Union 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 Union County,

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. In the 18th century, the area that is now Union was then called Connecticut Farms. 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 population was 59,728, the highest recorded in any decennial census, reflecting an increase of 3,086 (+5.4%) from the 56,642 counted in the 2010 Census.

History

Settled in 1667, Union was the third English speaking settlement in New Jersey after Elizabeth and Newark, with the area that is now Union then called Connecticut Farms. Union Township was the site of the

Battle of Connecticut Farms The Battle of Connecticut and Concur, fought June 7, 1780, was one of the last major battles between British and American forces in the northern colonies during the American Revolutionary War. Hessian General Wilhelm von Knyphausen, in comman ...

. On June 6, 1780, British troops, led by Hessian General Wilhelm von Knyphausen, boarded boats on

Staten Island Staten Island ( ) is a Boroughs of New York City, borough of New York City, coextensive with Richmond County, in the U.S. state of New York (state), New York. Located in the city's southwest portion, the borough is separated from New Jersey b ...

bound for Elizabeth,

. At midnight, 5,000 troops started to land. They expected the

Continental Army The Continental Army was the army of the United Colonies (the Thirteen Colonies) in the Revolutionary-era United States. It was formed by the Second Continental Congress after the outbreak of the American Revolutionary War, and was establis ...

to give little resistance, believing that they were tired of the war and were poorly fed and paid. They also expected the citizens of New Jersey to welcome them. They were wrong on both counts and were unable to make their way to and through the Hobart Gap. Union 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 November 23, 1808, from portions of Elizabeth Township, while the area was still part of Essex County. It became part of the newly formed Union County on March 19, 1857. Portions of the township have been taken to form Linden Township (March 4, 1861),

Roselle Park Roselle may refer to: * Roselle (plant), a species of hibiscus (''Hibiscus sabdariffa'') **A drink made from that plant, also called "Hibiscus tea" Roselle is the/a name of: ; People * Mike Roselle - American environmental activist and author ; ...

, (March 22, 1901),

Kenilworth Kenilworth ( ) is a market town and civil parish in the Warwick District in Warwickshire, England, south-west of Coventry, north of Warwick and north-west of London. It lies on Finham Brook, a tributary of the River Sowe, which joins the ...

(May 13, 1907) and Hillside (April 3, 1913).Snyder, John P
''The Story of New Jersey's Civil Boundaries: 1606-1968''
Bureau of Geology and Topography; Trenton, New Jersey; 1969. p. 241. Accessed February 25, 2012. In 1946, a group of residents pushed for the township's name to be changed to "Connecticut Farms", citing the potential benefits to area residents and businesses from the broad awareness of the historical significance of the name. The Self-Master Colony was a private experiment in housing the homeless; built on the Hoyt family mansion in Union Township in 1908. The colony was founded by Andress Small Floyd and his wife Lillian, lasting until 1938.

Geography

The Township of Union is located on the northern edge of Union County and is bordered by eight municipalities: Hillside to the east, Elizabeth to the southeast,

and

to the south and Springfield Township to the west. Northwest of the township lies Millburn, to the north lies Maplewood and to the northeast lies Irvington, all in Essex County. 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 9.08 square miles (23.52 km²), including 9.05 square miles (23.44 km²) of land and 0.03 square miles (0.08 km²) of water (0.35%). Unincorporated communities, localities and place names located partially or completely within the township include Battle Hill, Connecticut Farms, Galloping Hill, Headlentown, Putnam Manor, Salem, Townley and

Vauxhall Vauxhall ( ) is a district in South West London, part of the London Borough of Lambeth, England. Vauxhall was part of Surrey until 1889 when the County of London was created. Named after a medieval manor, "Fox Hall", it became well known for ...

