Hudson County is the most densely populated

county A county is a geographic region of a country used for administrative or other purposes Chambers Dictionary, L. Brookes (ed.), 2005, Chambers Harrap Publishers Ltd, Edinburgh in certain modern nations. The term is derived from the Old French ...

in the

U.S. state In the United States, a state is a constituent political entity, of which there are 50. Bound together in a political union, each state holds governmental jurisdiction over a separate and defined geographic territory where it shares its sove ...

New Jersey New Jersey is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern regions of the United States. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York; on the east, southeast, and south by the Atlantic Ocean; on the west by the Delaware ...

. It lies west of the lower

Hudson River The Hudson River is a river that flows from north to south primarily through eastern New York. It originates in the Adirondack Mountains of Upstate New York and flows southward through the Hudson Valley to the New York Harbor between N ...

, which was named for

Henry Hudson Henry Hudson ( 1565 – disappeared 23 June 1611) was an English sea explorer and navigator during the early 17th century, best known for his explorations of present-day Canada and parts of the northeastern United States. In 1607 and 16 ...

, the sea captain who explored the area in 1609. Part of New Jersey's

Gateway Region The Gateway Region is the primary urbanized area of the northeastern section of New Jersey. It is anchored by Newark, the state's most populous city. While sometimes known as the Newark metropolitan area, it is part of the New York metropolitan ...

in the

New York metropolitan area The New York metropolitan area, also commonly referred to as the Tri-State area, is the largest metropolitan area in the world by urban landmass, at , and one of the most populous urban agglomerations in the world. The vast metropolitan area ...

, the county's

county seat A county seat is an administrative center, seat of government, or capital city of a county or civil parish. The term is in use in Canada, China, Hungary, Romania, Taiwan, and the United States. The equivalent term shire town is used in the US st ...

and largest city is Jersey City,New Jersey County Map
New Jersey Department of State. Accessed July 10, 2017. whose population as of the

2020 U.S. Census The United States census of 2020 was the twenty-fourth decennial United States census. Census Day, the reference day used for the census, was April 1, 2020. Other than a pilot study during the 2000 census, this was the first U.S. census to of ...

was 292,449. As of the

2020 United States Census The United States census of 2020 was the twenty-fourth decennial United States census. Census Day, the reference day used for the census, was April 1, 2020. Other than a pilot study during the 2000 census, this was the first U.S. census to of ...

, Hudson County was the fastest-growing county in New Jersey compared to 2010; the county reached total population of 724,854 as of 2020, representing an increase of 90,588 residents (14.3%) over the population of 634,266 counted in the

2010 U.S. Census The United States census of 2010 was the twenty-third United States national census. National Census Day, the reference day used for the census, was April 1, 2010. The census was taken via mail-in citizen self-reporting, with enumerators serving ...

, making Hudson the state's fourth-most populous county. Home to 15,693 residents per square mile (6,130/km2) in 2020, covering only 46.19 square miles of land, Hudson County is New Jersey's geographically smallest and most densely populated county as well. Its 2010 population in turn was an increase of 25,291 (4.2%) from the

2000 U.S. Census The United States census of 2000, conducted by the Census Bureau, determined the resident population of the United States on April 1, 2000, to be 281,421,906, an increase of 13.2 percent over the 248,709,873 people enumerated during the 1990 cen ...

, when the county's population was established to be 608,975,DP1 - Profile of General Population and Housing Characteristics: 2010 Demographic Profile Data for Hudson County, New Jersey

United States Census Bureau The United States Census Bureau (USCB), officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the U.S. Federal Statistical System, responsible for producing data about the American people and economy. The Census Bureau is part of t ...

. Accessed January 21, 2013. Hudson County shares extensive mass transit connections with

Manhattan Manhattan (), known regionally as the City, is the most densely populated and geographically smallest of the five boroughs of New York City. The borough is also coextensive with New York County, one of the original counties of the U.S. state ...

, located across the Hudson River, as well as with most of Northern and Central New Jersey. The county is part of the

North Jersey North Jersey comprises the northern portions of the U.S. state of New Jersey between the upper Delaware River and the Atlantic Ocean. The designation of northern New Jersey with a distinct toponym is a colloquial one rather than an administrati ...

region.

Geography and climate

Climate

Most of the county has a humid subtropical climate (''Cfa'') while East Newark, Harrison, and Kearny west of the western spur of the New Jersey Turnpike have a hot-summer

humid continental climate A humid continental climate is a climatic region defined by Russo-German climatologist Wladimir Köppen in 1900, typified by four distinct seasons and large seasonal temperature differences, with warm to hot (and often humid) summers and freezing ...

(''Dfa''). The hardiness zone is 7a except from Bayonne up the east side of the Palisades to Route 495 where it is 7b. Average temperatures in the county seat of Jersey City have ranged from a low of in January to a high of in July, although a record low of was recorded in February 1934 and a record high of was recorded in July 1936. Average monthly precipitation ranged from in February to in July.

Landforms and borders

According to the 2010 Census, the county had a total area of , including of land (74.1%) and of water (25.9%).Census 2010 U.S. Gazetteer Files: New Jersey Counties

, Backed up by the

Internet Archive The Internet Archive is an American digital library with the stated mission of "universal access to all knowledge". It provides free public access to collections of digitized materials, including websites, software applications/games, music, ...

as of June 11, 2012. Accessed October 4, 2013. Based on land area, it is the smallest of New Jersey's 21 counties, less than half the size of the next smallest ( Union County) and the eighth-smallest of all

counties in the United States In the United States, a county is an administrative or political subdivision of a state that consists of a geographic region with specific boundaries and usually some level of governmental authority. The term "county" is used in 48 states, wh ...

. Hudson is located in the heart of

northeastern New Jersey The Gateway Region is the primary urbanized area of the northeastern section of New Jersey. It is anchored by Newark, the state's most populous city. While sometimes known as the Newark metropolitan area, it is part of the New York metropolitan ...

. It is bordered by the

and

Upper New York Bay New York Harbor is at the mouth of the Hudson River where it empties into New York Bay near the East River tidal estuary, and then into the Atlantic Ocean on the east coast of the United States. It is one of the largest natural harbors in t ...

to the east; Kill Van Kull to the south; Newark Bay and the

Hackensack River The Hackensack River is a river, approximately 45 miles (72 km) long, in the U.S. states of New York (state), New York and New Jersey, emptying into Newark Bay, a back chamber of New York Harbor. The drainage basin, watershed of the ri ...

or the Passaic River to the west; its only land border is shared with Bergen County to the north and west. The topography is marked by the

New Jersey Palisades The Palisades, also called the New Jersey Palisades or the Hudson River Palisades, are a line of steep cliffs along the west side of the lower Hudson River in Northeastern New Jersey and Southeastern New York in the United States. The cliffs s ...

in the north with cliffs overlooking the Hudson to the east and less severe

cuesta A cuesta (from Spanish ''cuesta'' "slope") is a hill or ridge with a gentle slope on one side, and a steep slope on the other. In geology the term is more specifically applied to a ridge where a harder sedimentary rock overlies a softer laye ...

, or slope, to the west. They gradually level off to the southern peninsula, which is coastal and flat. The western region, around the Hackensack and Passaic is part of the

New Jersey Meadowlands New Jersey Meadowlands, also known as the Hackensack Meadowlands after the primary river flowing through it, is a general name for the large ecosystem of wetlands in northeastern New Jersey in the United States, a few miles to the west of ...

. Much of the land along the county's extensive shoreline and

littoral zone The littoral zone or nearshore is the part of a sea, lake, or river that is close to the shore. In coastal ecology, the littoral zone includes the intertidal zone extending from the high water mark (which is rarely inundated), to coastal a ...

was created by land reclamation. The highest point, at 260 feet (79 m) above sea level, is in West New York; the lowest point is at sea level.

North Bergen North Bergen is a township in the northern part of Hudson County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2020 U.S. census, the township had a total population of 63,361. The township was founded in 1843. It was much diminished in territory by ...

is the city with the second most hills per square mile in the United States behind

San Francisco San Francisco (; Spanish for " Saint Francis"), officially the City and County of San Francisco, is the commercial, financial, and cultural center of Northern California. The city proper is the fourth most populous in California and 17th ...

.Most liquor licenses? Bumpiest town? Local municipalities hold unusual distinctions
, ''

The Hudson Reporter ''The Hudson Reporter'' is a newspaper chain based in Hudson County, New Jersey. ''The Hudson Reporter'' publications mainly focus on local politics and community news. The oldest newspaper in the chain is the ''Hoboken Reporter'', founded in 1983. ...

