New Brunswick, also known as "the Healthcare City" or "Hub City", is a city and the county seat of the County of Middlesex, New Jersey, USA. It is 31 miles (50 km) southwest of New York City on the southern bank of the Raritan River about fifteen miles (24 km) from its mouth. The 2006 Census Bureau population estimate of New Brunswick was 50,172.
New Brunswick was formed by Royal Charter on December 30, 1730, within other townships in Middlesex County and Somerset County and was reformed by Royal Charter with the same boundaries on February 12, 1763, at which time it was divided into north and south wards. New Brunswick was incorporated as a city by an Act of the New Jersey Legislature on September 1, 1784. "The Story of New Jersey's Civil Boundaries: 1606-1968", John P. Snyder, Bureau of Geology and Topography; Trenton, New Jersey; 1969. p. 171.
New Brunswick is the county seat of Middlesex County , hosting many of the county's government offices and facilities. It is also home to the largest campuses of Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey (known also as Rutgers University) and the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey (UMDNJ). It is nicknamed Hub City and The Healthcare City, the former reflecting its status as a major urban center of Central Jersey, serviced by many railroads during the nineteenth century, and the latter due to the concentration of medical facilities (both UMDNJ's Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital and Saint Peter's University Hospital) as well as the corporate offices or production facilities of several large pharmaceutical companies (e.g., Johnson & Johnson, Bristol-Myers Squibb).
New Brunswick is noted for its rich ethnic heritage. At one time, one quarter of the Hungarian population in New Jersey resided in the city. Today, much of that Hungarian community continues to thrive.
