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Elizabeth, New Jersey

Elizabeth is a city in and the county seat of Union County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey. As of the 2020 United States census, the city retained its ranking as the state's fourth-most-populous city behind neighboring Newark, Jersey City, and Paterson, with a population of 137,298, an increase of 12,329 (+9.9%) from the 2010 census count of 124,969,  which in turn reflected an increase of 4,401 (3.7%) from the 120,568 counted in the 2000 census.

The Population Estimates Program calculated a population of 135,829 for 2023, making it the 206th-most populous municipality in the nation and the fifth-most populous municipality of any type in the state, falling behind Lakewood Township, where the population that year was estimated to be 139,866.

History
Elizabeth, originally called "Elizabethtown" and part of the Elizabethtown Tract, was founded in 1664 by English settlers. The town was not named for Queen Elizabeth I as many people may assume, but rather for Elizabeth, wife of Sir George Carteret, one of the two original Proprietors of the colony of New Jersey. She was the daughter of Philippe de Carteret II, 3rd Seigneur de Sark and Anne Dowse. The town served as the first capital of New Jersey.

During the American Revolutionary War, Elizabethtown was continually attacked by British forces based on Manhattan and Staten Island, culminating in the Battle of Springfield which decisively defeated British attempts to gain New Jersey. After independence, it was from Elizabethtown that George Washington embarked by boat to Manhattan for his 1789 inauguration. There are numerous memorials and monuments of the American Revolution in Elizabeth.

On March 13, 1855, the City of Elizabeth was created by an act of the New Jersey Legislature, combining and replacing both Elizabeth Borough (which dated back to 1740) and Elizabeth Township (which had been formed in 1693), subject to the results of a referendum held on March 27, 1855. On March 19, 1857, the city became part of the newly created Union County. Portions of the city were taken to form Linden Township on March 4, 1861.

The first major industry, the Singer Sewing Machine Company came to Elizabeth and employed as many as 2,000 people. In 1895, it saw one of the first car companies, when Electric Carriage and Wagon Company was founded to manufacture the Electrobat, joined soon by another electric car builder, Andrew L. Riker. The Electric Boat Company got its start building submarines for the United States Navy in Elizabeth, beginning with the launch of USS Holland (SS-1) in 1897. These pioneering naval craft (known as A-Class) were developed at Lewis Nixon's Crescent Shipyard in Elizabeth between the years 1896–1903. Elizabeth grew in parallel to its sister city of Newark for many years, but has been more successful in retaining a middle-class presence and was mostly spared riots in the 1960s.

Geography
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the city had a total area of 13.66 square miles (35.37 km2), including 12.32 square miles (31.91 km2) of land and 1.34 square miles (3.46 km2) of water (9.78%).

Elizabeth is bordered to the southwest by Linden, to the west by Roselle and Roselle Park, to the northwest by Union and Hillside, to the north by Newark (in Essex County). To the east the city is across Newark Bay from Bayonne in Hudson County and the Arthur Kill from Staten Island, New York.

The borders of Elizabeth, Bayonne, and Staten Island meet at one point on Shooters Island, of which 7.5 acres of the island is owned by Elizabeth, though the island is managed by the New York City Department of Parks and Recreation.

The Elizabeth River is a waterway that courses through the city for 4.2 mi and is largely channelized, before draining into the Arthur Kill.

Midtown / Uptown
Midtown, also occasionally known as Uptown, is the main commercial district and a historic section as well. It includes the First Presbyterian Church and St. John's Episcopal Church, and its St. John's Episcopal Churchyard. The First Presbyterian Church was a battleground for the American Revolution. Located here are also the 1931 Art Deco Hersh Tower, the Thomas Jefferson Arts Academy, and the Ritz Theatre which has been operating since 1926. Midtown/Uptown includes the area once known as "Brittanville" which contained many English type gardens.

Bayway
Bayway is located in the southern part of the city and borders the City of Linden. From US 1&9 and Allen Street, between the Elizabeth River and the Arthur Kill, it has maintained a strong Polish community for years. Developed at the turn of the 20th century, many of the area residents once worked at the refinery which straddles both Elizabeth and Linden. There are unique ethnic restaurants, bars, and stores along Bayway, and a variety of houses of worship. Housing styles are older and well maintained. There are many affordable two to four-family housing units, and multiple apartment complexes. The western terminus of the Goethals Bridge, which spans the Arthur Kill to Staten Island can be found here. A small section of the neighborhood was isolated with both the completion of the Goethals Bridge in 1928 and the construction of the New Jersey Turnpike in the 1950s.

Downtown / Elizabethport
Downtown / E-Port (a.k.a. The Port and Elizabethport) is the oldest neighborhood in Elizabeth. It consists of a collection of old world Elizabethan, new American colonial-style houses and apartment buildings that stretch east of 7th Street to its shores. The name is derived from its dependence on businesses catering to seagoing ventures. It was a thriving center of commerce between the 1660s through the middle of the 20th century. This area has had a great deal of improvement since 2000. Many homes have been renovated or been replaced with new, more ornate structures. Federal housing projects that stood for decades along First Street have been demolished and replaced with low to moderate income housing. The waterfront is home to new town homes and two-family homes (duplexes).

The area was once three distinct neighborhoods: Buckeye, Diamondville, and New Mexico. It was the US home of the Singer Manufacturing Company, makers of Singer sewing machines, which constructed a 1400000 sqft facility on a 32 acres site in 1873. Shortly after it opened, the factory manufactured the majority of all sewing machines worldwide. With 6,000 employees working there in the 1870s, it employed the largest number of workers at a single facility in 1873. The company moved out of Elizabeth in 1982.

Elizabeth Marina, which was once filled with trash and debris along its walkway, was also restored. It is the site of year-round celebrations from a Hispanic festival in late spring to the lighting of a Christmas tree in winter. Living conditions in this area continue to improve year after year. Historically, there were immigrant communities centered around Christian churches. The Slavic community was centered by Sts. Peter and Paul Byzantine, the Lithuanian community attended Sts. Peter and Paul Roman Catholic and the Polish community attended St. Adalbert Roman Catholic Church which still stands. St. Patrick Church, originally Irish, dominates the 'Port; the cornerstone for the second and current building was laid in 1887.

Elmora and The West End
Elmora is a middle/working-class neighborhood in the western part of Elizabeth. The main thoroughfare, Elmora Avenue, offers restaurants, shops and boutiques. Several high-rise building complexes, affording views of the New York City skyline, dot the edge of this neighborhood and are accessible to the Elizabeth station. The neighborhood area forms a "V" from its approximate borders of the Central Railroad tracks to Rahway Avenue.

Elmora's modern Orthodox community
The Elmora section of Elizabeth is home to a large Modern Orthodox community. The Jewish Educational Center of Elizabeth was founded in 1941 by a Latvian-born rabbi, Pinchas Mordechai Teitz, who arrived to lecture in to the city's then-small Orthodox community in the 1930s.

Elmora Hills
The northwestern part of Elmora is known as Elmora Hills. It is a strongly middle- to upper-middle-class neighborhood. Originally called Shearerville, the name Elmora came from the developers of the area, the El Mora Land Company. This area was annexed from Union Township, returning to Elizabeth in the early part of the 20th century. This was done to increase the city's tax base as major improvements to infrastructure were necessary at the time.

Frog Hollow
Frog Hollow is a small community of homes east of Atlantic Street, west of the Arthur Kill, and south of Elizabeth Avenue. Its name is derived from the frogs that could be caught in its marshes as well as the oyster and fishing of the past. The area expanded east and includes the area formerly known as Helltown. Helltown included many of the docks and shipyards, as well as several drydocks. The area's developer was Edward N. Kellogg, who also laid out the neighborhood in Keighry Head. Frog Hollow contains older-style, more affordable homes, rentals, and some quality restaurants in a working-class community. The statue honoring former Mayor Mack on Elizabeth Avenue is a landmark in the community. Frog Hollow is also convenient to the Veteran's Memorial Waterfront Park.

Keighry Head
Its name is attributed to James Keighry of the Isle of Kerry, Ireland. He owned a business facing the square formed at the junction of Jackson, Madison, Chestnut and Magnolia Avenues. The approximate borders of this neighborhood extended north from East Grand Street to Flora Street and from Walnut to Division Street. Developed by Edward N. Kellogg, many of the streets were named after family and friends. Keighry Head is located close to Midtown, containing affordable one and two-family homes, and apartment houses, convenient to the Midtown shopping district, and transportation.

North End / North Elizabeth
The North End, also known as "North Elizabeth", is a diverse working-class neighborhood. The borders are approximately the Arch north to the city line between North Broad Street and US 1&9. It was developed mostly in the 1920s for workers in the Duesenberg automobile plant (later Durant Auto, Burry Biscuits and Interbake Foods). The area was heavily settled by the Irish and then Portuguese. The North End has easy access to New York City and Newark via its own NJ Transit train station, Routes 1 and 9 and the New Jersey Turnpike. The neighborhood also has Crane Square, the Historic Nugents Tavern, and Kellogg Park, and is within close proximity to Newark Liberty International Airport. There is a current plan to develop the former Interbake Foods facility into shopping and residential townhouses and condominiums. This community contains many larger one and two-family homes that have been rebuilt over the past decade. North Elizabeth also features many well-kept apartment houses and condominium units on and around North Avenue that are home to professionals who work in New York or the area. The only Benedictine women's community in New Jersey is located at Saint Walburga Monastery on North Broad Street.

Peterstown
Peterstown (also known as "The Burg") is a middle/working-class neighborhood in the southeastern part of the city. Its borders run west of Atlantic Street to South Spring Street from 1st Avenue to the Elizabeth River. Its name is derived from John Peters, who owned most of the land with George Peters. They divided the land and developed it during the end of the 19th century. The area was once predominantly occupied by its earliest settlers, who were German, and during the 1920s was gentrified by newly immigrated Italians. Peterstown has clean, quiet streets and has many affordable housing opportunities with a "village" feel. The area contains the historic Union Square, which is home to produce stands, meat markets, fresh fish and poultry stores. Peterstown is also home of the DeCavalcante crime family, one of the most infamous Mafia families in the United States.

The Point / the Crossroads
The Point, formally known as the Crossroads, is centrally located and defined by New Point Road and Division Street. It is close to Midtown and contains many new affordable two-family homes, apartment houses and is undergoing a transformation. The former Elizabeth General Hospital site is currently being demolished and awaiting a new development.

Quality Hill
Home to St. Mary's and the "Hilltoppers", this area once was lined with mansions. Its approximate borders were South Broad Street to Grier Avenue and Pearl Street to what is now US 1&9. During its development in the 1860s it was the most fashionable area of the city to live. It is now a quiet middle class community experiencing a re-development with many new condominiums.