'', August 27, 2006

Ellis Island Ellis Island is a federally owned island in New York Harbor, situated within the U.S. states of New York and New Jersey, that was the busiest immigrant inspection and processing station in the United States. From 1892 to 1954, nearly 12 mil ...

and

Liberty Island Liberty Island is a federally owned island in Upper New York Bay in the United States. Its most notable feature is the Statue of Liberty (''Liberty Enlightening the World''), a large statue by Frédéric Auguste Bartholdi that was dedicated i ...

, opposite

Liberty State Park Liberty State Park (LSP) is a park in the U.S. state of New Jersey, located on Upper New York Bay in Jersey City opposite Liberty Island and Ellis Island. The park opened in 1976 to coincide with bicentennial celebrations and is operated a ...

, lie entirely within Hudson County's waters, which extend to the New York state line. Liberty Island is part of New York. Largely created through land reclamation, Ellis Island covers a land area of , with the natural island and contiguous areas comprising a exclave of New York.

Shooters Island Shooters Island is a uninhabited island at the southern end of Newark Bay, off the North Shore of Staten Island in New York City. The boundary between the states of New York and New Jersey runs through the island, with a small portion on the ...

, in the Kill van Kull, is also shared with New York.

Robbins Reef Light The Robbins Reef Light Station is a sparkplug lighthouse located off Constable Hook in Bayonne, Hudson County, New Jersey, United States, along the west side of Main Channel, Upper New York Bay. Note that although the light is clearly shown on t ...

sits atop a reef which runs parallel the Bayonne and Jersey City waterfront. Midtown from Hoboken

Much of the county lies between the Hackensack and Hudson Rivers on a geographically long narrow peninsula, (sometimes called

Bergen Neck Bergen Neck is the peninsula between the Upper New York Bay and the Newark Bay in the Hudson County, New Jersey municipalities of Bayonne and Jersey City. Its southernmost tip, Bergen Point, is separated from Staten Island by the Kill van Kul ...

), which is a contiguous urban area where it is often difficult to know when one's crossed a civic boundary. These boundaries and the topography-including many hills and inlets-create very distinct neighborhoods. Kennedy Boulevard runs the entire length of the peninsula. Numerous cuts for rail and vehicular traffic cross

Bergen Hill Bergen Hill refers to the lower Hudson Palisades in New Jersey, where they emerge on Bergen Neck, which in turn is the peninsula between the Hackensack and Hudson Rivers, and their bays. In Hudson County, it reaches a height of 260 feet. Rai ...

. Given its proximity to Manhattan, it is sometimes referred to as

New York City New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the most densely populated major city in the Un ...

's sixth

borough A borough is an administrative division in various English-speaking countries. In principle, the term ''borough'' designates a self-governing walled town, although in practice, official use of the term varies widely. History In the Middle A ...

History

The Lenape and New Netherland

At the time of European contact in the 17th century, Hudson County was the territory of the Lenape (or Lenni-Lenape), namely the bands (or family groups) known as the Hackensack, the Tappan, the Raritan, and the

. They were a seasonally migrational people who practiced small-scale agriculture (

companion planting Companion planting in gardening and agriculture is the planting of different crops in proximity for any of a number of different reasons, including pest control, pollination, providing habitat for beneficial insects, maximizing use of space, a ...

) augmented by

hunting and gathering A traditional hunter-gatherer or forager is a human living an ancestrally derived lifestyle in which most or all food is obtained by foraging, that is, by gathering food from local sources, especially edible wild plants but also insects, fungi, ...

which likely, given the topography of the area, included much (shell) fishing and trapping. These groups had early and frequent trading contact with Europeans. Their Algonquian language can still be inferred in many local place names such as

Communipaw Communipaw is a neighborhood in Jersey City in Hudson County, New Jersey, United States. It is located west of Liberty State Park and east of Bergen Hill, and the site of one of the earliest European settlements in North America. It gives its nam ...

, Harsimus, Hackensack,

Hoboken Hoboken ( ; Unami: ') is a city in Hudson County in the U.S. state of New Jersey. As of the 2020 U.S. census, the city's population was 60,417. The Census Bureau's Population Estimates Program calculated that the city's population was 58,69 ...

Weehawken Weehawken is a township in the northern part of Hudson County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey. It is located largely on the Hudson Palisades overlooking the Hudson River. As of the 2020 United States census, the population was 17,197.

Secaucus Secaucus ( ) is a town in Hudson County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 United States census, the town's population was 16,264,Pamrapo.

, for whom the county and river on which it sits are named, established a claim for the area in 1609 when anchoring his ship the ''

Halve Maen ''Halve Maen'' (; en, Half Moon) was a Dutch East India Company '' vlieboot'' (similar to a carrack) that sailed into what is now New York Harbor in September 1609. She was commissioned by the VOC Chamber of Amsterdam in the Dutch Republic to ...

'' (''Half Moon'') at

Harsimus Cove Harsimus (also known as Harsimus Cove) is a neighborhood within Downtown Jersey City, Hudson County, New Jersey, United States. The neighborhood stretches from the Harsimus Stem Embankment (the Sixth Street Embankment) on the north to Christophe ...

and

Weehawken Cove Weehawken Cove is a cove on the west bank of the Hudson River between the New Jersey municipalities of Hoboken to the south and Weehawken to the north. At the perimeter of the cove are completed sections the Hudson River Waterfront Walkway, o ...

. The west bank of the North River (as it was called) and the cliffs, hills, and marshlands abutting and beyond it, were settled by Europeans (Dutch, Flemish, Walloon, Huguenot) from the

Lowlands Upland and lowland are conditional descriptions of a plain based on elevation above sea level. In studies of the ecology of freshwater rivers, habitats are classified as upland or lowland. Definitions Upland and lowland are portions of p ...

around the same time as New Amsterdam. In 1630,

Michael Pauw Knight Michiel Reiniersz Pauw (born 29 March 1590 – died 20th, buried 24 March 1640 at Nieuwe Kerk, Amsterdam was a director of the Dutch West India Company (WIC) between 1621-1636. He grew up in Warmoesstraat in an influential Calvinis ...

received a land patent, or

patroon In the United States, a patroon (; from Dutch '' patroon'' ) was a landholder with manorial rights to large tracts of land in the 17th century Dutch colony of New Netherland on the east coast of North America. Through the Charter of Freedoms ...

ship and purchased the land between the Hudson and Hackensack Rivers, giving it the Latin-ized form of his name, Pavonia.Hudson County Directory 2004–2005
He failed to settle the area and was forced to return his holdings to the Dutch West India Company. Homesteads were established at

(1633), Harsimus (1634),

Paulus Hook Paulus Hook is a community on the Hudson River waterfront in Jersey City Jersey City is the second-most populous city in the U.S. state of New Jersey, after Newark.Kieft's War Kieft's War (1643–1645), also known as the Wappinger War, was a conflict between the colonial province of New Netherland and the Wappinger and Lenape Indians in what is now New York and New Jersey. It is named for Director-General of New Neth ...

, which began as a slaughter by the Dutch at

and is considered to be one of the first genocides of Native Americans by Europeans. A series of raids and reprisals across the province lasted two years, and ended in an uneasy truce. Other homesteads were established at

Constable Hook Constable Hook is a cape located on the north side of the outlet of Kill van Kull into Upper New York Bay in Bayonne, New Jersey. The cape has long been an important site of marine transfer operations in the Port of New York and New Jersey. Just ...

(1646), Awiehaken (1647), and other lands at

Achter Col Achter Kol (or Achter Col) was the name given to the region around the Newark Bay and Hackensack River in northeastern New Jersey by the first European settlers to it and was part of the 17th century province of New Netherland, originally adminis ...

. In 1658,

Director-General A director general or director-general (plural: ''directors general'', ''directors-general'', ''director generals'' or ''director-generals'' ) or general director is a senior executive officer, often the chief executive officer, within a governmen ...

Peter Stuyvesant of

New Netherland New Netherland ( nl, Nieuw Nederland; la, Novum Belgium or ) was a 17th-century colonial province of the Dutch Republic that was located on the east coast of what is now the United States. The claimed territories extended from the Delmarva P ...

negotiated a deal with the Lenape to re-purchase the area named

Bergen Bergen (), historically Bjørgvin, is a city and municipality in Vestland county on the west coast of Norway. , its population is roughly 285,900. Bergen is the second-largest city in Norway. The municipality covers and is on the peninsula o ...

