West Orange is a township in Essex County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey. As of the 2020 United States census, the township's population was 48,843, an increase of 2,636 (+5.7%) from the 2010 census count of 46,207, which in turn reflected 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 New Jersey's largest city, Newark, and a commuter suburb of New York City; it is approximately 12 miles (19 km) west of Manhattan. West Orange was home to the inventor Thomas Edison, who also maintained a laboratory and workshop in town.