| Washington Township, New Jersey | |
|---|---|
| — Township — | |
| Washington Township highlighted in Morris County. Inset map: Morris County highlighted in the State of New Jersey. | |
| Census Bureau map of Washington Township, Morris County, New Jersey | |
| Coordinates: | |
| Country | United States |
| State | New Jersey |
| County | Morris |
| Incorporated | April 2, 1798 |
| Government[1] | |
| • Type | Township (New Jersey) |
| • Mayor | Kenneth W. Short (term ends 2012)[2] |
| • Administrator | Dianne Gallets[3] |
| Area[4] | |
| • Total | 44.86 sq mi (116.2 km2) |
| • Land | 44.86 sq mi (116.2 km2) |
| • Water | 0.0 sq mi (0.0 km2) |
| Elevation[5] | 1,089 ft (332 m) |
| Population (2010 Census)[6] | |
| • Total | 18,533 |
| • Density | 413.1/sq mi (159.5/km2) |
| Time zone | Eastern (EST) (UTC-5) |
| • Summer (DST) | EDT (UTC-4) |
| ZIP code | 07853 - Long Valley |
| Area code(s) | 908 |
| FIPS code | 34-77240[7][8] |
| GNIS feature ID | 0882198[9] |
| Website | http://www.washtwpmorris.org |
Washington Township is a Township in Morris County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, the township population was 18,533.[6] It's one of six municipalities (five of which are townships) in the state of New Jersey with the name Washington.[10] Washington, New Jersey, in fact is only 10 miles (16 km) away. To add to the confusion, Washington Borough is surrounded by another municipality that is also called Washington Township.
Washington Township was incorporated as a township by an Act of the New Jersey Legislature on April 2, 1798, from portions of Roxbury Township. Portions of the township were taken to form Chester Township as of April 1, 1799.[11] U.S. Route 46, County Route 513, and County Route 517 pass through town. It is only minutes away from Interstate 80 in the neighboring community of Mount Olive and U.S. Route 206 in Chester.
Long Valley is a census-designated place and unincorporated area located within Washington Township. The Long Valley section — the heart of the township — was called German Valley when it was first settled in the 18th century by people from Saxony, in Germany.
Schooley's Mountain is an unincorporated community in Washington Township named for the Schooley family, who owned a considerable amount of land there during the 1790s. The Schooleys Mountain section was a famous resort in the 19th century because of its natural springs.[12]
Contents |
According to the United States Census Bureau, the township has a total area of 44.86 square miles (116.2 km2), all of it land.[4]
| Historical populations | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Census | Pop. | %± | |
| 1930 | 1,615 |
|
|
| 1940 | 1,870 | 15.8% | |
| 1950 | 2,147 | 14.8% | |
| 1960 | 3,330 | 55.1% | |
| 1970 | 6,962 | 109.1% | |
| 1980 | 11,402 | 63.8% | |
| 1990 | 15,592 | 36.7% | |
| 2000 | 17,592 | 12.8% | |
| 2010 | 18,533 | 5.3% | |
| Population sources: 1930-1990[13] 2000[14] 2010[6][15] |
|||
As of the 2010 Census, Washington Township had a population of 18,533. The median age was 43.0. The racial and ethnic composition of the population was 93.1% White, 1.4% Black or African American, 0.1% Native American, 3.3% Asian, 0.7% some other race and 1.5% reporting two or more races. 4.6% were Hispanic or Latino of any race.[15]
As of the census[7] of 2000, there were 17,592 people, 5,755 households, and 4,874 families residing in the township. The population density was 392.1 people per square mile (151.4/km²). There were 5,890 housing units at an average density of 131.3 per square mile (50.7/km²). The racial makeup of the township was 96.16% White, 0.83% African American, 0.09% Native American, 1.87% Asian, 0.05% Pacific Islander, 0.35% from other races, and 0.65% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 2.21% of the population.[14]
There were 5,755 households out of which 47.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 76.1% were married couples living together, 6.3% had a female householder with no husband present, and 15.3% were non-families. 12.2% 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 3.02 and the average family size was 3.31.[14]
In the township the population was spread out with 30.2% under the age of 18, 5.3% from 18 to 24, 28.2% from 25 to 44, 28.1% from 45 to 64, and 8.2% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females there were 95.5 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 93.5 males.[14]
The median income for a household in the township was $97,763, and the median income for a family was $104,926. Males had a median income of $76,791 versus $41,759 for females. The per capita income for the township was $37,489. About 1.8% of families and 2.3% of the population were below the poverty line, including 2.0% of those under age 18 and 4.0% of those age 65 or over.[14]
Washington Township is governed under the Township form of government with a five-member Township Committee. The Township Committee is elected directly by the voters in partisan elections to serve three-year terms of office on a staggered basis, with one or two seats coming up for election each year.[1] At an annual reorganization meeting, the Township Committee selects one of its members to serve as Mayor and another as Vice Mayor.
