West Orange is a suburban township in Essex County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, its population was 46,207, an increase of 1,264 (+2.8%) from the 44,943 counted in the 2000 Census. West Orange is both an inner-ring suburb of Newark (the seat of Essex County, and New Jersey's largest city) and a commuter suburb of New York City; it is approximately 12 miles west of Manhattan. West Orange is well known for having been home to the inventor Thomas Edison, who also maintained a laboratory and workshop in town.