Northeastern United States

{{Main|Indigenous peoples of the Northeastern Woodlands}}

Anthropologists recognize the "Northeastern Woodlands" as one of the cultural regions that existed in the Western Hemisphere at the time of European colonists in the 15th and later centuries. Most did not settle in North America until the 17th century. The cultural area, known as the "Northeastern Woodlands", in addition to covering the entire Northeast U.S., also covered much of what is now Canada and others regions of what is now the eastern United States.{{cite book|title=Eastern Woodlands Indians|author=Mir Tamim Ansary|page=4|publisher=Capstone Classroom|year=2001|isbn=978-1-58810-451-9}}

Among the many tribes inhabiting this area were those that made up the Iroquois nations and the numerous Algonquian peoples.{{cite book|title=A Native American Encyclopedia: History, Culture, and Peoples|author=Pritzker, Barry|publisher=Oxford University Press|year=2000|page=[https://archive.org/details/nativeamericanen0000prit/page/398 398]|isbn=0-19-513877-5|url=https://archive.org/details/nativeamericanen0000prit/page/398}} In the United States of the 21st century, 18 federally recognized tribes reside in the Northeast.{{cite web |title=Northeast Region Fact Sheet |url=http://www.fws.gov/northeast/PDF/Region_5_facts_09-11.pdf |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130702125210/http://www.fws.gov/northeast/PDF/Region_5_facts_09-11.pdf |archive-date=July 2, 2013 |access-date=July 31, 2013}} For the most part, the people of the Northeastern Woodlands, on whose lands European fishermen began camping to dry their codfish in the early 1600s, lived in villages, especially after being influenced by agricultural traditions of the Ohio and Mississippi valley societies.Nash, Gary B. Red, White and Black: The Peoples of Early North America Los Angeles 2015. Chapter 1, p. 8

{{Main|History of New England}}

File:Robert Walter Weir - Embarkation of the Pilgrims - Google Art Project.jpg]]

File:Treaty of Penn with Indians by Benjamin West.jpg]]

All of the U.S. states making up the Northeastern region were among the original Thirteen Colonies, though Maine and Vermont were part of other colonies before the United States became independent in the American Revolution. The two cultural and geographic regions that form parts of the Northeastern region have distinct histories. The first European explorer known to have explored the Atlantic shoreline of the Northeast since the Norse was Giovanni da Verrazzano in 1524. His ship La Dauphine explored the coast from what is now known as Florida to New Brunswick.

The first Europeans to settle and colonize New England were Pilgrims from England, who landed in present-day Massachusetts in 1620.{{cite book|last=Arenstam|first=Peter|title=Mayflower 1620: A New Look at a Pilgrim Voyage|year=2007|publisher=National Geographic|location=Washington, D.C.|isbn=978-0-7922-6276-3|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=KX5F19BCgecC|author2=Kemp, John|author3=Grace, Catherine O'Neill|access-date=October 17, 2015|archive-date=April 24, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160424112548/https://books.google.com/books?id=KX5F19BCgecC|url-status=live}} The Pilgrims arrived on the ship Mayflower and founded Plymouth Colony so they could practice religion freely. Ten years later, a larger group of Puritans settled north of Plymouth Colony in Boston to form Massachusetts Bay Colony.{{cite web|title=A Brief History of Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA |url=http://www2.cambridgema.gov/historic/cambridgehistory.html |work=Cambridge Historical Commission |access-date=August 16, 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120930095250/http://www2.cambridgema.gov/historic/cambridgehistory.html |archive-date=September 30, 2012 }} In 1636, colonists established Connecticut Colony{{cite web |last=Kelly |first=Martin |title=Founding of Connecticut Colony |website=ThoughtCo |date=2019-09-05 |url=https://www.thoughtco.com/connecticut-colony-103870 |access-date=2024-09-12}} and Providence Plantations.{{cite web |last=Kelly |first=Martin |title=How Rhode Island Colony Was Founded |website=ThoughtCo |date=2020-08-02 |url=https://www.thoughtco.com/rhode-island-colony-103880 |access-date=2024-09-12}}

Providence was founded by Roger Williams, who was banished by Massachusetts for his beliefs in freedom of religion, and it was the first colony to guarantee all citizens freedom of worship. Anne Hutchinson, who was also banished by Massachusetts, formed the town of Portsmouth. Providence, Portsmouth and two other towns (Newport and Warwick) consolidated to form the Colony of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations.

Henry Hudson explored the area of present-day New York in 1609 and claimed it for the Netherlands. His journey stimulated Dutch interest, and the area became known as New Netherland. In 1625, the city of New Amsterdam (the location of present-day New York City) was designated the capital of the province.{{cite book |last=Barreveld |first=Drs. Dirk J. |title=From New Amsterdam to New York: the founding of New York by the Dutch in July 1625 |publisher=Writers Club Press |year=2001 |isbn=978-0-595-19890-0 |location=New York}} The Dutch New Netherland settlement along the Hudson River and, for a time, the New Sweden settlement along the Delaware River divided the English settlements in the north and the south. In 1664, Charles II of England formally annexed New Netherland and incorporated it into the English colonial empire.{{cite web |title=The Middle Colonies |url=http://www.radford.edu/~rvshelton/Middle.htm |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120720074412/http://www.radford.edu/~rvshelton/Middle.htm |archive-date=July 20, 2012 |access-date=August 16, 2012 |work=Radford University}} The territory became the colonies of New York and New Jersey. New Jersey was originally split into East Jersey and West Jersey until the two were united as a royal colony in 1702.

New England played a prominent role in early American education. Starting in the 17th century, the larger towns in New England opened grammar schools, the forerunner of the modern high school.{{Citation needed|date=August 2012}} The first public school in the English colonies was the Boston Latin School, founded in 1635.{{cite book |last=Jenks |first=Henry Fitch |url=https://archive.org/details/bostonpubliclat02jenkgoog |title=The Boston Public Latin School. 1635-1880 |publisher=M. King |year=1880 |access-date=August 16, 2012}} In 1636, the colonial legislature of Massachusetts founded Harvard College, the oldest institution of higher learning in the United States.{{cite web |title=Harvard University Founded |url=http://www.celebrateboston.com/cambridge/harvard-college-founded.htm |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120606101239/http://www.celebrateboston.com/cambridge/harvard-college-founded.htm |archive-date=June 6, 2012 |access-date=August 16, 2012 |work=CelebrateBoston.com}}

In 1681, William Penn, who wanted to give Quakers a land of religious freedom, founded Pennsylvania and extended freedom of religion to all citizens.{{cite web |last=Forrest |first=Tuomi J. |title=William Penn – Introduction |url=http://xroads.virginia.edu/~cap/penn/pnintro.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131208102924/http://xroads.virginia.edu/~CAP/PENN/pnintro.html |archive-date=December 8, 2013 |access-date=August 16, 2012}}

Penn strongly desired access to the sea for the Province of Pennsylvania and leased what then came to be known as the "Lower Counties on the Delaware" from the Duke.{{cite book |last=Munroe |first=John A |title=History of Delaware |publisher=University of Delaware Press |year=2006 |isbn=0-87413-947-3 |edition=5th, illustrated |page=45 |chapter=3. The Lower Counties on The Delaware |access-date=November 2, 2020 |chapter-url=https://books.google.com/books?id=vs7NcOKnlNUC&q=%22Lower+counties%22+%22on+the+delaware%22&pg=PA46 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210220153248/https://books.google.com/books?id=vs7NcOKnlNUC&q=%22Lower+counties%22+%22on+the+delaware%22&pg=PA46 |archive-date=February 20, 2021 |url-status=live}} Penn established representative government and briefly combined his two possessions under one General Assembly in 1682.

By 1704, the province of Pennsylvania had grown so large that their representatives wanted to make decisions without the assent of the Lower Counties and the two groups of representatives began meeting on their own, one at Philadelphia, and the other at New Castle, Delaware. Penn and his heirs remained proprietors of both and always appointed the same person Governor for their province of Pennsylvania and their territory of the Lower Counties. The fact that Delaware and Pennsylvania shared the same governor was not unique. From 1703 to 1738, both New York and New Jersey shared a governor.{{Citation |last=Lurie |first=Mappen M |title=Encyclopedia of New Jersey |page=327 |year=2004 |publisher=Rutgers University Press |isbn=0-8135-3325-2}}. Massachusetts and New Hampshire also shared a governor for some time.{{Citation |last=Mayo |first=LS |title=John Wentworth, Governor of New Hampshire: 1767–1775 |page=5 |year=1921 |publisher=Harvard University Press}}.

{{Further|American Revolution|American Revolutionary War}}

File:Battle of Trenton by Charles McBarron.jpg, fought in New Jersey in December 1776 following Washington's covert crossing of the Delaware during the night of December 25, 1776, represented an inspiring victory for Washington's Continental Army and began to turn the Revolutionary War in the Americans' favor.]]

The beginnings of the American Revolutionary War would be in the Northeast, specifically in Massachusetts. The Battles of Lexington and Concord in northeast of Boston would be the first military engagements between the Revolutionaries and the British.{{cite book |last=Daughan |first=George C. |title=Lexington and Concord : the battle heard round the world |publisher=W.W. Norton & Company |publication-place=New York, NY |year=2018 |isbn=978-0-393-24575-2 |oclc=1089832154 |page=}}{{page needed |date=August 2024}} Many of the major battles of the revolution would be fought in the Northeast. The British would evacuate Boston in early-1776 and would move to capture New York City.{{cite book |last=McCullough |first=David G. |author-link=David McCullough |title=1776 |publisher=Simon & Schuster |publication-place=New York |year=2005 |isbn=978-0-7432-2671-4 |oclc=57557578 |page=}}{{page needed |date=August 2024}}

The revolutionaries were pushed to the Delaware River before suddenly moving forward against the British in the Battles of Trenton and Princeton.{{page needed |date=August 2024}} A stalemate was reached in 1778, between the British and American Revolutionaries and continued until the end of the war in 1783.{{Cite book |last=Boatner |first=Mark M. III |title=Encyclopedia of the American Revolution |date=1994 |publisher=Stackpole Books |isbn=0-8117-0578-1 |edition=3rd |location=Mechanicsburg, Pa. |oclc=29595553}} The war would move to southern states and eventually conclude with the Battle of Yorktown in Virginia.{{page needed |date=August 2024}}

The idea of an independent United States of America, with the designs of its government would be created primarily in the Northeast in a series of declarations, constitutions, and documents. The Continental Congresses would meet in Philadelphia, which would produce the Declaration of Independence and the Articles of Confederation. Following the American Revolution, the capital of the newly formed United States would move around in the states of Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and New York. It was based in New York City from 1785 until 1790, when it was moved to Congress Hall in Philadelphia, where it remained for a decade, until 1800, when the construction of the new national capital of Washington, D.C. was completed.{{Cite web |last=González |first=Jennifer |date=November 17, 2015 |title=On This Day: Congress Moves to Washington, D.C. {{!}} In Custodia Legis: Law Librarians of Congress |url=https://blogs.loc.gov/law/2015/11/on-this-day-congress-moves-to-washington-d-c/ |access-date=February 19, 2023 |website=blogs.loc.gov}}

The Constitutional Convention was held in Philadelphia, where the new United States Constitution was drafted in 1787.{{Cite book |last=Jillson |first=Calvin C. |title=American government: political development and institutional change |date=2009 |publisher=Routledge |isbn=978-0-415-99570-2 |edition=5th |location=New York |oclc=263497894}} 6 of the first 13 states to ratify the new constitution would be in the Northeast, with the last of the original 13, Rhode Island, ratifying the constitution in 1790. Vermont would be admitted in 1791 as the 14th state. The first Congress would convene in Federal Hall in New York City in March 1789.{{Cite web |title=A Century of Lawmaking for a New Nation: U.S. Congressional Documents and Debates, 1774 - 1875 |url=https://memory.loc.gov/cgi-bin/ampage?collId=llsj&fileName=001/llsj001.db&recNum=4 |access-date=February 19, 2023 |website=memory.loc.gov}}

File:Battle of Gettysburg, by Currier and Ives.png, fought in and around Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, was the American Civil War's bloodiest battle; the Union's victory at Gettysburg represented a turning point in the war in the Union's favor.]]

