What is New York Metropolitan Area?

New York – Northern New Jersey – Long Island

Map of the New York Metropolitan Area Common name: New York Metropolitan Area
Largest city Other cities	New York  - Newark  - Jersey City  - Yonkers  - Paterson
Population	Ranked 1st in the U.S.
- Total	18,747,320 (2005 est.)
- Density	2,790/sq. mi.  1,077/km
Area	6,720 sq. mi. 17,405 km
State(s)	- New York  - New Jersey  - Connecticut  - Pennsylvania
Elevation
- Highest point	N/A feet (N/A m)
- Lowest point	0 feet (0 m)

New York–Northern New Jersey–Long Island is the most populous metropolitan area in the United States and the third most populous in the world, after Tokyo and Mexico City.

The metropolitan area is defined by the United States Census Bureau as the New York-Northern New Jersey-Long Island, NY-NJ-PA Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA), with an estimated population (as of 2005) of 18,747,320. The MSA is further subdivided into four metropolitan divisions. The 23-county metropolitan area includes ten counties in New York State, including the five boroughs of New York City, the two other counties of Long Island, and three in the lower Hudson Valley, twelve counties in northern New Jersey, and one county in northeastern Pennsylvania. The largest urbanized area in the United States is at the heart of the metropolitan area, the New York--Newark, NY--NJ--CT Urbanized Area (with a population of 17,799,861 as of the 2000 census).

Based on commuting patterns, the Census Bureau also defines a wider functional metropolitan area, the New York-Newark-Bridgeport, NY-NJ-CT-PA Combined Statistical Area (CSA) with an estimated population of 21,903,623 (as of 2005). About one out of every fourteen Americans resides in this metropolitan area. This area includes seven additional counties in New York, New Jersey, and Connecticut, and is often referred to as the Tri-state Area and less commonly the Tri-State Region, leaving out Pennsylvania. However, the New York City television designated market area (DMA) includes Pike County, Pennsylvania.

This extended metropolitan area includes the largest city in the United States (New York), the five largest cities in New Jersey (Newark, Jersey City, Elizabeth, Paterson, and Trenton) and the two largest cities in Connecticut (Bridgeport and New Haven). The total land area of the extended metropolitan area is 11,842 sq mi (30671 km).

Components of the metropolitan area

The counties and county groupings comprising the New York metropolitan area are listed below with 2005 U.S. Census Bureau estimates of their populations.

New York-Northern New Jersey-Long Island, NY-NJ-PA Metropolitan Statistical Area (18,709,802)

• New York-White Plains-Wayne, NY-NJ Metropolitan Division (11,482,569)
• Kings County, NY (2,486,235)
• Queens County, NY (2,241,600)
• New York County, NY (1,593,200)
• Bronx County, NY (1,357,589)
• Westchester County, NY (940,807)
• Bergen County, NJ (902,561)
• Hudson County, NJ (603,521)
• Passaic County, NJ (499,060)
• Richmond County, NY (464,573)
• Rockland County, NY (292,916)
• Putnam County, NY (100,507)
• Nassau-Suffolk, NY Metropolitan Division (2,808,064)
• Suffolk County (1,474,927)
• Nassau County (1,333,137)
• Edison, NJ Metropolitan Division (2,303,709)
• Middlesex County (789,516)
• Monmouth County (635,952)
• Ocean County (558,341)
• Somerset County (319,900)
• Newark-Union, NJ-PA Metropolitan Division (2,152,978)
• Essex County, NJ (791,057)
• Union County, NJ (531,457)
• Morris County, NJ (490,593)
• Sussex County, NJ (153,130)
• Hunterdon County, NJ (130,404)
• Pike County, PA (56,337)

In addition to the New York-Northern New Jersey-Long Island, NY-NJ-PA Metropolitan Statistical Area, the following Metropolitan Statistical Areas are also included in the New York-Newark-Bridgeport, NY-NJ-CT-PA Combined Statistical Area (total pop. 21,903,623):

• Bridgeport-Stamford-Norwalk, CT Metropolitan Statistical Area (902,775)
• Fairfield County (903,291)
• New Haven-Milford, CT Metropolitan Statistical Area (846,766)
• New Haven County (846,766)
• Poughkeepsie-Newburgh-Middletown, NY Metropolitan Statistical Area (667,742)
• Orange County (372,893)
• Dutchess County (294,849)
• Trenton-Ewing, NJ Metropolitan Statistical Area (366,256)
• Mercer County (366,256)
• Torrington, CT Micropolitan Statistical Area (190,071)
• Litchfield County (190,071)
• Kingston, NY Metropolitan Statistical Area (182,693)
• Ulster County (182,693)

Many residents informally divide the area into five distinct regions, each closely related but all with some degree of an independent identity:

• The Five Boroughs (NYC Proper)
• Long Island (Divided by water from other three suburban regions)
• Connecticut (Only Fairfield, New Haven and Litchfield Counties are metropolitan; divided by state line)
• Hudson Valley (Lower Hudson Valley suburbs of Westchester, Putnam and Rockland Counties; and Mid-Hudson exurbs of Dutchess, Orange and Ulster Counties; features strictly controlled development north of I-287)
• North Jersey (Metropolitan areas found in the state of New Jersey; divided by state line and water from rest of area)

All five areas can be (and often are) further divided. For instance, Long Island can be divided into the South and North Shores (usually when speaking about Nassau County), Western Suffolk, and the East End.

