http://www.ci.newark.nj.us/ Newark ( /ˈnjuː.ərk/) is the largest city in the American state of New Jersey, and the seat of Essex County. As of the 2010 United States Census, the city had a population of 277,140. It is the 67th largest city in the United States and one of the nation's major air, shipping, and rail hubs. Newark is located in the heart of New Jersey's Gateway Region, approximately 8 miles (13 km) west of Manhattan. Its location near the Atlantic Ocean on Newark Bay has helped make its port facility, Port Newark, the key container shipping facility for the New York metropolitan area, and the largest on the East Coast. It is the home of Newark Liberty International Airport, the first municipal commercial airport in the United States, and one of the busiest today. Newark is headquarters to numerous corporations such as Prudential Financial and PSEG. It is home to several universities including the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey, the Seton Hall University School of Law, Rutgers University, and the New Jersey Institute of Technology, as well as numerous cultural and sports venues. This ethnically diverse city is divided into five wards, and contains a variety of neighborhoods ranging in character from bustling urban districts to quiet suburban enclaves. Newark's Branch Brook Park is the oldest county park in the United States and is home the nation's' largest collection of cherry blossom trees, with about 4,300.