Following the revolution the Northeast would see small skirmishes like the Whiskey Rebellion in western parts of Pennsylvania.{{cite book |last=Berkin |first=Carol |author-link=Carol Berkin |title=A Sovereign People: The Crises of the 1790s and the Birth of American Nationalism |publisher=Basic Books |publication-place=New York |year=2017 |isbn=978-0-465-09493-6 |oclc=961388695 |page=}} [{{GBurl|id=9iH6DAAAQBAJ}} Partial preview] a Google Books.{{page needed |date=August 2024}} Many northeastern states would continue trading with the British and other European powers. Tensions between the United States and Europe (specifically Britain) would sour in the lead up to the War of 1812.

This caused certain trade merchants to meet in Hartford to propose succeeding from the United States.{{Cite book |last=Buel |first=Richard |title=America on the brink: how the political struggle over the war of 1812 almost destroyed the young republic |date=2005 |publisher=Palgrave Macmillan |isbn=1-4039-6238-3 |location=New York, N.Y. |oclc=55510543}} The War of 1812 would see less fighting in the Northeast and instead more fighting in western and southern areas. A failed invasion of Canada and the occupation of Maine would be some of the major conflicts during the war.{{Cite book |last=Benn |first=Carl |title=The War of 1812 |date=2002 |publisher=Osprey |isbn=1-84176-466-3 |location=Oxford |oclc=59463925}} The war would end in 1815 and most of the Northeast has not seen any major conflict since then.

The American Industrial Revolution was launched in Blackstone Valley in Rhode Island and Massachusetts, where textile mills spread across New England, and in eastern Pennsylvania, where coal, steel, and industrialization launched the nation's manufacturing sector.{{Cite web |title= Old Slater Mill |website=National Historic Landmarks Program |url=http://tps.cr.nps.gov/nhl/detail.cfm?ResourceId=6&ResourceType=District |access-date=February 19, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121007141543/http://tps.cr.nps.gov/nhl/detail.cfm?ResourceId=6&ResourceType=District |archive-date=October 7, 2012 }}

After the end of the War of 1812, industry boomed in the Northeast in the early and middle parts of the 19th century. With the construction of railroad and canals crossing the northeast and the rise of western territories and resources from the south, the Northeast experienced the development of new industries and a fast-growing population. Many of the coastal cities, including Boston, New York City, and Philadelphia, served as ocean trade ports for American goods.

Cities, including Allentown, Buffalo, Pittsburgh, Rochester, and Syracuse, were settled and emerged as major industrial centers.{{Cite web |title=The Industrial Revolution in the United States {{!}} Classroom Materials at the Library of Congress {{!}} Library of Congress |url=https://www.loc.gov/classroom-materials/industrial-revolution-in-the-united-states/ |access-date=February 19, 2023 |website=Library of Congress, Washington, D.C. 20540 USA}}

By 1860, New York City, based on its present-day boundaries, was the first U.S. city to reach a population exceeding one million.{{cite encyclopedia |last=Jackson |first=Kenneth T. |author-link=Kenneth T. Jackson |title=The Encyclopedia of New York City |publisher=Yale University Press ; New-York Historical Society |publication-place=New Haven, Conn. : New York |date=1995 |isbn=978-0-300-05536-8 |oclc=32395903 |page=}}{{page needed |date=August 2024}} Due to the settlement of the Midwest and Great Plains, agriculture would collapse in the Mid-Atlantic and New England, with many farms being abandoned by the end of the century, returning to rural forest.

Conflicts with the south over the spread of slavery would become a large factor in the start of the American Civil War, between the United States (western and Northeastern states) and the Confederacy (southeastern states). The admission of Maine as a free state in exchange for Missouri becoming a slave state as part of the Missouri Compromise in 1820 would settle the final boundaries of the Northeastern states.{{Cite journal |last=Mueller |first=Ken S. |date=2017 |title=Wolf by the Ears: The Missouri Crisis, 1819–1821 by John R. Van Atta (review) |url=https://muse.jhu.edu/pub/56/article/649287 |journal=Journal of the Early Republic |volume=37 |issue=1 |pages=173–175 |doi=10.1353/jer.2017.0011 |s2cid=151453560 |issn=1553-0620|url-access=subscription }}

The Mason-Dixon line would be established as the border of slavery, following the border of Pennsylvania and Delaware/Maryland.{{Cite web |title=Slavery in Delaware |url=http://slavenorth.com/delaware.htm |access-date=February 19, 2023 |website=slavenorth.com}} Abolitionist movements would start in the Northeast and Midwest and would become prominent towards the mid-19th century, these groups advocated the shrinking or banning of slavery in the United States. Some Northeastern states still had small amounts of slaves into the 1850s, though some would ban it during the decade.

The election of 1860 led to the start of the Civil War; southern states seceded from the United States in late-1860 and early-1861. States like Maryland and Delaware would remain in the union, even with slavery still legal. For the first two years, the eastern theater of the war would remain in Virginia and Maryland, but in 1863 the war would reach its northeastern most extent in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania. The Battle of Gettysburg is considered a turning point in the Civil War, seeing the end of the Confederate push northwards.{{Cite web |date=July 21, 2011 |title=List of Classified Structures |url=http://www.hscl.cr.nps.gov/insidenps/report.asp?STATE=&PARK=GETT&RECORDNO=461 |access-date=February 19, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110721060321/http://www.hscl.cr.nps.gov/insidenps/report.asp?STATE=&PARK=GETT&RECORDNO=461 |archive-date=July 21, 2011 }}

While all Northeastern states would remain in the United States during the war, conflicts did arise, like the New York draft riots in 1863.{{Cite book |last=Foner |first=Eric |title=Reconstruction: America's unfinished revolution, 1863-1877 |date=2002 |publisher=Perennial Classics |isbn=0-06-093716-5 |edition=1st Perennial Classics |location=New York |oclc=48074168}} The war would end in 1865 with the United States taking back control of Southern states.

File:Mulberry Street NYC c1900 LOC 3g04637u edit.jpg in Lower Manhattan, {{Circa|1900}}]]

File:The Harmsworth atlas and Gazetter 1908 (135851517).jpg

Following the Civil War, the Northeast would see a large economic boom and would become one of the most industrialized regions in the world. Many technological innovations would be made in the Northeast during this time. The Second Industrial Revolution would see the northeast grow massively, even more so than before the Civil War. Many cities in the Northeast would explode in population, with cities like Philadelphia and New York climbing over one million people, while other cities like Buffalo, Boston, and Pittsburgh would rise above half a million during this time.

New York City eventually grew to become one of the largest cities in the world by 1900. With the American involvement in both World Wars, the Northeast would become a large base of war production, with the Brooklyn Naval Yard producing many navy ships.{{Cite web |title=The Brooklyn Daily Eagle 09 Dec 1940, page 10 |url=https://bklyn.newspapers.com/image/52774625/ |access-date=February 19, 2023 |website=Newspapers.com |language=en}} Many worker strikes would occur in the states, including the Homestead strike in 1892.{{Cite web |title=The Strike at Homestead Mill {{!}} American Experience {{!}} PBS |url=https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/americanexperience/features/carnegie-strike-homestead-mill/ |access-date=February 19, 2023 |website=Pbs.org |language=en}} Many of these cities would see a peak population and industrial output in the aftermath of World War II in the 1950s.{{Cite web |title=Who Makes It? |url=http://www.63alfred.com/whomakesit/ |access-date=February 19, 2023 |website=63alfred.com}}

Starting in the 1950s and continuing into the 21st century, a large industrial decline in the Northeast resulted in a depopulation of many Northeastern cities, many of which had not yet recovered from it into the 21st century. This led to the rise of programs of urban renewal and demolition of large parts of Northeastern cities during the mid and late 20th century.{{cite book |last=Sugrue |first=Thomas J. |author-link=Thomas Sugrue |title=The origins of the urban crisis : race and inequality in postwar Detroit |publisher=Princeton University Press |publication-place=New Jersey |year=2014 |isbn=978-1-4008-5121-8 |oclc=878919151 |page=}}{{page needed |date=August 2024}} There has also been a large population shift to the Sun Belt states starting in the 1960s.{{Cite web |date=June 24, 2008 |title=Sun Belt Growth Shapes Housing's Future {{!}} Government > Government Bodies & Offices from AllBusiness.com |url=http://www.allbusiness.com/government/government-bodies-offices/6324745-1.html |access-date=February 19, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080624084300/http://www.allbusiness.com/government/government-bodies-offices/6324745-1.html |archive-date=June 24, 2008 }}

New York state lost its claim to being the most populated state after it was surpassed by California in the 1970s. Some Northeastern cities, including New York City, have recovered from its decline in the mid-20th century.{{page needed |date=August 2024}} Many new information and service industries have risen in the northeast, which has led to a boom in the 21st century in some cities in the Northeast like Boston, New York, and Philadelphia. Some other cities like Hartford, Syracuse, and Buffalo still are declining though in the 21st century.{{Cite web |date=June 29, 2006 |title=Table 7. Connecticut - Race and Hispanic Origin for Selected Large Cities and Other Places: Earliest Census to 1990 |url=http://www.census.gov/population/documentation/twps0076/CTtab.pdf |access-date=February 19, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060629035530/http://www.census.gov/population/documentation/twps0076/CTtab.pdf |archive-date=June 29, 2006 }} Hurricane Sandy would impact much of the northeast in 2012, severely damaging much of the coast and causing flooding inland. The hurricane would directly impact New Jersey and caused large amounts of flooding in New York City.{{Cite web |date=November 1, 2012 |title=NEW YORK - Water, fire, destruction: NYC after the superstorm - Nation - TheState.com |url=http://www.thestate.com/2012/10/29/2499940/nyc-waters-rise-to-irene-levels.html |access-date=February 28, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121101080214/http://www.thestate.com/2012/10/29/2499940/nyc-waters-rise-to-irene-levels.html |archive-date=November 1, 2012 }}

Although the first settlers of New England were motivated by religion, since the 21st century, New England had become one of the least religious parts of the United States. In a 2009 Gallup survey, less than half of residents in Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, and Vermont reported religion as an important part of their daily life.{{cite web|last=Newport|first=Frank|title=State of the States: Importance of Religion|url=http://www.gallup.com/poll/114022/State-States-YES%20Importance-Religion.aspx|work=Gallup|access-date=August 17, 2012|archive-date=August 17, 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120817043756/http://www.gallup.com/poll/114022/State-States-YES%20Importance-Religion.aspx|url-status=live}} In a 2010 Gallup survey, less than 30% of residents in Vermont, New Hampshire, Maine, and Massachusetts reported attending church weekly, giving them the lowest church attendance among U.S. states.{{cite web |url=http://www.gallup.com/poll/125999/mississippians-go-church-most-vermonters-least.aspx |title=Mississippians Go to Church the Most; Vermonters, Least |date=February 17, 2010 |publisher=Gallup.com |access-date=March 17, 2012 |archive-date=September 27, 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130927040257/http://www.gallup.com/poll/125999/mississippians-go-church-most-vermonters-least.aspx |url-status=live }}

File:Sunset on Cape Cod Bay.jpg, a leading tourist destination in Massachusetts]]

File:Palisades Sill from Palisades Parkway.jpg along the Hudson River in New Jersey]]

File:Montauk 01.jpg on the east end of Long Island]]

The vast area from central Virginia to northern Maine, and from western Pennsylvania, from Pittsburgh in the west to the Atlantic Ocean in the east, have all been loosely grouped into the Northeast at one time or another.