Note: The Hudson Valley and Connecticut are sometimes grouped together and referred to as the Northern Suburbs, largely because of the shared usage of Metro-North Railroad.

Note: Sixty-three percent of the population (13,730,534) lives in the 43% of the land area that is east of the Ambrose Channel/The Narrows/Hudson River; Thirty-seven percent of the population (8,128,296) lives in the 57% of the land area that is west of the Ambrose Channel/The Narrows/Hudson River.

Urban areas of the region

The combined statistical area is a multicore metropolitan region containing several urban areas.

Population Rank	Urbanized Area	State(s)	2000 Population
1	New York--Newark	NY--NJ--CT	17,799,861
42	Bridgeport--Stamford	CT--NY	888,890
70	New Haven	CT	531,314
90	Poughkeepsie--Newburgh	NY	351,982
122	Trenton	NJ	268,472
163	Waterbury	CT	189,026
190	Danbury	CT--NY	154,455
350	Hightstown	NJ	69,977
435	Kingston	NY	53,458

Principal cities

The following is a list of principal cities in the New York-Newark-Bridgeport Combined Statistical Area with 2005 U.S. Census Bureau estimates of their population:

• New York-Northern New Jersey-Long Island MSA
• New York City (8,143,197)
• Newark, New Jersey (280,666)
• Edison, New Jersey (100,499)
• White Plains, New York (56,733)
• Union, New Jersey (55,326)
• Wayne, New Jersey (55,150)
• Trenton-Ewing MSA
• Trenton, New Jersey (84,639)
• Ewing, New Jersey (37,237)
• Bridgeport-Stamford-Norwalk MSA
• Bridgeport, Connecticut (139,008)
• Stamford, Connecticut (120,045)
• Norwalk, Connecticut (84,437)
• Danbury, Connecticut (78,736)
• Stratford, Connecticut (49,943)
• New Haven-Milford MSA
• New Haven, Connecticut (124,791)
• Milford, Connecticut (53,045)
• Poughkeepsie-Newburgh-Middletown MSA
• Poughkeepsie, New York (30,355)
• Newburgh, New York (28,548)
• Middletown, New York (26,067)
• Kingston MSA
• Kingston, New York (23,067)
• Torrington Micropolitan Area
• Torrington, Connecticut^* (35,995)

^*While Litchfield County as a whole has closer commuting ties to the New York area, the city of Torrington itself is more closely associated with the Hartford area

Sports Teams

Listing of the professional sports teams in the New York metropolitan area

• National Basketball Association (NBA)
• New York Knicks
• New Jersey Nets
• Major League Baseball (MLB)
• New York Yankees
• New York Mets
• National Football League (NFL)
• New York Giants
• New York Jets
• National Hockey League (NHL)
• New York Rangers
• New York Islanders
• New Jersey Devils
• Major League Soccer (MLS)
• Red Bull New York

Transportation

Commuter rail

The metropolitan area is partly defined by the areas from which people commute into the city. New York City is served by three primary commuter train systems plus Amtrak.

The Long Island Rail Road (LIRR), the busiest commuter railroad in the United States^[1], is operated by the Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA), an agency of New York State. It has two major terminals at Pennsylvania Station in Midtown Manhattan and Flatbush Avenue in Downtown Brooklyn, with a minor terminal at Long Island City station and a major transfer point at Jamaica station in Queens. A map of the system can be found here.

Metro-North Railroad (MNRR), the second busiest commuter railroad in the United States<ref name="ntdref" />, is also operated by the MTA, but in conjunction with the Connecticut Department of Transportation and New Jersey Transit. Its major terminal is Grand Central Terminal. Trains on the Port Jervis Line and Pascack Valley Line terminate at Hoboken Terminal; commuters may transfer at Secaucus Junction for New Jersey Transit trains to New York Pennsylvania Station. A map of the system can be found here.

