Orange is a compact city in central Essex County, bordered by East Orange, West Orange, South Orange, and Montclair. The city developed as an important manufacturing center, particularly for hats and related industries, and many older commercial and industrial buildings remain part of its streetscape. Main Street and Central Avenue serve as major local corridors, while Interstate 280 provides direct access to Newark and the regional highway network. NJ Transit’s Morris and Essex Lines stop at Orange and Highland Avenue stations. The community includes dense residential neighborhoods, apartment buildings, schools, houses of worship, parks, neighborhood shopping areas, and ongoing redevelopment near transit and downtown blocks. Orange’s location at the base of the Watchung foothills creates a transition between the denser urban municipalities to the east and the more suburban communities farther west. Historic architecture and long-established neighborhoods remain important parts of the city’s identity.