| Hightstown, New Jersey | |
|---|---|
| — Borough — | |
| Hightstown highlighted in Mercer County. Inset map: Mercer County highlighted in the State of New Jersey. | |
| Census Bureau map of Hightstown, New Jersey | |
| Coordinates: | |
| Country | United States |
| State | New Jersey |
| County | Mercer |
| Incorporated | March 5, 1853 |
| Government | |
| • Type | Borough (New Jersey) |
| • Mayor | Steven Kirson (D, 2014) |
| Area | |
| • Total | 1.2 sq mi (3.2 km2) |
| • Land | 1.2 sq mi (3.2 km2) |
| • Water | 0.0 sq mi (0.1 km2) |
| Elevation[1] | 108 ft (33 m) |
| Population (2010) | |
| • Total | 5,494 |
| • Density | 4,578.3/sq mi (1,716.9/km2) |
| Time zone | Eastern (EST) (UTC-5) |
| • Summer (DST) | EDT (UTC-4) |
| ZIP code | 08520 |
| Area code(s) | 609 |
| FIPS code | 34-31620[2][3] |
| GNIS feature ID | 0885254[4] |
| Website | http://www.hightstownborough.com |
Hightstown is a Borough in Mercer County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, the borough population was 5,494.
Hightstown was incorporated as a borough by an Act of the New Jersey Legislature on March 5, 1853, within portions of East Windsor Township. The borough became fully independent c. 1894. Additional portions of East Windsor Township were annexed in 1913, 1915 and 1927.[5]
Contents |
Hightstown is located at (40.269759, -74.524161).[6]
According to the United States Census Bureau, the borough has a total area of 1.2 square miles (3.1 km2), of which, 1.2 square miles (3.1 km2) of it is land and 0.04 square miles (0.10 km2) of it (1.60%) is water.
Hightstown is an independent municipality surrounded entirely by East Windsor Township.
Hightstown is the central most point of New Jersey and is roughly equidistant from Philadelphia and New York City.
The history of the bypass dates back to when it was originally planned as Route 92. Running from Route 33, it would have crossed U.S. Route 130 and traveled northwest to a proposed interchange with the then-proposed Somerset Freeway. Decades of lengthy battles resulted in both plans being canceled, and the only surviving section was the bypass of Hightstown itself. This freeway was given another designation, Route 133 and runs from CR 571 to Route 33. It only has two interchanges and has traffic signals at both ends. Without a proper connection to the New Jersey Turnpike, the bypass has not lived up to its original expectations and congestion through Hightstown still largely remains. Discussions have been made of potentially extending the bypass further south to provide a connection with U.S. Route 130 south of Hightstown, however this section would more than likely carry the Route 33 designation. Some have also suggested that a direct connection to the New Jersey Turnpike from the freeway bypass may also eliminate much congestion from downtown traffic.
Hightstown is conveniently located at the cross-roads of several major roads. The main road through the borough is Route 33 (which is also multiplexed with County Route 539 and County Route 571). U.S. Route 130 just barely passes through the northwest corner, but is usually accessible by Route 33, CR 571 and CR 539. The Hightstown Bypass is north of the borough. Hightstown is also immediately adjacent to Exit 8 of the New Jersey Turnpike (I-95) in East Windsor.
| Historical populations | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Census | Pop. | %± | |
| 1910 | 1,879 |
|
|
| 1920 | 2,674 | 42.3% | |
| 1930 | 3,012 | 12.6% | |
| 1940 | 3,486 | 15.7% | |
| 1950 | 3,712 | 6.5% | |
| 1960 | 4,317 | 16.3% | |
| 1970 | 5,431 | 25.8% | |
| 1980 | 4,581 | −15.7% | |
| 1990 | 5,126 | 11.9% | |
| 2000 | 5,216 | 1.8% | |
| 2010 | 5,494 | 5.3% | |
| Population 1930 - 1990.[7] | |||
As of the census[2] of 2000, there were 5,216 people, 2,001 households, and 1,300 families residing in the borough. The population density was 4,251.9 people per square mile (1,637.3/km2). There were 2,081 housing units at an average density of 1,696.4 per square mile (653.2/km2). The racial makeup of the borough was 76.53% White, 8.51% African American, 0.36% Native American, 2.28% Asian, 0.08% Pacific Islander, 9.64% from other races, and 2.59% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 20.05% of the population. It has the sixth highest percentage of people of Ecuadorian ancestry in the United States.
There were 2,001 households out of which 30.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 51.7% were married couples living together, 8.5% had a female householder with no husband present, and 35.0% were non-families. 27.9% of all households were made up of individuals and 9.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.60 and the average family size was 3.15.