, "by the great rock above Wiehacken," including the whole peninsula from Sikakes south to

Bergen Point Bergen Point is a point of land that lends its name to the adjacent neighborhood in Bayonne in Hudson County, New Jersey, United States. The point is located on the north side of Kill van Kull at Newark Bay. It is the section of the city clos ...

. In 1661, a charter was granted the new village/garrison at the site of present-day

Bergen Square Bergen Square, at the intersection of Bergen Avenue and Academy Street in Jersey City, is in the southwestern part of the much larger Journal Square district. A commercial residential area, it contains an eclectic array of architectural styl ...

, establishing what is considered to be the oldest self-governing

municipality A municipality is usually a single administrative division having corporate status and powers of self-government or jurisdiction as granted by national and regional laws to which it is subordinate. The term ''municipality'' may also mean the go ...

in New Jersey. The British gained control of the area in 1664, and the Dutch finally ceded formal control of province to the English in 1674.

The British and early America

By 1675, the Treaty of Westminster finalized the transfer and the area became part of the British colony of

East Jersey The Province of East Jersey, along with the Province of West Jersey, between 1674 and 1702 in accordance with the Quintipartite Deed, were two distinct political divisions of the Province of New Jersey, which became the U.S. state of New Jersey. ...

, in the administrative district of Bergen Township. The county's seat was transferred to Hackensack in 1709, after Bergen County was expanded west. Small villages and farms supplied the burgeoning city of New York, across the river, notably with oysters from the vast beds in the Upper New York Bay, and fresh produce, sold at Weehawken Street, in Manhattan. During the American Revolutionary War the area was under British control which included garrisons at

Bulls Ferry Bulls Ferry (also Bull's Ferry) is an area along the Hudson River, just north of Weehawken Port Imperial in the towns of West New York, Guttenberg and North Bergen in New Jersey. It takes its name from a pre-Revolutionary settlement belonging to ...

and the fort at

. Colonialist troops used the heights to observe enemy movements. The Battle of Paulus Hook, a surprise raid on a British fortification in 1779, was seen as a victory and morale booster for revolutionary forces. Many downtown Jersey City streets bear the name of military figures

Mercer Mercer may refer to: Business * Mercer (car), a defunct American automobile manufacturer (1909–1925) * Mercer (consulting firm), a large human resources consulting firm headquartered in New York City * Mercer (occupation), a merchant or trader, ...

Greene Greene may refer to: Places United States *Greene, Indiana, an unincorporated community *Greene, Iowa, a city *Greene, Maine, a town ** Greene (CDP), Maine, in the town of Greene *Greene (town), New York ** Greene (village), New York, in the town ...

, Wayne, and Varick among them. Weehawken became notorious for duels, including the nation's most famous between Alexander Hamilton and Aaron Burr in 1804. Border conflicts for control of the waterfront with New York (which claimed jurisdiction to the high water line and the granting of ferry concessions) restricted development though some urbanization took place in at

Paulus Hook Paulus Hook is a community on the Hudson River waterfront in Jersey City Jersey City is the second-most populous city in the U.S. state of New Jersey, after Newark.Morris Canal The Morris Canal (1829–1924) was a common carrier anthracite coal canal across northern New Jersey that connected the two industrial canals at Easton, Pennsylvania across the Delaware River from its western terminus at Phillipsburg, New Jers ...

, early steam railroads, and the development of the

harbor A harbor (American English), harbour (British English; see spelling differences), or haven is a sheltered body of water where ships, boats, and barges can be docked. The term ''harbor'' is often used interchangeably with ''port'', which is a ...

stimulated further growth. In September 1840, Hudson County was created by separation from Bergen County and annexation of some Essex County lands, namely

New Barbadoes Neck New Barbadoes Neck is the name given in the colonial era for the peninsula in northeastern New Jersey, US between the lower Hackensack and Passaic Rivers, in what is now western Hudson County and southern Bergen County. The neck begins in t ...

. During the 19th century, Hudson played an integral role in the

Underground Railroad The Underground Railroad was a network of clandestine routes and safe houses established in the United States during the early- to mid-19th century. It was used by enslaved African Americans primarily to escape into free states and Canada. ...

, with four routes converging in Jersey City.

Boundaries

Most of Hudson County, apart from West Hudson, was part of Bergen Township, which dates back to 1661 and was formally created by an act of the New Jersey Legislature on February 21, 1798, as one of the first group of 104 townships formed in New Jersey, while the area was still a part of Bergen County. As originally constituted, Bergen Township included the area between the

on the east, the

to the west, south to

and north to the present-day Hudson-Bergen border. For the next 127 years civic borders within the county took many forms, until they were finalized with the creation of Union City in 1925. The City of Jersey was incorporated by an act of the New Jersey Legislature on January 28, 1820, from portions of Bergen Township. The city was reincorporated on January 23, 1829, and again on February 22, 1838, at which time it became completely independent of Bergen Township and was given its present name. On February 22, 1840, it became part of the newly created Hudson County.Snyder, John P
''The Story of New Jersey's Civil Boundaries: 1606-1968''
Bureau of Geology and Topography; Trenton, New Jersey; 1969. p. 146. Accessed September 30, 2013. As Jersey City grew, several neighboring communities were annexed: Van Vorst Township (March 18, 1851), Bergen City and Hudson City (both on May 2, 1870), and Greenville Township (February 4, 1873). North Bergen was incorporated as a township on April 10, 1843, by an act of the New Jersey Legislature, from Bergen Township. Portions of the township have been taken to form Hoboken Township (April 9, 1849, now the City of

), Hudson Town (April 12, 1852, later part of Hudson City), Hudson City (April 11, 1855, later annexed by Jersey City), Guttenberg (formed within the township on March 9, 1859, and set off as an independent municipality on April 1, 1878),

(March 15, 1859), Union Township and West Hoboken Township (both created on February 28, 1861), Union Hill town (March 29, 1864) and

Secaucus Secaucus ( ) is a town in Hudson County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 United States census, the town's population was 16,264,township A township is a kind of human settlement or administrative subdivision, with its meaning varying in different countries. Although the term is occasionally associated with an urban area, that tends to be an exception to the rule. In Australia, C ...

on April 9, 1849, from portions of North Bergen Township and incorporated as a full-fledged city, and in a referendum held on March 29, 1855, ratified an Act of the New Jersey Legislature signed the previous day, and the City of Hoboken was born. Weehawken was formed as a township by an act of the New Jersey Legislature on March 15, 1859, from portions of

and

. A portion of the township was ceded to Hoboken in 1874. Additional territory was annexed in 1879 from West Hoboken. West New York was incorporated as a town by an act of the New Jersey Legislature on July 8, 1898, replacing Union Township, based on the results of a referendum held three days earlier. Kearny was originally formed as a

township A township is a kind of human settlement or administrative subdivision, with its meaning varying in different countries. Although the term is occasionally associated with an urban area, that tends to be an exception to the rule. In Australia, C ...

by an act of the New Jersey Legislature on April 8, 1867, from portions of Harrison Township. Portions of the township were taken on July 3, 1895, to form East Newark. Kearny was incorporated as a town on January 19, 1899, based on the results of a referendum held two days earlier. Bayonne was originally formed as a

on April 1, 1861, from portions of Bergen Township. Bayonne was reincorporated as a city by an act of the New Jersey Legislature on March 10, 1869, replacing Bayonne Township, subject to the results of a referendum held nine days later. Soon after the Civil War the idea of uniting all of the town of Hudson County in one municipality of Jersey City began to gain favor. In 1868 a bill for submitting the question of consolidation of all of Hudson County to the voters was presented to the Board of Chosen Freeholders (now known as the Board of County Commissioners). The bill did not include the western towns of Harrison and Kearny but included all towns east of the Hackensack River. The bill was approved by the State legislature on April 2, 1869 and the special election was scheduled for October 5, 1869. An element of the bill provided that only contiguous towns could be consolidated. The results of the election were as follows: While a majority of the voters approved the merger, only Jersey City, Hudson and Bergen could be consolidated since they were the only contiguous approving towns. Both the Town of Union and Union Township could not be included due to the dissenting vote of West Hoboken which lay between them and Hudson City. On March 17, 1870, Jersey City, Hudson City, and Bergen merged into Jersey City. Only three years later the present outline of Jersey City was completed when Greenville agreed to merge into the Greater Jersey City. Union City was incorporated as a city by an act of the New Jersey Legislature on January 1, 1925, replacing both Union Hill and West Hoboken Township.

