Monroe Township is a

township A township is a kind of human settlement or administrative subdivision, with its meaning varying in different countries. Although the term is occasionally associated with an urban area, that tends to be an exception to the rule. In Australia, ...

in southern Middlesex County, in

New Jersey New Jersey is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern regions of the United States. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York; on the east, southeast, and south by the Atlantic Ocean; on the west by the Delawa ...

, United States. It is part of the outer-ring

suburb A suburb (more broadly suburban area) is an area within a metropolitan area, which may include commercial and mixed-use, that is primarily a residential area. A suburb can exist either as part of a larger city/urban area or as a separ ...

s of the

New York metropolitan area The New York metropolitan area, also commonly referred to as the Tri-State area, is the largest metropolitan area in the world by urban area, urban landmass, at , and one of the list of most populous metropolitan areas, most populous urban agg ...

. The township is also centrally located within the Raritan Valley region. As of the

2020 United States Census The United States census of 2020 was the twenty-fourth decennial United States census. Census Day, the reference day used for the census, was April 1, 2020. Other than a pilot study during the 2000 census, this was the first U.S. census to off ...

, the township's population was 48,594, reflecting an increase of 9,462 (+24.2%) from the 39,132 counted in the 2010 Census. Monroe Township was incorporated as a township by an act of the

New Jersey Legislature The New Jersey Legislature is the legislative branch of the government of the U.S. state of New Jersey. In its current form, as defined by the New Jersey Constitution of 1947, the Legislature consists of two houses: the General Assembly and the ...

on April 9, 1838, from portions of South Amboy Township, based on the results of a

referendum A referendum (plural: referendums or less commonly referenda) is a Direct democracy, direct vote by the Constituency, electorate on a proposal, law, or political issue. This is in contrast to an issue being voted on by a Representative democr ...

held that same day. Portions of the township were taken to form

East Brunswick East Brunswick is a township in Middlesex County, New Jersey, United States. The suburban bedroom community is part of the New York City metropolitan area and is located on the southern shore of the Raritan River, directly adjacent to the city ...

(February 28, 1860), Cranbury (March 7, 1872), and Jamesburg (March 19, 1887).Snyder, John P
''The Story of New Jersey's Civil Boundaries: 1606–1968''
Bureau of Geology and Topography; Trenton, New Jersey; 1969. p. 171. Accessed September 9, 2012. There are several

age-restricted communities An age-restricted community is a residential community, often gated, that legally discriminates on the basis of age to limit residency to a majority fraction of older individuals—typically 80% over a set age. The minimum age is frequently set a ...

in Monroe Township. Despite significant senior citizen population growth, the median age in Monroe has changed from 52.5 in 1990, increasing to 58.9 in 2000, before decreasing to 53.2 in 2010, as more growth recently has resulted from

single-family detached home A stand-alone house (also called a single-detached dwelling, detached residence or detached house) is a free-standing residential building. It is sometimes referred to as a single-family home, as opposed to a multi-family residential dwelli ...

s than from senior citizen developments. The municipality experienced the third-largest increase in population in the state between 2010 and 2014, growing by 3,678 to 42,810, following two more urban locations, Jersey City and Elizabeth. Monroe Township has been ranked as one of the safest cities in the United States.

History

The earliest settlers in what would become Monroe Township were the

Lenape The Lenape (, , or Lenape , del, Lënapeyok) also called the Leni Lenape, Lenni Lenape and Delaware people, are an indigenous peoples of the Northeastern Woodlands, who live in the United States and Canada. Their historical territory inclu ...

Native Americans. Monroe Township was founded in 1838 and named in honor of US President James Monroe. For many decades, it was largely a farming community. After parts of the township grew into the more densely packed neighborhoods of Helmetta, Jamesburg, and Spotswood in the late 19th century, they seceded. Railroads came into Monroe from just about the very beginning, starting with the

Camden and Amboy Rail Road The Camden and Amboy Railroad and Transportation Company, usually shortened to the Camden and Amboy Railroad, was a railway company in the United States. It was incorporated in 1830 and opened its first line in 1832, making it one of the oldest ra ...

in the 1830s and 1840s. In 1905, Bernarr Macfadden, the proponent of physical culture, came to the part of Monroe near Helmetta and Spotswood, and attempted to set up a camp called "Physical Culture City", where he could teach his beliefs in relative peace. However, in 1907, Macfadden was arrested for distribution of what was in those times considered pornography and the camp dissolved. The area of this camp became the Outcalt neighborhood. The New Jersey State Home for Boys, later known as the Training School for Boys, and now the New Jersey Training School for Boys was established near Jamesburg. It was opened in 1867 as a home for troubled youth; however, by the mid-20th century, its purpose was to incarcerate juvenile delinquents. One of the better known residents of the State Home was Rubin "Hurricane" Carter.

Clarence Clemons Clarence Anicholas Clemons Jr. (January 11, 1942 – June 18, 2011), also known as The Big Man, was an American musician and actor. From 1972 until his death in 2011, he was the saxophonist for The E Street Band. Clemons released several ...

of Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band was a counselor there for many years during the 1960s before he found fame as a sax player with Springsteen. The township became more

an between 1960 and 1968, when the

New Jersey Turnpike The New Jersey Turnpike (NJTP) is a system of controlled-access highways in the U.S. state of New Jersey. The turnpike is maintained by the New Jersey Turnpike Authority (NJTA).The Garden State Parkway, although maintained by NJTA, is not cons ...

opened up Exit 8A in the western part of Monroe, in conjunction with the effort to develop the Leisure World age-restricted community of Rossmoor. Since then, at least five more communities for senior citizens have joined Rossmoor: Concordia, Clearbrook, Greenbriar at Whittingham, The Ponds, Encore and the Regency at Monroe, with more under development. At the same time, and over the next few decades, suburban communities for people of all ages spread into the northern parts of Monroe Township, prompting the expansion of several schools and the construction of new ones. Since 1980, in addition to the age restricted communities, Monroe has added shopping centers, a

synagogue A synagogue, ', 'house of assembly', or ', "house of prayer"; Yiddish: ''shul'', Ladino: or ' (from synagogue); or ', "community". sometimes referred to as shul, and interchangeably used with the word temple, is a Jewish house of wor ...

