Passaic is a city in Passaic County, New Jersey, situated along the Passaic River at the northern edge of the New York metropolitan area, immediately west of the Hudson River and Manhattan. At the 2020 census, the city reported a population of 70,537, ranking it among New Jersey's most populous municipalities. The city covers just 3.25 square miles, and its density is among the defining features of life there. Passaic grew as an industrial center, its history shaped by the mills and factories that lined the Passaic River and by successive waves of immigration that gave the city its enduring diversity. The city takes its name from the river, and its development followed the rise of textile manufacturing and other industry in the 19th and early 20th centuries. Today, roughly three-quarters of residents identify as Hispanic or Latino, with roots spanning Mexico, the Caribbean, and Central America, and the city's commercial districts reflect that rich cultural mix. The city is organized into wards — the First, Second, Third, and Fourth — and its built environment ranges from dense multifamily neighborhoods to areas of older single-family and two-family homes, including notable Dutch Colonial and Tudor-style houses. Third Ward Park, established around 1905 and now known as Passaic Park, is a centerpiece of the city's landscape, with rolling lawns, mature trees, a pond, and spring cherry blossoms. The city maintains a substantial amount of parkland for its small footprint — more than a square mile — and its fourteen public schools form the backbone of its civic life. Passaic's location directly across the Hudson from Manhattan gives it an unusually fast, convenient commute for a city of its price point, a key reason for its long-standing appeal to working families and newcomers. Passaic appeals to residents seeking urban, walkable living, cultural diversity, and a direct, comparatively affordable commute to New York City. Its density, transit access, and layered immigrant heritage distinguish it within a region already defined by dense, diverse communities, and its neighborhoods remain cohesive and community-oriented despite their urban scale.