The State of New Jersey is located midway between Philadelphia and New York City and occupies 18 miles of Atlantic waterfront at the entrance to New York Harbor and the Hudson River Valley. On all other sides its boundary lines follow waterways: the Delaware River on the West and the Hudson River and Arthur Kill on the East and North sides. New Jersey occupies a small land area, 7,417 square miles. It is, however, the ninth most populous of the United States (8,220,655 according to the 2000 federal census). More New Jerseyans also live within its state boundaries (88%) than the population of any other state. There are no large unincorporated communities, as much of the state comprises either suburban sprawl or small towns clustered together.