New Jersey Transit (NJT), the third busiest commuter railroad in the United States by passenger miles and also third in trips when direct operated and purchased transportation services are both included (fourth if only direct operated are included) <ref name="ntdref" />, is operated by the New Jersey Transit Corporation, an agency of New Jersey, in conjunction with Metro-North and Amtrak. A map of the system can be found here. It has major terminals at Pennsylvania Station in Manhattan, Hoboken Terminal in Hoboken, and Pennsylvania Station in Newark, with a major transfer point at Secaucus Junction. New Jersey transit also operates a light rail system in Hudson County, as well as the Newark Light Rail. A map can be found here.

Amtrak's Northeast Corridor offers service to Philadelphia, New Haven, and other points between and including Boston and Washington, D.C.

Major stations in the metropolitan area are:

Station	Railroad(s)	County	Type
Pennsylvania Station (New York)	LIRR, NJT, Amtrak	New York	Terminal and Transfer
Grand Central Terminal	MNRR	New York	Terminal
Pennsylvania Station (Newark)	NJT, Amtrak	Essex	Terminal and Transfer
Hoboken Terminal	NJT	Hudson	Terminal
Atlantic Terminal at Flatbush Avenue	LIRR	Kings	Terminal
Hunterspoint Avenue	LIRR	Queens	Terminal
Jamaica Station	LIRR	Queens	Terminal and Transfer
Secaucus Junction	NJT	Hudson	Transfer
New Haven Union Station	MNRR, Amtrak, Connecticut Shoreline East	New Haven	Terminal and Transfer
Trenton Station	NJT, Amtrak, SEPTA	Trenton	Terminal and Transfer

The following table shows all train lines operated by these commuter railroads in the New York metropolitan area. New Jersey Transit operates an additional train line in the Philadelphia metropolitan area. (Shown counterclockwise from the Atlantic Ocean):

Line or Branch	Railroad	Counties
Far Rockaway	LIRR	Queens, Nassau
Long Beach	LIRR	Nassau
Montauk	LIRR	Suffolk
Babylon	LIRR	Nassau, Suffolk
West Hempstead	LIRR	Queens, Nassau
Hempstead	LIRR	Queens, Nassau
Ronkokoma (Main Line)	LIRR	Nassau, Suffolk
Port Jefferson	LIRR	Nassau, Suffolk
Oyster Bay	LIRR	Nassau
Port Washington	LIRR	Queens, Nassau
New Haven	MNRR, Shore Line East	Westchester, Fairfield, New Haven
Harlem	MNRR	New York, Bronx, Westchester, Putnam, Dutchess
Hudson	MNRR	Bronx, Westchester, Putnam, Dutchess
Pascack Valley	MNRR, NJT	Hudson, Bergen, Passaic, Rockland, Orange
Port Jervis/Main Line/Bergen County	MNRR, NJT	Hudson, Bergen, Passaic, Rockland, Orange
Montclair-Boonton	NJT	New York, Hudson, Essex, Passaic, Morris, Warren
Morris & Essex (Morristown Line and Gladstone Branch)	NJT	New York, Hudson, Essex, Union, Morris, Somerset, Warren
Raritan Valley	NJT	Hudson, Essex, Union, Middlesex, Somerset, Hunterdon
Northeast Corridor and Princeton Branch	NJT, Amtrak	New York, Hudson, Essex, Union, Middlesex, Mercer
North Jersey Coast	NJT	New York, Hudson, Essex, Union, Middlesex, Monmouth, Ocean

Additionally, the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, an agency of the states of New York and New Jersey, operates the PATH system. This heavy rail transportation service serves the counties of New York, Hudson and Essex. A map can be found here.

Major highways

Some of the major freeways/expressways carrying commuter traffic in and out of New York City are:

• Interstate 78
• Interstate 80
• Interstate 84
• Interstate 87
• Interstate 95
• Interstate 287 — serves as beltway around New York City
• Interstate 495 also known as Long Island Expressway or LIE
• Interstate 684
• U.S. Route 1
• U.S. Route 9
• Garden State Parkway
• Merritt Parkway
• Taconic State Parkway
• Saw Mill River Parkway
• Palisades Interstate Parkway
• Northern State Parkway
• Southern State Parkway
• New Jersey Turnpike

Commuter bus

New Jersey Transit and several other companies operate commuter coaches into the Port Authority Bus Terminal in Manhattan, and many other bus services in New Jersey. Bus services also operate in other nearby counties in the states of New York and Connecticut, but most terminate at a subway terminal or other rail station.

Major airports

The metropolitan area is served by three major airports:

Airport	IATA code	ICAO code	County	State
John F. Kennedy International Airport	JFK	KJFK	Queens	New York
Newark Liberty International Airport	EWR	KEWR	Essex	New Jersey
LaGuardia Airport	LGA	KLGA	Queens	New York

See also

• Transportation in New York City
• Mass transit in New York City

Ethnic diversity

Since its foundation as the mercantile colony of New Netherland the metropolitan area has been noted for ethnic diversity. Beginning in the later 19th century, the New York Area was in large degree divided among Italians, Irish, German, and Jewish populations. The Polish and Arabs also established small communities. The African American presence is the largest in North America due to the slave trade and the Great Migration.

