Jersey City is the county seat and largest city of Hudson County, New Jersey, occupying the western shore of the Hudson River directly across from Lower Manhattan. Its 2020 census population of about 292,000 makes it New Jersey's second-most populous city, and its waterfront faces the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island across New York Harbor. The city is simultaneously one of the region's oldest settlements and one of its most dramatically redeveloped urban centers. Jersey City's history runs deep. The area was part of the Dutch colony of New Netherland, settled as Bergen in the 17th century, and the city later grew as a rail, port, and industrial powerhouse serving New York. Its waterfront became a dense district of terminals, factories, and immigrant neighborhoods, and the city has long been among the most ethnically diverse in the country. The 20th century brought decline, but the late-20th- and early-21st-century waterfront revival — anchored by the Exchange Place financial district and residential high-rises — transformed Jersey City into a major employment and housing center in its own right. Today the economy rests on financial services, technology, health care, and a booming residential sector, with the PATH rail system providing 24-hour access to Manhattan and the Hudson-Bergen Light Rail linking neighborhoods from The Heights to Liberty State Park. The city's cultural and culinary scene reflects its diversity, and institutions such as New Jersey City University and Saint Peter's University anchor higher education. Public education is provided by Jersey City Public Schools, complemented by a large network of charter and private schools. For homebuyers, Jersey City offers everything from historic brownstones and two-family homes in The Heights to waterfront high-rises and Journal Square's redeveloping districts — all within minutes of New York City.