Havana on the Hudson

Havana on the Hudson is a nickname for the northern part of Hudson County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey. The name is derived from the Cuban capital Havana and from northern Hudson County's geographic proximity to the Hudson River.

During the latter half of the 20th century, Cuban émigrés and exiles left their country and relocated to Union City, West New York, and surrounding communities in search of economic opportunity and political freedom. Although the area during this period became significantly influenced by Cuban culture, over the course of the decades that followed, many Cubans spread into adjacent towns and many other Hispanic groups also moved into the area, resulting in a widespread and diverse Latino culture, commerce and identity that is non-exclusive of any people of Hispanic descent, though Cubans remain a powerful voting bloc. Numerous towns on the Hudson Palisades in northern Hudson and southeast Bergen counties have populations where more than 50% of the residents are foreign-born, often with a Hispanic majority. Some of its towns are among the most densely populated in the U.S., three of which, Guttenberg, Union City, and West New York, are the top three most densely populated municipalities in New Jersey.