Thanks to successive waves of immigration, begun in earnest in the 19th century and continuing today, the area's diversity continues to grow. The states of New York, New Jersey, and Connecticut are all ranked among the top 10 fastest-growing immigration states in America, and great numbers of recent immigrants from across East Asia, Latin America, and the Caribbean now call the New York metropolitan area home. While prominent ethnic neighborhoods in the region are too numerous to list, there are multiple neighborhoods with large Mexican, Dominican, Puerto Rican, Colombian, Chinese, Filipino, Russian, Korean, Indian, and Pakistani populations, as well as Italian, Irish, and Polish communities. The cuisines of virtually every major ethnic group on the planet are at least partially represented in the area, with the culinary landscape of New York changing slightly from year to year as new arrivals settle in.

The New York metropolitan area hosts a religious diversity in line with its ethnic diversity. Houses of worship exist for numerous Christian denominations, especially Catholicism but also various churches within both Orthodoxy and Protestantism. New York has a large Jewish population, and is a major center of Conservative Judaism and Reform Judaism, and is home to the headquarters of many Hasidic movements, particularly in the borough of Brooklyn. Hinduism, Islam, Buddhism, Sikhism, Taoism, and many other world religions have formal houses of worship in the area. Along with these religions, there are also many people who practice no religion at all.

Local politics

Citizens of the Tri-state area have voted Democrat in past elections.

Spiraling crime rates and the inner-city crack cocaine epidemic of the 1970s and 80s became a concern. Public backlash ushered in an era of strong policing and determined leadership under New York Mayor Rudolph Giuliani in the mid to late 1990's. Violent crime in the city dropped to levels not seen since the 1950s, and among the lowest levels in history. As a result, a new synthesis has begun to emerge across the metropolitan area. New Yorkers often vote liberal and appreciate the need to protect their way of life from terrorism, violent crime, and economic malaise. The attacks of September 11th made New Yorkers more security-minded.

Four of the city's five boroughs (Manhattan, the Bronx, Brooklyn, and Queens) have voted predominantly Democratic Party. One, (Staten Island), has voted Republican. The city has elected two Republican mayors, Rudolph Giuliani and Michael Bloomberg, consecutively since 1994. Both were liberal Republicans, and were Democrats and independents at various points in their careers. The majority of congressmen and city council members are Democratic.

Urban areas of adjacent New Jersey have voted predominantly Democratic, including the counties of Hudson, Essex, Union, Passaic, and Mercer. The suburban areas of the New York metropolitan region are divided between being represented by Democrats and Republicans-- at least in local and state politics. However, many of these suburbs have been trending strongly toward the Democrats in recent years, especially in Nassau, Suffolk, and Westchester, and many other places were Republican. For federal offices, there has been a preference for Democrats in the New York region. Parts of Bergen County, New Jersey and Morris County, New Jersey remain Republican-leaning.

Overall, Greater New York's voters voted for John Kerry, by 59.20% (4,772,314) to 39.67% (3,197,970) for George W. Bush in 2004. In details, New York City voters overwhelmingly favored Kerry by 75% (1,828,015) to 24% (587,534) for the incumbent, while suburban voters gave only a slim margin to the Democratic candidate, with 52.36% (2,944,299) of the vote for Kerry, to 46.42% (2,610,436) for Bush, though Kerry's margin in Westchester was among the largest anywhere in New York outside the city proper.

While not all areas are equally safe, the New York Metro Area is overall one of the safest areas to live in. Long Island, New York was rated safest per-capita in 2005, followed by Middlesex and Monmouth counties in New Jersey. New York City itself has been ranked by the Federal Bureau of Investigation as the safest big city in the United States in recent years.

- The New York Metro area is the second most expensive place to live in the United States, the city itself being the most costly, with many of its suburbs close behind.

- Westchester, Rockland, and Putnam Counties, New York; Fairfield County, Connecticut; Nassau County, New York and Bergen County, New Jersey are among America's wealthiest counties.

- Many families live in the suburbs and commute to jobs in the city. Most school districts in New York City itself and other nearby inner city communities have a reputation for being unsatisfactory. Some districts in the wealthier suburbs are considered very effective and among the best in the entire country. In some of the Connecticut and especially the New Jersey suburbs, this is achieved with lower costs of living than the city itself (especially Manhattan).

Footnotes

External references

• Government Census, Table 1.

See also

• United States metropolitan area
• Tri-State Region
• Regional Plan Association
• Gateway Region

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