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South Orange, New Jersey

South Orange, known as the Township of South Orange Village from October 1978 until April 25, 2024, is a suburban village in Essex County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey. As of the 2020 United States census, the village population was 18,484, an increase of 2,286 (+14.1%) from the 2010 census count of 16,198,  which in turn reflected a decline of 766 (−4.5%) from the 16,964 counted in the 2000 census. Seton Hall University is located in the township.

"The time and circumstances under which the name South Orange originated will probably never be known," wrote historian William H. Shaw in 1884, "and we are obliged to fall back on a tradition, that Mr. Nathan Squier first used the name in an advertisement offering wood for sale" in 1795. Other sources attribute the derivation for all of the Oranges to King William III, Prince of Orange.

Of the 564 municipalities in New Jersey, South Orange Village is one of only four with a village type of government; the others are Loch Arbour, Ridgefield Park and Ridgewood.

On March 11, 2024, the governing body adopted a change to its charter under which "township" will be dropped from the municipality's name, the name of the governing body and its leader will be the council and mayor (rather than board of trustees and president of the board of trustees) and municipal elections will be shifted from May to November (which will shift term-end dates for all current elected officials from May to December 31); these changes will take full effect on April 25, 2024, after 45 days have passed from the adoption of the ordinance.

History
South Orange Village dates back to May 4, 1869, when it was formed within South Orange Township (now Maplewood). On March 4, 1904, the Village of South Orange was created by an act of the New Jersey Legislature and separated from South Orange Township. In 1978, the village's name was changed by referendum to "The Township of South Orange Village", becoming the first of more than a dozen Essex County municipalities to reclassify themselves as townships in order take advantage of federal revenue sharing policies that allocated townships a greater share of government aid to municipalities on a per capita basis.

What is now South Orange was part of a territory purchased from the Lenape Native Americans in 1666 by Robert Treat, who founded Newark that year on the banks of the Passaic River. The unsettled areas north and west of Newark were at first referred to as the uplands. South Orange was called the Chestnut Hills for a time.

There are two claimants to the first English settlement in present-day South Orange. In 1677 brothers Joseph and Thomas Brown began clearing land for a farm in the area northwest of the junction of two old trails that are now South Orange Avenue and Ridgewood Road. A survey made in 1686 states, "note this Land hath a House on it, built by Joseph Brown and Thomas Brown, either of them having an equal share of it" located at the present southwest corner of Tillou Road and Ridgewood Road. Minutes of a Newark town meeting of September 27, 1680, record that "Nathaniel Wheeler, Edward Riggs, and Joseph Riggs, have a Grant to take up Land upon the Chesnut Hill by Rahway River near the Stone House". The phrasing shows that a stone house already existed near (not on) the property. Joseph Riggs (seemingly the son of Edward Riggs) had a house just south of the Browns' house, at the northwest corner of South Orange Avenue and Ridgewood Road, according to a road survey of 1705. The same road survey locates Edward Riggs's residence near Millburn and Nathaniel Wheeler's residence in modern West Orange at the corner of Valley Road and Main Street.

Wheeler's property in South Orange extended east of the Rahway River including the site of an old house now known as the "Stone House", standing on the north side of South Orange Avenue just to the west of Grove Park. By 1756 or earlier this property was owned by Samuel Pierson. A survey of adjoining property in 1767 mentions "Pierson's house" forming accidentally the earliest documentation of a house on the property, which may be much older. Bethuel Pierson, son of Samuel, lived in this house and when he inherited it in 1773/74 he was said to live "at the mountain plantation by a certain brook called Stone House Brook." Sometime during his ownership (he died in 1791) "Bethuel Pierson had a stone addition added to his dwelling-house, which he caused to be dedicated by religious ceremonies". This would appear to be the stone-walled portion of the "Stone House". Stone House Brook runs west along the north side of the east–west road, past the "Stone House" and joining the Rahway River at about the location of the Brown and Riggs houses already noted. The oldest parts of the Pierson house are the oldest surviving structure in South Orange.

A deed of 1800 locates a property as being in "the Township of Newark, in the Parish of Orange, at a place called South Orange", marking the end of the name Chestnut Hills. Orange had been named after the ruler of England, William of Orange. Most of modern South Orange became part of Orange Township in 1806, part of Clinton Township in 1834, and part of South Orange Township in 1861. South Orange Village split off from South Orange Township in 1869 due to the desire for extensive privileges in the conduct of public affairs. South Orange Village became a haven for those who wanted freedom from the commotion of city life after the end of the American Civil War. A majority of South Orange Township became what is now known as Maplewood, New Jersey. Gordon's Gazetteer circa 1830 describes the settlement as having "about 30 dwellings, a tavern and store, a paper mill and Presbyterian church".

A country resort called the Orange Mountain House was established in 1847 on Ridgewood Road in present-day West Orange, where guests could enjoy the "water cure" from natural spring water and walk in the grounds that extended up the slope of South Mountain. The hotel burned down in 1890. The only remnants today are the names of Mountain Station and the Mountain House Road leading west from it to the site of the hotel.

South Orange could be reached by the Morris and Essex Railroad which opened in 1837 between Newark and Morristown. As of 1869, the M&E became part of the main line of the Delaware, Lackawanna and Western Railroad which ran from Hoboken to Buffalo with through trains to Chicago.

The Montrose neighborhood was developed after the Civil War. Its large houses on generous lots attracted wealthy families from Newark and New York City during the decades from 1870 to 1900. The Orange Lawn Tennis Club was founded in 1880 at a location in Montrose, and in 1886 it was the location of the first US national tennis championships. The club moved to larger grounds on Ridgewood Road in 1916. Major tournament events were held at the club throughout the grass court era, and even into the mid-1980s professional events would occasionally be held there.

What is now the Baird Community House was up until about 1920 the clubhouse for a golf course that encompassed what is now Meadowlands Park. Until regrading was performed during the 1970s, the outline of one of the course's sand traps was still visible near the base of Flood's Hill, a spot that has historically been one of the favorite sledding spots in Essex County.

The construction of Village Hall in 1894 and the "old" library building in 1896 indicate how the village was growing by that date. Horsecar service from Newark started in 1865, running via South Orange Avenue to the station. Electric trolley cars began running the line in 1893 and by about 1900 a branch of this line also ran down Valley Street into Maplewood. Another separate trolley line, eventually dubbed the "Swamp Line", ran from the west side of the station north through what is now park land and along Meadowbrook Lane into West Orange where it ended at Main Street. An old postcard photo shows a station shelter at Montrose Ave. The DL&W rebuilt the railroad through town in 1914–1916, raising the tracks above street level and opening new station buildings at South Orange and Mountain Station. In September 1930, a frail Thomas Edison (he would die about a year later) inaugurated electric train service on the M&E between Hoboken and South Orange, with further extensions of service to Morristown and Dover being initiated over the coming months.

The South Orange Library Association was organized by William Beebe, president of the Republican Club, where on November 14, 1864, a group of men and women met. Books were donated and the library was established in a corner room on the second floor of the Republican Club where it remained until 1867 when it was moved to a second floor room of the building next door on South Orange Avenue, near Sloan Street. It stayed there until 1884, when the building, with the library still on its second floor, was moved by horses up South Orange Avenue to the northwest corner of Scotland Road. Although supported as yet only by members' dues and a few gifts of money which were put into an endowment fund, in 1886 a new association was formed to establish a free circulating library and reading room which took over the loan books and other property of the old association. It was during this period, before Village Hall was built, that Village Trustees met in the Library's room. On May 1, 1889, the library was moved to a ground floor space at 59 South Orange Avenue.

At an annual meeting in 1895, Library Trustees considered the question of obtaining a library building and Eugene V. Connett's offer of a library site on the corner of Scotland Road and Taylor Place, once a $7,500 subscription was met (equivalent to $ in ). On May 8, 1896, the library was moved into the building on that corner. A referendum held on April 27, 1926, showed that citizens had voted ten to one in favor of the town taking over full support of the library. It thereupon became "The South Orange Public Library." In February 1929, the Village Trustees passed an ordinance providing funds to construct a rear wing on the library and to provide a Children's Room in the basement, book stacks and a balcony on the floor above, together with rehabilitation work on the older part of the building. In November 1968, the new library building on the corner of Scotland Road and Comstock Place was dedicated.

Good transportation and a booming economy caused South Orange and neighboring communities to begin a major transformation in the 1920s into bedroom communities for Newark and New York City. Large houses were built in the blocks around the Orange Lawn Tennis club, while in other areas, especially south of South Orange Avenue, more modest foursquare houses were constructed. The only large area not developed by 1930 was the high ground west of Wyoming Avenue.

There were two rock quarries within the village supplying trap rock for construction. Kernan's operated as late as the 1980s at the top of Tillou Road. The village's other larger businesses were lumber and coal yards clustered around the railroad station that supplied them. The business district is still located in the blocks just east of the station.

The old Morris and Essex Railroad is operated today by NJ Transit. Midtown Direct, initiated in 1996, offers service directly into Penn Station in Midtown Manhattan, and has since caused a surge in real estate prices as the commute time to midtown dropped from about 50 minutes to 35, as the service eliminated the need for passengers to transfer to PATH trains at Hoboken. As a result, demand for commuter parking permits in lots adjoining the train and bus stations is extremely high, with a waiting list as long as five years for commuter parking spots.