As of 2011[update], the members of the Washington Township Committee are Mayor Kenneth Short (2012), Vice Mayor James Harmon (2011), David Kennedy (2013), James LiaBraaten (2013) and Bill Roehrich (2012).[16]
The 2008 property tax rate for Washington Township is $2.318 per $100 of assessed value, with an equalization ratio of 89.75%.[17]
Washington Township is in the 11th Congressional district and is part of New Jersey's 24th state legislative district.[18] The borough was relocated to the 25th state legislative district by the New Jersey Apportionment Commission based on the results of the 2010 Census.[6] The new district was in effect for the June 2011 primary and the November 2011 general election, with the state senator and assembly members elected in November 2011 taking office in the new district as of January 2012.[18]
New Jersey's Eleventh Congressional District is represented by Rodney Frelinghuysen (R, Harding Township). New Jersey is represented in the United States Senate by Frank Lautenberg (D, Cliffside Park) and Bob Menendez (D, Hoboken).
Until January, 2012, Washington Township is in the 24th Legislative District of the New Jersey Legislature, which is represented in the New Jersey Senate by Steve Oroho (R, Franklin) and in the New Jersey General Assembly by Gary R. Chiusano (R, Augusta) and Alison Littell McHose (R, Franklin).[19] The Governor of New Jersey is Chris Christie (R, Mendham).[20] The Lieutenant Governor of New Jersey is Kim Guadagno (R, Monmouth Beach).[21]
Morris County is governed by a seven-member Board of Chosen Freeholders, who are elected at-large to three-year terms of office on a staggered basis, with two or three seats coming up for election each year.[22] As of 2011, Morris County's Freeholders are Freeholder Director William J. Chegwidden (Wharton),[23] Deputy Freeholder Director Douglas R. Cabana (Boonton Township),[24] Gene F. Feyl (Denville),[25] Ann F. Grassi (Parsippany-Troy Hills),[26] Thomas J. Mastrangelo (Montville),[27] John J. Murphy (Morris Township)[28] and Margaret Nordstrom (Washington Township).[29][30]
On the national and state levels, Washington Township leans very strongly toward the Republican Party. In the 2008 Presidential Election, Republican John McCain received 61% of the vote, defeating Democrat Barack Obama, who received around 38%. In the 2009 Gubernatorial Election, Republican Chris Christie received 69% of the vote, defeating Democrat Jon Corzine, who received around 22%.
The Washington Township Schools is a public school district that includes five schools and a central office. Schools in the district (with 2009-10 enrollment data from the National Center for Education Statistics[31]) are Benedict A. Cucinella Elementary School (672 students), Flocktown-Kossmann School (601) and Old Farmers Road School (457) for grades K-5, along with Long Valley Middle School for grades 6-8 (1,010).
Students in grades 9-12 attend West Morris Central High School, which is located in the township (but is considered Chester because of its mailing address) and is part of the West Morris Regional High School District. Students in the district come from the surrounding Morris County school districts of Chester Borough, Chester Township, Mendham Borough, Mendham Township and from Washington Township.[32]
Notable current and former residents of Washington Township include:
Radio station WRNJ has studios, offices and its transmitter in Washington Township, broadcasting at 1510 AM. The station is licensed to nearby Hackettstown.
| Hackettstown | Mt. Olive Twp | |||
| Mansfield Twp | Chester Twp | |||
| Washington Twp | ||||
| Lebanon Twp | Tewksbury Twp | Bedminster Twp |