{"id":226036,"date":"2026-07-26T21:00:55","date_gmt":"2026-07-26T21:00:55","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/thelocalgirl.com\/newjersey\/?p=226036"},"modified":"2026-07-24T19:05:43","modified_gmt":"2026-07-24T19:05:43","slug":"new-jersey-6-original-counties-history","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/thelocalgirl.com\/newjersey\/new-jersey-6-original-counties-history\/","title":{"rendered":"Meet New Jersey\u2019s 6 Original Counties"},"content":{"rendered":"<div id=\"custom_featured_image\" style=\"display:none;\"><img fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"300\" height=\"200\" src=\"https:\/\/thelocalgirl.com\/newjersey\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/13\/2026\/07\/new-jersey-6-original-counties-history-300x200.png\" class=\"attachment-medium size-medium wp-post-image\" alt=\"new jersey 6 original counties history\" style=\"margin-bottom: 15px;\" srcset=\"https:\/\/thelocalgirl.com\/newjersey\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/13\/2026\/07\/new-jersey-6-original-counties-history-300x200.png 300w, https:\/\/thelocalgirl.com\/newjersey\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/13\/2026\/07\/new-jersey-6-original-counties-history-768x511.png 768w, https:\/\/thelocalgirl.com\/newjersey\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/13\/2026\/07\/new-jersey-6-original-counties-history.png 1000w, https:\/\/thelocalgirl.com\/newjersey\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/13\/2026\/07\/new-jersey-6-original-counties-history-585x390.png 585w, https:\/\/thelocalgirl.com\/newjersey\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/13\/2026\/07\/new-jersey-6-original-counties-history-263x175.png 263w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><\/div><div id=\"custom_category\" style=\"display:none;\">history<\/div><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Before there was <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">North and South Jersey<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> or the eternally debated Central Jersey, there was East and West Jersey. <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">And like any origin story, it started with the founding clique. When the colony first emerged, it included six original counties: Bergen, Burlington, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.themontclairgirl.com\/black-historical-figures-montclair-north-new-jersey\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Essex<\/a>, Middlesex, Monmouth, and Salem. <\/span><b>Read on to learn about New Jersey\u2019s six original counties: where they began and what they\u2019re known for.<\/b><\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-226041 \" src=\"https:\/\/thelocalgirl.com\/newjersey\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/13\/2026\/07\/new-jersey-6-original-counties-history.png\" alt=\"new jersey 6 original counties history\" width=\"451\" height=\"300\" srcset=\"https:\/\/thelocalgirl.com\/newjersey\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/13\/2026\/07\/new-jersey-6-original-counties-history.png 1000w, https:\/\/thelocalgirl.com\/newjersey\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/13\/2026\/07\/new-jersey-6-original-counties-history-300x200.png 300w, https:\/\/thelocalgirl.com\/newjersey\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/13\/2026\/07\/new-jersey-6-original-counties-history-768x511.png 768w, https:\/\/thelocalgirl.com\/newjersey\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/13\/2026\/07\/new-jersey-6-original-counties-history-585x390.png 585w, https:\/\/thelocalgirl.com\/newjersey\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/13\/2026\/07\/new-jersey-6-original-counties-history-263x175.png 263w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 451px) 100vw, 451px\" \/><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><em>A map of New Jersey, circa 1736. Image courtesy of the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.loc.gov\/resource\/g3720.ct004855\/?r=-0.327,-0.026,1.674,0.801,0\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Library of Congress<\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n<h2><b>East Jersey<\/b><\/h2>\n<h3><b>Bergen County<\/b><\/h3>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-170280\" src=\"https:\/\/thelocalgirl.com\/bergen\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2025\/04\/historical-homes-bergen-county-nj-800x800.jpg\" alt=\"historical homes bergen county nj\" width=\"450\" height=\"450\"><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">New Jersey\u2019s most populous county is Bergen County, and although there are no beaches, there is still plenty to do. With strong Dutch roots, the county has welcomed innovation and embraced being the first for several things. Suffering from \u201cb<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">oroughitis,\u201d <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/thelocalgirl.com\/bergen\/historical-homes-bergen-county-nj\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Bergen County<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> is home to the most municipalities per county in the state and today includes 70. It even includes South Hackensack, which is made of three non-bordering parts. The 70 communities would be too many to list, but some might say Fort Lee, Glen Rock, Hackensack, Paramus, Ridgewood, and Wyckoff are amongst Bergen County\u2019s <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">it girls.