Historic designations
South Orange has a number of places listed on the State and National Historic Registers.
 * Old Stone House by the Stone House Brook (ID#1364), 219 South Orange Avenue – First mentioned in a document in 1680, the house has been owned by the village which has sought to sell it to ensure that it will be restored.
 * Baird Community Center (ID#3146), 5 Mead Street – The Baird offers arts programs, including the Pierro Gallery of South Orange and The Theater on 3, along with preschool and other educational programming.
 * Chapel of the Immaculate Conception (ID#4121), 400 South Orange Avenue, dates back to Seton Hall's move to South Orange and serves as the center focus of its campus.
 * Eugene V. Kelly Carriage House (Father Vincent Monella Art Center) (ID#1360), Seton Hall University, South Orange Avenue
 * Montrose Park Historic District (ID#3147), roughly bounded by South Orange Avenue, Holland Road, the City of Orange boundary and the NJ Transit railroad right-of-way
 * Mountain Station Railroad Station (ID#1361), 449 Vose Avenue
 * Old Main Delaware, Lackawanna and Western Railroad Historic District (ID#3525), Morris and Essex Railroad Right-of-Way (NJ Transit Morristown Line), from Hudson, Hoboken City to Warren, Washington Township, and then along Warren Railroad to the Delaware River.
 * Prospect Street Historic District (ID#4), bounded by South Orange Avenue on the north, Tichenor Avenue on the east, Roland Avenue on the south and railroad track on the west
 * South Orange Fire Department (ID#41), First Avenue and Sloan Avenue
 * South Orange station (ID#1362), at 19 Sloan Street, was constructed in 1916 and added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1984.
 * South Orange Village Hall (ID#1363), constructed in 1894 at the corner of South Orange Avenue and Scotland Road
 * Temple Sharey Tefilo-Israel (ID#78), 432 Scotland Road, dates back to the formation of Temple Sharey Tefilo in Orange in 1874 and of Temple Israel in South Orange in 1948, which acquired the Kip-Riker mansion, the congregation's current home, the following year.

Local character
The village is one of only a few in New Jersey to retain gas light street illumination (others include Riverton, Palmyra, Trenton Mill Hill neighborhood, and Glen Ridge). The gaslight, together with the distinctive Village Hall, has long been the symbol of South Orange. Many of the major roads in town do have modern mercury vapor streetlights (built into gaslight frames), but most of the residential sections of the town are still gas-lit. A proposal to replace all the gaslights in town with electric streetlights was explored as both a cost-saving and security measure during the 1970s. And although the changeover to electric was rejected at the time, the light output of the lamps was increased to provide more adequate lighting. There have been claims that South Orange has more operating gaslights than any other community in the United States. In 2010, the village initiated a project that would automatically shut the lamps in the morning and light them at dusk, as part of an effort to save as much as $400,000 each year in energy costs for the 1,438 gas lamps across the village. As of 2019, these devices have not been installed.

Architecture is extremely varied. Most of the town is single-family wood-framed houses, however, there are a few apartment buildings from various eras as well as townhouse-style condominiums of mostly more recent vintage. Houses cover a range that includes every common style of the Mid-Atlantic United States since the late nineteenth century, and in sizes that range from brick English Cottages to giant Mansard-roofed mansions. Tudor, Victorian, Colonial, Ranch, Modern, and many others are all to be found. Most municipal government structures date from the 1920s, with a few being of more modern construction.

Many residents commute to New York City, but others work locally or in other parts of New Jersey. South Orange has a central business district with restaurants, banks, and other retail and professional services. There are a few small office buildings, but no large-scale enterprise other than Seton Hall University.

Geography
According to the United States Census Bureau, the village had a total area of 2.85 square miles (7.38 km2), including 2.85 square miles (7.37 km2) of land and <0.01 square miles (<0.01 km2) of water (0.07%).

South Orange is bordered by the Essex County municipalities of Maplewood, Newark, West Orange, Orange, and East Orange. South Orange also comes close to bordering both Livingston and Millburn.

The East Branch of the Rahway River, which originates in West Orange, flows through the entire length of the village. Most of the time it is a trickle but flows can be heavy after rain. In the past it would occasionally overflow its banks and flood low-lying parts of town an issue that was addressed by United States Army Corps of Engineers flood control projects that remediated the problem in the mid-1970s.

The western part of the town sits on the eastern slope of South Mountain (elevation <660 feet (201 m)), leveling into a small valley near the central business district. At the top of the slope, the western edge of the town runs along the eastern border of South Mountain Reservation. South Orange contains the historic Montrose district, Newstead, Tuxedo Park, and Wyoming sections. Seton Hall University is located in the southeast quadrant of the township.

Climate
South Orange has a humid continental climate (Dfa).

Demographics
South Orange is a wealthy and diverse village and has one of the largest Jewish communities in Essex County, along with nearby Livingston and Millburn.

2010 census
The 2010 United States census counted 16,198 people, 5,516 households, and 3,756 families in the township. The population density was 5672.8 /sqmi. There were 5,815 housing units at an average density of 2036.5 /sqmi. The racial makeup was 60.19% (9,750) White, 28.66% (4,642) Black or African American, 0.14% (23) Native American, 5.16% (836) Asian, 0.01% (1) Pacific Islander, 1.77% (287) from other races, and 4.07% (659) from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 6.13% (993) of the population.

Of the 5,516 households, 35.2% had children under the age of 18; 54.1% were married couples living together; 10.3% had a female householder with no husband present and 31.9% were non-families. Of all households, 24.3% were made up of individuals and 8.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.70 and the average family size was 3.24.

22.9% of the population were under the age of 18, 15.2% from 18 to 24, 24.2% from 25 to 44, 27.2% from 45 to 64, and 10.5% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 37.2 years. For every 100 females, the population had 93.7 males. For every 100 females ages 18 and older there were 90.4 males.

The Census Bureau's 2006–2010 American Community Survey showed that (in 2010 inflation-adjusted dollars) median household income was $123,373 (with a margin of error of +/− $7,803) and the median family income was $147,532 (+/− $9,218). Males had a median income of $86,122 (+/− $7,340) versus $71,625 (+/− $9,896) for females. The per capita income for the township was $49,607 (+/− $4,022). About 2.5% of families and 7.8% of the population were below the poverty line, including 3.4% of those under age 18 and 4.5% of those age 65 or over.

2000 census
As of the 2000 United States census there were 16,964 people, 5,522 households, and 3,766 families residing in the township. The population density was 5,945.3 PD/sqmi. There were 5,671 housing units at an average density of 1,987.5 /sqmi. The racial makeup of the township was 60.41% White, 31.30% African American, 0.09% Native American, 3.89% Asian, 0.03% Pacific Islander, 1.57% from other races, and 2.71% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 4.93% of the population.

There were 5,522 households, out of which 33.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 55.2% were married couples living together, 10.0% had a female householder with no husband present, and 31.8% were non-families. 25.2% of all households were made up of individuals, and 9.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.69 and the average family size was 3.26.

In the township the population was spread out, with 22.3% under the age of 18, 17.5% from 18 to 24, 26.1% from 25 to 44, 22.2% from 45 to 64, and 11.9% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 35 years. For every 100 females, there were 92.3 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 88.1 males.

The median income for a household in the township was $83,611, and the median income for a family was $107,641. Males had a median income of $61,809 versus $42,238 for females. The per capita income for the township was $41,035. About 1.9% of families and 5.3% of the population were below the poverty line, including 2.6% of those under age 18 and 5.4% of those age 65 or over.

Parks and recreation
The village has a municipal swimming pool open to all residents. In most area communities, municipal pool memberships are restricted or costly, but the pool in South Orange was built on land willed by a wealthy resident to the town for common use and under the terms of the deal the pool had to remain inexpensive for the residents. Residents may purchase an annual pass for a fee of $35, which provides access to the South Orange Community Pool and full access to all other community facilities and programs; non-residents may use the pool for a small fee on a per visit basis on a guest pass that must be purchased by a resident. The original pool, built in the 1920s, is among the first free community pools to be built in the United States, and was replaced by an Olympic-size pool in 1972.

The South Orange River Greenway is currently under construction. The River Greenway will be a promenade for bicyclists and pedestrians that will connect part of West Third Street in South Orange with West Parker Avenue in Maplewood. Several abandoned buildings will be removed near the South Orange Department of Public Works facility to make way for the River Greenway.

Arts and culture
The Baird Center, located in Meadowland Park, houses the South Orange Department of Recreation and Cultural Affairs, and hosts many activities. Most of the department's programs are housed in The Baird or in adjoining Meadowland Park. The center offers arts programs, including the Pierro Gallery of South Orange, The Theater on 3, and other arts spaces, along with preschool and other educational, arts and recreational programming. The Baird Center is undergoing extensive renovation starting in late 2019. The Baird hosts events together with SOPAC, including the long-running Giants of Jazz concert series.

The Pierro Gallery of South Orange, located within The Baird and operating as part of the South Orange Department of Recreation and Cultural Affairs, encourages community involvement in the visual arts and exhibits the non-commercial works of contemporary artists working in the field, in addition to providing arts education and serving local artists. Exhibitions often include the work of area artists, with a juried "Essex Exposed" exhibition conducted twice each year offering materials created by artists from Essex County.

South Orange Performing Arts Center (SOPAC) is located at 1 SOPAC Way, located next to the South Orange station. The performance venue is a 415-seat proscenium theater, with a five-screen cinema, The Village at SOPAC (formerly Bow Tie Cinemas), as well as a dance studio/rental space in the same complex.

SOPAC presents music, family, dance, theater, and comedy programs throughout the year. In partnership with Seton Hall University, SOPAC has presented Seton Hall Arts Council events, including a Classical Concert Series, Jazz 'n the Hall, and Seton Hall Theatre—student theater productions.

The plans for SOPAC were first conceived in the mid-1990s as part of an effort by the village to develop the downtown area. Seton Hall University partnered with SOPAC and construction in August 2004. The complex opened in November 2006 to the general public.

Founded in 1949, the South Orange Symphony is a full-sized symphony orchestra made up of volunteer amateur and semi-professional musicians with a wide range of musical backgrounds led by a professional conductor. The ensemble plays repertoire that covers the full range of classical literature from the 18th century to today, and presents three free concerts each year in Sterling Hall at the South Orange Middle School.

Government
South Orange provides police, a library of over 90,000 volumes, a municipal pool, a recreation center, parks, baseball diamonds, tennis courts, trash and yard waste removal provided by contractors, Public, educational, and government access (PEG) cable TV, among others. The school board is shared with adjacent Maplewood.

Fire protection in the village is provided by the South Essex Fire Department, which was formed in July 2022 as the successor to the former Maplewood Fire Department and South Orange Fire Department.

The South Orange Rescue Squad, formed in 1952, provides 911 EMS services to residents on a volunteer basis.