, a recreation center, and a new library. Circa 1980, it was found that a landfill which was located at the corner of what is now Spotswood Gravel Hill Road and Carnegie Street, contaminated the ground water which forced Outcalt residents to get municipal-supplied water. The site had been run as a landfill for municipal waste since 1955, first by the township and later by an independent operator. On March 22, 2006, ten residents of Monroe Township, from The Ponds retirement community, were killed in a tour bus accident in the

Andes The Andes, Andes Mountains or Andean Mountains (; ) are the longest continental mountain range in the world, forming a continuous highland along the western edge of South America. The range is long, wide (widest between 18°S – 20°S ...

mountains in northern

Chile Chile, officially the Republic of Chile, is a country in the western part of South America. It is the southernmost country in the world, and the closest to Antarctica, occupying a long and narrow strip of land between the Andes to the eas ...

. The tour had been arranged by Jewish organization

B'nai B'rith B'nai B'rith International (, from he, בְּנֵי בְּרִית, translit=b'né brit, lit=Children of the Covenant) is a Jewish service organization. B'nai B'rith states that it is committed to the security and continuity of the Jewish peo ...

Since the early 2000s, Monroe has experienced a surge in residential development. New communities are being erected, usually around Route 33 and the NJ Turnpike. Portions of Monroe's farmland are receiving commercial zoning. Roads have been widened to allow for the extra vehicular volume. Warehouses are being/have been constructed in the last few years along CR 535, located near the 8A toll gate. The northern section of the township is already developed, with developers heading further south in Monroe to start new communities. New adult communities have set ground in central Monroe, along Route 33, and on CR 615. While these new senior citizen housing units are being built, luxury homes are also being constructed. There is an ongoing expansion of the Monroe Township High School that is relocating it onto portions of Thompson Park. This project slowly received approval after an archaeological study concluded that the land was not historically significant, except about of land. The controversy that led to the study involved a

settlement, Bethel Indian Town, which protesters contended existed on the site, whereas supporters of the move of the high school claimed that Bethel Indian Town was a half-mile away. In late April 2008, construction started on the new high school, which then opened in September 2011. The old high school building is now being reused as the middle school. By early 2008, the State Preservation Office and New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection gave full sanction to the de-accession of the land as a protected park. Ground breaking began immediately, only to be halted in June 2008 when additional remains were found. The consultant identified these stone foundation remains as a 19th-century farmstead, with no earlier association. The township's Route 33 Land Development Task Force is considering options for developing the area of land along Route 33 from the township's border with East Windsor Township to Millstone Township. This proposal would include the construction of new luxury houses, a new grocery store, a baseball park, a performing arts center, a bus stop, new restaurants, and new businesses. In May 2021, Monroe Township coordinated a financial relief effort toward the Covid-19 pandemic in India.

Geography

Landscape at Thompson Park in Monroe Township

According to the

United States Census Bureau The United States Census Bureau (USCB), officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the U.S. Federal Statistical System, responsible for producing data about the American people and economy. The Census Bureau is part of th ...

, the township had a total area of 42.19 square miles (109.26 km²), including 41.94 square miles (108.63 km²) of land and 0.24 square miles (0.63 km²) of water (0.58%). It is the largest municipality in Middlesex County in terms of total area. Clearbrook (with a 2010 population of 2,667), Concordia (3,092 in 2010), Encore at Monroe, Forsgate, Monroe Manor, Regency at Monroe, Renaissance at Monroe, Rossmoor (2,666 as of 2010), Stonebridge, The Ponds, and Whittingham (2,476 in 2010) are unincorporated communities and

census-designated place A census-designated place (CDP) is a concentration of population defined by the United States Census Bureau for statistical purposes only. CDPs have been used in each decennial census since 1980 as the counterparts of incorporated places, suc ...

s (CDPs) located within Monroe Township. Applegarth, NJ (2)

Monroe completely surrounds Jamesburg, making it part of 21 pairs of "doughnut towns" in the state, where one municipality entirely surrounds another. The township borders Cranbury Township, East Brunswick Township, Helmetta, Old Bridge Township, South Brunswick Township, and Spotswood in Middlesex County; East Windsor Township in Mercer County; and Manalapan Township and Millstone Township in Monmouth County.