The U.S. Census Bureau's definition of the Northeast includes nine states: Maine, New York, New Jersey, Vermont, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Connecticut, New Hampshire, and Pennsylvania.{{efn|The U.S. Census Bureau reorganized its administrative units, and its regional offices do not cover the Census regions (the northeasternmost regional office headquartered in New York covers New England, New York, New Jersey, and Puerto Rico).{{cite web|title=2013 Regions of the US Census Bureau|url=https://www.census.gov/regions/pdf/new_ro_map_final.pdf|publisher=Census Bureau|access-date=July 22, 2013|archive-date=October 14, 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131014233145/https://www.census.gov/regions/pdf/new_ro_map_final.pdf|url-status=live}}}}

The region is often subdivided into New England, the six states east of New York state and the Mid-Atlantic states of New Jersey, New York, and Pennsylvania. This definition has been essentially unchanged since 1880 and is widely used as a standard for data tabulation.{{cite book|pages=6–1|title=Geographic Areas Reference Manual|publisher=U.S. Census Bureau|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=fnQQp4N93QwC&pg=SA6-PA1|access-date=July 4, 2013|year=1994|archive-date=June 24, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160624022436/https://books.google.com/books?id=fnQQp4N93QwC&pg=SA6-PA1|url-status=live}}{{cite book|title=Asking Questions: Practical Guide to Questionnaire Design|author1=Seymour Sudman|author2=Norman M. Bradburn|name-list-style=amp|year=1982|publisher=Jossey-Bass|page=205|quote=The most widely used regional definitions follow those of the U.S. Bureau of the Census.|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=8Ay2AAAAIAAJ|isbn=978-0-87589-546-8|access-date=October 17, 2015|archive-date=May 15, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160515042215/https://books.google.com/books?id=8Ay2AAAAIAAJ|url-status=live}}{{cite book|title=Retailing|author=Dale M. Lewison|year=1997|publisher=Prentice Hall|page=384|quote=Perhaps the most widely used regional classification system is one developed by the U.S. Census Bureau.|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=oPUJAQAAMAAJ|isbn=978-0-13-461427-4|access-date=October 17, 2015|archive-date=December 15, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191215130738/https://books.google.com/books?id=oPUJAQAAMAAJ|url-status=live}}{{cite book|title=Food and Culture|author1=Pamela Goyan Kittler|author2=Kathryn P. Sucher|year=2008|publisher=Cengage Learning|page=475|quote=(M)ost demographic and food consumption data are presented in this four-region format.|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=eKdbaMY5AHEC&pg=PA475|isbn=978-0-495-11541-0|access-date=November 2, 2020|archive-date=January 26, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210126054420/https://books.google.com/books?id=eKdbaMY5AHEC&pg=PA475|url-status=live}}

The U.S. Census Bureau has acknowledged the obvious limitations of this definition and the potential merits of a proposal created after the 1950 census,{{cite book|title=Proceedings of the National Geographic Areas Conference: putting it together for 1990|year=1984|publisher=U.S. Census Bureau|page=161|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=xwVFxxqidLwC|access-date=October 17, 2015|archive-date=April 26, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160426174816/https://books.google.com/books?id=xwVFxxqidLwC|url-status=live}} that would include changing regional boundaries to include Delaware, Maryland, and Washington, D.C. with the Mid-Atlantic states, but ultimately decided that "the new system did not win enough overall acceptance among data users to warrant adoption as an official new set of general-purpose State groupings. The previous development of many series of statistics, arranged and issued over long periods of time on the basis of the existing State groupings, favored the retention of the summary units of the current regions and divisions."{{cite book|title=Geographic Areas Reference Manual|chapter=Six: Statistical Groupings of States and Counties|date=November 1994|url=https://www.census.gov/geo/reference/pdfs/GARM/Ch6GARM.pdf|access-date=July 31, 2013|publisher=U.S. Census Bureau|archive-date=April 19, 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130419002020/http://www.census.gov/geo/reference/pdfs/GARM/Ch6GARM.pdf|url-status=live}} The U.S. Census Bureau confirmed in 1994 that it would continue to "review the components of the regions and divisions to ensure that they continue to represent the most useful combinations of states and state equivalents."

Many organizations and reference works follow the Census Bureau's definition for the region.{{cite book|title=Encyclopedia of Associations: Regional, State, and Local Organizations: Northeastern States|volume=(Vol. 2: Northeastern States)|edition=22|year=2010|publisher=Gale|editor=Verne Thompson}}{{cite book|page=630|title=The New York Times Guide to Essential Knowledge: A Desk Reference for the Curious Mind |publisher=Macmillan|year=2011 |isbn=978-1-4299-5085-5}}{{cite book|page=[https://archive.org/details/understandingcul0000unse/page/220 220]|title=Understanding Cultural Diversity: Culture, Curriculum, and Community in Nursing|author1=Kelley, Mary Lebreck|author2=Virginia Macken Fitzsimons|name-list-style=amp|year=2000|publisher=Jones & Bartlett Learning|isbn=978-0-7637-1106-1|url=https://archive.org/details/understandingcul0000unse/page/220}} In the history of the United States, the Mason–Dixon line between Pennsylvania (the North) and Maryland (the South) traditionally divided the regions,{{Cite encyclopedia |title=Mason-Dixon Line |encyclopedia=Encyclopedia Britannica |url=https://www.britannica.com/place/Mason-and-Dixon-Line |language=en |access-date=May 26, 2020 |archive-date=May 12, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200512234010/https://www.britannica.com/place/Mason-and-Dixon-Line |url-status=live }} but in modern times, various entities define the Northeastern United States in somewhat different ways.

The Association of American Geographers divides the Northeast into two divisions: "New England", which is the same as the Census Bureau; and it has the same "Middle States" but adds Delaware.{{cite web|url=http://www.aag.org/cs/about_aag/regional_divisions|title=Overview – AAG|work=aag.org|access-date=May 10, 2014|archive-date=March 11, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190311164305/http://www.aag.org/cs/about_aag/regional_divisions}} Similarly, the Geological Society of America defines the Northeast as these same states but with the addition of Maryland and the District of Columbia.{{cite web|url=https://www.geosociety.org/sections/ne/|title=Geological Society of America – Northeastern Section|work=geosociety.org|access-date=August 29, 2019|archive-date=November 23, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191123151604/https://www.geosociety.org//sections/ne/|url-status=live}}

The narrowest definitions include only the states of New England.{{cite web|url=http://northeastoceancouncil.org/about/nroc-overview/|title=NROC Overview|publisher=Northeast Regional Ocean Council|access-date=July 11, 2013|archive-date=September 25, 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130925063912/http://northeastoceancouncil.org/about/nroc-overview/|url-status=live}} Other more restrictive definitions include New England and New York as part of the Northeast United States, but exclude Pennsylvania and New Jersey.{{cite web|url=https://www.fda.gov/Safety/Recalls/IndustryGuidance/ucm129334.htm|title=Safety: ORA District and Headquarters Recall Coordinators|publisher=U.S. Food and Drug Administration|access-date=July 24, 2013|archive-date=August 19, 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130819224407/http://www.fda.gov/Safety/Recalls/IndustryGuidance/ucm129334.htm|url-status=dead}}{{cite web |url=http://dodneregional.org/council/about_council.html |title=About The Council |publisher=Department of Defense Northeast Regional Council |access-date=September 21, 2013 |archive-date=September 23, 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130923050848/http://dodneregional.org/council/about_council.html |url-status=live }}

States beyond the Census Bureau definition are included in Northeast Region by various other entities:

• Various organizations include Delaware, Maryland, and the national capital of Washington, D.C.{{cite book|title=Across This Land: A Regional Geography of the United States and Canada|author=John C. Hudson|year=2002|page=81 ff|publisher=JHU Press |isbn=0-8018-6567-0}}{{cite book|title=North America: The Historical Geography of a Changing Continent|author1=Thomas F. McIlwraith|author2=Edward K. Muller|year=2001|page=[https://archive.org/details/northamericahist00mcil/page/190 190]|publisher=Rowman & Littlefield |isbn=0-7425-0019-5|url=https://archive.org/details/northamericahist00mcil/page/190}}{{cite book|title=Political Geography of the United States|editor=Shelley, Fred M.|publisher=Guilford Press|year=1996|isbn=1-57230-048-5}}{{cite web|title=Region I Jurisdiction|url=https://www.nrc.gov/info-finder/region-state/region1.html|publisher=Nuclear Regulatory Commission|access-date=July 25, 2013|archive-date=September 10, 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130910153311/http://www.nrc.gov/info-finder/region-state/region1.html|url-status=live}}{{cite web|url=https://www.ers.usda.gov/webdocs/publications/84880/eib-178.pdf|title=Major Uses of Land in the United States|year=2012|author1=Daniel P. Bigelow|author2=Allison Borchers|name-list-style=amp|publisher=USDA's Economic Research Service|access-date=August 5, 2021|archive-date=November 29, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211129084208/https://www.ers.usda.gov/webdocs/publications/84880/eib-178.pdf|url-status=live}}
• The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration include in their Northeast Region Delaware, Maryland, and West Virginia.{{cite book|url=https://archive.org/details/climatechangeimp0000unse|chapter=Chapter 4: Potential Consequences of Climate Variability and Change for the Northeastern United States|author=Barron, Eric|publisher=Cambridge University Press|title=Climate Change Impacts on the United States: The Potential Consequences of Climate Variability and Change|year=2001|editor=National Assessment Synthesis Team, U.S. Global Change Research Program|isbn=0-521-00075-0|access-date=March 15, 2010}}{{cite web|title=Northeast Climate Region|date=January 21, 2015|url=http://water.epa.gov/scitech/climatechange/Northeast-Climate-Region.cfm|publisher=United States Environmental Protection Agency|access-date=July 4, 2013|archive-date=June 29, 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130629024655/http://water.epa.gov/scitech/climatechange/Northeast-Climate-Region.cfm|url-status=live}}{{cite web|title=Northeast Regional Climate Center|url=http://www.nrcc.cornell.edu/index.html|publisher=National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration|access-date=July 20, 2013|archive-date=June 16, 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130616112010/http://www.nrcc.cornell.edu/index.html|url-status=live}}
• The United States Fish and Wildlife Service includes in their Northeast Region: Delaware, Maryland, District of Columbia, West Virginia, and Virginia.{{cite web|title=Northeast Region|url=http://www.fws.gov/northeast/|publisher=United States Fish and Wildlife Service|access-date=July 4, 2013|archive-date=July 6, 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130706063743/http://www.fws.gov/northeast/|url-status=live}}
• The National Park Service includes in their Northeast Region: Delaware, Maryland, West Virginia, and Virginia, though small parts are also in the National Capital Region.{{cite web|title=National Park Service Regions|url=https://www.nps.gov/gis/documents/nps_regions_11x8-5-new.pdf|publisher=United States Department of the Interior|access-date=February 25, 2013|archive-date=September 28, 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130928025308/http://www.nps.gov/gis/documents/nps_regions_11x8-5-new.pdf|url-status=live}}

