NYC by the Numbers

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NYC Information and Statistics New York City District map

New York City as it exists today was created in 1898 when the city expanded from its original confines of Manhattan to incorporate Brooklyn (Kings County), Queens (Queens County), the Bronx (Bronx County) and Staten Island (Richmond County).  The counties (commonly referred to as boroughs) correspond to the original colonial administrative divisions.

Manhattan, the smallest of the boroughs, measures 13.4 miles in length, 2.3 miles in width at its widest point, and just 0.8 miles at its narrowest point.  With a population of 1,585,873 (2010 Census), it is the most densely populated county in the US.

Brooklyn, situated on the southwest tip of Long Island, is today the most populous (2,504,700: 2010 Census) of the five boroughs.  Queens, to the Northeast of Brooklyn, is the largest and fastest growing (population 2,230,722: 2010 Census)

NYC total population: 8,175,133

The total area of the five boroughs that make up New York City is about 320 sq miles; the longest distance between its boundaries, from the northeast to the southwest, is about 35 miles.

New York Harbor has access to the Atlantic Ocean through the Narrows, a passage between Staten Island and Long Island.  The city is rimmed by more than 578 miles of coastline, which includes some 14 miles of beaches.

The city gave its name to the state (the 11th of the original 13 states of the union), which, by virtue of its economic expansion and political influence became know as the “Empire State.”

Satellite view of NYC

Satellite view of NYC