Westminster
Developed by Edward J. Grassman, Westminster got its name from the city's largest residential estates of the Tudor style and was inhabited by many residents who traced their ancestry to England. This neighborhood borders Hillside with the Elizabeth River running its border creating a dramatic splash of greenery and rolling hills off of North Avenue, near Liberty Hall. Residents use this area for recreation, whether it is at the newly christened Phil Rizzuto Park area, or for bird watching or for sunbathing by the river. It is one of the more affluent areas of Elizabeth.

Climate
The climate in this area is characterized by hot, humid summers and cool to cold winters. According to the Köppen Climate Classification system, Elizabeth straddles the boundary between a humid subtropical climate and a hot-summer humid continental climate.

2020 census
In 2019, the foreign-born population in the city was 46.6% of the total population, and the Latino population was 65%.

2010 census
The 2010 United States census counted 124,969 people, 41,596 households, and 29,325 families in the city. The population density was 10144.1 /sqmi. There were 45,516 housing units at an average density of 3694.7 /sqmi. The racial makeup was 54.65% (68,292) White, 21.08% (26,343) Black or African American, 0.83% (1,036) Native American, 2.08% (2,604) Asian, 0.04% (52) Pacific Islander, 16.72% (20,901) from other races, and 4.59% (5,741) from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino residents of any race were 59.50% (74,353) of the population. Elizabeth had the tenth-highest percentage of Hispanic residents among municipalities in New Jersey in 2010.

Of the 41,596 households, 37.0% had children under the age of 18; 39.2% were married couples living together; 22.0% had a female householder with no husband present and 29.5% were non-families. Of all households, 23.5% were made up of individuals and 7.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.94 and the average family size was 3.43.

25.6% of the population were under the age of 18, 10.6% from 18 to 24, 31.3% from 25 to 44, 23.3% from 45 to 64, and 9.2% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 33.2 years. For every 100 females, the population had 98.6 males. For every 100 females ages 18 and older there were 96.8 males.

The Census Bureau's 2006–2010 American Community Survey showed that (in 2010 inflation-adjusted dollars) median household income was $43,770 (with a margin of error of +/− $1,488) and the median family income was $46,891 (+/− $1,873). Males had a median income of $32,268 (+/− $1,205) versus $27,228 (+/− $1,427) for females. The per capita income for the borough was $19,196 (+/− $604). About 14.7% of families and 16.7% of the population were below the poverty line, including 23.5% of those under age 18 and 18.5% of those age 65 or over.

2000 census
As of the 2000 United States census there were 120,568 people, 40,482 households, and 28,175 families residing in the city. The population density was 9,865.5 PD/sqmi. There were 42,838 housing units at an average density of 3,505.2 /sqmi. The racial makeup of the city was 55.78% White, 19.98% Black or African American, 0.48% Native American, 2.35% Asian, 0.05% Pacific Islander, 15.51% from other races, and 5.86% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 49.46% of the population.

Colombia is the nation of birth for the highest number of foreign-born inhabitants of Elizabeth; it was the birthplace of 8,731 Elizabeth residents as of the 2000 Census. This exceeded the combined total of 8,214 for Mexican and Central American immigrants. It also far exceeded the next highest single nation count of Cuba at 5,812. The highest number for a non-Spanish speaking country and third highest overall was Portugal, whose native-born immigrants numbered 4,544. The next largest groups were Salvadoran immigrants numbering 4,043, Peruvians at 3,591 and Dominican immigrants, of whom there were 3,492.

There were 40,482 households, out of which 36.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 42.9% were married couples living together, 19.1% had a female householder with no husband present, and 30.4% were non-families. 24.6% of all households were made up of individuals, and 8.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.91 and the average family size was 3.45.

In the city the population was spread out, with 26.3% under the age of 18, 10.8% from 18 to 24, 33.7% from 25 to 44, 19.3% from 45 to 64, and 10.0% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 33 years. For every 100 females, there were 98.0 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 96.1 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $35,175, and the median income for a family was $38,370. Males had a median income of $30,757 versus $23,931 for females. The per capita income for the city was $15,114. About 15.6% of families and 17.8% of the population were below the poverty line, including 22.2% of those under age 18 and 17.2% of those age 65 or over.

Economy
Since World War II, Elizabeth has seen its transportation facilities grow; the Port Newark-Elizabeth Marine Terminal is one of the busiest ports in the world, as is Newark Liberty International Airport, located in both Newark and Elizabeth. Elizabeth also features Little Jimmy's Italian Ices (since 1932), The Mills At Jersey Gardens outlet mall, Loews Theater, and the Elizabeth Center, which generate millions of dollars in revenue. Companies based in Elizabeth included New England Motor Freight.

Together with Linden, Elizabeth is home to the Bayway Refinery, a Phillips 66 refining facility that supplies petroleum-based products to the New York/New Jersey area, producing approximately 230000 oilbbl per day.

Celadon, a mixed-use development containing 14 glass skyscrapers, offices, retail, a hotel, boardwalk and many other amenities is proposed to border the east side of The Mills at Jersey Gardens, directly on the Port Newark Bay. Groundbreaking was scheduled for the summer of 2008 on the ferry, roads and parking, and construction was planned to continue for at least twelve years. As of 2021 this project has not started construction and there is no recent news about Celadon, so it is assumed that this project has been canceled

Portions of the city are part of an Urban Enterprise Zone (UEZ), one of 32 zones covering 37 municipalities statewide. Elizabeth was selected in 1983 as one of the initial group of 10 zones chosen to participate in the program. In addition to other benefits to encourage employment and investment within the Zone, shoppers can take advantage of a reduced 3.3125% sales tax rate (half of the $6 5/8$% rate charged statewide) at eligible merchants. Established in November 1992, the city's Urban Enterprise Zone status expires in November 2023.

Local government
The City of Elizabeth is governed within the Faulkner Act, formally known as the Optional Municipal Charter Law, under the Mayor-Council system of municipal government. The city is one of 71 municipalities (of the 564) statewide that use this form of government. The governing body is comprised of the Mayor and the City Council. The Elizabeth City Council includes nine members, who are elected to serve four-year terms of office on a staggered basis with elections held in even-numbered years. The mayor and the three council members elected at-large come up for election together in leap years and two years later the six members who are elected from each of Elizabeth's six wards are all up for election.

, the city's Mayor is Democrat Chris Bollwage, a lifelong resident of Elizabeth who is serving his eighth term as Mayor, serving a term of office that ends December 31, 2024. City Council members are Council President Carlos L. Torres (First Ward; D, 2026), Carlos Cedeño (Fourth Ward; D, 2026), Frank J. Cuesta (at-large; D, 2024), William Gallman Jr. (Fifth Ward; D, 2026), Nelson Gonzalez (Second Ward; D, 2026), Manny Grova Jr. (at-large; D, 2024), Kevin Kiniery (Third Ward; D, 2026), Frank O. Mazza (Sixth Ward; D, 2026), and Patricia Perkins-Auguste (at-large; D, 2024).

Bollwage, who has served as mayor of Elizabeth since 1992, was paid an annual salary of $152,564 in 2016, placing him among the three highest-paid mayors in the state and the only mayor in Union County to earn annual compensation in excess of $100,000.

Federal, state and county representation
Elizabeth is located in the 8th Congressional District and is part of New Jersey's 20th state legislative district. Prior to the 2010 Census, Elizabeth had been split between the NJ's 10th congressional district and the NJ's 13th congressional district, a change made by the New Jersey Redistricting Commission that took effect in January 2013, based on the results of the November 2012 general elections.

Politics
As of March 23, 2011, there were a total of 44,415 registered voters in Elizabeth, of which 24,988 (56.3% vs. 41.8% countywide) were registered as Democrats, 2,430 (5.5% vs. 15.3%) were registered as Republicans and 16,985 (38.2% vs. 42.9%) were registered as Unaffiliated. There were 12 voters registered to other parties. Among the city's 2010 Census population, 35.5% (vs. 53.3% in Union County) were registered to vote, including 47.8% of those ages 18 and over (vs. 70.6% countywide).

In the 2012 presidential election, Democrat Barack Obama received 24,751 votes (80.8% vs. 66.0% countywide), ahead of Republican Mitt Romney with 5,213 votes (17.0% vs. 32.3%) and other candidates with 166 votes (0.5% vs. 0.8%), among the 30,640 ballots cast by the city's 50,715 registered voters, for a turnout of 60.4% (vs. 68.8% in Union County). In the 2008 presidential election, Democrat Barack Obama received 23,524 votes (74.3% vs. 63.1% countywide), ahead of Republican John McCain with 7,559 votes (23.9% vs. 35.2%) and other candidates with 202 votes (0.6% vs. 0.9%), among the 31,677 ballots cast by the city's 48,294 registered voters, for a turnout of 65.6% (vs. 74.7% in Union County). In the 2004 presidential election, Democrat John Kerry received 18,363 votes (67.2% vs. 58.3% countywide), ahead of Republican George W. Bush with 8,486 votes (31.0% vs. 40.3%) and other candidates with 144 votes (0.5% vs. 0.7%), among the 27,334 ballots cast by the city's 45,882 registered voters, for a turnout of 59.6% (vs. 72.3% in the whole county).

In the 2013 gubernatorial election, Democrat Barbara Buono received 63.2% of the vote (7,804 cast), ahead of Republican Chris Christie with 35.5% (4,379 votes), and other candidates with 1.3% (163 votes), among the 13,592 ballots cast by the city's 49,515 registered voters (1,246 ballots were spoiled), for a turnout of 27.5%. In the 2009 gubernatorial election, Democrat Jon Corzine received 10,258 ballots cast (66.8% vs. 50.6% countywide), ahead of Republican Chris Christie with 4,386 votes (28.6% vs. 41.7%), Independent Chris Daggett with 376 votes (2.4% vs. 5.9%) and other candidates with 131 votes (0.9% vs. 0.8%), among the 15,355 ballots cast by the city's 46,219 registered voters, yielding a 33.2% turnout (vs. 46.5% in the county).

Police department
The Elizabeth Police Department was established in May 1858.

The current Police Director is Earl Graves and the Chief of Police is Giacomo Sacca.

The Table of Organization authorizes 365 officers, including 9 captains, 21 lieutenants and 39 sergeants.

Fire department
The Elizabeth Fire Department provides fire protection and emergency medical services to the city of Elizabeth. The Elizabeth Fire Department was established as a volunteer organization in 1837 when Engine Company # 1 was organized. In 1901, the volunteer department was no longer adequate and the department reorganized into a paid department on January 1, 1902. There are 7 Engine Companies, 3 Ladder Companies, 1 Rescue Company, and several Special Units. These companies and units are under the command of both a Deputy Chief and two Battalion Chiefs.

The department is part of the Metro USAR Strike Team, which consists of nine North Jersey fire departments and other emergency services divisions working to address major emergency rescue situations.