While most of the Northeastern United States lie in the physiographic region of the Appalachian Highlands, some are also part of the Atlantic coastal plain, which extends south to the southern tip of Florida. The coastal plain areas include Cape Cod in Massachusetts, Long Island in New York, and most of New Jersey, and are generally low and flat with sandy soil and long tidal marsh waterways. The highlands, including the Piedmont and the Appalachian Mountains, are heavily forested, ranging from rolling hills to summits greater than {{convert|6000|ft|m}}, and pocked with many lakes. The highest peak in the Northeast is Mount Washington in New Hampshire at {{convert|6288|ft|m}}.{{cite ngs|id=PF0951|name=Mount Washington}}

{{As of|2012}}, forest-use covered approximately 60% of the Northeastern states, including Delaware, Maryland, and Washington, D.C., about twice the national average. About 11% was cropland and another 4% grassland pasture or range. There is also more urbanized land in the Northeast (12%) than any other region in the U.S.

Many parks on a state and national level cover the inland parts of the region. Large parks include the Adirondack Park in northeastern New York, Green Mountain National Forest in Vermont, White Mountain Forest in northern New Hampshire, Baxter State Park in northern Maine, Acadia National Park on the eastern coast of Maine, Allegheny National Forest in northwestern Pennsylvania, and Catskill Park in southern New York. There are also some parks closer to the shore, though these are usually smaller and squeezed in-between urbanized areas. These include the Palisades Park in New Jersey, Fire Island in Long Island, and the Cape Cod shoreline in Massachusetts. The Northeast has 72 National Wildlife Refuges, encompassing more than {{convert|500000|acres|sqmi km2}} of habitat and designed to protect some of the 92 different threatened and endangered species living in the region.

The climate of the Northeastern United States varies from northernmost state of Maine to its southernmost state in Maryland. The region's climate is influenced by its positional western to eastern flow of weather in the lower middle latitudes in the United States. In summer the subtropical high (Bermuda High) moves toward the East Coast, this pumps warm and sultry air toward the Northeast (less so in the far northern areas of northern New York, Vermont, New Hampshire, and Maine). Summers are normally warm in northern areas to hot in southern areas. Frequent (but brief) thundershowers are common on hot summer days from Connecticut south to Maryland.

In winter, the subtropical high retreats southeastward, and the polar jet stream moves south bringing colder air masses from up in Canada and more frequent storm systems to the region. Winter often brings both rain and snow as well as surges of both warm and cold air. In the southern part of the Northeast from coastal Rhode Island southwest to eastern Maryland, the Appalachians partially protect these locations from the extreme cold coming from the west and the interior of North America.{{cite web|title=Regional Climate Trends and Scenarios for the U.S. National Climate Assessment|url=http://www.nesdis.noaa.gov/technical_reports/NOAA_NESDIS_Tech_Report_142-1-Climate_of_the_Northeast_U.S.pdf|publisher=National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration|date=January 2013|access-date=July 19, 2013|archive-date=April 29, 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130429233847/http://www.nesdis.noaa.gov/technical_reports/NOAA_NESDIS_Tech_Report_142-1-Climate_of_the_Northeast_U.S.pdf|url-status=live}}

The basic climate of the Northeast can be divided into a colder and snowier interior, including western Maryland, most of Pennsylvania, most of North Jersey, Upstate New York, and most of New England, and a milder coastal plain region from Cape Cod and southern Rhode Island southward, including Long Island, Southern Connecticut, New York City, central and southern New Jersey, part of the Pennsylvania portion of the Delaware Valley including Philadelphia, Delaware, and most of Maryland.

In the latter region the hardiness zone ranges from 7a to 8a. Annual mean temperatures range from the low-to-mid 50s F from Maryland to southern Connecticut, to the 40s F in most of New York State, New England, and northern Pennsylvania.{{cite web|title=Climate Summaries - Northeast Overview - January 2013|url=http://www.nrcc.cornell.edu/impacts/Impacts_01-13.html|access-date=July 19, 2013|archive-date=September 29, 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130929120324/http://www.nrcc.cornell.edu/impacts/Impacts_01-13.html|url-status=live}}{{cite web|title=Climate Summaries - Northeast Overview - July 2012|url=http://www.nrcc.cornell.edu/impacts/Impacts_07-12.html|access-date=July 19, 2013|archive-date=September 29, 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130929120321/http://www.nrcc.cornell.edu/impacts/Impacts_07-12.html|url-status=live}}

Most of the Northeast has a humid continental climate (Dfa/Dfb/occasional Dfc/Dc). The northernmost portion of the humid subtropical zone (Cfa/Do) begins at Martha's Vineyard and extreme SW Rhode Island and extends southwestward down the coastal plain to central and southern Maryland. The oceanic climate zone (Cfb/Do) only exists on Block Island and Nantucket. It is the only area of the Northeast where all months average between {{convert|0|and|22|C|F}}. Cape Cod borders this zone and warm-summer humid continental (Dfb/Dc).{{citation needed|date=November 2024}}

{{US Census population

| footnote = {{Cite web |date=November 21, 2014 |title=Alabama – Race and Hispanic Origin: 1800 to 1990 |url=http://www.census.gov/population/www/documentation/twps0056/tabs15-65.pdf |access-date=February 28, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141121134738/http://www.census.gov/population/www/documentation/twps0056/tabs15-65.pdf |archive-date=November 21, 2014 }}

|1790=1968040

|1800=2632755

|1810=3486486

|1820=4359653

|1830=5542381

|1840=6761082

|1850=8626851

|1860=10594268

|1870=12298730

|1880=14507407

|1890=17406969

|1900=21046695

|1910=25868573

|1920=29662053

|1930=34427091

|1940=35976777

|1950=39477986

|1960=44677819

|1970=49040703

|1980=49135283

|1990=50809229

|2000=53594378

|2010=55317240

|2020=57609148

| estyear = 2022

| estimate=57040406

| estref= {{Cite web |title=2022, Release Tables: Resident Population by State, Annual {{!}} FRED {{!}} St. Louis Fed |url=https://fred.stlouisfed.org/release/tables?rid=118&eid=259194 |access-date=February 28, 2023 |website=fred.stlouisfed.org}}

}}

File:Ethnic Origins in the Northeastern United States.png

As of the 2020 U.S. census, the population of the region was 57,609,148, representing 17.38% of the nation's total population. With an average of 345.5 people per square mile, the Northeast is 2.5 times as densely populated as the second-most dense region, the South. Since the last century, the U.S. population has been shifting away from the Northeast and Midwest toward the South and West.{{cite book |title=Demographic Trends in the 20th Century |author1=Frank Hobbs |author2=Nicole Stoops |name-list-style=amp |page=18 |year=2002 |publisher=U.S. Department of Commerce, Economics and Statistics Administration, U.S. Census Bureau |isbn=978-0-16-067633-8 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=eaRdXX66Bb4C&pg=PA18 |access-date=July 12, 2013 |archive-date=July 5, 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140705130035/http://books.google.com/books?id=eaRdXX66Bb4C&pg=PA18 |url-status=live }}

The region's racial composition as of 2020 was 64.42% white, 11.51% African American, 0.51% Native American, 7.25% Asian, 0.04% Pacific Islander, 8.17% from other races, and 8.10% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 15.27% of the population.{{Cite web |title=Explore Census Data |url=https://data.census.gov/table?q=Northeast+Region&tid=DECENNIALPL2020.P1 |access-date=February 28, 2023 |website=data.census.gov}} There were 22,418,883 households and 14,189,719 families in 2021. Of the 22,418,883 households, 27.7% included children under the age of 18.{{Cite web |title=Explore Census Data |url=https://data.census.gov/table?q=Northeast+Region+households&tid=ACSST1Y2021.S1101&moe=true |access-date=February 28, 2023 |website=data.census.gov}}

In 2021, the region's the population's age distribution was 20.5% under age 18, 57.36% from 18 to 62, and 22.1% who were 62 years of age or older. The median age was 40.5 years. For every 100 females, there were 96.4 males. For every 100 women ages 18 and over, there were 94.3 men.{{Cite web |title=Explore Census Data |url=https://data.census.gov/table?q=Northeast+Region+age&tid=ACSST1Y2021.S0101 |access-date=February 28, 2023 |website=data.census.gov}}

The median income for a household in the region in 2021 was $77,142, and the median income for a family was $97,347. About 11.9% of the population were below the poverty line, including 16.0% of those under age 18 and 10.4% of those age 65 or over.{{Cite web |title=Explore Census Data |url=https://data.census.gov/table?q=Northeast+Region+poverty&tid=ACSST1Y2021.S1701 |access-date=February 28, 2023 |website=data.census.gov}}

The two U.S. Census Bureau divisions in the Northeast, New England and the Mid-Atlantic, rank second and first respectively among the 9 divisions in population density according to the 2013 population estimate. The South Atlantic region (233.1) was very close behind New England (233.2). Due to the faster growth of the South Atlantic region, it will take over the #2 division rank in population density in the next estimate, dropping New England to 3rd position. New England is projected to retain the number 3 rank for many, many years, as the only other lower-ranked division with even half the population density of New England is the East North Central division (192.1) and this region's population is projected to grow slowly.{{efn|Based on U.S. Census Bureau population projections to 2030 (and assuming constant land area) the population density for the South Atlantic division will increase significantly to 294.6/mi², New England's density will increase to 249.2/mi² and the East North Central division will increase only slightly to 200.2/mi². The division with the 5th highest density is projected to be the East South Central division at 111.6/mi².{{cite web|url=https://www.census.gov/population/projections/data/state/projectionsagesex.html|title=2005 Interim State Population Projections - People and Households - U.S. Census Bureau|work=census.gov|access-date=December 9, 2017|archive-date=May 21, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170521185546/https://www.census.gov/population/projections/data/state/projectionsagesex.html|url-status=live}}}}

File:View of Empire State Building from Rockefeller Center New York City dllu.jpg|alt=Downtown NYC|New York City, New York is the most populated city in both the Northeast and the United States. Its population was 8,804,190 in 2020. Its metro area has a population of 20,140,470.{{Cite web |title=2020 Population and Housing State Data |url=https://www.census.gov/library/visualizations/interactive/2020-population-and-housing-state-data.html |access-date=2023-02-28 |website=Census.gov}}

File:Philadelphia skyline August 2007.jpg|alt=Downtown Philadelphia|Philadelphia, Pennsylvania is the second-most populated in the Northeast and sixth-most populous in the nation. Its population was 1,603,797 in 2020. Its metro area population was 6,228,601.

