About

The City of Union City is a very special place for those of us who grew up here and for those of us who came here from other cities, towns, and villages all over the world. 

Since its incorporation on June 1,1925, Union City has been a destination and become a home for people with a wide variety of ethnic backgrounds. One of the things we pride ourselves on is the fact that so many people-over 67,000 live and work together in this small city of 1.4 square miles. 

Union City resulted from the merger of West Hoboken and Union Hill, two towns in eastern Hudson County. Although records indicate that Hudson County was first settled in 1614 when the Dutch established a trading fort only a few miles away from the present site of Union City, it was not 

until the mid-1800's that the city began to develop. Before the Dutch settlers, the area was inhabited by the Lenni Lenape Indians. 

Active subdivision and settlement of the area began in the 1850's when a group of German-America pioneerrs built homes in the Union Hill section (32nd to 49th streets). The city then began to grow rapidly, reaching a population of about 60,000 in the 1920s. After World War II, with the 

movement of city dwellers out in the newly developed suburban areas, the population dropped to less than 53,000, according to the 1960 census. 

However, during the 1960s, Union City's population quickly recovered from its temporary decline, thanks largely to an influx of Cuban refugees fleeing the communist dictatorship in their native island nation. Union City became a destination for the Cubans most likely due to its proximity to New York City. At the time, Union City had an abundance of reasonably priced housing and business opportunities, which also attracted other newcomers such as middle-class New Yorkers seeking to escape the expensive New York lifestyle and hectic pace of the "big city". 

In the 1960's the Cuban were the newest ethnic group to find Union City attractive. Before them came the Dutch, the Germans, the Italians, the Irish, the Armenians, and the Puerto Ricans. After the Cubans came others: South Americans, Central Americans, Haitians, Asian Indians, Koreans, Arabs and many others. Since the end of World War II, Union City has had a large Hasidic Jewish community who have become very much a part of the Union City tapestry. 

Through the years, each of the groups has left their own indelible mark on Union City culture. Today, we all enjoy foods tasting of the spices from many lands and we all share our lives with friends and relatives from different ethnic backgrounds. On a walk through our shopping districts, one's senses are stimulated by the sights, sounds, and smells of a rich variety of cultures. We celebrate our diversity - its is what makes Union City unique and interesting place to live and work. 

Union City is bordered on the south by Jersey City, on the north by West New York and North Bergen, on the west by North Bergen, and on the east by Weekhawken. We are in Hudson Coun