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Hillsborough Township, New Jersey

Hillsborough Township is a township in Somerset County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey. Located in the Raritan Valley region, the township is a suburban and exurban bedroom community of New York City within the New York Metropolitan Area. As of the 2020 United States census, the township's population was 43,276, an increase of 4,973 (+13.0%) from the 2010 census count of 38,303,  which in turn reflected an increase of 1,669 (+4.6%) from the 36,634 counted in the 2000 census.

Hillsborough Township was originally created by royal charter issued May 31, 1771, which was revoked and revised on September 12, 1771. It was incorporated on February 21, 1798 by the New Jersey Legislature Township Act of 1798 as one of New Jersey's original group of 104 townships. Portions of the township were taken to form the boroughs of Millstone (May 14, 1894) and Manville (April 1, 1929). The township's name may have come from an earlier name of "Hillsbury", though it may have been named for Wills Hill, 1st Marquess of Downshire who was the Earl of Hillsborough. Based on an analysis of data from the FBI's Uniform Crime Report for 2022, Hillsborough Township was ranked as the second-safest small city in the United States.

History
On May 31, 1771, Hillsborough was officially granted a Charter incorporating it as a Township. A revised charter was issued on September 12, 1771. The records of Hillsborough Township are complete from their inception in 1746 and there are ten volumes, each some several hundred pages, kept in the Special Collections Department of the Rutgers University Library along with the Charter.

Hillsborough Township quickly took its place in history as the path General George Washington and his troops traveled from the Battle of Princeton to winter quarters in Morristown. While the British were encamped in the valley below awaiting an opportunity to attack, it is said that Washington drilled his troops on the Sourland Mountain around a spring near the top using different formations and corn stalks for guns. As the sun caught the stalks, the British thought Washington had received reinforcements and fresh supplies. The British troops, thinking that they were outnumbered, slipped off to New Brunswick leaving Washington to continue to Morristown.

The township was formally incorporated on February 21, 1798.

Hillsborough is the home of the Belle Mead GSA depot, or Belle Mead General Depot, which was a storage site for materials during World War II, along with housing Italian and German prisoners of war. It continued storing materials until the 1980s, and various contaminants have leaked into the ground and surrounding area during that time. Efforts are under way to convert the site into a mixed recreation and R&D complex.

Hillsborough is home to Duke Gardens and Duke Farms, a 2,700 acre estate in the north-eastern quadrant of the town that was originally owned by tobacco and electric energy tycoon James "Buck" Duke and then passed down to daughter Doris Duke. As of March 2023, approximately one-third of Hillsborough Township is preserved as Open Space and/or Preserved Farmland.

In Money magazine's 2013 Best Places to Live rankings, Hillsborough was ranked 16th in the nation, the third-highest among the three places in New Jersey included in the top 50 list. In the magazine's 2007 rankings, the township was ranked as the 23rd best place to live in the nation.

Geography
According to the United States Census Bureau, the township had a total area of 55.10 square miles (142.71 km2), including 54.61 square miles (141.45 km2) of land and 0.49 square miles (1.26 km2) of water (0.88%).

Unincorporated communities, localities and place names located partially or completely within the township include Amwell, Belle Mead, Blackwells Mills, Champlain, Cloverhill, Clover Mill, Flagtown, Frankfort, Hamilton, Higgins Mills, Montgomery, Neshanic, Pleasant View, Royce Field, Royce Valley, South Branch, Woods Tavern and Zion.

The township borders Branchburg Township, Bridgewater Township, Franklin Township, Manville, Millstone, Montgomery Township, Raritan and Somerville in Somerset County; and East Amwell Township, Raritan Township and Readington Township in Hunterdon County.

Ecology
According to the A. W. Kuchler U.S. potential natural vegetation types, Hillsborough Township would have an Appalachian Oak (104) vegetation type with an Eastern Hardwood Forest (25) vegetation form.

Climate
The township has a humid subtropical climate (Cfa) if the -3 isotherm is used, consistent with most of Somerset County. The low in January, the coldest month on average, is 18 °F (−8 °C), while the high in July, the warmest month on average, is 85 °F (29 °C).

2010 census
The 2010 United States census counted 38,303 people, 13,573 households, and 10,424 families in the township. The population density was 702.3 per square mile (271.2/km2). There were 14,030 housing units at an average density of 257.3 per square mile (99.3/km2). The racial makeup was 78.61% (30,109) White, 4.59% (1,757) Black or African American, 0.12% (46) Native American, 12.38% (4,743) Asian, 0.04% (15) Pacific Islander, 2.18% (834) from other races, and 2.09% (799) from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino residents of any race were 7.55% (2,893) of the population.

Of the 13,573 households, 40.3% had children under the age of 18; 65.7% were married couples living together; 8.3% had a female householder with no husband present and 23.2% were non-families. Of all households, 19.0% were made up of individuals and 6.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.81 and the average family size was 3.25.

26.4% of the population was under the age of 18, 6.5% was from 18 to 24, 25.6% from 25 to 44, 32.2% from 45 to 64, and 9.3% was 65 years of age or older. The median age was 39.9 years. For every 100 females, the population had 95.0 males. For every 100 females ages 18 and older there were 91.4 males.

The Census Bureau's 2006–2010 American Community Survey showed that (in 2010 inflation-adjusted dollars) median household income was $105,429 (with a margin of error of +/− $2,892) and the median family income was $119,750 (+/− $2,852). Males had a median income of $81,807 (+/− $5,320) versus $52,366 (+/− $1,804) for females. The per capita income for the borough was $43,029 (+/− $1,701). About 0.8% of families and 1.6% of the population were below the poverty line, including 1.1% of those under age 18 and 4.0% of those age 65 or over.

2000 census
As of the 2000 United States census there were 36,634 people, 12,649 households, and 9,802 families residing in the township. The population density was 669.9 PD/sqmi. There were 12,854 housing units at an average density of 235.0 /sqmi. The racial makeup of the township was 85.96% White, 7.31% Asian, 3.76% African American, 0.09% American Indian, 0.06% Pacific Islander, 1.28% from other races, and 1.53% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino residents of any race were 4.75% of the population.

There were 12,649 households, out of which 44.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them. said– 67.6% were married couples living together, 7.5% had a female householder with no husband present, and 22.5% were non-families. 17.8% of all households were made up of individuals, and 4.0% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.88, and the average family size was 3.31.

In the township, 29.1% of the population was under the age of 18, 6.0% was from 18 to 24, 34.7% from 25 to 44, 23.3% from 45 to 64, and 6.8% was 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females, there were 97.6 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 93.1 males.

The median income for a household in the township was $83,290, and the median income for a family was $93,933. Males had a median income of $62,273 versus $42,052 for females. The per capita income for the township was $33,091. About 2.1% of families and 3.1% of the population were below the poverty line, including 3.6% of those under age 18 and 3.5% of those age 65 or over.

Parks and recreation
Hillsborough is home to numerous parks and nature trails, operated by both the township and the Somerset County Park Commission, including; Ann Van Middlesworth Park, Mountain View Park, Woodfield Park, Sunnymeade Run Playground, Doyle Park - Mike Merdinger Memorial Trail, Sourland Mountain Preserve, and Sourland Mountain Hiking Trail.

Duke Farms
Duke Farms is an estate that was established by James Buchanan Duke, an American entrepreneur who founded Duke Power and the American Tobacco Company. The property is managed by the Doris Duke Foundation after the death of Doris Duke, the second owner. After extensive reorganization and an investment of $45 million, "Duke Farms" was opened to the public on May 19, 2012. Duke Farms is owned by the Duke Farms Foundation (DFF) that was established in 1998 to manage the estate. The Foundation, in turn, is part of the Doris Duke Charitable Foundation, and the two entities share a common board and leadership team.

Duke Gardens
Despite some controversy for when the commission made the decision to permanently close Duke Gardens, demolishing the indoor display gardens that had been created by Doris Duke, the commission has made strides in contributing to renovating the property for the 21st century. The DFF over the years have created new indoor and outdoor display gardens that are eco-friendly, use native plants, and are wheelchair accessible. In the process of rehabilitation numerous invasive foreign plants were removed including Norwegian maple and Asian Ailanthus and replaced by native species. On May 19, 2012, Duke Farms opened to the public. After a $45-million renovation, Duke Farms now include 30 endangered species and 230 varieties of birds, among which are the great blue heron and the bald eagle. As part of the rehabilitation, the conservatory and greenhouses known as the Orchid Range were renovated to became more energy-efficient.

Local government
Hillsborough 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 Township Committee is comprised of five members, who are elected directly by the voters at-large in partisan elections to serve three-year terms of office on a staggered basis, with either one or two seats coming up for election each year as part of the November general election in a three-year cycle. The mayor and deputy mayor are chosen by the Township Committee from among its members at an annual reorganization meeting, each serving a one-year term.

, members of the Hillsborough Township Committee are Mayor Robert Britting Jr. (R, term on committee and term as mayor end December 31, 2024), Deputy Mayor John Ciccarelli (R, term on committee ends December 31, 2025; term as deputy mayor ends 2024), Shawn Lipani (R, 2024), Samantha Hand (D, 2026), and Catherine Payne (R, 2026).

James Ruh was appointed in December 2022 to fill the seat expiring in December 2023 that became vacant following the resignation of Janine Erickson a month earlier.

In March 2022, the Township Committee selected Robert Britting Jr. from a list of three names nominated by the Republican municipal committee to fill the seat expiring in December 2024 that had been held by Steven Cohen until he stepped down from office due to COVID-19-related health issues. Britting served on an interim basis until the November 2022 general election, when voters will choose a candidate to serve the balance of the term of office.