Neighborhoods and historical place names

Monroe Township is not officially broken down into traditional neighborhoods (the

Census-designated place A census-designated place (CDP) is a concentration of population defined by the United States Census Bureau for statistical purposes only. CDPs have been used in each decennial census since 1980 as the counterparts of incorporated places, suc ...

s oriented around active adult communities notwithstanding), but over the years, residents have given names to various unincorporated neighborhoods within the township. Three common names heard in the township are Mill Lake Manor (an area centered on Monmouth Road and 10th Avenue) and Outcalt (in the northern part of the township, near Spotswood and Helmetta). For those who have lived in Mill Lake Manor, the area is broken down further into the "Old" and "New" Manor (split by Monmouth Road on the east and west sides, the Old being east and the New being the west side). The Manor also encompasses the developments of Inwood. The neighborhood east of Spotswood-Englishtown Road, centered on Monmouth Road, extending down to 1st Avenue, is called North Manor or Manor Heights. Drainage_canal_for_Manalapan_Brook_in_Monroe

Drainage_canal_for_Manalapan_Brook_in_Monroe

Unincorporated communities, localities and place names located partially or completely within the township include Applegarth, Gravel Hill (also spelled as Gravelhill), Half Acre (home to the retirement communities of Concordia and Whittingham), Hoffman, Jamesburg Gardens, Lower Jamesburg, Matchaponix, Middlesex Downs, Mounts Mills, Old Church, Outcalt, Pineview Estates, Prospect Plains (home to the retirement communities of Rossmoor and Clearbrook), Spotswood Manor,

Texas Texas (, ; Spanish: ''Texas'', ''Tejas'') is a state in the South Central region of the United States. At 268,596 square miles (695,662 km2), and with more than 29.1 million residents in 2020, it is the second-largest U.S. state by ...

, and Wyckoffs Mills. Historical railroads (no longer active): * Camden and Amboy Railroad * Freehold and Jamesburg Railroad * Pennsylvania Railroad Amboy Division (formerly the Camden and Amboy Railroad) * Jamesurg Railroad Amboy Division (formerly the Freehold and Jamesburg Railroad)

Demographics

As of the

2020 United States census The United States census of 2020 was the twenty-fourth decennial United States census. Census Day, the reference day used for the census, was April 1, 2020. Other than a pilot study during the 2000 census, this was the first U.S. census to off ...

, there were 48,594 people and 20,289 occupied housing units in the township. Monroe Township, like Middlesex County overall, has experienced a rapid growth rate in its Indian American population, with an estimated 5,943 (13.6%) as of 2017,DP05: ACS DEMOGRAPHIC AND HOUSING ESTIMATES from the 2013-2017 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates for Monroe township, Middlesex County, New Jersey
,

. Accessed February 11, 2019. which was 23 times the 256 (0.9%) counted as of the 2000 Census; and

Diwali Diwali (), Dewali, Divali, or Deepavali ( IAST: ''dīpāvalī''), also known as the Festival of Lights, related to Jain Diwali, Bandi Chhor Divas, Tihar, Swanti, Sohrai, and Bandna, is a religious celebration in Indian religions. It is ...

is celebrated by the township as a

Hindu Hindus (; ) are people who religiously adhere to Hinduism. Jeffery D. Long (2007), A Vision for Hinduism, IB Tauris, , pages 35–37 Historically, the term has also been used as a geographical, cultural, and later religious identifier for ...

holiday. Monroe has simultaneously emerged as a growing hub for congregations of

Jewish American American Jews or Jewish Americans are American citizens who are Jewish, whether by religion, ethnicity, culture, or nationality. Today the Jewish community in the United States consists primarily of Ashkenazi Jews, who descend from diaspora Je ...

s, hosting since 2010 the largest public Menorah in New Jersey to celebrate Chanukah.

Census 2010

The Census Bureau's 2006–2010 American Community Survey showed that (in 2010 inflation-adjusted dollars)

median household income The median income is the income amount that divides a population into two equal groups, half having an income above that amount, and half having an income below that amount. It may differ from the mean (or average) income. Both of these are ways ...

was $74,202 (with a margin of error of +/− $3,156) and the median family income was $99,727 (+/− $5,718). Males had a median income of $84,790 (+/− $4,546) versus $57,058 (+/− $4,789) for females. The

per capita income Per capita income (PCI) or total income measures the average income earned per person in a given area (city, region, country, etc.) in a specified year. It is calculated by dividing the area's total income by its total population. Per capita i ...

for the borough was $41,959 (+/− $1,676). About 2.6% of families and 3.9% of the population were below the

poverty line The poverty threshold, poverty limit, poverty line or breadline is the minimum level of income deemed adequate in a particular country. The poverty line is usually calculated by estimating the total cost of one year's worth of necessities for ...

, including 3.9% of those under age 18 and 4.4% of those age 65 or over.

Census 2000

As of the

2000 United States Census The United States census of 2000, conducted by the Census Bureau, determined the resident population of the United States on April 1, 2000, to be 281,421,906, an increase of 13.2 percent over the 248,709,873 people enumerated during the 1990 c ...

there were 27,999 people, 12,536 households, and 8,236 families residing in the township. The

population density Population density (in agriculture: standing stock or plant density) is a measurement of population per unit land area. It is mostly applied to humans, but sometimes to other living organisms too. It is a key geographical term.Matt RosenberPopu ...

was 667.6 people per square mile (257.8/km²). There were 13,259 housing units at an average density of 316.1 per square mile (122.1/km²). The racial makeup of the township was 93.31%

White White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no hue). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully reflect and scatter all the visible wavelengths of light. White ...

, 2.93%

African American African Americans (also referred to as Black Americans and Afro-Americans) are an ethnic group consisting of Americans with partial or total ancestry from sub-Saharan Africa. The term "African American" generally denotes descendants of ens ...

, 0.06% Native American, 2.34% Asian, 0.09%

Pacific Islander Pacific Islanders, Pasifika, Pasefika, or rarely Pacificers are the peoples of the Pacific Islands. As an ethnic/ racial term, it is used to describe the original peoples—inhabitants and diasporas—of any of the three major subregions of O ...

, 0.68% from other races, and 0.60% from two or more races.

