Newark is the most populous city in New Jersey, the seat of Essex County, and a principal city of the New York metropolitan area. It sits at the mouth of the Passaic River, where the waterway flows into Newark Bay, a location that has made its waterfront central to the Port of New York and New Jersey. As of the 2020 census, the city's population was about 311,000. Founded in 1666 by Puritans from the New Haven Colony, Newark is among the oldest cities in the United States. It rose to prominence as an industrial center, pioneering leather tanning and metalworking and later hosting breweries and manufacturers such as Tiffany & Co. In the 20th century, the city's economy pivoted increasingly toward transportation and logistics: Port Newark–Elizabeth became the primary container terminal of the busiest seaport on the U.S. East Coast, and Newark Liberty International Airport developed into a major global gateway. Today Newark is a city of dense, historically layered neighborhoods and significant institutions. University Heights is home to Rutgers University-Newark, the New Jersey Institute of Technology, Rutgers Law School, New Jersey Medical School, and Essex County College, together enrolling tens of thousands of students. Downtown anchors the region's culture and entertainment through the Prudential Center, the New Jersey Performing Arts Center, and the Newark Museum of Art, while the Ironbound stands out as a celebrated dining district. Branch Brook Park, the nation's first county park, holds the largest collection of cherry blossom trees in the country. For homebuyers, Newark offers urban living with rapid transit to Manhattan, a wide range of housing from historic rowhouses to new downtown apartments, and proximity to major employers in health care, education, logistics, and finance. It appeals to commuters, students, and families drawn to a culturally rich city with 24-hour transit links and a lower cost profile than many parts of the New York metro.