Plainfield is a city in Union County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey. Nicknamed "The Queen City,"About, City of Plainfield. Accessed December 29, 2021. "Plainfield Is Nicknamed 'The Queen City.'" it serves as both a regional hub for Central New Jersey and a bedroom suburb of the New York Metropolitan area, located in the Raritan Valley region. As of the 2020 United States census, the city's population, majority Latino for the first time, was 54,586. This was an increase of 4,778 (+9.6%) from the 2010 census count of 49,808, which in turn reflected an increase of 1,979 (+4.1%) from the 47,829 counted in the 2000 census.Table 7. Population for the Counties and Municipalities in New Jersey: 1990, 2000 and 2010, New Jersey Department of Labor and Workforce Development, February 2011. Accessed May 1, 2023. In 2023, the Census Bureau estimated the city's population to be 54,670.
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 (since renamed as Scotch Plains).Snyder, John P. The Story of New Jersey's Civil Boundaries: 1606-1968, Bureau of Geology and Topography; Trenton, New Jersey; 1969. p. 240. Accessed May 1, 2026.
The name "Plainfield", also used in both North Plainfield and South Plainfield, is derived from a local estateHutchinson, Viola L. The Origin of New Jersey Place Names, New Jersey Public Library Commission, May 1945. Accessed August 9, 2026. or from its scenic location.Gannett, Henry. The Origin of Certain Place Names in the United States, p. 247. United States Government Printing Office, 1905. Accessed September 11, 2015.
History
Early history Plainfield was settled in 1684 by Quakers,Dudley, William L. "Friendly Families: The Shotwells", in The Story of the Friends in Plainfield Including A History of Early Quaker Families, Rahway & Plainfield Friends (Quaker) Meeting, March 29, 1929. Accessed May 21, 2013. and incorporated as a city in 1869. Formerly a bedroom suburb in the New York metropolitan area, it has become the urban center of 10 closely allied municipalities, with diversified industries, including printing and the manufacture of chemicals, clothing, electronic equipment, and vehicular parts. Among the several 18th-century buildings remaining are a Friends' meetinghouse (1788),Nutt, Bill. "Plainfield places", Courier News, September 3, 2003. Accessed December 26, 2025, via Newspapers.com. "The Society of Friends Meeting House, an apparently unassuming structure on Watchung Avenue in the North Avenue Commercial Historic District, is the oldest continuously used house of worship in the city." the Martine house (1717), and the Nathaniel Drake House (1746), known as George Washington's headquarters during the Battle of Short Hills in June 1777.Nathaniel Drake House , Connolly & Hickey Historical Architects. Accessed July 11, 2013. "The Nathaniel Drake House was constructed for Nathaniel Drake and his new wife circa 1746, and remained in the Drake family until c. 1860 when Daniel Drake sold the property to John S. Harberger of New York City.... The Nathaniel Drake House is significant for its architecture and how the evolution of the building reflects the changes within Plainfield from an early colonial settlement to a modern suburb, its association with the Drake family, who were prominent early settlers in the region, as well as its association with General George Washington during the Battle of Short Hills."Home Page, Drake House Museum. Accessed July 11, 2013. "It was at the Drake House that George Washington consulted with his officers during and after the Battle of Short Hills fought over the entire Plainfield area on June 25–27, 1777." Nearby Washington Rock is a prominent point of the Watchung Mountains and is reputed to be the vantage point from which Washington watched British troop movements.Washington Rock State Park, New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection. Accessed July 11, 2013.Washington Rock , Drake House Museum. Accessed July 11, 2013.
The "Queen City" moniker arose in the second half of the 19th century. Plainfield had been developing a reputation during this period as featuring a climate that was beneficial for respiratory ailments. In 1886, in an effort to publicize the climate, local newspaper publisher Thomas W. Morrison began to use the slogan "Colorado of the East" to promote Plainfield. As Denver, Colorado, was known as the "Queen City of the Plains," the slogan for Plainfield eventually became abbreviated to "The Queen City."Plainfield, Past and Present, WestfieldNJ.com. Accessed August 26, 2018.Staff. loindex.ssf/2012/04/1940_census_release_causes_cra.html "1940 census release causes a craze among geneaologists, offers a peek into the past", The Star-Ledger, April 3, 2012. Accessed August 26, 2018. "In the 19th century Plainfield was called the 'Colorado of the East,' and as the sister city of Denver, which was known as the 'Queen City of the Plains,' was known simply as 'Queen City.'"
In 1902, the New Jersey Legislature approved measures that would have allowed the borough of North Plainfield to become part of Union County (a measure repealed in 1903) and to allow for a merger of North Plainfield with the City of Plainfield subject to the approval of a referendum by voters in both municipalities.Honeyman, Abraham Van Doren. Index-analysis of the Statutes of New Jersey, 1896-1909: Together with References to All Acts, and Parts of Acts, in the 'General Statutes' and Pamphlet Laws Expressly Repealed : and the Statutory Crimes of New Jersey During the Same Period, p. 208. New Jersey Law Journal Publishing Company, 1910. Accessed September 20, 2015.Staff. "North Plainfield Annexation Bills.", The New York Times, April 15, 1902. Accessed August 26, 2018.