Hispanic The term ''Hispanic'' ( es, hispano) refers to people, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or Hispanidad. The term commonly applies to countries with a cultural and historical link to Spain and to viceroyalties for ...

or Latino of any race were 2.38% of the population.Census 2000 Profiles of Demographic / Social / Economic / Housing Characteristics for Monroe township, Middlesex County, New Jersey
,

. Accessed September 9, 2012.DP-1: Profile of General Demographic Characteristics: 2000 - Census 2000 Summary File 1 (SF 1) 100-Percent Data for Monroe township, Middlesex County, New Jersey
,

. Accessed September 9, 2012. There were 12,536 households, out of which 15.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 60.6% were

married couples Marriage, also called matrimony or wedlock, is a culturally and often legally recognized union between people called spouses. It establishes rights and obligations between them, as well as between them and their children, and between ...

living together, 3.9% had a female householder with no husband present, and 34.3% were non-families. 32.0% of all households were made up of individuals, and 28.0% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.15 and the average family size was 2.70. In the township the population was spread out, with 16.0% under the age of 18, 4.2% from 18 to 24, 16.3% from 25 to 44, 20.0% from 45 to 64, and 43.5% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 59 years. For every 100 females, there were 84.8 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 79.3 males. The median income for a household in the township was $53,306, and the median income for a family was $68,479. Males had a median income of $56,431 versus $35,857 for females. The

for the township was $31,772. About 1.3% of families and 3.3% of the population were below the

, including 2.9% of those under age 18 and 3.0% of those age 65 or over.

Parks and recreation

Thompson Park is a park, connected to sports fields operated by Monroe Township High School, and straddles both Monroe Township and Jamesburg. It is the largest park in the

Middlesex County Park System The Middlesex County Park System is an agency that maintains over 32 parks and recreational areas, in Middlesex County, New Jersey, United States. The largest park is Thompson Park in Monroe Township and Jamesburg with 675 acres The acre ...

, and features Lake Manalapan where fisherman and fisherwoman could fish (motorboats are not allowed on the lake, but rowing is permitted). The park also has its own dog park, various hiking trails, and a small fenced in

zoo A zoo (short for zoological garden; also called an animal park or menagerie) is a facility in which animals are kept within enclosures for public exhibition and often bred for conservation purposes. The term ''zoological garden'' refers to z ...

that has various native and exotic animals on display. Playground_in_Monroe

Other parks in the township include Veteran's Park Playground and Spray Park, James Monroe Memorial Park, Thomas L. Allen Softball Complex, Daniel P. Ryan Field, and Monroe Township Soccer Complex.

Government

Local government

Monroe Township is governed within the Faulkner Act, formally known as the Optional Municipal Charter Law, under the Mayor-Council system of New Jersey municipal government. The township is one of 71 municipalities (of the 564) statewide governed under this form. The governing body is comprised of a directly-elected mayor and a five-member township council, all elected on a partisan basis in odd-numbered years as part of the November general election. There are three township council seats elected from wards, which come up for vote together, followed two years later by the two at-large seats and the mayoral seat.''2012 New Jersey Legislative District Data Book'',

Rutgers University Rutgers University (; RU), officially Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, is a public land-grant research university consisting of four campuses in New Jersey. Chartered in 1766, Rutgers was originally called Queen's College, and was ...

Edward J. Bloustein School of Planning and Public Policy, March 2013, p. 70. , the

Mayor In many countries, a mayor is the highest-ranking official in a municipal government such as that of a city or a town. Worldwide, there is a wide variance in local laws and customs regarding the powers and responsibilities of a mayor as well ...

of Monroe Township is Democrat Stephen Dalina, who was elected to serve an unexpired term of office ending December 31, 2023. Members of the Township Council are Council President Miriam Cohen (D, 2023; at-large), Vice President Terence G. Van Dzura (D, 2023; at-large, elected to serve an unexpired term), Charles G. Dipierro ( R, 2025; Ward 3), Elizabeth A. "Betty" Schneider (D, 2025; Ward 1) and Rupa P. Siegel (D, 2025; Ward 2).Mayor and Council
Monroe Township. Accessed February 14, 2022.November 2, 2032 General Election Official Results

Middlesex County, New Jersey Middlesex County is located in central New Jersey, United States, extending inland from the Raritan Valley region to the northern portion of the Jersey Shore. As of the 2020 United States Census, the county's population was enumerated at 863, ...

, updated November 19, 2021. Accessed January 1, 2022.November 5, 2019 General Election Official Results

. Accessed January 1, 2020. In January 2021, the Township Council selected councilmember Stephen Dalina from a list of three candidates nominated to fill the seat as mayor expiring in December 2023 that became vacant following the death of Gerald Tamburro the previous month. In February 2021, Terence Van Dzura was selected from the three candidates nominated to fill the at-large seat expiring in December 2023 that had been held by Dalina until he took office as mayor. Dalina and Van Dzura served on an interim basis until the November 2021 general election, when they were elected to serve the balance of the term of office. In March 2017, the Township Council selected Miriam Cohen from a list of three candidates nominated by the Democratic municipal committee to fill the seat expiring in December 2019 that was vacated the previous month by Leslie Koppel when she took office on the Middlesex County Board of Chosen Freeholders. In November 2017, Cohen was elected to serve the balance of the term of office.November 7, 2017 General Election Official Results

. Accessed January 1, 2018. In January 2016, the Township Council appointed Blaise Dipierro to fill the Second Ward seat expiring in December 2017 that had been held by Gerald W. Tamburro until he stepped down to take office as mayor; Dipierro will serve on an interim basis until the November 2016 general election, when voters will choose a candidate to serve the balance of the term of office.

