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Vernon Township, New Jersey

Vernon Township is a township in Sussex County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey. It is located about a one hour drive from New York City and is part of the New York Metropolitan Area. As of the 2020 United States census, the township's population was 22,358, a decrease of 1,585 (−6.6%) from the 2010 census count of 23,943,  which in turn reflected a decline of 743 (−3.0%) from the 24,686 counted in the 2000 census. It is both the most populous municipality and the largest in area in the county.

Vernon is home to Mountain Creek (formerly Great Gorge and Vernon Valley), a ski resort and water park as well as the Crystal Springs Resort's Minerals Hotel and Elements Spa. The Hidden Valley ski resort, which opened in 1976 and occupied a 140 acres property that included one of New Jersey's three remaining downhill skiing facilities, closed at the end of the 2013 season and could find no buyers at an auction held that year; it has since reopened as the National Winter Activity Center. The Great Gorge Playboy Club was located in the Vernon community of McAfee, but was sold and turned into a hotel called the Legends Resort & Country Club. Opened in 1972 at a cost of $20 million (equivalent to $ million in ), featuring 700 rooms and 27 holes of golf, the hotel was sold to Americana in 1982 and later was resold to Metairie Corp. which branded the property as the Legends Resort and Country Club. In 2017, the township started eviction proceedings against low-income residents who had been living in the defunct resort on a permanent basis.

History
The independent township of Vernon was established on April 8, 1793, from portions of Hardyston Township, and the township was formally incorporated on February 21, 1798. The 68 sqmi which marked the town's borders over 200 years ago have not changed since. However, the population of Vernon, which was 1,548 people as recently as 1950, has steadily grown since the 1960s, when the ski industry was introduced to the area. Additional growth has come as home prices have soared in the inner suburbs of New York City and property buyers seek the better values available from real estate developments in the area.

Iron mining in the town of Vernon was prevalent during the mid-to-late 19th century. Mines such as the Canistear Mine, Williams Mine, and the Pochuk Mine created industry which spawned local businesses, and brought rail travel to the town.

It is not known how Vernon Township got its name, but a number of theories have been offered by author Ronald J. Dupont Jr.:

 * Admiral Edward Vernon. Dupont writes that this is very possible because of two things: 1. the township was created in 1792, the year that George Washington was reelected as president, and 2. because Vernon Township's first Masonic Lodge in 1820 was named Mount Vernon (Washington was also a Freemason during his life), likely after Washington's Virginia residence. The residence, in turn, got its name because Washington's brother Lawrence Washington served with Admiral Vernon.
 * A family named Vernon. Not likely, Dupont says, although he notes that a Nathaniel Vernon was a licensed tavernkeeper in Sussex County in 1756. However, the tavern was likely elsewhere, and not in what is now Vernon.
 * The Latin root "Vernus." One form of "vernus" is "vernal," as in vernal equinox ("spring"), and so Vernon "had connotations of spring: green, lush, fresh, fertile, etc., and hence was an attractive name for a place."

Dupont Jr. also writes that in the late 19th century two places named Vernon existed, one in Sussex County and another in Essex County. When the Essex County community was granted a post office, they found out that another Vernon existed, and so they eventually named the community Verona.

Geography
According to the United States Census Bureau, the township had a total area of 69.96 square miles (181.19 km2), including 67.60 square miles (175.07 km2) of land and 2.36 square miles (6.12 km2) of water (3.38%).

Highland Lakes (2010 Census population of 4,933 ), Vernon Center (2010 Census population of 1,713 ) and Vernon Valley (1,626 as of 2010 ) are unincorporated communities and census-designated places (CDPs) located within Vernon Township.

The township is bordered by the municipalities of Hardyston Township and Wantage Township in Sussex County; West Milford Township in Passaic County; and the Town of Warwick in Orange County.

Elevation varies greatly due to the valleys, rolling hills, and mountains. The United States Geological Survey places Glenwood at 580 ft, McAfee at 435 ft, and Highland Lakes at 1260 ft.

The township is located in the Kittatinny Valley which is a section of the Great Appalachian Valley that stretches 700 mi from Canada to Alabama.

The City of Newark in Essex County owns 5400 acres of land in the township that are part of their Pequannock River Watershed, which provides water to the city from a total area of 35000 acres that also includes portions of Hardyston Township, Jefferson Township, Kinnelon, Rockaway Township and West Milford.

Communities and neighborhoods
Other unincorporated communities, localities and place names located partially or completely within the township include:
 * Barry Lakes
 * Canistear Reservoir
 * Cedar Ridge
 * Cliffwood Lake
 * DeKays
 * Glenwood
 * Great Gorge
 * High Breeze
 * Highland Lakes
 * Independence Corners
 * Kampe P.O.
 * Lake Conway
 * Lake Panorama
 * Lake Pochung
 * Lake Wanda
 * Lake Wallkill
 * Lake Wilderwood
 * Maple Grange
 * McAfee
 * Mud Pond
 * Owens
 * Pleasant Valley Lake
 * Prices Switch
 * Scenic Lake
 * Vernon Village "Town Center"
 * Vernon Valley a.k.a. "The Valley"
 * Vernon Valley Lake
 * Wawayanda
 * Wawayanda Lake

Glenwood and McAfee are located in the western portion of the township, McAfee to the South and Glenwood to the North. Highland Lakes is in the Eastern portion of the township. Pleasant Valley Lake is in the southwest portion of the township. Four of these sections have a post office. Vernon also has many developments.

Vernon is home to many lake communities, including Highland Lakes, Barry Lakes, Cliffwood Lake, High Breeze, Lake Conway, Lake Wanda, Laurel Lake, Lake Wildwood, Lake Panorama, Lake Pochung, Lake Wallkill, Pleasant Valley Lake, Scenic Lakes, and Vernon Valley Lake.

The township's largest housing complex is Great Gorge Village. Originally built as a slope-side vacation housing development with 1,356 units, the village is no longer affiliated with the ski resort and is operated by real estate investor Andrew Mulvihill. Village residents, who pay $5.5 million in condominium fees to cover services, have argued that Mulvihill and affiliated businesses have used their control of the community's board of directors to direct contracts to affiliated vendors.

2010 census
The 2010 United States census counted 23,943 people, 8,622 households, and 6,596 families in the township. The population density was 350.9 /sqmi. There were 10,958 housing units at an average density of 160.6 /sqmi. The racial makeup was 95.18% (22,790) White, 1.39% (332) Black or African American, 0.17% (40) Native American, 0.78% (186) Asian, 0.03% (8) Pacific Islander, 1.10% (263) from other races, and 1.35% (324) from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 6.41% (1,534) of the population.

Of the 8,622 households, 35.6% had children under the age of 18; 63.0% were married couples living together; 9.0% had a female householder with no husband present and 23.5% were non-families. Of all households, 19.0% were made up of individuals and 4.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.77 and the average family size was 3.18.

24.3% of the population were under the age of 18, 8.7% from 18 to 24, 24.5% from 25 to 44, 34.0% from 45 to 64, and 8.4% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 40.5 years. For every 100 females, the population had 102.9 males. For every 100 females ages 18 and older there were 101.2 males.

The Census Bureau's 2006–2010 American Community Survey showed that (in 2010 inflation-adjusted dollars) median household income was $81,129 (with a margin of error of +/− $5,949) and the median family income was $87,215 (+/− $4,152). Males had a median income of $62,462 (+/− $3,163) versus $41,917 (+/− $2,121) for females. The per capita income for the borough was $32,649 (+/− $1,365). About 3.2% of families and 4.1% of the population were below the poverty line, including 6.4% of those under age 18 and 2.5% of those age 65 or over.

2000 census
As of the 2000 United States census there were 24,686 people, 8,368 households, and 6,610 families residing in the township. The population density was 360.9 PD/sqmi. There were 9,994 housing units at an average density of 146.1 /sqmi. The racial makeup of the township was 96.56% White, 0.76% African American, 0.09% Native American, 0.70% Asian, 0.03% Pacific Islander, 0.79% from other races, and 1.07% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 3.60% of the population.

There were 8,368 households, out of which 45.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 68.1% were married couples living together, 7.6% had a female householder with no husband present, and 21.0% were non-families. 16.2% of all households were made up of individuals, and 3.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.95 and the average family size was 3.35.

In the township the population was spread out, with 30.6% under the age of 18, 6.7% from 18 to 24, 32.9% from 25 to 44, 23.4% from 45 to 64, and 6.3% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 35 years. For every 100 females, there were 102.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 100.0 males.

The median income for a household in the township was $67,566, and the median income for a family was $72,609. Males had a median income of $50,084 versus $33,292 for females. The per capita income for the township was $25,250. About 2.8% of families and 2.9% of the population were below the poverty line, including 3.0% of those under age 18 and 3.9% of those age 65 or over.

Economy
The primary satellite uplink earth terminal facility for Sirius XM Radio is located in Vernon, as is the Vernon Valley uplink facility for SES Worldcom.

Parks and recreation

 * Appalachian National Scenic Trail
 * Mountain Creek Ski Resort and Mountain Creek Waterpark
 * Hidden Valley Resort – Since January 2016, the area has been repurposed as the National Winter Activity Center, which provides education and ski / snowboard instruction to groups that might not have access to winter sports.

Local government
In a November 2010 referendum, 70% of voters approved a change from the Faulkner Act (council–manager) form of government to the mayor–council form. Under the new plan, a mayor directly elected by the voters oversees the day-to-day operation of the township with the aid of a business manager, subject to the oversight of a five-member Township Council. The Mayor and Council took office after elections in May 2011, replacing the previously existing council. The township is one of 42 municipalities (of the 564) statewide that use this form of government. Under the terms of an ordinance passed in August 2011, the township's elections were shifted from May to November, with the council citing savings from eliminating the standalone municipal election.

The governing body is comprised of the Mayor and the five-member Township Council, who are directly elected by the voters on an at-large basis to staggered four-year terms of office on a non-partisan basis, with either two or three seats up for election in odd-numbered years as part of the November general election. Three council seats come up for election together and the two other council seats and the mayoral seat are up for vote together two years later. Under the current plan, Vernon has a "strong mayor" system of government in which the mayor heads the executive branch, overseeing township functions, enforcing all ordinances and other regulations, appoints department heads and prepares a budget, with the assistance of a business administrator. The Township Council is the legislative branch, responsible for enacting ordinances, approving the mayor's department head appointments, can remove employees for cause and can modify the mayor's budget by majority vote, though budget increases require a ⅔ majority. The mayor has the option to attend and speak at council meetings but is not given a vote.

, the Mayor is Anthony L. Rossi, whose term of office ends December 31, 2027. Members of the Vernon Township Council are Council President Patrick Rizzuto (2025), Council Vice President Natalie Buccieri (2025), Jessica DeBenedetto (2025; elected to serve an unexpired term), William J. Higgins (2027) and Bradley D. Sparta (2027).