&nbsp;<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Bergen County is home to the Meadowlands Sports Complex in East Rutherford, where the Jets and Giants call home turf, and the American Dream Mall, an enormous indoor space with shopping, eating, and recreation. The county also borders the Hudson River, offering a variety of vantage points of Manhattan,&nbsp; from the <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.themontclairgirl.com\/historical-places-northern-new-jersey\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Fort Lee Historic Park<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> to Veteran\u2019s Field Park to the numerous homes, apartments, and townhomes along the water.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Speaking of being the first: i<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">n 1755, the <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/thelocalgirl.com\/bergen\/famous-first-occurrences-bergen-county-nj\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">first steam engine<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> in North America was assembled in North Arlington. Legend status did not end here.<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> Fort Lee became America\u2019s first headquarters for the <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/thelocalgirl.com\/bergen\/fort-lee-nj-film-history-hollywood-east\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">motion picture industry<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> before it packed up and moved west.<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> New Jersey\u2019s<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> first suburban mall<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, the <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.westfield.com\/en\/united-states\/gardenstateplaza\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Garden State Plaza<\/span><\/a>,<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> opened in Paramus in 1957 and had 75,000 shoppers on opening day. Today, it is the second-largest mall in the state.<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><strong><em>Read More:&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/thelocalgirl.com\/newjersey\/new-jersey-name-history-old-new-jersey\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">If We\u2019re New Jersey, Who\u2019s Old Jersey?<\/a><\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n<h3><b>Essex County<\/b><\/h3>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-121343 aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/www.themontclairgirl.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/grover-cleveland-birthplace-caldwell-new-jersey-copy.jpg\" alt=\"grover cleveland birthplace caldwell New Jersey\" width=\"450\" height=\"450\"><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Home to Newark, the state\u2019s largest city, <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.themontclairgirl.com\/famous-first-moments-essex-county-new-jersey\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Essex County<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> is packed with people, parks, and a whole lot of history. <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">With 22 communities, some might say Essex County\u2019s <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">it girls <\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">are Montclair, Millburn, and Maplewood.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Essex County is the first county-wide park system in the nation and includes Branch Brook Park, which has the largest cherry blossom collection in the country. Speaking of being the first: Essex County has more than its share. It is also where Thomas Edison <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/thelocalgirl.com\/news\/new-jersey-film-studios-movies-january-2026\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">created the first film<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, includes the first Chinatown on the East Coast, and is home to the first municipal commercial airport in the country.&nbsp;<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The county has produced many legends: it\u2019s the birthplace of Grover Cleveland,<\/span> <span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">the only Jersey-born president, and the birthplace of the first Vice President from New Jersey, Aaron Burr. It is also home to Buzz Aldrin, the second human to walk on the moon, and singers Connie Francis, <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.themontclairgirl.com\/celebrities-from-essex-county-nj\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Frankie Valli<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, and Whitney Houston.<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><b>Middlesex County<\/b><\/h3>\n<blockquote class=\"instagram-media\" style=\"background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);\" data-instgrm-permalink=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/p\/DQuVcmVj_5O\/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading\" data-instgrm-version=\"14\">\n<div style=\"padding: 16px;\">\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<div style=\"display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;\">\n<div style=\"background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;\">&nbsp;<\/div>\n<div style=\"display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;\">\n<div style=\"background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;\">&nbsp;<\/div>\n<div style=\"background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;\">&nbsp;<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div style=\"padding: 19% 0;\">&nbsp;<\/div>\n<div style=\"display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;\">&nbsp;<\/div>\n<div style=\"padding-top: 8px;\">\n<div style=\"color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;\">View this