In March 2021, the Township Committee chose Democrat Jeffrey Wright from three candidates listed by the local Democratic committee to fill the seat expiring in December 2021 that had been held by Olivia Holmes, who had resigned the previous month due to COVID related issues.

Based on the results of a Charter Study Commission, a recommendation was listed on the November 2007 general election ballot proposing that the township adopt a Mayor-Council form of government under the Faulkner Act. At the election, 58% of those voting rejected the proposed change, leaving Hillsborough's traditional township form of government unchanged.

Federal, state, and county representation
Hillsborough Township is located in the 7th and 12th Congressional Districts and is part of New Jersey's 16th state legislative district.

Politics
As of March 2011, there were a total of 24,841 registered voters in Hillsborough Township, of which 5,575 (22.4% vs. 26.0% countywide) were registered as Democrats, 5,507 (22.2% vs. 25.7%) were registered as Republicans and 13,745 (55.3% vs. 48.2%) were registered as Unaffiliated. There were 14 voters registered as Libertarians or Greens. Among the township's 2010 Census population, 64.9% (vs. 60.4% in Somerset County) were registered to vote, including 88.1% of those ages 18 and over (vs. 80.4% countywide).

In the 2012 presidential election, Democrat Barack Obama received 49.8% of the vote (9,071 cast), ahead of Republican Mitt Romney with 48.5% (8,842 votes), and other candidates with 1.7% (301 votes), among the 18,319 ballots cast by the township's 26,570 registered voters (105 ballots were spoiled), for a turnout of 68.9%. In the 2008 presidential election, Democrat Barack Obama received 9,507 votes (49.8% vs. 52.1% countywide), ahead of Republican John McCain with 9,218 votes (48.2% vs. 46.1%) and other candidates with 250 votes (1.3% vs. 1.1%), among the 19,107 ballots cast by the township's 23,926 registered voters, for a turnout of 79.9% (vs. 78.7% in Somerset County). In the 2004 presidential election, Republican George W. Bush received 9,246 votes (53.0% vs. 51.5% countywide), ahead of Democrat John Kerry with 7,965 votes (45.7% vs. 47.2%) and other candidates with 176 votes (1.0% vs. 0.9%), among the 17,433 ballots cast by the township's 21,152 registered voters, for a turnout of 82.4% (vs. 81.7% in the whole county).

In the 2013 gubernatorial election, Republican Chris Christie received 69.2% of the vote (7,855 cast), ahead of Democrat Barbara Buono with 29.1% (3,298 votes), and other candidates with 1.7% (190 votes), among the 11,493 ballots cast by the township's 26,883 registered voters (150 ballots were spoiled), for a turnout of 42.8%. In the 2009 gubernatorial election, Republican Chris Christie received 7,436 votes (59.9% vs. 55.8% countywide), ahead of Democrat Jon Corzine with 3,765 votes (30.3% vs. 34.1%), Independent Chris Daggett with 1,046 votes (8.4% vs. 8.7%) and other candidates with 96 votes (0.8% vs. 0.7%), among the 12,416 ballots cast by the township's 24,456 registered voters, yielding a 50.8% turnout (vs. 52.5% in the county).

Education
The Hillsborough Township School District serves students in pre-kindergarten through twelfth grade. Students from Millstone attend the district's schools, originally as part of a sending/receiving relationship; the New Jersey Commissioner of Education merged Millstone's non-operating school district with the Hillsborough Township School District effective July 1, 2009. As of the 2020–21 school year, the district, comprised of nine schools, had an enrollment of 7,288 students and 596.6 classroom teachers (on an FTE basis), for a student–teacher ratio of 12.2:1. Schools in the district (with 2020–21 enrollment data from the National Center for Education Statistics ) are Amsterdam Elementary School (456 students; in grades K–4), Hillsborough Elementary School (488; K–4), Sunnymead Elementary School (495; K–4), Triangle Elementary School (354; K–4), Woodfern Elementary School (354; K–4), Woods Road Elementary School (421; Pre-K–4), Auten Road Intermediate School (1,143; 5–6), Hillsborough Middle School (1,218; 7–8) and Hillsborough High School (2,318; 9–12).

Roads and highways
, the township had a total of 211.92 mi of roadways, of which 185.42 mi were maintained by the municipality, 19.79 mi by Somerset County and 6.71 mi by the New Jersey Department of Transportation.

U.S. Route 206 is the main road that passes through the township. Construction of a new alignment of US 206, the 3.75 mile US 206 Bypass began in 2010 to bypass the congested stretch of the road. Built in two phases, the first 1.66 mi phase, between Hillsborough and Amwell Roads, was opened in October 2013. The second phase was originally expected to be completed by 2015, but was delayed multiple times due to a lack of state funding. Construction finally resumed in 2017 and the roadway was completed in 2021. The road is named for Peter J. Biondi, a former Hillsborough mayor and member of the General Assembly.

Now that construction of the Bypass is completed, the intention is for the existing US-206 to become a downtown "main street" for the township and be zoned for commercial and residential use.

Main county roads that pass through are CR 514 which runs for 10.24 mi through the township, and CR 533. Interstate 287 is outside the municipality in bordering Bridgewater and Franklin Townships. Part of the proposed routing of Interstate 95 through central New Jersey included Hillsborough; this project was ultimately canceled in the 1980s.

Rail
NJ Transit has proposed a new West Trenton Line that would stretch for 27 mi from the West Trenton station in Ewing Township to a connection with the Raritan Valley Line at Bridgewater Township, and from there to Newark Penn Station in Newark. The plan would include stations at both Belle Mead and Hillsborough. The plan was canceled due to lack of funding and NJ Transit has no plans to restore the project.

The Norfolk Southern Railway's Lehigh Line (formerly the mainline of the Lehigh Valley Railroad), runs through Hillsborough Township.

Bus
Hillsborough is served by SCOOT buses, providing service to Manville, Bridgewater Township and Somerville, with service continuing to Bedminster during rush hour.

Coach USA offers weekday express service across 42nd Street to the United Nations in Midtown Manhattan from Hillsborough operated by Suburban Transit. There are four morning buses Monday through Friday with a reduced schedule on some Holidays.

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

 * Lori Alhadeff (born 1975), member of the Broward County School Board who founded a gun control-promoting organization after her daughter Alyssa died in the Stoneman Douglas High School shooting
 * John Bell, former radio DJ on Z100 WHTZ Elvis Duran and the Z Morning Zoo
 * Brad Benson (born 1955), former New York Giants offensive lineman from 1977 to 1987, owner of Rainbow Run Farm
 * Peter J. Biondi (1942–2011), politician who served in the New Jersey General Assembly and was Mayor of Hillsborough from 1986 to 1993
 * Michael Ian Black (born 1971), actor, comedian, member of The State and Stella
 * Jeannette Brown (born 1934), organic medicinal chemist, historian and author
 * Jack Ciattarelli (born 1961), politician who served in the New Jersey General Assembly and as a Somerset County Freeholder, and was a 2017 gubernatorial candidate
 * Jyotirmoy Datta (born 1936), Bengali writer, journalist, poet and essayist
 * Doris Duke (1912–1993), heiress and philanthropist
 * Roy Freiman (born 1959), politician who has represented the 16th Legislative District in the New Jersey General Assembly since 2018
 * Jessica Galli (born 1983), female wheelchair racing athlete
 * Eugene Harvey, Magic: The Gathering player
 * Daria Hazuda, biochemist and discoverer of HIV Integrase strand transfer inhibitors
 * Abraham Hoagland (1797–1872), early Mormon leader, pioneer, and one of the founders of Royal Oak, Michigan, and Salt Lake City, Utah
 * Jaheim (born 1978), R&B singer
 * Joe Lis (1946–2010, class of 1964), Major League Baseball player
 * Adam Mamawala (born 1987), stand-up comic
 * Shawn Mayer (born 1979), NFL safety who played for the New England Patriots and Cleveland Browns
 * Shaun O'Hara (born 1977), NFL center who played for the New York Giants
 * Ricky Proehl (born 1968), NFL wide receiver who has played for the Indianapolis Colts and is currently the wide receiver coach of the Carolina Panthers
 * Dustin Sheppard (born 1980), MLS forward who played for the MetroStars
 * Elliott F. Smith (1931–1987), politician who served in the New Jersey General Assembly from 1978 to 1984, where he represented the 16th Legislative District
 * Yannick Smith (born 1990), professional soccer forward
 * Rich Vos (born 1957), comedian
 * Peter Dumont Vroom (1791–1873), 9th Governor of New Jersey

title: Hillsborough Township, New Jersey


text:
Manville, New Jersey

Manville is a borough in Somerset County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey. The borough is located in the heart of the Raritan Valley region and is a part of the New York metropolitan area. As of the 2020 United States census, the borough's population was 10,953, an increase of 609 (+5.9%) from the 2010 census count of 10,344,  which in turn reflected an increase of one person from the 10,343 counted in the 2000 census. Manville was named after the Johns-Manville Corporation, which maintained a large manufacturing facility in the borough for decades.

Historically, many of Manville's residents are of Slavic—mostly eastern Polish (23.1% of the borough's population in 2000 ) and western Ukrainian descent—with many businesses and restaurants geared towards the Polish American community located along Main Street (County Route 533).

Manville was formed by an act of the New Jersey Legislature on April 1, 1929, subject to the results of a referendum held on April 18, 1929.

Geography
According to the United States Census Bureau, the borough had a total area of 2.45 square miles (6.34 km2), including 2.36 square miles (6.11 km2) of land and 0.09 square miles (0.23 km2) of water (3.59%).

