Whether you want some New Jersey fun facts to use for a project or you want to impress people with your knowledge of the Garden State, we’ve put together some facts about New Jersey that cover everything from weird laws to natural wonder to strange history.
New Jersey has plenty of history, natural views, and beautiful towns, and these interesting facts about New Jersey are a real tribute to all of the fun New Jersey facts to be found (we could have kept going, but kept it to the 51 best ones!).
Keep reading for weird facts about New Jersey, amazing facts about New Jersey, cool facts about New Jersey, and plenty of fun New Jersey facts to keep you guessing (or help you put together an awesome New Jersey trivia quiz!)
New Jersey Fun Facts
1. New Jersey is known as the “Garden State” because of its fertile soil and agricultural heritage.
2. It is the fourth-smallest state in the United States by area.
3. New Jersey has the highest population density in the country.
4. The state’s capital is Trenton, and its largest city is Newark.
5. The famous inventor and scientist Thomas Edison had his laboratory in Menlo Park, New Jersey.
6. The first organized baseball game was played in Hoboken, New Jersey, in 1846.
7. Atlantic City in New Jersey was the first place in the United States to have a boardwalk.
8. The world’s first drive-in movie theater was opened in Camden, New Jersey, in 1933.
9. New Jersey is home to the highest roller coaster in the world, the Kingda Ka at Six Flags Great Adventure in Jackson.
10. The first submarine ride with passengers was demonstrated in New Jersey’s Passaic River in 1878.
Interesting Facts about New Jersey
11. New Jersey has more diners than any other state in the U.S.
12. The state is famous for its saltwater taffy, which originated in Atlantic City.
13. New Jersey has the most shopping malls per square mile of any state.
14. The Great Falls in Paterson, New Jersey, is one of the largest waterfalls on the East Coast.
15. The Hindenburg airship disaster occurred in Lakehurst, New Jersey, in 1937.
16. The first intercollegiate football game was played in New Brunswick, New Jersey, between Rutgers and Princeton in 1869.
17. New Jersey has the most stringent seat belt laws in the United States.
18. The Statue of Liberty is located in New York Harbor, but its closest point to New Jersey is in Jersey City.
19. The Jersey Shore is a popular summer vacation destination known for its beaches and boardwalks.
20. The game Monopoly was invented by Charles Darrow of Germantown, Pennsylvania, and first produced by Parker Brothers in Salem, New Jersey.
Weird Facts about New Jersey
21. The longest boardwalk in the world is located in Atlantic City, New Jersey.
22. The state is home to the Meadowlands Sports Complex, which houses MetLife Stadium, where the NFL’s New York Giants and New York Jets play.
23. The first professional basketball game was played in Trenton, New Jersey, in 1896.
24. The street names in the board game “The Game of Life” are named after actual streets in Trenton, New Jersey.
25. New Jersey is the diner capital of the world, with more than 600 diners.
26. The first Miss America pageant was held in Atlantic City, New Jersey, in 1921.
27. The headquarters of many major pharmaceutical companies are located in New Jersey, earning the state the nickname “Medicine Chest of the World.”
28. New Jersey is home to the first organized volunteer fire department in the United States, founded in 1736 in Newark.
29. The oldest lighthouse in the United States, Sandy Hook Lighthouse, is located in New Jersey.
30. The street grids of New York City and Philadelphia are based on the grid system developed in New Jersey.
Random Facts about New Jersey
31. New Jersey has the most dense system of highways and railroads in the United States.
32. The official state reptile of New Jersey is the bog turtle.
33. The first dinosaur skeleton discovered in North America was found in Haddonfield, New Jersey.
34. The world’s largest population of American kestrels (small falcons) can be found in New Jersey.
35. New Jersey is home to the Pine Barrens, a unique ecosystem with diverse plant and animal life.
36. The first submarine to sink an enemy ship, the H.L. Hunley, was built in New Jersey.
37. The state is famous for its tomatoes and is known as the “Tomato Capital of the World.”
38. New Jersey has the highest percentage of people who use public transportation to commute to work.
39. The first organized game of baseball under lights was played in New Jersey in 1930.
40. New Jersey has the highest population of Italian-Americans of any state.
Amazing Facts about New Jersey
41. The Holland Tunnel, connecting New Jersey to New York City, was the first mechanically ventilated underwater tunnel in the world.
42. New Jersey is the birthplace of many famous people, including Frank Sinatra, Bruce Springsteen, Meryl Streep, and Jon Bon Jovi.
43. The state has more scientists and engineers per square mile than anywhere else in the world.
44. The first professional basketball game played indoors was held in New Jersey in 1896.
45. The New Jersey state bird is the Eastern goldfinch.
46. The first pharmacy college in the United States, the Philadelphia College of Pharmacy, was established in New Jersey in 1821.
47. The George Washington Bridge, connecting New Jersey and New York City, is the busiest motor vehicle bridge in the world.
48. New Jersey is home to the world’s largest statue of a tooth, located in the city of Berlin.
49. The first radio station in the United States, WJZ (now WABC), began broadcasting in Newark, New Jersey, in 1921.
50. New Jersey has more horses per square mile than any other state.
51. The state’s motto is “Liberty and Prosperity.”
Hey! Want more fun facts about the states? Check these out!
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