post on Instagram<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div style=\"padding: 12.5% 0;\">&nbsp;<\/div>\n<div style=\"display: flex; flex-direction: row; margin-bottom: 14px; align-items: center;\">\n<div>\n<div style=\"background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(0px) translateY(7px);\">&nbsp;<\/div>\n<div style=\"background-color: #f4f4f4; height: 12.5px; transform: rotate(-45deg) translateX(3px) translateY(1px); width: 12.5px; flex-grow: 0; margin-right: 14px; margin-left: 2px;\">&nbsp;<\/div>\n<div style=\"background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(9px) translateY(-18px);\">&nbsp;<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div style=\"margin-left: 8px;\">\n<div style=\"background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 20px; width: 20px;\">&nbsp;<\/div>\n<div style=\"width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 2px solid transparent; border-left: 6px solid #f4f4f4; border-bottom: 2px solid transparent; transform: translateX(16px) translateY(-4px) rotate(30deg);\">&nbsp;<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div style=\"margin-left: auto;\">\n<div style=\"width: 0px; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-right: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(16px);\">&nbsp;<\/div>\n<div style=\"background-color: #f4f4f4; flex-grow: 0; height: 12px; width: 16px; transform: translateY(-4px);\">&nbsp;<\/div>\n<div style=\"width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-left: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(-4px) translateX(8px);\">&nbsp;<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div style=\"display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center; margin-bottom: 24px;\">\n<div style=\"background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 224px;\">&nbsp;<\/div>\n<div style=\"background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 144px;\">&nbsp;<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p style=\"color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;\"><a style=\"color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none;\" href=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/p\/DQuVcmVj_5O\/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">A post shared by ESPN College Football (@espncfb)<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><script async=\"\" src=\"\/\/www.instagram.com\/embed.js\"><\/script><br \/>\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Middlesex County is named after Middlesex County in England. With 25 municipalities, some might say that Edison, Metuchen, New Brunswick, and Perth Amboy are among the county\u2019s<\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> it girls<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">. New Brunswick anchors the county as a hub for science, arts, and culture, while Edison boasts a strong Indian-American community.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Speaking of being the first: Middlesex County has many. In 1869, the <a href=\"https:\/\/scarletknights.com\/sports\/2022\/7\/25\/sports-m-footbl-archive-first-game-html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">first college football game<\/a> was played when Rutgers beat Princeton. Thomas Edison built the nation\u2019s first industrial research laboratory in Menlo Park. In 1870, <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.perthamboynj.org\/community\/news\/announcements\/thomas_mundy_peterson_day\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Thomas Mundy Peterson<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> of Perth Amboy became the first African-American to vote in a United States election under the newly ratified 15th Amendment.<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><b>Monmouth County<\/b><\/h3>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-168114\" src=\"https:\/\/www.hobokengirl.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/sandy-hook-650x650.jpg\" alt=\"sandy hook\" width=\"450\" height=\"450\"><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Named for Monmouthshire in Wales, Monmouth County is where shore culture shines in the Garden State. <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">With 53 communities, some might say Monmouth County\u2019s <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">it girls <\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">are Asbury Park, Bradley Beach, <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/thelocalgirl.com\/jerseyshore\/belmar-nj-things-to-do\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Belmar<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, Long Branch, and Red Bank. Asbury Park has earned status as a music mecca, helping launch the careers of Bruce Springsteen and Jon Bon Jovi at the Stone Pony.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Monmouth County\u2019s Sandy Hook Lighthouse, first lit in 1764, is the oldest continuously operating lighthouse in the country. The longest battle of the Revolutionary War, the Battle of Monmouth, was also fought in Freehold.