Urbanization and immigration

During the latter half of the 19th and early part of the 20th centuries, Hudson experienced intense industrial, commercial and residential growth. Construction, first of ports, and later railroad terminals, in Jersey City, Bayonne,

, and

(which significantly altered the shoreline with landfill) fueled much of the development. European immigration, notably German-language speakers and Irish (many fleeing famine) initiated a population boom that would last for several decades. Neighborhoods grew as farms, estates, and other holdings were sub-divided for housing, civic and religious architecture. Streets (some with trolley lines) were laid out.

Stevens Institute of Technology Stevens Institute of Technology is a private research university in Hoboken, New Jersey. Founded in 1870, it is one of the oldest technological universities in the United States and was the first college in America solely dedicated to mechanical ...

and

Saint Peter's University Saint Peter's University is a private Jesuit university in Jersey City, New Jersey. It was founded as Saint Peter's College in 1872 by the Society of Jesus. The university offers over 60 undergraduate and graduate programs to more than 2,600 un ...

were established. Before the opening, in 1910, of the Pennsylvania Railroad's

North River Tunnels The North River Tunnels are a pair of rail tunnels that carry Amtrak and New Jersey Transit passenger lines under the Hudson River between Weehawken, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania Station in Manhattan, New York City, New York. Built between 1904 ...

under the Hudson, trains terminated on the west bank of the river, requiring passengers and cargo to travel by ferry or barge to New York. Transfer to the

Hudson and Manhattan Railroad Port Authority Trans-Hudson (PATH) is a rapid transit system in the northeastern New Jersey cities of Newark, Harrison, Jersey City, and Hoboken, as well as Lower and Midtown Manhattan in New York City. It is operated as a wholly owned sub ...

tubes (now

PATH A path is a route for physical travel – see Trail. Path or PATH may also refer to: Physical paths of different types * Bicycle path * Bridle path, used by people on horseback * Course (navigation), the intended path of a vehicle * Desire p ...

) became possible upon its opening in 1908.

Hoboken Terminal Hoboken Terminal is a commuter-oriented intermodal passenger station in Hoboken, Hudson County, New Jersey. One of the New York metropolitan area's major transportation hubs, it is served by nine NJ Transit (NJT) commuter rail lines, one Metr ...

, a national historic landmark originally built in 1907 by the Delaware, Lackawanna and Western Railroad to replace the previous one, is the only one of five major rail/ferry terminals that once dotted the waterfront still in operation.

West Shore Railroad The West Shore Railroad was the final name of a railroad that ran from Weehawken, New Jersey, on the west bank of the Hudson River opposite New York City, north to Albany, New York, and then west to Buffalo. It was organized as a competitor ...

Terminal in Weehawken, Erie Railroad's

Pavonia Terminal Pavonia Terminal was the Erie Railroad terminal on the Hudson River situated on the landfilled Harsimus Cove in Jersey City, New Jersey. The station opened in 1861 and closed in 1958 when the Erie Railroad moved its passenger services to nearby ...

and Pennsylvania Railroad's Exchange Place in Jersey City were all razed.

Central Railroad of New Jersey The Central Railroad of New Jersey, also known as the Jersey Central or Jersey Central Lines , was a Class I railroad with origins in the 1830s. It was absorbed into Conrail in April 1976 along with several other prominent bankrupt railroads of ...

's Communipaw Terminal, across a small strait from

and the Statue of Liberty, played a crucial role in the massive immigration of the period, with many newly arrived departing the station to embark on their lives in America. Many, though, decided to stay, taking jobs on the docks, the railroads, the factories, the refineries, and in the

sweatshops A sweatshop or sweat factory is a crowded workplace with very poor, socially unacceptable or illegal working conditions. Some illegal working conditions include poor ventilation, little to no breaks, inadequate work space, insufficient lighting, o ...

and

skyscrapers A skyscraper is a tall continuously habitable building having multiple floors. Modern sources currently define skyscrapers as being at least or in height, though there is no universally accepted definition. Skyscrapers are very tall high-ri ...

of Manhattan. Many manufacturers, whose names read as a "Who's Who" in American industry established a presence, including Colgate,

Dixon Ticonderoga The Dixon Ticonderoga Company () is an office and art supplies maker from the United States, with headquarters in Heathrow, Florida. The company offers a number of brands, with one of the most well-known being ''Ticonderoga'': the yellow No. 2 pe ...

Maxwell House Maxwell House is an American brand of coffee manufactured by a like-named division of Kraft Heinz in North America and JDE Peet's in the rest of the world. Introduced in 1892 by wholesale grocer Joel Owsley Cheek, it was named in honor of the ...

, Standard Oil, and

Bethlehem Steel The Bethlehem Steel Corporation was an American steelmaking company headquartered in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania. For most of the 20th century, it was one of the world's largest steel producing and shipbuilding companies. At the height of its succe ...

North Hudson, particularly Union City became the schiffli "embroidery capital of America". The industry included businesses that provided embroidery machines and parts, fabrics, thread, embroidery designs, dying, chemical lace etching, and bleaching. There were hundreds of small shops, each with one or a few machines, producing a wide array of products. Finished embroidery supplied the garment and home goods industries. Secaucus boasted numerous pig farms and rendering plants. It was during this period that much of the housing stock, namely one and two family homes and low-rise apartment buildings, was built; municipal boundaries finalized, neighborhoods established. Commercial corridors such as Bergenline, Central, Newark and Ocean Avenues came into prominence.

Journal Square Journal Square is a business district, residential area, and transportation hub in Jersey City, New Jersey, which takes its name from the newspaper ''Jersey Journal'' whose headquarters were located there from 1911 to 2013. The "square" itself is ...

became a business, shopping, and entertainment mecca, home to ''

The Jersey Journal ''The Jersey Journal'' is a daily newspaper, published from Monday through Saturday, covering news and events throughout Hudson County, New Jersey. ''The Journal'' is a sister paper to ''The Star-Ledger'' of Newark, ''The Times'' of Trenton an ...

'', after which it is named, and movie palaces such as

Loew's Jersey Theater The Loew's Jersey Theatre is a theater in Jersey City, New Jersey. Opened in 1929, it was one of the five Loew's Wonder Theatres, a series of flagship Loew's movie palaces in the New York City area. It was designed by the architectural firm of Rap ...

and The Stanley.

World Wars and New Deal

Upon entry to

World War I World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...

, the U.S. government took over control of the Hamburg-American Line piers in Hoboken under

eminent domain Eminent domain (United States, Philippines), land acquisition (India, Malaysia, Singapore), compulsory purchase/acquisition (Australia, New Zealand, Ireland, United Kingdom), resumption (Hong Kong, Uganda), resumption/compulsory acquisition (Austr ...

, and Hudson became the major point of embarkation for more than three million soldiers, known as "

doughboy Doughboy was a popular nickname for the American infantryman during World War I. Though the origins of the term are not certain, the nickname was still in use as of the early 1940s. Examples include the 1942 song "Johnny Doughboy Found a Rose in ...

s". In 1916, an act of sabotage literally and figuratively shook the region when

German German(s) may refer to: * Germany (of or related to) ** Germania (historical use) * Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language ** For citizens of Germany, see also German nationality law **Ge ...

agents set off bombs at the munitions depot in New York Bay at Black Tom. The fore-runner of

Port Authority of New York and New Jersey The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, PANYNJ; stylized, in logo since 2020, as Port Authority NY NJ, is a joint venture between the U.S. states of New York and New Jersey, established in 1921 through an interstate compact authorize ...

was established on April 30, 1921. Huge transportation projects opened between the wars: The

Holland Tunnel The Holland Tunnel is a vehicular tunnel under the Hudson River that connects the New York City neighborhood of Hudson Square in Lower Manhattan to the east with Jersey City in New Jersey to the west. The tunnel is operated by the Port Author ...

in 1927, The

Bayonne Bridge Bayonne Bridge is an arch bridge spanning the Kill Van Kull and connecting Bayonne, New Jersey with Staten Island in New York City. It carries New York State Route 440 (NY 440) and New Jersey Route 440. It is the sixth-longes ...

in 1931, and The

Lincoln Tunnel The Lincoln Tunnel is an approximately tunnel under the Hudson River, connecting Weehawken, New Jersey, to the west with Midtown Manhattan in New York City to the east. It carries New Jersey Route 495 on the New Jersey side and unsigned Ne ...

in 1937, allowing vehicular travel between New Jersey and New York City to bypass the waterfront. Hackensack River crossings, notably the

Pulaski Skyway The Pulaski Skyway is a four-lane bridge-causeway in the northeastern part of the U.S. state of New Jersey, carrying an expressway designated U.S. Route 1/9 (US 1/9) for most of its length. The structure has a total length of . Its ...