File:Boston skyline from Longfellow Bridge September 2017 panorama 2.jpg|alt=Back Bay, Boston|Boston, Massachusetts is the third-most populous city in the Northeast and 25th-most populous in the nation. Its population was 675,647 in 2020. Its metro area had a population of 4,941,632.

File:Newark Skyline Northwest View.jpg|Newark, New Jersey is the fourth-most populous city in the Northeast and 64th-most populous in the U.S. Its population was 311,549 in 2020. Its metro area is combined with the New York area.

File:Duquesne Incline (50076338942) (cropped).jpg|alt=downtown Pittsburgh|Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania is the fifth most populous city in the Northeast and 68th-most populous in the nation. Pittsburgh is at the western frontier of the Northeast, a short drive from the Ohio border, and is widely regarded as the transition point between the Northeast and Midwest. Its population was 302,971 in 2020. Its metro area has a population of 2,370,930.

File:Jersey City from a helicopter.jpg|alt=Newport area of Jersey City|Jersey City, New Jersey is the sixth most populous-largest city in the Northeast and 70th-most populous in the nation. It had a population of 292,449 in 2020. It sits directly across the Hudson River from New York City.

File:Buffalo Skyline from Drone 1.jpg|alt=Downtown Buffalo|Buffalo, New York is the seventh most populous city in the Northeast and 82nd-most populous in the U.S. Its population was 278,349 in 2020. Its metro area had a population of 1,166,902.

File:View of Yonkers from the New Jersey Palisades (2).jpg|Yonkers, New York is the eighth most populous city in the Northeast and 115th-most populous city in the U.S. It had a population of 211,569 in 2020. It borders the Bronx, a borough of New York City to its south.

File:Downtown Rochester, NY HDR by patrickashley.jpg|Rochester, New York is the ninth most populous city in the Northeast and the 116th-most populous city in the United States. It had a population of 211,328 in 2020. The Rochester metro has a population of 1,090,135.

File:Downtown Worcester, Massachusetts.jpg|Worcester, Massachusetts is the tenth most populous city in the Northeast and the 114th-most populous city in the United States. It had a population of 206,518 in the 2020 census. It is an edge city of Greater Boston and its metro is combined with it.

{{Expand section|date=February 2023}}

{{As of|2012}}, the Northeast U.S. accounts for approximately 23% of the nation's gross domestic product. Due to its vast population and diverse landscapes, the Northeast has a large and robust economy, ranging from financial services in Manhattan, to agriculture in Central Pennsylvania.

{{Main|Economy of New York City}}

File:Photos NewYork1 032.jpg in Lower Manhattan is the largest stock exchange in the world by market capitalization.]]

{{As of|2021}}, the New York metropolitan area is estimated to produce a gross metropolitan product (GMP) of $2.1 trillion US dollars, ranking it first in the U.S. If the New York metropolitan area were a sovereign state, it would have been the eighth-largest economy in the world. Manhattan is considered the world's financial center, with many large banks based in Manhattan and some of the largest stock exchanges on Wall Street, like the New York Stock Exchange, it is so prominent that the term "Wall Street" is usually synonymous with finance. Many other companies are based in New York City area, either in Midtown Manhattan, downtown Brooklyn, Long Island City, or the various suburbs, like Stamford or White Plains. Some of the largest companies based in New York City area include, Verizon, J.P. Morgan Chase, Citigroup, MetLife, PepsiCo, IBM, Time Warner, Goldman Sachs, and Pfizer. Several technology companies have been founded in New York, or moved their headquarters to New York from other places.

New York City is the nation's most populated city, and the New York metropolitan area including and surrounding it is the nation's most populated metropolitan region, contributing to a sizable shopping economy, including many large shopping malls and department stores based in the area, such as Macy's on 34th Street, Fifth Avenue, and American Dream in East Rutherford, New Jersey, the Palisades Center in West Nyack, New York, and the SoNo Collection in Norwalk, Connecticut. The Port of New York and New Jersey, one of the nation's largest ports, is located on New York Harbor.

{{See also|Economy of Philadelphia}}

File:Adirondacks printemps 2008.JPG]]

{{As of|2021}}, the Philadelphia metropolitan area is estimated to produce a GMP of $479 billion US dollars, making it the 9th largest economy in the United States. Many large companies are based in Philadelphia, the nation's sixth-largest city, including AmerisourceBergen, Comcast, and DuPont. The Philadelphia Mint is also located in the city.

The Boston metropolitan area is a major center for insurance, finance, and technology, serving as the global headquarters for General Electric, Liberty Mutual, and other large companies.

Rural regions and states, including most of Upstate New York, Vermont, New Hampshire, and Maine, rely more on agriculture, logging, mining, and tourism to help boost their local and statewide economies. Many national and state parks in the region generate lots of tourism, especially during fall months. The logging industry is especially prominent in Maine, making up a large part of Northern Maine's economy.

Many Northeastern states have very large economies and are highly developed. As of 2022, the per capita gross domestic products for these states are:

1. New York, US$2.1 trillion, per capita $105,226
2. Pennsylvania, US$931 billion, per capita $71,825
3. New Jersey, US$753 billion, per capita $81,307
4. Massachusetts, US$693 billion, per capita $99,274
5. Connecticut, US$323 billion, per capita $89,301
6. New Hampshire, US$106 billion, per capita $76,008
7. Maine, US$85 billion, per capita $61,491
8. Rhode Island, US$72 billion per capita $65,879
9. Vermont, US$41 billion, per capita $63,275

The Nuclear Regulatory Commission oversees 34 nuclear reactors, eight for research or testing and 26 for power production in the Northeastern United States.

File:R160 E enters 42nd Street.jpg, one of the busiest transit systems in the world, used by over two billion passengers annually]]

File:Outbound train approaching Mansfield station, July 2019.jpg. one of the Northeast's busiest commuter rail systems, entering Mansfield station in Mansfield, Massachusetts]]

The Northeast is served by Amtrak trains, with the Northeast Regional and Acela, two of the busiest intercity rail lines running from Washington D.C. in the south to Boston in the north. Other Amtrak Lines that serve the Northeast include the Downeaster, Empire Service, Vermonter, Lake Shore Limited, Pennsylvanian. Light rail, commuter rail, and other subway systems are also available in the region.

File:Image-Grand central Station Outside Night 2.jpg in New York City, a National Historic Landmark and the second-busiest train station in the nation after New York Penn Station, also in New York City]]

• 30th Street Station in Philadelphia. Served by all SEPTA Regional Lines, Amtrak, NJ Transit's Atlantic City Line, it is the third-busiest Amtrak station and 11th-busiest train station in North America with over four million passengers in 2019.
• Pennsylvania Station in New York City is served by some NJ Transit lines, and some Long Island Rail Road and Amtrak trains. It is the busiest train station in North America, with over 10 million passengers in 2019, along with 27 million passengers from NJ Transit and 69 million from Long Island Rail in 2017.
• Grand Central Terminal in New York City is served by Metro North and some Long Island Rail trains (beginning in January 2023). Grand Central Terminal had over 67 million annual passengers in 2017 and is the second-busiest train station in the nation and third-busiest in North America.
• Union Station in New Haven, Connecticut is served by New Haven Line, Hartford Line, and Shoreline East along existing Amtrak train lines. It had 350,000 annual Amtrak passengers in 2017.
• South Station in Boston is served by southern MBTA commuter lines and Amtrak, and was the seventh-busiest train station in North America with nearly 29 million passengers as of 2017.
• North Station in Boston is served by northern MBTA commuter lines and the Downeaster on Amtrak. It had six million MBTA users in 2012 and 152,000 Amtrak passengers in 2021.

File:JFK Aerial Nov 14 2018.jpg in Queens, New York. The busiest airport in the Northeast and the 13th busiest in the nation.]]

The following table includes all airports categorized by the FAA as large or medium hubs{{Cite web |url=http://www.faa.gov/airports/planning_capacity/passenger_allcargo_stats/passenger/media/cy11_primary_enplanements.pdf |publisher=Federal Aviation Administration|location=Washington|title=Calendar Year 2011 Primary Airports |access-date=November 9, 2014 |archive-date=September 24, 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150924043242/http://www.faa.gov/airports/planning_capacity/passenger_allcargo_stats/passenger/media/cy11_primary_enplanements.pdf |url-status=live }} located in the Northeastern states.{{cite web|url=http://www.fly.faa.gov/flyfaa/nemap.jsp|title=ATCSCC Flight Delay Information – Northeastern States|publisher=Federal Aviation Administration|location=Washington|access-date=November 17, 2014|archive-date=March 21, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210321210846/https://www.fly.faa.gov/flyfaa/nemap.jsp|url-status=live}}{{cite web|url=https://www.faa.gov/about/office_org/headquarters_offices/arp/regional_offices/|title=Airports Regional & District/Development Offices|work=faa.gov|access-date=November 17, 2014|archive-date=November 21, 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141121020549/http://www.faa.gov/about/office_org/headquarters_offices/arp/regional_offices/|url-status=live}}

Many major highways cross the Northeast, connecting it to the rest of the nation.

{{routelist top|length_ref={{cite web |title=Table 1: Main Routes of the Dwight D. Eisenhower National System Of Interstate and Defense Highways as of December 31, 2018 |url=https://www.fhwa.dot.gov/planning/national_highway_system/interstate_highway_system/routefinder/table01.cfm |website=FHWA Route Log and Finder List |publisher=Federal Highway Administration |location=Washington|access-date=April 21, 2021 |date=May 6, 2019}}}}

{{Routelist row

| country = USA

| type = I

| route = 70

| dab = Utah–Maryland

| length_mi = 2171.71

| terminus_a = I-15 in Cove Fort, Utah

| terminus_b = I-695 at Woodlawn, Baltimore County, Maryland

| established = 1956

| notes = Serves Pennsylvania
Associated routes: none in the Northeast

}}

{{Routelist row

| country = USA

| type = I

| route = 76

| dab = Ohio–New Jersey

| length_mi = 435.66

| terminus_a = I-71 in Westfield Center, Ohio

| terminus_b = I-295 at Bellmawr, New Jersey

| established = 1964

| notes = Serves two northeastern states:Pennsylvania, New Jersey
Associated routes: I-176, I-276, I-376, I-476, I-676

}}

{{routelist row

| country = USA

| type = I

| route = 78

| length_mi = 146.28

| terminus_a = I-81 at Jonestown, Pennsylvania

| terminus_b = Canal Street in New York City

| established = 1957

| notes = Serves three northeastern states: Pennsylvania, New Jersey, New York
Associated routes: I-278, I-478, I-678, I-878

}}

{{routelist row

| country = USA

| type = I

| route = 79

| length_mi = 343.46

| terminus_a = I-77 in Charleston, West Virginia

| terminus_b = PA 5 in Erie, Pennsylvania

| established = 1967

| notes = Serves Pennsylvania
Associated routes: I-279, I-579

}}

{{routelist row

| country = USA

| type = I

| route = 80

| length_mi = 2899.59

| terminus_a = US 101 in San Francisco, California

| terminus_b = I-95 in Teaneck, New Jersey

| established = 1956

| notes = Serves 2 northeastern states: Pennsylvania and New Jersey
Associated routes: I-180, I-380, I-280