State government

The New Jersey Juvenile Justice Commission operates the New Jersey Training School, a juvenile detention center for boys, in the township. In 2018, the state approved funding to close the two Civil War-era youth prisons in New Jersey. It has not been decided yet what will be done with the property after its closure.

Federal, state and county representation

Monroe Township is located in the 12th Congressional DistrictPlan Components Report
New Jersey Redistricting Commission, December 23, 2011. Accessed February 1, 2020. and is part of New Jersey's 14th state legislative district.Municipalities Sorted by 2011-2020 Legislative District
New Jersey Department of State. Accessed February 1, 2020.''2019 New Jersey Citizen's Guide to Government''
New Jersey League of Women Voters. Accessed October 30, 2019. Middlesex County is governed by a

Board of County Commissioners A county commission (or a board of county commissioners) is a group of elected officials (county commissioners) collectively charged with administering the county government in some states of the United States; such commissions usually comprise ...

, whose seven members are elected

at-large At large (''before a noun'': at-large) is a description for members of a governing body who are elected or appointed to represent a whole membership or population (notably a city, county, state, province, nation, club or association), rather than ...

on a partisan basis to serve three-year terms of office on a staggered basis, with either two or three seats coming up for election each year as part of the November general election. At an annual reorganization meeting held in January, the board selects from among its members a commissioner director and deputy director. , Middlesex County's Commissioners (with party affiliation, term-end year, and residence listed in parentheses) are Commissioner Director Ronald G. Rios (D, Carteret, term as commissioner ends December 31, 2024; term as commissioner director ends 2022), Commissioner Deputy Director Shanti Narra (D, North Brunswick, term as commissioner ends 2024; term as deputy director ends 2022), Claribel A. "Clary" Azcona-Barber (D,

New Brunswick New Brunswick (french: Nouveau-Brunswick, , locally ) is one of the thirteen provinces and territories of Canada. It is one of the three Maritime provinces and one of the four Atlantic provinces. It is the only province with both English and ...

, 2022), Charles Kenny (D, Woodbridge Township, 2022), Leslie Koppel (D, Monroe Township, 2023), Chanelle Scott McCullum (D, Piscataway, 2024) and Charles E. Tomaro (D, Edison, 2023). Constitutional officers are County Clerk

Nancy Pinkin Nancy J. Pinkin is an American Democratic Party politician, who has been the County Clerk of Middlesex County, New Jersey since 2021, before which she served in the New Jersey General Assembly from 2014 to 2020 where she represented the 18th Le ...

(D, 2025,

), Sheriff Mildred S. Scott (D, 2022, Piscataway) and Surrogate Claribel Cortes (D, 2026; North Brunswick).

Politics

As of March 23, 2011, there were a total of 29,992 registered voters in Monroe Township, of which 11,616 (38.7%) were registered as Democrats, 5,448 (18.2%) were registered as Republicans and 12,912 (43.1%) were registered as Unaffiliated. There were 16 voters registered as either Libertarians or Greens. In the 2012 presidential election, Democrat

Barack Obama Barack Hussein Obama II ( ; born August 4, 1961) is an American politician who served as the 44th president of the United States from 2009 to 2017. A member of the Democratic Party (United States), Democratic Party, Obama was the first Af ...

received 53.5% of the vote (12,113 cast), ahead of Republican Mitt Romney with 45.8% (10,361 votes), and other candidates with 0.7% (166 votes), among the 22,840 ballots cast by the township's 31,297 registered voters (200 ballots were spoiled), for a turnout of 73.0%. In the 2008 presidential election, Democrat Barack Obama received 53.9% of the vote (12,319 cast), ahead of Republican

John McCain John Sidney McCain III (August 29, 1936 – August 25, 2018) was an American politician and United States Navy officer who served as a United States senator from Arizona from 1987 until his death in 2018. He previously served two te ...

with 44.4% (10,150 votes) and other candidates with 0.7% (169 votes), among the 22,875 ballots cast by the township's 29,295 registered voters, for a turnout of 78.1%.2008 Presidential General Election Results: Middlesex County
New Jersey Department of State Division of Elections, December 23, 2008. Accessed November 24, 2012. In the 2004 presidential election, Democrat

John Kerry John Forbes Kerry (born December 11, 1943) is an American attorney, politician and diplomat who currently serves as the first United States special presidential envoy for climate. A member of the Forbes family and the Democratic Party, he ...

received 55.7% of the vote (11,363 ballots cast), outpolling Republican George W. Bush with 43.2% (8,806 votes) and other candidates with 0.4% (103 votes), among the 20,405 ballots cast by the township's 25,675 registered voters, for a turnout percentage of 79.5.2004 Presidential Election: Middlesex County
New Jersey Department of State Division of Elections, December 13, 2004. Accessed November 24, 2012. In the 2013 gubernatorial election, Republican Chris Christie received 64.0% of the vote (10,209 cast), ahead of Democrat

Barbara Buono Barbara A. Buono (born July 28, 1953) is an American politician who served in the New Jersey Senate from 2002 to 2014, where she represented the 18th Legislative District. She served from 2010 to 2012 as the Majority Leader in the Senate, succ ...

with 35.2% (5,605 votes), and other candidates with 0.8% (131 votes), among the 16,180 ballots cast by the township's 31,967 registered voters (235 ballots were spoiled), for a turnout of 50.6%. In the 2009 gubernatorial election, Republican Chris Christie received 48.0% of the vote (8,292 ballots cast), ahead of Democrat Jon Corzine with 45.1% (7,785 votes), Independent Chris Daggett with 5.5% (948 votes) and other candidates with 0.6% (102 votes), among the 17,277 ballots cast by the township's 29,164 registered voters, yielding a 59.2% turnout.2009 Governor: Middlesex County
, New Jersey Department of State Division of Elections, December 31, 2009. Accessed November 24, 2012.

