| Woodbridge Township, New Jersey | |
|---|---|
| — Township — | |
| Map of Woodbridge Township in Middlesex County. Inset: Location of Middlesex County highlighted in the State of New Jersey. | |
| Census Bureau map of Woodbridge Township, New Jersey | |
| Coordinates: | |
| Country | United States |
| State | New Jersey |
| County | Middlesex |
| Settled | 1664 |
| Chartered | June 1, 1669 |
| Incorporated | February 21, 1798 |
| Government | |
| • Type | Faulkner Act Mayor-Council |
| • Mayor | John E. McCormac (2011)[1] |
| Area[2] | |
| • Total | 24.22 sq mi (62.7 km2) |
| • Land | 23.01 sq mi (59.6 km2) |
| • Water | 1.21 sq mi (3.1 km2) 5.00% |
| Elevation[3] | 59 ft (18 m) |
| Population (2010 Census)[4] | |
| • Total | 99,585 |
| • Density | 4,224.5/sq mi (1,631.0/km2) |
| Time zone | Eastern (EST) (UTC-5) |
| • Summer (DST) | Eastern (EDT) (UTC-4) |
| ZIP code | 07095[5] |
| Area code(s) | 732 |
| FIPS code | 34-82000[6][7] |
| GNIS feature ID | 0882165[8] |
| Website | http://www.twp.woodbridge.nj.us/ |
Woodbridge Township is a Township in Middlesex County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, the township had a total population of 99,585.[4] maintaining its position as the sixth-largest municipality in New Jersey with an increase of 2,382 residents (2.5%) from its 2000 Census population of 97,203.[9]
The township of Woodbridge is named after Reverend John W. Woodbridge (1613–1691) of Newbury, Massachusetts. The Township of Woodbridge is the oldest original township in the state of New Jersey. According to Joshua Coffin, the early settlers included "Captain John Pike, the ancestor of General Zebulon Montgomery Pike, who was killed at the battle of Queenstown in 1813, Thomas Bloomfield, the ancestor of Joseph Bloomfield, some years governor of New Jersey, John Bishop, senior and junior, Jonathan Haynes, Henry Jaques, George March, Stephen Kent, Abraham Toppan, junior, Elisha Ilsley, Hugh March, John Bloomfield, Samuel Moore, Nathaniel Webster, John Ilsley, and others." [10] It was settled in the early autumn of 1664 and was granted a charter on June 1, 1669 by King Charles II of England, and reincorporated on October 31, 1693. Woodbridge Township was incorporated by an Act of the New Jersey Legislature on February 21, 1798. Portions of the township were taken to form Rahway (April 19, 1858), Raritan Township (March 17, 1870, now Edison Township) and Roosevelt (April 11, 1906, now Carteret).[11]
Contents |
Woodbridge Township is located at (40.557104, -74.283162).[12]
According to the United States Census Bureau, the township has a total area of 24.22 square miles (62.7 km2), of which, 23.01 square miles (59.6 km2) of it is land and 1.21 square miles (3.1 km2) of it (5.00%) is water.[2]
Area code 732 is used in Woodbridge.
| Rahway and Clark Twp |
Linden | |||
| Edison Township | Carteret and Staten Island, New York | |||
| Woodbridge Township | ||||
| Sayreville | Perth Amboy |
Many distinct communities exist within Woodbridge Township. Several of these communities have their own ZIP codes, and many are listed by the United States Census Bureau as census-designated places, but they are all unincorporated areas and neighborhoods within the Township that, together, form Woodbridge Township in population and area.
These communities are as follows (with 2000 populations listed for the seven census-designated places):[2]
| Historical populations | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Census | Pop. | %± | |
| 1930 | 25,266 |
|
|
| 1940 | 27,191 | 7.6% | |
| 1950 | 35,758 | 31.5% | |
| 1960 | 78,846 | 120.5% | |
| 1970 | 98,944 | 25.5% | |
| 1980 | 90,074 | −9.0% | |
| 1990 | 93,086 | 3.3% | |
| 2000 | 97,203 | 4.4% | |
| 2010 | 99,585 | 2.5% | |
| Population sources: 1930-1990[13] 2000[14] 2010[4][9] |
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As of the census[6] of 2010, there were 99,585 people, 34,562 households, and 25,437 families residing in the township. The population density was 4,224.5 people per square mile (1,631.0/km2). There were 35,298 housing units at an average density of 1,534.1 per square mile (592.3/km2). The racial makeup of the township was 70.83% White, 8.75% African American, 0.17% Native American, 14.46% Asian, 0.02% Pacific Islander, 3.30% from other races, and 2.46% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 9.21% of the population.[14]
As of the 2000 census, 9.19% of Woodbridge Township's residents identified themselves as being of Indian American ancestry, which was the tenth highest of any municipality in the United States and the fifth highest in New Jersey — behind Edison (17.75%), Plainsboro Township (16.97%), Piscataway Township (12.49%) and South Brunswick Township (10.48%) — of all places with 1,000 or more residents identifying their ancestry.[15]
There were 34,562 households out of which 33.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 58.1% were married couples living together, 11.4% had a female householder with no husband present, and 26.4% were non-families. 21.7% of all households were made up of individuals and 9.0% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.71 and the average family size was 3.19.[14]
In the township the population was spread out with 22.4% under the age of 18, 7.1% from 18 to 24, 34.8% from 25 to 44, 22.3% from 45 to 64, and 13.4% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 37 years. For every 100 females there were 100.2 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 99.0 males.[14]
The median income for a household in the township was $60,683, and the median income for a family was $68,492 (which had risen to $77,019 and $82,831 respectively as of the 2006 estimate.[16]) Males had a median income of $49,248 versus $35,096 for females. The per capita income for the township was $25,087. About 3.2% of families and 4.8% of the population were below the poverty line, including 4.7% of those under age 18 and 5.3% of those age 65 or over.[14]
Woodbridge is governed under the Faulkner Act (Mayor-Council) system of municipal government.[17] The Township Council is the legislative body of Woodbridge Township.
