Essex County, New Jersey

Essex County is a county in New Jersey, United States, directly west of Manhattan across the Hudson and Newark Bay. It had a population of 863,728 at the 2020 census, an estimated 896,379 by 2025, and covers 129.42 square miles (335.2 km2) centred near 40°47′N 74°15′W.

Newark is the county seat and its largest city; its postal code is 07102. The county holds 3 cities, 13 townships, 5 boroughs and 1 village — 22 municipalities in all, since New Jersey has no unincorporated territory — and it runs on Eastern Time. Its FIPS code is 34013.

Towns & Villages in Essex County

All 22 of Essex County’s municipalities are incorporated; there are no census-designated places or unincorporated communities to list separately, because every acre of New Jersey belongs to a municipality. The table below gives each place’s official type and 2020 census population.

Four names cause confusion: Orange, East Orange, West Orange and South Orange are four separate municipalities, not districts of one town — they split from an original Orange Township across the 19th century and each has run its own government since. Caldwell, West Caldwell and North Caldwell are likewise three distinct boroughs that share a postal ZIP but not a government.

ZIP Codes

• 07101–07108, 07112, 07114 — Newark, split across its five wards
• 07017–07019 — East Orange
• 07050 — Orange
• 07111 — Irvington
• 07003 — Bloomfield
• 07052 — West Orange
• 07042, 07043 — Montclair (Upper Montclair uses 07043)
• 07109 — Belleville
• 07110 — Nutley
• 07039 — Livingston
• 07040 — Maplewood
• 07041 — Millburn; 07078 — Short Hills, a Millburn neighborhood with its own ZIP
• 07079 — South Orange
• 07044 — Verona
• 07009 — Cedar Grove
• 07006 — Caldwell, West Caldwell and North Caldwell, sharing one delivery ZIP
• 07004 — Fairfield
• 07028 — Glen Ridge
• 07068 — Roseland
• 07021 — Essex Fells

North Caldwell has no ZIP of its own; the Postal Service routes it through Caldwell’s 07006 along with West Caldwell.

Geography

Essex County splits into two landscapes along the Watchung Mountains, a low basalt ridge running northeast–southwest through the western towns. East of the ridge, Newark, the Oranges and the river towns sit on the flat Passaic River lowlands, dropping to sea level at Newark Bay. West of the ridge, in Livingston, Millburn, the Caldwells and Roseland, the land rises toward the South Mountain Reservation, topping out near 660 feet. The Passaic River forms much of the county’s northern and eastern edge; the Rahway River drains its southwestern corner.

Essex County borders Passaic County to the north, Bergen County to the northeast along a short stretch near Nutley, Hudson County to the east, Union County to the south, and Morris County to the west.

Demographics

Essex County had 863,728 residents at the 2020 census, New Jersey’s third-most populous county, estimated at 896,379 by 2025. Newark and East Orange are its two largest communities, together holding nearly half the county’s population. Median household income runs well below the state figure — New Jersey’s statewide median is about $97,100, while Essex County’s is closer to $72,900, a gap driven by Newark’s income profile sitting alongside some of the state’s wealthiest towns, including Millburn and Essex Fells. At roughly 6,850 residents per square mile, Essex is one of the most densely populated counties in New Jersey.

Economy & Local Life

Newark anchors the county’s economy as New Jersey’s largest employment center, drawing more than 100,000 daily commuters into finance, insurance, healthcare and government work. Prudential Financial keeps its headquarters downtown; PSEG, Panasonic Corporation of North America, Audible and Horizon Blue Cross Blue Shield of New Jersey are also based in the city. Rutgers University–Newark, the New Jersey Institute of Technology and University Hospital anchor education and medicine; the New Jersey Performing Arts Center and the Newark Museum of Art draw visitors countywide. Millburn’s Short Hills section holds one of the state’s highest-grossing retail malls. Montclair hosts its film festival every October, drawing filmmakers and audiences from across the region.

History

Essex County was established on March 7, 1683, one of New Jersey’s four original counties, and takes its name from the county of Essex in England. Newark, founded by Puritan settlers from Connecticut in 1666, predates the county itself. Through the 19th century Newark grew into a major manufacturing hub for leather goods, jewelry and insurance, drawing waves of immigration that reshaped the county’s towns. In July 1967, Newark was the site of six days of civil unrest, sparked by the beating of a Black taxi driver by police, that left 26 people dead; the events remain a defining, still-studied chapter of the city’s modern history.

Getting There

Interstates 78, 80 and 280 cross the county, along with I-95 (the New Jersey Turnpike extension) through Newark; US Routes 1/9 and 22 also run through it.

• New York City — 10 miles east
• Jersey City — 6 miles east
• Elizabeth — 8 miles south
• Morristown — 15 miles west

Newark Liberty International Airport sits within the county’s borders, one of the busiest airports on the East Coast. Newark Penn Station is a major stop on Amtrak’s Northeast Corridor, with direct service to New York, Philadelphia and Washington, D.C.

Frequently Asked Questions

Where is Essex County located?
Essex County is in northeastern New Jersey, United States, directly west of Manhattan across the Hudson River and Newark Bay.

What is the population of Essex County?
863,728 at the 2020 census, estimated at 896,379 by 2025 — New Jersey’s third-most populous county.

How big is Essex County?
129.42 square miles in total (335.2 km2) — 126.09 square miles of land and 3.34 square miles of water.

What is the county seat of Essex County?
Newark, population 311,549, also the county’s largest city and New Jersey’s largest city overall.

How many towns are in Essex County?
22 municipalities: 3 cities (Newark, East Orange, Orange), 13 townships, 5 boroughs (Caldwell, Essex Fells, Glen Ridge, North Caldwell, Roseland) and 1 village (South Orange). Every one is incorporated — New Jersey has no unincorporated territory.

What ZIP codes cover Essex County?
07003–07009, 07017–07019, 07021, 07028, 07039–07044, 07050–07052, 07068, 07078, 07079, 07101–07112 and 07114.

Why are there four towns named Orange?
Orange, East Orange, West Orange and South Orange all split from one original Orange Township during the 19th century and have run separate governments ever since — they are not neighborhoods of a single town.

More counties in this state: Towns and villages in New Jersey. Nearby: Bergen County, Hudson County, Union County and Morris County.