}}

{{routelist row

| country = USA

| type = I

| route = 81

| length_mi = 855.02

| terminus_a = I-40 in Dandridge, Tennessee

| terminus_b = Canadian border at Wellesley Island, New York

| established = 1961

| notes = Serves two northeastern states: Pennsylvania, New York
Associated routes:I-481 and I-781

}}

{{routelist row

| country = USA

| type = I

| route = 83

| length_mi = 85.03

| terminus_a = President Street and Fayette Street in Baltimore, Maryland

| terminus_b = I-81 in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania

| established = 1959

| notes = Serves Pennsylvania
Associated route: I-283

}}

{{routelist row

| country = USA

| type = I

| route = 84

| dab = Pennsylvania–Massachusetts

| length_mi = 232.71

| terminus_a = I-81 in Scranton, Pennsylvania

| terminus_b = I-90 in Sturbridge, Massachusetts

| established = 1963

| notes = Serves four states: Pennsylvania, New York, Connecticut, Massachusetts
Associated routes: I-384, I-684

}}

{{routelist row

| country = USA

| type = I

| route = 86

| dab = Pennsylvania–New York

| length_mi = 223.39

| terminus_a = I-90 near North East, Pennsylvania

| terminus_b = NY 17/NY 79 in Windsor, New York

| established = 1999

| notes = Unfinished in New York
Serves two northeastern states: Pennsylvania, New York
Associated routes: none

}}

{{routelist row

| country = USA

| type = I

| route = 87

| dab = New York

| length_mi = 333.49

| terminus_a = I-278 in New York City

| terminus_b = A-15 at Canadian border in Champlain, New York

| established = 1957

| notes = New York only
Associated routes: I-287, I-587, I-787

}}

{{routelist row

| country = USA

| type = I

| route = 88

| dab = New York

| length_mi = 117.75

| terminus_a = I-81 in Binghamton, New York

| terminus_b = I-90 in Schenectady, New York

| established = 1968

| notes = New York only
Associated routes: none

}}

{{routelist row

| country = USA

| type = I

| route = 89

| length_mi = 191.12

| terminus_a = I-93/SR 3A in Bow, New Hampshire

| terminus_b = Route 133/Future A-35 at Canadian border in Highgate, Vermont

| established = 1960

| notes = Serves two northeastern states: New Hampshire, Vermont
Associated route: I-189

}}

{{routelist row

| country = USA

| type = I

| route = 90

| length_mi = 3020.44

| terminus_a = SR 519/4th Avenue/Edgar Martinez Drive in Seattle, Washington

| terminus_b = MA 1A in Boston, Massachusetts

| established = 1956

| notes = Serves three northeastern states: Pennsylvania, New York, Massachusetts
Associated routes: I-190 (New York), I-290 (New York), I-390, I-490, I-590, I-690, I-790, I-890, I-990, I-190 (Massachusetts), I-290 (Massachusetts)
Longest Interstate highway in the US

}}

{{routelist row

| country = USA

| type = I

| route = 91

| length_mi = 290.37

| terminus_a = I-95 in New Haven, Connecticut

| terminus_b = A-55 at Canadian border in Derby Line, Vermont

| established = 1958

| notes = Serves three northeastern states: Connecticut, Massachusetts, Vermont
Associated routes: I-291 (Connecticut), I-291 (Massachusetts) I-391, I-691

}}

{{routelist row

| country = USA

| type = I

| route = 93

| length_mi = 189.95

| terminus_a = I-95/US 1 in Canton, Massachusetts

| terminus_b = I-91 in St. Johnsbury, Vermont

| established = 1957

| notes = Serves three northeastern states: Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Vermont
Associated routes: I-293, I-393

}}

{{routelist row

| country = USA

| type = I

| route = 95

| length_mi = 1919.31

| terminus_a = US 1 in Miami, Florida

| terminus_b = NB 95 at Canadian border in Houlton, Maine

| established = 1957

| notes = Serves eight northeastern states:Pennsylvania, New Jersey, New York, Connecticut, Rhode Island, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Maine
Associated routes: I-195, I-295, I-395, I-495, I-695, I-895
Longest primary north-south Interstate highway

}}

{{routelist row

| country = USA

| type = I

| route = 99

| length_mi = 98.34

| terminus_a = I-70/I-76 in Bedford, Pennsylvania

| terminus_b = I-86/NY 17 in Painted Post, New York

| established = 1998

| notes = Unfinished in Pennsylvania
Serves two northeastern states: Pennsylvania, New York
Associated routes: none

}}

{{routelist bottom}}

File:2014-05-07 16 27 05 View of the New Jersey Turnpike mainline from an airplane heading for Newark Airport-cropped.JPG (I-95) is one of the busiest highways in the nation.]]

Many other minor highways exist in the Northeast, connecting cities. Major US Routes which run through the Northeast include US 1, US 2, US 3, US 4, US 5, US 6, US 7, US 9, US 11, US 13, US 15, US 19, US 20, US 22, US 30, US 40, US 44, US 46, US 62, US 130, US 201, US 202, US 206, US 209, US 219, US 220, US 222, US 224, US 302, US 322, US 422, US 522.

The Northeast has the highest amount of tolled roads/bridges in the nation with only two states in the Northeast having no tolls, Connecticut and Vermont. Notable turnpikes include the Pennsylvania Turnpike (I-76/I-276/I-95), New Jersey Turnpike (partially I-95), New York Thruway (I-87/I-90), Massachusetts Turnpike (I-90), Maine Turnpike (I-95), PA Turnpike Northeast Extension (I-476). The northeast also contains many tolled and non-tolled parkways, many of which are in New York City metro. Major parkways include the Garden State Parkway, Taconic State Parkway, Hutchinson River Parkway, Saw Mill River Parkway, Lake Ontario State Parkway, Niagara Scenic Parkway, Belt Parkway, Grand Central Parkway, Northern State Parkway.

File:George Washington Bridge 001.JPG crossing the Hudson River, carrying most traffic on Interstate 95 from New Jersey to New York.]]

File:Driscoll-Viesser-Edison Bridges - August 30, 2020.jpg is one of the world's widest and busiest motor vehicle bridges, crossing the Raritan River on New Jersey's Garden State Parkway.]]

File:Holland Tunnel Eastbound.jpg crossing under the Hudson River, connecting Jersey City with Lower Manhattan.]]

• Delaware Memorial Bridge (I-295, NJ Turnpike) - Crosses the Delaware River between Delaware and New Jersey, the southern most fixed crossing on the river. Eastbound span opened in 1951, westbound span opened in 1968.
• Walt Whitman Bridge (I-76) - Crosses the Delaware River, connecting southern Philadelphia to southern New Jersey suburbs. Opened in 1957.
• Benjamín Franklin Bridge (I-676) - Connects downtown Philadelphia with Camden, New Jersey and southern New Jersey. Opened in 1926.
• Delaware River Turnpike Toll Bridge (I-95, PA Turnpike) - Connects the PA Turnpike to the NJ Turnpike. I-95 was only designated in 2018, formerly was I-276. Opened in 1956.
• Driscoll Bridge (Garden State Parkway) - Crosses the Raritan River near its mouth at Raritan Bay. Opened in 1954, the bridge is located within the heart of the state of New Jersey, providing access to the Jersey Shore to the south and North Jersey to the north.
• Newark Bay Bridge (I-76, NJ Turnpike) - Crosses Newark Bay, connecting Newark to Jersey City and Bayonne. Opened in 1956.
• Bayonne Bridge (NJ 440/NY 440) - Crosses Arthur Kill, connecting Bayonne to Staten Island, New York. Opened in 1931, raised in 2017.
• Verrazzano Narrows Bridge (I-278) - Crosses New York Harbor to connect Staten Island to Brooklyn, double decked. Opened in 1964.
• Brooklyn-Battery Tunnel (I-478) - Crosses underneath the East River to connect Lower Manhattan to Brooklyn. Opened in 1950.
• Brooklyn Bridge, Manhattan Bridge, Williamsburg Bridge - The bridges cross the East River to connect Lower Manhattan to Brooklyn. Opened in 1883, 1909, and 1903.
• PATH Hudson Tubes - Carries the PATH metro trains underneath the Hudson River to connect Newark, Jersey City, and Hoboken to Lower and Midtown Manhattan. The tubes opened up in 1908/1909.
• Holland Tunnel (I-78) - Crosses underneath the Hudson River, connects road traffic from Jersey City and Newark to Lower Manhattan. Opened in 1927.
• Queens-Midtown Tunnel (I-495) - Crosses underneath the East River, connecting the Long Island Expressway to Manhattan. Opened in 1940.
• North River Tunnels (NJ Transit, Amtrak) Carries the Northeast Corridor underneath the Hudson River, connecting rail traffic from New Jersey to Pennsylvania Station and New England. Opened in 1910.
• Lincoln Tunnel (NJ 495) - Crosses underneath the Hudson River to connect New Jersey to Midtown Manhattan. Opened in 1937.
• Queensboro Bridge (NY 25) - Connects Midtown Manhattan to Long Island City. Opened in 1909.
• Triborough Bridge (I-278) - Crosses the East River and Harlem River, provides road connections to Upper Manhattan, Queens, and the Bronx. Also crosses and connects Randalls Island. Opened in 1936.
• Hell Gate Bridge (Amtrak) - Crosses the East River and Bronx Kill, provides a rail connection from Pennsylvania Station to the Bronx and Connecticut. Opened in 1917.
• George Washington Bridge (I-95) - Crosses the Hudson River, connecting New York and New England to New Jersey and cross-country I-80. One of the busiest crossings in the United States. Double Decked. Opened in 1931.
• Alexander Hamilton Bridge (I-95) - Crosses the Harlem River, connecting Manhattan and the GW Bridge to the Cross Bronx Expressway. Opened in 1963.
• Whitestone Bridge (I-678) - Crosses the East River, connecting South Bronx to Queens. Opened in 1939.File:August 4, 2011 beautiful Boston vista (6012618162) crop.jpg carrying traffic on Intestate 93 from Boston across the Charles River.]]
• Throgs Neck Bridge (I-295) Crosses the East River, connecting the Bronx and New England to the Queens and Long Island, northern most crossing of the East River. (no fixed crossings are in Long Island Sound) Opened in 1961.
• Tappan Zee Bridge (I-87, I-287) - Crosses the Hudson River, carrying NY Thruway and suburban traffic from Rockland and Westchester counties. Alternative to GW Bridge. Current span opened in 2017, former span opened in 1955.
• Newburgh-Beacon Bridge (I-84) - Crosses the Hudson River, carrying traffic from Pennsylvania and southeastern New York across the river to New England. Opened in 1963.
• Q Bridge (I-95) - Crosses the Quinnipiac River, carrying New Haven traffic along with traffic heading to New England or New York. Current span opened in 2012, original span opened in 1958.
• Baldwin Bridge (I-95) - Crosses the Connecticut River, carrying cross-state traffic and connecting Old Saybrook to New London. Opened in 1948.
• Jamestown/Newport Pell Bridges (RI 138) - Crosses Narraganset Bay, connecting Newport, Rhode Island to the rest of the state. Jamestown Bridge opened in 1992, Newport Pell opened in 1969.
• Charter Oak Bridge (CT 15/US 5) - Crosses the Connecticut River, connecting southern Hartford and I-91 northbound to East Hartford and I-84 eastbound. Opened in 1991.
• File:Rainbow Bridge.jpg, connecting New York to Canada nearby Niagara Falls.]] Bulkeley Bridge (I-84) - Crosses the Connecticut River, connecting Hartford area traffic across the river. The oldest interstate crossing in the US. Opened in 1908.
• Ted Williams Tunnel (I-90) - Crosses underneath Boston Harbor. Connects the Mass Pike and I-93 to East Boston and Logan Airport. Opened in 1995/2003.
• Zakim Bridge (I-93) - Crosses the Charles River, carrying Boston traffic to the northern Massachusetts and Maine/New Hampshire. Opened in 2003.
• Piscataqua River Bridge (I-95) - Crosses the Piscataqua River, carrying traffic from New Hampshire and Massachusetts to Maine. Opened in 1972.
• Peace Bridge (QEW/I-190) - Crosses the Niagara River, carrying traffic from Buffalo, New York into Ontario. Opened in 1927.
• Rainbow Bridge (NY 384/NY 104) - Crosses the Niagara River, carrying traffic from Niagara Falls, New York into Niagara Falls, Ontario. Opened in 1941.
• Lewiston-Queenston Bridge (I-190) Crosses the Niagara River, carrying traffic from Buffalo, New York into Ontario. Opened in 1962.