Unincorporated communities, localities and place names located partially or completely within the borough include Millsboro.

The borough borders Bridgewater Township, Franklin Township and Hillsborough Township.

Ecology
According to the A. W. Kuchler U.S. potential natural vegetation types, Manville would have an Appalachian Oak (104) vegetation type with an Eastern Hardwood Forest (25) vegetation form.

2010 census
The 2010 United States census counted 10,344 people, 4,016 households, and 2,663 families in the borough. The population density was 4,382.0 per square mile (1,691.9/km2). There were 4,277 housing units at an average density of 1,811.9 per square mile (699.6/km2). The racial makeup was 86.35% (8,932) White, 2.72% (281) Black or African American, 0.10% (10) Native American, 1.99% (206) Asian, 0.00% (0) Pacific Islander, 6.50% (672) from other races, and 2.35% (243) from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 18.98% (1,963) of the population.

Of the 4,016 households, 26.8% had children under the age of 18; 47.2% were married couples living together; 12.6% had a female householder with no husband present and 33.7% were non-families. Of all households, 27.0% were made up of individuals and 11.0% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.58 and the average family size was 3.12.

20.2% of the population were under the age of 18, 9.0% from 18 to 24, 28.6% from 25 to 44, 28.0% from 45 to 64, and 14.2% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 39.6 years. For every 100 females, the population had 100.5 males. For every 100 females ages 18 and older there were 99.3 males.

The Census Bureau's 2006–2010 American Community Survey showed that (in 2010 inflation-adjusted dollars) median household income was $55,601 (with a margin of error of +/− $4,325) and the median family income was $63,864 (+/− $11,426). Males had a median income of $48,356 (+/− $4,062) versus $40,954 (+/− $5,868) for females. The per capita income for the borough was $26,636 (+/− $1,894). About 1.9% of families and 4.6% of the population were below the poverty line, including 8.4% of those under age 18 and 3.2% of those age 65 or over.

2000 census
As of the 2000 United States census there were 10,343 people, 4,115 households, and 2,757 families residing in the borough. The population density was 4,167.5 PD/sqmi. There were 4,296 housing units at an average density of 1,731.0 /sqmi. The racial makeup of the borough was 95.99% White, 0.45% African American, 0.07% Native American, 1.31% Asian, 0.03% Pacific Islander, 1.14% from other races, and 1.01% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 5.40% of the population.

23.1% of Manville's residents identified themselves as being of Polish ancestry, the second highest in New Jersey (behind Wallington's 45.5%), for all places with 1,000 people listing their ancestry.

There were 4,115 households, out of which 26.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 50.3% were married couples living together, 11.9% had a female householder with no husband present, and 33.0% were non-families. 26.7% of all households were made up of individuals, and 12.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.51 and the average family size was 3.05.

In the borough the population was spread out, with 20.7% under the age of 18, 7.2% from 18 to 24, 31.9% from 25 to 44, 22.5% from 45 to 64, and 17.7% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 40 years. For every 100 females, there were 96.2 males. For every 100 females aged 18 and over, there were 94.0 males.

The median income for a household in the borough was $51,258, and the median income for a family was $61,151. Males had a median income of $40,902 versus $32,030 for females. The per capita income for the borough was $23,293. About 2.1% of families and 3.8% of the population were below the poverty line, including 3.8% of those under age 18 and 4.8% of those age 65 or over.

Local government
Manville is governed under the borough form of New Jersey municipal government, which is used in 218 municipalities (of the 564) statewide, making it the most common form of government in New Jersey. The governing body is comprised of a mayor and a borough council, with all positions elected at-large on a partisan basis as part of the November general election. A mayor is elected directly by the voters to a four-year term of office. The borough council includes six members elected to serve three-year terms on a staggered basis, with two seats coming up for election each year in a three-year cycle.

The borough form of government used by Manville is a "weak mayor / strong council" government in which council members act as the legislative body with the mayor presiding at meetings and voting only in the event of a tie. The mayor can veto ordinances subject to an override by a two-thirds majority vote of the council. The mayor makes committee and liaison assignments for council members, and most appointments are made by the mayor with the advice and consent of the council.

, the mayor of Manville is Independent Richard M. Onderko, whose term of office ends December 31, 2027. Mayor Onderko earned a third term on November 7, 2023, holding off two challengers, making him the first mayoral incumbent elected without a party endorsement. Members of the Manville Borough Council are Council President Ron Skirkanish (R, 2025), Branden Agans (R, 2024), Dayna A. Camacho (I, 2026), Joe DiVeto III (R, 2025), Barbara Madak (R, 2024), Jade Nicolle Puia (I, 2026).

Preceding Mayor Onderko was Mayor Angelo Corradino, the only five-term mayor in Manville's history, the first Manville Mayor to be elected as the president of the New Jersey Conference of Mayors and the first mayor of Manville to be elected into the New Jersey Mayors Hall of Fame.

Federal, state and county representation
Manville is located in the 12th Congressional District and is part of New Jersey's 23rd state legislative district.

Politics
As of March 2011, there were a total of 5,200 registered voters in Manville, of which 1,375 (26.4% vs. 26.0% countywide) were registered as Democrats, 1,080 (20.8% vs. 25.7%) were registered as Republicans and 2,741 (52.7% vs. 48.2%) were registered as Unaffiliated. There were 4 voters registered as Libertarians or Greens. Among the borough's 2010 Census population, 50.3% (vs. 60.4% in Somerset County) were registered to vote, including 63.0% of those ages 18 and over (vs. 80.4% countywide).

In the 2012 presidential election, Democrat Barack Obama received 50.0% of the vote (1,702 cast), ahead of Republican Mitt Romney with 48.2% (1,641 votes), and other candidates with 1.7% (59 votes), among the 3,449 ballots cast by the borough's 5,449 registered voters (47 ballots were spoiled), for a turnout of 63.3%. In the 2008 presidential election, Republican John McCain received 1,928 votes (50.7% vs. 46.1% countywide), ahead of Democrat Barack Obama with 1,746 votes (45.9% vs. 52.1%) and other candidates with 72 votes (1.9% vs. 1.1%), among the 3,802 ballots cast by the borough's 5,129 registered voters, for a turnout of 74.1% (vs. 78.7% in Somerset County). In the 2004 presidential election, Republican George W. Bush received 1,998 votes (52.4% vs. 51.5% countywide), ahead of Democrat John Kerry with 1,741 votes (45.7% vs. 47.2%) and other candidates with 53 votes (1.4% vs. 0.9%), among the 3,812 ballots cast by the borough's 4,881 registered voters, for a turnout of 78.1% (vs. 81.7% in the whole county).

In the 2013 gubernatorial election, Republican Chris Christie received 74.0% of the vote (1,745 cast), ahead of Democrat Barbara Buono with 24.2% (570 votes), and other candidates with 1.8% (43 votes), among the 2,402 ballots cast by the borough's 5,535 registered voters (44 ballots were spoiled), for a turnout of 43.4%. In the 2009 gubernatorial election, Republican Chris Christie received 1,594 votes (58.9% vs. 55.8% countywide), ahead of Democrat Jon Corzine with 823 votes (30.4% vs. 34.1%), Independent Chris Daggett with 210 votes (7.8% vs. 8.7%) and other candidates with 36 votes (1.3% vs. 0.7%), among the 2,704 ballots cast by the borough's 5,189 registered voters, yielding a 52.1% turnout (vs. 52.5% in the county).

Education
The Manville School District serves public school students in pre-kindergarten through twelfth grade. As of the 2019–20 school year, the district, comprised of four schools, had an enrollment of 1,601 students and 132.5 classroom teachers (on an FTE basis), for a student–teacher ratio of 12.1:1. Schools in the district (with 2019–20 enrollment data from the National Center for Education Statistics ) are Weston Elementary School with 349 students in grades Pre-K–2, Roosevelt Elementary School with 234 students in grades 3–4, Alexander Batcho Intermediate School with 485 students in grades 5–8 and Manville High School with 450 students in grades 9–12.

Christ the King School, which opened in 1968 and served students in grades Pre-K–8, was closed by the Roman Catholic Diocese of Metuchen at the end of the 2014–2015 school year in the wake of declining enrollment that had resulted in a $1 million deficit to the parish in the preceding five years.

Roads and highways
, the borough had a total of 42.07 mi of roadways, of which 39.19 mi were maintained by the municipality and 2.88 mi by Somerset County.

No Interstate, U.S. or state highways directly serve Manville. The most prominent roadway in the borough is County Route 533. Also, the borough includes County Route 608.

Public transportation
Somerset County provides SCOOT bus service in the borough on its R1, R2 and Peak routes.

Rail
The Norfolk Southern Railway Lehigh Line, the Conrail Shared Assets Operations Lehigh Line, and the CSX Transportation Trenton Subdivision freight lines all connect at Port Reading Junction in Manville.

Redevelopment
The Federal Superfund project called The Federal Creosote Site was cleaned up by the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) with $250 million of public funds. The Superfund cleanup project was performed in a 35 acre residential section of town called Claremont Development and in a 15 acre commercial area called the Rustic Mall, and was officially declared complete by the EPA on March 7, 2008.

Flooding problems
Manville suffers from occasional flooding events that occur after prolonged heavy rainfall events, when the Raritan River and Millstone River overflow their banks into the northern section (Raritan) and the Lost Valley section (Millstone) of the borough. The southern parts of Main Street also suffer from the flooding, due to the presence of Royce Brook which backs up with water from the nearby Millstone River in which it empties.