In February 2023, Peg Distasi was appointed to the seat expiring in December 2025 that had been held by Bryan Lynch; the seat will come up for election in November 2023 for the balance of the term. In the November 2023 general election, Jessica DeBenedetto was elected to serve the balance of the term of office.

In November 2022, the council appointed Joe Tadrick to fill the seat expiring in December 2023 that had been held by Harry Shortway the previous month due to health issues.

In October 2021, the Township Council selected Michael Furrey to fill the seat expiring in December 2023 that had been held by Kelly Weller until she stepped down from office earlier that month after announcing that she was moving out of the township. Furrey served on an interim basis until the November 2022 general election, when Bradley D. Sparta was elected to serve the balance of the term of office.

The Township Council selected Toni Cilli in January 2021 to fill the seat held by Jean Murphy running to December 2021.

Andrew Pitsker took office in July 2020 after being chosen to fill the seat expiring in December 2021 that had been held until Mark Van Tassel left office the previous month. Pitsker served on an interim basis until the November 2020 general election, when he was elected to serve the remainder of the term.

Four members of the governing body were elected in May 2011 and took office on July 1, 2011, Jean Murphy was elected in November 2014 just beating Edward Dunn.

Emergency services
Vernon Township is serviced by the Vernon Police Department, one ambulance squad and four fire departments. All of the emergency services are made up of volunteers, except for the police department.

Vernon Fire Department covers a significant portion of "the Valley", Highland Lakes Fire Department covers "the mountain", McAfee Fire Department covers the Pleasant Valley Lake area and Pochuck Valley covers most of the Glenwood section.

Since 2024, Vernon Emergency Medical Services (formed from the merger of the Vernon Township Ambulance Squad and the Glenwood Pochuck Volunteer Ambulance Corps) is split between three stations buildings situated to best serve the township.

Federal, state and county representation
Vernon Township is located in the 5th Congressional District and is part of New Jersey's 24th state legislative district.

Politics
As of March 2011, there were a total of 15,476 registered voters in Vernon Township, of which 2,425 (15.7% vs. 16.5% countywide) were registered as Democrats, 5,489 (35.5% vs. 39.3%) were registered as Republicans and 7,538 (48.7% vs. 44.1%) were registered as Unaffiliated. There were 24 voters registered as Libertarians or Greens. Among the township's 2010 Census population, 64.6% (vs. 65.8% in Sussex County) were registered to vote, including 85.4% of those ages 18 and over (vs. 86.5% countywide).

In the 2012 presidential election, Republican Mitt Romney received 6,111 votes (56.8% vs. 59.4% countywide), ahead of Democrat Barack Obama with 4,322 votes (40.2% vs. 38.2%) and other candidates with 281 votes (2.6% vs. 2.1%), among the 10,753 ballots cast by the township's 15,729 registered voters, for a turnout of 68.4% (vs. 68.3% in Sussex County). In the 2008 presidential election, Republican John McCain received 6,778 votes (58.3% vs. 59.2% countywide), ahead of Democrat Barack Obama with 4,603 votes (39.6% vs. 38.7%) and other candidates with 184 votes (1.6% vs. 1.5%), among the 11,620 ballots cast by the township's 15,195 registered voters, for a turnout of 76.5% (vs. 76.9% in Sussex County). In the 2004 presidential election, Republican George W. Bush received 6,826 votes (62.4% vs. 63.9% countywide), ahead of Democrat John Kerry with 3,921 votes (35.8% vs. 34.4%) and other candidates with 149 votes (1.4% vs. 1.3%), among the 10,939 ballots cast by the township's 14,249 registered voters, for a turnout of 76.8% (vs. 77.7% in the whole county).

In the 2013 gubernatorial election, Republican Chris Christie received 69.0% of the vote (4,445 cast), ahead of Democrat Barbara Buono with 27.0% (1,740 votes), and other candidates with 4.0% (257 votes), among the 6,498 ballots cast by the township's 15,896 registered voters (56 ballots were spoiled), for a turnout of 40.9%. In the 2009 gubernatorial election, Republican Chris Christie received 4,441 votes (59.5% vs. 63.3% countywide), ahead of Democrat Jon Corzine with 2,106 votes (28.2% vs. 25.7%), Independent Chris Daggett with 732 votes (9.8% vs. 9.1%) and other candidates with 124 votes (1.7% vs. 1.3%), among the 7,458 ballots cast by the township's 15,109 registered voters, yielding a 49.4% turnout (vs. 52.3% in the county).

Education
The Vernon Township School District serves public school students in pre-kindergarten through twelfth grade. As of the 2018–19 school year, the district, comprised of six schools, had an enrollment of 3,012 students and 296.2 classroom teachers (on an FTE basis), for a student–teacher ratio of 10.2:1. Schools in the district (with 2018–19 enrollment data from the National Center for Education Statistics ) are Walnut Ridge School with 96 students in Pre-K, Cedar Mountain Primary School with 374 students in grades K–1, Rolling Hills Elementary School with 429 students in grades 2–3, Lounsberry Hollow School with 410 students in grades 4–5, Glen Meadow Middle School with 680 students in grades 6–8 and Vernon Township High School with 995 students in grades 9–12.

Roads and highways
, the township had a total of 126.12 mi of roadways, of which 85.21 mi were maintained by the municipality, 32.31 mi by Sussex County and 8.60 mi by the New Jersey Department of Transportation.

The main highway serving Vernon Township is New Jersey Route 94. Other significant roads passing through Vernon Township include County Route 515, County Route 517 and County Route 565. County Route 644 and County Route 641 also pass through the township. In addition, direct access to Interstate 80 is offered via Route 94, and County Route 565 to Route 23 to Interstate 84 in New York.

Vernon is the site of a wrong-way concurrency at the intersection of NJ 94 and CR 517 in McAfee.

Public transportation
The New York, Susquehanna and Western Railway passes through Vernon, but only freight service is offered.

In popular culture

 * Portions of the 1989 film See No Evil, Hear No Evil were filmed and shot in Vernon at the former Playboy Club, referred to as simply the "Great Gorge Resort" in the movie.
 * In 2020, the former Action Park was preserved through its legacy in two memoir adaptations. On June 30, Penguin Random House published the book Action Park by Andy Mulvihill and Jake Rossen, and two months later, HBO Max released the documentary film Class Action Park about the life, times and dangers of the former Action Park.

Notable people
People who were born in, residents of, or otherwise closely associated with Vernon Township include:
 * Rebekah Bruesehoff (born 2007), LGBTQ rights activist, social media influencer, and author
 * Bobby Ellsworth (born 1959), lead singer of thrash metal band Overkill
 * Helena Rutherfurd Ely (1858–1920), author, garden writer and creator of Vernon's Meadowburn Farm
 * Nicolas de Gunzburg (1904–1981), editor in chief of Town & Country and fashion editor at Vogue and Harper's Bazaar
 * Daniel Haines (1801–1877), attorney, jurist, and politician who served as the 14th Governor of New Jersey in nonconsecutive terms in office from 1843 to 1845 and 1848 to 1851.
 * Brett Hearn (born 1958), modified stock car driver
 * Katie Henry, blues rock singer, guitarist, pianist and songwriter
 * Ryan Izzo (born 1995), football tight end for the Houston Roughnecks
 * Danny Kass (born 1982), professional snowboarder who won a silver medal in men's halfpipe in Snowboarding at the 2002 Winter Olympics
 * Brad Leone (born 1985), chef for Bon Appétit star of show It's Alive
 * John Winans (1831–1907), U.S. Representative from Wisconsin
 * Ross Winans (1796–1877), inventor, mechanic, and builder of locomotives and railroad machinery

title: Vernon Township, New Jersey


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Binding energy

In physics and chemistry, binding energy is the smallest amount of energy required to remove a particle from a system of particles or to disassemble a system of particles into individual parts. In the former meaning the term is predominantly used in condensed matter physics, atomic physics, and chemistry, whereas in nuclear physics the term separation energy is used. A bound system is typically at a lower energy level than its unbound constituents. According to relativity theory, a $ΔE$ decrease in the total energy of a system is accompanied by a decrease $Δm$ in the total mass, where $Δmc^{2} = ΔE$.

Types
There are several types of binding energy, each operating over a different distance and energy scale. The smaller the size of a bound system, the higher its associated binding energy.

Mass–energy relation
A bound system is typically at a lower energy level than its unbound constituents because its mass must be less than the total mass of its unbound constituents. For systems with low binding energies, this "lost" mass after binding may be fractionally small, whereas for systems with high binding energies, the missing mass may be an easily measurable fraction. This missing mass may be lost during the process of binding as energy in the form of heat or light, with the removed energy corresponding to the removed mass through Einstein's equation $E = mc^{2}$. In the process of binding, the constituents of the system might enter higher energy states of the nucleus/atom/molecule while retaining their mass, and because of this, it is necessary that they are removed from the system before its mass can decrease. Once the system cools to normal temperatures and returns to ground states regarding energy levels, it will contain less mass than when it first combined and was at high energy. This loss of heat represents the "mass deficit", and the heat itself retains the mass that was lost (from the point of view of the initial system). This mass will appear in any other system that absorbs the heat and gains thermal energy.

For example, if two objects are attracting each other in space through their gravitational field, the attraction force accelerates the objects, increasing their velocity, which converts their potential energy (gravity) into kinetic energy. When the particles either pass through each other without interaction or elastically repel during the collision, the gained kinetic energy (related to speed) begins to revert into potential energy, driving the collided particles apart. The decelerating particles will return to the initial distance and beyond into infinity, or stop and repeat the collision (oscillation takes place). This shows that the system, which loses no energy, does not combine (bind) into a solid object, parts of which oscillate at short distances. Therefore, to bind the particles, the kinetic energy gained due to the attraction must be dissipated by resistive force. Complex objects in collision ordinarily undergo inelastic collision, transforming some kinetic energy into internal energy (heat content, which is atomic movement), which is further radiated in the form of photons – the light and heat. Once the energy to escape the gravity is dissipated in the collision, the parts will oscillate at a closer, possibly atomic, distance, thus looking like one solid object. This lost energy, necessary to overcome the potential barrier to separate the objects, is the binding energy. If this binding energy were retained in the system as heat, its mass would not decrease, whereas binding energy lost from the system as heat radiation would itself have mass. It directly represents the "mass deficit" of the cold, bound system.

