61 Interesting Facts About New Jersey

Last updated on June 29th, 2023

51. Asbury Park is a lazy holiday beach town in New Jersey, but in October, it becomes a spooky hit thanks to the Zombie Walk. It’s been held annually since 2008 and sees hundreds of people dress up as zombies and walk through the town.

52. The Hindenburg disaster happened in 1937 when the aircraft burst into raging flames, crashed in Lakehurst, New Jersey, and killed 35 people.

Aerial cityscape of Paterson, New Jersey
Aerial cityscape of Paterson, New Jersey. Photo © Mihai Andritoiu

53. Paterson has the second-highest density of any U.S. city behind only New York City. It is also known as the “silk city” for its dominant role in silk production during the latter half of the 19th century. By percentage, Paterson has the second-largest Muslim population in the United States.

54. Since being released in 1980, the popular movie Friday the 13th has topped the list as a favorite horror film. While most movies are filmed in Hollywood, this one was filmed in New Jersey.

55. Giovanni da Verrazzano was the first European to arrive in the region. Before the English took control of the region in 1664, Swedish, Finnish, and Dutch settled in the region and fought over land.

56. Edison, a township in Middlesex County, New Jersey, is the fifth-most populous municipality in the state. It was named for the legendary inventor Thomas Edison.

A submarine.

57. John Philip Holland started his work on the design of the submarine while he was working as a teacher in St. John’s Parochial School in Paterson, New Jersey. Initially, a 33 inch model of the submarine was tested at Coney Island, New York. The success of the test brought in another sponsorship fund of $4,000 to the inventor to further his design. The Holland I – was constructed in 1878 and launched at Patterson in the Passaic River in New Jersey.

58. The state is nicknamed the garden state. The state has more than 10,000 farms and produces more than 100 varieties of fruits and vegetables. The state is ranked nationally in the top 10 as a producer of items such as squash, bell peppers, tomatoes, blueberries, peaches and cranberries. The blueberry has been New Jersey’s official state fruit since 2003. The blueberry beat out the tomato after a lengthy debate.

59. Standard time was devised in 1883 by William F. Allen of South Orange. Did you know that in 1850s, the Americans set their watches in as many as a hundred local times? The need for a standard time was felt because of the then-growing railroad industry. The need for a standard and reliable schedule for railways was felt and as a result in 1883 the U.S. was divided into four time zones, each with a standard time. William F. Allen was the secretary of the railroads’ General Time Convention and editor of The Traveller’s Official Guide.

60. New Jersey is the “diner capital of the world.” This is mainly because of certain conditions that helped flourish the dining culture in the state. First, due to the early development of the transportation system in the state, when people were out commuting, they needed some place to stop and feed themselves. The new and upcoming diners served this purpose very well. The geographic location of the state connecting Philadelphia and New York helped further the trend. And the rest is history! According to some sources, the state has the most diners in the world.

61. The Holland Tunnel which connects Jersey City, New Jersey and Manhattan in New York City, New York is the first mechanically ventilated underwater tunnel in the world. After seven years of construction, the tunnel opened in 1927. At the time of its opening, the Holland Tunnel was the longest continuous underwater vehicular tunnel in the world. At its maximum depth, the tunnel lies roughly 93 feet beneath the Hudson River.

About the Flag of New Jersey

Flag of New Jersey

1. Design and Symbolism
 
The flag of New Jersey uses classical imagery to represent state characteristics. It consists of the coat of arms of New Jersey on a buff background.  
 
The central blue shield features the image of three plows in a column to represent the state’s agricultural roots. One of New Jersey’s nicknames is “Garden State.”
 
Above it is the helmet of a knight facing forward and the head of a horse facing left. Between them are twisted blue flowers. The arrangement implies self-governance for the state. 
 
On the sides of the shield are two Roman goddesses. On the left is Liberty, holding a staff with a Phrygian cap on top to symbolize freedom. On the right is Ceres, carrying a cornucopia with overflowing fruits to signify abundance.
 
At the bottom, you will see a flowing blue ribbon with red borders. It contains the state motto, “Liberty and Prosperity.” It also includes the year in which New Jersey achieved statehood, 1776. 
 
2. Adoption
 
New Jersey adopted this design for the state flag on May 11, 1896, and modified it slightly in 1928. 
 
3. Technical Details
 
State law defines the Jersey blue parts of the flag as Cable No. 70087. Meanwhile, the buff field is Cable No. 65015. Their hexadecimal color equivalents are 2484C6 and E1B584. 
 
