About New York City
400 years of history
From Paleo-Indigenous settlement ~9000 BC to a 2026 FIFA World Cup co-host and global capital of finance, culture, and innovation.
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New York City comprises five boroughs situated where the Hudson River meets the Atlantic Ocean. At its core is Manhattan, a densely populated borough that is among the world's major commercial, financial, and cultural centers.
Established in 1624 as a Dutch trading post, New York City has grown into the most linguistically diverse city on Earth, with over 800 languages spoken. It serves as the headquarters of the United Nations.
The city has a total population of over 8 million residents and a metropolitan area population of over 20 million, making it by far the most populous city in the United States.
Est.
~9000 BC
Population
8.3M
Boroughs
5
Languages
800+
Oldest Record — ~1000 BC
The Lenape (Delaware) people establish permanent settlements across the region they call Lenapehoking — including the island of Mannahatta — living in villages, fishing the rivers, and cultivating the land for millennia before European contact.
Most Recent — Friday, August 28, 2026
New York City continues to evolve as a living city at the center of global culture, commerce, and community.
Timeline
The Lenape (Delaware) people establish permanent settlements across the region they call Lenapehoking — including the island of Mannahatta — living in villages, fishing the rivers, and cultivating the land for millennia before European contact.
Giovanni da Verrazzano becomes the first European to enter New York Harbor.
Henry Hudson sails up the Hudson River, claiming the area for the Dutch East India Company.
Dutch colonists establish Fort Amsterdam at the southern tip of Manhattan, founding New Amsterdam.
English forces capture New Amsterdam; the city is renamed New York after the Duke of York.
New York City becomes the first capital of the United States. George Washington inaugurated here.
The Statue of Liberty is dedicated in New York Harbor, a gift from France.
The five boroughs consolidate to form the City of New York, creating the modern metropolis.
The New York City Subway opens, becoming one of the world's first rapid transit systems.
The Empire State Building opens, becoming the world's tallest building at the time.
The United Nations Headquarters opens in Midtown Manhattan.
Hip-hop is born in the South Bronx at a DJ Kool Herc party, changing global music forever.
The September 11 attacks destroy the Twin Towers of the World Trade Center.
One World Trade Center opens to tenants, completing the rebuilt World Trade Center campus.
The COVID-19 pandemic hits New York City hard; the city becomes a global symbol of resilience.
NYC launches congestion pricing in Manhattan below 60th Street, a first for any U.S. city.
Paleo-Indigenous peoples first inhabit the land now known as New York City, following the retreat of glaciers from the last Ice Age. The landscape is shaped by the Wisconsin Glaciation, which carved out what is now New York Harbor, the Hudson River valley, and Long Island.
New York City continues to evolve as a living city at the center of global culture, commerce, and community.