Closely analogous considerations apply in chemical and nuclear reactions. Exothermic chemical reactions in closed systems do not change mass, but do become less massive once the heat of reaction is removed, though this mass change is too small to measure with standard equipment. In nuclear reactions, the fraction of mass that may be removed as light or heat, i.e. binding energy, is often a much larger fraction of the system mass. It may thus be measured directly as a mass difference between rest masses of reactants and (cooled) products. This is because nuclear forces are comparatively stronger than the Coulombic forces associated with the interactions between electrons and protons that generate heat in chemistry.

Mass change
Mass change (decrease) in bound systems, particularly atomic nuclei, has also been termed mass defect, mass deficit, or mass packing fraction.

The difference between the unbound system calculated mass and experimentally measured mass of nucleus (mass change) is denoted as Δm. It can be calculated as follows:
 * Mass change = (unbound system calculated mass) − (measured mass of system)
 * e.g. (sum of masses of protons and neutrons) − (measured mass of nucleus)

After a nuclear reaction occurs that results in an excited nucleus, the energy that must be radiated or otherwise removed as binding energy in order to decay to the unexcited state may be in one of several forms. This may be electromagnetic waves, such as gamma radiation; the kinetic energy of an ejected particle, such as an electron, in internal conversion decay; or partly as the rest mass of one or more emitted particles, such as the particles of beta decay. No mass deficit can appear, in theory, until this radiation or this energy has been emitted and is no longer part of the system.

When nucleons bind together to form a nucleus, they must lose a small amount of mass, i.e. there is a change in mass to stay bound. This mass change must be released as various types of photon or other particle energy as above, according to the relation $E = mc^{2}$. Thus, after the binding energy has been removed, binding energy = mass change × $c^{2}$. This energy is a measure of the forces that hold the nucleons together. It represents energy that must be resupplied from the environment for the nucleus to be broken up into individual nucleons.

For example, an atom of deuterium has a mass defect of 0.0023884 Da, and its binding energy is nearly equal to 2.23 MeV. This means that energy of 2.23 MeV is required to disintegrate an atom of deuterium.

The energy given off during either nuclear fusion or nuclear fission is the difference of the binding energies of the "fuel", i.e. the initial nuclide(s), from that of the fission or fusion products. In practice, this energy may also be calculated from the substantial mass differences between the fuel and products, which uses previous measurements of the atomic masses of known nuclides, which always have the same mass for each species. This mass difference appears once evolved heat and radiation have been removed, which is required for measuring the (rest) masses of the (non-excited) nuclides involved in such calculations.

license: Creative Commons - Attribution Share-Alike - https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/

title: Binding energy


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Vernon Valley, New Jersey

Vernon Valley is an unincorporated community and census-designated place (CDP) located in Vernon Township, in Sussex County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey. As of the 2010 United States Census, the CDP's population was 1,626.

Geography
According to the United States Census Bureau, the CDP had a total area of 2.705 mi2, including 2.677 mi2 of land and 0.028 mi2 of water (1.04%).

Vernon is a valley bounded by two Crystalline Appalachian ridges known as Pochuck Mountain and Wawayanda Mountain.

2010 census
The 2010 United States census counted 1,626 people, 545 households, and 472 families in the CDP. The population density was 607.5 /mi2. There were 577 housing units at an average density of 215.6 /mi2. The racial makeup was 96.31% (1,566) White, 0.25% (4) Black or African American, 0.12% (2) Native American, 1.23% (20) Asian, 0.00% (0) Pacific Islander, 0.49% (8) from other races, and 1.60% (26) from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 4.86% (79) of the population.

Of the 545 households, 38.7% had children under the age of 18; 73.6% were married couples living together; 8.8% had a female householder with no husband present and 13.4% were non-families. Of all households, 10.8% were made up of individuals and 4.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.98 and the average family size was 3.22.

24.1% of the population were under the age of 18, 10.2% from 18 to 24, 21.3% from 25 to 44, 35.7% from 45 to 64, and 8.6% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 41.6 years. For every 100 females, the population had 99.3 males. For every 100 females ages 18 and older there were 97.1 males.

2000 census
As of the 2000 United States Census there were 1,737 people, 544 households, and 473 families living in the CDP. The population density was 254.0 /km2. There were 560 housing units at an average density of 81.9 /km2. The racial makeup of the CDP was 96.78% White, 0.63% African American, 0.06% Native American, 1.04% Asian, 0.40% from other races, and 1.09% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 2.99% of the population.

There were 544 households, out of which 50.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 79.8% were married couples living together, 5.1% had a female householder with no husband present, and 12.9% were non-families. 9.9% of all households were made up of individuals, and 2.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 3.19 and the average family size was 3.45.

In the CDP the population was spread out, with 31.7% under the age of 18, 6.0% from 18 to 24, 32.0% from 25 to 44, 24.6% from 45 to 64, and 5.8% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females, there were 100.6 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 96.8 males.

The median income for a household in the CDP was $74,943, and the median income for a family was $75,468. Males had a median income of $56,033 versus $36,219 for females. The per capita income for the CDP was $23,801. About 0.8% of families and 1.9% of the population were below the poverty line, including 1.8% of those under age 18 and 5.1% of those age 65 or over.

title: Vernon Valley, New Jersey


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Walpack Township, New Jersey

Walpack Township is a township in Sussex County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey. As of the 2020 United States census, the township's population was 7, a decrease of 9 (−56.3%) from the 2010 census count of 16, which in turn reflected a decline of 34 (−82.9%) from the 41 counted in the 2000 census. Walpack Township was the smallest municipality by population and one of only four municipalities in New Jersey with a population under 100 as of the 2020 Census; it had the state's third-smallest population in the 2010 census, behind Tavistock (population 5) and the now-defunct Pine Valley (population 12), both in Camden County.

The township is named from a corruption of the Lenape Native American content word "wahlpeck," which means "turn-hole," or an eddy or whirlpool, a compound of two Native American words, "woa-lac" (a hole), and "tuppeck" (a pool), though other sources attribute the name to mean "very deep water" or "sudden bend of a stream around the base of a rock".

History
Walpack Township dates back to October 26, 1731, when it was first mentioned as Walpake in Hunterdon County. The area covered by the present-day township was set off to Morris County upon that county's creation in 1739, and became part of the newly formed Sussex County in 1753. As of April 15, 1754, Walpack's boundaries were defined as a "precinct". Walpack was formally incorporated as a township by an act of the New Jersey Legislature on February 21, 1798. Portions of the township were taken to form Montague Township (March 26, 1759), Sandyston Township (February 26, 1762) and the now-defunct Pahaquarry Township in Warren County (December 27, 1824). Territory was gained from Stillwater Township in 1935.

The Andrew Snable House was built in 1801 and was added to the National Register of Historic Places on July 23, 1979. The Wallpack Center Historic District was added to the NRHP on July 17, 1980.

In 1955 a proposal was made by Congress for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to alleviate flooding on the Delaware River by constructing a dam at the site of Tocks Island. This dam, 10 mi south of Walpack, would have created a lake roughly 40 mi long and 1 mi wide. Approximately 72000 acres of the surrounding land, including Walpack, were claimed under eminent domain by the government for this project and thousands of area residents were forced to move out. Although the dam was never actually constructed, the township's population has been on the decline ever since.

Judge Joseph Stamler of New Jersey Superior Court rejected a proposal for a six-day rock festival to be held in the summer of 1970 on a 400 acres site in the township, leading to the passage of standards for similar events that requires planning for traffic and safety between the organizers and local authorities, and sets limits on duration. Stamler stated that any positive benefits from such an event must be weighed against the "health, safety and welfare of the young, and the potential harm to the public".

Geography
According to the United States Census Bureau, the township had a total area of 24.88 square miles (64.45 km2), including 24.24 square miles (62.77 km2) of land and 0.65 square miles (1.68 km2) of water (2.60%). The township is located in the Minisink Valley that extends from the Delaware Water Gap north to Port Jervis, New York.

Unincorporated communities, localities and place names located partially or completely within the township include Dry Pond, Flat Brook, Flatbrookville, Haneys Mill, Harding Lake, Long Pond and Walpack Center.

The township is bordered by the municipalities of Sandyston Township and Stillwater Township in Sussex County; and by Hardwick Township in Warren County.

2010 census
The 2010 United States census counted 16 people, 8 households, and 4 families in the township. The population density was 0.7 PD/sqmi. There were 15 housing units at an average density of 0.6 /sqmi. The racial makeup was 93.75% (15) White, 0.00% (0) Black or African American, 0.00% (0) Native American, 0.00% (0) Asian, 0.00% (0) Pacific Islander, 0.00% (0) from other races, and 6.25% (1) from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.00% (0) of the population.

Of the 8 households, 12.5% had children under the age of 18; 37.5% were married couples living together; 0.0% had a female householder with no husband present and 50.0% were non-families. Of all households, 50.0% were made up of individuals and 25.0% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.00 and the average family size was 3.00.

12.5% of the population were under the age of 18, 12.5% from 18 to 24, 18.8% from 25 to 44, 31.3% from 45 to 64, and 25.0% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 56.5 years. For every 100 females, the population had 100.0 males. For every 100 females ages 18 and older there were 100.0 males.

The Census Bureau's 2006–2010 American Community Survey showed that (in 2010 inflation-adjusted dollars) median household income was $108,333 (with a margin of error of +/− $155,555) and the median family income was $127,500 (+/− $88,897). Males had a median income of $ (+/− $) versus $57,813 (+/− $26,023) for females. The per capita income for the borough was $36,663 (+/− $14,435). About none of families and none of the population were below the poverty line, including none of those under age 18 and none of those age 65 or over.

2000 census
As of the 2000 United States census there were 41 people, 20 households, and 12 families residing in the township. The population density was 1.7 PD/sqmi. There were 34 housing units at an average density of 1.4 /sqmi. The racial makeup of the township was 100.00% White.

There were 20 households, out of which 20.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 50.0% were married couples living together, 10.0% had a female householder with no husband present, and 40.0% were non-families. 40.0% of all households were made up of individuals, and 10.0% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.05 and the average family size was 2.75.

In the township the population was spread out, with 19.5% under the age of 18, 2.4% from 18 to 24, 19.5% from 25 to 44, 31.7% from 45 to 64, and 26.8% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 49 years. For every 100 females, there were 95.2 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 106.3 males.

The median income for a household in the township was $22,250, and the median income for a family was $22,250. Males had a median income of $46,250 versus $0 for females. The per capita income for the township was $17,624. None of the population and none of the families were below the poverty line.

Local government
Walpack Township is governed under the Township form of New Jersey municipal government, one of 141 municipalities (of the 564) statewide that use this form, the second-most commonly used form of government in the state. The governing body is comprised of the three-member Township Committee, whose members are elected directly by the voters at-large in partisan elections to serve three-year terms of office on a staggered basis, with one seat coming up for election each year as part of the November general election in a three-year cycle. At an annual reorganization meeting, the Township Committee selects one of its members to serve as Mayor and another as Deputy Mayor.