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><b>West Jersey<\/b><\/h2>\n<h3><b>Burlington County<\/b><\/h3>\n<blockquote class=\"instagram-media\" style=\"background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);\" data-instgrm-permalink=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/p\/DTn8_9OEqia\/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading\" data-instgrm-version=\"14\">\n<div style=\"padding: 16px;\">\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<div style=\"display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;\">\n<div style=\"background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;\">&nbsp;<\/div>\n<div style=\"display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;\">\n<div style=\"background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;\">&nbsp;<\/div>\n<div style=\"background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;\">&nbsp;<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div style=\"padding: 19% 0;\">&nbsp;<\/div>\n<div style=\"display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;\">&nbsp;<\/div>\n<div style=\"padding-top: 8px;\">\n<div style=\"color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;\">View this post on Instagram<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div style=\"padding: 12.5% 0;\">&nbsp;<\/div>\n<div style=\"display: flex; flex-direction: row; margin-bottom: 14px; align-items: center;\">\n<div>\n<div style=\"background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(0px) translateY(7px);\">&nbsp;<\/div>\n<div style=\"background-color: #f4f4f4; height: 12.5px; transform: rotate(-45deg) translateX(3px) translateY(1px); width: 12.5px; flex-grow: 0; margin-right: 14px; margin-left: 2px;\">&nbsp;<\/div>\n<div style=\"background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(9px) translateY(-18px);\">&nbsp;<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div style=\"margin-left: 8px;\">\n<div style=\"background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 20px; width: 20px;\">&nbsp;<\/div>\n<div style=\"width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 2px solid transparent; border-left: 6px solid #f4f4f4; border-bottom: 2px solid transparent; transform: translateX(16px) translateY(-4px) rotate(30deg);\">&nbsp;<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div style=\"margin-left: auto;\">\n<div style=\"width: 0px; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-right: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(16px);\">&nbsp;<\/div>\n<div style=\"background-color: #f4f4f4; flex-grow: 0; height: 12px; width: 16px; transform: translateY(-4px);\">&nbsp;<\/div>\n<div style=\"width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-left: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(-4px) translateX(8px);\">&nbsp;<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div style=\"display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center; margin-bottom: 24px;\">\n<div style=\"background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 224px;\">&nbsp;<\/div>\n<div style=\"background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 144px;\">&nbsp;<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p style=\"color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;\"><a style=\"color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none;\" href=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/p\/DTn8_9OEqia\/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">A post shared by Pinelands Alliance (@pinelandsalliance)<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><script async=\"\" src=\"\/\/www.instagram.com\/embed.js\"><\/script><br \/>\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">While Bergen, Essex, Middlesex, and Monmouth are the original counties of East Jersey, Burlington County is one of the <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.hobokengirl.com\/new-jersey-county-names-guide\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">two original counties<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> in West Jersey. Burlington County is the largest county by land area in the state. The county includes 40 municipalities, and some might say Bordentown, Medford, and Mount Holly are Burlington County\u2019s <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">it girls<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">.&nbsp;<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Burlington County created the first county library system in the state. <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">It is also home to the oldest Episcopal congregation in New Jersey, Old St. Mary\u2019s. Burlington County contains a portion of the Pinelands National Reserve, the first National Reserve in the country and a notable icon of New Jersey culture.<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><b>Salem County<\/b><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Salem County is the least populous county in New Jersey and has 15 municipalities. Its name comes from the Hebrew word for \u201cpeace\u201d. Salem was founded by Quaker John Fenwick in 1675 and was the first English settlement established in West Jersey and the <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.njfounders.org\/1665-the-founding-of-salem\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">first Quaker colony<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> in North America. <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The Salem County Courthouse, built in 1735, is the oldest active courthouse in New Jersey and the second oldest in the country.&nbsp;<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><b>From 6 to 21 Counties<\/b><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">East and West Jersey ceased to exist in 1702 when the Province of New Jersey was formed. Before the union, the original six welcomed three more siblings: Cape May, Gloucester, and Somerset. From 1702 until the Declaration of Independence was signed, Cumberland, Hunterdon, Morris, and Sussex came into the world.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In 1787, when New Jersey became the 3rd state, it had 13 counties. In 1824, a portion of Sussex County split off to create Warren, and between 1837 and 1840, four more joined the family: Atlantic, Hudson, Mercer, and Passaic. Camden was born in 1844 and Ocean in 1850. The newest baby in the group was Union, which formed in 1857 after being carved from Essex. Click <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/publications.newberry.org\/ahcb\/nj\/?date=1852-02-19\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">here<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> to see the evolution of New Jersey county boundaries since the late 1600s.