The county seat for Bergen County, New Jersey is the small, bustling city of Hackensack. Nearly 43,000 people call the 4.6 square mile city their home and, in addition to being a seat of government, it is also an important retailing and business center.

The region of New Jersey that Hackensack occupies today was long the home of the Lenni Lenape native peoples. The Achkinheshcky or Hackensack tribe populated the area and coexisted peacefully with Dutch settlers who arrived in 1639 and established a trading post there. By 1688, the area came under the control of the British who established the town of New Barbadoes. At one point during the Revolutionary War, General Washington had his headquarters in Hackensack and the region was at times the epicenter between battling British and American forces. The name Hackensack meaning -- mouth of water -- was not officially chartered until 1921.

In addition to government institutions the city has several interesting places to visit:

Main Street. If you like downtown shopping, then Hackensack is for you. More than 300 retail and commercial establishments are located within the city's Special Improvement District {SID}, a designation given to promote and maintain the retail district. The district is also home to one of the few free standing Sears stores in the nation.

North Jersey Media Group. Bergen County's largest newspaper, The Record, calls Hackensack its home. The North Jersey Media Group {NJMG} publishes two daily newspapers; 41 local newspapers; a magazine, The Best of Bergen; and operates several important web sites. Scheduled tours of their printing facility are available to groups.

New Jersey Naval Museum. Home to the USS Ling 297, a BALAO class submarine, and several smaller water vessels and artifacts. The museum is open select weekdays for group tours.

Other points of interest within the city include the Hackensack University Medical Center, Hackensack River County Park, the Church on the Green, and the County of Bergen courthouse.

Located less than ten miles west of New York City, Hackensack is easily accessible to the city; Newark and Teterboro Airports; the Meadowlands sports complex; Newark and Jersey City; and is within a day's drive of the Jersey Shore, High Point State Park, and many other local attractions.