, members of the Walpack Township Committee are Mayor Victor J. Maglio (R, term on committee ends December 31, 2026; term as mayor ends 2024), Deputy Mayor Kelly Happe (R, term on committee ends and term as deputy mayor ends 2024) and James Heigis (R, 2025).

In 2018, the township had an average property tax bill of $450, the lowest in the county, compared to an average bill of $7,626 in Sussex County and $8,767 statewide.

Federal, state, and county representation
Walpack Township is located in the 7th Congressional District and is part of New Jersey's 24th state legislative district.

Politics
As of March 2011, there were a total of 22 registered voters in Walpack Township, of which 1 (4.5% vs. 16.5% countywide) was registered as a Democrat, 17 (77.3% vs. 39.3%) were registered as Republicans and 2 (9.1% vs. 44.1%) were registered as Unaffiliated. There were 2 voters registered as Libertarians or Greens. Among the township's 2010 Census population, 137.5% (vs. 65.8% in Sussex County) were registered to vote, including 157.1% of those ages 18 and over (vs. 86.5% countywide).

In the 2012 presidential election, Republican Mitt Romney received 10 votes (83.3% vs. 59.4% countywide), ahead of Democrat Barack Obama with 2 votes (16.7% vs. 38.2%) and other candidates with no votes (0.0% vs. 2.1%), among the 12 ballots cast by the township's 18 registered voters, for a turnout of 66.7% (vs. 68.3% in Sussex County). In the 2008 presidential election, Republican John McCain received 14 votes (70.0% vs. 59.2% countywide), ahead of Democrat Barack Obama with 3 votes (15.0% vs. 38.7%) and other candidates with 2 votes (10.0% vs. 1.5%), among the 20 ballots cast by the township's 28 registered voters, for a turnout of 71.4% (vs. 76.9% in Sussex County). In the 2004 presidential election, Republican George W. Bush received 22 votes (78.6% vs. 63.9% countywide), ahead of Democrat John Kerry with 6 votes (21.4% vs. 34.4%) and other candidates with no votes (0.0% vs. 1.3%), among the 28 ballots cast by the township's 35 registered voters, for a turnout of 80.0% (vs. 77.7% in the whole county).

In the 2013 gubernatorial election, Republican Chris Christie received 77.8% of the vote (7 cast), ahead of Democrat Barbara Buono with 22.2% (2 votes), and other candidates receiving no votes, among the 9 ballots cast by the township's 19 registered voters, for a turnout of 47.4%. In the 2009 gubernatorial election, Republican Chris Christie received 11 votes (91.7% vs. 63.3% countywide), ahead of Democrat Jon Corzine with one vote (8.3% vs. 25.7%), Independent Chris Daggett with no votes (0.0% vs. 9.1%) and other candidates with no votes (0.0% vs. 1.3%), among the 12 ballots cast by the township's 23 registered voters, yielding a 52.2% turnout (vs. 52.3% in the county).

Education
Students in kindergarten through sixth grade attend the schools of the Sandyston-Walpack Consolidated School District, together with students from Sandyston Township. The school is located in the Layton section of Sandyston Township. As of the 2022–23 school year, the district, comprised of one school, had an enrollment of 120 students and 14.8 classroom teachers (on an FTE basis), for a student–teacher ratio of 8.1:1. In the 2016–17 school year, Sandyston-Walpack had the 26th smallest enrollment of any school district in the state, with 149 students.

Students in seventh through twelfth grade from Sandyston and Walpack Townships for public school attend Kittatinny Regional High School located in Hampton Township, which also serves students who reside in Fredon Township and Stillwater Township. The high school is located on a 96 acres campus in Hampton Township, about seven minutes outside of the county seat of Newton. Kittatinny Regional High School was recognized as a National Blue Ribbon School of Excellence in 1997–98. As of the 2022–23 school year, the high school had an enrollment of 781 students and 79.5 classroom teachers (on an FTE basis), for a student–teacher ratio of 9.8:1.

Transportation
, the township had a total of 20.01 mi of roadways, all of which were maintained by the municipality.

Signed routes in the township include National Park Service Route 615.

Notable people
People who were born in, residents of, or otherwise closely associated with Walpack Township include:
 * Frank Chapot (1932–2016), Olympic silver medalist equestrian

title: Walpack Township, New Jersey


text:
Wantage Township, New Jersey

Wantage Township (pronounced WHAN-tij ) is a township in Sussex County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey. As of the 2020 United States census, the township's population was 10,811, a decrease of 547 (−4.8%) from the 2010 census count of 11,358,  which in turn reflected an increase of 971 (+9.3%) from the 10,387 counted in the 2000 census.

Wantage Township was formed as a precinct on May 30, 1754, from portions of Newton Township. It was incorporated as a township on February 21, 1798, as part of the state's initial group of 104 townships. Boundary exchanges were made with Frankford Township in both 1826 and 1834. Portions of the township were taken on October 14, 1891 to form the Borough of Deckertown (renamed Sussex borough in 1902). The township was named for Wantage, England.

Geography
According to the United States Census Bureau, the township had a total area of 67.48 square miles (174.78 km2), including 66.76 square miles (172.91 km2) of land and 0.72 square miles (1.87 km2) of water (1.07%). The township is located in the Kittatinny Valley which is a section of the Great Appalachian Valley that stretches for 700 mi from Canada to Alabama.

Unincorporated communities, localities and place names located partially or completely within the township include Beemerville, Colesville, Hanford, Lake Neepaulin, Lake Rutherford, Lewisburg, Libertyville, Martins, Mount Salem, Papakating, Plumbsock, Quarryville, Rockport, Roys and Woodbourne.

Rutan Hill, also called Volcanic Hill, located near the Beemerville section of Wantage Township, is New Jersey's only volcanic site that was last active over 440 million years ago.

Rivers and streams in Wantage are tributaries in the Wallkill River watershed, and include:
 * Papakating Creek
 * West Branch Papakating Creek
 * Neepaulakating Creek, dammed to create Lake Neepaulin.
 * Clove Brook, dammed to create Clove Acres Lake

The township completely surrounds Sussex borough, making it part of 21 pairs of "doughnut towns" in the state, where one municipality entirely surrounds another. Wantage borders the municipalities of Frankford Township, Hardyston Township, Lafayette Township, Montague Township, Sandyston Township and Vernon Township in Sussex County; and both Greenville and Minisink in Orange County, New York.

2010 census
The 2010 United States census counted 11,358 people, 3,910 households, and 3,116 families in the township. The population density was 170.1 per square mile (65.7/km2). There were 4,173 housing units at an average density of 62.5 per square mile (24.1/km2). The racial makeup was 95.23% (10,816) White, 1.21% (137) Black or African American, 0.11% (13) Native American, 0.99% (113) Asian, 0.00% (0) Pacific Islander, 0.93% (106) from other races, and 1.52% (173) from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 5.23% (594) of the population.

Of the 3,910 households, 34.7% had children under the age of 18; 66.8% were married couples living together; 8.5% had a female householder with no husband present and 20.3% were non-families. Of all households, 15.8% were made up of individuals and 6.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.90 and the average family size was 3.25.

25.0% of the population were under the age of 18, 8.5% from 18 to 24, 22.5% from 25 to 44, 32.2% from 45 to 64, and 11.8% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 41.2 years. For every 100 females, the population had 98.6 males. For every 100 females ages 18 and older there were 96.7 males.

The Census Bureau's 2006–2010 American Community Survey showed that (in 2010 inflation-adjusted dollars) median household income was $72,270 (with a margin of error of +/− $7,478) and the median family income was $78,934 (+/− $9,462). Males had a median income of $55,509 (+/− $8,605) versus $41,013 (+/− $3,999) for females. The per capita income for the borough was $29,266 (+/− $2,047). About 4.3% of families and 3.5% of the population were below the poverty line, including 4.0% of those under age 18 and 5.3% of those age 65 or over.

2000 census
As of the 2000 United States census there were 10,387 people, 3,441 households, and 2,856 families residing in the township. The population density was 154.8 PD/sqmi. There were 3,663 housing units at an average density of 54.6 /sqmi. The racial makeup of the township was 97.10% White, 0.65% African American, 0.06% Native American, 0.67% Asian, 0.01% Pacific Islander, 0.41% from other races, and 1.10% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 2.89% of the population.

There were 3,441 households, out of which 43.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 71.5% were married couples living together, 8.0% had a female householder with no husband present, and 17.0% were non-families. 13.6% of all households were made up of individuals, and 5.0% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 3.02 and the average family size was 3.33.

In the township the population was spread out, with 29.4% under the age of 18, 7.1% from 18 to 24, 30.0% from 25 to 44, 24.8% from 45 to 64, and 8.8% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females, there were 96.9 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 96.0 males.

The median income for a household in the township was $58,440, and the median income for a family was $65,339. Males had a median income of $42,697 versus $30,160 for females. The per capita income for the township was $22,488. About 4.2% of families and 4.9% of the population were below the poverty line, including 5.7% of those under age 18 and 5.2% of those age 65 or over.

Local government
Wantage Township is governed under the Township form of New Jersey municipal government, one of 141 municipalities (of the 564) statewide that use this form, the second-most commonly used form of government in the state. The governing body is comprised of the Township Committee, whose three members are elected directly by the voters at-large in partisan elections to serve three-year terms of office on a staggered basis, with one seat coming up for election each year as part of the November general election in a three-year cycle. At an annual reorganization meeting, the Township Committee selects one of its members to serve as Mayor and another as Deputy Mayor.

, members of the Wantage Township Committee are Mayor William Gaechter (R, term on committee and as mayor ends December 31, 2024), Deputy Mayor Ronald Bassani (R, term on committee ends 2025; term as deputy mayor ends 2024) and Justin VanderGroef (R, 2026).

Federal, state and county representation
Wantage Township is located in the 5th Congressional District and is part of New Jersey's 24th state legislative district.

Politics
As of March 2011, there were a total of 7,397 registered voters in Wantage Township, of which 969 (13.1% vs. 16.5% countywide) were registered as Democrats, 3,315 (44.8% vs. 39.3%) were registered as Republicans and 3,104 (42.0% vs. 44.1%) were registered as Unaffiliated. There were 9 voters registered as Libertarians or Greens. Among the township's 2010 Census population, 65.1% (vs. 65.8% in Sussex County) were registered to vote, including 86.8% of those ages 18 and over (vs. 86.5% countywide).