Emergency medical services
Emergency medical services are provided by the Elizabeth Fire Department's Division of Emergency Medical Services. This is a civilian division of the fire department and handles approximately 20,000 calls a year. The division is made up of an EMS chief, 5 supervisors, 28 full-time emergency medical technicians, and approximately 12 per-diem EMTs. The division, at its maximum staffing, aims to operate five ambulances and a supervisor on days (7 am–7 pm) and three ambulances and a supervisor on nights (7 pm–7 am). They also operate the NJ EMS Task Force Medical Ambulance Bus #1.

Hatzalah of Union County provides EMS primarily to the Elmora Hills neighborhood of Elizabeth, and certain sections of Hillside, Union and Roselle Park.

Education
The city's public schools are operated by Elizabeth Public Schools, serving students in pre-kindergarten through twelfth grade. The district is one of 31 former Abbott districts statewide that were established pursuant to the decision by the New Jersey Supreme Court in Abbott v. Burke which are now referred to as "SDA Districts" based on the requirement for the state to cover all costs for school building and renovation projects in these districts under the supervision of the New Jersey Schools Development Authority. Administration and operation of the district is overseen by a nine-member board of education. The board appoints a superintendent to oversee the district's day-to-day operations and a business administrator to supervise the business functions of the district.

As of the 2018–19 school year, the district, comprised of 36 schools, had an enrollment of 28,712 students and 2,173.0 classroom teachers (on an FTE basis), for a student–teacher ratio of 13.2:1. High schools in the district (with 2018–19 enrollment data from the National Center for Education Statistics ) are Elizabeth High School Frank J. Cicarell Aacdemy (1,152; 9–12), J. Christian Bollwage Finance Academy (420; 9–12), John E. Dwyer Technology Academy (1,340; 9–12), Thomas A. Edison Career and Technical Academy (872; 9–12), Admiral William F. Halsey Jr. Health and Public Safety Academy (1,111; 9–12), Alexander Hamilton Preparatory Academy (1,014; 9–12) and Thomas Jefferson Arts Academy (1,122; 9–12).

With 5,300 students, Elizabeth High School had been the largest high school in the state of New Jersey and one of the largest in the United States, and underwent a split that created five new academies and a smaller Elizabeth High School under a transformation program that began in the 2009–2010 school year. The school was the 294th-ranked public high school in New Jersey out of 322 schools statewide, in New Jersey Monthly magazine's September 2010 cover story on the state's "Top Public High Schools", after being ranked 302nd in 2008 out of 316 schools. Before the 2008–2009 school year, all of the district's schools (except high schools) became K–8 schools, replacing the middle schools and elementary schools. SchoolDigger.com ranked Elizabeth 449th of 558 districts evaluated in New Jersey.

These and other indicators reveal a seriously declining performance standard in the city's schools. Data reported by the state Department of Education showed that a majority of students in a majority of the Elizabeth public schools failed basic skills tests.

In the 2008–09 school year, Victor Mravlag Elementary School No. 21 was recognized with the Blue Ribbon School Award of Excellence by the United States Department of Education, the highest award an American school can receive. For the 2006–2007 school year, William F. Halloran Alternative School #22 was one of four schools in New Jersey recognized with the Blue Ribbon Award. William F. Halloran Alternative School #22 earned a second award when it was one of 11 in the state to be recognized in 2014 by the National Blue Ribbon Schools Program. Terence C. Reilly School No. 7 was honored by the National Blue Ribbon Schools Program in 2019, one of nine schools in the state recognized as Exemplary High Performing Schools; the school had previously won the honor in 2013.

Private schools
Elizabeth is also home to several private schools. The coeducational St. Mary of the Assumption High School, which was established 1930, and the all-girls Benedictine Academy, which is run by the Benedictine Sisters of Saint Walburga Monastery, both operate under the auspices of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Newark. The Newark Archdiocese also operates the K–8 schools Our Lady of Guadalupe Academy and St. Genevieve School, which was founded in 1926.

Saint Patrick High School was closed by the Newark Archdiocese in June 2012 due to increasing costs and declining enrollment. Administrators and parents affiliated with the defunct school came together to open an independent non-denominational school on Morris Avenue called "The Patrick School" in September 2012.

The Benedictine Preschool, operated by the Benedictine Sisters, is housed at Saint Walburga Monastery.

The Jewish Educational Center comprises the Yeshiva of Elizabeth (nursery through sixth grades), the Rav Teitz Mesivta Academy (for boys in grades 6–12) and Bruriah High School (for girls in grades 7–12).

Princeton University was founded in 1746 in Elizabeth as the College of New Jersey.

Libraries
The Elizabeth Public Library, the free public library with a main library, originally a Carnegie library, and three branches had a collection of 384,000 volumes and annual circulation of about 115,000 in 2016.

Roads and highways
Elizabeth is a hub of several major roadways including the New Jersey Turnpike / Interstate 95, Interstate 278 (including the Goethals Bridge, which carries Interstate 278 over the Arthur Kill between Elizabeth and Howland Hook, Staten Island), U.S. Route 1/9, Route 27, Route 28, and Route 439. Elizabeth's own street plan, in contrast to the more usual grid plan, is to a large degree circular, with circumferential and radial streets centered on the central railroad station.

, the city had a total of 153.78 mi of roadways, of which 123.75 mi were maintained by the municipality, 12.27 mi by Union County, 11.80 mi by the New Jersey Department of Transportation and 5.96 mi by the New Jersey Turnpike Authority.

There are numerous crossings of the Elizabeth River. The city was once home to several smaller bascule bridges. The South First Street Bridge over the river, originally built in 1908, was replaced by a fixed span. The South Front Street Bridge, built in 1922, has been left in the open position since March 2011. A study is underway to determine if the bridge can be rehabilitated. The bridge is notable in that it is the only remaining movable road bridge in Union County (movable railroad bridges still exist).

Elizabeth's transportation network is noted for having two of the most dangerous intersections in the United States, based on traffic deaths from 2000 to 2019. East Jersey St and US-1&9 had 9 fatal accidents over the 20-year period, while East Grand St and US-1&9 (just 1,150 feet to the North) had 7 fatal crashes over the 20-year period.

Public transportation

Elizabeth is among the U.S. cities with the highest train ridership. It is served by NJ Transit on Amtrak's Northeast Corridor Line. There are two active stations in Elizabeth. Elizabeth station, also called Broad Street Elizabeth or Midtown Station, is the southern station in Midtown Elizabeth. The other train station in Elizabeth is North Elizabeth station.

NJ Transit has planned a segment of the Newark-Elizabeth Rail Link (NERL), designated as the Union County Light Rail (UCLR). The UCLR was planned to connect Elizabeth station with Newark Liberty International Airport and have seven or eight other stations in between within Elizabeth city limits. A possible extension of this future line to Plainfield would link the city of Elizabeth with the Raritan Valley Line.

NJ Transit provides bus service on the 111, 112, 113 and 115 routes to and from the Port Authority Bus Terminal in Midtown Manhattan, on the 40, 48, 59 and 62 routes to Newark, New Jersey, with local service available on the 26, 52, 56, 57 and 58 routes. NJT also provides service between Elizabeth and Newark on the 24 route.

Local media
WJDM at 1530 AM signed-on March 11, 1970, with studios at 9 Caldwell Place in Elizabeth. The station signed-off on January 30, 2019.

News 12 New Jersey offers weather and news channels with coverage of the city.

The Daily Journal was published in Elizabeth from 1779 to 1992, ending publication as circulation plummeted from a peak of 60,000.

Public-access channel
Residents of Elizabeth can tune into the public-access television cable channel at any time to view public information, the city bulletin board, live meetings, important health information and tips. This service is provided by Optimum on channel 18. The channel also features the top ten ranked television shows, educational facts, quote of the day, gas price statistics, and tips for keeping the city safe and clean.

In popular culture

 * In the opening credits of the HBO crime drama The Sopranos, part of the city is shown.
 * The city is the focal point of Elizabeth native Judy Blume's 2015 novel In the Unlikely Event, the backdrop of which is three incidents that involved the crash of three commercial airliners in Elizabeth—1951 Miami Airlines C-46 crash, American Airlines Flight 6780 and National Airlines Flight 101—that took place within a period of two months in late 1951 and early 1952.
 * Elizabeth is the hometown of Mary Dawn Dwyer Levov, the principal female character in Philip Roth's 1997 Pulitzer Prize-winning novel American Pastoral.