Local government
South Orange is governed under a special charter granted by the New Jersey Legislature. The village is one of 11 municipalities (of the 564) statewide that operate under a special charter. The governing body is comprised of a six-member village council and a mayor, all of which are unpaid positions. Council members are elected in non-partisan elections on an at-large basis to staggered four-year terms of office with three seats up for election in odd-numbered years. The mayor serves a four-year term of office. Local political parties are formed on an ad-hoc basis, generally focused on key issues of local concern; national political parties do not officially participate in village elections.

, the mayor of South Orange is Sheena Collum, whose term of office ends May 17, 2027. Members of the Village Council are Braynard "Bobby" Brown (2025), Jennifer Greenberg (2027), Karen Hartshorn Hilton (2025), Bill Haskins (2025), Summer Jones (2027) and Olivia Lewis-Chang (2027).

In September 2022, Steve Schnall was appointed to fill the seat expiring in December 2023 that had been held by Bob Zuckerman until he resigned from office as he wasmoving out of South Orange.

In the May 2015 municipal election, Sheena Collum was elected as Village President, making her the first woman to serve in the position, while Deborah Davis Ford, Howard Levison and Mark Rosner ran unopposed and won new terms of office on the Board of Trustees.

With three incumbents not running for re-election in the May 2013 election, the slate of Walter Clarke, Sheena Collum and Stephen Schnall running together as South Orange 2013 were elected to four-year terms, with the support of Village President Alex Torpey.

In the municipal election held in May 2011, with fewer than 10% of the registered voters casting ballots, 23-year-old Alex Torpey was elected as the youngest Village President in the history of South Orange by a margin of 14 votes, while trustees Deborah Davis Ford, Howard Levison and Mark Rosner were re-elected to four-year terms of office, having run unopposed. In the 2009 elections with two incumbents not running for re-election, Michael Goldberg was elected to another four-year term, along with newcomers Janine Bauer and Nancy Gould, by a nearly 2–1 margin.

Federal, state, and county representation
South Orange is located in the 11th Congressional District and is part of New Jersey's 28th state legislative district.

Prior to the 2010 Census, South Orange had been split between the NJ's 8th congressional district and the 10th 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 2019, there are a total of 13,564 registered voters in South Orange Village.

In the 2012 presidential election, Democrat Barack Obama received 83.1% of the vote (6,566 cast), ahead of Republican Mitt Romney with 16.1% (1,270 votes), and other candidates with 0.8% (62 votes), among the 7,962 ballots cast by the village's 12,623 registered voters (64 ballots were spoiled), for a turnout of 63.1%. In the 2008 presidential election, Democrat Barack Obama received 81.1% of the vote (7,228 cast), ahead of Republican John McCain with 17.6% (1,569 votes) and other candidates with 0.6% (53 votes), among the 8,913 ballots cast by the village's 12,243 registered voters, for a turnout of 72.8%. In the 2004 presidential election, Democrat John Kerry received 77.3% of the vote (6,641 ballots cast), outpolling Republican George W. Bush with 21.9% (1,883 votes) and other candidates with 0.4% (45 votes), among the 8,590 ballots cast by the village's 10,990 registered voters, for a turnout percentage of 78.2.

In the 2013 gubernatorial election, Democrat Barbara Buono received 68.3% of the vote (3,314 cast), ahead of Republican Chris Christie with 30.3% (1,469 votes), and other candidates with 1.4% (67 votes), among the 4,963 ballots cast by the village's 12,656 registered voters (113 ballots were spoiled), for a turnout of 39.2%. In the 2009 gubernatorial election, Democrat Jon Corzine received 74.6% of the vote (4,275 ballots cast), ahead of Republican Chris Christie with 19.5% (1,119 votes), Independent Chris Daggett with 4.8% (273 votes) and other candidates with 0.5% (29 votes), among the 5,727 ballots cast by the village's 12,184 registered voters, yielding a 47.0% turnout.

Education
The village shares a common school system, the South Orange-Maplewood School District, with the adjacent township of Maplewood. The district has a single high school (located in Maplewood, nearly on the border of the two towns), two middle schools, a central pre-school and neighborhood elementary schools, distributed between the two municipalities. As of the 2019–20 school year, the district, comprised of 11 schools, had an enrollment of 7,353 students and 576.1 classroom teachers (on an FTE basis), for a student–teacher ratio of 12.8:1. Schools in the district (with 2019–20 school enrollment data from the National Center for Education Statistics ) are Montrose Early Childhood Center (133 students, in PreK; located in Maplewood), Seth Boyden Elementary Demonstration School (493 students, in grades K–5 located in Maplewood), Clinton Elementary School (605, K–5; Maplewood), Jefferson Elementary School (544, 3–5; Maplewood), Marshall Elementary School (518, K–2; South Orange), South Mountain Elementary School (647, K–5; South Orange), South Mountain Elementary School Annex (NA, K–1; South Orange), Tuscan Elementary School (K–5, 637; Maplewood), Maplewood Middle School (827, 6–8; Maplewood), South Orange Middle School (786, 6–8; South Orange) and Columbia High School (1,967, 9–12; Maplewood).

Private schools
Founded in 1890, Our Lady of Sorrows School is a K–8 elementary school operated by the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Newark. The all-girls Marylawn of the Oranges Academy closed at the conclusion of the 2012-13 school year due to declining enrollment and fiscal challenges.

Higher education
Seton Hall University, which serves approximately 9,700 students, was founded in 1856 by the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Newark and named after Elizabeth Ann Seton, the first American Catholic saint. The Division I university is located along the east side of South Orange Avenue, the community's main boulevard.

Roads and highways
, the village had a total of 48.76 mi of roadways, of which 42.88 mi were maintained by the municipality and 5.88 mi by Essex County.

The county roads serving South Orange include County Route 510 (South Orange Avenue) and County Route 577 (Wyoming Avenue). Principal local roads include Valley Street / Scotland Road, Irvington Avenue and Centre Street.

Public transportation
South Orange is served by two NJ Transit railroad stations: the South Orange station, located on South Orange Avenue near the intersection of Sloan Street and the Mountain Station, located in the Montrose section of South Orange. The two stations provide service along the Morris and Essex Line to Newark Broad Street Station and either to New York Penn Station (some stopping at Secaucus Junction) or Hoboken Terminal.

NJ Transit operates two bus lines that run through South Orange. These include the 92 route which goes from South Orange train station to Branch Brook Park in Newark, and the 107 route which goes from South Orange Train Station to the Port Authority Bus Terminal in New York City.

The 31 bus line, which travels between South Orange and Newark Penn Station, also makes stops along South Orange Avenue.

There is a shuttle connecting South Orange to Livingston, timed with connecting Morristown Line trains.

Local media
WSOU-FM, "Seton Hall's Pirate Radio", is a non-commercial educational public radio station licensed to South Orange since 1948 with studios, offices, and transmitter on the campus of Seton Hall University while operating at 89.5 FM.

The News-Record weekly newspaper reports on both South Orange and Maplewood.

"The Village Green", a hyperlocal news site, reports on both South Orange and Maplewood, and includes a daily email newsletter.

South Orange Patch provides local news and events and latest headlines.

The Gaslight is a quarterly newsletter managed by the local government that focuses on the on-goings of South Orange, NJ. Additionally, the newsletter offers advertisements sponsoring local public figures, businesses and job opportunities for the general public.

Community information

 * The town was the first in the nation to have an affinity credit card, the idea of the municipal affinity credit card being originated by former village president William Calabrese.
 * When the town was wired for telephones and electricity in the early 20th century, the poles and wires were not allowed to run along the curb lines of streets as they do in most towns. In some sections they run along property lines in the middle of blocks, and in others they run underground. This is aesthetically pleasing but complicates access to the lines, and it delayed the introduction of cable television. Occasional proposals to replace gas lights with electric lights run across the obstacle that there is no source of electric power along the streets.
 * The current 761, 762, and 763 telephone exchanges used for most lines in South Orange and Maplewood, originated as the exchange names South Orange 1,2, and 3.
 * Until April 25, 2024, South Orange's full official name was the "Township of South Orange Village." This name was originally adopted in lieu of the Village of South Orange because it allowed South Orange to receive more federal aid that was directed to Townships during the 1970s as many federal authorities were unfamiliar with the New Jersey municipal system, in which a township is not formally different from any other municipal designation. Other municipalities in New Jersey also adopted similar strategies, notably the Township of the Borough of Verona.
 * South Orange was the first municipality in New Jersey to recognize civil unions for homosexual couples. Exactly one hour after unions became legal in South Orange, they were recognized in neighboring Maplewood.

title: South Orange, New Jersey


text:
Verona, New Jersey

Verona is a township in Essex County in the U.S. state of New Jersey. As of the 2020 United States census, the township's population was 14,572, an increase of 1,240 (+9.3%) from the 2010 census count of 13,332,  which in turn reflected a decline of 201 (−1.5%) from the 13,533 counted in the 2000 census.

History
Verona and several neighboring towns were all originally one consolidated area known as the Horseneck Tract.

18th century
In 1702, a group of settlers left Newark and purchased a large tract of land northwest of their home city for the equivalent of a few hundred dollars from the Lenape Native Americans. This piece of land extended west and north to the Passaic River, south to the town center of what would become Livingston, and east to the First Watchung Mountain, and was called Horseneck by the natives because it resembled the neck and head of a horse. What was then known as Horseneck contained most of the present day northern Essex County towns: Verona, along with Caldwell, West Caldwell, Cedar Grove, Essex Fells, Fairfield, North Caldwell, and Roseland are all located entirely in Horseneck, and parts of what are today Livingston, Montclair, and West Orange also were contained in the Horseneck Tract.

After the Revolutionary War, the area of Horseneck was incorporated as "Caldwell Township" in honor of local war hero James Caldwell, a pastor who used pages from his church's bibles as wadding to ignite the ammo in soldiers' cannons and helped to drive the British out of Horseneck.

19th century
In the 19th century, the area of present-day Verona was part of what was known as Vernon Valley. The name was rejected when residents applied to the United States Postal Service, as the name had already been in use for an area in Sussex County. Verona was chosen as the alternative name for the community. The township's name is derived from Verona, Italy.

