| Piscataway Township, New Jersey | |
|---|---|
| — Township — | |
| Location of Piscataway Township highlighted in Middlesex County. Inset: Location of Middlesex County highlighted in the State of New Jersey. | |
| Census Bureau map of Piscataway Township, New Jersey | |
| Coordinates: | |
| Country | United States |
| State | New Jersey |
| County | Middlesex |
| Formed | October 31, 1693 |
| Incorporated | February 21, 1798 |
| Government | |
| • Type | Faulkner Act Mayor-Council |
| • Mayor | Brian C. Wahler |
| Area | |
| • Total | 19.0 sq mi (49.1 km2) |
| • Land | 18.8 sq mi (48.6 km2) |
| • Water | 0.2 sq mi (0.5 km2) 1.05% |
| Elevation[1] | 92 ft (28 m) |
| Population (2010 Census) | |
| • Total | 56,044 |
| • Density | 2,688.6/sq mi (1,037.9/km2) |
| Time zone | Eastern (EST) (UTC-5) |
| • Summer (DST) | Eastern (EDT) (UTC-4) |
| ZIP code | 08854, 08855 |
| Area code(s) | 732 and 908 |
| FIPS code | 34-59010[2][3] |
| GNIS feature ID | 0882167[4] |
| Website | http://www.piscatawaynj.org/ |
Piscataway Township ( /pɪˈskætəweɪ/) is a Township in Middlesex County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, the township population was 56,044.
The name Piscataway stems from the area's original European settlers, transplants from near the Piscataqua River defining the coastal border between New Hampshire and Maine, whose name derives from Pisgeu (meaning "dark night") and awa ("Place of").[5] The area was first settled in 1666 by Quakers and Baptists who had left the Puritan colony in New Hampshire.[6] Piscataway is in the Trenton-Princeton-New Brunswick metropolitan area.
Piscataway Township was formed on December 18, 1666, and officially incorporated on February 21, 1798.[7] The community, the fifth oldest municipality in New Jersey,[8] has grown from Native American territory, through a colonial period and is one of the links in the earliest settlement of the Atlantic Ocean seacoast that ultimately led to the formation of the United States. Over the years, portions of Piscataway were taken to form Raritan Township (March 17, 1870, now Edison), Dunellen (October 28, 1887), Middlesex (April 9, 1913) and South Plainfield (March 10, 1926).[7]
Society Hill is a census-designated place and unincorporated area located within Piscataway Township.
Piscataway has advanced educational and research facilities due to the presence of Rutgers University and Robert Wood Johnson Medical School. High Point Solutions Stadium is in Piscataway.
In 2008, Money magazine ranked Piscataway 23rd out of the top 100 places to live in America.[9]
Contents |
According to the United States Census Bureau, the township has a total area of 20 square miles (52 km2), of which, 18.8 square miles (49 km2) of it is land and 0.2 square miles (0.52 km2) of it (1.05%) is water. Piscataway is in Raritan Valley ( a line of cities in central NJ). Piscataway lies on the south side of Raritan Valley along with New Brunswick, Highland Park, and South Plainfield. Piscataway lies 45 minutes southwest of New York City and 53 minutes northeast of Philadelphia.
Piscataway is bordered by nine municipalities in Middlesex County, Union County, and Somerset County:
| Middlesex, Dunellen | Plainfield | |||
| South Bound Brook | South Plainfield and Edison Township |
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| Piscataway Township | ||||
| Franklin Township | New Brunswick | Highland Park |
The township consists of the following historic villages and areas: New Market, known as Quibbletown in the 18th Century, Randolphville, Fieldville and North Stelton. The original village settlement of Piscatawaytown is located in present day Edison Township.
Piscataway is often segmented into unofficial sections by local residents which include Bound Brook Heights "the Heights"), New Brunswick Highlands, Lake Nelson, Randolphville, Arbor, New Market, North Stelton, Fellowship Farm and Possumtown.
Significant portions of Piscataway make up part of historic Camp Kilmer and the Livingston and Busch Campuses of Rutgers University.
The Arbor and New Brunswick Highland sections of Piscataway were historically African American neighborhoods.
The New Market section historically comprised the Quaker village of Quibbletown. The early name of the village originated from the fact that settlers of different religious denominations quibbled about whether the Sabbath should be observed on Saturday or on Sunday in the village.
| Historical populations | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Census | Pop. | %± | |
| 1930 | 5,865 |
|
|
| 1940 | 7,243 | 23.5% | |
| 1950 | 10,180 | 40.5% | |
| 1960 | 19,890 | 95.4% | |
| 1970 | 36,418 | 83.1% | |
| 1980 | 42,223 | 15.9% | |
| 1990 | 47,089 | 11.5% | |
| 2000 | 50,482 | 7.2% | |
| 2010 | 56,044 | 11.0% | |
| Population 1930 - 1990.[10] | |||
As of the census[2] of 2010, there were 56,044 people, 16,500 households, and 12,325 families residing in the township. The population density was 2,688.6 people per square mile (1,037.9/km²). There were 16,946 housing units at an average density of 902.5 per square mile (348.4/km²). The racial makeup of the township was 48.81% White, 20.31% African American, 0.21% Native American, 24.80% Asian, 0.03% Pacific Islander, 3.08% from other races, and 2.77% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 7.93% of the population.
