About Plainfield

Plainfield is a city in Union County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey, known by its nickname as "The Queen City." The city is both a regional hub for Central New Jersey and a bedroom suburb of the New York Metropolitan area, located within the core of the Raritan Valley region. Per the 2020 census, the population was 54,586.The area of present-day Plainfield was originally formed as Plainfield Township, a township that was created on April 5, 1847, from portions of Westfield Township, while the area was still part of Essex County. On March 19, 1857, Plainfield Township became part of the newly created Union County.Plainfield was incorporated as a city by an act of the New Jersey Legislature on April 21, 1869, from portions of Plainfield Township, based on the results of a referendum held that same day. The city and township coexisted until March 6, 1878, when Plainfield Township was dissolved and parts were absorbed by Plainfield city, with the remainder becoming Fanwood Township (now known as Scotch Plains).The name "Plainfield", also used in both North Plainfield and South Plainfield, is derived from a local estate or from its scenic location. == History == Plainfield was settled in 1684 by Quakers, and incorporated as a city in 1869.