The population of Bayonne City is a diverse group, with large communities of Italian, Irish and Polish citizens. In addition, the city has a large Hispanic population. The city has a rich cultural heritage and offers many opportunities to those who live there. However, the city is not without its challenges.
The city is located in the Hudson County metropolitan area. The Bayonne Bridge connects the city to Staten Island. It was completed in November 1931 and is one of the longest steel arch bridges in the world. The next longest is the Lupu Bridge in Shanghai, China, and the New River Gorge Bridge in West Virginia. In the 19th century, Standard Oil started operations in the city after John D. Rockefeller bought a kerosene plant in Bayonne. The company eventually encompassed a large portion of the city, including the Constable Hook section. Today, the only parts of the city where Standard Oil has operations are Avenues J and East 22nd Street.
In the nineteenth century, Bayonne experienced significant economic development as a result of the construction of the Morris Canal. The city became a hub of manufacturing, with the Port Johnston coal terminal, the Standard Oil Refinery, and the Texaco refinery and terminal. In the 1860s, Bayonne was also a center for the railroad industry, with several railroads running through it.