The Bronx

About

The Bronx ( BRONKS) is the northernmost of the five boroughs of New York City. The Bronx has a land area of 42 square miles (109 km2) and a population of 1,472,654 at the 2020 census. It has the fourth largest area, fourth largest population, and third highest population density of the boroughs. The Bronx is the only borough located primarily on the U.S. mainland, bordering Westchester County to its north; the Hudson River and the borough of Manhattan, across the Harlem River, to its west; the borough of Queens, across the East River, to its south; and Long Island Sound to its east. The borough is coextensive with Bronx County, one of the 62 counties of New York State.

The Bronx is divided by the Bronx River into a hillier section in the west and a flatter eastern section. East and west street names are divided by Jerome Avenue. The west was annexed to New York City in 1874, and the areas east of the Bronx River in 1895. Bronx County was separated from New York County (which had included the boroughs of Manhattan and the Bronx) in 1914. About a quarter of the Bronx's area is open space, including Woodlawn Cemetery, Van Cortlandt Park, Pelham Bay Park, the New York Botanical Garden, and the Bronx Zoo in the borough's north and center. The Thain Family Forest at the New York Botanical Garden is thousands of years old and is New York City's largest remaining tract of the original forest that once covered the city. These open spaces are primarily on land reserved in the late 19th century as urban development progressed north and east from Manhattan. The Bronx is also home to Yankee Stadium of Major League Baseball.