Branchburg Township, New Jersey
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Map of Branchburg Township in Somerset County |
Branchburg Township is a
Township in
Somerset County,
New Jersey,
United States. As of the
United States 2000 Census, the township population was 14,566.
Branchburg Township has a history dating back to before the
American Revolutionary War. The Township was established in 1845. Branchburg ranks seventh in size among Somerset County's twenty-one municipalities, and covers a total area of 20.3 square miles, being eleven miles long and approximately 2 miles across at its widest point. The hamlets of
North Branch and Neshanic Station are included in Branchburg Township, which brings the ambiance of small villages and charm to the area.
The land now known as Branchburg Township was originally inhabited by the
Raritans, a tribe of the
Lenni Lenape Native Americans. By 1686 most of the land was purchased from the Lenape by the Lords Proprietors of
East Jersey. These Proprietors sold the land in small parcels to numerous settlers, mostly of
Dutch or
English extraction. Branchburg at that time was located in a large area called East Jersey, but more specifically, it encompassed parts of modern day
Essex and
Middlesex Counties as well as
Somerset County. County boundaries were a subject of controversy until 1741 when Somerset County acquired parts of Middlesex and Essex Counties, nearly doubling its size. Due to the expansion of Somerset County, Branchburg finally lay entirely within the County where it is presently located.
According to the
United States Census Bureau, the township has a total area of 52.5
km² (20.3
mi²), all land.
The Township is bordered on the west by
Hunterdon County; on the north by
Bedminster Township and on the south by
Bridgewater Township and
Hillsborough Township. The main watercourses are the
Lamington River on the north, the
North Branch of the Raritan River on the east and the
South Branch of the Raritan River on the east and south. These rivers along with small streams and brooks are excellent for fishermen who enjoy trout stocked streams and rivers.
As of the
census2 of 2000, there were 14,566 people, 5,272 households, and 4,064 families residing in the township. The
population density was 277.6/km² (719.1/mi²). There were 5,405 housing units at an average density of 103.0/km² (266.8/mi²). The racial makeup of the township was 90.44%
White, 1.95%
African American, 0.10%
Native American, 6.17%
Asian, 0.03%
Pacific Islander, 0.39% from
other races, and 0.92% from two or more races.
Hispanic or
Latino of any race were 2.69% of the population.
There were 5,272 households out of which 39.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 69.6% were
married couples living together, 5.5% had a female householder with no husband present, and 22.9% were non-families. 18.8% of all households were made up of individuals and 5.0% 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 3.19.
In the township the population was spread out with 27.3% under the age of 18, 4.5% from 18 to 24, 34.6% from 25 to 44, 25.3% from 45 to 64, and 8.3% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females there were 96.4 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 93.2 males.
The median income for a household in the township was $96,864, and the median income for a family was $110,268. Males had a median income of $70,726 versus $47,786 for females. The
per capita income for the township was $41,241. About 1.1% of families and 1.9% of the population were below the
poverty line, including 1.4% of those under age 18 and 5.0% of those age 65 or over.
Local government
Members of the Township Committee are
Mayor Kate Sarles,
Deputy Mayor Tom Young, James Leonard, John Sanford and Robert Bouwman.
Federal, state and county representation
Branchburg Township is in the Seventh Congressional District and is part of New Jersey's 16th Legislative District.
Branchburg Township is centrally located with access to major roadways and highways.
U.S. Highway 202 and
U.S. Highway 22 travel through the township with easy passage to
Interstate 78,
Interstate 287 and
Route 206, enabling residents to travel to
New York City and
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania within one hour.
Bus service between New York City and
Allentown, Pennsylvania on the Transport of New Jersey bus line is available on a daily service; and service between
Clinton, New Jersey and New York City, at the
North Branch station (located at Milltown Road in adjacent Bridgewater Township) offers limited daily service and no weekend trains. There is also bus service between
New Hope, Pennsylvania and New York City, with a stop at the Municipal Park-and-Ride facility on Route 202 North on a daily basis.
New Jersey Transit's
Raritan Valley Line has weekly service from North Branch Station to
Newark and to
Phillipsburg, New Jersey. At Newark, connections can be made to New York City.
Newark Liberty International Airport is located approximately 35 miles northeast of Branchburg. Also within driving distance are
Lehigh Valley International Airport (ABE, formerly Allentown-Bethlehem-Easton International Airport) near
Allentown, Pennsylvania,
John F. Kennedy International Airport and
La Guardia Airport in New York, as well as the
Mercer County Airport near
Trenton and
Princeton.
Branchburg Township is the home of the main campus of
Raritan Valley Community CollegeThe
Branchburg Township School District consists of the following schools:
*
Whiton Elementary School (K-2)
*
Old York School (3-4)
*
Stony Brook School (5-6)
*
Branchburg Central Middle School (7-8)
The public secondary school serving Branchburg is
Somerville High School, which students attend as part of a sending / receiving relationship with the
Somerville Public Schools.
*
Branchburg Township official web site*
Branchburg Township School District*
National Center for Education Statistics data for the Branchburg Township School District