, were also built. What was to become New Jersey City University opened. Major Works Progress Administration projects included construction of stadiums in Jersey City and Union City. Both were named for President Franklin D. Roosevelt, who attended the opening of the largest project of them all, The Jersey City Medical Center, a massive complex built in the Art Deco Style. During this era the "Hudson County Democratic Machine", known for its cronyism and corruption, with Jersey City mayor Frank Hague at its head was at its most powerful. Industries in Hudson were crucial to the war effort during WWII, including the manufacture PT boats by Electric Launch Company, Elco in Bayonne. Military Ocean Terminal at Bayonne (MOTBY) was opened in 1942 as a U.S. military base and remained in operation until 1999.

Post-war years

After the war maritime and manufacturing industries still dominated the local economy, and union membership provided guarantees of good pay packages. Though some returning servicemen took advantage of GI housing bills and moved to close by suburbs, many with strong ethnic and familial ties chose to stay. Baseball legend Jackie Robinson made his minor league debut at Roosevelt Stadium and "broke" the baseball color line. Much of Hudson County experienced the phenomenon of ethnic/economic groups leaving and being replaced by others, as was typical of most urban communities of the New York Bay region. When the big businesses decided to follow them or vice versa, Hudson County's socioeconomic differences became more profound. Old economic underpinnings disintegrated. Attempts were made to stabilize the population by demolishing so-called slums and build subsidized middle-income housing and the pockets of so-called "good neighborhoods" came in conflict with those that went into decline. Riots occurred in Jersey City in 1964. Lower property values allowed the next wave of immigrants, many from Latin America, to rent or buy in the county. North Hudson, particularly Union City, saw many émigrés fleeing the Cuban revolution take up residence. Unlike other urban industrial areas of comparable size, age and density, North Hudson did not experience marked urban decay or a crime wave during the late 20th century, its population and economic base remaining basically stable, in part, because of its good housing stock, tightly knit neighborhoods and satisfactory schools systems.

Pre/post-millennium

The county since the mid-1990s has seen much real estate speculation and development and a population increase, as many new residents purchase existing housing stock as well as condominiums in high and mid rise developments, many along the waterfront. What had started as a gentrification in the 1980s became a full-blown "redevelopment" of the area as many suburbanites, transplanted Americans, internationals, and immigrants (most focused on opportunities in NY/NJ region and proximity to Manhattan) began to make the "Jersey" side of the Hudson their home, and the "real-estate boom" of the era encouraged many to seek investment opportunities. The exploitation of certain parts of the waterfront and other brownfields led to commercial development as well, especially along former rail yards. Hudson felt the short- and long-term impact of the destruction of the World Trade Center (1973–2001), World Trade Center intensely: its proximity to lower Manhattan made it a place to evacuate to, many residents who worked there lost their jobs (or their lives), and many companies sought office space across the river. Re-zoning, the Hudson-Bergen Light Rail, and New Jersey State land-use policy of transit villages have further spurred construction. Though very urban and with some of the highest residential densities in the United States the Hudson communities have remain fragmented, due in part to New Jersey's long history of home rule in local government; geographical factors such as Hudson River inlets/canals, the cliffs of the New Jersey Palisades and rail lines; and ethnic/demographic differences in the population. As the county sees more development this traditional perception is challenged.

Demographics

Hudson County is the most densely populated county in New Jersey and the fifth-most densely populated county in the United States, with 15,693 residents per square mile (6,130/km²) as of 2020. The only city in Hudson County among the 100 most populous cities in the United States was Jersey City, which was ranked 77th in the

's rankings based on the 2016 Population Estimates Program, population estimate. Of municipalities with over 50,000 people, Union City, New Jersey, Union City is the List of United States cities by population density, most densely populated in the United States, while several Hudson County municipalities are among the most densely populated in the United States as well as List of the most densely populated cities, worldwide.Sullivan, Al
"Stand up and be counted; Census 2010 brings its road show to Hudson County"
, ''

'', January 13, 2010. Accessed August 31, 2014. North Hudson has the second-largest Cuban American population in the United States behind Miami, Florida, Miami. Jersey City is the 21st-most ethnically diverse city in the United States and the most ethnically diverse on the East Coast of the United States. Hudson has three communities on the list of the 100 cities (population 5,000 and up) with the highest percent of foreign-born residents: West New York (65.2%), Union City, New Jersey, Union City (58.7%), and Guttenberg (48.7%) Hudson County has the smallest proportion of persons over age 65 in New Jersey.

2020 census

As of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, the county had 724,854 people, 266,664 households, and 160,697 families. The population density was . There were 312,706 housing units at an average density of . The county's racial makeup was 28.49% White (U.S. Census), White, 9.84% African American (U.S. Census), African American, 0.14% Native American (U.S. Census), Native American, 17.02% Asian (U.S. Census), Asian, and 2.75% from two or more races. Hispanic (U.S. Census), Hispanic or Latino (U.S. Census), Latino of any race were 40.4% of the population. Of the 266,664 households, of which 29.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 40.7% were Marriage, married couples living together, 30.5% had a female householder with no husband present, 21.3% had a male householder with no wife present and 39.73% were non-families. 68.8% of all households were made up of individuals, and 9.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.49 and the average family size was 3.11. About 20.3% of the county's population was under age 18, 7.7% was from age 18 to 24, 47.6% was from age 15 to 44, and 12.2% was age 65 or older. The median age was 35.5 years. The gender makeup of the city was 49.76% male and 50.23% female. For every 100 females, there were 99.1 males. The county's median household income was $78,808, and the median family income was $76,019. About 13.9% of the population were below the poverty line, including 22.2% of those under age 18 and 17.4% of those age 65 or over.

2010 census

Community diversity

Hudson County is a major port of entry for immigration to the United States and a major employment center at the approximate core of the New York City metropolitan region; and given its proximity to

, Hudson County has evolved a globally cosmopolitanism, cosmopolitan ambience of its own, demonstrating a robust and growing demographic and cultural diversity with respect to metrics including nationality, religion, race, and domestic partnership, domiciliary partnership. Cuba, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Philippines, and India are the five most common nations of birth for foreign born, foreign-born Hudson County residents. Jersey City is one of the most ethnic diversity, ethnically diverse cities in the world.

Latin American

There were an estimated 273,611 Hispanic Americans in Hudson County, according to the 2013 American Community Survey, representing a 2.1% increase from 267,853 Hispanic Americans enumerated in the 2010 United States Census. Several municipalities in North Hudson, New Jersey, northern Hudson County are listed among those places in the United States with the List of United States cities by population density, highest population densities, with several towns more dense overall than adjacent

. Numerous towns on the Hudson Palisades in northern Hudson County have populations where more than 50% of the residents are foreign born, foreign-born, often with a List of U.S. communities with Hispanic majority populations#New Jersey, Hispanic majority.

=Puerto Rican American

= There were an estimated 58,197 Puerto Rican Americans in Hudson County, according to the 2013 American Community Survey, representing a 3.1% increase from 56,436 Puerto Rican Americans enumerated in the 2010 United States Census.

=Cuban American

= There were an estimated 28,900 Cuban Americans in Hudson County, according to the 2013 American Community Survey, representing a 0.9% increase from 28,652 Cuban Americans enumerated in the 2010 United States Census. The Cuban Day Parade of New Jersey, since its inception at the millennium, has run along Bergenline Avenue and grown to be the centerpiece of large festivities which have taken place at Schuetzen Park (New Jersey), Scheutzen Park or Celia Cruz Park.

European American

There were an estimated 194,192 non-Hispanic whites in Hudson County, according to the 2013 American Community Survey, representing a 0.7% decrease from 195,501 non-Hispanic whites enumerated in the 2010 United States Census.

=Italian American

= Italian Americans have historically played an important cultural role in Hudson County.

=Western European American

= Ever since the settling of

in the 1600s, comprising what is now the Gateway Region of northeastern New Jersey as well as portions of Downstate New York in the New York City metropolitan area, the Dutch people, Dutch and British people, British, along with Germanic people, German and Irish Americans, have established an integral role in the subsequent long-term development of Hudson County over the centuries.