The Mayor of Woodbridge Township is John E. McCormac,[18] who was elected on November 7, 2006 and sworn in on November 14, 2006.[19] McCormac replaced Frank G. Pelzman, who became mayor on January 17, 2002 when former Mayor James E. McGreevey resigned to become governor.[20] Mayor is a member of the Mayors Against Illegal Guns Coalition,[21] a bi-partisan group with a stated goal of "making the public safer by getting illegal guns off the streets." The Coalition is co-chaired by Boston Mayor Thomas Menino and New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg.
As of 2011[update], members of the Township Council are Kyle Anderson (At Large), James V. Carroll (At Large), Michele Charmello (Third Ward), Richard A. Dalina (Second Ward), Gregg M. Ficarra (At Large), Charles Kenny (First Ward), Robert G. Luban (Fifth Ward), James Major (Fourth Ward) and Brenda Yori Velasco (At Large).[22]
Woodbridge Township is split between the 7th and 13th Congressional districts and is part of New Jersey's 19th state legislative district.[23] The legislative district was kept unchanged by the New Jersey Apportionment Commission based on the results of the 2010 Census.[4]
New Jersey's Seventh Congressional District is represented by Leonard Lance (R, Clinton Township). New Jersey's Thirteenth Congressional District is represented by Albio Sires (D, West New York). New Jersey is represented in the United States Senate by Frank Lautenberg (D, Cliffside Park) and Bob Menendez (D, Hoboken).
19th Legislative District of the New Jersey Legislature, which is represented in the New Jersey Senate by Joseph Vitale (D, Woodbridge Township) and in the New Jersey General Assembly by Craig Coughlin (D, Fords) and John S. Wisniewski (D, Sayreville).[24] The Governor of New Jersey is Chris Christie (R, Mendham).[25] The Lieutenant Governor of New Jersey is Kim Guadagno (R, Monmouth Beach).[26]
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).[27]
Wakefern Food Corporation, owner of ShopRite, has its headquarters in Keasbey in the township.[28][29]
The Woodbridge Township School District served over 13,000 students in kindergarten through twelfth grade in its 24 schools, based on 2009-10 enrollment data from the National Center for Education Statistics.[30] The district includes 16 elementary schools, Mawbey St. School #1, Avenel St. School #4&5, Port Reading School #9, Ross St. School #11, Ford Ave. School #14, Indiana Ave. School #18, Menlo Park Terrace #19, Claremont Ave School #20, Oak Ridge Heights School #21, Lynn Crest School #22, Kennedy Park School #24, Lafayette Estates School #25, Robert Mascenik School #26, Pennsylvania Ave School #27 and Matthew Jago School #28. The district's five middle schools are Avenel Middle School, Colonia Middle School, Fords Middle School, Iselin Middle School and Woodbridge Middle School.
The district's three high schools offer more than 150 courses, including Advanced Placement, college preparatory, business, vocational and cooperative work/study programs. All schools in the district are accredited by the Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Secondary Schools. High schools in the district are Colonia High School, John F. Kennedy Memorial High School and Woodbridge High School.
There are three train stations in the township: Metropark, Avenel (which has a limited service) and Woodbridge. Service is provided by New Jersey Transit and North Jersey Coast Line as well as Amtrak Northeast Corridor services to Newark (Penn Station), New York (Penn Station), Philadelphia, Washington, D.C. and Boston.[31]
New Jersey Transit provides bus service on the 115 and 116 routes to the Port Authority Bus Terminal in Midtown Manhattan, on the 62 to Newark and local service on the 801, 802, 803, 804, 805, 810, 813 and 815.[31]
U.S. Route 1 and U.S. Route 9 serve the township and merge heading north of the township as the U.S. Route 1/9 concurrency. Other roadways passing through the township are Route 27, Route 35, Route 184, and Route 440.
The Edison Bridge on U.S. Route 9 spans the Raritan River, connecting Woodbridge Township on the north with Sayreville on the south.
Exits 127 to 131 along the approximate 7½ mile stretch of the Garden State Parkway are in the Township. In addition, the New Jersey Turnpike (Interstate 95) passes through Woodbridge Township for about 5¼ miles, and is accessible at Exit 11 (which features a 24-lane toll gate). The Turnpike's Grover Cleveland service area is located between Interchanges 11 and 12 northbound at milepost 92.9.[32] The Thomas Edison service area is located between Interchanges 11 and 12 southbound at milepost 92.9.[33]
The first cloverleaf interchange in the United States opened in 1929 at the intersection of Route 25 and Route 4 (now U.S. Route 1/9 and Route 35, respectively).[34]
Notable current and former residents of Woodbridge Township include:
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