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

 * Asad Abdul-Khaliq (born 1980), starting quarterback for the Minnesota Golden Gophers from 2000 to 2003
 * Louis Abell (1884–1962), Olympic rower
 * A. Bernard Ackerman (1936–2008), physician; a founding figure in the field of dermatopathology
 * Ryan Adeleye (born 1985), Israeli-American professional soccer defender who has played for Hapoel Ashkelon
 * Matthias W. Baldwin (1795–1866), inventor and machinery manufacturer, specializing in the production of steam locomotives, whose machine shop, established in 1825, grew to become Baldwin Locomotive Works
 * Rick Barry (born 1944), basketball star who played for the New York Nets in the American Basketball Association and the Golden State Warriors in the NBA
 * John D. Bates (born 1946), Senior United States district judge of the United States District Court for the District of Columbia
 * Eugene J. Bedell (1928–2016), politician who served in the New Jersey General Assembly from 1972 to 1982
 * Stephen Bercik (1921–2003), politician; mayor of Elizabeth from 1956 to 1964
 * Benjamin Blackledge (1743–1815), educator and public official
 * Judy Blume (born 1938), author
 * Duke Bootee (1951–2021), early hip hop record producer and rapper
 * Elias Boudinot (1740–1821), President of the Continental Congress; early U.S. Congressman
 * Todd Bowles (born 1963), head coach of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and former NFL defensive back with the Washington Redskins and San Francisco 49ers
 * David Brody (born 1930), historian; professor emeritus of history at the University of California, Davis
 * Hubie Brown (born 1933), former basketball coach and current television analyst
 * Antoinette Brown Blackwell (1825–1921), first woman to be ordained as a mainstream Protestant minister in the U.S.
 * Richard Bober (1943–2022), artist best known for his work for science fiction, fantasy, and similar paperback novels
 * Robert Nietzel Buck (1914–2007), broke the junior transcontinental air speed record in 1930; youngest pilot ever licensed in the U.S.
 * N. J. Burkett (born 1962), news correspondent for WABC-TV
 * William Burnet (1730–1791), physician who represented New Jersey in the Continental Congress from 1780 to 1781
 * Arthur Leopold Busch (1866–1956), submarine pioneer who constructed the USS Holland SS-1
 * Deidre Davis Butler (1955–2020), lawyer, disability rights activist and federal official
 * James G. Butler (1920–2005), trial lawyer who was known for winning many large verdicts for plaintiffs in civil litigation, including the first in a thalidomide case
 * Nicholas Murray Butler (1862–1947), winner of the Nobel Peace Prize; a founder of the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace
 * Elias B. Caldwell (1776–1825), Clerk of the Supreme Court of the United States
 * Joan Carroll (1931–2016), actress, known for films such as Meet Me in St. Louis and The Bells of St. Mary's
 * Rodney Carter (born 1964), former NFL running back/3rd down receiver with the Pittsburgh Steelers
 * Al Catanho (born 1972), former linebacker in the NFL for the New England Patriots and the Washington Redskins
 * John Catlin (1803–1874), acting Governor of Wisconsin Territory
 * Gil Chapman (born 1953), running back and return specialist for the University of Michigan and New Orleans Saints
 * Michael Chertoff (born 1953), United States Secretary of Homeland Security; was born and raised there
 * Hiram Chodosh (born 1962), Fifth president of Claremont McKenna College in Claremont, California
 * Abraham Clark (1725–1794), Member of the Continental Congress; signer of the Declaration of Independence
 * Amos Clark Jr. (1828–1912), politician and businessman who represented New Jersey's 3rd congressional district from 1873 to 1875
 * Freddie 'Red' Cochrane (1915–1993), professional boxer in the welterweight (147 lb) division who became World Champion in 1941 in that class
 * Jim Colbert (born 1941), golfer and multiple winner on both the PGA Tour and Champions Tour
 * Tom Colicchio (born 1962), restaurateur, chef, and judge on reality-TV program Top Chef
 * Tom Coyne (1954–2017), mastering engineer
 * Joseph Halsey Crane (1782–1851), Congressional representative from Ohio
 * Elias Dayton (1737–1807), elected to the Continental Congress; served as mayor of Elizabethtown from 1796 to 1805; father of Jonathan Dayton
 * Jonathan Dayton (1760–1824), signer of the United States Constitution and Speaker of the United States House of Representatives; born there; Dayton, Ohio, is named for him
 * John De Hart (1727–1795), delegate to the Continental Congress; was born and lived there
 * DeCavalcante crime family, one of the biggest mafia families in the U.S., is based here
 * Tom DeSanto (born 1968), film producer
 * Thomas G. Dunn (c. 1921–1998), seven-term mayor of Elizabeth whose 28 years in office made him the longest-serving mayor of a U.S. city with more than 100,000 people
 * Drew Esocoff (born 1957), television sports director, who is the director of NBC Sunday Night Football
 * John J. Fay Jr. (1927–2003), member of the New Jersey General Assembly and the New Jersey Senate
 * Chuck Feeney (1931–2023), businessman, philanthropist and the founder of The Atlantic Philanthropies, one of the largest private foundations in the world.
 * Charles N. Fowler (1852–1932), represented 5th congressional district in the United States House of Representatives from 1895 to 1911
 * Ron Freeman (born 1947), winner of the gold medal in the 4 × 400 m relay at the 1968 Summer Olympics in Mexico City; raised there and attended Thomas Jefferson High School
 * Stanton T. Friedman (1934–2019), professional ufologist
 * Minna Gale (1869–1944), Shakespearean actress
 * Chris Gatling (born 1967), NBA player for the Golden State Warriors, Miami Heat, Dallas Mavericks, New Jersey Nets, Milwaukee Bucks, Orlando Magic, Denver Nuggets, and the Cleveland Cavaliers
 * Tom Glassic (born 1954), retired NFL offensive lineman who played for the Denver Broncos
 * William Halsey Jr. (1882–1959), admiral in the United States Navy during World War II, who was one of four individuals to have attained the rank of fleet admiral
 * Alexander Hamilton (c. 1755–1804), lived here as a young man upon first arriving in America
 * Don Harris (born 1954), former American football safety who played in the NFL for the Washington Redskins and the New York Giants
 * John T. Hendrickson Jr. (1923–1999), politician who represented the 9th Legislative District in the New Jersey General Assembly from 1982 to 1989
 * Joseph J. Higgins (1929–2007), politician who served in the New Jersey General Assembly from 1966 to 1974
 * Kyrie Irving (born 1992), basketball player who plays professionally for the NBA's Dallas Mavericks
 * Raghib Ismail (born 1969), former NFL and CFL player
 * Horace Jenkins (born 1974), former NBA player for the Detroit Pistons
 * Leo Warren Jenkins (1913–1989), educator who served as the sixth president and chancellor of what is now East Carolina University
 * Marsha P. Johnson (1945–1992), LGBTQ activist, participant in the 1969 Stonewall uprising
 * I. Stanford Jolley (1900–1978), film and television actor who starred in the 1946 serial film The Crimson Ghost
 * Phineas Jones (1819–1884), represented New Jersey's 6th congressional district from 1881 to 1883
 * Karl Kaimer (born 1938), former American football tight end who played one season with the New York Titans of the American Football League
 * Arnie Kantrowitz (1940–2022), LGBT activist and college professor
 * Michael Kasha (1926–2019), physical chemist and molecular spectroscopist who collaborated with Andrés Segovia to create the Kasha Design classical guitars
 * John Kean (1852–1914), represented New Jersey in the United States Senate from 1899 to 1911; served two separate terms in the United States House of Representatives, from 1883 to 1885, and from 1887 to 1889, representing New Jersey's 3rd congressional district
 * James C. Kellogg III (1915–1980), Chairman of the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey
 * Daniel Hugh Kelly (born 1952), stage, film and television actor; was born and raised there
 * Daniel C. Kurtzer (born 1949), United States Ambassador to Egypt from 1997 to 2001 and United States Ambassador to Israel from 2001 to 2005
 * Thomas Lanigan-Schmidt (born 1948), artist and participant in the 1969 Stonewall uprising
 * Chauncey D. Leake (1896–1978), pharmacologist, medical historian and ethicist
 * Jay Lethal (born 1985 as Jamar Shipman), All Elite Wrestling and Ring of Honor professional wrestler
 * William Livingston (1723–1790), signer of the United States Constitution and the first elected Governor of New Jersey, he lived there and built his home, Liberty Hall
 * Zenaida Manfugás (1932–2012), Cuban-American pianist who was considered one of the first black pianists in Cuba
 * Emilie Martin (1869–1936), mathematician and professor of mathematics at Mount Holyoke College
 * Patrick McDonnell (born 1956), cartoonist, author and playwright who is the creator of the syndicated daily comic strip Mutts
 * James P. Mitchell (1900–1964), served as United States Secretary of Labor from 1953 to 1961; ran unsuccessfully for Governor of New Jersey
 * Thomas Mitchell (1892–1962), Oscar and Tony Award-winning actor; was born there
 * Hank Mobley (1930–1986), hard bop jazz saxophonist
 * John Morris (1926–2018), film, television and broadway composer, dance arranger, conductor and trained concert pianist, best known for his collaborations with filmmakers Mel Brooks and Gene Wilder
 * Don Newcombe (1926–2019), pitcher who spent most of his career with the Brooklyn/Los Angeles Dodgers
 * Marissa Paternoster (born 1986), artist, singer and guitarist in the bands Screaming Females and Noun
 * Elizabeth Peña (1959–2014), actress
 * Fernando Perez (born 1983), San Francisco Giants coach who played as an outfielder for the Tampa Bay Rays
 * Lorenzo Da Ponte (1749–1838), Italian-born librettist and poet
 * Stephanie Pogue (1944–2002), artist, printmaker, and art educator
 * Franklin Leonard Pope (1840–1885), telegrapher and inventor; lived there as a young man and befriended Thomas Edison
 * Elazar Mayer Preil (1878-1933), rabbi who led Elizabeth's Orthodox Jewish community.
 * Ahmad Khan Rahami (born 1988), naturalized U.S. citizen from Afghanistan and Elizabeth restaurant worker charged in the 2016 New York and New Jersey bombings
 * Ron Rivers (born 1971), running back in the NFL for six seasons
 * Jon Rua (born 1983), actor, singer and choreographer who appeared in the Broadway hit Hamilton
 * Jonal Saint-Dic (born 1985), NFL player with the Kansas City Chiefs
 * Sidney M. Schreiber (1915–2009), Associate Justice of the New Jersey Supreme Court from 1975 to 1984
 * Debralee Scott (1953–2005), actress, known for her role in Mary Hartman, Mary Hartman
 * Martin J. Silverstein (born 1954), attorney and diplomat who served as the United States Ambassador to Uruguay under President George W. Bush from 2001 to 2005
 * Mickey Spillane (1918–2006), writer
 * Joseph Stamler (1911–1988), New Jersey Superior Court judge and professor at Rutgers University
 * Leo Steiner (1939–1987), co-owner of the Carnegie Deli
 * Edward Stratemeyer (1862–1930), creator of the Hardy Boys, Bobbsey Twins, and Nancy Drew, he was born and resided there
 * William Sulzer (1863–1941), U.S. Congressman and impeached governor of New York
 * Carole Beebe Tarantelli (born 1942), American-born former member of the Italian parliament who was the first American citizen elected to the Italian Chamber of Deputies
 * Tay-K (born 2000), rapper, songwriter and convicted murderer whose song "The Race" went viral following his arrest in Elizabeth, after a nationwide manhunt for murder
 * Craig Taylor (born 1966), former running back for three seasons for the Cincinnati Bengals
 * Hal Tulchin (1926–2017), television and video director
 * Daniel Van Pelt (born 1964), politician who represented the 9th legislative district in the New Jersey General Assembly from 2008, until 2009, when he resigned after being arrested in connection with Operation Bid Rig.
 * General John W. Vogt Jr. (1920–2010), flying ace of the United States Army Air Forces in World War II who served as a general in the United States Air Force during the Cold War era
 * Dick Vosburgh (1929–2007), comedy writer and lyricist working chiefly in Britain
 * Bernie Wagenblast (born 1956), broadcaster and journalist
 * Bill Walczak, community activist who ran for mayor of Boston in 2013
 * Mickey Walker (1903–1981), boxer; held the Welterweight and Middleweight titles; was born and raised there; ranked #10 on Sports Illustrated's list of The 50 Greatest New Jersey Sports Figures
 * Mabel Madison Watson (1872-1952), composer and music educator
 * Joe Weil (born 1958), writer and active member of the New Jersey poetry scene
 * Henry S. Whitehead (1882–1932), Episcopal minister and author of horror and fantasy fiction
 * Wendy Wolin (1958-1966), schoolgirl murdered by an unknown assailant
 * Sam Woodyard (1925–1988), jazz drummer best known for his association with the Duke Ellington orchestra
 * Glen Everett Woolfenden (1930–2007), ornithologist, known for his long-term study of the Florida scrub jay population at Archbold Biological Station near Lake Placid, Florida.
 * Albert Capwell Wyckoff (1903–1953), ordained minister of the Presbyterian Church (USA) and author of juvenile fiction, most notably the Mercer Boys series and Mystery Hunter series
 * Jimmy Yacabonis (born 1992), professional baseball pitcher who played in Major League Baseball for the Baltimore Orioles, Seattle Mariners, Miami Marlins, Tampa Bay Rays, and New York Mets

Sister cities

 * 🇮🇹 Ribera, Sicily, Italy
 * 🇯🇵 Kitami, Hokkaido, Japan, signed on June 12, 1969

title: Elizabeth, New Jersey


text:
Fanwood, New Jersey

Fanwood is a borough in Union County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey. Located on a ridge in northern-central New Jersey, the borough is a commuter town of New York City in the New York metropolitan area. Fanwood is located in the Raritan Valley and Rahway Valley regions. As of the 2020 United States census, the borough's population was 7,774, an increase of 456 (+6.2%) from the 2010 census count of 7,318,  which in turn reflected an increase of 144 (+2.0%) from the 7,174 counted in the 2000 census.