Music history Plainfield is the birthplace of P-Funk. George Clinton founded The Parliaments while working in a Plainfield barber shop. Parliament-Funkadelic was inducted in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1997. A number of other well-known musicians are from, or have resided, in Plainfield.
Sports history In sports history, Plainfield is the birthplace and/or home of several current and former athletes, including professionals and well-known amateurs. Included in their number are Milt Campbell, the 1956 Olympic Decathlon gold medalist (the first African-American to earn this title), Joe Black, the first African-American pitcher to win a World Series game; Jeff Torborg, former MLB player, coach and manager; former Duke University and Chicago Bulls basketball player Jay Williams; and the NFL player Vic Washington
Architectural history Plainfield's history as a place to call home for the 19th and 20th century wealthy has led to a significant and preserved suburban architectural legacy. An influx of Wall Street money led to the creation of what was called Millionaires' Row after the opening of the railway in the 19th century.Payne, Lauren. "History Lesson: Preserving An Achitectural Treasure in Plainfield A Plainfield couple prove that preserving an architectural treasure—while challenging, time-consuming and, yes, costly—is well worth the effort.", New Jersey Monthly, October 16, 2012. Accessed March 3, 2020.
There are numerous sites, including homes, parks, and districts in the city that are listed on the National Register of Historic Places. While not listed, the Plainfield Armory, a prominent landmark completed in 1932, was sold by the state in 2013 as surplus property.The Plainfield Armory , The New Jersey Naval Militia Foundation. Accessed July 11, 2013. "The armory at Plainfield was constructed between 1931 and 1932 to house the Headquarters Company of the 44th Division."
Plainfield's wealthy northeast corner, known as the "Sleepy Hollow" section of the city, was and still is characterized by its array of finely landscaped streets and neighborhoods with homes defined by a broad array of architectural styles, most built during the first half of the twentieth century. From the tree-lined neighborhoods, the lot sizes vary, but the stateliness and distinction of each house is evident, whether a stately Queen Anne mansion or a gingerbread cottage. Most lots are nicely landscaped and semi- or fully private.Cheslow, Jerry. "If You're Thinking of Living in: Plainfield", The New York Times, May 9, 1993. Accessed July 29, 2016. "Although some neighborhoods, such as the Sleepy Hollow area on the east side of town, with its winding, tree-lined streets and large, custom houses, remain well-manicured, many formerly gracious streets near the center of town, like West Fourth, are blighted, with boarded-up buildings and shards of auto glass on the streets."
Plainfield has been home to former New Jersey governor James McGreevey.
Rebellion Plainfield was affected by the Plainfield Rebellion in July 1967. This civil disturbance occurred in the wake of the larger Newark riots. A Plainfield police officer was killed, about fifty people were injured, and several hundred thousand dollars of property was damaged by looting and arson. The New Jersey National Guard restored order after three days of unrest."Plainfield Burning: Black Rebellion in the Suburban North", Thomas J. Sugrue and Andrew M. Goodman, Journal of Urban History, vol. 33 (May 2007), pp. 368–401. This civil unrest caused a massive white flight, characterized by the percentage of Black residents rising from 40% in 1970 to 60% a decade later.Dreier, Peter. "Riot and Reunion: Forty Years Later", The Nation, July 30, 2007. Accessed April 10, 2012. "In 1971, after more protests and litigation, the school district initiated a desegregation plan. But because white flight had dramatically accelerated, real school integration between Blacks and whites was difficult to achieve. Between 1970 and 1980, blacks' share of Plainfield's population grew from 40 percent to 60 percent."
Author and Plainfield native Isaiah Tremaine published Insurrection in 2017 as a mournful accounting of the Plainfield riots—and subsequent racial tensions at Plainfield High School—from his perspective as a Black teenager living in the city with both white and Black friends at the time.Tremaine, Isaiah; and Pottackal, Joseph. "Recalling the 1967 Plainfield riots", Courier News, July 16, 2017. Accessed April 25, 2021. Prior to the rebellion, Plainfield was a regional shopping and entertainment center. Residents of nearby Union, Middlesex and Somerset counties would drive to shop and explore the business districts of Plainfield. Other than during the holidays, peak shopping times Plainfield were Thursday nights and Saturday, when Front Street and the areas around it bustled.Id.
Plainfield had several entertainment venues at that time. At the peak, there were four operating movie theaters: the Strand, the Liberty, the Paramount and the Oxford theaters.
Manufacturers of heavy goods included Chelsea Fan Corp., Mack Truck and National Starch and Chemical Corp. Plainfield Iron and Metal maintained a large scrapyard in the West End.
Natural disasters