Elizabeth, New Jersey

Elizabeth is a city located in Union County, New Jersey. As of the 2000 census, the city had a total population of 120,568. It is the county seat of Union County{{GR|6}}. The City of Elizabeth is governed under the Faulkner Act (Mayor-Council) system of municipal government.

History

Elizabeth was founded in 1664 and was named for the wife of Sir George Carteret, not Queen Elizabeth as many people assume. Originally called "Elizabethtown," it was the first community formed in the new colony. It was the first capital of New Jersey.

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Elizabeth grew in parallel to its sister city Newark, New Jersey for many years, but has retained a middle class presence much better and was spared riots in the 1960s.

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Since WWII, Elizabeth has seen its transportation facilities grow; Port Newark-Elizabeth is one of the busiest ports in the world, as is Newark Liberty International Airport, parts of which are actually in Elizabeth.

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