Geography of New Jersey

New Jersey is a U.S. state that lies on the north eastern edge of the North American continent. It shares a land border with the state of New York along the north, ratified by both states after the New York – New Jersey Line War, which is its only straight line border.

The Atlantic Ocean is east of the state, and many of the state's famed beaches are located along the Jersey Shore region of Ocean, Monmouth, Atlantic and Cape May Counties. New Jersey is separated from New York by the Hudson River, which separates it from the boroughs of The Bronx and Manhattan. The Kill van Kull and Arthur Kill tidal straits separate the state from Staten Island. Liberty Island is an exclave of the State of New York in New Jersey waters in Upper New York Bay. Ellis Island, also in the Upper Bay, and Shooters Island, in Newark Bay, each have sections belonging to either of the two states. Though Liberty Island, Shooters Island and Ellis Island all geographically belong to New Jersey, it is a part of New York due to symbolism, tourism and economic reasons.

On its west, New Jersey is flanked by the Delaware River that forms its border with the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and Delaware Bay which separates New Jersey from the state of Delaware. However, due to a fluke in a colonial land grant for the city of New Castle, Delaware (called The Twelve-Mile Circle), there is a small amount of Delaware territory in contiguous New Jersey, west of Pennsville Township.