Port Authority of New York and New Jersey
transportation facility agency around New York City & New Jersey
The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey (PANYNJ or simply the Port Authority) is a joint venture between the U.S. states of New York and New Jersey, established in 1921 through an interstate compact authorized by the United States Congress. The Port Authority oversees much of the regional transportation infrastructure, including bridges, tunnels, airports, and seaports within the Port of New York and New Jersey's jurisdiction. This 1,500-square-mile (3,900 km2) port district is generally encompassed within a 25-mile (40 km) radius of the Statue of Liberty National Monument. The Port Authority is headquartered at 4 World Trade Center in Lower Manhattan.
The Port Authority operates the Port Newark–Elizabeth Marine Terminal, which consistently ranks among the largest ports in the United States by tonnage handled, and the largest on the Eastern Seaboard. The Port Authority also operates six bi-state crossings: three connecting New Jersey with Manhattan, and three connecting New Jersey with Staten Island. The Port Authority Bus Terminal and the PATH rail system are also run by the Port Authority, as well as John F. Kennedy International Airport, LaGuardia Airport, and Newark Liberty International Airport, Teterboro Airport, and Stewart International Airport. The agency has its own 2,100-member Port Authority Police Department.
History
The Port of New York and New Jersey comprised the main point of embarkation for U.S. troops and supplies sent to Europe during World War I, via the New York Port of Embarkation. The congestion at the port led experts to realize the need for a port authority to supervise the extremely complex system of bridges, highways, subways, and port facilities in the New York-New Jersey area.
The public source identifies “Port Authority of New York and New Jersey” as transportation facility agency around New York City & New Jersey. This brief keeps that definition visible, then builds a research path around Port, Authority and York.
Why this record matters
A short description can identify a subject without explaining its stakes. For “Port Authority of New York and New Jersey”, the useful work is to connect “transportation facility agency around New York City & New Jersey” to the records capable of establishing context and consequence.
Place names and jurisdictional language are key evidence: both can reveal earlier catalogue descriptions and overlooked record series. The source revision retrieved here is dated Sep 24, 2026. The linked authority identifier is Q908666. VIAF identifies the subject as 139845338. The Library of Congress control number is n79091601. 1 of 4 selected statements include explicit references; 1 carry qualifiers and 0 use preferred rank. The first chronological checks are 1921.
A single description cannot reconcile every naming convention, rebuilding phase or administrative transfer associated with a place. The lead is largely declarative, so disagreement and counter-evidence require a deliberate search beyond the opening account. Authority statements aid reconciliation but still require their own references, qualifiers and ranks to be checked.
How to read it
Treat names, boundaries and functions as historically changeable. Maps, plans, inventories and administrative records can clarify what the place meant at different dates.
- Historic place names
- Jurisdictional context
- Routes into maps and plans
Contemporary maps, plans, listed-building records, estate papers and the responsible local or national archive.
Three-step research path
- Establish the record: confirm the title “Port Authority of New York and New Jersey”, its source revision and the description used here.
- Expand the search: follow Port Authority of New York and New Jersey primary sources, Port Authority of New York and New Jersey archive and Port research across catalogues and specialist indexes.
- Test the account: compare the strongest cited source with the responsible institution’s current record and note any disagreement.
Questions for further research
- Which source most directly establishes the central claim about “Port Authority of New York and New Jersey”?
- Which authority defined the place, boundary or structure at the relevant date?
- Which earlier names or jurisdictions may reveal additional records?
Search terms from this dossier
This entry incorporates text from “Port Authority of New York and New Jersey” on English Wikipedia. Contributors are listed in the page history. Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Selected authority identifiers and statements are retrieved from Wikidata under CC0; their references and qualifiers remain part of the verification path.