Neighborhoods

*Five Points, area around the junction of Galloping Hill Road, Chestnut Street, Salem Road, Delaware Avenue, Walton Avenue, and Tucker Avenue. *Brookside Heights (Curryville), west of Vauxhall Road. *Vauxhall, area of Union north of I-78 and west of Stuyvesant Avenue, with its own ZIP code 07088. * Union Center, area around the intersection of Morris and Stuyvesant Avenues. *Putnam Ridge, a section between Suburban Road, Morris Avenue, Twin Oaks Road, and Colonial Avenue. *Putnam Manor, an historic section between Colonial Avenue and Salem Road. *Orchard Park *Parkside Manor, a three-road section off of Union Terrace. *Larchmont Estates, area bordered by Larchmont Reservation (NW and NE edges), Morris Avenue (SW), Liberty Avenue (SE), and Joe Collins Park/Larchmont Reservation (NE edge). *Battle Hill, area served by Battle Hill Elementary School in west Union, bordered by Rahway River (W edge), Morris Avenue (N), the west branch of the Elizabeth River (E), and Route 22 (S). *Green Lane, new community between Kean University and Union Station. *Fairway Drive, community bordering the Galloping Hill Golf Course. *Rich Creek, the neighborhood of Richard Terrace

Demographics

2010 census

The Census Bureau's 2006–2010

American Community Survey The American Community Survey (ACS) is a demographics survey program conducted by the U.S. Census Bureau. It regularly gathers information previously contained only in the long form of the decennial census, such as ancestry, citizenship, educati ...

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 $73,722 (with a margin of error of +/− $4,858) and the median family income was $86,705 (+/− $3,822). Males had a median income of $54,811 (+/− $1,998) versus $47,144 (+/− $2,316) 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 township was $31,135 (+/− $1,104). About 3.7% of families and 4.7% 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 4.7% of those under age 18 and 5.6% of those age 65 or over.

2000 census

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 ...

of 2000, there were 54,405 people, 19,534 households, and 14,162 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 5,968.1 people per square mile (2,303.3/km²). There were 20,001 housing units at an average density of 2,194.1 per square mile (846.8/km²). An example of a diverse municipality in the United States, the racial makeup of the township was 67.66%

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 ...

, 19.76%

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 ...

, 0.15% Native American, 7.72% Asian, 0.02%

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 ...

, 2.44% from other races, and 2.24% 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 8.93% of the population.Census 2000 Profiles of Demographic / Social / Economic / Housing Characteristics for Union township, New Jersey
,

. Accessed October 31, 2016.DP-1: Profile of General Demographic Characteristics: 2000 - Census 2000 Summary File 1 (SF 1) 100-Percent Data for Union township, Union County, New Jersey
,

. Accessed May 24, 2013. There were 19,534 households, out of which 32.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 55.5% 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, 13.1% had a female householder with no husband present, and 27.5% were non-families. 23.8% of all households were made up of individuals, and 13.3% 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 3.25. In the township the population was spread out, with 22.3% under the age of 18, 8.9% from 18 to 24, 29.3% from 25 to 44, 22.3% from 45 to 64, and 17.3% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 39 years. For every 100 females, there were 87.9 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 83.2 males. The median income for a household in the township was $59,173, and the median income for a family was $68,707. Males had a median income of $45,299 versus $35,604 for females. The

for the township was $24,768. About 3.0% of families and 4.2% of the population were below the

, including 4.6% of those under age 18 and 5.5% of those age 65 or over.

Government

Local government

Union Township is governed under the

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, ...

form of New Jersey municipal government, one of 141 municipalities (of the 564) statewide that use this form, the second-most commonly used form of government in the state. The Township Committee is comprised of five members, who are elected directly by the voters

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 ...

in partisan elections to serve three-year terms of office on a staggered basis, with either one or two seats coming up for election each year as part of the November general election in a three-year cycle.''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. 90. At an annual reorganization meeting, the Township Committee selects one of its members to serve as Mayor. The Mayor, in addition to voting as a member of the Township Committee, presides over the meetings of the committee and carries out ceremonial duties. , members of the Union Township Committee are Mayor Manuel T. Figueiredo ( D, term on committee ends December 31, 2024; term as mayor ends 2022), Deputy Mayor Suzette Cavadas (D, term on committee and as deputy mayor ends 2022), Michele S. Delisfort (D, 2024), Joseph M. Florio (D, 2023) and Clifton People Jr. (D, 2022).Township Committee
Union Township. Accessed June 27, 2022.''Union County Elected Officials''

Union County, New Jersey Union County is a county in the northern part of the U.S. state of New Jersey. As of the 2020 U.S. census, the county's population was 575,345, making it the seventh-most populous of New Jersey's 21 counties. Its county seat is Elizabeth.