In the borough the population was spread out with 22.5% under the age of 18, 8.0% from 18 to 24, 36.8% from 25 to 44, 21.9% from 45 to 64, and 10.8% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females there were 103.4 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 101.2 males.
The median income for a household in the borough was $64,299, and the median income for a family was $72,092. Males had a median income of $46,375 versus $35,428 for females. The per capita income for the borough was $28,605. About 4.3% of families and 7.3% of the population were below the poverty line, including 9.1% of those under age 18 and 4.4% of those age 65 or over.
As of the 2000 census, 6.31% of Hightstown's residents identified themselves as being of Ecuadorian ancestry, which was the second highest of any municipality in New Jersey and the sixth highest percentage of Ecuadorian people in any place in the United States with 1,000 or more residents identifying their ancestry.[8]
Hightstown is governed under the Borough form of New Jersey municipal government. The government consists of a Mayor and a Borough Council comprising six council members, with all positions elected at large. A Mayor is elected directly by the voters to a four-year term of office. The Borough Council consists of six members elected to serve three-year terms on a staggered basis, with two seats coming up for election each year.[9]
As of 2011[update], the Mayor of the Borough of Hightstown is Steven Kirson (D), whose term of office ends on December 31, 2014.[10] Borough Council members are Council President Isabel McGinty (D, 2011), Selena Bibens (R, 2013), Skye Gilmartin (R, 2011), Lawrence D. Quattrone (D, 2012), J. Michael Vanderbeck (D, 2012) and Lynne Woods (R, 2013).[11] Vanderbeck was unanimously chosen by the Council to take the seat of Dimitri Musing who had resigned in protest in April over a request for legal indemnity.[12]
Hightstown is in the 4th Congressional district and is part of New Jersey's 12th state legislative district.[13]
New Jersey's Fourth Congressional District is represented by Christopher Smith (R). New Jersey is represented in the United States Senate by Frank Lautenberg (D, Cliffside Park) and Bob Menendez (D, Hoboken).
12th legislative district of the New Jersey Legislature, which is represented in the New Jersey Senate by Jennifer Beck (R, Red Bank) and in the New Jersey General Assembly by Caroline Casagrande (R, Colts Neck Township) and Declan O'Scanlon (R, Little Silver).[14] The Governor of New Jersey is Chris Christie (R, Mendham).[15] The Lieutenant Governor of New Jersey is Kim Guadagno (R, Monmouth Beach).[16]
Under Mercer County's form of government, the County Executive performs executive functions and oversees the day-to-day operations of the county and a seven-member Board of Chosen Freeholders acts in a legislative capacity, setting policy. As of 2011, the County Executive is Brian M. Hughes.[17] Members of the Board of Chosen Freeholders are elected at-large to serve three-year terms on a staggered basis, with two or three seats coming up for election each year. A Freeholder Chair and Vice-Chair are selected on an annual basis from among its members.[18] County Freeholders are Freeholder Chair Pasqual "Pat" Colavita, Jr. (term ends December 31, 2012; Lawrenceville)[19], Freeholder Vice Chair Lucylle R. S. Walter (2011; Ewing Township)[20], Samuel T. Frisby (2011; Trenton)[21], Ann M. Cannon (2012; East Windsor Township)[22], Anthony P. Carabelli (2013; Trenton)[23], John Cimino (2011; Hamilton Township)[24] and Andrew Koontz (2013; Princeton Borough)[25][26]
Students in public school for Kindergarten through 12th grade attend the East Windsor Regional School District, a comprehensive public school district serving students from East Windsor Township and Hightstown Borough. Public school students in grades 7 - 12 from Roosevelt Borough (a community of 933 residents in Monmouth County) are sent to the district's schools as part of a sending/receiving relationship with the Roosevelt Public School District.[27]
Schools in the district (with 2008-09 enrollment data from the National Center for Education Statistics.[28]) are four K-5 elementary schools — Walter C. Black Elementary School with 589 students, Perry L. Drew Elementary School with 643 students, Ethel McKnight Elementary School with 772 students and Grace N. Rogers Elementary School with 470 students — Melvin H. Kreps School for grades 6 - 8 with 1,127 students and Hightstown High School with 1,437 students in grades 9 - 12.
Hightstown is also home to the Peddie School, a coeducational high school founded in 1864.
The Meadow Lakes continuing care retirement community occupies a 100-acre site that spans the Hightstown-East Windsor boundary line.
Notable current and former residents of Hightstown include:
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||