The New Jersey Turnpike is one of the most prominent and heavily trafficked roadways in the United States. This toll road carries Interstate 95 traffic between Delaware and New York, and up and down the East Coast in general.
The Garden State Parkway, or simply “the Parkway,” carries relatively more in-state traffic than interstate traffic and runs from New Jersey’s northern border to its southernmost tip at Cape May. It is the main route that connects the New York metropolitan area to the Jersey Shore and is consistently one of the safest roads in the nation.
The Lincoln Tunnel connects to Midtown Manhattan carrying New Jersey Route 495,
and the Holland Tunnel connects to Lower Manhattan carrying Interstate 78.
New Jersey is also connected to Staten Island by three bridges — from north to south, the Bayonne Bridge,
the Goethals Bridge,
and the Outerbridge Crossing.
Newark Liberty International Airport is one of the busiest airports in the United States. Operated by the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, it is one of the three main airports serving the New York City area.
The Flag:
The flag of the state of New Jersey includes the coat of arms of the state on a buff-colored background. In a 1965 law, the specific color shades of Jersey blue and buff were defined by the state.
The coat of arms of of New Jersey features the following symbols:
- A shield with three plows, representative of New Jersey’s agricultural tradition.
- A forward-facing helmet.
- A horse’s head as the crest of the helmet.
- The female figures Liberty and Ceres, representative of the state’s motto, The Garden State.
- Liberty is holding a staff supporting a “liberty cap”; Ceres is holding an overflowing cornucopia.
- The streamer at the foot of the emblem contains the State Motto of New Jersey, “Liberty and Prosperity”, and the year of statehood, 1776.
The helmet and the horse’s head crest represent New Jersey’s independence as a state. They also represent New Jersey’s status as one of the first states.
The woman holding a staff with a liberty cap on top is Liberty, who represents freedom. In ancient Rome, former Roman slaves saw a liberty cap as a badge of freedom. Liberty caps became popular again during the Revolutionary War.
The woman on the right is the Roman goddess of grain, Ceres. She holds an ice-cream-cone-shaped basket, called a cornucopia, filled with the many fruits and vegetables produced in New Jersey.
The three plows on the shield symbolize the agricultural tradition of New Jersey.
The state’s motto “Liberty and Prosperity” is written on the scroll. 1776 is the year New Jersey became a state.
The coat of arms was originally designed by Pierre Eugene du Simitiere in 1777 and was modified slightly in 1928.