At various times between 1798 and 1892, issues arose which caused conflict between the Caldwell and Verona areas. These included a desire of the citizens of Verona to more closely control their own governmental affairs. With the population growing, Verona residents wanted to centrally locate essential services such as schools and places of worship, as well as problems with the water supply; and the disposition of road repair funds.

n February 17, 1892, the citizens of Verona voted to secede from Caldwell Township to form Verona Township.

20th century
Further growth and the need for a water system and other public utilities found Verona moving ahead of the other half of the township and in 1902 the two areas decided to separate into two separate municipalities: Verona Township and Verona Borough. It took two sessions of the state legislature to approve the new borough, but on April 18, 1907, the borough of Verona was approved by an act of the New Jersey Legislature, pending the results of a referendum held on April 30, 1907, in which the new borough passed by a 224–77 margin.

In 1907, residents of the newly formed borough had sought to disassociate themselves from the Overbrook County Insane Asylum and the Newark City Home, a reform school, and from the settlement of Cedar Grove, which was considered a settlement of farmers. On April 9, 1908, Verona Township changed its name to Cedar Grove Township.

In 1981, the borough was one of seven Essex County municipalities to pass a referendum to become a township, joining four municipalities that had already made the change, of what would ultimately be more than a dozen Essex County municipalities to reclassify themselves as townships in order take advantage of federal revenue sharing policies that allocated townships a greater share of government aid to municipalities on a per capita basis.

In 1976, Verona Borough received $213,000 in federal aid while similarly sized Cedar Grove Township received $1.24 million, suggesting financial benefits to structuring communities as townships as opposed to boroughs when possible. Today, Verona uses just "Township of Verona" in most official documents.

Geography
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the township had a total area of 2.82 square miles (7.29 km2), including 2.79 square miles (7.24 km2) of land and 0.02 square miles (0.05 km2) of water (0.74%).

Unincorporated communities, localities and place names located partially or completely within the township include Hillcrest and Verona Lake.

The township is bordered by Cedar Grove Township, Essex Fells, Montclair Township, North Caldwell and West Orange Township. Verona lies between two mountains, the First and Second Watchung Mountains with a small river, the Peckman, flowing at the bottom of the valley towards the Passaic River at Little Falls.

Climate
Verona has a humid continental climate (Dfa), with warm/hot humid summers and moderately cold winters. The climate is slightly cooler overall than in New York City, especially at night, because there is no urban heat island effect, as well as higher elevation and a more interior location (greater distance away from the moderating effects of the Atlantic Ocean).

January tends to be the coldest month, with average high temperatures in the upper 30s (Fahrenheit) and lows in the lower 20s. July is the warmest months with high temperatures in the mid 80s and lows in the mid 60s. From April to June and from September to early November, Verona enjoys temperatures from the lower 60s to upper 70s. Rainfall is plentiful, with around 44 in a year. Snowfall is common from December to March and nor'easters can bring significant amounts of snow. In January 1996, a weather station in nearby Newark, New Jersey, recorded over 31.8 in of snow from the North American blizzard of 1996.

2010 census
The 2010 United States census counted 13,332 people, 5,315 households, and 3,524 families in the township. The population density was 4838.4 /sqmi. There were 5,523 housing units at an average density of 2004.4 /sqmi. The racial makeup was 91.24% (12,164) White, 1.97% (262) Black or African American, 0.03% (4) Native American, 4.03% (537) Asian, 0.01% (1) Pacific Islander, 1.11% (148) from other races, and 1.62% (216) from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 5.96% (795) of the population.

Of the 5,315 households, 30.5% had children under the age of 18; 56.1% were married couples living together; 7.6% had a female householder with no husband present and 33.7% were non-families. Of all households, 29.7% were made up of individuals and 15.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.47 and the average family size was 3.12.

23.2% of the population were under the age of 18, 5.2% from 18 to 24, 23.1% from 25 to 44, 29.2% from 45 to 64, and 19.3% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 44.0 years. For every 100 females, the population had 89.1 males. For every 100 females ages 18 and older there were 86.0 males.

The Census Bureau's 2006–2010 American Community Survey showed that (in 2010 inflation-adjusted dollars) median household income was $93,839 (with a margin of error of +/− $6,753) and the median family income was $126,000 (+/− $9,193). Males had a median income of $71,917 (+/− $9,659) versus $52,433 (+/− $5,765) for females. The per capita income for the township was $47,689 (+/− $3,282). About 1.8% of families and 2.3% of the population were below the poverty line, including 0.7% of those under age 18 and 6.2% of those age 65 or over.

2000 census
As of the 2000 United States census there were 13,533 people, 5,585 households, and 3,697 families residing in the township. The population density was 4,917.4 PD/sqmi. There were 5,719 housing units at an average density of 2,078.1 /sqmi. The racial makeup of the township was 92.99% White, 1.53% African American, 0.02% Native American, 3.41% Asian, 0.06% Pacific Islander, 0.71% from other races, and 1.27% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 3.45% of the population.

There were 5,585 households, out of which 29.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 56.3% were married couples living together, 7.3% had a female householder with no husband present, and 33.8% were non-families. 30.0% of all households were made up of individuals, and 15.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.42 and the average family size was 3.06.

In the township the population was spread out, with 22.5% under the age of 18, 4.3% from 18 to 24, 28.8% from 25 to 44, 25.1% from 45 to 64, and 19.3% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 41 years. For every 100 females, there were 89.1 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 83.8 males.

The median income for a household in the township was $74,619, and the median income for a family was $97,673. Males had a median income of $60,434 versus $43,196 for females. The per capita income for the township was $41,202, making it the eighth highest community in Essex County and 95th highest in the State of New Jersey. About 1.4% of families and 3.3% of the population were below the poverty line, including 2.6% of those under age 18 and 6.2% of those age 65 or over.

Economy
Annin & Co., the world's oldest and largest flag manufacturer, had its main manufacturing plant in Verona from 1916 to 2013. The building was sold and redeveloped as apartments, which opened to tenants in 2018. Annin is the official flag manufacturer to the United Nations, and a major supplier to the United States Government. Annin produced flags that were used on Iwo Jima, at the North and South Poles, atop Mount Everest and the rubble of the World Trade Center.

Annin's Verona factory also produced 186 stick flags that were carried to the Moon in the Apollo 11 lunar lander and later distributed as mementos of the first Moon landing. Annin does not claim that the flag planted on the Moon was produced by Annin, either in Verona or at a company plant in Bloomfield, although the company's president says that it has been assured by multiple sources that it was. The stars sections of all Annin flags were produced in Verona then. Annin President Carter Beard said that uniforms of the Apollo 11 astronauts were decorated with a silk-screened patch that may have been produced in Verona.

Parks and recreation

 * Eagle Rock Reservation, a 408.33 acre forest reserve and recreational park. Most of this reservation is in West Orange or in Montclair.
 * Everett Field, a small baseball and football park dedicated to the family who donated the land to the township.
 * Hilltop Reservation, opened in spring 2003, includes the grounds of the former Essex Mountain Sanatorium, is home to many hiking and mountain biking trails.
 * Kip's Castle Park, the newest park to the Essex County Park System, features a start-of-the-20th-century castle-style mansion with large carriage house on 10.5 acre.
 * Verona Park, the fifth-largest in the Essex County Park System, it was designed by the same designer as Central Park in New York City.
 * Lenape Trail, a trail that runs from the Pulaski Skyway in Newark to the Passaic River in Roseland. The Verona section runs from the West Essex Trail, down and through Verona Park, and up toward Eagle Rock Reservation before entering West Orange.
 * Verona Community Center, built in 1997, provides a gym, game room, ballroom, and conference room for any group or organization. also adjacent are:
 * Veteran's Field, a grass turf field, provides two softball/baseball fields as well as an athletic field
 * Centennial Field, an artificial turf field, opened in 2007.
 * Liberty Field, an artificial turf field, opened in 2015.
 * Freedom Field, an artificial turf field, opened in 2016.
 * Verona Pool, features an Olympic-size swimming pool of various depths, with two water slides and two springboards, as well as a wading pool for younger children; playground, volleyball, basketball, racquetball and shuffleboard courts, in addition to ping-pong tables, full showers and a snackbar
 * West Essex Trail, acquired in 1985 through Green Acres funding, is a 2.84 mi trail which runs from Arnold Way in Verona to the Passaic County line near the Lenape Trail, on the former right-of-way of the Caldwell Branch of the old Erie Lackawanna Railroad.

Local government
Verona operates within the Faulkner Act, formally known as the Optional Municipal Charter Law, under the Council-Manager form of New Jersey municipal government. The township is one of 42 municipalities (of the 564) statewide that use this form of government. The governing body is comprised of the five-member Township Council, who are elected at-large on a non-partisan basis to staggered four-year terms of office, with either two or three seats coming up for election in odd-numbered years as part of the May municipal election. At a reorganization meeting held on July 1 after each election, the council selects a mayor and deputy mayor from among its members.

, the members of the Verona Township Council are Mayor Christopher Tamburro (term on council and as mayor ends June 30, 2025), Deputy Mayor Jack McEvoy (term on council and as deputy mayor ends 2025), Cynthia Holland (2025), Christine McGrath (2027) and Alex Roman (2027).

The day-to-day operations of the township are supervised by Township Manager Joseph D'Arco, who serves as chief executive officer.

Federal, state, and county representation
Verona is located in the 10th Congressional District and is part of New Jersey's 40th state legislative district.

Politics
As of March 2011, there were a total of 9,911 registered voters in Verona, of which 3,194 (32.2%) were registered as Democrats, 2,329 (23.5%) were registered as Republicans and 4,387 (44.3%) were registered as Unaffiliated. There were no voters registered as Libertarians or Greens.