In the 2012 presidential election, Republican Mitt Romney received 3,269 votes (62.8% vs. 59.4% countywide), ahead of Democrat Barack Obama with 1,800 votes (34.6% vs. 38.2%) and other candidates with 119 votes (2.3% vs. 2.1%), among the 5,203 ballots cast by the township's 7,467 registered voters, for a turnout of 69.7% (vs. 68.3% in Sussex County). In the 2008 presidential election, Republican John McCain received 3,454 votes (62.2% vs. 59.2% countywide), ahead of Democrat Barack Obama with 1,987 votes (35.8% vs. 38.7%) and other candidates with 74 votes (1.3% vs. 1.5%), among the 5,551 ballots cast by the township's 7,319 registered voters, for a turnout of 75.8% (vs. 76.9% in Sussex County). In the 2004 presidential election, Republican George W. Bush received 3,300 votes (67.0% vs. 63.9% countywide), ahead of Democrat John Kerry with 1,564 votes (31.7% vs. 34.4%) and other candidates with 48 votes (1.0% vs. 1.3%), among the 4,928 ballots cast by the township's 6,500 registered voters, for a turnout of 75.8% (vs. 77.7% in the whole county).

In the 2013 gubernatorial election, Republican Chris Christie received 70.0% of the vote (2,107 cast), ahead of Democrat Barbara Buono with 27.0% (812 votes), and other candidates with 3.0% (89 votes), among the 3,038 ballots cast by the township's 7,582 registered voters (30 ballots were spoiled), for a turnout of 40.1%. In the 2009 gubernatorial election, Republican Chris Christie received 2,602 votes (63.7% vs. 63.3% countywide), ahead of Democrat Jon Corzine with 999 votes (24.5% vs. 25.7%), Independent Chris Daggett with 388 votes (9.5% vs. 9.1%) and other candidates with 59 votes (1.4% vs. 1.3%), among the 4,084 ballots cast by the township's 7,192 registered voters, yielding a 56.8% turnout (vs. 52.3% in the county).

Education
Public school students in kindergarten through eighth grade attend the schools of the Sussex-Wantage Regional School District, together with students from Sussex Borough. As of the 2019–20 school year, the district, comprised of three schools, had an enrollment of 1,049 students and 99.0 classroom teachers (on an FTE basis), for a student–teacher ratio of 10.6:1. Schools in the district (with 2019–20 enrollment data from the National Center for Education Statistics ) are Clifton E. Lawrence School in Wantage, with 376 students in grades K–2, Wantage Elementary School in Wantage, with 340 students in grades 3–5 and Sussex Middle School in Sussex, with 328 students in grades 6–8.

For ninth through twelfth grades, public school students from both Sussex and Wantage attend High Point Regional High School, together with students from Branchville, Frankford Township, Lafayette Township and Montague Township. As of the 2019–20 school year, the high school had an enrollment of 866 students and 76.9 classroom teachers (on an FTE basis), for a student–teacher ratio of 11.3:1. Seats on the high school district's nine-member board of education are allocated based on the population of the constituent municipalities, with seven seats assigned to Wantage Township.

Roads and highways
, the township had a total of 172.15 mi of roadways, of which 119.72 mi were maintained by the municipality, 35.31 mi by Sussex County and 17.12 mi by the New Jersey Department of Transportation.

Route 23, Route 284, CR 519 and CR 565 all pass through the township. Route 284 connects to NY 284, providing access to U.S. Route 6.

Aviation
Sussex Airport, a small general aviation airport, is located in Wantage Township.

Winery

 * Ventimiglia Vineyard

Notable people
People who were born in, residents of, or otherwise closely associated with Wantage Township include:
 * Nick Boyle (born 1993), tight end for the Baltimore Ravens
 * Lou Dobbs (born 1945), radio and television host
 * Scott Garrett (born 1959), former U.S. Representative for New Jersey's 5th congressional district, served from 2003 to 2017
 * Hugh Judson Kilpatrick (1836–1881), Union Army officer during the American Civil War, achieving the rank of brevet major general
 * Britt Linn (born 1990), Playboy Playmate in the March 2014 issue
 * Parker Space (born 1968), politician who has represented the 24th Legislative District since 2024 and served as Mayor of Wantage Township in 2005 and 2008–2009
 * Hal Wirths (born 1965), politician who represened the 24th Legislative District in the New Jersey General Assembly from 2018 to 2024

title: Wantage Township, New Jersey


text:
Berkeley Heights, New Jersey

Berkeley Heights is a township in Union County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey. Located on a ridge in northern-central New Jersey, Berkeley Heights is a commuter town of New York City in the New York metropolitan area, nestled within the Raritan Valley region and also bordering both Morris and Somerset counties in the Passaic Valley region. As of the 2020 United States census, the township's population was 13,285, an increase of 102 (+0.8%) from the 2010 census count of 13,183,  which in turn reflected a decline of 224 (−1.7%) from the 13,407 counted in the 2000 census.

The township was originally incorporated as New Providence Township by the New Jersey Legislature on November 8, 1809, from portions of Springfield Township, while the area was still part of Essex County. New Providence Township became part of the newly formed Union County at its creation on March 19, 1857. Portions of the township were taken on March 23, 1869, to create Summit, and on March 14, 1899, to form the borough of New Providence. On November 6, 1951, the name of the township was changed to Berkeley Heights, based on the results of a referendum held that day. The township was named for John Berkeley, 1st Baron Berkeley of Stratton, one of the founders of the Province of New Jersey.

The township has been ranked as one of the state's highest-income communities. Based on data from the American Community Survey for 2013–2017, township residents had a median household income of $147,614, ranked 15th in the state among municipalities with more than 10,000 residents, almost double the statewide median of $76,475.

The township was listed as the fifth safest place in New Jersey as well as the ninth safest municipality in the nation according to a 2022 crime statistic compilation from Safewise.com.

History
The Lenape Native Americans were known to inhabit the region, including the area now known as Berkeley Heights, dating back to the 1524 voyage of Giovanni da Verrazzano to what is now Lower New York Bay.

The earliest construction in Berkeley Heights began in an area that is now part of the 1,960 acre Watchung Reservation, a Union County park that includes 305 acre of the township.

The first European settler was Peter Willcox, who received a 424 acre land grant in 1720 from the Elizabethtown Associates. This group bought much of northern New Jersey from the Lenape in the late 17th century. Willcox built a grist and lumber mill across Green Brook.

In 1793, a regional government was formed. It encompassed the area from present-day Springfield Township, Summit, New Providence, and Berkeley Heights, and was called Springfield Township. Growth continued in the area, and by 1809, Springfield Township divided into Springfield Township and New Providence Township, which included present day Summit, New Providence, and Berkeley Heights.

In 1845, Willcox's heirs sold the mill to David Felt, a paper manufacturer from New York. Felt built a small village around the mill aptly named Feltville. It included homes for workers and their families, dormitories, orchards, a post office and a general store with a second floor church.

In 1860, Feltville was sold to sarsaparilla makers. Other manufacturing operations continued until Feltville went into bankruptcy in 1882. When residents moved away, the area became known as Deserted Village. Village remains consist of seven houses, a store, the mill and a barn. Deserted Village is listed on the National Register of Historic Places and is undergoing restoration by the Union County Parks Department. Restoration grants of almost $2 million were received from various state agencies. Deserted Village, in the Watchung Reservation, is open daily for unguided walking tours during daylight hours.

On March 23, 1869, Summit Township (now the City of Summit) seceded from New Providence Township. On March 14, 1899, the Borough of New Providence seceded from New Providence Township. Present day Berkeley Heights remained as New Providence Township. Many of the townships and regional areas in New Jersey were separating into small, locally governed communities at that time due to acts of the New Jersey Legislature that made it economically advantageous for the communities to do so.

Due to confusion between the adjacent municipalities of the Borough of New Providence and the Township of New Providence, the township conducted a referendum in 1952 and voted to change the name to Berkeley Heights Township. The origin of the township's name has never been fully established, but is believed to have been taken from an area of town that was referred to by this moniker, which itself was assumed to be derived from Lord John Berkeley, who was co-proprietor of New Jersey from 1664 to 1674.

Early life in Berkeley Heights is documented in the Littell-Lord Farmhouse Museum & Farmstead (31 Horseshoe Road in Berkeley Heights), an 18 acre museum surrounding two houses, one of which was built c. 1760 and the other near the start of the 19th century. Among the exhibits are a Victorian master bedroom and a Victorian children's room, furnished with period antiques. The children's room also has reproductions of antique toys, which visitors can play with. The museum, which is on the National Register of Historic Places, also includes an outbuilding that was used as a summer kitchen, a corn crib dating to the 19th century and a spring house built around a spring and used for refrigeration. The museum is open 2-4 p.m. on the third Sunday of each month from April through December, or by appointment.

The township owes its rural character to its late development. Until 1941, when the American Telephone and Telegraph Company built the AT&T Bell Laboratories research facility in the township, it was a sleepy farming and resort community.

Berkeley Heights is host to a traditional religious procession and feast carried out by members of Our Lady of Mt. Carmel Society. The feast is capped by one of the largest fireworks shows in the state. The Feast of Mt. Carmel has been a town tradition since 1909.

In 1958, part of a Nike missile battery (NY-73) was installed in Berkeley Heights. The missiles were located in nearby Mountainside, while the radar station was installed in Berkeley Heights. It remained in operation until 1963, and remnants of the site are located adjacent to Governor Livingston High School.

In 1960, the town’s seal was created via a contest in which local students could enter a design, and the best of these was officially named the seal, through an announcement on June 17, at Columbia Middle School. Patricia Jean Taylor created the winning design, which was chosen from a pool of 150 entries.

Free Acres
Another early Berkeley Heights community of note is the 67 acre Free Acres, established in 1910 by Bolton Hall, a New York entrepreneur and reformer who believed in the idea of Henry George, the economist, of single taxation, under which residents pay tax to the community, which, in turn, pays a lump sum to the municipality. Among the early residents of Free Acres were the actor James Cagney and his wife, Billie.

Residents of Free Acres pay tax to their association, which maintains its streets and swimming pool, approves architectural changes to homes and pays a lump sum in taxes to the municipality.

Geography
According to the United States Census Bureau, the township had a total area of 6.26 square miles (16.21 km2), including 6.22 square miles (16.11 km2) of land and 0.04 square miles (0.10 km2) of water (0.59%). Certain portions of Berkeley Heights are located in various flood zones.

The township is located partially on the crest of the Second Watchung Mountain and in the Passaic River Valley, aptly named as the Passaic River forms the township's northern border. The township is also located partially in the Raritan Valley region, in which the Green Brook (a tributary of the Raritan River) forms the township's eastern border near the Watchung Reservation. Berkeley Heights is located in northwestern Union County, at the confluence of Union, Morris, and Somerset Counties. Berkeley Heights is bordered by New Providence, Mountainside and Summit to the east, Scotch Plains to the southeast, Chatham to the north, Watchung to the south, and Warren Township and Long Hill Township to the west.

Unincorporated communities, localities and place names located partially or completely within the township include Benders Corners, Glenside Park, Stony Hill and Union Village.