=Irish American

= Irish Americans, specifically Irish Catholics played a significant role in the politics of Jersey City. Many of the city's mayors were of Irish descent. The Greenville, Jersey City neighborhood was the center of the city's Irish community until the 1950s and early 1960s.

Asian American

There were an estimated 89,164 Asian Americans in Hudson County, according to the 2013 American Community Survey, representing a 5.0% increase from 84,924 Asian Americans enumerated in the 2010 United States Census.

=Indian American

= India Square, also known as "Little India (location), Little India" or "Little Bombay", home to the highest concentration of Asian Indians in the Western Hemisphere, is a rapidly growing Indian American ethnic enclave in Jersey City. This area has been home to the largest outdoor Navratri festivities in New Jersey as well as several Hindu temples; while an annual, color-filled spring Holi festival has taken place in Jersey City since 1992, centered upon India Square and attracting significant participation and international media attention. There were an estimated 39,477 Indian Americans in Hudson County, according to the 2013 American Community Survey, representing a 6.0% increase from 37,236 Indian Americans enumerated in the 2010 United States Census.

=Filipino American

= 7% of Jersey City's population is Filipino people, Filipino. The Five Corners, Jersey City, Five Corners district is home to a thriving Filipino community and Jersey City's Little Manila#New Jersey, Little Manila, which is the second largest Asian American subgroup in the city. A variety of Filipino restaurants, shippers and freighters, doctors' officers, bakeries, stores, and an office of The Filipino Channel have made Newark Avenue their home. The largest Filipino-owned grocery store on the East Coast of the United States, Phil-Am Food, has been there since 1973. An array of Filipino-owned businesses can also be found at the section of West Side, Jersey City, West Side of Jersey City, where many of its residents are of Filipino descent. In 2006, a Red Ribbon (Bakeshop), Red Ribbon pastry shop, one of the Philippines' most famous food chains, opened its first branch on the East Coast in the Garden Stat

Manila Avenue (Hudson County), Manila Avenue in Downtown Jersey City was named for the Philippine capital city because of the many Filipinos who built their homes on this street during the 1970s. A memorial, dedicated to the Filipino American veterans of the Vietnam War, was built in a small square on Manila Avenue. A park and statue dedicated to Jose P. Rizal, a national hero of the Philippines, exists in downtown Jersey City. Jersey City is the host of the annual Philippine-American Friendship Day Parade, an event that occurs yearly in June, on its last Sunday. The City Hall of Jersey City raises the Philippine flag in correlation to this event and as a tribute to the contributions of the Filipino community. The Santakrusan Procession along Manila Avenue has taken place since 1977. There were an estimated 21,622 Filipino Americans in Hudson County, according to the 2013 American Community Survey, representing a 4.8% increase from 20,638 Filipino Americans enumerated in the 2010 United States Census.

=Chinese American

= Hudson County, highly accessible to Lower Manhattan in New York City and its Chinatown, Manhattan, Chinatown by rapid transit, was home to an estimated 13,381 Chinese Americans, according to the 2013 American Community Survey, representing a notably rapid growth of 19.1% from the 11,239 Chinese Americans enumerated in the 2010 United States Census.

African American

There were an estimated 83,576 African Americans in Hudson County, according to the 2013 American Community Survey, representing a 0.4% decrease from 83,925 African Americans enumerated in the 2010 United States Census. However, modest growth in the African immigration to the United States, African immigrant population, most notably the growing Nigerian American population in Jersey City, is partially offsetting the decline in Hudson County's American-born black population, which as a whole has been experiencing an exodus from northern New Jersey to the Southern United States.

Arab American

Arab Americans numbered an estimated 14,518 individuals in Hudson County as per the 2012 American Community Survey, representing 2.3% of the county's total population, the second highest percentage in New Jersey after Passaic County, New Jersey, Passaic County. Arab Americans are most concentrated in Jersey City and Bayonne, led by Egyptian Americans, including the largest population of Coptic Christians in the United States.

Muslim American

Hudson County's growing Muslim American population includes a significant Latin American, Latino contingent comprising adherents converting from other religious affiliations.

Jewish American

A growing Jewish American population has been noted in Hudson County, particularly in Jersey City. A significant Jewish presence has also been established in Bayonne.

Same-sex couples

There were 2,726 Domestic partnership, same-sex couples in Hudson County in 2010, second in New Jersey only to Essex County, prior to the commencement of same-sex marriages in New Jersey on October 21, 2013.

Economy

Based on data from the Bureau of Economic Analysis, Hudson County had a gross domestic product (GDP) of $44.7 billion in 2018, which was ranked 5th in the state and represented an increase of 2.0% from the previous year. Various businesses and industries are headquartered or had their start in Hudson County.

Secaucus Secaucus ( ) is a town in Hudson County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 United States census, the town's population was 16,264,"Verisk Analytics of Jersey City raises $1.9B in stock offering"
''The Star-Ledger'', October 8, 2009. Accessed October 8, 2009. and WFMU 91.1FM (WMFU 90.1FM in the Hudson Valley), the longest running freeform radio station in the United States.

is the birthplace of the first Blimpie restaurant, and home to one of the headquarters of publisher John Wiley & Sons. In the 20th century, Union City, New Jersey, Union City was the "embroidery capital of the United States", the trademark of that industry appearing on that city's seal.Union City 2000 Calendar, 2000, culled from ''History of West Hoboken and Union Hill'' by Ella-Mary Ryman; 1965 and "The Historical Background of Union City" by Daniel A. Primont, William G. Fiedler and Fred Zuccaro, 1964"Little Havana (Miami) & Little Havana on the Hudson (Union City, New Jersey)" BarryPopkik.com; August 15, 2006
/ref> Weehawken is home to the headquarters of NY Waterway, as well as offices for Swatch Group, Swatch Group USA, UBS and Hartz Mountain. Television producers had long held an attraction for New Jersey, and Hudson County in particular, due to the tax credits afforded such various productions. The HBO prison drama ''Oz (TV series), Oz'' was filmed in an old warehouse in Bayonne, with much of the series filmed around the now-defunct Military Ocean Terminal at Bayonne, Military Ocean Terminal Base.Wright, E. Assata. "Getting the film crews back to NJ", ''The Union City Reporter'', February 13, 2011, Pages 5 and 7 The NBC drama ''Law and Order: Special Victims Unit'' filmed police station and courtroom scenes at NBC's Central Archives building in North Bergen,Kimpton, Roger. "Hollywood on the Palisades", ''Palisade'' magazine, Summer 2010, Pages 12-15 and filmed other scenes throughout the county, such as a 2010 episode filmed at the Meadowlands Parkway in Secaucus. The short-lived hospital drama ''Mercy (TV series), Mercy'' filmed at a warehouse in Secaucus, a private residence in Weehawken and a public school in Jersey City. The ''Law and Order'' and ''Mercy'' productions left New Jersey for New York in 2010 after New Jersey Governor Chris Christie suspended the tax credits for film and television production for the Fiscal Year 2011 to close budget gaps.

Government

County government

Hudson County Admin Bldg (from Pavonia Avenue)

Hudson County is governed by the Hudson County Executive and a nine-member Board of County Commissioners (New Jersey), Board of County Commissioners as a legislative body, who administer all county business. Hudson joins Atlantic County, New Jersey, Atlantic, Bergen County, New Jersey, Bergen, Essex County, New Jersey, Essex and Mercer County, New Jersey, Mercer counties as one of the 5 of 21 New Jersey counties with an elected executive. The County Executive is elected directly by the voters. The members of the Board of County Commissioners are elected concurrently to serve three-year terms as Commissioner, each representing a specified Ward (electoral subdivision), district which are equally proportioned based on population. Each year, in January, the Commissioners select one of their nine to serve as Chair and one as Vice Chair for a period of one year. In 2016, commissioners were paid $43,714, the Commissioner Vice Chair received $45,754 and the Commissioner Chair was paid an annual salary of $46,774; the commissioner salaries in the county were the highest in the state. That year, the county executive was paid $151,299. , Hudson County's County executive, County Executive is Democratic Party (United States), Democrat Thomas A. DeGise, whose term of office expires December 31, 2023. Hudson County's Commissioners are (with terms for chair and vice-chair ending every December 31): Pursuant to Article VII Section II of the New Jersey State Constitution, each county in New Jersey is required to have three elected administrative officials known as "constitutional officers." These officers are the County Clerk and Probate Court, County Surrogate (both elected for five-year terms of office) and the Sheriff, County Sheriff (elected for a three-year term). Hudson County's constitutional officers are:Online Directory
Hudson County, New Jersey. Accessed October 23, 2017. The sheriff's office is the second largest law enforcement agency in the County, with a staff of 300. The sheriff's headquarters are located at Hudson County Plaza. The Hudson County Correctional Facility is located in South Kearny, New Jersey, South Kearny. The Hudson County Prosecutor is Esther Suarez, who was nominated to the position by Governor of New Jersey Chris Christie in June 2015. Many county offices are located at Hudson County Plaza at 257 Cornelison Avenue in Jersey City. The Hudson County Meadowview Psychiatric Hospital is on County Avenue, Secaucus. The

of Hudson County is located near Five Corners, Jersey City, Five Corners on Newark Avenue in Jersey City, northeast of