In the 2012 presidential election, Democrat Barack Obama received 50.3% of the vote (3,662 cast), ahead of Republican Mitt Romney with 48.9% (3,563 votes), and other candidates with 0.8% (61 votes), among the 7,366 ballots cast by the township's 10,396 registered voters (80 ballots were spoiled), for a turnout of 70.9%. In the 2008 presidential election, Republican John McCain received 49.6% of the vote (3,730 cast), ahead of Democrat Barack Obama with 48.8% (3,664 votes) and other candidates with 0.8% (57 votes), among the 7,515 ballots cast by the township's 9,750 registered voters, for a turnout of 77.1%. In the 2004 presidential election, Republican George W. Bush received 51.4% of the vote (3,900 ballots cast), outpolling Democrat John Kerry with 47.4% (3,597 votes) and other candidates with 0.7% (67 votes), among the 7,587 ballots cast by the township's 9,697 registered voters, for a turnout percentage of 78.2.

In the 2013 gubernatorial election, Republican Chris Christie received 59.2% of the vote (2,645 cast), ahead of Democrat Barbara Buono with 39.6% (1,768 votes), and other candidates with 1.3% (56 votes), among the 4,527 ballots cast by the township's 10,442 registered voters (58 ballots were spoiled), for a turnout of 43.4%. In the 2009 gubernatorial election, Republican Chris Christie received 49.1% of the vote (2,521 ballots cast), ahead of Democrat Jon Corzine with 40.1% (2,062 votes), Independent Chris Daggett with 9.4% (482 votes) and other candidates with 0.8% (43 votes), among the 5,137 ballots cast by the township's 9,738 registered voters, yielding a 52.8% turnout.

Public schools
The Verona Public Schools is the public school district in Verona, which serves students in pre-kindergarten through twelfth grade. The district has six campuses: four neighborhood elementary schools, one middle school and one high school. As of the 2020–21 school year, the district, comprised of six schools, had an enrollment of 2,211 students and 182.3 classroom teachers (on an FTE basis), for a student–teacher ratio of 12.1:1. Schools in the district (with 2020–21 enrollment data from the National Center for Education Statistics ) are Brookdale Avenue School with 131 students in grades K–4, Frederic N. Brown School with 274 students in grades K–4, Forest Avenue School with 213 students in grades K–4, Laning Avenue School with 233 students in grades Pre-K–4, Henry B. Whitehorne Middle School with 643 students in grades 5–8, and Verona High School with 686 students in grades 9–12.

The high school mascot is the "Hillbilly". However, this mascot has become controversial as a result of opposition from previous school Superintendent Earl Kim. In the face of community support for the traditional name, the mascot was retained. The original mascot was depicted with a rifle and jug of moonshine. The rifle and jug and have been replaced with a fishing pole and a dog.

The district has been recognized on three occasions with the Best Practice Award, honoring specific practices implemented by a district for exemplary and/or innovative strategies. In addition, three schools in the district was named a "Star School" by the New Jersey Department of Education, the highest honor that a New Jersey school can achieve. The school was the 70th-ranked public high school in New Jersey out of 328 schools statewide in New Jersey Monthly magazine's September 2012 cover story on the state's "Top Public High Schools", after being ranked 53rd in 2010 out of 322 schools listed.

In 2020, Verona High School was the 31st-ranked public high school in New Jersey out of 305 schools statewide.

Private schools
Founded in 1924 and located near Verona Park, Our Lady of the Lake Catholic School serves students in pre-school through eighth grade, operating under the auspices of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Newark. The school was recognized by the National Blue Ribbon Schools Program in 2011, one of 305 schools recognized nationwide and one of 14 selected from New Jersey. The school was honored a second time when it was one of eight private schools recognized in 2017 as an Exemplary High Performing School by the Blue Ribbon Schools Program of the United States Department of Education.

Academy360 Lower school, a school run by Spectrum360, is a private non-profit school approved by the New Jersey Department of Education, which serves children ages 3–21 who face learning, language and social challenges. Dating back to an orphanage founded in 1883 in Newark, New Jersey, the school moved to Verona in 1999 after remodeling a building that had been donated by Hoffmann-LaRoche. The name of the school was changed from "The Children's Institute" in the fall of 2016.

Roads and highways
, the township had a total of 37.83 mi of roadways, of which 31.88 mi were maintained by the municipality, 5.23 mi by Essex County and 0.72 mi by the New Jersey Department of Transportation.

Within the limits of the township lies Route 23 and CR 506 which runs directly through the township. CR 577 runs through the southeastern portion of Verona. Other highways near Verona include the Garden State Parkway, Interstate 80 and the New Jersey Turnpike.

Public transportation
NJ Transit bus routes 11 and 29 serve the township, providing service to and from Newark. In September 2012, as part of budget cuts, NJ Transit suspended service to Newark on the 75 line.

DeCamp Bus Lines offers commuter service on their 33 bus route between West Caldwell and the Port Authority Bus Terminal in Midtown Manhattan.

Train stations, also run by New Jersey Transit, are located in the neighboring towns of Little Falls and Montclair. Prior to 1966, the Erie Railroad's Caldwell Branch (a part of New York and Greenwood Lake Railway) ran passenger service through Verona from Great Notch. The line was removed in 1979 after a washout four years prior. On July 14, 2010, the township of Verona announced that it was honoring the old freight shed at the Verona station, the last standing structure of the railroad. The project of naming it a historic landmark in Verona, the first of many proposed by the Verona Landmarks Preservation Commission. Proposals include moving the structure to a more accessible place in Verona or turning the shed into a one-room museum.

In the early 20th century, Verona was serviced by a trolley line which operated on Bloomfield Avenue. The tracks still lie underneath the roadway, and are visible when the roadway is under construction.

Verona is 14.3 mi from Newark Liberty International Airport in Newark / Elizabeth, and almost twice as far from John F. Kennedy International Airport and LaGuardia Airport.

Newspaper
Verona is served by two weekly newspapers: The Verona-Cedar Grove Times and the Verona Observer. The Star-Ledger, the largest newspaper in New Jersey, covers major news stories that occur in Verona.

Internet
Local news is covered by the Verona-Cedar Grove Times, www.myveronanj.com, www.verona.patch.com, and by the official township website.

Radio
Verona falls in the New York Market, as well as the Morristown Market.

Television
Verona Cable television is served by Comcast of New Jersey. However, in 2007, Verizon introduced its Verizon FiOS service to the township. Comcast Channel 35 & Verizon FiOS Channel 24 is Verona Television (VTV) a Government-access television (GATV) channel that runs council meetings, school board meetings and community functions, as well as any other Verona-related Public-access television videos submitted by the residents. VTV is maintained by the Verona Public Library.

Community services

 * The Verona Fire Department is one of the largest fully volunteer fire departments in Essex County, staffed by over 60 firefighters. They have two stations, three engines, one ladder truck, one reserve engine, one brush truck, one utility truck, two command vehicles, and a heavy rescue. The department, founded in 1909 shortly after Verona was created, celebrated its 100th year of service in 2009.
 * The Verona Rescue Squad (volunteer) has three ambulances, two EMS bikes, one first responder vehicle and one command vehicle in one station on Church Street. Formed in 1927 it is one of the oldest EMS organizations in the state. Boasting over 120 members it is one of the largest volunteer EMS agencies in the area.
 * The main street in Verona is Bloomfield Avenue, where the Town Hall, Library, Middle School, and many shops, restaurants, and businesses are located.
 * During the American Revolutionary War, George Washington and his troops used Eagle Rock Reservation as one of a chain of observation posts to monitor British troop movements.
 * The Essex Mountain Sanatorium opened in 1902 as the Newark City Home for Girls. With tuberculosis spreading through Newark, the site was converted into a sanatorium in 1907, against the wishes of local residents. Its location at the highest point in Essex County was believed to be beneficial and the facility was known for its high recovery rate before it closed in 1977.

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

 * Tommy Albelin (born 1964), NHL defenseman for New Jersey Devils and coach of De Paul High School hockey team
 * Kevin Bannon (born 1957), former men's college basketball head coach who was the Rutgers Scarlet Knights men's basketball team's head coach from 1997 through 2001
 * Leila T. Bauman, painter
 * John C. Bogle (1929–2019), founder of The Vanguard Group
 * Bill Bradley (born 1943), Olympic gold medalist at the 1964 Summer Olympics, professional basketball player for the New York Knicks, member of the Basketball Hall of Fame, US Senator from New Jersey, and 2000 Presidential hopeful
 * Lorinda Cherry (1944–2022), computer scientist and programmer who spent much of her career at Bell Labs
 * Marion Crecco (1930–2015), member of the New Jersey General Assembly from 1986 to 2002
 * Jay Curtis (1950–2018), author, producer, writer, director and actor, who co-directed 75-0: The Documentary, about a 1966 loss by a score of 75–0 to Madison High School, part of a 32-game losing streak
 * Peter David (born 1956), science fiction and fantasy author who has used Verona as location in his fiction, such as location of villain Morgan le Fay in his first novel, Knight Life
 * Dan DePalma (born 1989), wide receiver who has played for the Saskatchewan Roughriders of the Canadian Football League
 * Mary Dunleavy (born 1966), operatic soprano
 * Anthony Fasano (born 1984), tight end for Tennessee Titans
 * David Festa (born 2000), professional baseball pitcher for the Minnesota Twins
 * Jed Graef (born 1942), swimmer, gold medalist in 200m backstroke at 1964 Summer Olympics in Tokyo
 * Barbara J. Griffiths (born 1949), diplomat who was the United States Ambassador to Iceland from 1999 to 2002
 * Fred Hill Jr. (born 1959), coached Rutgers Scarlet Knights men's basketball team
 * Fred Hill Sr. (1934–2019), former head coach of the Rutgers Scarlet Knights baseball team
 * Philip E. Hoffman (1908–1993), lawyer who served as national president of the American Jewish Committee and as American Ambassador to the United Nations Human Rights Council
 * Fred Krupp, president of the Environmental Defense Fund, spent childhood in Verona
 * Archie Lochhead (1892–1971), first director of the Exchange Stabilization Fund and President of the Universal Trading Corporation
 * John MacLean (born 1964), player and assistant coach for NHL's New Jersey Devils
 * Phyllis Mangina (born 1959), college basketball coach who is currently an assistant women's basketball coach at Saint Peter's
 * Elmer Matthews (1927–2015), lawyer and politician who served three terms in the New Jersey General Assembly
 * Jay Mohr (born 1970), actor, comedian and radio personality
 * Jon Okafor (born 1989), professional soccer midfielder
 * Eugénie Olson, novelist and editor
 * Henry Orenstein (1923–2021), professional poker player, helped push Hasbro to produce Transformers
 * Kal Parekh, film and television actor who played the role of Sanjeev, an Indian-American flight engineer in the ABC television series, Pan Am, set in the 1960s
 * Kenneth Posner, lighting designer for such Broadway shows as Wicked, Legally Blonde, The Pirate Queen, and The Coast of Utopia, the latter of which won him a Tony award
 * Brian Rafalski (born 1973), hockey player, New Jersey Devils defenseman
 * Saul Robbins (1922–2010), toy manufacturer, co-founder of Remco
 * John Roosma (1900–1983), captain of Ernest Blood's "Wonder Teams" who became first college player to total 1,000 points for his career while at United States Military Academy
 * Joel Rosenblatt, musician best known as the longtime drummer for the jazz-fusion band Spyro Gyra
 * David M. Satz Jr. (1926–2009), lawyer who served as U.S. Attorney for District of New Jersey from 1961 to 1969
 * Brenda Shaughnessy (born 1970), poet
 * Donald J. Strait (1918–2015), flying ace in the 356th Fighter Group during World War II and a career officer in the United States Air Force
 * Craig Morgan Teicher (born 1979), author, poet and literary critic whose poetry collection, The Trembling Answers, won the Lenore Marshall Poetry Prize in 2018
 * Rod Trafford (born 1978), former NFL tight end who played for the Buffalo Bills and the New England Patriots
 * Bruce Wands (1949–2022), educator, author, artist, and musician, with a specific interest in digital art
 * Chris Wylde (born 1976), actor and comedian