Downtown
Downtown Berkeley Heights is located along Springfield Avenue, approximately between the intersections with Plainfield Avenue and Snyder Avenue. Downtown is home to more than 20 restaurants which join with the Downtown Beautification Committee to hold an annual Restaurant Week each September. In addition, a post office, the Municipal Building, police station, train station, and other shops and services are located in this downtown section.

A brick walk with personalized bricks engraved with the names of many long-time Berkeley Heights residents runs from near the railroad station towards the planned Stratton House development, at the site of the former Kings. A memorial to the victims of the September 11 terrorist attacks adjoins a wooded area alongside Park Avenue, just southwest of downtown.

Certain portions of Berkeley Heights are located in flood zones. Residential homes, as well as some commercial areas along the downtown Springfield Avenue area, are impacted by flooding.

2020 census
The 2020 United States census counted 13,285 people, and 3,718 families in the township. The population density was 2,135.8 per square mile. There were 4,660 households (4,484 of which were occupied).

2010 census
The 2010 United States census counted 13,183 people, 4,470 households, and 3,580 families in the township. The population density was 2122.4 /sqmi. There were 4,596 housing units at an average density of 739.9 /sqmi. The racial makeup was 85.64% (11,290) White, 1.49% (197) Black or African American, 0.02% (3) Native American, 10.43% (1,375) Asian, 0.00% (0) Pacific Islander, 0.75% (99) from other races, and 1.66% (219) from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 5.12% (675) of the population.

Of the 4,470 households, 41.7% had children under the age of 18; 71.1% were married couples living together; 6.5% had a female householder with no husband present and 19.9% were non-families. Of all households, 17.6% were made up of individuals and 10.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.85 and the average family size was 3.26.

26.9% of the population were under the age of 18, 5.2% from 18 to 24, 20.5% from 25 to 44, 30.0% from 45 to 64, and 17.5% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 43.5 years. For every 100 females, the population had 90.6 males. For every 100 females ages 18 and older there were 87.5 males.

The Census Bureau's 2006–2010 American Community Survey showed that (in 2010 inflation-adjusted dollars) median household income was $132,089 (with a margin of error of +/− $11,331) and the median family income was $150,105 (+/− $17,689). Males had a median income of $105,733 (+/− $10,158) versus $55,545 (+/− $11,985) for females. The per capita income for the township was $56,737 (+/− $5,135). About 0.8% of families and 1.4% of the population were below the poverty line, including 1.7% of those under age 18 and 0.7% of those age 65 or over.

2000 census
As of the 2000 United States census there were 13,407 people, 4,479 households, and 3,717 families residing in the township. The population density was 2,140.7 PD/sqmi. There were 4,562 housing units at an average density of 728.4 /sqmi. The racial makeup of the township was 89.65% White, 1.11% African American, 0.08% Native American, 7.87% Asian, 0.61% from other races, and 0.68% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 3.68% of the population.

There were 4,479 households, out of which 41.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 74.1% were married couples living together, 6.9% had a female householder with no husband present, and 17.0% were non-families. 14.8% of all households were made up of individuals, and 7.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.89 and the average family size was 3.21.

In the township the population was spread out, with 26.8% under the age of 18, 4.2% from 18 to 24, 27.8% from 25 to 44, 24.8% from 45 to 64, and 16.4% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 40 years. For every 100 females, there were 91.0 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 87.4 males.

The median income for a household in the township was $107,716, and the median income for a family was $118,862. Males had a median income of $83,175 versus $50,022 for females. The per capita income for the township was $43,981. About 1.5% of families and 2.1% of the population were below the poverty line, including 1.8% of those under age 18 and 3.1% of those age 65 or over.

Economy
Berkeley Heights is home to the Murray Hill Bell Labs headquarters of Nokia. The transistor, solar cell, laser, and AT&T Unix (precursor to Unix) were invented in this facility when it was part of AT&T.

Berkeley Heights is also home to L'Oréal USA's New Jersey headquarters.

In 2003, Summit Medical Group signed a lease to build its main campus on the site of the former D&B Corporation headquarters located on Diamond Hill Road. Summit Medical Group merged with CityMD in 2019 to form Summit Health, which has 2,500 health care providers in the New York City area and Oregon.

Arts and culture
Musical groups from Berkeley Heights include the alternative rock band, BEDlight for BlueEYES.

Parks and recreation
Located in Berkeley Heights are many municipal parks, including the largest one, Columbia Park (located along Plainfield Avenue). Columbia Park boasts tennis courts, two baseball fields, basketball courts, and a large children's play area. It is operated by the Recreation Commission. In addition to those located at each of the schools, athletic fields are located along Horseshoe Road (Sansone Field) and along Springfield Avenue (Passaic River Park).

There are three swimming clubs located in Berkeley Heights: the Berkeley Heights Community Pool (Locust Avenue), the Berkeley Swim Club (behind Columbia Park), and Berkeley Aquatic (off of Springfield Avenue).

The Watchung Reservation and Passaic River Parkway are in the township and maintained by Union County. The Watchung Reservation has hiking trails, horseback riding trails, a large lake (Lake Surprise), the deserted community of Feltville and picnic areas.

Local government
In accordance with a ballot question that was passed in November 2005, Berkeley Heights switched from a Township Committee form to a Mayor-Council-Administrator form of government under the Faulkner Act. The township is one of three municipalities (of the 564) statewide that use this form of government. The switch took effect on January 1, 2007. In the elections in fall 2006, all seats were open. Under the new form of government, the mayor is directly elected to a four-year term. The Township Committee has been replaced with a Township Council comprised of six members elected to staggered, three-year terms. With all six Township Council seats open in 2006, two councilpersons were elected to one-year terms, after which those seats were open for three-year terms in 2007. Two other seats were open for two-year terms in 2006. The final two were open for three-year terms from the beginning. The responsibilities of the Township Administrator are unchanged.

, the Mayor of Berkeley Heights is Democrat Angie D. Devanney, whose term of office ends on December 31, 2026. Members of the Township Council are Council President John Foster (R, 2024), Council Vice President Susan Poage (D, 2025), Manuel Couto (R, 2025), Paul Donnelly (R, 2024), Margaret Illis (D, 2026), and Bill Machado (D, 2026).

The Council President serves as Acting Mayor in the Mayor's absence; the Council Vice President serves as Acting Mayor in the absence of both the Mayor and the Council President.

The Berkeley Heights Municipal Complex, located at 29 Park Avenue, was completed in December 2020.

Federal, state and county representation
Berkeley Heights is located in the 7th Congressional District and is part of New Jersey's 21st state legislative district.

Politics
As of May 18, 2017, there were a total of 9,558 registered voters in Berkeley Heights Township, of which 2,387 (25.0% vs. 45.2% countywide) were registered as Democrats, 3,368 (35.2% vs. 14.9%) were registered as Republicans and 3,780 (39.5% vs. 39.4%) were registered as Unaffiliated. There were 23 voters registered as Libertarians or Greens. Among the township's 2010 Census population, 68.8% (vs. 53.3% in Union County) were registered to vote, including 94.2% of those ages 18 and over (vs. 70.6% countywide).

In the 2016 presidential election, Democrat Hillary Clinton received 3,482 votes (48.23% vs. 65.94% countywide), ahead of Republican Donald Trump with 3,359 votes (46.53% vs. 30.47% countywide), and other candidates with 378 votes (5.1% vs 3.6% countywide) among the 7,325 ballots cast by the township's 9,775 voters, for a turnout of 74.9%

In the 2012 presidential election, Republican Mitt Romney received 3,897 votes (57.3% vs. 32.3% countywide), ahead of Democrat Barack Obama with 2,799 votes (41.1% vs. 66.0%) and other candidates with 76 votes (1.1% vs. 0.8%), among the 6,802 ballots cast by the township's 9,400 registered voters, for a turnout of 72.4% (vs. 68.8% in Union County). In the 2008 presidential election, Republican John McCain received 4,011 votes (55.3% vs. 35.2% countywide), ahead of Democrat Barack Obama with 3,094 votes (42.7% vs. 63.1%) and other candidates with 93 votes (1.3% vs. 0.9%), among the 7,248 ballots cast by the township's 9,375 registered voters, for a turnout of 77.3% (vs. 74.7% in Union County). In the 2004 presidential election, Republican George W. Bush received 4,146 votes (57.1% vs. 40.3% countywide), ahead of Democrat John Kerry with 3,019 votes (41.6% vs. 58.3%) and other candidates with 60 votes (0.8% vs. 0.7%), among the 7,258 ballots cast by the township's 9,121 registered voters, for a turnout of 79.6% (vs. 72.3% in the whole county).

In the 2013 gubernatorial election, Republican Chris Christie received 72.2% of the vote (3,145 cast), ahead of Democrat Barbara Buono with 26.4% (1,150 votes), and other candidates with 1.4% (63 votes), among the 4,457 ballots cast by the township's 9,193 registered voters (99 ballots were spoiled), for a turnout of 48.5%. In the 2009 gubernatorial election, Republican Chris Christie received 3,136 votes (60.0% vs. 41.7% countywide), ahead of Democrat Jon Corzine with 1,589 votes (30.4% vs. 50.6%), Independent Chris Daggett with 409 votes (7.8% vs. 5.9%) and other candidates with 32 votes (0.6% vs. 0.8%), among the 5,223 ballots cast by the township's 9,201 registered voters, yielding a 56.8% turnout (vs. 46.5% in the county).

Public schools
The Berkeley Heights Public Schools serves students in pre-kindergarten through twelfth grade. As of the 2020–21 school year, the district, comprised of six schools, had an enrollment of 2,499 students and 230.2 classroom teachers (on an FTE basis), for a student–teacher ratio of 10.9:1. Schools in the district (with 2020–21 enrollment data from the National Center for Education Statistics ) are Mary Kay McMillin Early Childhood Center with 304 students in Pre-K–2 grade, William Woodruff Elementary School with 180 students in grades K–2, Thomas P. Hughes Elementary School with 264 students in grades 3–5, Mountain Park Elementary School with 243 students in grades 3–5, Columbia Middle School with 544 students in grades 6–8 and Governor Livingston High School with 960 students in grades 9–12.

The district's high school serves public school students of Berkeley Heights, along with approximately 300 students from neighboring Borough of Mountainside who are educated at the high school as part of a sending/receiving relationship with the Mountainside School District that is covered by an agreement that runs through the end of 2021–2022 school year. Governor Livingston provides programs for deaf, hard of hearing and cognitively-impaired students in the district and those who are enrolled from all over north-central New Jersey who attend on a tuition basis.

Governor Livingston was the 30th-ranked public high school in New Jersey out of 305 schools statewide in New Jersey Monthly magazine's September 2018 cover story on the state's "Top Public High Schools".