The goddesses are wearing sandals with their feet peeking out at the bottom. Liberty is directly stepping on the section of the ribbon bearing her name. Meanwhile, Ceres is right above the word “Prosperity.” 
 
4. History
 
In 1777, Pierre Eugene du Simitiere designed the coat of arms of New Jersey with the plows and goddesses. He is a Genevan American portrait painter and naturalist. He served as an artistic consultant for the committees involved in the design of the US seal. 
 
In 1896, the New Jersey General Assembly approved the flag as a state emblem. They placed the coat of arms on a buff field. 
 
In 2016, NJ.com and NJ Advance Media ran an unofficial design contest for a new state emblem. The goal was to find a simple yet recognizable flag. Andrew Maris won with a tricolor creation inspired by the Revolutionary War uniform of the Jersey Blues.
 
The militia wore a red waistcoat, a blue coat, and a white sash. Meanwhile, the flag has a red top and a blue bottom separated by a white diagonal band. A lone white star represents New Jersey as the first state to ratify the Bill of Rights. 
 
5. Flag Facts
 
In 1779, General George Washington ordered that the uniform coats of the New Jersey Continental Line army regiments should be dark blue with buff facings. Before this directive, only Continental generals and their aides wore buff facings. These revolutionary colors are the inspiration for the flag’s hues. 
 
The New Jersey flag is the only state flag in the US with a buff background, although most displays use yellow due to unfamiliarity with the color. 
 
6. Flag Usage
 
The state flag should fly at the Capitol whenever the parliament is in session. All government buildings and schools must have one, keeping it atop the pole from sunrise to sunset. 
 
According to a law passed in 1938, everyone has the right to display the flag. Citizens can hoist it on their homes or vehicles. They can use it to identify themselves as New Jersey residents outside the state. 

New Jersey – quick facts and state symbols

State AbbreviationNJ
State CapitalTrenton
Largest cityNewark
State SizeTotal (Land + Water): 8,721 sq miles; Land Only: 7,417 sq miles
Population
9,290,841
(Estimate July 1, 2023 from United States Census Bureau)
StatehoodDecember 18, 1787
State rank by population11th
State rank by date of formation3rd
State rank by area47th
Number of Counties21
DemonymNew Jerseyan (official), New Jerseyite
Bordering StatesDelaware, New York, Pennsylvania
Official LanguageNone
Highest PointHigh Point
1,803 ft (549.6 m)
Lowest pointAtlantic Ocean
Sea level
Length 170 miles (273 km)
Width70 miles (112 km)
GovernorPhil Murphy (D)
Lieutenant GovernorTahesha Way (D)
Electoral Votes14
State MottoLiberty and prosperity
State NicknameGarden State
% Water15.7
Nobel Prize WinnersJoshua Lederberg (Physiology or Medicine, 1958)
Frederick Reines (Physics, 1995)
A. Michael Spence (Economic Sciences, 2001)
Nicholas Murray Butler (Peace, 1931)
Dickinson W. Richards (Physiology or Medicine, 1956)
Famous PeopleDave Robinson (Pro Football Player)
Joe Medwick (Baseball Player)
Shaquille O'Neal (Basketball Player)
Paul Rudd (Actor)
Lauryn Hill (Singer)
Buzz Aldrin (Astronaut)
U.S. Presidents Born in New Jersey1. Stephen Grover Cleveland.
(the only president to serve two non-consecutive terms.)
State sloganCome See For Yourself
State seal

Seal of New Jersey.svg

State Coat of Arms

Coat of Arms of New Jersey.svg

State ShipA. J. Meerwald

AJ Meerwald
State Dinosaur

Hadro bones.JPG

State vegetableTomato

Bright red tomato and cross section02.jpg

State MammalHorse

Nokota Horses cropped.jpg

State FishBrook trout

Old colored print of brook trout

State BirdEastern goldfinch

Male American Goldfinch in Lodi CA.JPG

State ButterflyBlack Swallowtail Butterfly

Black Swallowtail (Papilio polyxenes) butterfly
State BugHoneybee

Apis mellifera Western honey bee.jpg

State FlowerViolet

Violet
State TreeRed oak

Tree Afire
State CryptidJersey Devil

Jersey Devil Philadelphia Post 1909.jpg

Longitude73° 54′ W to 75° 34′ W
Latitude38° 56′ N to 41° 21′ N
Time ZoneEastern Time Zone
Websitewww.nj.gov
Area Codes201, 551, 609, 732, 848, 856, 862, 908, 973
Table last updatedDecember 21, 2023