Fanwood was incorporated as a borough by an act of the New Jersey Legislature on October 2, 1895, from portions of Fanwood Township (now known as Scotch Plains), based on the results of a referendum held the previous day. The borough was named for Fannie Wood, an author.

History
In 1831, the Elizabethtown and Somerville Railroad received a legislative charter to construct a railroad through the area. The line reached here in 1837 and a station, known as the Scotch Plains station, was built in 1839. The company became the Central Railroad of New Jersey in 1849. The line was later moved to reduce the grade and a new station, known as the Fanwood station, was built in 1874. At the same time, the Central New Jersey Land Improvement Company began development of Fanwood Park, a residential community around the station. The development featured curvilinear streets. John Taylor Johnston, then president of CNJ, named the community after his wife, Frances, also known as Fanny, according to his daughter, Emily. In 1878, Fanwood Township was created from Plainfield and Westfield Townships.

Historic district
The Fanwood Park Historic District is a 52 acre historic district located along North Avenue and North Martine Avenue in the community. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places on May 27, 2004, for its significance in architecture, community planning and development, landscape architecture, and transportation. The district has 57 contributing buildings, including the Fanwood station, which was previously listed individually on the NRHP. A key contributing property, the Georgian Revival style Urner/Gibbs house was built in 1894 by Benjamin Urner, as a wedding gift for his daughter who had married William M. Gibbs.

Geography
According to the United States Census Bureau, the borough had a total area of 1.34 square miles (3.47 km2), all of which was land.

The borough is bordered by Plainfield in the southwest and by Scotch Plains in all other directions.

The Robinsons Branch of the Rahway River additionally flows through Fanwood en route to the Robinson's Branch Reservoir.

2010 census
The 2010 United States census counted 7,318 people, 2,627 households, and 2,070 families in the borough. The population density was 5,454.1 per square mile (2,105.8/km2). There were 2,686 housing units at an average density of 2,001.9 per square mile (772.9/km2). The racial makeup was 84.72% (6,200) White, 5.30% (388) Black or African American, 0.14% (10) Native American, 6.75% (494) Asian, 0.00% (0) Pacific Islander, 0.97% (71) from other races, and 2.12% (155) from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 6.26% (458) of the population.

Of the 2,627 households, 41.0% had children under the age of 18; 68.7% were married couples living together; 7.9% had a female householder with no husband present and 21.2% were non-families. Of all households, 18.8% 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 2.78 and the average family size was 3.19.

27.7% of the population were under the age of 18, 4.8% from 18 to 24, 25.5% from 25 to 44, 28.0% from 45 to 64, and 14.0% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 40.5 years. For every 100 females, the population had 95.0 males. For every 100 females ages 18 and older there were 89.3 males. The Census Bureau's 2006–2010 American Community Survey showed that (in 2010 inflation-adjusted dollars) median household income was $127,450 (with a margin of error of +/− $8,852) and the median family income was $135,833 (+/− $6,654). Males had a median income of $92,262 (+/− $13,007) versus $62,845 (+/− $6,933) for females. The per capita income for the borough was $43,194 (+/− $2,939). About 0.6% of families and 2.2% of the population were below the poverty line, including none 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 7,174 people, 2,574 households, and 2,054 families residing in the borough. The population density was 5,363.4 PD/sqmi. There were 2,615 housing units at an average density of 1,955.0 /sqmi. The racial makeup of the borough was 88.30% White, 5.14% African American, 0.10% Native American, 4.39% Asian, 0.03% Pacific Islander, 0.79% from other races, and 1.24% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 3.74% of the population. Among Fanwood residents, 23.2% identified as being of Italian ancestry, 23.0% as being of Irish ancestry and 20.6% as having German ancestry.

There were 2,574 households, out of which 38.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 70.0% were married couples living together, 7.7% had a female householder with no husband present, and 20.2% were non-families. 18.0% of all households were made up of individuals, and 10.0% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.76 and the average family size was 3.13.

In the borough the population was spread out, with 25.8% under the age of 18, 4.5% from 18 to 24, 31.3% from 25 to 44, 23.8% from 45 to 64, and 14.7% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 39 years. For every 100 females, there were 91.2 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 87.9 males.

The median income for a household in the borough was $85,233, and the median income for a family was $99,232. Males had a median income of $65,519 versus $40,921 for females. The per capita income for the borough was $34,804. About 1.6% of families and 3.4% of the population were below the poverty line, including 2.6% of those under age 18 and 6.5% of those age 65 or over.

Economy
In 2014 Fanwood was recipient of a 2014 New Jersey Future Smart Growth Award for its downtown development plan.

Local government
Fanwood is governed under the borough form of New Jersey municipal government, which is used in 218 municipalities (of the 564) statewide, making it the most common form of government in New Jersey. The governing body is comprised of the mayor and the borough council, with all positions elected at-large on a partisan basis as part of the November general election. The mayor is elected directly by the voters to a four-year term of office. The borough council includes six members elected to serve three-year terms on a staggered basis, with two seats coming up for election each year in a three-year cycle. The borough form of government used by Fanwood 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 borough council is Fanwood's legislative body and may pass, adopt, amend and repeal any ordinance or where permitted, any resolution, for any purpose required for the government of the municipality, and also controls and regulates the finances of the municipality. The council may investigate any activity of the municipality, remove any officer of the municipality for cause other than those excepted by law and shall have all the executive responsibilities of the municipality not placed by general law, in the office of the mayor. The mayor of Fanwood is responsible for serving as the chief executive officer of borough government. The mayor presides over the borough council, appoints various boards and committees, oversees borough administration, and serves as the borough's ceremonial head.

, the mayor of Fanwood Borough is Democrat Colleen M. Mahr, whose term of office ends December 31, 2027. Members of the Fanwood Borough Council are Council President Katherine Mitchell (D, 2025), Jeffrey Banks (D, 2026), Gina Berry (D, 2025), Anthony Carter (D, 2026), Erin A. McElroy-Barker (D, 2024), and Patricia Walsh (D, 2024).

In January 2019, Jeffrey Banks was appointed to fill the seat expiring in December 2020 that had been held by Russell Huegel until he resigned from office to accept the position as the borough's municipal attorney.

Fire department
The Fanwood Fire Department is a volunteer fire department with 30 members that operate out of one fire station. The department has two engines, one quint and a chief's vehicle. The Fanwood Volunteer Fire Company predates the incorporation of the borough, having first been established in 1890 with its first firehouse constructed in 1897.

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

Politics
As of March 2011, there were a total of 5,033 registered voters in Fanwood, of which 1,614 (32.1% vs. 41.8% countywide) were registered as Democrats, 1,210 (24.0% vs. 15.3%) were registered as Republicans and 2,205 (43.8% vs. 42.9%) were registered as Unaffiliated. There were 4 voters registered as Libertarians or Greens. Among the borough's 2010 Census population, 68.8% (vs. 53.3% in Union County) were registered to vote, including 95.1% of those ages 18 and over (vs. 70.6% countywide).

In the 2012 presidential election, Democrat Barack Obama received 2,164 votes (54.8% vs. 66.0% countywide), ahead of Republican Mitt Romney with 1,710 votes (43.3% vs. 32.3%) and other candidates with 49 votes (1.2% vs. 0.8%), among the 3,947 ballots cast by the borough's 5,239 registered voters, for a turnout of 75.3% (vs. 68.8% in Union County). In the 2008 presidential election, Democrat Barack Obama received 2,287 votes (54.7% vs. 63.1% countywide), ahead of Republican John McCain with 1,817 votes (43.5% vs. 35.2%) and other candidates with 37 votes (0.9% vs. 0.9%), among the 4,179 ballots cast by the borough's 5,143 registered voters, for a turnout of 81.3% (vs. 74.7% in Union County). In the 2004 presidential election, Democrat John Kerry received 2,045 votes (50.2% vs. 58.3% countywide), ahead of Republican George W. Bush with 1,957 votes (48.1% vs. 40.3%) and other candidates with 41 votes (1.0% vs. 0.7%), among the 4,070 ballots cast by the borough's 5,013 registered voters, for a turnout of 81.2% (vs. 72.3% in the whole county).

In the 2013 gubernatorial election, Republican Chris Christie received 58.8% of the vote (1,503 cast), ahead of Democrat Barbara Buono with 39.3% (1,003 votes), and other candidates with 1.9% (49 votes), among the 2,604 ballots cast by the borough's 5,151 registered voters (49 ballots were spoiled), for a turnout of 50.6%. In the 2009 gubernatorial election, Republican Chris Christie received 1,468 votes (50.2% vs. 41.7% countywide), ahead of Democrat Jon Corzine with 1,140 votes (39.0% vs. 50.6%), Independent Chris Daggett with 276 votes (9.4% vs. 5.9%) and other candidates with 16 votes (0.5% vs. 0.8%), among the 2,922 ballots cast by the borough's 5,064 registered voters, yielding a 57.7% turnout (vs. 46.5% in the county).

Education
Public school students in Fanwood attend the schools of the Scotch Plains-Fanwood Regional School District, which serves students in pre-kindergarten through twelfth grade from Fanwood and Scotch Plains. The district has five elementary schools (Pre-K/K–4), two middle schools (5–8) and a comprehensive high school (9–12), all of which are located in Scotch Plains. Students from School One, Evergreen and Brunner pool into Park Middle School, while students from Coles and McGinn feed into Terrill. School One is the only elementary school that teaches English as a second language. Most students from Park Middle School and Terrill Middle school continue their high school education at the Scotch Plains-Fanwood High School. As of the 2018–19 school year, the district, comprised of eight schools, had an enrollment of 5,649 students and 438.0 classroom teachers (on an FTE basis), for a student–teacher ratio of 12.9:1. Seats on the district's nine-member board of education are allocated based on the population of the constituent districts, with two seats assigned to Fanwood.

Schools in the district (with 2018–19 enrollment data from the National Center for Education Statistics ) are Howard B. Brunner Elementary School with 414 students in grades Pre-K–4, J. Ackerman Coles School with 552 students in grades Pre-K–4, Evergreen School with 402 students in grades Pre-K–4, William J. McGinn School with 512 students in grades K–4, School One with 395 students in grades Pre-K–4, Park Middle School with 909 students in grades 5–8, Terrill Middle School with 811 students in grades 5–8 and Scotch Plains-Fanwood High School with 1,574 students in grades 9–12.

