Nazarene Presence in the Northeast Megaregion (1887-2017)

The most populous area of north America is found along the northeastern seaboard between Portland, Maine in the north to Virginia Beach, Virginia in the south. 

The I-95 corridor is the main artery of people movement through the Northeast megaregion.

According to the i95coalition.org, the full length of I-95 comprises:

Popluation

• 110 million people live here, one of 10 people in the U.S. living on 37% of the nation's land mass
• 272 persons per square mile: 3x more than the rest of the U.S. and the same as Western Europe

​Travel 

• one-fifth of the U.S. road miles
• peak traffic at 300,000 vehicles
• 103 airports with commercial use
• 34% of U.S. imports through 45 seaports

Economy

• 40% of U.S. GDP ($4.7 trillion)
• 38% of all U.S. jobs
• 28% of all U.S. exports
• This section of the country alone could be considered the 2nd largest economy in the world.

The Northeast megaregion is the industrial heart of the I-95 corridor, and its northern half. This interstate connects New York City, the largest urban area in the U.S. for over a century, to Boston in the north to Philadelphia, the fifth largest city in the U.S., to the growing suburbs surrounding Washington D.C. and the Chesapeake Bay in the north. 

One-sixth of the U.S. population (52.3 million) will multiply by another 35% (18.2 million) to 70.8 million by the middle of the 21st century. If one of the tents of church multiplication is to look for "pockets of people," then this is the place to find them.

The next few posts will take a closer look at the long presence of the Church of the Nazarene in the Northeast megaregion.

Source: America2050.org

Resources:

• Megaregions and the Church of the Nazarene in North America
• Nazarene Presence in the Cascadia Megaregion (1905-2015)
• Nazarene Presence in the Southern California Megaregion (Organized and Closed Churches)​
• Great Lakes Megaregion and the Church of the Nazarene​