There are studies being undertaken to address the flooding problems in the Millstone River basin and Manville; however, none of the flood control ideas in the Millstone River basin have gotten beyond the initial study stages as of late 2006.

Hurricane Floyd flood of 1999
Manville was severely hit by a flood in the wake of Hurricane Floyd in September 1999, which dropped 10 to 12 in of rain in the areas surrounding the borough. The floods devastated the Lost Valley section, some of the South side area along Main Street and a large portion of the North side. Water levels reached between 12 ft and 17 ft in parts of the borough on September 17, 1999. The only way residents could get help was by boat or helicopter. There was also a large amount of fuel oil floating on the flood water which further damaged homes, many of which came off their foundations.

A portion of the north side received water coming from the Raritan at Dukes Parkway. Much of the north side had no flooding, though the significant flooding of the northside was concentrated from Dukes Parkway to Louis Street and Main Street to 3rd Avenue. The water reached the freight tracks at Main Street, and spilled over, flooding some on the South Street side, but leaving tons of water dammed in on the North Street side, where people had to be rescued from rooftops, or second floor windows and landings, by boat.

The problem was doubled in the Lost Valley section, as flood waters backed up where the Raritan and Millstone rivers meet near the dam. All trapped and injured people had to be taken out by helicopter, as there was no way to get in or out of the Lost Valley section. The September 1999 flood disaster was the worst ever to hit Manville, although it had been flooded in 1971 during Tropical Storm Doria, when many of the Lost Valley houses were destroyed and their foundations lost, and previously before that in the 1950s. Because of the railroad tracks being so much higher than the Lost Valley land, Manville's Lost Valley will always be a number one target for flooding. Through research of Manville's history, Lost Valley was to remain open land due to the high risk of flood.

Lost Valley flooding
Manville is where the Raritan River and the tributary Millstone River join together, in the far northeastern corner of the borough. The Lost Valley section in eastern Manville is situated on the natural flood plain between the Raritan and Millstone Rivers and bears the brunt of occasional flooding events which affect the river basins. The Lost Valley section is named so because it is generally disconnected from the rest of the borough with only a tunnel at Kyle Street and a bridge at Bridge Street crossing the railroad tracks to the neighborhood. Hurricane Floyd in September 1999 produced a particularly severe flood (a record for the river basins) in Manville, especially in the Lost Valley section of the borough, which experienced flooding all the way to the railroad tracks, with twelve feet or more water on many properties, which inundated houses with damaging flood waters. Another severe and devastating flood event occurred in Lost Valley during the April 2007 Nor'easter. It also left many homes and businesses underwater and was the worst flood since Hurricane Floyd. Flooding problems once again occurred in Manville on March 14, 2010, with rivers running already high due to recent snow melt along with 3 to 4 in of rain that fell on the area on March 13, flooding was inevitable. More extensive flooding affected Manville in August 2011 when Hurricane Irene passed through New Jersey. In the aftermath of Hurricane Sandy in late October 2012, Manville did not flood but the powerful winds left many homes without power for several days.

Hurricane Ida floods
On September 1, 2021, the tropical remains of Hurricane Ida swept through Manville, causing floods in the majority of the town. The nearby Raritan river was flooded to a record 27.66 ft, shattering the previous 27.1 feet recorded by Hurricane Floyd. On September 2, 2021, a house on Boesel Avenue exploded after the residents of the home had already evacuated, and nearby on North Second Avenue, another exploded and engulfed a home next to it, burning down as firefighters were unable to access the home due to the heavy floodwaters. That night, a local banquet hall, The Saffron, exploded and burned to the ground early Friday morning.

Flood gauge on Raritan River
Flooding occurs at a 14 ft stage, and severe flooding occurs when the water reaches 18 ft. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration provides access to real time river level data.

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

 * Cheryl Chase (born 1958), voice actress
 * Joe Lis (1946–2010), Major League Baseball player
 * Joseph D. Patero (1932–2020), politician who served as mayor of Manville and in the New Jersey General Assembly from 1974 to 1986 and from 1988 to 1991
 * Edward Rogalski (born 1942), 12th president of St. Ambrose University in Davenport, Iowa, named in 1987
 * Theo Riddick (born 1991), professional football player for the Las Vegas Raiders
 * Robert Sikoryak (born 1964), cartoonist
 * Al Tasnady (1930–1988), stock car racing driver who later served as race director for Flemington Speedway

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

title: Manville, New Jersey


text:
Millstone, New Jersey

Millstone is a borough in Somerset County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey. The borough was originally known as Somerset Courthouse and was the county seat. As of the 2020 United States census, the borough's population was 448, an increase of 30 (+7.2%) from the 2010 census count of 418, which in turn reflected an increase of 8 (+2.0%) from the 410 counted in the 2000 census.

Millstone was incorporated as a borough by an act of the New Jersey Legislature on May 14, 1894, from portions of Hillsborough Township, based on the results of a referendum held that day. The borough was reincorporated on March 12, 1928. The borough was named for the Millstone River (a major tributary of the Raritan River), whose name derives from an incident in which a millstone was dropped into it.

A historic district in Millstone, including 58 buildings, was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1976. The borough possesses a military significance for 1700–1749, 1750–1799, 1850–1874.

New Jersey Monthly magazine ranked Millstone as its 7th best place to live in its 2008 rankings of the "Best Places To Live" in New Jersey.

History
Millstone, then called Somerset Courthouse, was the county seat of Somerset County from 1738 until the British burned it to the ground in 1779 during the American Revolutionary War. After the victory at Princeton on January 3, 1777, General George Washington headquartered at the, while the army camped nearby that night. The next day, they marched to Pluckemin on the way to their winter encampment at Morristown.

Millstone was briefly connected to the Pennsylvania Railroad when the Mercer and Somerset Railway was extended to the town in the 1870s and connected via a bridge across the Millstone River to the Pennsylvania Railroad's Millstone and New Brunswick Railroad, but that arrangement did not last into the 1880s. Remnants of the railroad bridge can still be seen.

Geography
According to the United States Census Bureau, the borough had a total area of 0.70 square miles (1.82 km2), including 0.68 square miles (1.76 km2) of land and 0.02 square miles (0.05 km2) of water (2.86%).

The borough borders Franklin Township and Hillsborough Township.

Ecology
According to the A. W. Kuchler U.S. potential natural vegetation types, Millstone would have an Appalachian Oak (104) vegetation type with an Eastern Hardwood Forest (25) vegetation form.

2010 census
The 2010 United States census counted 418 people, 162 households, and 118 families in the borough. The population density was 566.5 per square mile (218.7/km2). There were 167 housing units at an average density of 226.3 per square mile (87.4/km2). The racial makeup was 95.69% (400) White, 1.20% (5) Black or African American, 0.00% (0) Native American, 1.67% (7) Asian, 0.00% (0) Pacific Islander, 0.96% (4) from other races, and 0.48% (2) from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 3.59% (15) of the population.

Of the 162 households, 30.9% had children under the age of 18; 58.0% were married couples living together; 8.6% had a female householder with no husband present and 27.2% were non-families. Of all households, 22.2% were made up of individuals and 11.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.58 and the average family size was 3.03.

23.7% of the population were under the age of 18, 5.0% from 18 to 24, 25.8% from 25 to 44, 29.4% from 45 to 64, and 16.0% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 42.8 years. For every 100 females, the population had 94.4 males. For every 100 females ages 18 and older there were 86.5 males.

The Census Bureau's 2006–2010 American Community Survey showed that (in 2010 inflation-adjusted dollars) median household income was $97,500 (with a margin of error of +/− $18,039) and the median family income was $102,708 (+/− $20,734). Males had a median income of $73,250 (+/− $8,715) versus $50,625 (+/− $15,872) for females. The per capita income for the borough was $37,678 (+/− $5,017). About none of families and 0.5% of the population were below the poverty line, including none of those under age 18 and 3.0% of those age 65 or over.

2000 census
As of the 2000 United States census there were 410 people, 169 households, and 126 families residing in the borough. The population density was 547.1 PD/sqmi. There were 173 housing units at an average density of 230.9 /sqmi. The racial makeup of the borough was 97.56% White, 0.98% African American, 0.98% Asian, and 0.49% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 3.17% of the population.

There were 169 households, out of which 25.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 59.8% were married couples living together, 9.5% had a female householder with no husband present, and 24.9% were non-families. 18.9% of all households were made up of individuals, and 8.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.43 and the average family size was 2.79.

In the borough the population was spread out, with 19.3% under the age of 18, 4.1% from 18 to 24, 25.4% from 25 to 44, 34.1% from 45 to 64, and 17.1% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 46 years. For every 100 females, there were 99.0 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 91.3 males.

The median income for a household in the borough was $76,353, and the median income for a family was $83,118. Males had a median income of $60,156 versus $36,406 for females. The per capita income for the borough was $30,694. About 3.1% of families and 4.6% of the population were below the poverty line, including 6.4% of those under age 18 and 7.3% of those age 65 or over.

Local government
Millstone is governed under the borough form of New Jersey municipal government, which is used in 218 municipalities (of the 564) statewide, making it the most common form of government in New Jersey. The governing body is comprised of the mayor and the borough council, with all positions elected at-large on a partisan basis as part of the November general election. The mayor is elected directly by the voters to a four-year term of office. The borough council includes six members elected to serve three-year terms on a staggered basis, with two seats coming up for election each year in a three-year cycle. The borough form of government used by Millstone is a "weak mayor / strong council" government in which council members act as the legislative body with the mayor presiding at meetings and voting only in the event of a tie. The mayor can veto ordinances subject to an override by a two-thirds majority vote of the council. The mayor makes committee and liaison assignments for council members, and most appointments are made by the mayor with the advice and consent of the council.