. The Hudson County Courthouse, and the adjacent Hudson County Administration Building, at 595 Newark Avenue, are home to various courts, agencies and departments. Hudson County constitutes Vicinage 6 of the New Jersey Superior Court and is seated at the Administration Building, with additional facilities at the Hudson County Courthouse; the Assignment Judge for Vicinage 6 is the Honorable Peter F. Bariso Jr. The Hudson County court system consists of several municipal courts, including the busy Jersey City Court in addition to the Superior Court.

Federal representatives

Three New Jersey's congressional districts, Congressional Districts cover the county, including portions of the 8th, 9th and 10th districts.

State representatives

The 12 municipalities of Hudson County are represented by 3 legislative districts. At , the 33rd Legislative District has the smallest land area for a Legislative District."2012 New Jersey Legislative District Data Book Available for Order"
, Rutgers Continuing Education News Center. Accessed December 13, 2014.

Politics

The county has only supported a Republican for president six times since 1896, all in large victories for Republicans nationwide. As of October 1, 2021, there were a total of 418,233 registered voters in Hudson County, of whom 230,912 (55.2%) were registered as Democratic Party (United States), Democrats, 44,736 (10.7%) were registered as Republican Party (United States), Republicans and 136,327 (32.6%) were registered as Unaffiliated (New Jersey), unaffiliated. There were 6,258 voters (1.5%) registered to other parties. According to ''

'', the most conservative town in the county is Secaucus. In the 2020 United States presidential election, Democrat Joe Biden received 72.5% of the vote or 181,452 raw votes, while Republican President Donald Trump received only 26.2% or 65,698 raw votes, and a final 1.3% (3,308 votes) went to 3rd parties. In the 2016 United States presidential election, Republican Donald Trump received 22.2% or 49,043 votes to Democrat Hillary Clinton's 74.3% or 163,917 votes, while a final 3.4% of the vote (7,582 votes) went to 3rd parties. Democrat Jon Corzine defeated Republican Doug Forrester by a 3-to-1 margin in the 2005 New Jersey gubernatorial election, 2005 gubernatorial race. Both Republican candidates failed to carry even one municipality within the county. Former New Jersey governor Jon Corzine was a resident of Hoboken for many years, including his time in office (2006-2010). In the 2009 New Jersey gubernatorial election, Corzine received 76,145 votes from Hudson County to Republican Chris Christie's 29,301, but Christie won the state overall, beating Corzine by 3 percentage points statewide.

Municipalities

There are 12 municipalities in Hudson County, listed with area in square miles and 2010 Census data for population and housing. North Hudson and West Hudson each comprise municipalities in their distinct areas.

Education

Tertiary education

Colleges and universities are Hudson County Community College (HCCC), New Jersey City University (NJCU), Saint Peter's University, all in Jersey City, and

in Hoboken. Rutgers University offers classes within the county. The Christ Hospital School of Nursing was established in 1890 and since 1999 has run a cooperative program with HCCC. In 2014 it will merge with the Bayonne Medical Center nursing school.

School districts

Each municipality has a public school district. All but two have their own state school, public secondary education in the United States, high schools. East Newark students attend Harrison High School (New Jersey), Harrison High School and Guttenberg students attend North Bergen High School. Hudson County Schools of Technology is a public secondary and adult vocational-technical school with locations in Secaucus, Jersey City, Union City and Harrison. There are private and parochial elementary and secondary schools located throughout Hudson, many of which are members of the Hudson County Interscholastic Athletic Association. School districts, all classified as K-12 (except as indicated), include: *Bayonne School District *East Newark School District (K–8) *Guttenberg Public School District (K–8) *Harrison Public Schools *Hoboken Public Schools *Hudson County Schools of Technology (9–12) *Jersey City Public Schools *Kearny School District *North Bergen School District *Secaucus Public Schools *Union City School District (New Jersey), Union City School District *Weehawken School District *West New York School District

Transportation

The confluence of roads and railways of the Northeastern United States#The Northeast as a megalopolis, Northeastern U.S. megalopolis and Northeast Corridor passing through Hudson County make it one of the Northeastern United States, Northeast's major transportation crossroads and provide access to an extensive network of interstate highways, state freeways and toll roads, and vehicular water crossings. Many long-distance trains and buses pass through the county, though Amtrak and the major national bus companies – Greyhound Lines and Trailways Transportation System, Trailways – do not provide service within it. There are many local, intrastate, and Manhattan-bound bus routes, an expanding light rail system, ferries traversing the Hudson, and commuter trains to

, the Jersey Shore, and Trenton, New Jersey, Trenton. Much of the rail, surface transit, and ferry system is oriented to commuters traveling to Newark, New Jersey, Newark, lower and midtown

, and the Hudson Waterfront. Public transportation is operated by a variety of public and private corporations, notably NJ Transit, the

, and NY Waterway, each of which charge customers separately for their service. Hudson is the only county in New Jersey where more residents (127,708) used public transportation than who drove (124,772).

Hubs

, Bergenline Avenue at Hackensack Plank Road, 32nd Street, Bergenline Avenue (HBLR station), 48th Street, and Nungessers in North Hudson, and Journal Square Transportation Center and Exchange Place, Jersey City, Exchange Place in Jersey City are major public Transport hub, transportation hubs. The Port Authority Bus Terminal and Pennsylvania Station (New York City), Penn Station in Midtown Manhattan, the World Trade Center (PATH station), World Trade Center in Lower Manhattan, and Pennsylvania Station (Newark), Newark Penn Station also play important roles within the county's transportation network. Secaucus Junction provides access to eight commuter rail lines.

Rail

* Hudson-Bergen Light Rail serves Bayonne, Jersey City,

, and North Hudson at the

waterfront, Bergenline Avenue (HBLR station), Bergenline Avenue and Tonnelle Avenue (HBLR station), Tonnelle Avenue. * NJ Transit Hoboken Division: Main Line (NJ Transit), Main Line (to Suffern, and in partnership with Metropolitan Transportation Authority, MTA/Metro-North, express service to Port Jervis), Bergen County Line, and jointly with Metropolitan Transportation Authority, MTA/Metro-North, Pascack Valley Line, all via Secaucus Junction; Montclair-Boonton Line and Morris and Essex Lines; North Jersey Coast Line (limited service as Waterfront Connection); Raritan Valley Line (limited service), and Meadowlands Rail Line * NJ Transit Newark Division: Northeast Corridor Line and North Jersey Coast Line can be reached via Secaucus Junction or

is a 24-hour rapid transit, subway mass transit system serving Newark Penn Station, Harrison,

, Downtown Jersey City,

, midtown Manhattan (33rd) (along 6th Ave to Herald Square/Pennsylvania Station (New York City), New York Penn Station), and World Trade Center (PATH station), World Trade Center.

Bus

List of New Jersey Transit bus routes (100-199), NJ Transit bus routes 120 -129 provide service within Hudson and to Manhattan. List of New Jersey Transit bus routes (1-99), NJ Transit bus routes 1-89 provide service within the county and to points in

. Additionally, private bus companies, some of which operate dollar vans (''mini-buses'' or ''carritos'') augment the state agency's surface transport.