Private schools
There are four private pre-kindergarten schools in Berkeley Heights. The Westminster Nursery School is located at the corner of Plainfield Avenue and Mountain Avenue, the Union Village Nursery is located bordering Warren Township at the corner of Mountain Avenue and Hillcrest Road, the Diamond Hill Montessori is located along Diamond Hill Road opposite McMane Avenue and Primrose on Springfield Avenue.

FlexSchool, a private school for twice-exceptional and gifted fifth through twelfth graders, is the only private secondary school in Berkeley Heights.

Roads and highways
, the township had a total of 65.73 mi of roadways, of which 50.46 mi were maintained by the municipality, 12.11 mi by Union County and 3.16 mi by the New Jersey Department of Transportation.

The most significant highway serving Berkeley Heights is Interstate 78, which runs from New York City to Pennsylvania. Other major roads in Berkeley Heights include Springfield Avenue, Mountain Avenue, Snyder Avenue, Plainfield Avenue, and Park Avenue. Springfield Avenue and Mountain Avenue run east–west, Snyder Avenue and Plainfield Avenue run north–south, while Park Avenue runs northeast–southwest. Each of these roads is heavily residential (except parts of Springfield Avenue) with only one travel lane in each direction.

Public transportation
NJ Transit provide service at the Berkeley Heights station serving Hoboken Terminal, Newark Broad Street Station, and Penn Station in Midtown Manhattan as part of the Gladstone Branch. Berkeley Heights is also in close proximity of the Summit station, which provides frequent commuter rail service to New York City.

NJ Transit offers local bus service on the 986 route. Lakeland Bus Lines also provides commuter bus service to the Port Authority Bus Terminal in Midtown Manhattan and a connection to Gladstone.

Freight rail transportation had been provided by Norfolk Southern via off-peak use of New Jersey Transit's Gladstone Branch line until a final run on November 7, 2008, after 126 years of service. The Berkeley Heights plant of Reheis Chemical located on Snyder Avenue was the last freight customer on the Gladstone Branch, receiving shipments of hydrochloric acid.

Newark Liberty International Airport is approximately 18 mi east of Berkeley Heights.

Healthcare
The Summit Medical Group, located on Mountain Avenue, is the main medical facility in Berkeley Heights.

Public library
Originally opened in 1949, Berkeley Heights Public Library closed its doors to the public at its 290 Plainfield Avenue location. It was moved to a temporary home at 110 Roosevelt Avenue, otherwise known as the Little Flower Church Rectory. The library is a member of the Infolink region of libraries, the Morris Union Federation (MUF) and the Middlesex Union Reciprocal Agreement Libraries (MURAL).

Berkeley Heights Police Department
The Berkeley Heights Police Department is located at the Municipal Building, 29 Park Avenue. The Berkeley Heights Police Department celebrated its 100-year anniversary in 2024. The first police officer was Dominick Russo, who was appointed in 1924. He would later serve as its first Chief of Police. Today, the Berkeley Heights Police Department consists of 28 sworn officers and is led by Chief of Police William A. Ives.

Berkeley Heights Fire Department & Rescue Squad

The Berkeley Heights Volunteer Rescue Squad, founded in 1942, is located at the corner of Snyder Avenue and Locust Avenue. The closest trauma centers are Morristown Medical Center (in Morristown) and University Hospital in Newark. The closest hospital emergency room is Overlook Hospital in Summit. The all-volunteer Rescue Squad provides emergency medical services to the township seven days per week. As of April 2019, the squad had 60 riding members including college and high school students of which 32 are certified EMTs.

The Berkeley Heights Fire Department is a volunteer fire department commanded by Chief James Hopkins. In addition to fire suppression, the department has members trained to respond to technical rescue and hazardous materials releases.

Notable people
People who were born in, residents of, or otherwise closely associated with Berkeley Heights include:

 * Al Aronowitz (1928–2005), rock journalist who claimed that Bob Dylan wrote his famous "Mr. Tambourine Man" in Aronowitz's former Berkeley Heights home
 * Steve Balboni (born 1957), former New York Yankee
 * Dennis Boutsikaris (born 1952), actor
 * Griffin Maxwell Brooks (born 2000), college diver, TikTok influencer, and self-described "digital club kid" and socialite
 * James Cagney (1899–1986), actor who resided in Free Acres
 * David Cantor (born 1954), actor
 * John Carlini, jazz guitarist
 * Ronald Chen (born 1958), former Public Advocate of New Jersey, nominated to fill the position on January 5, 2006, by Governor of New Jersey Jon Corzine
 * Christopher Durang (born 1949), playwright and actor
 * Cathy Engelbert (born 1965), CEO of Deloitte, first female CEO of a major U.S. accounting firm
 * Lauren Beth Gash (born 1960), lawyer and politician who served in the Illinois House of Representatives from 1993 to 2001
 * Gina Genovese (born 1959), businesswoman and politician who has served as mayor of Long Hill Township
 * Scott M. Gimple (born 1971), television and comic book writer
 * Bolton Hall (1854–1938), founder of Free Acres
 * MacKinlay Kantor (1904–1977), screenwriter and novelist, formerly resided in Free Acres
 * Harry Kelly (1871–1953), anarchist
 * Victor Kilian (1891–1979), actor
 * P. F. Kluge (born 1942), novelist
 * Mary Jo Kopechne (1940–1969), political aide who drowned off Chappaquiddick Island when Senator Ted Kennedy (D-Mass.) drove his car off a bridge on July 18, 1969 and failed to seek help
 * John R. Pierce (1910–2002), communications engineer, scientist, and father of the communications satellite
 * Jerry Ragonese (born 1986), professional lacrosse player for the Redwoods Lacrosse Club of the Premier Lacrosse League
 * Juliette Reilly (born 1993), singer and YouTube personality
 * Dennis Ritchie (1941–2011), creator of the C programming language and co-inventor of the UNIX operating system
 * Bertha Runkle (1879–1958), novelist and playwright
 * Peter Sagal (born 1965), playwright, screenwriter, actor, and host of the National Public Radio game show Wait Wait... Don't Tell Me!
 * Jill Santoriello, playwright and author of the Broadway musical A Tale of Two Cities, graduated from Governor Livingston High School
 * Thorne Smith (1892–1934), author
 * Zenon Snylyk (1923–2002), soccer player
 * Katie Stout (born 1989), artist and designer whose work has been described as "naive pop."
 * Betty Wilson (born 1932), politician who served in the New Jersey General Assembly from 1974 to 1976

title: Berkeley Heights, New Jersey


text:
Clark, New Jersey

Clark is a township in southern Union County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey. As of the 2020 United States census, the township's population was 15,544, an increase of 788 (+5.3%) from the 2010 census count of 14,756,  which in turn reflected an increase of 159 (+1.1%) from the 14,597 counted in the 2000 census.

History
The territory that would become Clark was originally a part of several early settlements. The Robinson Plantation House and The Squire Hartshorne House, buildings from the late 17th century, are remnants of the era. The Homestead Farm at Oak Ridge was the site of a skirmish preceding the Battle of Short Hills. In 1858, after the City of Rahway was incorporated, the area of present-day Clark was designated as the 5th Ward of Rahway. Clark was incorporated as a township by an act of the New Jersey Legislature on March 23, 1864, from portions of Rahway. The township was named for Abraham Clark, a signer of the Declaration of Independence. Portions of the township were taken to form Cranford Township (March 14, 1871) and Winfield Township (August 6, 1941).

New Jersey Monthly magazine ranked Clark as its 33rd best place to live in its 2008 rankings of the "Best Places To Live" in New Jersey. In 2013, New Jersey Monthly magazine ranked Clark 174th in its rankings of "Best Places To Live" in New Jersey.

In July 2020, the Union County Prosecutor's Office opened an investigation into the Clark township police department and put the police chief and a captain on administrative leave after allegations of misconduct.

In March 2022, NJ Advance Media, a local newspaper, revealed a recording of Mayor Sal Bonaccorso using racial slurs when talking to members of the police department, despite him having previously denied doing so, and also saying women police officers were "disasters". The newspaper also reported that in January 2020, Clark Township had paid Clark police lieutenant Antonio Manata $400,000 to not reveal racist and sexist comments made by the Mayor and Chief of Police and to turn over the tapes he had recorded. On April 5, Bonaccorso admitted to using "hurtful and insensitive language" and apologized. The New Jersey Office of Public Integrity and Accountability subsequently took control of the Union County investigation.

Geography
According to the United States Census Bureau, the township had a total area of 4.45 square miles (11.53 km2), including 4.27 square miles (11.07 km2) of land and 0.18 square miles (0.47 km2) of water (4.04%).

Unincorporated communities, localities and place names located partially or completely within the township include Ashbrook, Florence Mills, Lenox, Madison Hill and Picton.

The Rahway River Parkway along the Rahway River runs through the township. The Robinson's Branch Reservoir, also known as the Clark Reservoir, is the largest body of water in Union County and bisects the township diagonally.

The township borders Scotch Plains and Westfield on the west, Cranford and Winfield Park on the north, Linden and Rahway on the east, and Edison and Woodbridge Township in Middlesex County on the south.

An abandoned rail spur, the Bloodgood Branch of the Lehigh Valley Railroad, runs through Clark.

2010 census
The 2010 United States census counted 14,756 people, 5,562 households, and 4,038 families in the township. The population density was 3430.5 /sqmi. There were 5,751 housing units at an average density of 1337.0 /sqmi. The racial makeup was 93.29% (13,766) White, 0.84% (124) Black or African American, 0.10% (15) Native American, 3.71% (547) Asian, 0.03% (5) Pacific Islander, 1.15% (169) from other races, and 0.88% (130) from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 7.50% (1,107) of the population.

Of the 5,562 households, 30.2% had children under the age of 18; 60.4% were married couples living together; 9.0% had a female householder with no husband present and 27.4% were non-families. Of all households, 24.0% were made up of individuals and 12.0% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.63 and the average family size was 3.15.

21.2% of the population were under the age of 18, 7.1% from 18 to 24, 23.6% from 25 to 44, 29.6% from 45 to 64, and 18.5% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 43.8 years. For every 100 females, the population had 92.6 males. For every 100 females ages 18 and older there were 88.8 males.

The Census Bureau's 2006–2010 American Community Survey showed that (in 2010 inflation-adjusted dollars) median household income was $80,959 (with a margin of error of +/− $7,674) and the median family income was $99,839 (+/− $7,789). Males had a median income of $65,399 (+/− $3,444) versus $49,649 (+/− $3,780) for females. The per capita income for the township was $37,288 (+/− $2,811). About 2.3% of families and 3.3% of the population were below the poverty line, including 3.3% of those under age 18 and 6.4% of those age 65 or over.