As of the 2000 census, 12.49% of Piscataway's residents identified themselves as being of Indian American ancestry, which was the fourth highest of any municipality in the United States and the third highest in New Jersey — behind Edison (17.75%) and Plainsboro Township (16.97%) — of all places with 1,000 or more residents identifying their ancestry.[11]
There were 16,500 households out of which 34.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 60.6% were married couples living together, 10.4% had a female householder with no husband present, and 25.3% were non-families. 19.5% of all households were made up of individuals and 5.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.84 and the average family size was 3.29.
In the township the population was spread out with 21.9% under the age of 18, 14.1% from 18 to 24, 33.3% from 25 to 44, 22.1% from 45 to 64, and 8.7% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 33 years. For every 100 females there were 97.9 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 95.2 males.
The median income for a household in the township was $68,721, and the median income for a family was $75,218. Males had a median income of $47,188 versus $36,271 for females. The per capita income for the township was $26,321. About 2.7% of families and 3.8% of the population were below the poverty line, including 3.3% of those under age 18 and 4.3% of those age 65 or over.
In November, 1966, Piscataway voters, under the Faulkner Act, approved a Charter Study and elected a Charter Study Commission to recommend the form of Government best suited to Piscataway's needs. The Commission recommended Mayor-Council Plan F, and in November 1967, the voters approved, and the new form of government was inaugurated on January 1, 1969. Under Plan F the Mayor is the administrator and the Council is the legislative body. A full time business administrator, appointed by the Mayor with the advice and consent of the Council, and responsible to the Mayor, supervises the day-by-day operation of municipal government. Terms of office for the Mayor and Council members are four years, on a staggered schedule. There are seven Council members, one representing each of four wards, and three At-Large members.[12][13]
As of 2011[update], the mayor of Piscataway is Brian C. Wahler. Members of the Township Council are Kenneth Armwood (At Large), Council Vice President Gabrielle Cahill (At Large), Michael Griffith (At Large), Mark Hardenburg (Ward 1), Jim Bullard (Ward 2), Council President Steven D. Cahn (Ward 3) and Michele Lombardi (Ward 4).[14]
Piscataway is in the 6th Congressional district. New Jersey's Sixth Congressional District is represented by Frank Pallone (D, Long Branch). New Jersey is represented in the United States Senate by Frank Lautenberg (D, Cliffside Park) and Bob Menendez (D, Hoboken).
Piscataway is in the 17th Legislative District of the New Jersey Legislature, which is represented in the New Jersey Senate by Bob Smith (D, Piscataway) and in the New Jersey General Assembly by Upendra J. Chivukula (D, Somerset) and Joseph V. Egan (D, New Brunswick).[15]
Middlesex County is governed by a Board of Chosen Freeholders, whose seven members are elected at-large to serve three-year terms of office on a staggered basis, with two or three seats coming up for election each year. As of 2010 , Middlesex County's Freeholders are Freeholder Director Christopher D. Rafano (South River), Freeholder Deputy Director Ronald G. Rios (Carteret), Carol Barrett Ballante (Monmouth Junction), Stephen J. "Pete" Dalina (Fords), H. James Polos (Highland Park), Mildred Scott (Piscataway) and Blanquita B. Valenti (New Brunswick). Constitutional officers are County Clerk Elaine M. Flynn (Old Bridge Township), Sheriff Mildred S. Scott (Piscataway) and Surrogate Kevin J. Hoagland (New Brunswick).[16]
Piscataway is divided into four fire districts which are served by a total of two volunteer rescue squads and six volunteer fire companies, one of which combines both fire and EMS services.
District 1
District 2
District 3
District 4
Fire Prevention
Fire District Map
Piscataway is served by a number of roads. County roads include CR 501 (along the border with South Plainfield), CR 514 and CR 529. Route 18 Extension passes through as two-lane avenue ending near I-287. Interstate 287 passes through the center of the township for about 4 miles.
Other limited access roads that are accessible include the New Jersey Turnpike (I-95) in East Brunswick Township (Exit 9) and neighboring Edison Township (Exit 10).
The Piscataway Township Schools serves almost 7,000 students with its high school, four schools that educate students in kindergarten through third grade, two intermediate schools serving grades 4-5, and three middle schools for students in grades six, seven, and eight.
Schools in the district (with 2008-09 enrollment data from the National Center for Education Statistics[17]) are the four K-3 elementary schools — Eisenhower Elementary School (580 students), Grandview Elementary School (657), Knollwood Elementary School (519) and Randolphville Elementary School (497) — both Arbor Intermediate School (515) and Martin Luther King Intermediate School (536) for grades 4 and 5, three middle schools for grades 6-8 — Conackamack Middle School (478), Quibbletown Middle School (539) and Theodore Schor Middle School (520) — and Piscataway Township High School, with 2,184 students in grades 9-12.
Middlesex County schools:
Private schools:
Colleges & continuing education
Notable current and former residents of Piscataway Township include:
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