Bergen was a part of the 17th century province of New Netherland, in the area in northeastern New Jersey along the Hudson and Hackensack Rivers that would become contemporary Hudson and Bergen Counties. Though it only officially existed as an independent municipality from 1661, with the founding of a village at Bergen Square, Bergen began as a factory at Communipaw circa 1615 and was first settled in 1630 as Pavonia. These early settlements were along the banks of the North River across from New Amsterdam, under whose jurisdiction they fell.
Halve Maen on the Hudson
Bust of Henry Hudson in Jersey City Heights
Petrus Stuyvesant (c. 1660), was the only "governor" to have the title of Director-General of New Netherland.
Newkirk House, built in 1690, is the oldest structure in Jersey City.
Hudson County, New Jersey
Hudson County is the smallest and most densely populated county in the U.S. state of New Jersey. It lies west of the lower Hudson River, which was named for Henry Hudson, the sea captain who explored the area in 1609. Part of New Jersey's Gateway Region in the New York metropolitan area, the county seat is Jersey City, which is the county's largest city in terms of both population and area. The county is part of the North Jersey region of the state.
View north on Hudson Waterfront
Satellite image showing the core of the New York metropolitan area. Over 10 million people live in the imaged area. Much of Hudson County is located on the peninsula at left.
Hudson County and the Palisades, viewed across the Hudson River from Manhattan in the afternoon. The glass building visible is the Javits Center.
Midtown Manhattan, seen across the Hudson River from Hoboken at night