Union County sits between the New York metropolitan core and central New Jersey, with Elizabeth serving as the county seat. Its eastern municipalities contain older urban neighborhoods, port and industrial areas, major transportation corridors, and direct connections to Newark Liberty International Airport. Western communities such as Westfield, Summit, Mountainside, and Scotch Plains have a more suburban character, established downtowns, and extensive residential neighborhoods. Interstate 78, the Garden State Parkway, Route 22, and Routes 1 and 9 provide regional road access, while several NJ Transit rail lines connect local stations with Newark and Manhattan. The county also includes Kean University, the Watchung Reservation, historic sites, healthcare institutions, shopping districts, and a broad mix of housing. This combination of dense eastern development and lower-density western communities gives Union County a notably varied physical and economic landscape.