Clerk. Accessed June 1, 2022.General Election November 2, 2021 Official Results

, updated November 15, 2021. Accessed January 1, 2022.General Election November 3, 2020 Official Results

, updated December 14, 2020. Accessed January 1, 2021.General Election November 5, 2019 Official Results

, updated December 5, 2019. Accessed January 1, 2020.

Mayors of Union

Federal, state, and county representation

Union Township is in the 10th Congressional Districts2022 Redistricting Plan
New Jersey Redistricting Commission, December 8, 2022. and is part of New Jersey's 20th state legislative district.Municipalities Sorted by 2011-2020 Legislative District

New Jersey Department of State The secretary of state of New Jersey oversees the Department of State, which is one of the original state offices. The Secretary is responsible for overseeing artistic, cultural, and historical programs within the U.S. state of New Jersey, as ...

. Accessed February 1, 2020.''2019 New Jersey Citizen's Guide to Government''
New Jersey

League of Women Voters The League of Women Voters (LWV or the League) is a nonprofit, nonpartisan political organization in the United States. Founded in 1920, its ongoing major activities include registering voters, providing voter information, and advocating for vot ...

. Accessed October 30, 2019. Prior to the 2010 Census, Union Township had been split between the 7th and 10th Congressional Districts with different boundaries, a change made by the New Jersey Redistricting Commission that took effect in January 2013, based on the results of the November 2012 general elections.''2011 New Jersey Citizen's Guide to Government''
, p. 65, New Jersey

. Accessed May 22, 2015. The redistricting plan that took effect in 2013 placed 31,611 residents living in the central and western portions of the township into the 7th District, while 25,031 residents in a semicircle that runs along the northern, eastern and southern borders of the township were placed into the 10th District.Plan Components Report
New Jersey Redistricting Commission, December 23, 2011. Accessed February 1, 2020. Union 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 nine members are elected

to three-year terms of office on a staggered basis with three seats coming up for election each year, with an appointed County Manager overseeing the day-to-day operations of the county. At an annual reorganization meeting held in the beginning of January, the board selects a Chair and Vice Chair from among its members. , Union County's County Commissioners are Chair Rebecca Williams ( D, Plainfield, term as commissioner and as chair ends December 31, 2022), Vice Chair Christopher Hudak (D, Linden, term as commissioner ends 2023; term as vice chair ends 2022), James E. Baker Jr. (D, Rahway, 2024), Angela R. Garretson (D, Hillside, 2023), Sergio Granados (D, Elizabeth, 2022), Bette Jane Kowalski (D, Cranford, 2022), Lourdes M. Leon (D, Elizabeth, 2023), Alexander Mirabella (D, Fanwood, 2024) and Kimberly Palmieri-Mouded (D, Westfield, 2024). Constitutional officers elected on a countywide basis are County Clerk Joanne Rajoppi (D, Union Township, 2025), Sheriff Peter Corvelli (D,

, 2023) and Surrogate Susan Dinardo (acting). The County Manager is Edward Oatman.

Politics

As of March 23, 2011, there were a total of 31,155 registered voters in Union Township, of which 12,061 (38.7% vs. 41.8% countywide) were registered as Democrats, 3,928 (12.6% vs. 15.3%) were registered as Republicans and 15,157 (48.7% vs. 42.9%) were registered as Unaffiliated. There were 9 voters registered to other parties.Voter Registration Summary - Union

Division of Elections, March 23, 2011. Accessed May 24, 2013. Among the township's 2010 Census population, 55.0% (vs. 53.3% in Union County) were registered to vote, including 69.7% of those ages 18 and over (vs. 70.6% countywide). 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 16,423 votes (70.7% vs. 66.0% countywide), ahead of Republican

Mitt Romney Willard Mitt Romney (born March 12, 1947) is an American politician, businessman, and lawyer serving as the junior United States senator from Utah since January 2019, succeeding Orrin Hatch. He served as the 70th governor of Massachusetts ...

with 6,464 votes (27.8% vs. 32.3%) and other candidates with 155 votes (0.7% vs. 0.8%), among the 23,235 ballots cast by the township's 33,589 registered voters, for a turnout of 69.2% (vs. 68.8% in Union County). In the 2008 presidential election, Democrat Barack Obama received 15,625 votes (63.8% vs. 63.1% countywide), 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 8,462 votes (34.5% vs. 35.2%) and other candidates with 189 votes (0.8% vs. 0.9%), among the 24,505 ballots cast by the township's 32,622 registered voters, for a turnout of 75.1% (vs. 74.7% in Union County). 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 12,751 votes (57.9% vs. 58.3% countywide), ahead of Republican George W. Bush with 8,987 votes (40.8% vs. 40.3%) and other candidates with 174 votes (0.8% vs. 0.7%), among the 22,013 ballots cast by the township's 30,383 registered voters, for a turnout of 72.5% (vs. 72.3% in the whole county). In the 2013 gubernatorial election, 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 ...