In popular culture

 * The HBO crime drama The Sopranos was set in the area, and the storyline often included scenes filmed in Verona. Livia Soprano's house is in Verona in the series pilot, and a Verona Rescue Squad ambulance is seen when she dies in the episode "Proshai, Livushka". In the episode "Cold Cuts", it's established that Bobby Baccalieri and Janice Soprano live in Verona.
 * The 1987 horror movie Doom Asylum was filmed at the now demolished Essex Mountain Sanatorium.
 * Pizza My Heart, an ABC Family movie, is a contemporary retelling of Romeo and Juliet, that is set in Verona (New Jersey, not Italy). Although the storyline is set in Verona, it was actually filmed in New Orleans, Louisiana.
 * The original, unaired pilot of the television show Strangers With Candy, "Retardation: A Celebration", was filmed at Verona High School. The VHS signboard is also used in almost every episode thereafter to display various witticisms, although the name has been changed to that of the school in the show, Flatpoint High School.
 * Pearl, the hairdresser in "The Saturdays" by Elizabeth Enright (1941), says she ran away from her abusive stepmother in Verona and went to New York City with her brother Perry.

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

title: Verona, New Jersey


text:
West Caldwell, New Jersey

West Caldwell is a township located in the West Essex area in northwestern Essex County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey. It is located approximately 16 mi west of Manhattan and 6 mi northwest of Newark. As of the 2020 United States census, the township's population was 11,012, an increase of 253 (+2.4%) from the 2010 census count of 10,759,  which in turn reflected a decline of 474 (−4.2%) from the 11,233 counted in the 2000 census.

West Caldwell was originally incorporated as a borough by an act of the New Jersey Legislature on February 24, 1904, from portions of Caldwell Township (now known as Fairfield Township). In 1981, the borough was one of seven Essex County municipalities to pass a referendum to become a township, joining four municipalities that had already made the change, of what would ultimately be more than a dozen Essex County municipalities to reclassify themselves as townships in order take advantage of federal revenue sharing policies that allocated townships a greater share of government aid to municipalities on a per capita basis. The borough was named for Caldwell Township, which in turn was named for Presbyterian minister James Caldwell.

New Jersey Monthly magazine ranked West Caldwell as its 60th best place to live in its 2010 rankings of the "Best Places To Live" in New Jersey.

History
Caldwell, West Caldwell, and several neighboring communities were all originally one combined area known as the Horseneck Tract. In the early 18th century, a group of settlers left Newark and purchased a large tract of land northwest of their home city for the equivalent of a few hundred dollars from the Lenape Native Americans. This piece of land extended west and north to the Passaic River, south to the town center of what would become Livingston, and east to the First Watchung Mountain, and was called Horseneck by the natives because it resembled the neck and head of a horse.

What was then known as Horseneck contained most of the present day northern Essex County towns: West Caldwell, along with Caldwell, Cedar Grove, Essex Fells, Fairfield, North Caldwell, Roseland, and Verona are all located entirely in Horseneck, and parts of what are today Livingston, Montclair, and West Orange also were contained in the Horseneck tract. After the Revolutionary War, Horseneck changed its name to "Caldwell Township" in honor of a local war hero and pastor, James Caldwell, who used burning pages from his church's bibles to ignite the ammunition in soldiers' cannons and helped to drive the British out of Horseneck.

By the late 1880s, Caldwell had become quite a developed and populated town, however the vast majority of the development, residents, and businesses were located in the center of the town along Bloomfield Avenue, its main connecting route with Newark and New York City. The outskirts of town remained farms and swampland in many places. This bothered the people living in the center of town and in 1892, Caldwell's center area decided to form its own independent municipality, naming itself Caldwell Borough and leaving the outskirts of town remaining as Caldwell Township.

Caldwell Borough contained what is today the towns of West Caldwell and Caldwell. Soon after, the area of Caldwell Township just to the east of Caldwell Borough between Caldwell Borough and Montclair (present-day Verona and Cedar Grove) decided to follow Caldwell's lead and incorporated itself as its own borough, Verona. Some of the already-developed eastern neighborhoods of Caldwell Township chose to become part of Montclair, as it was a rapidly developing suburb of Newark and Paterson. At around the same time, the area north of Caldwell Borough became its own town, North Caldwell. The ritzy, wooded area directly to the south of downtown Caldwell Borough became Essex Fells. Meanwhile, the farmland to the south of the western portion of Caldwell township attempted to become its own municipality known as South Caldwell. This failed, as much of developed sections of that area lied on its southernmost and easternmost borders, along the expanding Newark suburbs of Livingston and West Orange respectively. Those areas were engulfed by those two towns once they became incorporated municipalities of several small settlements and developments. This left only the most rural farmland south of Caldwell Borough and Essex Fells to become its own township, Roseland. At this point, all that remained of the original Caldwell Township was a large piece of undeveloped land in the northwesternmost part of Essex County; eventually, in the early 1950s, Caldwell Township changed its name to Fairfield in order to avoid being confused with Caldwell Borough.

Immediately following the separation of the original Caldwell, the western part of Caldwell Borough generally remained less developed than downtown Caldwell Borough and contained several farms and a large area of undeveloped swampland known as Hatfield Swamp. However, two individual settlements, known as Franklin and Westville, soon formed in the western part of Caldwell Borough. As development increased and population grew in the western part of Caldwell, the town's more rural western population and more urban east often could not reconcile their differences. This led to the areas of Franklin and Westville consolidating into their own borough known as West Caldwell in 1904, leaving only the one square mile of original downtown Horseneck development as the borough of Caldwell. Caldwell Borough became Caldwell Township in the 1980s. To this day, the towns of Caldwell and West Caldwell remain by far the most urbanized, densely populated, and ethnically, racially, and income-diverse in the West Essex area. The town is home to Grover Cleveland Park (also partially located in Caldwell and Essex Fells), a county park named in honor of the President of the United States who was born in the neighboring town of Caldwell.

Additionally, West Caldwell contains a number of smaller parks and land preserves, such as Memorial Park and Francisco Park. Hatfield Swamp, located in the western section of the town along its borders with the towns of Fairfield, Roseland, and East Hanover, is a protected preservation that usually very little building is allowed to be done on.

Though today the Caldwell area is considered to be a suburb of both Newark and New York, the area originally developed as its own individual, self-contained town and economy rather than as urban sprawl from a larger city. When it was formed, a few miles of woods separated downtown Caldwell from Newark or any of its developing suburbs. Bloomfield Avenue is located in the center of town, and is home to many of the locally owned stores of the town. West Caldwell has several stores and strip malls, and two public town pools, Cedar Street Pool and Westville Pool. The township has few violent crimes and only two murders in its history.

Geography
According to the United States Census Bureau, the township had a total area of 5.11 square miles (13.24 km2), including 5.10 square miles (13.20 km2) of land and 0.02 square miles (0.04 km2) of water (0.31%).

Unincorporated communities, localities and place names located partially or completely within the borough include Ferncliff, Franklin, Pine Brook Bridge and Westville.

West Caldwell borders the municipalities of Caldwell, Essex Fells, Fairfield Township, North Caldwell and Roseland in Essex County; and East Hanover in Morris County.

2010 census
The 2010 United States census counted 10,759 people, 3,913 households, and 2,962 families in the township. The population density was 2,128.5 per square mile (821.8/km2). There were 4,009 housing units at an average density of 793.1 per square mile (306.2/km2). The racial makeup was 92.91% (9,996) White, 1.26% (136) Black or African American, 0.05% (5) Native American, 3.91% (421) Asian, 0.02% (2) Pacific Islander, 0.73% (79) from other races, and 1.12% (120) from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 4.86% (523) of the population.

Of the 3,913 households, 34.5% had children under the age of 18; 65.4% were married couples living together; 7.6% had a female householder with no husband present and 24.3% were non-families. Of all households, 21.4% were made up of individuals and 13.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.69 and the average family size was 3.16.

23.4% of the population were under the age of 18, 5.8% from 18 to 24, 21.0% from 25 to 44, 30.3% from 45 to 64, and 19.5% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 44.9 years. For every 100 females, the population had 91.2 males. For every 100 females ages 18 and older there were 88.0 males.

The Census Bureau's 2006–2010 American Community Survey showed that (in 2010 inflation-adjusted dollars) median household income was $102,584 (with a margin of error of ± $7,317) and the median family income was $118,018 (± $6,949). Males had a median income of $81,449 (± $7,519) versus $51,936 (± $5,473) for females. The per capita income for the borough was $44,244 (± $3,116). About 3.5% of families and 3.3% of the population were below the poverty line, including 5.5% of those under age 18 and 2.8% of those age 65 or over.

