The City of Orange, commonly known simply as Orange, is a township in Essex County, New Jersey. With a population of 34,447 at the 2020 census, it is a dense, established urban community situated near Newark and the neighboring communities collectively known as the Oranges. Orange's identity has long been tied to rail transportation. The Morris and Essex Railroad arrived in the town in 1836, one of the earliest rail lines in the region, and the line later became part of the Delaware, Lackawanna and Western Railroad. Today that corridor survives as NJ Transit's Morris & Essex route, with an Orange station that continues to provide commuter rail service, linking the township to Newark, Hoboken, and the broader transit network into New York City. This long rail heritage is woven into the community's history and its present-day character. Public education is provided by the Orange Public Schools, a comprehensive community district headquartered in the township that serves students from pre-kindergarten through twelfth grade. The district is one of the state's former Abbott districts, reflecting its urban character and its role serving a dense, diverse population. Residentially, Orange is a compact, established township with a mix of older housing stock typical of Essex County's urban communities, much of it built during the town's nineteenth- and early-twentieth-century growth. Its location near Newark, the region's highways, and NJ Transit rail makes it a connected home base within the northern New Jersey metropolitan area, where the township's walkable streets and transit access support an urban, car-optional lifestyle for many residents.