received 53.4% of the vote (6,269 cast), ahead of Republican

Chris Christie Christopher James Christie (born September 6, 1962) is an American politician, lawyer, political commentator, lobbyist, and former federal prosecutor who served as the 55th governor of New Jersey from 2010 to 2018. Christie, who was born in N ...

with 45.4% (5,334 votes), and other candidates with 1.2% (135 votes), among the 12,013 ballots cast by the township's 33,305 registered voters (275 ballots were spoiled), for a turnout of 36.1%. In the 2009 gubernatorial election, Democrat Jon Corzine received 7,628 ballots cast (53.0% vs. 50.6% countywide), ahead of Republican Chris Christie with 5,734 votes (39.8% vs. 41.7%), Independent Chris Daggett with 741 votes (5.1% vs. 5.9%) and other candidates with 113 votes (0.8% vs. 0.8%), among the 14,397 ballots cast by the township's 31,972 registered voters, yielding a 45.0% turnout (vs. 46.5% in the county).

Education

The Union Public School District serves 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 ...

. As of the 2018–19 school year, the district, comprised of 10 schools, had an enrollment of 7,219 students and 614.7 classroom teachers (on an FTE basis), for a

student–teacher ratio Student–teacher ratio or student–faculty ratio is the number of students who attend a school or university divided by the number of teachers in the institution. For example, a student–teacher ratio of 10:1 indicates that there are 10 students ...

of 11.7:1.District information for Township Of Union 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. The schools in the district (with 2018–19 enrollment data from the

) are Battle Hill Elementary School (391 students; in grades Pre-K–4), Hannah Caldwell Elementary School (508; Pre-K–4), Connecticut Farms Elementary School (403; Pre-K–4), Franklin Elementary School (417; Pre-K–4), Livingston Elementary School (424; Pre-K–4), Washington Elementary School (575; Pre-K–4), Jefferson Elementary School (544; in grade 5), Burnet Middle School (961; 6–8), Kawameeh Middle School (674; 6–8) and Union High School (2,180; 9–12). Union was threatened with being the first municipality north of the

Mason–Dixon line The Mason–Dixon line, also called the Mason and Dixon line or Mason's and Dixon's line, is a demarcation line separating four U.S. states, forming part of the borders of Pennsylvania, Maryland, Delaware, and West Virginia (part of Virginia ...

to suffer from penalties as a result of school segregation. The area of Vauxhall was primarily black and the students enrolled at Jefferson Elementary School were disproportionately black, compared to the rest of the township. Union avoided problems by converting Jefferson Elementary into a sixth-grade only school called Central 6 and bused the Jefferson students to all the other elementary schools. It was later renamed Central 5 and is now Jefferson School, which is used as a one-year school for fifth-grade students. Union is home to several private nursery schools and the Deron School, a private school for learning disabled students ages 5–13. St. Michael's Parish School and Holy Spirit School (founded in 1965) operate under the supervision of the

Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Newark The Archdiocese of Newark is a Latin Church ecclesiastical jurisdiction or archdiocese of the Catholic Church in northeastern New Jersey, United States. Its ecclesiastic territory includes all of the Catholic parishes and schools in the New Jer ...

Kean University Kean University () is a public university in Union and Hillside, New Jersey. It is part of New Jersey's public system of higher education. Kean University was founded in 1855 in Newark, New Jersey, as the Newark Normal School. Initially establi ...

, dating back to 1855, serves a total student population of almost 16,000. Called New Jersey State Teachers College when it was located in Newark, the school moved to Union in 1958, was renamed Kean College in 1973 and was granted university status in 1997.

Transportation

Roads and highways

, the township had a total of of roadways, of which were maintained by the municipality, by Union 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 ...

. Union is traversed by the Garden State Parkway,

Interstate 78 Interstate 78 (I-78) is an east–west Interstate Highway in the Northeastern United States, running from I-81 northeast of Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, through Allentown to western and northern New Jersey and terminating at the Holland T ...

