Plainfield, NJ: "The Hub City," Not the Queen City

Plainfield, New Jersey's nickname is "The Hub City"—not "Queen City." The moniker dates to the 19th century when the town became a railway junction of regional importance.

Railroad Origins

By the 1870s, Plainfield sat at the convergence of:

• Central Railroad of New Jersey (CNJ) — Main line to Jersey City/NYC
• Lehigh Valley Railroad — Coal/iron route from Pennsylvania
• Plainfield & Delaware Railroad — Local connector

Passenger and freight traffic made Plainfield a distribution and commuting hub. The CNJ station (1902, still standing) anchored downtown development.

"Queen City" Confusion

Several U.S. cities claim "Queen City": Charlotte, NC (largest), Cincinnati, OH (historic), Buffalo, NY (on Lake Erie), Seattle, WA (early boosterism), Manchester, NH (NH's largest). Plainfield has never used this nickname officially.

Other Plainfield Claims

• First planned suburb: "Queen City" may be a corruption of early marketing ("Queen of the Suburbs")
• Architecture: Netherwood, Crescent Avenue, Sleepy Hollow historic districts
• Notable residents: George Clinton (Parliament-Funkadelic), Joe Black (first Black MLB pitcher to win WS), Bill Evans (jazz pianist)