Education

The Monroe Township School District serves public school students in

pre-kindergarten Pre-kindergarten (also called Pre-K or PK) is a voluntary classroom-based preschool program for children below the age of five in the United States, Canada, Turkey and Greece (when kindergarten starts). It may be delivered through a preschool ...

through

twelfth grade Twelfth grade, 12th grade, senior year, or grade 12 is the final year of secondary school in most of North America. In other regions, it may also be referred to as class 12 or Year 13. In most countries, students are usually between the ages of 17 ...

.''Public School Directory 2017-2018''

. Accessed December 1, 2019. As of the 2018–2019 school year, the district, comprised of eight schools, had an enrollment of 6,829 students and 533.1 classroom teachers (on an FTE basis), for a student–teacher ratio of 12.8:1.District information for Monroe Township School District

National Center for Education Statistics The National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) is the part of the United States Department of Education's Institute of Education Sciences (IES) that collects, analyzes, and publishes statistics on education and public school district financ ...

. Accessed April 1, 2020. Schools in the district (with 2018–2019 enrollment data from the

) are Applegarth Elementary School with 439 students in grades 4–5, Barclay Brook Elementary School with 314 students in grades Pre-K–2, Brookside Elementary School with 400 students in grades 3–5, Mill Lake Elementary School with 544 students in grades Pre-K–2, Oak Tree Elementary School with 700 students in grades Pre-K–3, Woodland Elementary School with 350 students in grades 3–5, Monroe Township Middle School with 1,702 students in grades 6–8 and Monroe Township High School with 2,330 students in grades 9–12. With the completion of the new high school in 2013, the former high school was reconfigured as a middle school for grades 6–8, and Applegarth (the former middle school) was added to the district's elementary schools. During the 1991–1992 academic school year, Mill Lake Elementary School received the National Blue Ribbon Award of Excellence from the

United States Department of Education The United States Department of Education is a Cabinet-level department of the United States government. It began operating on May 4, 1980, having been created after the Department of Health, Education, and Welfare was split into the Departmen ...

, the highest honor that an American school can achieve. This honor was followed during the 1998–1999 academic school year, to Barclay Brook Elementary School across town. Both of Monroe Township's Pre-K through third grade schools received such an esteemed honor. About 300 students from Jamesburg attend Monroe Township High School as part of a

sending/receiving relationship A sending/receiving relationship is one in which a public school district sends some or all of its students to attend the schools of another district. This is often done to achieve costs savings in smaller districts or continues after districts hav ...

with the Jamesburg Public Schools that has been in effect since 1980.Cheslow, Jerry
"A Townful of Empty Nesters"
''

The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid ...

'', October 14, 2007. Accessed December 7, 2019. "Since 1960, when the population stood at 5,831, the township has grown more than sixfold, to 36,000 — fueled in part by the opening in 1968 of the New Jersey Turnpike Exit 8A, but also by the availability of open land and the town’s welcoming attitude.... In addition to the four elementary schools, the Applegarth Middle School teaches Grades 7 and 8, and the 1,400-student Monroe Township High School covers Grades 9 through 12. It is shared with the borough of Jamesburg, the 'hole in the doughnut' municipality in the center of the township." Eighth grade students from all of Middlesex County are eligible to apply to attend the high school programs offered by the

Middlesex County Vocational and Technical Schools The Middlesex County Magnet Schools, formerly known as the Middlesex County Vocational and Technical Schools, is a public school district that provides a network of high schools serving the vocational and technical education needs of students ...

, a county-wide vocational school district that offers full-time career and technical education at

Middlesex County Academy The Edison Academy Magnet School (formerly known as the Middlesex County Academy for Science, Mathematics and Engineering Technologies) is a four-year career academy and college preparatory magnet public high school located on the campus of ...

in Edison, the Academy for Allied Health and Biomedical Sciences in Woodbridge Township and at its

, Perth Amboy and Piscataway technical high schools, with no tuition charged to students for attendance.

Infrastructure

Transportation

Roads and highways

, the township had a total of of roadways, of which were maintained by the municipality, by Middlesex County and by the

New Jersey Department of Transportation The New Jersey Department of Transportation (NJDOT) is the agency responsible for transportation issues and policy in New Jersey, including maintaining and operating the state's highway and public road system, planning and developing transportat ...

and by the

New Jersey Turnpike Authority The New Jersey Turnpike Authority (NJTA) is a state agency responsible for maintaining the New Jersey Turnpike and the Garden State Parkway, which are two toll roads in the U.S. state of New Jersey. The agency is headquartered in Woodbridge T ...