, the mayor of Millstone Borough is Democrat Raymond Heck, whose term of office ends December 31, 2022. Members of the Millstone Borough Council are Council President Mandy Coppola (D, 2022), Robert Galli (I, 2024), Alan Kidd (R, 2023), Karin Kidd (2023), Kristen Ross (R, 2022) and Johnathan Stashek (D, 2024).

In January 2019, the borough council selected Vincent Biviano from three candidates nominated by the Republican municipal committee to fill the seat expiring in December 2021 that had been won, but never filled, by Merry Emmich.

Federal, state, and county representation
Millstone is located in the 12th Congressional District and is part of New Jersey's 16th state legislative district

Prior to the 2010 Census, Millstone had been part of the NJ's 4th congressional district, a change made by the New Jersey Redistricting Commission that took effect in January 2013, based on the results of the November 2012 general elections.

Politics
As of March 23, 2011, there were a total of 309 registered voters in Millstone, of which 107 (34.6% vs. 26.0% countywide) were registered as Democrats, 85 (27.5% vs. 25.7%) were registered as Republicans and 117 (37.9% vs. 48.2%) were registered as Unaffiliated. There were no voters registered to other parties. Among the borough's 2010 Census population, 73.9% (vs. 60.4% in Somerset County) were registered to vote, including 96.9% of those ages 18 and over (vs. 80.4% countywide).

In the 2012 presidential election, Republican Mitt Romney received 49.8% of the vote (119 cast), ahead of Democrat Barack Obama with 49.4% (118 votes), and other candidates with 0.8% (2 votes), among the 240 ballots cast by the borough's 325 registered voters (1 ballot was spoiled), for a turnout of 73.8%. In the 2008 presidential election, Republican John McCain received 143 votes (57.0% vs. 46.1% countywide), ahead of Democrat Barack Obama with 104 votes (41.4% vs. 52.1%) and other candidates with 2 votes (0.8% vs. 1.1%), among the 251 ballots cast by the borough's 309 registered voters, for a turnout of 81.2% (vs. 78.7% in Somerset County). In the 2004 presidential election, Republican George W. Bush received 130 votes (50.6% vs. 51.5% countywide), ahead of Democrat John Kerry with 123 votes (47.9% vs. 47.2%) and other candidates with 2 votes (0.8% vs. 0.9%), among the 257 ballots cast by the borough's 304 registered voters, for a turnout of 84.5% (vs. 81.7% in the whole county).

In the 2013 gubernatorial election, Republican Chris Christie received 61.0% of the vote (97 cast), ahead of Democrat Barbara Buono with 35.2% (56 votes), and other candidates with 3.8% (6 votes), among the 159 ballots cast by the borough's 320 registered voters for a turnout of 49.7%. In the 2009 gubernatorial election, Republican Chris Christie received 100 votes (54.6% vs. 55.8% countywide), ahead of Democrat Jon Corzine with 62 votes (33.9% vs. 34.1%), Independent Chris Daggett with 18 votes (9.8% vs. 8.7%) and other candidates with 1 votes (0.5% vs. 0.7%), among the 183 ballots cast by the borough's 303 registered voters, yielding a 60.4% turnout (vs. 52.5% in the county).

Education
Several classical schools operated in the Millstone area. Queens College was relocated to Millstone in 1780 during the war. In 1814, a two-story building called the Academy was established as a co-ed public school on the lot owned by Daniel Disborough. In 1860, the school was relocated to a newly constructed building later to be known as the Millstone Borough Schoolhouse, which then operated until 1940, after which it was known as Millstone Borough Hall. Another classical school focusing on Latin started in 1826 at the home of Dominie Zabriskie. Joseph P. Bradley, who would later become a U.S. Supreme Court Justice, also taught at a classical school in Millstone after graduating at Rutgers in 1836 and before attending law school where he was barred in 1839.

There are no public schools currently operating in Millstone Borough; students attend public school in the Hillsborough Township School District, in Hillsborough Township as part of a sending/receiving relationship. As of the 2018–2019 school year, the district, comprised of nine schools, had an enrollment of 7,457 students and 645.4 classroom teachers (on an FTE basis), for a student–teacher ratio of 11.6:1.

Transportation
, the borough had a total of 4.41 mi of roadways, of which 4.01 mi were maintained by the municipality and 0.40 mi by Somerset County.

No Interstate, U.S. or state highways directly serve Millstone. The most prominent roads in the borough are County Route 514 and County Route 533.

Notable people
People who were born in, residents of, or otherwise closely associated with Millstone include:
 * Frederick Theodore Frelinghuysen (1817–1885), United States Senator representing New Jersey and a United States Secretary of State under Chester A. Arthur
 * Ferdinand Schureman Schenck (1790–1860), represented New Jersey in the United States House of Representatives from 1833 to 1837
 * Charles Titus (1838–1921), Union Army soldier who was awarded a Medal of Honor for his actions in the Civil War

title: Millstone, New Jersey


text:
Montgomery Township, New Jersey

Montgomery Township is a township in southern Somerset County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey. It is located in the New York Metropolitan Area. As of the 2020 United States census, the township's population was 23,690, an increase of 1,436 (+6.5%) from the 2010 census count of 22,254,  which in turn reflected an increase of 4,773 (+27.3%) from the 17,481 counted in the 2000 census.

Montgomery Township was incorporated on February 21, 1798, as one of New Jersey's initial group of 104 townships by an act of the New Jersey Legislature, from what remained of Western precinct. Portions of the township were taken to form Princeton Borough (February 11, 1813, in Mercer County, consolidated to form Princeton as of January 1, 2013), Princeton Township (April 9, 1838, also now consolidated into Princeton) and Rocky Hill (December 18, 1889).

The township has been one of the state's highest-income communities. Based on data from the American Community Survey for 2013–2017, Montgomery Township residents had a median household income of $180,660, ranked 2nd in the state among municipalities with more than 10,000 residents, more than double the statewide median of $76,475.

History
Before European settlement began, the area now known as Montgomery Township was inhabited for approximately 20,000 years by Lenni Lenape tribal groups. The current Native American population of Montgomery Township is just under 0.1% of the total population.

The first European landowners in what was to become Montgomery Township, such as Johannas Van Home and Peter Sonmans, were speculators who did not live on the land, but sold large parts of what they owned to companies that subdivided it into farm-sized plots for those who did intend to settle. Many speculators and early settlers were of Dutch descent from the New Amsterdam area (especially Long Island), which, after the British ousted the Dutch (1664), was renamed New York in honor of the Duke of York (the future James II). The Township was originally known as the Western Precinct of Somerset County (i.e. west of the Millstone River). Before the creation of Mercer County in 1838, the southern border extended to Nassau Street in Princeton. In 1798 the Western Precinct was organized as Montgomery Township, named for General Richard Montgomery, who fell fighting for the patriot cause in the Battle of Quebec at the start of the Revolution (1775).

Most of the land is flat and fertile, running westward from the Millstone River to Province Line, which divides Somerset from Hunterdon County and once marked the division between East and West Jersey. Farms of 300 to 500 acre were common, some owners keeping a few slaves to work the land and serve in the household. The aim of the early settlers was to produce as many of the necessities of life as they could: subsistence farming, in other words. Each farm had a vegetable garden, orchard, pasturage and fields for grain, as well as a stand of timber to be selectively cut for fuel. What became known as the Harlingen Tract (1710) included part of Sourland Mountain. Each farm on the flatland was assigned a separate strip of woodland that ran up to the Hunterdon border, all crossing Rock Brook. At points along the stream mills were built either to saw lumber or to grind grain. Other early mill sites were at Rocky Hill on the Millstone River, Bridgepoint on Pike Brook and on Bedens Brook near Blawenburg.

Settlement began in the first quarter of the eighteenth century. When churches, schools, general stores, blacksmith shops and hotel/taverns were built, they tended to cluster at intersections or other important points. For example, the intersection where the Carrier Clinic now stands used to be called Plainville or Posttown, having in the nineteenth century a post office, store, school house, blacksmith and wheelwright shops, as well as a hotel/tavern where the circuit judge presided. Most people walked to where they wanted to go. Schools were generally spaced no further than 4 mi apart in order that no child would have to go more than 2 mi to reach the nearest school. Churches marked the most important centers. The Dutch Church's earliest congregations first gathered in farm houses. The first church building at Harlingen dates to around 1750 and was called the Church at Sourland. The church at Neshanic in Hillsborough Township was established in 1752. In the early years these two churches shared a single pastor, and up to about 1800 they conducted their services in the Dutch language. One such pastor was Martinus Van Harlingen, who gave his name to the village, to the church that now bears his name, and to the local Historical Society. The Blawenburg church, an offshoot of the one at Harlingen, dates to 1830 and was erected in three days.

During the Revolution, the Township was the scene of marches by both British and patriot forces and of clashes between them. In the century that followed the movement of goods and people was accelerated by increasingly swifter forms of transportation. First was the building of the Georgetown and Franklin Turnpike between Lambertville and New Brunswick (1820–1822: Route 518). Next came the digging of the Delaware and Raritan Canal along the east side of the Millstone River (1834). Railroad construction followed with the Delaware and Bound Brook Railroad (later the Reading), which established depots at Skillman, Harlingen and Belle Mead (1875). In the early years of the twentieth century, the arrival of the automobile, of electricity and of the telephone brought further growth and change. In consequence, and over time, the one or two room schoolhouse was supplanted by the central school, post offices were consolidated and most of the hotels/taverns disappeared. The crossroad hamlets that once offered basic services of general store, blacksmith shops and the like disappeared also, many leaving only their names to mark a road or an area: Skillman, Bridgepoint and Dutchtown are examples.

