Essex

Essex, county, northeastern New Jersey, U.S., bounded by Newark Bay to the southeast and the Passaic River to the east and west. The county’s topography ranges from coastal lowland in the east to hilly piedmont in the west. Although timberland is scarce, oak and hickory are the principal forest species. Essex is the home of the nation’s first county park system, which began in 1895. English settlers purchased lands from the Delaware Indians in 1666....