Map and history of
How New Jersey's counties were created
It should be noted that the map and history provide a general overview and do not take into consideration smaller changes in boundaries between counties that have occurred. Early county boundaries along relatively uninhabited areas were not always definitively established.
1694: NJ consists of 9 counties
1714: Hunterdon County is formed from Burlington, consisting of the current lands of Hunterdon, Morris, Sussex, Warren, and part of Mercer County
1739: Morris County formed from Hunterdon, consisting of the current lands of Morris, Sussex and Warren counties
1748: Cumberland County formed from Salem
1753: Sussex County formed from Morris, consisting of the current lands of Sussex and Warren counties
1824: Warren County formed from Sussex
1837: Passaic County formed from parts of Bergen and Essex counties
1837: Atlantic County formed from Gloucester
1838: Mercer County formed from parts of Burlington, Hunterdon, and Middlesex counties
1840: Hudson County formed from Bergen
1844: Camden County formed from Gloucester
1850: Ocean County formed from Monmouth
1857: Union County formed from Essex
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| For more detailed info, click on one of the counties below. | |||
| COUNTY | FORMED | FROM | NAMED FOR |
| Atlantic | 3Feb1837 | Gloucester Co | Atlantic Ocean |
| Bergen | 13Nov1675 | East Jersey | Dutch for 'hills' |
| Burlington | 17May1694 | West Jersey | Bridlington England |
| Camden | 13Mar1844 | Gloucester Co | Earl of Camden |
| Cape May | 12Nov1692 | West Jersey | explorer Cornelius Jacobsen Mey |
| Cumberland | 19Jan1748 | Salem Co | Duke of Cumberland |
| Essex | 13Nov1675 | East Jersey | English county (East Saxons) |
| Gloucester | 26May1686 | West Jersey | Gloucester England |
| Hudson | 22Feb1840 | Bergen Co | explorer Henry Hudson |
| Hunterdon | 11Mar1714 | Burlington Co | Gov Robert Hunter |
| Mercer | 22Feb1838 | Bur,Hun,Mid,Som | General Hugh Mercer |
| Middlesex | 21Jan1710 | East Jersey | English county (Middle Saxons) |
| Monmouth | 1682 | East Jersey | Duke of Monmouth |
| Morris | 15Mar1739 | Hunterdon Co | Gov Lewis Morris |
| Ocean | 1May1850 | Monmouth Co | Atlantic Ocean |
| Passaic | 1837 | Bergen, Essex | Lenape for 'peaceful valley' |
| Salem | 17May1694 | West Jersey | shalom, Hebrew for 'peace' |
| Somerset | 21Jan1710 | Middlesex Co | Somerset County, England |
| Sussex | 8Jun1753 | Morris Co | English county (South Saxons) |
| Union | 19Mar1857 | Essex Co | The union of American states |
| Warren | 20Nov1824 | Sussex Co> | General Joseph Warren |
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