At the day to day pace of modern life, the land beneath our feet appears to be a steady constant. The terra firma upon which we reside, work and recreate seems immutable outside of the occasional hazardous event such as a forest fire or hurricane. It's more difficult to see environmental changes that occur slowly over longer time spans, or in areas larger than our immediate neighborhoods. But changes to the landscape are continually occurring. The NJ Land Change Viewer provides dynamic mapping that helps make these larger scale environmental changes occurring in the state more graspable.

In recent decades the activities of people have surpassed the forces of nature to become the primary driver of change to the landscape. With a total land area of 5 million acres, New Jersey has become home to nearly 9 million residents making it the most densely populated state in the nation. This population pressure and proximity to metro New York and Philadelphia have resulted in the conversion of over a half million acres of natural lands and farmland into urban and suburban development during the past century.

Scroll below engage with our interactive maps!