File:Central Railroad of New Jersey Terminal.jpg, a major rail and ferry connection between New Jersey and New York City.]]

File:CBX Parkchester 6 jeh.JPG policies in the 1950s and 1960s. Today it is one of the most congested highways in the nation. It is regarded as a major cause for urban decay in the Bronx.{{Cite web |title=BBC Four - Citizen Jane: Battle for the City |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b090c4f8 |access-date=February 13, 2023 |publisher=BBC|location=London|language=en-GB}}]]

The Northeast has been a place for many firsts in transportation in the US, from the first commercial railroad in the US in Milton, Massachusetts (Granite Railway), first rapid transit system (MBTA Green Line),{{Cite book |last=Cudahy |first=Brian J. |url=http://archive.org/details/changeatparkstre00cuda |title=Change at Park Street Under; the story of Boston's subways |date=1972 |location=Brattleboro, Vt. |publisher= S. Greene Press |isbn=978-0-8289-0173-4}} the first limited access road was the Bronx River Parkway, opened in 1922,{{Cite web |title=Bronx River Parkway |url=http://www.nycroads.com/roads/bronx-river/ |access-date=February 13, 2023 |website=Nycroads.com}} New York is also where the first urban freeway was built in the late-1930s.{{Cite news |date=October 31, 1936 |title=EAST DRIVE LINK OPENS; Southbound Lanes Ready Today From 92d to 122d Streets |language=en-US |work=The New York Times |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1936/10/31/archives/east-drive-link-opens-southbound-lanes-ready-today-from-92d-to-122d.html |access-date=February 13, 2023 |issn=0362-4331}} (FDR Drive) The northeast would also be home to some of the first major freeway revolts in Greenwich Village,{{Cite book |last=Flint |first=Anthony |url=http://archive.org/details/wrestlingwithmos0000flin |title=Wrestling with Moses: how Jane Jacobs took on New York's master builder and transformed the American city |date=2009 |location=New York |publisher= Random House |isbn=978-1-4000-6674-2}} and would see the first major highway teardown (Miller Highway) in the 1970s.{{Cite news |last=Levine |first=Richard |date=January 6, 1989 |title=Highway's Demise: Nightmare for Drivers |language=en-US |work=The New York Times |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1989/01/06/nyregion/highway-s-demise-nightmare-for-drivers.html |access-date=February 13, 2023 |issn=0362-4331}}

Before European settlement, most of the Northeast was loosely connected by Native American trails, some of which would be incorporated into early-European settlement roads and turnpikes. One major early road was the Boston Post Road, connecting New York City and Boston along the Connecticut and Rhode Island coasts.{{Cite book |last=Clark |first=George Larkin |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=CWYlAAAAMAAJ&q=boston+post+road+indian+moccasin&pg=PA249 |title=A History of Connecticut: Its People and Institutions |date=1914 |publisher=G.P. Putnam's Sons |isbn=978-0-7222-4982-6 |language=en}} Later these roads would be included in the King's Highway, spanning most of the east coast. Smaller turnpikes would also connect cities across the northeast. These roads would prove essential to moving goods across the English colonies in the 18th century and would later play a large part in the American Revolution.{{Cite web |title=Washington-Rochambeau Revolutionary Route National Historic Trail (U.S. National Park Service) |url=https://www.nps.gov/waro/index.htm |access-date=February 13, 2023 |website=Nps.gov |language=en}}

The region saw a boom in canal-building in the early-19th century, with a major canal being the Erie Canal, opened in 1825, connecting the Great Lakes to the Hudson River and Atlantic Ocean through Western New York.{{Cite news |last=Maag |first=Christopher |date=November 3, 2008 |title=Hints of Comeback for Nation's First Superhighway |language=en-US |work=The New York Times |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2008/11/03/nyregion/03erie.html |access-date=February 13, 2023 |issn=0362-4331}} The first railroads would be built in the late-1820s and would explode in mileage in the mid to late 19th century.{{Cite book |title=Military enterprise and technological change: perspectives on the American experience |date=1985 |publisher=MIT Press |first=Merritt Roe |last=Smith |isbn=0-262-19239-X |location=Cambridge, Mass. |oclc=11676079}} Places like Philadelphia, New York, Boston, Newark, and Pittsburgh would become large water and rail hubs during the Industrial Revolution and would see tremendous booms in population and use.{{Cite book |last=Van Oss |first=Salomon Frederik |url=http://archive.org/details/americanrailroad00vanorich |title=American railroads and British investors |date=1893 |publisher=London, E. Wilson & Co. |others=University of California Libraries}}

Many large rivers in the northeast like the Hudson and Delaware would be slowly crossed with bridges starting in the 1800s, with the first fixed crossing of the Hudson River south of Albany being the Poughkeepsie Railroad Bridge, opened in 1889.{{Cite web |title=Poughkeepsie-Highland Bridge Historical Marker |url=https://www.hmdb.org/m.asp?m=35483 |access-date=February 13, 2023 |website=Hmdb.org |language=en}} The Delair Bridge, which would connect Philadelphia with New Jersey was opened six years later in 1896.{{Cite news |date=April 18, 1896 |title=Delaware River bridge, April 18, 1896 |page=1 |work=Lewisburg Chronicle |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/31736876/delaware-river-bridge-april-18-1896/ |access-date=February 13, 2023}} The first crossing of the Hudson River into New York City would be the series of Hudson River PATH tunnels, being opened in 1908 and 1909.{{Cite news |date=February 26, 1908 |title=TROLLEY TUNNEL OPEN TO JERSEY; President Turns On Power for First Official Train Between This City and Hoboken. REGULAR SERVICE STARTS Passenger Trains Between the Two Cities Begin Running at Midnight. EXERCISES OVER THE RIVER Govs. Hughes and Fort Make Congratulatory Addresses – Dinner at Sherry's in the Evening. |language=en-US |work=The New York Times |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1908/02/26/archives/trolley-tunnel-open-to-jersey-president-turns-on-power-for-first.html |access-date=February 13, 2023 |issn=0362-4331}} The first major vehicle tunnel would be the Holland Tunnel, opened up in 1927.{{Cite news |date=November 13, 1927 |title=GREAT CROWD TREKS INTO HOLLAND TUBES AFTER GALA OPENING; Thousands Pour In as Coolidge on Yacht Turns Switch With Golden Key. AUTOS START AT MIDNIGHT Hundreds of Honking Cars Rush Through Tunnels From New York and Jersey Sides. OFFICIALS HAIL THE EVENT Governor Smith, Governor Moore, Edwards, Edge and Others Extol Engineering Triumph. Impressive Ceremonies in Two States Mark Opening of Holland Tunnel SCENES AT THE OPENING OF THE HOLLAND TUNNEL UNDER THE HUDSON. |language=en-US |work=The New York Times |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1927/11/13/archives/great-crowd-treks-into-holland-tubes-after-gala-opening-thousands.html |access-date=February 13, 2023 |issn=0362-4331}}

The start of highway construction would be the Bronx River Parkway and Long Island Motor Parkway, both of which started construction in the early-1900s.{{Cite news |last=Patton |first=Phil |date=October 9, 2008 |title=A 100-Year-Old Dream: A Road Just for Cars |language=en-US |work=The New York Times |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2008/10/12/automobiles/12LIMP.html |access-date=February 13, 2023 |issn=0362-4331}} The rise of Robert Moses in New York would see the construction of many major road bridges and highways crossing the city and metro area. East River Drive (eventually renamed FDR Drive), was built along the corresponding river in Manhattan.{{Cite web |title=FDR Drive |url=http://www.nycroads.com/roads/fdr/ |access-date=February 13, 2023 |website=Nycroads.com}} The mid-20th century would see the rise of urban and suburban freeways and the decline of passenger and freight rail, with many lesser used tracks being abandoned or torn up during this time.{{Cite book |last=Straub |first=Peter |title=Mister X: a novel |date=1999 |publisher=Random House |isbn=0-679-40138-5 |edition=1 |location=New York |oclc=40150621}} It would also see the original Pennsylvania Station demolished in Midtown Manhattan during the mid-1960s.{{Cite news |last=Huxtable |first=Ada Louise |date=May 5, 1963 |title=ARCHITECTURE: HOW TO KILL A CITY; Ours Is an Impoverished Society That Cannot Pay for the Amenities Joker Impotent Authority Radical-Picturesque For the Worse |language=en-US |work=The New York Times |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1963/05/05/archives/architecture-how-to-kill-a-city-ours-is-an-impoverished-society.html |access-date=February 13, 2023 |issn=0362-4331}} The construction of the Cross-Bronx Expressway in New York, Central Artery in Boston, and the Vine Street Expressway in Philadelphia tore up many ethnic and minority neighborhoods in the name of urban renewal.{{Cite web |last=Glennon |first=Patrick |title=How Chinatown rallied when development threatened to divide the neighborhood {{!}} Philly History |url=https://www.inquirer.com/philly/opinion/commentary/chinatown-church-holy-redeemer-vine-street-expressway-urban-renewal-philly-history-20180222.html |access-date=February 13, 2023 |website=inquirer.com |date=February 22, 2018 |language=en}}{{Cite web |title=Boston's 'Big Dig' opens to public |url=https://www.nbcnews.com/id/wbna3769829 |access-date=February 13, 2023 |website=NBC News |date=December 21, 2003 |language=en}}{{Cite news |date=February 1, 1946 |title=TENANT RELOCATION PART OF ROAD PLAN; Estimate Board Approves Conditionally Aid to Those WhoseHouses Will Be Razed |language=en-US |work=The New York Times |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1946/02/01/archives/tenant-relocation-part-of-road-plan-estimate-board-approves.html |access-date=February 13, 2023 |issn=0362-4331}}{{Cite book |last=Caro |first=Robert A. |title=The power broker: Robert Moses and the fall of New York |date=1975 |publisher=Vintage Books |isbn=0-394-72024-5 |location=New York |oclc=1631862}} Many other highways were proposed during this era, like the Lower Manhattan Expressway and the Inner Belt in Boston, which were not built due to fierce highway revolts and rising costs.{{Cite web |title=Inner Belt Expressway (I-695 and I-95) |url=http://www.bostonroads.com/roads/inner-belt/ |access-date=February 13, 2023 |website=Bostonroads.com}} After the major highway revolts and rise of environmental concerns, new highway and interstate projects were mostly cancelled or shortened in the Northeast by the 1990s.