, U.S. Route 22 and Route 82 (Morris Avenue). The Parkway connects

in the south to Hillside in the north. The Parkway includes interchanges 139A (Chestnut Street) / 139B (Route 82 West Union), interchanges 140 (Route 22 / Route 82 west) / 140A (Route 22 / Route 82 west) and interchange 141 (Vauxhall Road / Union).

Public transportation

NJ Transit New Jersey Transit Corporation, branded as NJ Transit, and often shortened to NJT, is a state-owned public transportation system that serves the U.S. state of New Jersey, along with portions of New York State and Pennsylvania. It operates bu ...

offers rail service at the Union train station providing service on the Raritan Valley Line (formerly the mainline of the

Lehigh Valley Railroad The Lehigh Valley Railroad was a railroad built in the Northeastern United States to haul anthracite coal from the Coal Region in Pennsylvania. The railroad was authorized on April 21, 1846 for freight and transportation of passengers, goods, ...

) to Newark Penn Station. The station opened in 2003 and includes a parking lot with over 450 spaces. NJ Transit also provides bus service to

New York City New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the List of United States cities by population, most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the L ...

and New Jersey points on the 113,

114 114 may refer to: *114 (number) *AD 114 *114 BC *114 (1st London) Army Engineer Regiment, Royal Engineers, an English military unit *114 (Antrim Artillery) Field Squadron, Royal Engineers, a Northern Irish military unit *114 (MBTA bus) *114 (New Je ...

and

117 117 may refer to: *117 (number) *AD 117 *117 BC *117 (emergency telephone number) *117 (MBTA bus) * 117 (TFL bus) *117 (New Jersey bus) *''117°'', a 1998 album by Izzy Stradlin *No. 117 (SPARTAN-II soldier ID), personal name John, the Master Chief ...

routes 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 65, 66 70 and 94 routes to Newark and local service on the 26 and 52. Former

Rahway Valley Railroad The Rahway Valley Railroad (RVRR) was a short-line railroad in the Northeastern United States which connected the Lehigh Valley Railroad in Roselle Park and the Central Railroad of New Jersey in Cranford with the Delaware, Lackawanna & Western ...

freight line, now abandoned, crosses through Union. This line, presently leased to Morristown and Erie Railway, is in the process of revitalization after which it will link to NJ Transit's Morris and Essex Lines at Summit and connect to

Newark Liberty International Airport Newark Liberty International Airport , originally Newark Metropolitan Airport and later Newark International Airport, is an international airport straddling the boundary between the cities of Newark in Essex County and Elizabeth in Union Cou ...

is approximately east of Union.

Notable buildings

* The Union Watersphere, for many years the tallest

water tower A water tower is an elevated structure supporting a water tank constructed at a height sufficient to pressurize a distribution system for potable water, and to provide emergency storage for fire protection. Water towers often operate in conju ...

of its type in the world, stands 212 feet tall, holds 250,000 gallons of drinking water and is now also used as a cell phone tower. The landmark and icon inspired a former Union resident to create a website and museum (in

Austin, Texas Austin is the capital city of the U.S. state of Texas, as well as the seat and largest city of Travis County, with portions extending into Hays and Williamson counties. Incorporated on December 27, 1839, it is the 11th-most-populous city ...

) dedicated to it. * Union is home to several houses constructed totally of poured

concrete Concrete is a composite material composed of fine and coarse aggregate bonded together with a fluid cement (cement paste) that hardens (cures) over time. Concrete is the second-most-used substance in the world after water, and is the most wid ...

, an experiment of

Thomas Edison Thomas Alva Edison (February 11, 1847October 18, 1931) was an American inventor and businessman. He developed many devices in fields such as electric power generation, mass communication, sound recording, and motion pictures. These inventi ...

. The homes on Ingersoll Terrace include poured concrete interior walls with formed concrete plumbing. * Union is home to a building in the shape of a ship at 2262 U.S. Route 22. Originally a restaurant and night club, it has changed ownership over the years, becoming a furniture store known as "The Flagship" and later

The Wiz ''The Wiz: The Super Soul Musical "Wonderful Wizard of Oz"'' is a musical with music and lyrics by Charlie Smalls (and others) and book by William F. Brown. It is a retelling of L. Frank Baum's children's novel '' The Wonderful Wizard of Oz'' ...

