Explore a destination located in New Jersey, United States
New Jersey is one of the fifty states of the U.S., located in the northeastern region of the country. The first inhabitants of the area were Native Americans, who resided there before Europeans arrived in the 17th century.[1] Years later, New Jersey was one of the thirteen colonies that revolted against British rule in the American Revolution, and the state’s land served as a battleground for six years during the Revolution.[4] The bordering states of New Jersey include New York in the north and northeast, Delaware in the southwest, and Pennsylvania in the west across the Delaware River. It also shares a border with the Atlantic Ocean to the east.[1] The state’s climate typically consists of cold winters in the northwest with relatively mild conditions in the southern parts. The average high in the summer ranges between 70 and 76 degrees Fahrenheit.[2] New Jersey tends to receive the most tourism during the summer months when the weather is warmer. However, the best time to visit the state is in the spring from May to June or the fall from September to October, to avoid the larger crowds and more extreme temperatures.[3] Many visitors come to New Jersey for the Six Flags amusement park to ride on some of the fastest roller coasters in North America.[8]
Despite the fact that New Jersey is the fifth smallest state by land, it is still the eleventh most populous state in the United States with over 9.3 million residents.[1] Over 1.1 million acres of New Jersey are known as the Pine Barrens, or Pinelands. This region makes up a reserved ecosystem filled primarily with pine trees, as the name implies. Visitors to the area have the opportunity to go boating, fishing, canoeing, cycling, hiking, hunting, and horseback riding.[9]
One of the state’s most famously known tourist attractions is Atlantic City and the Atlantic City Boardwalk. Many visitors will take a walk on the Boardwalk to sightsee or explore, though it is also known to be a popular jogging and exercise location. It is the world's first and longest boardwalk and has acted as the set for several movies. From 6:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m. the boardwalk is open to bike riders, and bike rentals are available at the Iowa and North Carolina avenues on the boardwalk. Atlantic City features several activities catered towards families or larger groups such as the Atlantic City Miniature Golf, Central Pier Arcade and Speedway, Steel Pier, and Ripley’s Believe It or Not Museum, to name a few. Additionally, Atlantic City offers a variety of bars and casinos.[6]
A notable tourist attraction in New Jersey, situated between New York City and Philadelphia, is the Six Flags Amusement Park. The entry gate of the park is called Main Street and leads into the other sections of the park including Fantasy Forest, Adventure Alley, Adventure Seaport, Bugs Bunny National Park, Movietown, and more. In addition to the roller coasters, the park also includes a water park called Hurricane Harbor, where visitors can swim and cool off after spending time at the rides. Kingda Ka is one of the park’s most popular rides and the tallest roller coaster in the world as of 2021.[7] In less than four seconds, riders are accelerated at 128 miles per hour 456 feet high, making Kingda Ka the fastest roller coaster in North America.[8]
New Jersey is bordered by the state of New York to the north and northeast, the Atlantic Ocean to the east, Delaware to the southwest, and Pennsylvania to the west across the Delaware River. The state is divided into three geographic regions known as North Jersey, Central Jersey, and South Jersey. Each region has five distinct areas that were designated based on natural geographical features and population concentration. The cities closest to Manhattan, New York, in the northeast region of the state are home to nearly one million residents. In contrast, the northwestern area of the state, which is more mountainous and rural, is far less densely populated. Due to the Jersey Shore’s location along the Atlantic Coast in Central and South Jersey, its own unique residential and cultural characteristics are manifested within the various parts of the area.[1]
A majority of the plant life that is generally common to the northeastern United States can be found in New Jersey. Oak and pine are the most dominant in the Pinelands, or Pine Barrens, along the southern coastal plain.[2]
The high elevation of the state causes cooler temperatures and colder winters. The average January temperature is below 28 degrees Fahrenheit.[2] The average high temperatures in the winter rest between 34-43 degrees Fahrenheit. Northwestern areas of New Jersey tend to have significantly colder winters with temperatures falling below 10 degrees Fahrenheit, and occasionally below 0 degrees. Typically, during the summer months, the weather in New Jersey is hot and humid. The average high is about 82-87 degrees Fahrenheit with an average low of 60-69 degrees Fahrenheit. However, during the hottest parts of the season, there are typically around 25 days where the temperature will rise above 90 degrees Fahrenheit. Average precipitation ranges from 43 to 51 inches annually, dispersed throughout the year.[1]
The best time to visit New Jersey is during the spring and fall season—May to June and September to October—when the weather is relatively warmer, tourism is less crowded comparatively to mid-summer, and more events and outdoor festivals are available to visitors.[3]
In the year 1776, New Jersey declared itself an independent state and joined the colonial side in the Revolutionary War.[5] It played a crucial role in the American Revolution when the land served as a battleground. General George Washington and the Continental Army resided in the state's region more than anywhere else during the majority of the six-year conflict. Central New Jersey worked as a direct overland route for the British as it connects New York with Philadelphia and the southern colonies. As for the Continental forces, New Jersey served as an unassailable fortress. The Watchung Mountains shielded the troops from surveillance and provided a safe route linking New England with states to the south.[4]
Throughout the American Revolution, New Jersey soil was the location of more than 100 battles, which resulted in the state earning the nickname “Crossroads of The Revolution." The most prominent of these is when General Washington and his troops crossed the Delaware River from Pennsylvania on December 26th, 1776. They surprised the British troops there and took the city of Trenton. Many consider the Battle of Trenton to be a turning point in the Revolution.[2]
After the victory at Trenton, General George Washington won the battle of Princeton, causing the British to flee New Jersey after having lost two battles within a matter of hours. In 1787 New Jersey was the first state to sign the Bill of Rights and the third state to ratify the US Constitution. A few years later in 1790, Trenton was officially declared the state capital of New Jersey. After the Civil War, the state began to grow and prosper as numerous factories opened up, and cities like Newark, Trenton, Camden, and Paterson developed and grew in population as European immigrants came to work in the factories. Throughout the 1900s, farm populations shrank as city populations rapidly grew within the state.[5]
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