The paving and realignment of roads, and the building of new ones, came toward the end of the transportation revolution. A new major north–south highway, Route 206, was created in 1927. Before that time Montgomery and Mount Lucas Roads were parts of the chief north–south route through the center of the Township. Farming continued despite many changes in the economy and in agricultural practices. In the late nineteenth century subsistence farming was giving way to specialized operations, such as dairying, poultry farming, and fruit orchards. As the twentieth century drew to a close even these ventures no longer offered the farmer an easy existence, given the rapidly appreciating value of the land, over against the low prices of products produced on it. As farms became less and less profitable, the land was converted to other uses. For example, in 1898 the facility for the treatment of epileptics was built on farmland between Blawenburg and Skillman. Since the Second World War, housing developments, shopping centers and business parks have sprung up, leaving as remnants of the long tradition of agriculture in Montgomery roadside stands, riding stables and the like.

As rapid growth throughout the Princeton area has spread suburban sprawl across the Township, the push to limit runaway development and to acquire open space has become an urgent concern of the community. In the last decade of the twentieth century, Montgomery's population nearly doubled, making it the fastest growing township in the county.

Geography
According to the United States Census Bureau, the township had a total area of 32.47 square miles (84.11 km2), including 32.30 square miles (83.66 km2) of land and 0.17 square miles (0.45 km2) of water (0.54%).

Belle Mead (with a 2010 Census population of 216 ), Blawenburg (280 ), Harlingen (297 ), and Skillman (242 ) are unincorporated communities and census-designated places (CDPs) located within Montgomery Township.

Other unincorporated communities, localities and place names located partially or completely within the township include Amwell, Bridgepoint, Dutchtown, Fairview, Plainville, Rocky Hill, Stoutsburg, and Zion.

The township borders Franklin Township, Hillsborough Township, and Rocky Hill in Somerset County, East Amwell Township in Hunterdon County; and both Hopewell Township and Princeton in Mercer County.

Township residents are served by three post offices located wholly within the township's borders: Belle Mead with ZIP code 08502, Skillman with ZIP code 08558 and Blawenburg with ZIP code 08504. A portion of the southern section of the township is serviced by the Princeton post office with ZIP code 08540.

Ecology
According to the A. W. Kuchler U.S. potential natural vegetation types, Montgomery would have an Appalachian Oak (104) vegetation type with an Eastern Hardwood Forest (25) vegetation form.

2010 census
The 2010 United States census counted 22,254 people, 7,635 households, and 6,077 families in the township. The population density was 688.8 per square mile (265.9/km2). There were 7,902 housing units at an average density of 244.6 per square mile (94.4/km2). The racial makeup was 67.66% (15,057) White, 2.84% (633) Black or African American, 0.09% (19) Native American, 25.61% (5,700) Asian, 0.01% (2) Pacific Islander, 1.34% (298) from other races, and 2.45% (545) from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 4.57% (1,017) of the population.

Of the 7,635 households, 48.5% had children under the age of 18; 70.9% were married couples living together; 6.7% had a female householder with no husband present and 20.4% were non-families. Of all households, 17.7% were made up of individuals and 7.2% 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 3.31.

30.8% of the population were under the age of 18, 5.0% from 18 to 24, 22.3% from 25 to 44, 32.0% from 45 to 64, and 9.9% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 40.8 years. For every 100 females, the population had 94.2 males. For every 100 females ages 18 and older there were 89.1 males.

The Census Bureau's 2006–2010 American Community Survey showed that (in 2010 inflation-adjusted dollars) median household income was $146,100 (with a margin of error of +/− $16,235) and the median family income was $167,889 (+/− $10,202). Males had a median income of $110,549 (+/− $4,286) versus $80,268 (+/− $15,872) for females. The per capita income for the borough was $62,642 (+/− $4,981). About 1.4% of families and 2.3% of the population were below the poverty line, including 1.7% of those under age 18 and 5.9% of those age 65 or over.

2000 census
As of the 2000 United States census there were 17,481 people, 5,803 households, and 4,781 families residing in the township. The population density was 535.9 PD/sqmi. There were 6,130 housing units at an average density of 187.9 /sqmi. The racial makeup of the township was 84.55% White, 2.07% African-American, 0.09% Native American, and 11.52% Asian American. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 2.21% of the population.

There were 5,803 households, out of which 51.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 75.5% were married couples living together, 5.3% had a female householder with no husband present, and 17.6% were non-families. 14.2% of all households were made up of individuals, and 3.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.99 and the average family size was 3.33.

In the township the population was spread out, with 32.9% under the age of 18, 3.9% from 18 to 24, 31.9% from 25 to 44, 24.4% from 45 to 64, and 6.8% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 37 years. For every 100 females, there were 97.4 males. For every 100 females aged 18 and over, there were 93.8 males.

The median income for a household in the township was $118,850, and the median income for a family was $129,150. 70.20% of the residents had a college education or better, and 89.8% are white collar. Males had a median income of $86,687 versus $55,441 for females. The per capita income for the township was $48,699. About 1.4% of families and 1.5% of the population were below the poverty line, including 1.2% of those under age 18 and 1.3% of those age 65 or over.

Skillman Village
In 2007, the Township of Montgomery purchased a 256 acre parcel of land once known as the North Princeton Developmental Center from the State of New Jersey, located in Montgomery adjoining Skillman Road and Burnt Hill Road. In addition, the Township acquired from the State the adjacent wastewater treatment facility on 7 acre, behind the State-owned Skillman Dairy Farm. The NPDC property, originally established in 1898 as the "New Jersey State Village for Epileptics," operated as a self-contained community that consisted of hospitals, housing, maintenance areas, schools, a power plant, a wastewater treatment facility and an on-site landfill. Later, it became the New Jersey Neuropsychiatric Institute. Most recently, and until 1998, the property was the New Jersey Department of Human Services' psychiatric care facility "North Princeton Developmental Center".

For years there were over 100 buildings on the Property, mostly in substandard, unsafe, unsanitary, dilapidated and/or obsolescent condition. Ninety-two of these buildings were abated and demolished summer 2007. The remaining handful of buildings have been boarded up in anticipation of possible reuse as part of redevelopment. Efforts are ongoing to remediate environmental conditions at the site and repair or demolish the dam and restore the lake. The property's environmental contamination must be remediated and brought into compliance with applicable laws and regulations.

The original plan for the land was development. The Township prepared a redevelopment plan and solicited redevelopment proposals for a "Town Square" concept which would have created hundreds of new residential and commercial units. However, no developers submitted bids.

Throughout the rest of 2008 and all of the next few years, the debate over Skillman Village changed. The local Republican team led by Kacey Dyer and Mark Caliguire proposed selling all of the land to Somerset County to create a passive-use park.

In October 2010, Somerset County agreed to purchase the land for a passive-use park for $14.1 million.

Skillman Park
Skillman Park covers 247 acres of open space in the Skillman section of Montgomery Township that is owned by Somerset County and maintained by the Somerset County Parks Department. In April 2015 a ribbon cutting ceremony was held by County officials to celebrate the park's opening.

Local government
Montgomery 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 Township Committee is comprised of five members, who are elected directly by the voters at-large in partisan elections to serve three-year terms of office on a staggered basis, with either one or two seats 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 which of its members will serve as Mayor and Deputy Mayor for that year.

, the members of the Montgomery Township Committee are Mayor Neena Singh (D, term on committee and as mayor ends December 31, 2024), Deputy Mayor Vincent P. Barragan (D, term on committee ends 2025; term as deputy mayor ends 2024), Dennis Ahn (D, 2024), Devra Keenan (D, 2025) and Patricia Taylor Todd (D, 2026).

In June 2022, the Township Committee appointed Vincent Barragan to fill the seat expiring in December 2022 that had been held by Kent Huang until he resigned from office the previous month.

When she took office in January 2019, Sadaf Jaffer became the first South Asian woman to hold a mayoral position in New Jersey.

Municipal court
The Montgomery Township Municipal Court is held in neighboring Hillsborough Township in the courtroom within the Hillsborough Township Municipal Complex, as part of a shared services agreement between the two townships. The court hears all motor vehicle, disorderly persons offenses, weights/measures complaints, fish and game violations, local ordinance violations and citizen complaints.

Emergency services
Montgomery Township is served by two all-volunteer fire companies, and an all volunteer rescue squad which provide the township with round the clock protection.
 * Station 45 Fire – Company #1 covering Belle Mead and northern half of township.
 * Station 46 Fire – Company #2 covering Blawenburg and the southern half of township.
 * Station 47 Rescue – Montgomery EMS

Federal, state, and county representation
Montgomery Township is located in the 12th Congressional District and is part of New Jersey's 16th state legislative district

Politics
As of March 2011, there were a total of 14,253 registered voters in Montgomery Township, of which 3,884 (27.3% vs. 26.0% countywide) were registered as Democrats, 3,297 (23.1% vs. 25.7%) were registered as Republicans and 7,068 (49.6% vs. 48.2%) were registered as Unaffiliated. There were 4 voters registered as Libertarians or Greens. Among the township's 2010 Census population, 64.0% (vs. 60.4% in Somerset County) were registered to vote, including 92.6% of those ages 18 and over (vs. 80.4% countywide).