Home Electronics. It is currently a P. C. Richard & Son store. * Union is home to

The Home Depot The Home Depot, Inc., is an American multinational home improvement retail corporation that sells tools, construction products, appliances, and services, including fuel and transportation rentals. Home Depot is the largest home improvement re ...

Superstore, that at was the chain's largest store in the world as of 2012.

Notable people

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

Aminat Ayinde The twelfth cycle of ''America's Next Top Model'' premiered on March 4, 2009 and was the sixth season to air on The CW network. The cycle's catch phrase is "Get In The Fold." The cycle's promotional song was Lady Gaga's "The Fame". The winning p ...

, the second runner-up from Cycle 12 of '' America's Next Top Model'' * C. Louis Bassano (born 1942), politician who served in both the

New Jersey General Assembly The New Jersey General Assembly is the lower house of the New Jersey Legislature. Since the election of 1967 (1968 Session), the Assembly has consisted of 80 members. Two members are elected from each of New Jersey's 40 legislative districts f ...

and the

New Jersey Senate The New Jersey Senate was established as the upper house of the New Jersey Legislature by the Constitution of 1844, replacing the Legislative Council. There are 40 legislative districts, representing districts with an average population of 232, ...

* Isaiah Briscoe (born 1996), basketball player for the Kentucky Wildcats men's basketball team *

Freddie 'Red' Cochrane Freddie 'Red' Cochrane (born May 6, 1915 in Elizabeth, New Jersey, United States, and died January 1, 1993), was a professional boxer who held the World Welterweight Championship from 1941 until 1946. Cochrane was a resident of Union, New Jersey ...

(1915–1993), professional boxer in the

welterweight Welterweight is a weight class in combat sports. Originally the term "welterweight" was used only in boxing, but other combat sports like Muay Thai, taekwondo, and mixed martial arts also use it for their own weight division system to classify th ...

(147 lb) division who became World Champion in 1941 in that class *

Joe Collins Joseph Edward Collins (born Joseph Edward Kollonige; December 3, 1922 – August 30, 1989) was an American Major League Baseball player born in Scranton, Pennsylvania. On September 25, he began his major league career playing for the New York Y ...

(1922–1989),

first baseman A first baseman, abbreviated 1B, is the player on a baseball or softball team who fields the area nearest first base, the first of four bases a baserunner must touch in succession to score a run. The first baseman is responsible for the majori ...

for the

New York Yankees The New York Yankees are an American professional baseball team based in the New York City borough of the Bronx. The Yankees compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) East division. They are one ...

from 1948 to 1957 A park on Liberty Avenue is named after him. * Tom Coyne (1954–2017),

mastering engineer A mastering engineer is a person skilled in the practice of taking audio (typically musical content) that has been previously mixed in either the analog or digital domain as mono, stereo, or multichannel formats and preparing it for use in distr ...

* Jonathan Townley Crane (1819–1880), clergyman, author and abolitionist * Joseph Cryan (born 1961), represents the 20th legislative district in the

* Quenton DeCosey (born 1994), professional basketball player for Koroivos of the

Greek Basket League The Greek Basket League (GBL), often also referred to as the Greek A1 Basketball League, or Greek Basketball Championship (originally called Panhellenic Basketball Championship), and also known as the Stoiximan Basket League for sponsorship reaso ...

* Jamie Fox (1954–2017), political strategist * Gina Genovese (born 1959), businesswoman and politician who has served as mayor of Long Hill Township * Kayla Hoffman (born 1988),

artistic gymnast Artistic gymnastics is a discipline of gymnastics in which athletes perform short routines on different apparatuses. The sport is governed by the Fédération Internationale de Gymnastique (FIG), which designs the Code of Points and regulates ...

* Mildred Barry Hughes (1902–1995), the first woman elected to the

, in 1965 * Ron Karkovice (born 1963), Major League baseball catcher from 1986 to 1997 *

Amalya Lyle Kearse Amalya Lyle Kearse (born June 11, 1937)Goldstein, Tom. "Amalya Lyle Kearse; Woman in the News", '' The New York Times'', June 25, 1979. is a senior United States circuit judge of the United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit and a wo ...