According to the 2009–2013 American Community Survey, the largest ancestry groups were:

 * 26.9% Italian
 * 19.8% Irish
 * 13.1% Polish
 * 11.9% German
 * 8.5% American
 * 6.2% Portuguese
 * 3.4% Russian
 * 2.9% English
 * 2.2% Slovak
 * 2.1% Spanish
 * 1.9% Puerto Rican
 * 1.4% Lithuanian
 * 1.4% Ukrainian
 * 1.3% Chinese
 * 1.3% Cuban
 * 1.2% Greek
 * 1.0% Hungarian
 * 1.0% Colombian
 * 1.0% Arab

2000 census
As of the 2000 United States census there were 14,597 people, 5,637 households, and 4,126 families residing in the township. The population density was 3,359.6 PD/sqmi. There were 5,709 housing units at an average density of 1,314.0 /sqmi. The racial makeup of the township was 95.61% White, 0.30% African American, 0.01% Native American, 2.75% Asian, 0.63% from other races, and 0.69% from two or more races. Also Hispanic or Latino of any race were 3.67% of the population.

There were 5,637 households, out of which 28.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 61.4% were married couples living together, 9.0% had a female householder with no husband present, and 26.8% were non-families. 24.1% of all households were made up of individuals, and 12.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.56 and the average family size was 3.07.

In the township the population was spread out, with 20.8% under the age of 18, 5.4% from 18 to 24, 27.6% from 25 to 44, 24.5% from 45 to 64, and 21.7% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 43 years. For every 100 females, there were 90.5 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 86.4 males.

The median income for a household in the township was $65,019, and the median income for a family was $77,291. Males had a median income of $54,543 versus $36,361 for females. The per capita income for the township was $29,883. About 1.0% of families and 1.7% of the population were below the poverty line, including 2.0% of those under age 18 and 2.7% of those age 65 or over.

Local government
Clark Township is governed within the Faulkner Act, formally known as the Optional Municipal Charter Law, under the Mayor-Council system of municipal government, which is governed by a "strong mayor". The township is one of 71 municipalities (of the 564) statewide that use this form of government. The Clark Township Committee is comprised of seven members, who are all chosen on a partisan basis in even-numbered years as part of the November general election. Three members are elected at-large from the township as a whole and four are elected from wards. The three Council-at-large seats and Mayor come up to vote together, and then the four ward seats are up for vote two years later.

, the Mayor of Clark is Republican Salvatore F. "Sal" Bonaccorso, whose term of office ends December 31, 2024. Members of the Township Council are Council President Angel Albanese (at-large; R, 2024), Council Vice President Steven M. Hund (Third Ward; R, 2026), Frank G. Mazzarella (First Ward; R, 2026), Jimmy Minniti (at-large; R, 2024), Patrick O'Connor (Second Ward; R, 2026), Bill Smith (at-large; R, 2024), and Brian P. Toal (Fourth Ward; R, 2026).

Federal, state and county representation
Clark is located in New Jersey's 7th Congressional District, and is part of New Jersey's 22nd state legislative district.

Politics
Although Union County as a whole is heavily Democratic, Clark is considered a Republican stronghold. In the 2016 Presidential election, Donald Trump received 5,182 votes (61.7% vs. 30.5% countywide) versus 2,967 for Hillary Clinton (35.3% vs. 65.9% countywide). In 2020, Trump won 5,872 (60.8% vs. 31.5% countywide) versus 3,659 (37.9% vs. 67% countywide) for Joe Biden.

As of March 27, 2024, there were a total of 11,952 registered voters in Clark Township, of which 3,240 were registered as Democrats, 3,956 were registered as Republicans and 4,650 (49.4% vs. 42.9%) were registered as Unaffiliated. There were 106 voters registered as Libertarians or Greens. Among the township's 2010 Census population, 69.1% (vs. 53.3% in Union County) were registered to vote, including 87.6% of those ages 18 and over (vs. 70.6% countywide).

In the 2012 presidential election, Republican Mitt Romney received 4,538 votes (58.6% vs. 32.3% countywide), ahead of Democrat Barack Obama with 3,041 votes (39.3% vs. 66.0%) and other candidates with 97 votes (1.3% vs. 0.8%), among the 7,741 ballots cast by the township's 10,614 registered voters, for a turnout of 72.9% (vs. 68.8% in Union County). In the 2008 presidential election, Republican John McCain received 5,093 votes (61.5% vs. 35.2% countywide), ahead of Democrat Barack Obama with 3,038 votes (36.7% vs. 63.1%) and other candidates with 85 votes (1.0% vs. 0.9%), among the 8,276 ballots cast by the township's 10,550 registered voters, for a turnout of 78.4% (vs. 74.7% in Union County). In the 2004 presidential election, Republican George W. Bush received 4,819 votes (58.7% vs. 40.3% countywide), ahead of Democrat John Kerry with 3,237 votes (39.4% vs. 58.3%) and other candidates with 80 votes (1.0% vs. 0.7%), among the 8,209 ballots cast by the township's 10,493 registered voters, for a turnout of 78.2% (vs. 72.3% in the whole county).

In the 2013 gubernatorial election, Republican Chris Christie received 67.4% of the vote (3,016 cast), ahead of Democrat Barbara Buono with 31.3% (1,402 votes), and other candidates with 1.3% (60 votes), among the 4,549 ballots cast by the township's 10,438 registered voters (71 ballots were spoiled), for a turnout of 43.6%. In the 2009 gubernatorial election, Republican Chris Christie received 3,375 votes (63.4% vs. 41.7% countywide), ahead of Democrat Jon Corzine with 1,500 votes (28.2% vs. 50.6%), Independent Chris Daggett with 365 votes (6.9% vs. 5.9%) and other candidates with 40 votes (0.8% vs. 0.8%), among the 5,327 ballots cast by the township's 10,302 registered voters, yielding a 51.7% turnout (vs. 46.5% in the county).

Education
The Clark Public School District serves students in pre-kindergarten through twelfth grade. As of the 2019–20 school year, the district, comprised of five schools, had an enrollment of 2,299 students and 184.7 classroom teachers (on an FTE basis), for a student–teacher ratio of 12.4:1. Schools in the district (with 2019–20 enrollment data from the National Center for Education Statistics ) are Clark Preschool with 20 students in Pre-K, Frank K. Hehnly Elementary School with 551 students in grades K–5, Valley Road Elementary School with 435 students in grades K–5, Carl H. Kumpf Middle School with 518 students in grades 6–8 and Arthur L. Johnson High School with 708 students in grades 9–12. Students from Garwood attend the district's high school as part of a sending/receiving relationship with the Garwood Public Schools.

Students who excel in middle school have the opportunity to attend the Union County Magnet High School and the other programs of the Union County Vocational Technical Schools, which accept students from across the county on the basis of admissions examinations and applications.

Mother Seton Regional High School is an all-girls, private, Roman Catholic high school, operated under the auspices of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Newark. St. John the Apostle School School is a co-ed K–12 school, also operated under the auspices of the same archdiocese. It was dedicated as a National Blue Ribbon school in 2011.

The Clark Scholarship Fund is a not-for-profit organization that has provided need-based scholarships to college-bound Clark residents since 1955, funded entirely by contributions from individuals and businesses.

Roads and highways
, the township had a total of 58.95 mi of roadways, of which 48.34 mi were maintained by the municipality, 8.03 mi by Union County, and 2.58 mi by the New Jersey Turnpike Authority.

The Clark Circle connects Central Avenue, Brant Avenue, Valley Road, and at Exit 135 of the Garden State Parkway, which passes through the township. The New Jersey Turnpike Authority redesigned the circle as part of a project that ran from 2007 to 2009 under which the movements at the circle are now controlled by traffic lights. Interchange 135 on the Parkway is signed for Clark / Westfield.

Public transportation
The Lehigh Valley Railroad served Clark with a passenger station in the Picton section. The rail line remains active under Conrail's auspices, excluding the Bloodgood Branch spur which is now out of service. The closest NJ Transit rail station is in Rahway, located approximately 2 mi from the center of Clark.

NJ Transit also provides bus service to New York City and points in-between. The 112 route provides service to the Port Authority Bus Terminal in Midtown Manhattan, as well as stops throughout downtown Elizabeth.

Newark Liberty International Airport is approximately 11 miles from Clark.

Arts and culture

 * The Deutscher Club of Clark was founded in 1935 and is one of the largest German clubs in the US. It offers German food, beer, music and entertainment events to the public.
 * The Clark chapter of Unico National, known as Clark Unico, is an Italian American service organization and social club.
 * The Polish Cultural Foundation is a nonprofit organization that hosts the Skulski Art Gallery and Polish cultural classes.
 * The Clark Recreation Department hosts a summer concert series.

Parks and recreation

 * Oak Ridge Park is a county-operated former golf course turned recreational park in Clark.
 * The Clark Recreation Department offers a variety of recreational opportunities in town, including the Clark Community Pool.
 * The Rahway River Parkway, a greenway of parkland around the Rahway River, snakes through the east side of Clark and includes Bloodgoods Pond, Jackson Pond, and the northernmost portion of Rahway River Park.
 * Esposito Park, named a destination park worth traveling for by New Jersey Family magazine, is located near St. Mary's Cemetery.
 * Hyatt Hills Golf Complex is a 9-hole golf course in Clark.
 * The proposed Clark Reservoir Recreation Area is an area of natural land surrounding the decommissioned Robinson's Branch Reservoir (also known as the Clark Reservoir), which is currently being rehabilitated for recreation.

Notable people
People who were born in, residents of, or otherwise closely associated with Clark include:
 * Todd Burger (born 1970), former offensive guard who played for the New York Jets
 * Halsey (born 1994), singer
 * Kenneth Ham (born 1964), NASA astronaut
 * Jeffrey Lichtman (born 1965), defense attorney who represented Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman and John Gotti Jr.
 * William J. Maguire (1916–1997), politician who served as mayor of Clark and in the New Jersey General Assembly from 1976 to 1982
 * Ed Pinkham (born 1953), former college football coach
 * Matt Poskay (born 1984), professional lacrosse player for the Boston Cannons
 * Erik Rosenmeier (born 1965), former NFL center who played for the Buffalo Bills in 1987
 * George M. Scott (1922–2006), associate justice of the Minnesota Supreme Court
 * Robert Sparks (born 1947), former handball player who competed in the 1972 Summer Olympics and in the 1976 Summer Olympics
 * Frank Spaziani (born 1947), former head football coach for Boston College Eagles football
 * Kurt Sutter (born 1964), creator of the television show Sons of Anarchy who plays the character Otto Delaney in the show
 * Dave Toma (born 1933), whose life in law enforcement was the basis of the television shows Toma and Baretta

title: Clark, New Jersey