Despite the lack of new major road projects in the Northeast, the region has still continued to grow in population, resulting in the rise of alternative forms of transport like HOV lanes or commuter rails. This has led to the Northeast having one of the highest transit usage percentages in North America, with the Long Island Railroad being the most used commuter rail in the continent.{{Cite web |date=November 22, 2022 |title=PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION RIDERSHIP REPORT Third Quarter 2022 |url=https://www.apta.com/wp-content/uploads/2022-Q3-Ridership-APTA.pdf |access-date=February 13, 2023 |publisher=American Public Transportation Association}} One exception was the Big Dig, a major road project that would tear down the former elevated Central Artery (I-93) and instead tunnel it (and widen). It would also construct a new Charles River bridge and the Ted Williams Tunnel (I-90). This would end up becoming one of the costliest construction projects in the world, costing $21 billion adjusted to 2020 inflation.{{Cite web |date=March 11, 2007 |title=Governor seeks to take control of Big Dig inspections - Boston.com |url=http://www.boston.com/news/local/massachusetts/articles/2006/07/13/governor_seeks_to_take_control_of_big_dig_inspections |access-date=February 13, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070311201155/http://www.boston.com/news/local/massachusetts/articles/2006/07/13/governor_seeks_to_take_control_of_big_dig_inspections |archive-date=March 11, 2007 }} The former highway's path would become the Rose Kennedy Greenway, a large public park. The Sheridan Expressway (former I-895) was also rebuilt into a boulevard in the late-2010s.{{Cite web |last=Office |first=Photo Courtesy of Governor's |date=December 20, 2019 |title=Sheridan Expressway's removal project is completed – Bronx Times |url=https://www.bxtimes.com/sheridan-expressways-removal-project-is-completed/ |access-date=February 13, 2023 |website=Bxtimes.com |language=en-US}} Rochester, New York has torn down the Inner Loop due to low traffic and to reunify neighborhoods in downtown and to create developable space.{{Cite news |last1=Popovich |first1=Nadja |last2=Williams |first2=Josh |last3=Lu |first3=Denise |date=May 27, 2021 |title=Can Removing Highways Fix America's Cities? |language=en-US |work=The New York Times |url=https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2021/05/27/climate/us-cities-highway-removal.html |access-date=February 13, 2023 |issn=0362-4331}}

{{Expand section|date=July 2021}}

One geographer, Wilbur Zelinsky, asserts that the Northeast region lacks a unified cultural identity,{{cite journal|title=North America's Vernacular Regions|journal=Annals of the Association of American Geographers|author=Zelinsky, Wilbur|date=June 1980|volume=70|issue=1|pages=1–16|doi=10.1111/j.1467-8306.1980.tb01293.x}} but has served as a "culture hearth" for the rest of the nation.{{cite journal|title=Some Problems in the Distribution of Generic Terms in the Place-Names of the Northeastern United States|journal=Annals of the Association of American Geographers|author=Zelinsky, Wilbur|date=December 1955|volume=45|issue=4|page=319|doi=10.1111/j.1467-8306.1955.tb01491.x}} Several much smaller geographical regions within the Northeast have distinct cultural identities.

Almost half of the National Historic Landmarks maintained by the National Park Service are located in the Northeastern United States.{{cite web|title=Northeast Region – History & Culture|url=http://www.nps.gov/nero/historyculture/|access-date=July 20, 2013|archive-date=July 22, 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130722083429/http://www.nps.gov/nero/historyculture/|url-status=dead}}

According to a 2009 Gallup poll, the Northeastern states differ from most of the rest of the U.S. in religious affiliation, generally reflecting the descendants of immigration patterns of the late 19th and early 20th centuries, with many Catholics arriving from Ireland, Italy, French Canada - Quebec, Portugal and east-central Europe. Massachusetts, Rhode Island, New York and New Jersey are the only states in the nation where Catholics outnumber Protestants and other Christian denominations. More than 20% of respondents in Maine, New Hampshire, and Vermont declared no religious identity.{{cite web|title=Religious Identity: States Differ Widely|date=August 7, 2009|url=http://www.gallup.com/poll/122075/religious-identity-states-differ-widely.aspx|access-date=September 25, 2013|archive-date=September 15, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170915213404/http://www.gallup.com/poll/122075/Religious-Identity-States-Differ-Widely.aspx|url-status=live}} Compared to other U.S. regions, the Northeast, along with the Pacific Northwest, has had the lowest regular religious service attendance and the fewest people for whom religion is an important part of their daily lives as of 2015.{{Cite journal|last1=Twenge|first1=Jean M.|title=Generational and Time Period Differences in American Adolescents' Religious Orientation, 1966–2014|journal=PLOS ONE|volume=10|issue=5|pages=e0121454|doi=10.1371/journal.pone.0121454|pmid=25962174|pmc=4427319|year=2015|bibcode=2015PLoSO..1021454T|doi-access=free}}

The Northeast region is home to numerous professional sports franchises in the "Big Four" leagues (NFL, NBA, NHL and MLB),{{cite web|title=All Cities Are Not Created Equal|url=http://alsd.com/content/all-cities-are-not-created-equal|access-date=September 25, 2013|archive-date=September 29, 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130929154916/http://alsd.com/content/all-cities-are-not-created-equal|url-status=live}} with more than 100 championships collectively among them.{{cite web|title=The Northeast Region|url=http://www.sportsdestinations.com/Sports/Sports%20Facilities/northeast-region-4655|access-date=September 25, 2013|archive-date=September 29, 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130929013455/http://www.sportsdestinations.com/Sports/Sports%20Facilities/northeast-region-4655|url-status=live}} Professional sports leagues such as the National Football League (NFL), Major League Baseball (MLB), National Basketball Association (NBA), Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA), National Hockey League (NHL), Major League Soccer (MLS), and National Women's Soccer League (NWSL), have team franchises in following Northeastern cities:

• New York metropolitan area: Giants, Jets (NFL), Yankees, Mets (MLB), Knicks, Nets (NBA), Rangers, Islanders, Devils (NHL), Red Bulls, City FC or Pigeons (MLS), Liberty (WNBA), Gotham or Bats (NWSL)
• Philadelphia: Eagles (NFL), Phillies (MLB), 76ers (NBA), Flyers (NHL), Union (MLS)
• Boston: Patriots (NFL), Red Sox (MLB), Celtics (NBA), Bruins (NHL), Revolution (MLS)
• Pittsburgh: Steelers (NFL), Pirates (MLB), Penguins (NHL)
• Buffalo: Bills (NFL), Sabres (NHL)
• Uncasville: Sun (WNBA)

Notable golf tournaments in the Northeastern United States include The Northern Trust, Travelers Championship, and Atlantic City LPGA Classic. The US Open, held in New York, is one of the four Grand Slam tennis tournaments.

Notable Northeastern motorsports tracks include Watkins Glen International, Pocono Raceway, New Hampshire Motor Speedway and Lime Rock Park, which have hosted Formula One, IndyCar, NASCAR and International Motor Sports Association races. Also, drag strips such as Englishtown, Epping and Reading have hosted NHRA national events. Belmont Park at New York hosts the Belmont Stakes horse races, which is part of the Triple Crown of Thoroughbred Racing.

The region has also been noted for the prevalence of the traditionally Northeastern sports of ice hockey and lacrosse.{{cite book|title=Encyclopedia of Ethnicity and Sports in the United States|editor=Kirsch, George B.|editor2=Othello Harris|editor3=Claire Elaine Nolte|publisher=Greenwood Publishing Group|year=2000|isbn=0-313-29911-0|url-access=registration|url=https://archive.org/details/encyclopediaofet0000unse_u6f6}}

{{Main|Political party strength in U.S. states}}

The Northeastern United States tended to vote Republican in federal elections through the first half of the 20th century, but the region has since the 1990s shifted to become the most Democratic region in the nation, along with the West Coast. Results from a 2008 Gallup poll indicated that eight of the top ten Democratic states were located in the region, with every Northeastern state having a Democratic Party affiliation advantage of at least ten points.{{cite web|title=State of the States: Political Party Affiliation|date=January 28, 2009|url=http://www.gallup.com/poll/114016/state-states-political-party-affiliation.aspx|access-date=September 25, 2013|archive-date=September 27, 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130927035445/http://www.gallup.com/poll/114016/state-states-political-party-affiliation.aspx|url-status=live}} The following table demonstrates Democratic support in the Northeast as compared to the remainder of the nation.{{cite book|title=Counter Realignment: Political Change in the Northeastern United States|author1=Reiter, Howard L. |author2=Jeffrey M. Stonecash |name-list-style=amp |publisher=Cambridge University Press|year=2011|isbn=978-1-139-49313-0}}

The following table of United States presidential election results since 1920 illustrates that over the past eight presidential elections, only three Northeastern states supported a Republican candidate. New Hampshire voted for George W. Bush in 2000;{{cite web |title=2000 Electoral College Results |website=National Archives |date=2019-11-05 |url=https://www.archives.gov/electoral-college/2000 |access-date=2024-08-25}} Pennsylvania and Maine's 2nd congressional district voted for Donald Trump in 2016,{{cite web |title=2016 Electoral College Results |website=National Archives |date=2019-11-05 |url=https://www.archives.gov/electoral-college/2016 |access-date=2024-08-25}} Maine's 2nd district voted for Trump again in 2020,{{cite web |title=2020 Electoral College Results |website=National Archives |date=2019-11-05 |url=https://www.archives.gov/electoral-college/2020 |access-date=2024-08-25}} and 2024 saw Trump take back Pennsylvania and again hold on to Maine's 2nd district. 2004 is so far the only election in U.S. history in which the winner did not win any northeastern state.{{cite web |title=2004 Electoral College Results |website=National Archives |date=2019-11-05 |url=https://www.archives.gov/electoral-college/2004 |access-date=2024-08-25}} Bolded entries indicate that party's candidate also won the general election.

The following table shows the breakdown of party affiliation of governors, attorneys general, state legislative houses and U.S. congressional delegation for the Northeastern states for the upcoming term beginning in January 2025. (Demographics reflect registration-by-party figures from that state's registered voter statistics.)

• List of online encyclopedias of U.S. states
• Atlantic Northeast
• Jersey Shore
• New England–Acadian forests
• Northeast Corridor
• Northeast megalopolis
• Northeastern coastal forests
• Rust Belt

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{{Northeast US}}

{{Regions of the United States}}

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Category:Census regions of the United States

Category:Demographic history of the United States