New York often called New York City ( nyc ) to disambiguate it from the State of New York, is the most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over 300. 46 square miles

New York ,

New York often called New York City ( NYC ) to disambiguate it from the State of New York , is the most populous city in the United States . With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over 300.46 square miles ( 778.2 km² ) , New York City is also the most densely populated major city in the United States . Located at the southern tip of the state of New York , the city is the center of the New York metropolitan area , the largest metropolitan area in the world by urban area . [ 9 ] With over 20.1 million people in its metropolitan statistical area and 23.5 million in its combined statistical area as of 2020 , New York is one of the world's most populous megacities . New York City has been described as the cultural , financial , and media capital of the world , and is a significant influence on commerce , entertainment , research , technology , education , politics , tourism , dining , art , fashion , and sports . It is the most photographed city in the world . [ 10 ] Home to the headquarters of the United Nations , New York is an important center for international diplomacy , [ 11 ] [ 12 ] and is sometimes described as the capital of the world .UzMobile ill New York City 53 % 22:18 Login v Table of Contents See all videos for this article Only the third largest American port at the time of the American Revolution , New York gradually achieved trade domination and by the mid - 1800s handled more than half of the country's oceangoing travelers and commercial trade . After 1900 New York was the world's busiest port , a distinction it held until the 1950s . Cargo containerization , the obsolescence of its waterfront piers , and soaring labour costs shifted business to the New Jersey side of the river after the 1960s , but at the beginning of the 21st century the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey still ? dominated the water trade of the northeastern United States . With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over 300.46 square miles ( 778.2 km² ) , New York City is also the most densely populated major city in the United States . Located at the southern tip of the state of New York , the city is the center of the New York metropolitan area , the largest metropolitan area in the world by urban area . [ 9 ] With over 20.1 million people in its metropolitan statistical area and 23.5 million in its combined statistical area as of 2020 , New York is one of the world's most populous megacities . New York City has been described as the cultural , financial , and media capital of the world , and is a significant influence on commerce , entertainment , research , technology , education , politics , tourism , dining , art , fashion , and sports . It is the most photographed city in the world . [ 10 ] Home to the headquarters of the United Nations , New York is an important center for international diplomacy , [ 11 ] [ 12 ] and is sometimes described as the capital of the world . Britannica