2000 census
As of the 2000 United States census there were 11,233 people, 3,990 households, and 3,112 families residing in the township. The population density was 2,224.4 PD/sqmi. There were 4,044 housing units at an average density of 800.8 /sqmi. The racial makeup of the township was 93.84% White, 0.89% African American, 0.04% Native American, 3.85% Asian, 0.04% Pacific Islander, 0.61% from other races, and 0.75% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 2.80% of the population.

There were 3,990 households, out of which 35.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 68.1% were married couples living together, 7.4% had a female householder with no husband present, and 22.0% were non-families. 19.2% of all households were made up of individuals, and 11.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.75 and the average family size was 3.17.

In the township the population was spread out, with 24.7% under the age of 18, 4.6% from 18 to 24, 27.6% from 25 to 44, 24.0% from 45 to 64, and 19.1% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 41 years. For every 100 females, there were 90.3 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 86.2 males.

The median income for a household in the township was $83,396, and the median income for a family was $94,379. Males had a median income of $67,108 versus $45,365 for females. The per capita income for the township was $38,345. About 1.2% of families and 2.1% of the population were below the poverty line, including 2.5% of those under age 18 and 2.4% of those age 65 or over.

Local government
West Caldwell 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 West Caldwell 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 West Caldwell is Republican Joseph Tempesta Jr., whose term of office ends December 31, 2022. Members of the West Caldwell Township Council are Stephen P. Wolsky (R, 2022), Kathy L. Canale (R, 2023), Joseph P. Cecere (R, 2022), Michael Crudele (R, 2024), Michael Docteroff (R, 2023) and Stanley W. Hladik (R, 2024).

Michael Docteroff was sworn into office in December 2013 after being chosen by the township council from a list of three candidates nominated by the West Caldwell Republican Committee to fill the seat that became vacant following the resignation of Dominick Aiello.

Federal, state and county representation
West Caldwell is located in the 11th Congressional District and is part of New Jersey's 26th state legislative district. Prior to the 2011 reapportionment following the 2010 census, West Caldwell had been in the 27th state legislative district.

Politics
As of February 2020, there were a total of 8,820 registered voters in West Caldwell, of which 2,723 (30.9%) were registered as Democrats, 2,533 (28.7%) were registered as Republicans and 3,517 (39.9%) were registered as Unaffiliated.

In the 2012 presidential election, Republican Mitt Romney received 54.7% of the vote (3,109 cast), ahead of Democrat Barack Obama with 44.4% (2,524 votes), and other candidates with 0.9% (50 votes), among the 5,732 ballots cast by the township's 8,055 registered voters (49 ballots were spoiled), for a turnout of 71.2%. In the 2008 presidential election, Republican John McCain received 55.2% of the vote (3,440 cast), ahead of Democrat Barack Obama with 42.5% (2,646 votes) and other candidates with 1.0% (60 votes), among the 6,232 ballots cast by the township's 7,747 registered voters, for a turnout of 80.4%. In the 2004 presidential election, Republican George W. Bush received 59.1% of the vote (3,573 ballots cast), outpolling Democrat John Kerry with 39.7% (2,398 votes) and other candidates with 0.8% (62 votes), among the 6,046 ballots cast by the township's 7,478 registered voters, for a turnout percentage of 80.9.

In the 2013 gubernatorial election, Republican Chris Christie received 65.6% of the vote (2,388 cast), ahead of Democrat Barbara Buono with 33.3% (1,213 votes), and other candidates with 1.0% (37 votes), among the 3,696 ballots cast by the township's 8,102 registered voters (58 ballots were spoiled), for a turnout of 45.6%. In the 2009 gubernatorial election, Republican Chris Christie received 55.7% of the vote (2,392 ballots cast), ahead of Democrat Jon Corzine with 34.7% (1,489 votes), Independent Chris Daggett with 8.4% (360 votes) and other candidates with 0.6% (24 votes), among the 4,292 ballots cast by the township's 7,795 registered voters, yielding a 55.1% turnout.

Education
The Caldwell-West Caldwell Public Schools is a public school district that serves students in pre-kindergarten through twelfth grade from Caldwell and West Caldwell. The roots of the district date back to 1872, though formal consolidation of the districts was established in 1904. As of the 2020–21 school year, the district, comprised of seven schools, had an enrollment of 2,669 students and 226.4 classroom teachers (on an FTE basis), for a student–teacher ratio of 11.8:1. Schools in the district (with 2020–21 enrollment data from the National Center for Education Statistics ) are Harrison School (West Caldwell; 23 students; grades K-PreK), Jefferson Elementary School (West Caldwell; 266; K-5), Lincoln Elementary School (Caldwell; 260; K-5), Washington Elementary School (West Caldwell; 374; K-5), Wilson Elementary School (West Caldwell; 252; K-5), Grover Cleveland Middle School (Caldwell; 626; 6-8) and James Caldwell High School. (West Caldwell; 829; 9-12).

West Caldwell is home to West Caldwell Tech, which is part of the Essex County Vocational Technical Schools, offering vocational instruction to high school students from across the county.

The West Essex Campus of Essex County College, which opened in 1978, is located in West Caldwell.

Roads and highways
, the borough had a total of 45.77 mi of roadways, of which 37.11 mi were maintained by the municipality and 8.66 mi by Essex County.

The most significant roadways directly serving West Caldwell include County Route 506 and County Route 527.

Public transportation
NJ Transit provides bus transportation to Newark on the 29 and 71 bus routes. Service to Port Authority Bus Terminal in New York City is provided by Route 105.

Emergency services
West Caldwell is protected by the West Caldwell Police Department. Fire protection is provided by the West Caldwell Volunteer Fire Department, which was founded in the years after the borough was formed. The West Essex First Aid Squad serves residents of West Caldwell and those of Caldwell, Essex Fells, Fairfield and North Caldwell.

Popular culture
Scenes from the HBO television series The Sopranos were filmed in West Caldwell, including the exterior shots of the Soprano house and the fifth-season episode "Rat Pack".

Notable people

People who were born in, residents of, or otherwise closely associated with West Caldwell include:

 * Samuel Alito (born 1950), Supreme Court Associate Justice
 * Wheeler Antabanez (born 1977 as Matt Kent), author of best selling special issue of Weird NJ, Nightshade on the Passaic
 * Tim Berra (born 1951), former football player who played for the Baltimore Colts in 1974
 * Yogi Berra (1925–2015), professional baseball catcher, manager, and coach who played 19 seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB) (1946–1963, 1965), all but the last for the New York Yankees
 * Eric Bross (born 1964), film director
 * Mattea Conforti (born 2006), American actress
 * Marcus Gaither (1961–2020), professional basketball player in France and Israel, who played the guard position and led the Israel Basketball Premier League in scoring in 1989–1990
 * Thomas P. Giblin (born 1947), politician who has served in the New Jersey General Assembly since 2006, where he represents the 34th Legislative District
 * Neale Godfrey (born 1951), author, whose books deal with money, life skills and value issues
 * The Amazing Kreskin (born 1935), mentalist
 * G. Gordon Liddy (1930–2021), chief of the White House Plumbers
 * Camryn Manheim (born 1961), actress
 * Tommy Page (born 1970), singer best known for his 1990 song "I'll Be Your Everything"
 * Andrew E. Svenson (1910–1975), children's author, publisher, and partner in the Stratemeyer Syndicate, who authored or coauthored more than 70 books for children, including books in the Hardy Boys and Bobbsey Twins series
 * Michael Tracey (born 1988), independent journalist who covers American politics, freedom of speech, censorship and America's culture war
 * Alex Wujciak (born 1988), football linebacker who was signed by the Cleveland Browns as an undrafted free agent in 2011

title: West Caldwell, New Jersey


text:
Beckett, New Jersey

Beckett is an unincorporated community and census-designated place (CDP) within Logan Township, in Gloucester County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey. As of the 2010 United States Census, the CDP's population was 4,847.

Geography
According to the United States Census Bureau, the CDP had a total area of 1.866 mi2, including 1.744 mi2 of land and 0.122 mi2 of water (6.54%).

2010 census
The 2010 United States census counted 4,847 people, 1,633 households, and 1,323 families in the CDP. The population density was 2779.4 /mi2. There were 1,662 housing units at an average density of 953.0 /mi2. The racial makeup was 78.83% (3,821) White, 14.92% (723) Black or African American, 0.17% (8) Native American, 2.56% (124) Asian, 0.02% (1) Pacific Islander, 1.16% (56) from other races, and 2.35% (114) from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 4.11% (199) of the population.

Of the 1,633 households, 43.5% had children under the age of 18; 65.3% were married couples living together; 12.2% had a female householder with no husband present and 19.0% were non-families. Of all households, 15.3% 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 2.97 and the average family size was 3.31.

28.6% of the population were under the age of 18, 8.3% from 18 to 24, 27.9% from 25 to 44, 30.1% from 45 to 64, and 5.1% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 35.5 years. For every 100 females, the population had 94.2 males. For every 100 females ages 18 and older there were 88.8 males.

2000 census
As of the 2000 United States census there were 4,726 people, 1,516 households, and 1,276 families living in the CDP. The population density was 1,030.9 /km2. There were 1,549 housing units at an average density of 337.9 /km2. The racial makeup of the CDP was 79.12% White, 15.85% African American, 0.08% Native American, 2.09% Asian, 0.02% Pacific Islander, 1.25% from other races, and 1.59% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 3.03% of the population.

There were 1,516 households, out of which 53.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 70.3% were married couples living together, 10.2% had a female householder with no husband present, and 15.8% were non-families. 12.3% of all households were made up of individuals, and 2.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 3.12 and the average family size was 3.42.

In the CDP the population was spread out, with 34.3% under the age of 18, 5.8% from 18 to 24, 36.5% from 25 to 44, 20.0% from 45 to 64, and 3.3% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 33 years. For every 100 females, there were 96.0 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 91.4 males.