. Major highways serving Monroe Township include the

( Interstate 95), Route 32 and Route 33. Exit 8A of the Turnpike is located on the western edge of Monroe Township, with a nine-lane toll gate featuring a "modified" double trumpet interchange (with a few ramps continuing into South Brunswick Township). A number of county routes pass through Monroe Township, including County Route 535, County Route 527, County Route 522, County Route 625, County Route 619, County Route 615, County Route 614, County Route 613 and County Route 612. Other limited-access roads that are accessible outside the municipality include Interstate 195 in neighboring Millstone Township and the Garden State Parkway in bordering Old Bridge Township. The

had proposed to build two roads that were to pass through Monroe. The first was the

Driscoll Expressway The Driscoll Expressway was a proposed tolled limited-access highway that would have connected the New Jersey Turnpike with the Garden State Parkway in the U.S. state of New Jersey. The road was proposed in 1971 to alleviate traffic in the are ...

which was to start from the Garden State Parkway at exit 80 in South Toms River and end north of exit 8A along the turnpike in South Brunswick. This project was terminated in the 1980s. The other was a west–east spur, Route 92. It would have started at U.S. Route 1 just north of the intersection with Ridge Road in the township of South Brunswick and ended at the Exit 8A toll gate in Monroe Township. However, this was cancelled on December 1, 2006, and the Authority instead focused on the Turnpike widening between Exit 6 and Exit 8A.

Public transportation

=Rail

= In the 19th & 20th centuries, Jamesburg Borough and Monroe Township had a major railway in the area, which was the

Freehold and Jamesburg Agricultural Railroad The Freehold and Jamesburg Agricultural Railroad was a short-line railroad in New Jersey. The railroad traversed through the Raritan Valley communities of Freehold Borough, Freehold Township, Manalapan Township, Englishtown Borough, Monroe To ...

. This railway was owned and operated by the Camden & Amboy Railroad Company (C&A), in which surveying for the line began on September 8, 1851, grading began on October 19, 1852, and the first track was laid on April 4, 1853. The first section of line was opened on July 18, 1853. The establishment of the Freehold & Jamesburg Agricultural Railroad caused this region to become a transportation hub. The Freehold and Jamesburg Railroad was abandoned by the early 1930s. A portion of the former railroad's right-of-way was later approved to be sold by the New Jersey Board of Public Utility Commissioners (PUC) to Jersey Central Power & Light Company in 1966, with occasional freight service still being utilized through the

Freehold Industrial Track The Freehold Secondary (also called the Freehold Industrial Track) is a partially active rail line in New Jersey, the active portion of which is owned by Conrail Shared Assets Operations (CSAO) and operated by the Delaware and Raritan River Rail ...

. The

Monmouth Ocean Middlesex Line The Monmouth Ocean Middlesex Line (MOM) is a passenger rail project in the US state of New Jersey, proposed by NJ Transit Rail Operations (NJT) to serve the Central New Jersey counties of Monmouth, Ocean, and Middlesex. The line would originate/te ...

is a proposal by New Jersey Transit to restore passenger railway service to the region, by utilizing the same tracks as the Freehold Industrial Track. Jamesburg would be a potential railway stop on the proposed 'MOM' Line. As of now, the nearest train stations to the Monroe area are located at

Metuchen Metuchen ( ) is a suburban borough in Middlesex County, New Jersey, United States. The borough is a commuter town of New York City, located in the heart of the Raritan Valley region within the New York Metropolitan area. The borough, along wi ...

, and Princeton Junction, all along on the Northeast Corridor Line.

=Bus

= NJ Transit currently provides bus service to the

Port Authority Bus Terminal The Port Authority Bus Terminal (colloquially known as the Port Authority and by its acronym PABT) is a bus terminal located in Manhattan in New York City. It is the busiest bus terminal in the world by volume of traffic, serving about 8,000 bus ...

Midtown Manhattan Midtown Manhattan is the central portion of the New York City borough of Manhattan and serves as the city's primary central business district. Midtown is home to some of the city's most prominent buildings, including the Empire State Buildi ...

on the

138 138 may refer to: *138 (number) *138 BC *AD 138 Year 138 ( CXXXVIII) was a common year starting on Tuesday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar. At the time, it was known as the Year of the Consulship of Niger and Camer ...

and

139 139 may refer to: * 139 (number), an integer * AD 139, a year of the Julian calendar * 139 BC, a year of the pre-Julian Roman calendar * 139 (New Jersey bus) See also * 139th (disambiguation) 139th may refer to: * 139th (Northumberland) Battal ...

routes. Coach USA Suburban Transit and

Academy Bus Lines Academy Bus Lines is a bus company in New Jersey providing local bus services in northern New Jersey, line-run services to/from New York City from points in southern and central New Jersey, and contract and charter service in the eastern United ...

provide weekday commuter service to PABT and to Wall Street. Middlesex County Area Transit (MCAT) shuttles provide weekday service to and from Monroe on routes operating across the county. The M1 route operates between Jamesburg and the New Brunswick train station, and the M2 route (suspended during the COVID-19 pandemic) connects Jamesburg, Helmetta and Spotswood with

, including the Brunswick Square Mall.

Healthcare

Monroe Township is served by

CentraState Healthcare System CentraState Healthcare System is a non-for-profit community health organization consisting of an acute-care hospital, an ambulatory care campus, three senior living communities, a Family Medicine Residency Program, and a charitable foundation. Es ...

, which is affiliated with Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, located in nearby Freehold Township. The regional hospital is a 287-bed medical facility. CentraState Healthcare system also provides healthcare through its various family practices in communities across western

Monmouth Monmouth ( , ; cy, Trefynwy meaning "town on the Monnow") is a town and community in Wales. It is situated where the River Monnow joins the River Wye, from the Wales–England border. Monmouth is northeast of Cardiff, and west of London. ...

and southern

Middlesex Middlesex (; abbreviation: Middx) is a historic county in southeast England. Its area is almost entirely within the wider urbanised area of London and mostly within the ceremonial county of Greater London, with small sections in neighbour ...

counties in

central New Jersey Central Jersey is the central region of the U.S. state of New Jersey. The designation of Central New Jersey is a distinct administrative toponym. Geographic area and descriptions While the State of New Jersey is often divided into North and ...