<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><strong><em>See More:&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.hobokengirl.com\/stevens-cannon-hoboken-legend\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">The Hoboken Artifact That\u2019s Older Than America: All About the Stevens Cannon<\/a><\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Follow @thenewjerseygirl on&nbsp;<a class=\"broken_link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/thelocalgirlhq\/?hl=en\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span class=\"s1\">Instagram<\/span><\/a>&nbsp;+&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.tiktok.com\/@thelocalgirlhq?lang=en\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span class=\"s1\">TikTok<\/span><\/a>&nbsp;for the latest updates on Hoboken, Montclair, Bergen County, and more,&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/thelocalgirl.myflodesk.com\/xdt5qdr3st\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span class=\"s1\">sign up for our weekly newsletter here<\/span><\/a>&nbsp;that shares everything you missed each week, and check out our&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/thelocalgirl.com\/calendar\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span class=\"s1\">events calendar<\/span><\/a>, which has over 100+ events weekly to peruse.<\/p>\n<div class=\"categories\" style=\"text-align: center;\"><a class=\"button\" href=\"https:\/\/thelocalgirl.com\/lifestyle\/ \" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Lifestyle<\/a><\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>historyBefore there was North and South Jersey or the eternally debated Central Jersey, there was East and West Jersey. And like any&hellip;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":330,"featured_media":226041,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_lmt_disableupdate":"no","_lmt_disable":"","footnotes":"","_links_to":"","_links_to_target":""},"categories":[4,45,40],"tags":[9,43,12],"class_list":["post-226036","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-lifestyle","category-new-jersey","category-the-local-girl","tag-lifestyle","tag-new-jersey","tag-tlg"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO Premium plugin v27.6 (Yoast SEO v27.6) - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-premium-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>Meet New Jersey\u2019s 6 Original Counties - The New Jersey Girl<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Long before the days of North, South, + Central New Jersey, there were only six counties, including Bergen, Essex, Monmouth, and more.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/thelocalgirl.com\/newjersey\/new-jersey-6-original-counties-history\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Meet New Jersey\u2019s 6 Original Counties\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Long before the days of North, South, + Central New Jersey, there were only six counties, including Bergen, Essex, Monmouth, and more.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/thelocalgirl.com\/newjersey\/new-jersey-6-original-counties-history\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"The New Jersey Girl\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2026-07-26T21:00:55+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/thelocalgirl.com\/newjersey\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/13\/2026\/07\/new-jersey-6-original-counties-history.png\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"1000\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"666\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/png\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"The Local Girl\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Olivia Fisher\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"6 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\\\/\\\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/thelocalgirl.com\\\/newjersey\\\/new-jersey-6-original-counties-history\\\/#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/thelocalgirl.com\\\/newjersey\\\/new-jersey-6-original-counties-history\\\/\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"The Local Girl\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/thelocalgirl.com\\\/newjersey\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/55c6b830d89fcaff1e9fc6a582a78567\"},\"headline\":\"Meet New Jersey\u2019s 6 Original Counties\",\"datePublished\":\"2026-07-26T21:00:55+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/thelocalgirl.com\\\/newjersey\\\/new-jersey-6-original-counties-history\\\/\"},\"wordCount\":1149,\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/thelocalgirl.com\\\/newjersey\\\/new-jersey-6-original-counties-history\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/thelocalgirl.com\\\/newjersey\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/sites\\\/13\\\/2026\\\/07\\\/new-jersey-6-original-counties-history.png\",\"keywords\":[\"Lifestyle\",\"new jersey\",\"The Local Girl\"],\"articleSection\":[\"Lifestyle\",\"New Jersey\",\"The Local Girl\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/thelocalgirl.com\\\/newjersey\\\/new-jersey-6-original-counties-history\\\/\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/thelocalgirl.com\\\/newjersey\\\/new-jersey-6-original-counties-history\\\/\",\"name\":\"Meet New Jersey\u2019s 6 Original Counties - 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