Hillside is a Union County township located immediately south of Newark and west of Elizabeth. Its compact neighborhoods are closely connected to major employment and transportation corridors, including Interstate 78, U.S. Route 22, the Garden State Parkway, and nearby Routes 1 and 9. The township contains single-family homes, multifamily buildings, schools, neighborhood shopping areas, warehouses, and industrial properties. Liberty Avenue and several county roads connect local neighborhoods with Newark, Union, Irvington, and Elizabeth. The Elizabeth River and smaller waterways cross portions of the community, while parks and recreation facilities provide open space within the developed landscape. Hillside’s location near Newark Liberty International Airport, Port Newark, and major highway interchanges has influenced its commercial and industrial growth. At the same time, many residential streets retain a traditional inner-suburban character with older homes and long-established community institutions. The township’s position places it at the meeting point of Union County’s suburban municipalities and the denser urban centers to the east.