The median income for a household in the CDP was $72,156, and the median income for a family was $77,681. Males had a median income of $50,258 versus $36,863 for females. The per capita income for the CDP was $24,754. About 2.8% of families and 3.1% of the population were below the poverty line, including 3.7% of those under age 18 and 2.1% of those age 65 or over.

title: Beckett, New Jersey


text:
Clayton, New Jersey

Clayton is a borough in Gloucester County in the U.S. state of New Jersey. As of the 2020 United States census, the borough's population was 8,807, an increase of 628 (+7.7%) from the 2010 census count of 8,179,  which in turn reflected an increase of 1,040 (+14.6%) from the 7,139 counted in the 2000 census.

Jacob Fisler purchased much of the area that is now Clayton, acquiring 6500 acres of land after the American Revolutionary War. A settlement named Fislertown developed and grew to 36 families by 1812. A glass factory was established in Clayton in the 1850s by one of Fisler's descendants, which contributed to Fislertown's growth.

What is now Clayton was formed as Clayton Township on February 5, 1858, from portions of Franklin Township. Portions of the township were later taken on March 11, 1878, to form Glassboro Township. Clayton was formed as a borough by the New Jersey Legislature on May 9, 1887, from portions of Clayton Township. The remainder of Clayton Township was absorbed by the Clayton on April 14, 1908, and the township was dissolved. Clayton is part of the South Jersey region of the state.

Geography
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the borough had a total area of 7.26 square miles (18.80 km2), including 7.08 square miles (18.32 km2) of land and 0.18 square miles (0.48 km2) of water (2.53%). Unincorporated communities, localities and place names located partially or completely within the borough include Silver Lake. Clayton borders Elk Township, Franklin Township, Glassboro, and Monroe Township.

2020 census
As of the 2020 U.S. census, the population of Clayton was 8,807.

2010 census
The 2010 United States census counted 8,179 people, 2,916 households, and 2,105 families in the borough. The population density was 1,145.5 per square mile (442.3/km2). There were 3,128 housing units at an average density of 438.1 per square mile (169.2/km2). The racial makeup was 74.83% (6,120) White, 18.01% (1,473) Black or African American, 0.37% (30) Native American, 1.80% (147) Asian, 0.02% (2) Pacific Islander, 1.59% (130) from other races, and 3.39% (277) from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 5.95% (487) of the population.

Of the 2,916 households, 34.1% had children under the age of 18; 51.4% were married couples living together; 14.7% had a female householder with no husband present and 27.8% were non-families. Of all households, 22.1% were made up of individuals and 8.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.80 and the average family size was 3.27.

26.3% of the population were under the age of 18, 8.2% from 18 to 24, 27.8% from 25 to 44, 27.5% from 45 to 64, and 10.2% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36.2 years. For every 100 females, the population had 92.9 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 $70,299 (with a margin of error of +/− $5,649) and the median family income was $70,989 (+/− $5,101). Males had a median income of $52,048 (+/− $6,973) versus $39,524 (+/− $6,308) for females. The per capita income for the borough was $27,437 (+/− $2,649). About 9.6% of families and 11.7% of the population were below the poverty line, including 16.9% of those under age 18 and 8.0% of those age 65 or over.

2000 census
As of the 2000 U.S. census there were 7,139 people, 2,464 households, and 1,884 families residing in the borough. The population density was 994.2 PD/sqmi. There were 2,680 housing units at an average density of 373.2 /sqmi. The racial makeup of the borough was 79.23% White, 16.05% African American, 0.42% Native American, 0.66% Asian, 0.03% Pacific Islander, 0.95% from other races, and 2.66% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 3.28% of the population.

There were 2,464 households, out of which 39.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 57.5% were married couples living together, 13.9% had a female householder with no husband present, and 23.5% were non-families. 19.7% 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 3.31.

In the borough the population was spread out, with 29.1% under the age of 18, 8.7% from 18 to 24, 31.6% from 25 to 44, 21.0% from 45 to 64, and 9.6% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 34 years. For every 100 females, there were 91.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 89.8 males.

The median income for a household in the borough was $53,219, and the median income for a family was $63,097. Males had a median income of $37,231 versus $29,063 for females. The per capita income for the borough was $20,006. About 3.1% of families and 2.9% of the population were below the poverty line, including 4.0% of those under age 18 and 1.7% of those age 65 or over.

Parks and recreation
Parkland covers about a third of the borough and includes both municipal and state parks. The Glassboro Wildlife Management Area covers almost 2400 acres in portions of Clayton, Glassboro, and Monroe Township.

Local government
Clayton is governed under the borough form of New Jersey municipal government, which is used in 218 of New Jersey's 564 municipalities, making it the state's most common form of government. 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. The mayor is elected 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 Clayton 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.

In March 2019, the borough council selected Christina Moorhouse from three candidates nominated by the Democratic municipal committee to fill the seat vacated by Vonzora Jackson's resignation.

, the mayor is Democrat Thomas Bianco, whose term of office ends on December 31, 2027. Members of the Borough Council are Council President Tony Saban (D, 2025), Dave Chapes (D, 2024), Christina Moorhouse (D, 2025), Frank Rollo (D, 2024), Charles Simon (D, 2026), and Darlene Vondran (D, 2026).

Clayton describes itself in its motto as "a great place to live and play, work and pray." The seal, which has been used since the late 1960s, features an image of a factory, a house, a figure fishing off a boat, and with a church with a cross, which was challenged by the Freedom From Religion Foundation in March 2016 as "unmistakably religious" and unconstitutional.

Federal, state, and county representation
Clayton is located in the 2nd Congressional District and is part of New Jersey's 3rd state legislative district.

Politics
As of March 2011, there were a total of 4,874 registered voters in Clayton. Of these, 1,755 (36.0%) were registered as Democrats, 819 (16.8%) were registered as Republicans, and 2,296 (47.1%) were registered as Unaffiliated. There were four voters registered as Libertarians or Greens.

In the 2012 presidential election, Democrat Barack Obama received 64.2% of the vote (2,247 cast), ahead of Republican Mitt Romney with 34.5% (1,206 votes), and other candidates with 1.3% (45 votes), among the 3,521 ballots cast by the borough's 5,164 registered voters (23 ballots were spoiled), for a turnout of 68.2%. In the 2008 presidential election, Democrat Barack Obama received 62.1% of the vote (2,270 cast), ahead of Republican John McCain with 35.8% (1,309 votes) and other candidates with 1.3% (49 votes), among the 3,653 ballots cast by the borough's 5,090 registered voters, for a turnout of 71.8%. In the 2004 presidential election, Democrat John Kerry received 54.5% of the vote (1,745 ballots cast), outpolling Republican George W. Bush with 44.6% (1,427 votes) and other candidates with 0.4% (16 votes), among the 3,201 ballots cast by the borough's 4,410 registered voters, for a turnout percentage of 72.6.

In the 2013 gubernatorial election, Republican Chris Christie received 56.7% of the vote (1,133 cast), ahead of Democrat Barbara Buono with 41.9% (837 votes), and other candidates with 1.5% (30 votes), among the 2,039 ballots cast by the borough's 5,133 registered voters (39 ballots were spoiled), for a turnout of 39.7%. In the 2009 gubernatorial election, Democrat Jon Corzine received 48.2% of the vote (1,055 ballots cast), ahead of Republican Chris Christie with 39.8% (871 votes), Independent Chris Daggett with 9.1% (200 votes) and other candidates with 0.8% (17 votes) among the 2,191 ballots cast by the borough's 4,947 registered voters, yielding a 44.3% turnout.

Education
Clayton Public Schools serve public school students in pre-kindergarten through twelfth grade. As of the 2020–21 school year, the district has three schools, an enrollment of 1,463 students, and 117.0 classroom teachers (on an FTE basis) for a student–teacher ratio of 12.5:1. Schools in the district (with 2020–21 enrollment data from the National Center for Education Statistics ) are Herma S. Simmons Elementary School with 668 students in grades PreK-5, Clayton Middle School with 343 students in grades 6-8, and Clayton High School with 420 students in grades 9-12.

In September 2009, voters approved a referendum that covered a $20 million renovation and expansion project at the middle school / high school. In September 2014, voters approved a referendum that covered $9.7 million to upgrade all three schools in the district. The approved projects include a roof replacement at both the high school and middle school, an addition of a 750-seat auditorium, technology infrastructure at all three schools, a new football field stadium lighting and a new gym floor at Herma Simmons Elementary School.

Students in Gloucester County are eligible to apply to attend Gloucester County Institute of Technology, a four-year high school in Deptford Township that provides technical and vocational education programs. As a public school, students and their families do not pay tuition to attend the school.

Formed from a merger of two regional schools, St. Michael the Archangel Regional School is a K–8 school that operates under the supervision of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Camden. The former St. Catherine of Siena Regional School in Clayton merged with St. Michael in 2008.

Roads and highways
, the borough had a total of 44.16 mi of roadways. Of this, 33.00 mi is maintained by the municipality, 8.36 mi by Gloucester County and 2.80 mi by the New Jersey Department of Transportation.

The main thoroughfare that passes through is Route 47. Route 55 traverses the borough's southwestern edge, but the closest interchanges are in neighboring communities. A sliver of County Road 553 clips the borough's western edge.

Public transportation
NJ Transit bus service is available between the borough and Philadelphia on its 313 and 408 routes.

Notable people
People who were born in, residents of, or otherwise closely associated with Clayton include:
 * Daniel Dalton (born 1949), politician who served as New Jersey Senate Majority Leader and as Secretary of State of New Jersey
 * T. James Ferrell (1939–2020), engraver and medalist best known for his work for The Franklin Mint
 * Sunny Gale (1927–2022), pop singer who had her biggest hit with a cover version of "Wheel of Fortune" in 1952
 * Granger Hall (born 1962), former professional basketball player
 * Earl C. Long (1883–1983), U.S. Marine Corps Major General during World War II who commanded Service Command, Fleet Marine Force Pacific
 * Nick Rodriguez (born 1996), submission grappler who competes in no-gi matches
 * Mel Sheppard (1883–1942), middle-distance runner who won four gold medals at the 1908 Summer Olympics and 1912 Summer Olympics

title: Clayton, New Jersey