About the town » Newark, Essex County, New Jersey, United States

Newark is the largest city (by population) in the U.S. state of New Jersey, and the county seat of Essex County. One of the nation's major air, shipping, and rail hubs, the city had a population of 277,140 in 2010, making it the nation's 67th most-populous municipality. Located in the heart of New Jersey's Gateway Region, Newark is the second largest city in the New York metropolitan area, approximately 8 miles west of Manhattan. Port Newark, the major container shipping terminal in the Port of New York and New Jersey, is the largest on the East Coast. Newark Liberty International Airport was the first municipal commercial airport in the United States and today one of its busiest. Newark is headquarters to numerous corporations, such as Prudential Financial and PSEG. It is also home to several universities, including Rutgers–Newark, the New Jersey Institute of Technology, and Seton Hall University's Law School. Among others, its cultural and sports venues include: the New Jersey Performing Arts Center, the Prudential Center, and the Bears & Eagles Riverfront Baseball Stadium. Newark is divided into five geographical wards, and contains neighborhoods ranging in character from bustling urban districts to quiet suburban enclaves. Newark's Branch Brook Park is the oldest county park in the United States and is home to the nation's largest collection of cherry blossom trees, which number about 4,300.