North Plainfield is a borough in Somerset County, New Jersey, located in the Raritan Valley at the base of the Watchung Mountains. Its population was about 22,808 at the 2020 census, making it one of the more densely settled communities in the county, spread across a compact 2.9 square miles. The borough borders Plainfield, Watchung, Green Brook, and Warren Township, placing it at a crossroads between urban Union County and the more suburban and semi-rural towns of central New Jersey. The area's history predates the nation's founding. Dutch families, including the Vermeule and Cadmus families, settled here before the American Revolution, and the community remained a cluster of farms until the Central Jersey Railroad arrived in the nineteenth century. The railroad made North Plainfield a commuter center, and the borough was incorporated on June 9, 1885, after separating from North Plainfield Township. That railroad-era growth shaped its dense, walkable street grid and its varied housing stock of single-family homes, twins, and multi-family buildings. Today North Plainfield is a family-oriented, inner-ring suburb with genuine urban convenience. The North Plainfield School District serves students in pre-kindergarten through twelfth grade through six schools, and the borough's parks — Green Acres, Vermeule, and Washington — provide neighborhood recreation. The Watchung Reservation and Washington Rock State Park lie just to the north and offer hiking, camping, and seasonal outdoor activities. With New York City about 26 miles away and Newark about 16, along with commuter rail available in neighboring Plainfield, North Plainfield is a practical base for commuters seeking Somerset County location, diverse housing, and a strong local community.