brunswick is known as both the Hub City and the Healthcare City.[27][28] The corporate headquarters and production facilities of several global pharmaceutical companies are situated in the city, including Johnson & Johnson and Bristol Myers Squibb. New Brunswick has evolved into a major center for the sciences, arts, and cultural activities.

The earliest residents of the area were the Lenape Native Americans, who called the point on which the city lies “Ompoge”. Perth Amboy was settled in 1683 by Scottish colonists and was called “New Perth” after James Drummond, 4th Earl of Perth; the native name was eventually corrupted and the two names were merged. Perth Amboy was formed by Royal charter in 1718, and the New Jersey Legislature reaffirmed its status in 1784, after independence. The city was a capital of the Province of New Jersey from 1686 to 1776. During the mid-1800s, the Industrial Revolution and immigration grew the city, developing a variety of neighborhoods which residents from a diverse range of ethnicities lived in. The city developed into a resort town for the Raritan Bayshore near it, but the city has grown in other industries since its redevelopment starting in the 1990s.

The name Parsippany comes from the Lenape Native American sub-tribe, which comes from the word parsipanong, which means “the place where the river winds through the valley”.[20][22] Parsippany–Troy Hills is the most populous municipality in Morris County.[23] The name Troy Hills was changed from Troy, to avoid confusion of mail being sent erroneously to Troy, New York.[24]

Roughly equidistant between New York City and Philadelphia, Jackson is the site of Six Flags Great Adventure, home to the 456-foot (139 m) Kingda Ka, which as of 2022 is the tallest roller coaster in the world.[22] Jackson is also home to Six Flags Hurricane Harbor and the 350-acre (140 ha) Safari Off Road Adventure, which replaced Six Flags Wild Safari in 2013.[23]

Settled in 1667, Union was the third English speaking settlement in New Jersey after Elizabeth and Newark, with the area that is now Union then called Connecticut Farms.[22]