In the 2012 presidential election, Democrat Barack Obama received 52.3% of the vote (5,549 cast), ahead of Republican Mitt Romney with 46.2% (4,904 votes), and other candidates with 1.4% (151 votes), among the 10,673 ballots cast by the township's 15,384 registered voters (69 ballots were spoiled), for a turnout of 69.4%. In the 2008 presidential election, Democrat Barack Obama received 6,082 votes (55.3% vs. 52.1% countywide), ahead of Republican John McCain with 4,731 votes (43.0% vs. 46.1%) and other candidates with 123 votes (1.1% vs. 1.1%), among the 11,002 ballots cast by the township's 13,849 registered voters, for a turnout of 79.4% (vs. 78.7% in Somerset County). In the 2004 presidential election, Republican George W. Bush received 5,086 votes (50.0% vs. 51.5% countywide), ahead of Democrat John Kerry with 4,950 votes (48.7% vs. 47.2%) and other candidates with 97 votes (1.0% vs. 0.9%), among the 10,171 ballots cast by the township's 11,980 registered voters, for a turnout of 84.9% (vs. 81.7% in the whole county).

In the 2013 gubernatorial election, Republican Chris Christie received 66.3% of the vote (4,080 cast), ahead of Democrat Barbara Buono with 31.5% (1,937 votes), and other candidates with 2.2% (136 votes), among the 6,226 ballots cast by the township's 15,614 registered voters (73 ballots were spoiled), for a turnout of 39.9%. In the 2009 gubernatorial election, Republican Chris Christie received 3,999 votes (53.7% vs. 55.8% countywide), ahead of Democrat Jon Corzine with 2,818 votes (37.9% vs. 34.1%), Independent Chris Daggett with 531 votes (7.1% vs. 8.7%) and other candidates with 61 votes (0.8% vs. 0.7%), among the 7,444 ballots cast by the township's 13,992 registered voters, yielding a 53.2% turnout (vs. 52.5% in the county).

Education
The Montgomery Township School District is a comprehensive public school district, comprised of five school facilities, that serves students in pre-kindergarten through twelfth grade from both Montgomery Township and Rocky Hill. As of the 2020–21 school year, the district, comprised of five schools, had an enrollment of 4,498 students and 403.1 classroom teachers (on an FTE basis), for a student–teacher ratio of 11.2:1. Schools in the district (with 2020–21 enrollment data from the National Center for Education Statistics ) are Orchard Hill Elementary School with 727 students in grades PreK-2, Village Elementary School with 634 students in grades 3-4, Montgomery Lower Middle School with 743 students in grades 5-6, Montgomery Upper Middle School with 776 students in grades 7-8 and Montgomery High School with 1,577 students in grades 9-12.

With the addition of the Montgomery High School in 2005, students were transferred from the old high school, now the upper middle school, to the current one located on Route 601. In late 2008 the high school added a solar panel field to save on energy costs. The new Montgomery High School has an indoor pool as well as a brand new outdoor turf.

Montgomery Township was one of the fastest growing school districts in New Jersey. In September 1992, the K–12 enrollment was 1,590 compared to 4,924 in September 2005. This represents a tripling of enrollment in 13 years. However, since the 2005–2006 school year, enrollment has been flat due to a dramatic slowing of residential development in town.

Montgomery Township High School was the 33rd-ranked public high school in New Jersey out of 339 schools statewide in New Jersey Monthly magazine's September 2014 cover story on the state's "Education 2014: The State of Our Schools" after being ranked 61st in 2012 out of 328 schools listed and 10th in 2010 out of 322 schools listed.

Rocky Hill had been a non-operating school district whose school children attended the Montgomery Township schools as part of a sending/receiving relationship. It has since been consolidated into the Montgomery district.

Roads and highways
, the township had a total of 168.21 mi of roadways, of which 138.40 mi were maintained by the municipality, 23.98 mi by Somerset County and 5.83 mi by the New Jersey Department of Transportation.

U.S. Route 206 (with CR 533 overlapping it for a brief stretch) is the main road that goes through Montgomery. The other main county road that goes through is CR 518.

Limited access roads are accessible outside the municipality, such as Interstate 287 in bordering Franklin Township and Interstate 295 in bordering Hopewell Township.

Public transportation
NJ Transit provides local bus service on the 605 route.

Princeton Airport is located in the township.

Healthcare
Penn Medicine Princeton Medical Center is a 355-bed regional non-profit, tertiary and academic medical center located in nearby Plainsboro Township. The hospital services the greater Princeton region in central New Jersey. It is owned by the Penn Medicine Health System and is the only such hospital in the state of New Jersey.

Other nearby regional hospitals and healthcare networks that are accessible to the township include the Somerville division and the New Brunswick division of Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital (RWJUH), along with Saint Peter's University Hospital, also in New Brunswick.

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

 * Wade Baldwin IV (born 1996), basketball player for the Memphis Grizzlies of the National Basketball Association
 * Ben Bernanke (born 1953), former Chairman of the Federal Reserve, former resident and member of the Montgomery Township Board of Education
 * Ira Black (1941–2006), neuroscientist and stem cell researcher who served as the first director of the Stem Cell Institute of New Jersey
 * Yvonne Brill (1924–2013), rocket scientist
 * Mike Ford (born 1992), first baseman who played for the New York Yankees
 * Louis Gambaccini (1931–2018), government official who spent his career in the area of transportation.
 * Brandon Grosso (born 2000), race car driver in the ARCA Menards Series
 * Sadaf Jaffer (born 1983), politician who was Mayor of Montgomery Township and represents the 16th Legislative District in the New Jersey General Assembly
 * John P. Lewis (1921–2010), academic and presidential advisor who was a strong advocate of aid to help build developing countries as a matter of foreign policy
 * John Milhiser (born 1981), actor and comedian who has been a cast member on Saturday Night Live for the 2013–2014 season
 * John Sheridan (1942–2014), former New Jersey Transportation Commissioner, lived in Skillman
 * Upton Sinclair (1878–1968), wrote the muckraking fictional hit piece, The Jungle in 1906, while living on Province Line Road
 * Mimi LaFollette Summerskill (1917–2008), educator, author, political activist and vineyard owner
 * Tom Verducci (born 1960), sportswriter for Sports Illustrated
 * Arlene White Lawrence (1916–1990), bishop and the third president and general superintendent of the Pillar of Fire Church
 * Tom Wilson (born 1967), Republican Party leader who served as the chairman of the New Jersey Republican State Committee from 2004 to 2009

title: Montgomery Township, New Jersey


text:
North Plainfield, New Jersey

North Plainfield is a borough in Somerset County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey. It is located within the Raritan Valley region. As of the 2020 United States census, the borough's population was 22,808, an increase of 872 (+4.0%) from the 2010 census count of 21,936,  which in turn reflected an increase of 833 (+3.9%) from the 21,103 counted in the 2000 census.

North Plainfield Township was created from portions of Warren Township by an act of the New Jersey Legislature passed on April 2, 1872. The borough of North Plainfield became an independent municipality on June 9, 1885. The name derives from Plainfield, which derived its name from a local estate or from its scenic location.

In 1902, the New Jersey Legislature approved measures that would have allowed the borough to become part of Union County (a measure repealed in 1903) and to allow for a merger of North Plainfield with the City of Plainfield subject to the approval of a referendum by voters in both municipalities.

North Plainfield is home to the Washington Park Historic District, which was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1987.

Geography
According to the United States Census Bureau, North Plainfield borough had a total area of 2.82 square miles (7.31 km2), including 2.81 square miles (7.27 km2) of land and 0.01 square miles (0.03 km2) of water (0.46%).

The borough is bordered by the municipalities of Watchung to the north, Green Brook Township to the southwest, all in Somerset County; and to the south by Plainfield in Union County.

North Plainfield is in the northern division of the Raritan Valley along with Green Brook.

2010 census
The 2010 United States census counted 21,936 people, 7,448 households, and 5,266 families in the borough. The population density was 7850.0 /sqmi. There were 7,848 housing units at an average density of 2808.5 /sqmi. The racial makeup was 55.01% (12,066) White, 18.85% (4,134) Black or African American, 0.29% (63) Native American, 5.81% (1,275) Asian, 0.05% (12) Pacific Islander, 16.00% (3,510) from other races, and 3.99% (876) from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 44.21% (9,699) of the population.

Of the 7,448 households, 35.8% had children under the age of 18; 48.3% were married couples living together; 15.0% had a female householder with no husband present and 29.3% were non-families. Of all households, 22.8% were made up of individuals and 6.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.94 and the average family size was 3.40.

24.5% of the population were under the age of 18, 8.9% from 18 to 24, 33.0% from 25 to 44, 25.2% from 45 to 64, and 8.4% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 35.1 years. For every 100 females, the population had 100.8 males. For every 100 females ages 18 and older there were 98.5 males.

The Census Bureau's 2006–2010 American Community Survey showed that (in 2010 inflation-adjusted dollars) median household income was $67,815 (with a margin of error of +/− $2,878) and the median family income was $70,359 (+/− $5,666). Males had a median income of $42,766 (+/− $2,549) versus $43,057 (+/− $3,208) for females. The per capita income for the borough was $27,529 (+/− $1,466). About 5.3% of families and 7.3% of the population were below the poverty line, including 11.8% of those under age 18 and 6.7% of those age 65 or over.

2000 census
As of the 2000 United States census there were 21,103 people, 7,202 households, and 5,084 families residing in the borough. The population density was 7,565.0 PD/sqmi. There were 7,393 housing units at an average density of 2,650.2 /sqmi. The racial makeup of the borough was 63.06% White, 13.38% African American, 0.28% Native American, 5.04% Asian, 0.08% Pacific Islander, 13.68% from other races, and 4.48% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 32.77% of the population.

There were 7,202 households, out of which 37.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 52.7% were married couples living together, 11.8% had a female householder with no husband present, and 29.4% were non-families. 23.2% of all households were made up of individuals, and 7.0% 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 3.40.

