Central Jersey

Central Jersey
Middlesex, Monmouth, Mercer, Somerset, Hunterdon, Union and Ocean (light green)
Country	United States
State	New Jersey
Largest municipailites by population	Edison Woodbridge Lakewood Toms River Hamilton Trenton Brick Middletown Old Bridge Franklin Union Piscataway New Brunswick
Population (2014)	3,434,988

Central Jersey is the region of the U.S. state of New Jersey. The designation of central New Jersey with a distinct toponym is a colloquial one rather than an administrative one, with no official definition and even a contentious taxonomic existence.

There are varying descriptions as to what composes Central Jersey. North Jersey and South Jersey have been used to describe the northern and southern halves of New Jersey, in the United States. While there is agreement that their border is somewhere in the middle third of the state, there is no official delineation.

All descriptions of Central Jersey include Middlesex County, the center of population of New Jersey, and tend to include the region radiating from New Brunswick in Middlesex County and comprising much of Monmouth, Mercer, and Somerset counties. Inclusion of adjacent areas of Hunterdon, Union, and Ocean counties is subjective and a source of debate. The intersection of the two busiest highways in New Jersey, namely the New Jersey Turnpike and the Garden State Parkway, is located in Woodbridge, Middlesex County.

Trenton, the seat of Mercer County, is the state capital of New Jersey. New Jersey's geographic center is located in Hamilton Township, Mercer County. In 2011, the population center of the state was alongside Nenninger Lane in the western portion of East Brunswick Township, which is also known as the "Heart of Middlesex County". There are other related, overlapping areas that include counties in the midsection of the state.