Roads and highways
, the borough had a total of 26.35 mi of roadways, of which 20.58 mi were maintained by the municipality, 4.62 mi by Union County and 1.15 mi by the New Jersey Department of Transportation.

Route 28 (known in Fanwood as South Avenue) passes through the borough, connecting Plainfield and Scotch Plains.

Another major thoroughfare is South and North Martine Avenue, which connects Fanwood to U.S. Route 22.

Public transportation
The Fanwood station is an NJ Transit railroad station on the Raritan Valley Line. The building on the north side of the tracks (westbound platform) is a Victorian building and, like the north building at Westfield station, is used by a non-profit organization. The ticket office is in the station building on the south side of the tracks (eastbound platform). The station provides service to Newark Penn Station, and from there to Hoboken Terminal or Penn Station in Midtown Manhattan.

Currently riders can take one seat rides to Penn Station in Midtown Manhattan during rush hour on weekdays, with transfer at Newark Penn Station required to reach to New York Penn Station at all other times, including weekends. The Raritan Valley Railroad Coalition has been promoting the economic benefits of one-seat ride access to New York City since 1998. RVRC has succeeded in gaining one-seat rides during off peak hours during the week; there are nine trains in each direction where riders do not need to transfer at Newark Penn Station. The ultimate goal of RVRC is to extend such one-seat rides during rush hours, which would have been achieved with the Access to the Region's Core tunnel program, but this was cancelled by then Governor Chris Christie.

NJ Transit offers bus service to and from the Port Authority Bus Terminal in Midtown Manhattan on the 113 and local service on the 822 route.

Newark Liberty International Airport is approximately 25 minutes away to the east.

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

 * Edith Ajello (born 1944), politician who has served as a member of the Rhode Island House of Representatives
 * H. W. Ambruster (1879–1961), football coach, chemical engineer, actor and lecturer
 * Bill Austin (born c. 1930), former football player
 * Derrick Caracter (born 1988), power forward/center who played for the Los Angeles Lakers, now with A.S. Ramat HaSharon of the Israeli Liga Leumit
 * Maryanne Connelly (born 1945), former mayor of Fanwood and 2000 House candidate
 * Gerry Cooney (born 1956), boxer
 * Róisín Egenton, selected The Rose of Tralee in 2000
 * Eleanor C. Lambertsen (1916–1998), nurse who was inducted into the American Nurses Association Hall of Fame in 2012
 * William Lowell Jr. (1863–1954), golf tee manufacturer
 * Hiram Maxim (1840–1916), inventor of the Maxim gun, a curling iron, fire sprinklers, and other devices
 * Hiram Percy Maxim (1869–1936), inventor, radio pioneer and founder of the American Radio Relay League
 * Michael Noriega (born 1977/1978), lawyer who is a nominee to serve as an associate justice of the Supreme Court of New Jersey.
 * Zahid Quraishi (born 1975), United States district judge of the United States District Court for the District of New Jersey
 * Todd D. Robinson (born c. 1963), American diplomat who was U.S. ambassador to Guatemala and Venezuela, and is now a senior advisor for Central America in the Bureau of Western Hemisphere Affairs
 * Linda Stender (born 1951), member of the New Jersey General Assembly, and former mayor of Fanwood
 * Robert T. Stevens (1899–1983), businessman and former chairman of J.P. Stevens and Company
 * Sada Thompson (1927–2011), actress
 * Thomas Chatterton Williams (born 1981), cultural critic and author, whose works include the 2019 book Self-Portrait in Black and White

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

title: Fanwood, New Jersey


text:
Garwood, New Jersey

Garwood is a borough in Union County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey. As of the 2020 United States census, the borough's population was 4,454, an increase of 228 (+5.4%) from the 2010 census count of 4,226, which in turn reflected an increase of 73 (+1.8%) from the 4,153 counted in the 2000 census.

History
Garwood was incorporated as a borough on March 19, 1903, from portions of Cranford and Westfield Town.

Geography
According to the United States Census Bureau, the borough had a total area of 0.65 square miles (1.68 km2), all of which was land.

The borough is roughly bisected by the tracks of NJ Transit's Raritan Valley Line, originally built as part of the Jersey Central railroad. On the north side of the railroad, most of the streets are numbered, while on the south side of Garwood most of the streets are named after trees.

Garwood borders the Union County municipalities of Cranford and Westfield.

2010 census
The 2010 United States census counted 4,226 people, 1,778 households, and 1,118 families in the borough. The population density was 6,362.7 per square mile (2,456.7/km2). There were 1,870 housing units at an average density of 2,815.5 per square mile (1,087.1/km2). The racial makeup was 93.23% (3,940) White, 1.06% (45) Black or African American, 0.02% (1) Native American, 2.04% (86) Asian, 0.00% (0) Pacific Islander, 1.80% (76) from other races, and 1.85% (78) from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 8.83% (373) of the population.

Of the 1,778 households, 23.9% had children under the age of 18; 47.5% were married couples living together; 10.7% had a female householder with no husband present and 37.1% were non-families. Of all households, 29.9% were made up of individuals and 10.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.38 and the average family size was 3.00.

19.3% of the population were under the age of 18, 6.4% from 18 to 24, 30.4% from 25 to 44, 28.7% from 45 to 64, and 15.2% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 41.4 years. For every 100 females, the population had 93.9 males. For every 100 females ages 18 and older there were 92.3 males.

The Census Bureau's 2006–2010 American Community Survey showed that (in 2010 inflation-adjusted dollars) median household income was $72,254 (with a margin of error of +/− $9,274) and the median family income was $86,959 (+/− $8,603). Males had a median income of $58,258 (+/− $3,197) versus $43,455 (+/− $3,625) for females. The per capita income for the borough was $35,753 (+/− $2,821). About 0.9% of families and 1.8% of the population were below the poverty line, including none of those under age 18 and none of those age 65 or over.

2000 census
As of the 2000 United States census there were 4,153 people, 1,731 households, and 1,125 families residing in the borough. The population density was 6,292.9 PD/sqmi. There were 1,782 housing units at an average density of 2,700.2 /sqmi. The racial makeup of the borough was 95.91% White, 0.36% African American, 1.32% Asian, 1.54% from other races, and 0.87% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 4.98% of the population.

There were 1,731 households, out of which 26.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 49.0% were married couples living together, 12.1% had a female householder with no husband present, and 35.0% were non-families. 28.7% of all households were made up of individuals, and 11.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.40 and the average family size was 2.96.

In the borough the population was spread out, with 20.0% under the age of 18, 6.3% from 18 to 24, 35.6% from 25 to 44, 20.9% from 45 to 64, and 17.2% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females, there were 93.3 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 89.6 males.

The median income for a household in the borough was $52,571, and the median income for a family was $64,053. Males had a median income of $50,951 versus $36,538 for females. The per capita income for the borough was $26,944. About 3.5% of families and 5.1% of the population were below the poverty line, including 6.3% of those under age 18 and 6.4% of those age 65 or over.

Local government
Garwood is governed under the borough form of New Jersey municipal government, which is used in 218 municipalities (of the 564) statewide, making it the most common form of government in New Jersey. The governing body is comprised of the mayor and the borough council, with all positions elected at-large on a partisan basis as part of the November general election. The mayor is elected directly by the voters to a four-year term of office. The borough council includes six members elected to serve three-year terms on a staggered basis, with two seats coming up for election each year in a three-year cycle. The borough form of government used by Garwood 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 Garwood is Democrat Jen Blumenstock, whose term of office ends December 31, 2026. Members of the Garwood Borough Council are Council President Vincent Kearney (D, 2026), Karina Boto (D, 2026), Sean Foley (D, 2024), Marc Lazarow (D, 2025), Clarissa Nolde (D, 2025), and Kimberly Salmon (R, 2024).

In December 2022, the borough council appointed Rachel Herz to fill the seat expiring in December 2024 that had been held by Louis Petruzzelli, who served briefly before resigning. Petruzzelli had been appointed to fill the seat that had originally been held by Heather Loffredo until she stepped down from office in September 2022.

In January 2019, the borough council selected Russell Graham from a list of three candidates nominated by the Democratic municipal committee to fill the seat expiring in December 2020 that became vacant when Sara Todisco took office as mayor. Graham served on an interim basis until the November 2019 general election, when he was elected to serve the balance of the term of office.

The Borough Administrator is Kyle Harris. The Borough Clerk is Catherine D. Cameron.

Federal, state, and county representation
Garwood is located in the 10th Congressional District and is part of New Jersey's 21st state legislative district.

Politics
As of March 2011, there were a total of 2,685 registered voters in Garwood, of which 796 (29.6% vs. 41.8% countywide) were registered as Democrats, 496 (18.5% vs. 15.3%) were registered as Republicans and 1,393 (51.9% vs. 42.9%) were registered as Unaffiliated. There were no voters registered to other parties. Among the borough's 2010 Census population, 63.5% (vs. 53.3% in Union County) were registered to vote, including 78.7% of those ages 18 and over (vs. 70.6% countywide).

In the 2012 presidential election, Democrat Barack Obama received 968 votes (48.8% vs. 66.0% countywide), ahead of Republican Mitt Romney with 957 votes (48.2% vs. 32.3%) and other candidates with 38 votes (1.9% vs. 0.8%), among the 1,985 ballots cast by the borough's 2,812 registered voters, for a turnout of 70.6% (vs. 68.8% in Union County). In the 2008 presidential election, Republican John McCain received 1,090 votes (51.6% vs. 35.2% countywide), ahead of Democrat Barack Obama with 971 votes (46.0% vs. 63.1%) and other candidates with 31 votes (1.5% vs. 0.9%), among the 2,111 ballots cast by the borough's 2,782 registered voters, for a turnout of 75.9% (vs. 74.7% in Union County). In the 2004 presidential election, Republican George W. Bush received 995 votes (50.5% vs. 40.3% countywide), ahead of Democrat John Kerry with 928 votes (47.1% vs. 58.3%) and other candidates with 30 votes (1.5% vs. 0.7%), among the 1,970 ballots cast by the borough's 2,539 registered voters, for a turnout of 77.6% (vs. 72.3% in the whole county).

In the 2013 gubernatorial election, Republican Chris Christie received 64.1% of the vote (802 cast), ahead of Democrat Barbara Buono with 34.3% (429 votes), and other candidates with 1.6% (20 votes), among the 1,297 ballots cast by the borough's 2,763 registered voters (46 ballots were spoiled), for a turnout of 46.9%. In the 2009 gubernatorial election, Republican Chris Christie received 823 votes (56.4% vs. 41.7% countywide), ahead of Democrat Jon Corzine with 477 votes (32.7% vs. 50.6%), Independent Chris Daggett with 127 votes (8.7% vs. 5.9%) and other candidates with 18 votes (1.2% vs. 0.8%), among the 1,460 ballots cast by the borough's 2,681 registered voters, yielding a 54.5% turnout (vs. 46.5% in the county).