In the borough the population was spread out, with 25.8% under the age of 18, 8.7% from 18 to 24, 36.5% from 25 to 44, 19.6% from 45 to 64, and 9.5% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 34 years. For every 100 females there were 97.3 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 96.8 males.

The median income for a household in the borough was $55,322, and the median income for a family was $62,875. Males had a median income of $39,662 versus $30,816 for females. The per capita income for the borough was $22,791. About 4.4% of families and 6.4% of the population were below the poverty line, including 6.5% of those under age 18 and 10.4% of those age 65 or over.

As of the 2000 Census, 5.39% of North Plainfield's residents identified themselves as being of Ecuadorian ancestry, which was the fourth highest of any municipality in New Jersey and the eighth highest percentage of Ecuadorian people in any place in the United States with 1,000 or more residents identifying their ancestry.

Local government
The Borough of North Plainfield is governed within the Faulkner Act under the Mayor-Council system of municipal government (Plan E), implemented as of January 1, 1977, based on the recommendations of a Charter Study Commission. The borough is one of 71 municipalities (of the 564) statewide governed under this form. The governing body is comprised of the mayor and the borough council. This form provides for a strong-mayor type of government, in which the mayor has executive functions and the legislative branch is the borough council. The councilmembers and mayor are elected in even-numbered years at the November general election to staggered four-year terms of office in partisan elections on an at-large basis, with four council seats up for election together and then the mayor and the other three council seats up for election at the same time, two years later. The Municipal Judge is appointed by the mayor with the advice and consent of the council, and serves for three years. The mayor runs the borough on a day-to-day basis and ensures the enforcement of the legislation passed by the council.

, the Mayor of North Plainfield is Democrat Lawrence J. La Ronde, whose term of office ends December 31, 2024. Members of the North Plainfield Borough Council are Council President Frank A. "Skip" Stabile III (D, 2024), Council Vice President Everett Merrill (D, 2022), Aimee Corzo (D, 2024), Suezette Given (D, 2022; elected to serve an unexpired term), Steve McIntyre (D, 2022; elected to serve an unexpired term), Keiona R. Miller (D, 2024) and Wendy Schaefer (D, 2022).

In January 2021, the borough council selected Steve McIntyre from a list of three candidate submitted by the Democratic municipal committee to fill the vacant council seat expiring in December 2022 that had been held by Lawrence La Ronde who stepped down from the council to take office as mayor. Later that month, the borough council selected Suezette Given from a list of three submitted individuals to fill the seat expiring in December 2022 that had been held by Douglass M. Singleterry until he resigned from office on the last day of December to take office on the Somerset County Board of County Commissioners. McIntyre and Given served on an interim basis until the November 2021 general election, when they were both elected to serve the balance of the terms of office.

In August 2018, the borough council selected Aimee Corzo from a list of three candidates nominated by the Democratic municipal committee to fill the seat expiring in December 2020 that had been held by Frank Righetti until he resigned from office. Corzo served on an interim basis until the November 2018 general election, when she was elected to serve the balance of the term of office.

Federal, state, and county representation
North Plainfield is located in the 12th Congressional District and is part of New Jersey's 22nd state legislative district.

Politics
As of March 2011, there were a total of 9,738 registered voters in North Plainfield, of which 3,403 (34.9% vs. 26.0% countywide) were registered as Democrats, 1,582 (16.2% vs. 25.7%) were registered as Republicans and 4,746 (48.7% vs. 48.2%) were registered as Unaffiliated. There were 7 voters registered as Libertarians or Greens. Among the borough's 2010 Census population, 44.4% (vs. 60.4% in Somerset County) were registered to vote, including 58.8% of those ages 18 and over (vs. 80.4% countywide).

In the 2012 presidential election, Democrat Barack Obama received 72.9% of the vote (4,655 cast), ahead of Republican Mitt Romney with 26.2% (1,671 votes), and other candidates with 1.0% (61 votes), among the 6,432 ballots cast by the borough's 10,444 registered voters (45 ballots were spoiled), for a turnout of 61.6%. In the 2008 presidential election, Democrat Barack Obama received 4,938 votes (67.5% vs. 52.1% countywide), ahead of Republican John McCain with 2,219 votes (30.3% vs. 46.1%) and other candidates with 84 votes (1.1% vs. 1.1%), among the 7,317 ballots cast by the borough's 9,825 registered voters, for a turnout of 74.5% (vs. 78.7% in Somerset County). In the 2004 presidential election, Democrat John Kerry received 3,861 votes (58.5% vs. 47.2% countywide), ahead of Republican George W. Bush with 2,650 votes (40.2% vs. 51.5%) and other candidates with 60 votes (0.9% vs. 0.9%), among the 6,597 ballots cast by the borough's 8,891 registered voters, for a turnout of 74.2% (vs. 81.7% in the whole county).

In the 2013 gubernatorial election, Democrat Barbara Buono received 49.5% of the vote (1,681 cast), ahead of Republican Chris Christie with 48.8% (1,658 votes), and other candidates with 1.7% (59 votes), among the 3,453 ballots cast by the borough's 10,602 registered voters (55 ballots were spoiled), for a turnout of 32.6%. In the 2009 gubernatorial election, Democrat Jon Corzine received 2,119 ballots cast (50.3% vs. 34.1% countywide), ahead of Republican Chris Christie with 1,744 votes (41.4% vs. 55.8%), Independent Chris Daggett with 255 votes (6.1% vs. 8.7%) and other candidates with 46 votes (1.1% vs. 0.7%), among the 4,214 ballots cast by the borough's 9,840 registered voters, yielding a 42.8% turnout (vs. 52.5% in the county).

Education
The North Plainfield School District, serves public school students from pre-kindergarten through twelfth grade. As of the 2018–19 school year, the district, comprised of six schools, had an enrollment of 3,342 students and 304.0 classroom teachers (on an FTE basis), for a student–teacher ratio of 11.0:1. Schools in the district (with 2018–19 enrollment data from the National Center for Education Statistics ) are East End Elementary School (423 students; in grades Pre-K–4), Stony Brook Elementary School (253; Pre-K–4), West End Elementary School (488; K–4), Somerset Intermediate School (516; 5–6), North Plainfield Middle School (544; 7–8) and North Plainfield High School (1,052; 9–12).

Roads and highways
, the borough has a total of 49.77 mi of roads, of which 39.28 mi were maintained by the municipality, 7.22 mi by the county and 3.27 mi by the New Jersey Department of Transportation.

Major roadways in the borough include U.S. Route 22. County Route 531 also passes through.

Public transportation
NJ Transit rail service is available at the Plainfield station on the Raritan Valley Line to Newark Penn Station, with connecting service to Hoboken Terminal and Penn Station New York.

NJ Transit bus service to and from the Port Authority Bus Terminal in Midtown Manhattan is available on the 114 and 117 routes, to Newark on the 65 and 66 routes, with local service on the 822 and 986 routes.

Starting in May 2017, Community Access Transit began operating the 2R bus from North Plainfield to Raritan Valley Community College, with stops in the communities of Somerville and Raritan.

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

 * Alex Abrahantes (born 1977), professional wrestler, manager and on-air television personality
 * Hank Beenders (1916–2003), one of the first foreign-born players in what is now the NBA
 * Jack Bicknell (born 1938), retired American football coach at the college level and in the various incarnations of NFL Europe
 * Jack Bicknell Jr. (born 1963), football coach who had been an assistant offensive line coach with the New York Giants
 * Kay Blumetta (1923–1997), pitcher who played in the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League
 * Dan Canter (born 1961), soccer defender who played three seasons in the North American Soccer League and three in Major Indoor Soccer League, in addition to playing with the United States men's national soccer team
 * Pete Carmichael (born 1941), former football coach
 * Anne Casale (1930–2002), cookbook author, raised in North Plainfield
 * Allan Crite (1910–2007), artist
 * John DiMaggio (born 1968), actor who has performed the voice of Bender on Futurama
 * Charles Aubrey Eaton (1868–1953), clergyman and politician who represented NJ's 4th congressional district from 1925–1933 and NJ's 5th congressional district from 1933–1953
 * Bill Evans (1929–1980), jazz musician
 * Bill Feaster (1904–1950), professional football player who spent two seasons in the National Football League with the Orange/Newark Tornadoes
 * Allen Gavilanes (born 1999), soccer player who plays for Greenville Triumph SC in USL League One
 * David T. Kenney (1866–1922), vacuum cleaner inventor and manufacturer
 * Anthony Krizan, lead guitarist for the Spin Doctors
 * Richard Larson (born 1943), operations researcher and educator, who has been a faculty member at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology
 * Harry Leahey (1935–1990), jazz guitarist and teacher
 * Warren McLaughlin (1876–1923), Major League Baseball pitcher who played for the Philadelphia Phillies and Pittsburgh Pirates
 * Jack Melick (1929–2021), bandleader, pianist and arranger
 * Barry Miles (born 1947), pianist, drummer, composer and producer
 * Dorian Missick (born 1976), actor, known for his role as Damian in the television series Six Degrees and for voicing Victor Vance in the video game Grand Theft Auto: Vice City Stories
 * Molly Price (born 1966), actress
 * Jorge Rodriguez-Gerada (born 1966), Cuban-born contemporary artist
 * Steve Schmidt (born 1970), senior campaign strategist to the 2008 presidential campaign of Senator John McCain
 * John R. Winckler (1916–2001), physicist best known for his discovery of sprites, a variety of lightning found in the upper atmosphere

title: North Plainfield, New Jersey