(born 1937), a judge of the

United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit The United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit (in case citations, 2d Cir.) is one of the thirteen United States Courts of Appeals. Its territory comprises the states of Connecticut, New York and Vermont. The court has appellate ju ...

Myra Smith Kearse Myra Smith Kearse (May 18, 1899 – February 14, 1982) was an American physician and community leader in New Jersey. Early life Myra Lyle Smith was born in Lynchburg, Virginia, the daughter of T. Parker Smith and Clara Alexander Smith. Her fa ...

(1899–1982), physician and community leader *

Larry Kubin Lawrence William Kubin Jr. (born February 26, 1959) is a former American football linebacker who played in the National Football League (NFL) with the Washington Redskins from 1981 to 1984 (including two Super Bowls XVII and XVIII), and in 198 ...

(born 1959),

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, ...

who played with the

Washington Redskins The Washington Commanders are a professional American football team based in the Washington metropolitan area. The Commanders compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) ...

from 1981 to 1984 * Kelly Kulick (born 1977), professional bowler who became the first woman ever to win a regular Professional Bowlers Association tour title *

Artie Lange Artie is a masculine given name, usually a diminutive of Arthur. Notable people with the given name include: People * Artie Bettles (1891–1971), Australian rules footballer * Artie Butler (born 1942), American popular music arranger, songwrite ...

(born 1967), comedian, actor, and former Howard Stern Show sidekick * Ray Liotta (1954–2022), actor * Ed Lucas (1939–2021), blind sportswriter who primarily covered the

* Elliott Maddox (born 1947), professional baseball player with both the

1974–1976 and the

New York Mets The New York Mets are an American professional baseball team based in the New York City borough of Queens. The Mets compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member of the National League (NL) East division. They are one of two major lea ...

1978–1980Union County Baseball Hall of Fame Will Induct Three New Members, Feb. 11
, Union County,

press release dated December 27, 2006. Accessed July 3, 2007. "Over the years, the awards dinner has honored many local and national baseball luminaries – including Joe Collins of Union, Phil Rizzuto of Hillside, Don Newcombe of Elizabeth, Jeff Torborg of Mountainside, Willie Wilson of Summit, Jake Wood of Elizabeth, and Elliott Maddox of Union." * Conde McGinley (born 1890), publisher of the anti-Communist and anti-Semitic weekly paper, ''Common Sense'' * Bob Mischak (1932–2014),

American football American football (referred to simply as football in the United States and Canada), also known as gridiron, is a team sport played by two teams of eleven players on a rectangular field with goalposts at each end. The offense, the team wi ...

guard Guard or guards may refer to: Professional occupations * Bodyguard, who protects an individual from personal assault * Crossing guard, who stops traffic so pedestrians can cross the street * Lifeguard, who rescues people from drowning * Prison gu ...

and

tight end The tight end (TE) is a position in American football, arena football, and Canadian football, on the offense. The tight end is often a hybrid position with the characteristics and roles of both an offensive lineman and a wide receiver. Lik ...

who played in the

American Football League The American Football League (AFL) was a major professional American football league that operated for ten seasons from 1960 until 1970, when it merged with the older National Football League (NFL), and became the American Football Conference. ...

and the NFL *

Eulace Peacock Eulace Peacock (August 27, 1914 – December 13, 1996) was an American track and field athlete in the 1930s. Peacock was born in Dothan, Alabama and raised in the Vauxhall section of Union Township, New Jersey, where he graduated from Union ...

(1914–1996), track and field athlete in the 1930s who was a top competitor of

Jesse Owens James Cleveland "Jesse" Owens (September 12, 1913March 31, 1980) was an American track and field athlete who won four gold medals at the 1936 Olympic Games. Owens specialized in the sprints and the long jump and was recognized in his lif ...

* Matthew John Rinaldo (1931–2008), represented

in the

United States House of Representatives The United States House of Representatives, often referred to as the House of Representatives, the U.S. House, or simply the House, is the lower chamber of the United States Congress, with the Senate being the upper chamber. Together they ...

for twenty years, in the 12th congressional district (1973–1983) and in the 7th congressional district (1983–1993) * Tyler Roberson (born 1994), professional

basketball Basketball is a team sport in which two teams, most commonly of five players each, opposing one another on a rectangular Basketball court, court, compete with the primary objective of #Shooting, shooting a basketball (ball), basketball (appr ...

player for the

Agua Caliente Clippers The Ontario Clippers, formerly known as the Agua Caliente Clippers of Ontario, are an American professional basketball team in the NBA G League based in Ontario, California, and are affiliated with the Los Angeles Clippers. The team began play in ...

of the

NBA G League The NBA G League, or simply the G League, is the National Basketball Association's (NBA) official minor league basketball organization. The league was known as the National Basketball Development League (NBDL) from 2001 to 2005, and the NBA D ...

