What is the capital of New Jersey?

Trenton is the capital of New Jersey, located on the Delaware River in central New Jersey, about 30 miles northeast of Philadelphia and 60 miles southwest of New York City. Trenton has been the state capital since 1790, after serving briefly as the capital of the United States itself in November and December 1784. New Jersey ratified the Constitution on December 18, 1787 as the third state.

Trenton is most famous for the Battle of Trenton on December 26, 1776, when George Washington's Continental Army surprised and defeated a Hessian garrison after the daring Christmas Eve crossing of the Delaware River. The victory restored colonial morale after a string of defeats around New York City and helped sustain the Revolution through its lowest period.

The Old Barracks Museum on West Front Street, built in 1758 as a barracks for British troops during the French and Indian War, is the only colonial-era barracks still standing in the country. The New Jersey State House, completed in 1792 with various additions through the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, is the second oldest state capitol still in use after Maryland's.

Trenton's population is about 90,000, with a metropolitan area of about 380,000 people. The city was once a major manufacturing center, with the iconic slogan "Trenton Makes, the World Takes" emblazoned on the Lower Trenton Bridge over the Delaware. Industries included steel (the John A. Roebling sons firm that built the Brooklyn Bridge), pottery (Lenox china), and textiles. Like many older industrial cities, Trenton has struggled with deindustrialization since the 1960s, although the state government and major institutions including The College of New Jersey (in nearby Ewing) sustain employment.

New Jersey state government includes the Governor (currently a four year term), the bicameral Legislature (40 senators and 80 representatives), and the New Jersey Supreme Court. The state has the highest population density of any state at about 1,260 people per square mile, with a population of about 9.3 million. New Jersey's economy is diverse, including pharmaceuticals (Johnson & Johnson, Merck, Bristol-Myers Squibb), telecommunications (Verizon), finance, food processing, and chemicals. Major universities include Princeton University (in nearby Princeton, founded 1746 as the College of New Jersey), Rutgers University (the state university with multiple campuses including New Brunswick), and Stevens Institute of Technology in Hoboken.

New Jersey, the Garden State, lies between the population centers of New York and Philadelphia, with most residents commuting to one of those cities. Trenton's mid-state location balances the two metropolitan poles.