Essex County is a county located in the northeastern part of the U.S. state of New Jersey. As of the United States 2000 Census, the population was 793,633, ranking it second in the state after Bergen County. Its county seat is Newark. It is part of the New York Metropolitan Area.

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 130 square miles, of which, 126 square miles of it is land and 3 square miles of it (2.54%) is water. The county rises from generally flat in the east to the twin ridges of the Watchung Mountains in the western half, beyond which the land lowers again into the Passaic River valley.

The highest elevation is found at four areas scattered between Verona, North Caldwell and Essex Fells, all of which reach at least 660 feet above sea level. The lowest point is sea level, at Newark Bay.

While many residents commute to New York City, Organon, Anheuser-Busch, Automatic Data Processing, Inc., CIT Group, Hoffmann-LaRoche, Grainger, Dun & Bradstreet and Prudential have large facilities in Essex County or are headquartered there, and there are numerous factories and large office parks scattered throughout.

Essex County was one of the first counties in America to become fully urbanized[citation needed] and was the first county in the country to create a county park system, to ensure that it did not lose all its land to development.

The various towns of the county, especially Newark, the Oranges, and the Caldwells can be seen in every episode of the HBO mob drama The Sopranos, which is set in North Caldwell.

The county is also home to Newark Liberty International Airport, Essex County Airport, and Port Newark-Elizabeth Marine Terminal.

Essex county was the first county in the United States to have its own parks department. The county's parks include: Anderson Park (Montclair), Becker Park (Roseland), Branch Brook Park (Newark -- the country's oldest county park, Brookdale Park (Montclair/Bloomfield), Eagle Rock Reservation (West Orange/Montclair), Elmwood Park (East Orange/Newark), Grover Cleveland Park (Caldwell), Hilltop Reservation (Caldwell/ Cedar Grove/ North Caldwell/ Verona), Irvington Park (Irvington), Kip's Castle Park (Verona), Mills Reservation (Cedar Grove/Upper Montclair), Orange Park (Orange), Oval Park (East Orange), South Mountain Reservation (West Orange/South Orange/Millburn/Maplewood), Vailsburg Park (Newark), Verona Park (Verona), Weequahic Park (Newark), West Essex Park (West Caldwell/Roseland), Westside Park (Newark), Yanticaw Park (Nutley).

What is MLS Guide? MLSGuide.com is a real estate search engine created by Realty Multiple Listing System of New Jersey. It helps you find homes and commercial properties for sale and rent. How? By bringing you up to the minute listings of properties in New Jersey. You can refine your home search in Essex County, NJ by price, number of bedrooms, bathrooms, and property type (including rentals, condo, condominiums, a single family home, a two family home, a three family home, a four family home, multi family buildings, industrial, retail, commercial, investment properties and vacant land). View our Essex County School Information page to see information for local school districts. Get in contact with Essex County real estate agent, Essex County REALTOR and Essex County real estate brokers. Find your home in New Jersey today!