* Lawrence E. Roberts (1922–2004), pilot with the

Tuskegee Airmen The Tuskegee Airmen were a group of primarily African American military pilots (fighter and bomber) and airmen who fought in World War II. They formed the 332d Fighter Group and the 477th Fighter Group, 477th Bombardment Group (Medium) of the ...

and a

colonel Colonel (abbreviated as Col., Col or COL) is a senior military officer rank used in many countries. It is also used in some police forces and paramilitary organizations. In the 17th, 18th and 19th centuries, a colonel was typically in charge ...

in the

United States Air Force The United States Air Force (USAF) is the air service branch of the United States Armed Forces, and is one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. Originally created on 1 August 1907, as a part of the United States Army Si ...

Philip Rubin Philip E. Rubin (born May 22, 1949) is an American cognitive scientist, technologist, and science administrator known for raising the visibility of behavioral and cognitive science, neuroscience, and ethical issues related to science, t ...

(born 1949), cognitive scientist, technologist and science administrator * Anthony E. Russo (born 1926), former member of the

who served as Mayor of Union * Karl Schellscheidt (born 1968), soccer player, educator and entrepreneur * Manfred Schellscheidt (born 1941), German-American soccer coach and former player and member of the

National Soccer Hall of Fame The National Soccer Hall of Fame is a private, non-profit institution established in 1979 and currently located in Toyota Stadium (Texas), Toyota Stadium in Frisco, Texas, a suburb of Dallas. The Hall of Fame honors Association football, soccer ...

Amy Simon Amy Simon is an American planetary scientist at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center, involved in several missions of the Solar System Exploration Program. Education Simon is from Union Township, Union County, New Jersey, where she attended ...

(born 1971),

planetary scientist Planetary science (or more rarely, planetology) is the scientific study of planets (including Earth), celestial bodies (such as moons, asteroids, comets) and planetary systems (in particular those of the Solar System) and the processes of their fo ...

NASA The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA ) is an independent agency of the US federal government responsible for the civil space program, aeronautics research, and space research. NASA was established in 1958, succeedin ...

Goddard Space Flight Center The Goddard Space Flight Center (GSFC) is a major NASA space research laboratory located approximately northeast of Washington, D.C. in Greenbelt, Maryland, United States. Established on May 1, 1959 as NASA's first space flight center, GSFC empl ...

Darnell Stapleton Darnell Robert Stapleton (born September 21, 1985) is an offensive line assistant coach for the Florida Gators football team. A former American football offensive lineman, Stapleton was the starting right guard on the Super Bowl XLIII champion ...

(born 1985), former offensive guard for the

Pittsburgh Steelers The Pittsburgh Steelers are a professional American football team based in Pittsburgh. The Steelers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the American Football Conference (AFC) North division. Founded in , the Steel ...

who was a member of the Steelers' Super Bowl XLIII championship team * Travis Taylor (born 1990), professional basketball player * Bill Wenzel (1918–1987), cartoonist best known for his good girl art *

Robert Wuhl Robert Wuhl (born October 9, 1951) is an American actor, comedian and writer. He is best known as the creator and star of the television comedy series '' Arliss'' (1996–2002) and for his portrayal of newspaper reporter Alexander Knox in Tim B ...

(born 1951), actor * Darren Young (born 1983), professional wrestler formerly signed to WWE where he is one half of The Prime Time Players with Titus O'NeilGriffith, Janelle
"WWE star, N.J. native Darren Young: I came out because I'm in love"
NJ Advance Media for NJ.com, August 16, 2013. Accessed October 16, 2015.

References

External links

Union Township website

Union Public School District
*
School Data for the Union Public School District

Living in Union, N.J.
– slideshow by ''

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 ...

'' {{Authority control 1808 establishments in New Jersey Populated places established in 1808 Township form of New Jersey government Townships in Union County, New Jersey