Water

Located at the heart of the Port of New York and New Jersey, Hudson County has since the 1980s seen the restoration of its List of ferries across the Hudson River to New York City, once extensive ferry system. * NY Waterway operates ferry service from Weehawken Port Imperial,

, and Paulus Hook Ferry Terminal as well as other ferry slips along the Hudson River Waterfront Walkway to West Midtown Ferry Terminal, Battery Park City Ferry Terminal and Pier 11/Wall Street in Manhattan, and to the Raritan Bayshore * Liberty Water Taxi provides service on one route between Liberty State Park,

Paulus Hook Paulus Hook is a community on the Hudson River waterfront in Jersey City Jersey City is the second-most populous city in the U.S. state of New Jersey, after Newark.Port Authority of New York and New Jersey The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, PANYNJ; stylized, in logo since 2020, as Port Authority NY NJ, is a joint venture between the U.S. states of New York and New Jersey, established in 1921 through an interstate compact authorize ...

. Major highways include New Jersey Routes New Jersey Route 3, 3, New Jersey Route 7, 7, New Jersey Route 139, 139, New Jersey Route 185, 185, New Jersey Route 440, 440, New Jersey Route 495, 495, Interstates Interstate 78 in New Jersey, 78, Interstate 95 in New Jersey, 95, and Interstate 280 (New Jersey), 280, and U.S. Routes U.S. Route 1/9, 1/9 and U.S. Route 1/9 Truck, 1/9 Truck, as well as the New Jersey Turnpike and the

. Automobile access to

is available through the

(via

to Midtown Manhattan) and the

(via Jersey City to Lower Manhattan), and over the

to Staten Island. County Route 501 (New Jersey), County Route 501 runs the length of Hudson as Kennedy Boulevard. In 2013, two main thoroughfares in Hudson County, Kennedy Boulevard and U.S. Route 1/9, were included among the Tri-State Transportation Campaign's list of the top ten most dangerous roads for pedestrians in New Jersey, New York and Connecticut. Kennedy Boulevard was ranked #6 for the six pedestrian fatalities that occurred on it from 2009 to 2011, while Route 1/9 was tied for the #10 place on the list for the five pedestrian deaths during the same period. Route 1/9 is monitored by New Jersey State Police, state police, while Kennedy Boulevard is patrolled by the Hudson County Sheriff's Office and the respective municipalities through which that road runs. In total, 37 pedestrians – 12 in 2009, 14 in 2010 and 11 in 2011 – were killed on Hudson County roads. According to state police statistics there were nine pedestrian fatalities in the county in 2012, which was not included in the study. From 2010 through 2012, 25 people were killed each year in Hudson County motor vehicle accidents.

Air

Most airports which serve Hudson County are operated by the

* Newark Liberty International Airport (EWR), away in Newark, is the closest airport with scheduled passenger service * LaGuardia Airport (LGA) is away in Flushing, Queens * John F. Kennedy Airport (JFK) is away on Jamaica Bay in Queens * Teterboro Airport, in the Hackensack Meadowlands, serves private and corporate planes * Essex County Airport, in Fairfield Township, Essex County, New Jersey, Fairfield, is a general aviation airport serving the region

Parks and points of interest

The Hudson County Park System includes Bayonne, New Jersey#Hackensack RiverWalk, Hudson County Park, Curries Woods, Mercer Park, Lincoln Park (Jersey City, New Jersey), Lincoln Park, Washington Park, Landmarks of Hoboken, New Jersey, Columbus Park, and North Hudson Park, West Hudson Park and the newest, Snake Hill, Laurel Hill. Some of the city's municipal parks and plazas, were developed as "city squares" during the 19th century, such as Hamilton Park, Jersey City, Hamilton Park, Landmarks of Hoboken, New Jersey, Church Square Park and Ellsworth (locally known as Pigeon) Park. The German-American Volksfest has taken place annually since 1874 at Schuetzen Park (New Jersey), Schuetzen Park This private park and the many nearby cemeteries-Flower Hill Cemetery, North Bergen, Flower Hill Cemetery, Grove Church Cemetery, Hoboken Cemetery, North Bergen, Hoboken Cemetery, Macphelah Cemetery and Weehawken Cemetery that characterize the western slope create the "green lung" of North Hudson, New Jersey, North Hudson County. Jcres

Jersey City Reservoir No. 3, Jersey City Reservoir No.3 and Pershing Field constitute one of the largest "green spaces" in the county. The reservoir, no longer in use, is site of a passive recreation area/nature preserve. Hackensack Number Two, the other remaining reservoir in Weehawken Heights, is not accessible to the public. Extensive athletic fields opened in 2009 in Weehawken and Union City, the latter on the site of the former Roosevelt Stadium (Union City), Roosevelt Stadium. Promenades are being developed along the rivers. The Hudson River Waterfront Walkway and Hackensack RiverWalk. Sections of the Secaucus Greenway (landscape), Greenway are in place and eventually will connect different districts of the town including the North End, site Schmidts Woods (which contains an original hard wood forest) and Mill Creek Point Park, and Harmon Meadow Plaza. Kearny Riverbank Park runs along the Passaic River. The future of the Harsimus Stem Embankment is uncertain, though many community groups hope the landmark will be opened to the public as elevated greenway, possibly as part of East Coast Greenway.

, the county's largest, is sited on land that had once been part of a vast oyster bed, was filled in for industrial, rail, and maritime uses, and was reclaimed in the 1970s.

and

, a protected area, national protected area and home to the Statue of Liberty National Monument, lie entirely within Hudson's waters across from Liberty State Park, from which ferry service is available. The New Jersey Meadowlands Commission has designated several areas within its jurisdiction as wetlands preservation zones including the Riverbend, Hudson County, Riverbend Wetlands Preserve, Eastern Brackish Marsh, and Kearny Marsh, an extension of De Korte Park, home of the Meadowlands Environment Center. Hudson County is home to Skyway Golf Course, the 8th ranked 9 hole golf course in the country (Golf Advisor 2019), Bayonne Golf Club and Liberty National Golf Club, ball located on

. * See Historic districts in Hudson County, New Jersey * See Odonyms in Hudson County, New Jersey * See List of cemeteries in Hudson County, New Jersey * See List of the oldest buildings in New Jersey * See List of bridges, tunnels, and cuts in Hudson County, New Jersey

Museums, galleries, exhibitions

There are several museums and other exhibitions spaces throughout the county, some of which maintain permanent collections. Other are focused on local culture, history, or the environment. There are events throughout the year where architecture, local artists or ethnic culture are highlighted. There are also private galleries. The venues include: * Afro-American Historical and Cultural Society Museum * Bayonne Community Museum * Bayonne Truck House No. 1, Bayonne Firefighter's Museum * Central Railroad of New Jersey Terminal * Cultural Thread/El Hilo, history, diversity and craft of embroidery * Danforth Avenue (Hudson County), Danforth Avenue Station, excavated objects * Dixon Mills, site of the former Joseph Dixon Crucible Company * Drawing Rooms, a contemporary art center and gallery in a former convent in downtown Jersey City *

Immigration Museum * Five Corners, Jersey City, Five Corners Branch Library Gallery specializes in music and fine arts. * Hoboken Artists Studio Tour * Hoboken Fire Department Museum * Hoboken Historical Museum history and local contemporary artists * Hoboken House Tour private and public buildings shown annually in October * Hoboken Public Library, local history and local artists * Hudson County Courthouse permanent murals depicting early history and contemporary work * Hudson River Waterfront Walkway displays, plaques, panels of history of environment and development * Kearny Museum * Hudson County YAM * Jersey City Artists Studio Tour * Jersey City Museum * Liberty Science Center Science education, environment, health, invention *

Interpretive Center, nature and urban environment * Museum of Russian Art * Jersey City Public Library, New Jersey Room of Jersey City Public Library Main Branch, public archives including historical documents and photos * Mana Contemporary * Martin Luther King Drive (Hudson County), Martin Luther King Station memorial to civil rights leader and movement * Harmon Meadow Plaza, Meadowlands Exposition Center, trade shows and cultural fairs * Monroe Center (New Jersey), Monroe Center * New Jersey City University ** Lemmerman Gallery ** Visual Arts Gallery ** Sculpture Garden * Saint Peter's College, New Jersey, Saints Peter's College Art Gallery * Statue of Liberty National Monument * William V. Musto Cultural CenterMestanza, Jean-Pierre (June 3, 2011)
"Union City naming new Cultural Center for discredited ex-mayor"
NJ.com

References

External links

Hudson County Government

Hudson County Directory
{{Authority control Hudson County, New Jersey, 1840 establishments in New Jersey Counties in the New York metropolitan area New Jersey counties North Jersey Populated places established in 1840 New Jersey populated places on the Hudson River Populated places on the Underground Railroad