Plainfield, New Jersey

Plainfield, New Jersey
City
Aerial photograph of Plainfield
Aerial photograph of Plainfield
Official seal of Plainfield, New Jersey
Seal
Nickname: 
The Queen City[1]
Location of Plainfield in Union County highlighted in yellow (left). Inset map: Location of Union County in New Jersey highlighted in black (right).
Location of Plainfield in Union County highlighted in yellow (left). Inset map: Location of Union County in New Jersey highlighted in black (right).
Census Bureau map of Plainfield, New Jersey
Census Bureau map of Plainfield, New Jersey
Plainfield is located in Union County, New Jersey
Plainfield
Plainfield
Location in Union County
Plainfield is located in New Jersey
Plainfield
Plainfield
Location in New Jersey
Plainfield is located in the United States
Plainfield
Plainfield
Location in the United States
Coordinates: 40°36′56″N 74°24′57″W / 40.615444°N 74.415775°W / 40.615444; -74.415775[2][3]
Country United States
State New Jersey
CountyUnion
IncorporatedApril 21, 1869
Government
[8]
 • TypeSpecial charter
 • BodyCity Council
 • MayorAdrian O. Mapp (D, term ends December 31, 2025)[4][5]
 • AdministratorAbby Levenson[6]
 • Municipal clerkAbubakar Jalloh[7]
Area
[9]
 • Total
5.97 sq mi (15.46 km2)
 • Land5.96 sq mi (15.43 km2)
 • Water0.01 sq mi (0.02 km2)  0.15%
 • Rank258th of 565 in state
8th of 21 in county[2]
Elevation
[10]
95 ft (29 m)
Population
 (2020)[11][12]
 • Total
54,586
 • Estimate 
(2023)[11][13][14]
54,670
 • Rank738th in country (as of 2022)[13]
34th of 565 in state
3rd of 21 in county[15]
 • Density9,160.3/sq mi (3,536.8/km2)
  • Rank41st of 565 in state
3rd of 21 in county[15]
Time zoneUTC−05:00 (Eastern (EST))
 • Summer (DST)UTC−04:00 (Eastern (EDT))
ZIP Codes
07060–07063[16]
Area code(s)732 and 908[17]
FIPS code3403959190[2][18][19]
GNIS feature ID0885355[2][20]
Websitewww.plainfieldnj.gov
Downtown Plainfield Train Station, one of two stations running to New York City on the Raritan Valley Line
Netherwood station on the Raritan Valley Line to Newark/New York, one of two train stations in Plainfield

Plainfield is a city in Union County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey. Nicknamed "The Queen City",[1] it serves as both a regional hub for Central New Jersey and a bedroom suburb of the New York Metropolitan area, located in the Raritan Valley region. As of the 2020 United States census, the city's population, majority Latino for the first time, was 54,586.[11][12] This was an increase of 4,778 (+9.6%) from the 2010 census count of 49,808,[21][22] which in turn reflected an increase of 1,979 (+4.1%) from the 47,829 counted in the 2000 census.[23] In 2023, the Census Bureau estimated the city's population to be 54,670.[14]

The area of present-day Plainfield was originally formed as Plainfield Township, a township that was created on April 5, 1847, from portions of Westfield Township, while the area was still part of Essex County. On March 19, 1857, Plainfield Township became part of the newly created Union County.[24]

Plainfield was incorporated as a city by an act of the New Jersey Legislature on April 21, 1869, from portions of Plainfield Township, based on the results of a referendum held that same day. The city and township coexisted until March 6, 1878, when Plainfield Township was dissolved and parts were absorbed by Plainfield city, with the remainder becoming Fanwood Township (now known as Scotch Plains).[24]

The name "Plainfield", also used in both North Plainfield and South Plainfield, is derived from a local estate[25] or from its scenic location.[26]

  1. ^ a b About, City of Plainfield. Accessed December 29, 2021. "Plainfield Is Nicknamed 'The Queen City.'"
  2. ^ a b c d 2019 Census Gazetteer Files: New Jersey Places, United States Census Bureau. Accessed July 1, 2020.
  3. ^ US Gazetteer files: 2010, 2000, and 1990, United States Census Bureau. Accessed September 4, 2014.
  4. ^ Cite error: The named reference Mayor was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  5. ^ 2023 New Jersey Mayors Directory, New Jersey Department of Community Affairs, updated February 8, 2023. Accessed February 10, 2023.
  6. ^ Business Administrator, City of Plainfield. Accessed March 26, 2023.
  7. ^ City Clerk, City of Plainfield. Accessed March 26, 2023.
  8. ^ Cite error: The named reference DataBook was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  9. ^ "ArcGIS REST Services Directory". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved October 11, 2022.
  10. ^ "City of Plainfield". Geographic Names Information System. United States Geological Survey, United States Department of the Interior. Retrieved March 11, 2013.
  11. ^ a b c Cite error: The named reference Census2020 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  12. ^ a b Cite error: The named reference LWD2020 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  13. ^ a b Annual Estimates of the Resident Population for Incorporated Places of 50,000 or More, Ranked by July 1, 2022 Population: April 1, 2020 to July 1, 2022, United States Census Bureau, released May 2023. Accessed May 18, 2023. Note that townships (including Edison, Lakewood and Woodbridge, all of which have larger populations) are excluded from these rankings.
  14. ^ a b Cite error: The named reference PopEst was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  15. ^ a b Population Density by County and Municipality: New Jersey, 2020 and 2021, New Jersey Department of Labor and Workforce Development. Accessed March 1, 2023.
  16. ^ Look Up a ZIP Code Archived May 28, 2012, at the Wayback Machine, United States Postal Service. Accessed October 26, 2011.
  17. ^ Area Code Lookup - NPA NXX for Plainfield, NJ, Area-Codes.com. Accessed September 7, 2014.
  18. ^ U.S. Census website, United States Census Bureau. Accessed September 4, 2014.
  19. ^ Geographic Codes Lookup for New Jersey, Missouri Census Data Center. Accessed April 1, 2022.
  20. ^ US Board on Geographic Names, United States Geological Survey. Accessed September 4, 2014.
  21. ^ Cite error: The named reference Census2010 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  22. ^ Cite error: The named reference LWD2010 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  23. ^ Table 7. Population for the Counties and Municipalities in New Jersey: 1990, 2000 and 2010, New Jersey Department of Labor and Workforce Development, February 2011. Accessed May 1, 2023.
  24. ^ a b Snyder, John P. The Story of New Jersey's Civil Boundaries: 1606-1968, Bureau of Geology and Topography; Trenton, New Jersey; 1969. p. 240. Accessed May 30, 2024.
  25. ^ Hutchinson, Viola L. The Origin of New Jersey Place Names, New Jersey Public Library Commission, May 1945. Accessed September 20, 2015.
  26. ^ Gannett, Henry. The Origin of Certain Place Names in the United States, p. 247. United States Government Printing Office, 1905. Accessed September 11, 2015.