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Longitude /
Latitude
Longitude: 73° 53' 39"W to 75° 35'W
Latitude: 38° 55'N to 41° 21' 23"N
Length x Width
New Jersey is about 150 miles long and 70 miles wide.
Geographic Center
The geographic center of New Jersey is located in Mercer County,
5 miles SE of Trenton.
Borders
New Jersey is bordered by New York on the north and by the
Delaware Bay and Atlantic Ocean on the south. On the east, New
Jersey is again bordered by the Atlantic Ocean. On the west, New
Jersey is bordered by Delaware Bay and Pennsylvania.
Total Area
New Jersey covers 8,722 square miles, making it the 47th largest
of the 50 states.
Land Area
7,419 square miles of New Jersey are land areas.
Water Area
1,303 square miles of New Jersey are covered by water.
Highest Point
The highest point in New Jersey is aptly named High Point at
1,803 feet above sea level.
Lowest Point
The lowest point in New Jersey is at the Atlantic Ocean; sea
level.
Mean Elevation
The Mean Elevation of the state of New Jersey is 250 feet above
sea level.
Major Rivers
Delaware River, Hudson River
Major Lakes
Lake Hopatcong
The Land
New Jersey is either the 4th smallest state or the 47th largest
state depending on your perspective. Regardless, New Jersey is
occupied by 4 main land regions; the Atlantic Coastal Plain, the
Piedmont, the New England Upland, and the Appalachian Ridge and
Valley Region.
The largest land area, the Atlantic Coastal Plain, covers the
southern 3/5 of New Jersey. More than half of this area,
characterized by gently rolling hills, is less than 100 feet
above sea level. In the east the landscape consists of pine
forests and salt marshes. Closer to the Atlantic coast, the salt
marshes are more plentiful and shallow lagoons and meadows
characterize the area. Along the coast lie New Jersey's resort
areas; including Atlantic City, Ocean City, and Cape May. In the
west and southwest, along the Delaware River, the fertile soil
supports farming.
The Piedmont lies northeast of the Atlantic Coastal Plain. About
20 miles wide, this area covers only about 1/5 of the state. The
Piedmont includes the industrial cities of Elizabeth, Patterson,
Jersey City, and Newark. New Jersey's major rivers (Hudson
River, Passaic River, Remapo River, Raritan River) are found in
this area supporting the industrial development.
West of the Piedmont is the New England Upland. This area,
sometimes called The Highlands, includes flat-topped ridges of
rock and extends into Pennsylvania and New York. This area is
characterized by the many beautiful lakes nestled among the
ridges.
In the northwest corner of the state is the Appalachian Ridge
and Valley Region. This mountainous area includes the Kittatinny
Mountains that run parallel to New Jersey's northwestern border.
The Delaware Water Gap is where the Delaware River has cut
through the Kittatinny Mountains. The wide Appalachian Valley
lies southeast of the Kittatinny Mountains. Shale and limestone
formation can be found in the valley along with dairy cattle and
apple orchards.
Climate (All temperatures Fahrenheit)
Highest Temperature
The highest temperature recorded in New Jersey is 110°,
Fahrenheit. This record high was recorded on July 10, 1936 at
Runyon.
Lowest Temperature
The lowest temperature in New Jersey, -34°, was recorded on
January 5, 1904 at River Vale.
Average Temperature
Monthly average temperatures range from a high of 85.6 degrees
to a low of 24.2 degrees. |