Police
Garwood's primary law enforcement is the borough's police department, serving the borough since its establishment in 1906. The Garwood Police Department is a small force consisting of Chief of Police James H. Wright, one captain, two lieutenants, two sergeants, ten patrolmen, and four civilian dispatchers. Patrol operations normally consist of one north side car, one south side car, and one supervisor. Officers work 12-hour shifts, four days on, four days off, alternating between days and nights.

EMS
Garwood First Aid Squad serves as the emergency medical service in town. Founded in 1939, it is non-profit service, consists of a dedicated all volunteer staff serving the borough 24 hours per day, seven days a week, at no cost to the residents. Drivers and EMTs on the squad also answer calls for mutual aid when an ambulance is needed in other towns where one is not available. GFAS answers anywhere from 350 to 400 calls annually.

Fire
Garwood Fire Department is entirely volunteer, and serves the borough in the capacity of fire protection, fire prevention, and fire code enforcement. The fire chief is John Scalzadonna.

Education
The Garwood Public Schools serves students in pre-kindergarten through eighth grade at Lincoln School. As of the 2022–23 school year, the district, comprised of one school, had an enrollment of 360 students and 31.6 classroom teachers (on an FTE basis), for a student–teacher ratio of 11.4:1.

Public school students in ninth through twelfth grades attend Arthur L. Johnson High School in neighboring Clark as part of a sending/receiving relationship with the Clark Public School District. As of the 2022–23 school year, the school had an enrollment of 884 students and 69.0 classroom teachers (on an FTE basis), for a student–teacher ratio of 12.8:1.

Students from Garwood, and all of Union County, are eligible to attend one of the Union County Vocational Technical Schools.

Roads and highways
, the borough had a total of 13.88 mi of roadways, of which 11.90 mi were maintained by the municipality, 1.02 mi by Union County and 0.96 mi by the New Jersey Department of Transportation.

Route 28 is the main highway through Garwood, connecting east to Cranford and west to Westfield. Route 59, which borders Cranford to the east, has been described as the shortest four-lane paved highway in the United States. It was built in the late 1920s, numbered Route 22 at the time and was originally planned to run from Fairfield Township to Rahway, but was never completed. Its total length is 792 ft.

Public transportation
The Garwood station offers limited NJ Transit rail service on the Raritan Valley Line. The station has limited service, does not have platforms and is not ADA compliant.

NJ Transit also provides bus service along two different lines, the 113 route to the Port Authority Bus Terminal in Midtown Manhattan and the 59 bus to Newark.

Newark Liberty International Airport is approximately 15 minutes away. Linden Airport, a general aviation facility is in nearby Linden, New Jersey.

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

 * David Durante (born 1980), national men's gymnastics champion
 * Loree Jon Hasson (born 1965), professional pool player
 * Barry Lubin (born 1952), creator of the clown character "Grandma" of the Big Apple Circus
 * John J. McCarthy (1927–2001), politician who served in the New Jersey General Assembly and as Mayor of Garwood
 * Tom Perrotta (born 1961), author
 * David Joseph Weeks (born 1944), neuropsychologist, educator and author best known for his study of eccentricity

title: Garwood, New Jersey


text:
Hillside, New Jersey

Hillside is a township in Union County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey. As of the 2020 United States census, the township's population was 22,456, an increase of 1,052 (+4.9%) from the 2010 census count of 21,404,  which in turn reflected a decline of 343 (−1.6%) from the 21,747 counted in the 2000 census.

Hillside was incorporated as a township on April 3, 1913, from portions of Union Township, based on the results of a referendum held on April 29, 1913. The township was named for the surrounding hills.

The township is split between area codes 908 and 973.

History
Hillside was created from parcels of land carved out of neighboring Newark, Elizabeth, and Union. It originally contained the farms of Woodruff, Conant and Saybrook. Local streets still bear their names.

Hillside was incorporated shortly after the appearance of Halley's Comet in 1910, and for that reason, the team nickname of Hillside High School was made the "Comets" when the high school opened in 1940. Several local businesses take the name "Comet" for the same reason.

The Hillside Historical Society was established in the 1980s in the Woodruff home on Conant Street, perhaps the township's oldest. The Woodruff House and Eaton Store Museum is operated and maintained by the Hillside Historical Society. Purchased by the society in 1978, the house has been faithfully restored to its original grandeur. The Woodruff House spans three centuries in one structure, including the original 1735 building, the 1790 addition, the 1890s kitchen and the 1900s store. The society has also added to the grounds an authentic post and beam barn, a Phil Rizzuto and All Sports Museum honoring the Hillside legend as well as an archive to house the many documents the society has obtained over the years.

Jean-Ray Turner, a reporter for the Elizabeth Daily Journal, wrote Along the Upper Road in the 1970s, a book of the history of Hillside.

Hillside has been the home of Bristol-Myers Squibb. Lionel Trains were manufactured from 1929 to 1974 at a factory located in Hillside that employed as many as 2,000 employees. The town thrived for decades and reached an economic peak in the 1960s. Blue collar workers who lived primarily in the central part of town were employed in local manufacturing concerns. White collar workers established the neighborhood known as Westminster where Yankee shortstop and broadcaster Phil Rizzuto lived for most of his adult life, until his death. That section of town also included the private Pingry School for boys (which left the township) and is now the East Campus of Kean University.

In the 1950s and 1960s the township was approximately one-half Jewish, many of whom lived either in Westminster or in the area of Hillside near Chancellor Avenue, adjacent to the Weequahic section of Newark, which was the early home of comedian Jerry Lewis and writer Philip Roth (Portnoy's Complaint).

In the early 1950s the township established Conant Park, its largest. The park is bounded by the Elizabeth River and Conant Street. At the rear area of the park near Pingry School was the boundary of the Kean Estate, the boyhood home of Governor Thomas Kean (1982–1990). The wealthy Kean family also donated the land on Morris Avenue and helped to establish Newark Normal College in 1885, which was renamed Kean College, and later Kean University, in the family's honor. Also in the 1950s the Town Hall, Police Headquarters and Municipal Library were constructed at the corner of Liberty and Hillside Avenues.

Township organizations include Rotary International, Kiwanis, Knights of Columbus, Elks, the Hillside Industrial Association, the Hillside Business and Professional Women's Club, the Republican Club and the Democratic Club, as well as a number of ethnic clubs and associations.

In 1991, police from both Hillside and Newark fired nearly 40 shots at a van that had rammed a Hillside police vehicle after a high-speed chase. The pursuit had started after the van had been reported stolen at gunpoint in Newark and was being followed by three Newark police cars before crossing into Hillside. Two of the people inside the vehicle were killed and four of the five other passengers were wounded, though the Union County Prosecutor indicated that there was no clear explanation for why the police had started shooting. The Reverend Al Sharpton held a rally outside Town Hall on Hillside Avenue demanding that the police officers involved in the shootings should be prosecuted for their actions.

Geography
According to the United States Census Bureau, the township had a total area of 2.78 square miles (7.20 km2), including 2.77 square miles (7.17 km2) of land and 0.02 square miles (0.04 km2) of water (0.54%).

Unincorporated communities, localities and place names located partially or completely within the township include Lyons Farms and Saybrooke.

The township is located on the northern edge of Union County and is bordered to the northwest by Irvington and to the north and northeast by Newark, both in Essex County. Elizabeth borders Hillside to the east and southeast, while Union borders to the west.

Climate
The climate in this area is characterized by hot, humid summers and generally mild to cool winters. According to the Köppen Climate Classification system, Hillside has a humid subtropical climate, abbreviated "Cfa" on climate maps.

2010 census
The 2010 United States census counted 21,404 people, 7,112 households, and 5,533 families in the township. The population density was 7784.0 /sqmi. There were 7,536 housing units at an average density of 2740.6 /sqmi. The racial makeup was 34.75% (7,438) White, 53.19% (11,384) Black or African American, 0.22% (47) Native American, 2.73% (585) Asian, 0.03% (7) Pacific Islander, 6.22% (1,332) from other races, and 2.85% (611) from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 17.63% (3,774) of the population.

Of the 7,112 households, 33.2% had children under the age of 18; 48.7% were married couples living together; 22.0% had a female householder with no husband present and 22.2% were non-families. Of all households, 18.6% were made up of individuals and 6.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 3.01 and the average family size was 3.41.

23.7% of the population were under the age of 18, 9.7% from 18 to 24, 26.9% from 25 to 44, 27.9% from 45 to 64, and 11.8% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38.0 years. For every 100 females, the population had 86.8 males. For every 100 females ages 18 and older there were 84.3 males.

The Census Bureau's 2006–2010 American Community Survey showed that (in 2010 inflation-adjusted dollars) median household income was $55,520 (with a margin of error of +/− $5,760) and the median family income was $67,492 (+/− $5,643). Males had a median income of $44,421 (+/− $3,088) versus $42,927 (+/− $4,392) for females. The per capita income for the township was $35,486 (+/− $3,349). About 9.4% of families and 11.7% of the population were below the poverty line, including 15.7% of those under age 18 and 13.3% of those age 65 or over.

2000 census
As of the 2000 United States census there were 21,747 people, 7,161 households, and 5,578 families residing in the township. The population density was 7,793.6 PD/sqmi. There were 7,388 housing units at an average density of 2,647.7 /sqmi. The racial makeup of the township was 40.03% White, 46.54% African American, 0.23% Native American, 3.45% Asian, 0.08% Pacific Islander, 5.26% from other races, and 4.41% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 14.50% of the population. As of the 2000 Census, an adjusted 11.2% of residents listed themselves as being of Portuguese ancestry, the third-highest in New Jersey among communities in which more than 1,000 residents recorded an ancestry group.

There were 7,161 households, out of which 36.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 53.5% were married couples living together, 18.8% had a female householder with no husband present, and 22.1% were non-families. 18.0% of all households were made up of individuals, and 7.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 3.04 and the average family size was 3.45.

In the township the population was spread out, with 25.6% under the age of 18, 8.9% from 18 to 24, 30.3% from 25 to 44, 24.1% from 45 to 64, and 11.1% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females, there were 88.3 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 84.2 males.

The median income for a household in the township was $59,136, and the median income for a family was $64,635. Males had a median income of $39,439 versus $31,817 for females. The per capita income for the township was $21,724. About 3.2% of families and 5.3% of the population were below the poverty line, including 5.4% of those under age 18 and 9.1% of those age 65 or over.

Economy
Portions of the township are part of an Urban Enterprise Zone (UEZ), one of 32 zones covering 37 municipalities statewide. Hillside was selected in 1996 as one of a group of seven zones added to participate in the program. In addition to other benefits to encourage employment and investment within the UEZ, shoppers can take advantage of a reduced 3.3125% sales tax rate (half of the $6 5/8$% rate charged statewide) at eligible merchants. Established in May 1996, the township's Urban Enterprise Zone status expires in May 2027.

