Hoboken

History

The name Hoboken was chosen by Colonel John Stevens when he bought land on a part of which the city still sits. The Lenape, later called Delaware Indian tribe of Native Americans, referred to the area as the "land of the tobacco pipe", most likely to refer to the soapstone collected there to carve tobacco pipes, and used a phrase that became "Hopoghan Hackingh". Like Weehawken, its neighbor to the north, as well as Communipaw and Harsimus to the south, Hoboken had many variations in the folks-tongue. Hoebuck, old Dutch for high bluff, and likely referring to Castle Point, the district of the city highest above sea level, was used during the colonial era, and was later spelled as Hobuck, Hobock, Hobuk and Hoboocken. However, in the nineteenth century, the name was changed to Hoboken, influenced by Flemish immigrants, and a folk etymology had emerged, linking the town of Hoboken to the similarly named Hoboken district of Antwerp. Hoboken has been nicknamed the Mile Square City, Hoboken was originally an island which was surrounded by the Hudson River on the east and tidal lands at the foot of the New Jersey Palisades on the west. It was a seasonal campsite in the territory of the Hackensack, a phratry of the Lenni Lenape, who used the serpentine rock found there to carve pipes. An entry made in the journal of Hudson's mate, Robert Juet, on that date, is the earliest known reference to the area today known as Hoboken, and would be the last known such reference until twenty years later. Soon after the area became part of the province of New Netherland. In 1630, Michael Reyniersz Pauw, a burgemeester (mayor) of Amsterdam and a director of the Dutch West India Company, received a land grant as patroon on the condition that he would plant a colony of not fewer than fifty…

Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of , including of land and of water (37.50%). Hoboken lies on the west bank of the Hudson River between Weehawken and Union City to the north and Jersey City (the county seat) to the south and west. Directly across the Hudson River are the Manhattan, New York City neighborhoods of the West Village and Chelsea. Hoboken is laid out in a grid. North–south streets are named (Washington, Adams, Jefferson, Madison, Monroe, Jackson, Harrison, and Clinton, for example). The numbered streets running east–west start two blocks north of Observer Highway with First Street, with the grid ending close to 16th near Weehawken Cove and the city line.), The Projects, Hoboken Terminal, and Hudson Tea are distinct enclaves at the city's periphery. The "Northwest" is a name being used for that part of the city as it transforms from its previous industrial use into a residential district. Hoboken's ZIP Code is 07030

Race & ethnicity

Most-observed species

• House Sparrow

  Passer domesticus (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  223,272
• American Robin

  Turdus migratorius Linnaeus, 1766 · Aves
  210,480
• European Starling

  Sturnus vulgaris Linnaeus, 1758 · Aves
  194,508
• Mourning Dove

  Zenaida macroura (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  179,743
• Northern Cardinal

  Cardinalis cardinalis (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  179,410
• Rock Pigeon

  Columba livia J.F.Gmelin, 1789 · Aves
  170,151
• Blue Jay

  Cyanocitta cristata (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  159,433
• Mallard

  Anas platyrhynchos Linnaeus, 1758 · Aves
  149,877

Largest nearby schools

• Union City High School
  High · Union City · 3,025 students · 16.9:1 ratio
• Bayonne High School
  High · BAYONNE · 2,656 students · 12.5:1 ratio
• North Bergen High School
  High · N BERGEN · 2,355 students · 14.5:1 ratio
• Memorial High School
  High · WEST NEW YORK · 2,251 students · 15.4:1 ratio
• William L Dickinson High School
  High · JERSEY CITY · 2,024 students · 16.3:1 ratio
• Kearny High School
  High · KEARNY · 1,827 students · 13.5:1 ratio
• BelovED Community Charter School
  Other · Jersey City · 1,551 students · 15.5:1 ratio
• James J Ferris High School
  High · JERSEY CITY · 1,348 students · 14.8:1 ratio

Most recent

• M 2.8 — 2025-08-05
  1 km N of Hillsdale, New Jersey
• M 3 — 2025-08-03
  0 km W of Little Ferry, New Jersey
• M 2.9 — 2024-05-24
  6 km E of Califon, New Jersey
• M 2.6 — 2024-05-01
  1 km NW of Gladstone, New Jersey
• M 2.9 — 2024-04-27
  7 km WSW of Gladstone, New Jersey
• M 2.6 — 2024-04-10
  5 km WSW of Gladstone, New Jersey