. One of those six family practices has an office located in Monroe on Applegarth Road. The next closest hospitals to the township are

Penn Medicine Princeton Medical Center Penn Medicine Princeton Medical Center (PMC), formerly known as the University Medical Center of Princeton at Plainsboro, is a 355-bed non-profit, tertiary, and academic medical center located in Plainsboro Township, New Jersey, servicing the w ...

in nearby Plainsboro Township, the Old Bridge Division of

Raritan Bay Medical Center Raritan Bay Medical Center (RBMC) consists of two general acute care hospitals, located within the heart of the Raritan Valley region, servicing the Raritan Bayshore communities in Middlesex and Monmouth counties. The hospitals are located in Ol ...

in nearby Old Bridge Township, and

Saint Peter's University Hospital Saint Peter's University Hospital (SPUH) is a Roman Catholic hospital on Easton Avenue in New Brunswick, New Jersey. The hospital is a member of the Saint Peter's Healthcare System, Inc., a New Jersey nonprofit corporation sponsored by the Roman C ...

and Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital in nearby

Notable people

People who were born in, residents of, or otherwise closely associated with Monroe Township include: *

Randy Beverly Randy Beverly (born April 3, 1944) is a former professional American football player. He played cornerback for the American Football League's New York Jets and is best known for making two key interceptions that helped the Jets to their historic ...

(born 1944),

cornerback A cornerback (CB) is a member of the defensive backfield or secondary in gridiron football. Cornerbacks cover receivers most of the time, but also blitz and defend against such offensive running plays as sweeps and reverses. They create tur ...

for the

New York Jets The New York Jets are a professional American football team based in the New York metropolitan area. The Jets compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) East division. The ...

best known for making two key interceptions that helped the Jets to their historic victory in Super Bowl III in 1969 *

Irene Craigmile Bolam Irene Craigmile Bolam (born Irene Madalaine O'Crowley; October 1, 1904 – July 7, 1982) was an American banker and resident of Monroe Township, Middlesex County, New Jersey. In 1970, a book that was soon widely discredited set forth an allegatio ...

(1904–1982), subject of a 1970 book which claimed that she was Amelia Earhart * Craig Carpenito (born 1973), former United States Attorney for the District of New Jersey * Nick Dini (born 1993), catcher for the

Kansas City Royals The Kansas City Royals are an American professional baseball team based in Kansas City, Missouri. The Royals compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) Central division. The team was founded as an expans ...

* Peter P. Garibaldi (born 1931), politician who served as mayor of Monroe Township, in the New Jersey General Assembly from 1968 to 1974 and in the New Jersey Senate from 1984 to 1988 * Ben-Ami Kadish (1923–2012), former U.S. Army mechanical engineer who pleaded guilty in December 2008 to being an "unregistered agent for Israel" during the 1980s * Rabbi Leon Klenicki (1930–2009), advocate for interfaith relations, particularly between Jews and Catholics * Sophie Lutterlough (1910–2009), entomologist at the Smithsonian

National Museum of Natural History The National Museum of Natural History is a natural history museum administered by the Smithsonian Institution, located on the National Mall in Washington, D.C., United States. It has free admission and is open 364 days a year. In 2021, with 7. ...

* Dave Meads (born 1964), former MLB

relief pitcher In baseball and softball, a relief pitcher or reliever is a pitcher who enters the game after the starting pitcher is removed because of fatigue, ineffectiveness, injury, or ejection, or for other strategic reasons, such as inclement weat ...

who played for the

Houston Astros The Houston Astros are an American professional baseball team based in Houston, Texas. The Astros compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) West division, having moved to the division in 2013 after s ...

* Antonio Pierce (born 1978), former Pro Bowl

Linebacker Linebacker (LB) is a playing position in gridiron football. Linebackers are members of the defensive team, and line up three to five yards behind the line of scrimmage and the defensive linemen. They are the "middle ground" of defenders, ...

for the

National Football League The National Football League (NFL) is a professional American football league that consists of 32 teams, divided equally between the American Football Conference (AFC) and the National Football Conference (NFC). The NFL is one of the majo ...

New York Giants The New York Giants are a professional American football team based in the New York metropolitan area. The Giants compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) East divisio ...

Frank J. Pino Frank J. Pino (June 5, 1909 – November 10, 2007) was an American lawyer and politician from New York. Life He was born on June 5, 1909, in Brooklyn, New York City, the son of Joseph Pino and Angela (Merlino) Pino. He attended Public School No ...

(1909–2007), lawyer and politician *

Edwin Stern Edwin H. Stern (born June 10, 1941) is a lawyer and judge who served as acting justice on the New Jersey Supreme Court (Judge of the Appellate Division, Temporarily Assigned to the Supreme Court). Stern grew up in South Orange, New Jersey, gradu ...

(born 1941), lawyer and judge who served as an acting justice on the New Jersey Supreme CourtAckermann, Peggy
"A political fight provides N.J. Supreme Court with apolitical legal mind"
'' The Star-Ledger'', October 24, 2010. Accessed July 9, 2016. "Residence: Raised in South Orange; lived in West Orange; currently lives in Monroe, Middlesex County"

References

External links

Monroe Township Official WebsiteMonroe Township School District
*
School Data for the Monroe Township School District

{{Authority control 1838 establishments in New Jersey Faulkner Act (mayor–council) Populated places established in 1838 Townships in Middlesex County, New Jersey