Arts and culture
Musical groups from Hillside include Blanks 77, a street punk band.

Local government
Hillside is governed by the Faulkner Act (formally known as the Optional Municipal Charter Law), under the Mayor-Council form of New Jersey municipal government (plan 4), as implemented as of July 1, 1997. The township is one of 71 municipalities (of the 564) statewide that use this form of government. The governing body is comprised of the mayor and the seven-member Township Council, all elected to four-year terms of office on a non-partisan basis as part of the November general election in odd-numbered years. Four council members come from wards, and three are elected at-large. The four ward seats all come up for election together and the mayoral and at-large seats come up for vote together two years later. In August 2010, the council voted to shift municipal elections from May to November, to be held in conjunction with the general election.

, the Mayor of Hillside is Dahlia O. Vertreese, whose term of office ends December 31, 2025. Members of the Township Council are Council President Craig Epps (At-large, 2025), Lisa Bonanno (At-large, 2025), David Feuerstein (Ward 4, 2027), Andrea Hyatt (Ward 1, 2027), Daryl Joyner (Ward 3, 2027), Robert Rios (At-large, 2025), and Salonia Saxton (Ward 2, 2027).

In the 2017 general election, none of the candidates for mayor or at-large council seats crossed the 50% threshold, leading to a December run-off between Dahlia Vertreese and Jorge A. Batista, the two top candidates for mayor, and the top six for council, consisting of the three-person slates affiliated with the two mayoral candidates. The runoff was won by Vertreese and her slate.

Federal, state and county representation
Hillside is located in the 10th Congressional District and is part of New Jersey's 28th state legislative district.

Politics
In March 2011, there were 11,991 registered voters in Hillside Township, of whom 6,196 (51.7% vs. 41.8% countywide) were registered as Democrats, 685 (5.7% vs. 15.3%) were registered as Republicans and 5,109 (42.6% vs. 42.9%) were registered as Unaffiliated. There was one voter registered to other parties. Among the township's 2010 Census population, 56.0% (vs. 53.3% in Union County) were registered to vote, including 73.4% of those ages 18 and over (vs. 70.6% countywide).

In the 2012 presidential election, Democrat Barack Obama received 8,059 votes (86.4% vs. 66.0% countywide), ahead of Republican Mitt Romney with 1,186 votes (12.7% vs. 32.3%) and other candidates with 23 votes (0.2% vs. 0.8%), among the 9,323 ballots cast by the township's 12,982 registered voters, for a turnout of 71.8% (vs. 68.8% in Union County). In the 2008 presidential election, Democrat Barack Obama received 7,908 votes (83.3% vs. 63.1% countywide), ahead of Republican John McCain with 1,491 votes (15.7% vs. 35.2%) and other candidates with 33 votes (0.3% vs. 0.9%), among the 9,492 ballots cast by the township's 12,766 registered voters, for a turnout of 74.4% (vs. 74.7% in Union County). In the 2004 presidential election, Democrat John Kerry received 6,415 votes (77.7% vs. 58.3% countywide), ahead of Republican George W. Bush with 1,737 votes (21.0% vs. 40.3%) and other candidates with 41 votes (0.5% vs. 0.7%), among the 8,257 ballots cast by the township's 11,702 registered voters, for a turnout of 70.6% (vs. 72.3% in the whole county).

In the 2013 gubernatorial election, Democrat Barbara Buono received 67.8% of the vote (3,362 cast), ahead of Republican Chris Christie with 31.6% (1,564 votes), and other candidates with 0.6% (31 votes), among the 5,370 ballots cast by the township's 12,816 registered voters (413 ballots were spoiled), for a turnout of 41.9%. In the 2009 gubernatorial election, Democrat Jon Corzine received 4,236 ballots cast (77.1% vs. 50.6% countywide), ahead of Republican Chris Christie with 1,085 votes (19.8% vs. 41.7%), Independent Chris Daggett with 102 votes (1.9% vs. 5.9%) and other candidates with 32 votes (0.6% vs. 0.8%), among the 5,492 ballots cast by the township's 12,413 registered voters, yielding a 44.2% turnout (vs. 46.5% in the county).

Education
The Hillside Public Schools serve students in pre-kindergarten through twelfth grade. As of the 2018–19 school year, the district, comprised of six schools, had an enrollment of 3,123 students and 260.7 classroom teachers (on an FTE basis), for a student–teacher ratio of 12.0:1. Schools in the district (with 2018–19 enrollment data from the National Center for Education Statistics ) are Abram P. Morris Early Childhood Center (636 students; in grades Pre-K–1), Calvin Coolidge Elementary School (205; grade 2), Hurden Looker School (461; 3–4), George Washington School (488; grade 5), Walter O. Krumbiegel Middle School (452; 6–8) and Hillside High School (842; 9–12). Hillside High School on Liberty Avenue was originally constructed in 1941, replacing the Coe Avenue (A.P. Morris) School which became a grammar school. Additions were later added to accommodate the baby-boomers of the 1950s and 1960s. In the mid-sixties the high school held some 1,500 students.

Catholic grammar schools included Christ the King on Columbia Avenue and St. Catherine of Siena School in Elizabeth on North Broad Street until the two were merged in 2004 to form Hillside Catholic Academy with the students from both schools together at the facility on Bloy Street. The school was one of eight closed by the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Newark at the end of the 2011–2012 school year, in the face of declining enrollment and rising expenses, part of a long-term reduction in the number of schools in the archdiocese, which had dropped to 112 from the 176 schools systemwide a decade earlier.

A portion of Kean University is located in the Westminster section of Hillside, on the grounds of the former Pingry School.

Roads and highways
, the township had a total of 48.48 mi of roadways, of which 38.72 mi were maintained by the municipality, 5.57 mi by Union County, 3.47 mi by the New Jersey Department of Transportation and 0.72 mi by the New Jersey Turnpike Authority.

The Garden State Parkway, Interstate 78, U.S. Route 22, New Jersey Route 439 and County Route 509 all pass through Hillside. The Union toll plaza of the Garden State Parkway is located on the northbound lanes of the parkway, approaching the interchange for I-78.

Public transportation
NJ Transit offers bus service to the Port Authority Bus Terminal in Midtown Manhattan on the 113 and 114 routes and to other New Jersey points. There is one train line that passes through the township but there are no stations. The Irvington Industrial Branch of the Lehigh Valley Railroad (now Conrail Shared Assets) breaks off of the mainline to serve several industries. The closest train stations are Union station in Union, and North Elizabeth station in Elizabeth.

Newark Liberty International Airport is approximately 2 mi east of Hillside.

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

 * William Bendix (1908–1964), actor (Lifeboat, Life of Riley), lived here in the 1930s
 * Neil Best, sports media journalist for Newsday
 * Clint Bolick (born 1957), associate justice of the Arizona Supreme Court
 * Marquis Cunningham (born 1989), finalist on So You Think You Can Dance
 * Michael V. Gazzo (1923–1995), playwright (A Hatful of Rain) and Academy Award-nominated film actor (The Godfather Part II)
 * David Jones (born 1968), former NFL tight end who played for the Los Angeles Raiders in 1992
 * Marc Leepson (born 1945), journalist and historian
 * Kyle Lofton (born 1999), college basketball player for the St. Bonaventure Bonnies
 * Rollie Massimino (1934–2017), college basketball coach, led Villanova to 1985 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Championship
 * Jerron McMillian (born 1989), NFL safety for the Green Bay Packers
 * Mr. Len (Leonard "Lenny" Smythe), hip-hop artist, former member of underground group Company Flow, current member Roosevelt Franklin
 * Adrienne A. Mandel (born 1936), politician who represented the 19th District in the Maryland House of Delegates for more than ten years
 * Jamar McGloster (born 1995), professional gridiron football offensive tackle for the Montreal Alouettes of the Canadian Football League
 * Xavier Munford (born 1992), basketball player for Hapoel Tel Aviv of the Israeli Basketball Premier League
 * Kendall Ogle (born 1976), 1999 draft pick of NFL's Cleveland Browns
 * Robert Parham (born 1966), kickboxing former World Kickboxing Champion and actor
 * Alan Paul (born 1949), member of The Manhattan Transfer
 * Tab Ramos (born 1966), footballer and member of the United States' 1990 and 1994 World Cup teams; Hillside was childhood home
 * Nicholas Reale (1922–1984), watercolorist with a lengthy career in art and teaching
 * Phil Rizzuto (1917–2007), Hall of Fame baseball player and broadcaster; longtime Hillside resident
 * Arthur Seale (born 1946), serving life sentence for 1980s kidnapping, murder of Exxon oil executive Sidney Reso
 * Ralph H. Spanjer (1920–1999), U.S. Marine Corps major general
 * Marquis Spruill (born 1991), football linebacker
 * Dan Studney (born 1941), former track and field athlete who competed in the javelin throw, winning a gold medal for the United States at the 1963 Pan American Games
 * Tame One (born 1970 as Rahem Brown), hip-hop artist and member of supergroup The Weathermen
 * Jeff Tittel, environmentalist who spent more than two decades as the director of the New Jersey Sierra Club
 * UNIIQU3 (stage name of Cherise Alexandria Gary), music producer and Jersey club artist
 * Harry Wilf (1921–1992), co-founder of the real estate development firm Garden Homes
 * Joseph Wilf (1925–2016), co-founder of the real estate development firm Garden Homes
 * Zygi Wilf (born 1950), real estate developer, principal owner of NFL's Minnesota Vikings, younger brother Mark Wilf (born 1962), president of the Vikings and cousin Leonard Wilf (born 1947), the team's vice chairman
 * Hela Young (1950–2002), Miss New Jersey 1971, former New Jersey Lottery host
 * Dick Zimmer (born 1944), former member of the United States House of Representatives, Republican candidate for United States Senate in 1996 and 2008

Evergreen Cemetery
Hillside is the site of Evergreen Cemetery, known locally as the burial site of many Roma (or Gypsy) families and a number of notable writers, including:
 * Stephen Crane, author of The Red Badge of Courage
 * Mary Mapes Dodge, author of Hans Brinker or The Silver Skates
 * Edward Stratemeyer, creator of the Hardy Boys, Bobbsey Twins, Nancy Drew, Rover Boys, and Tom Swift series, among others

The Evergreen Cemetery was mentioned in Weird NJ for an incident in 1902, when after a downpour, bodies were found on the streets.

Pop culture

 * Hip hop artist Lauryn Hill mentions Hillside on her album The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill. In the song "Every Ghetto, Every City," in which she describes her experiences growing up in New Jersey, she raps, "Hillside brings beef with the cops."
 * The 1978 film King of the Gypsies was filmed in part in Hillside.
 * The Rat Slayer of Hillside, NJ, a documentary about Hillside resident Frank Balun who was charged for killing a rat, features the township.

title: Hillside, New Jersey