Atco is an

unincorporated community An unincorporated area is a parcel of land that is not governed by a local general-purpose municipal corporation. (At p. 178.) They may be governed or serviced by an encompassing unit (such as a county) or another branch of the state (such as th ...

and

census-designated place A census-designated place (CDP) is a Place (United States Census Bureau), 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 counte ...

(CDP) in Waterford Township in Camden County, in the

U.S. state In the United States, a state is a constituent political entity, of which there are 50. Bound together in a political union, each state holds governmental jurisdiction over a separate and defined geographic territory where it shares its so ...

New Jersey New Jersey is a U.S. state, state located in both the Mid-Atlantic States, Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern United States, Northeastern regions of the United States. Located at the geographic hub of the urban area, heavily urbanized Northeas ...

. It is part of the

Philadelphia Philadelphia ( ), colloquially referred to as Philly, is the List of municipalities in Pennsylvania, most populous city in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania and the List of United States cities by population, sixth-most populous city in the Unit ...

- Camden metropolitan area, located southeast of Camden. Though generally considered part of Waterford Township, a small section of the southern edge of Atco is located in Winslow Township. Atco was first listed as a CDP prior to the 2020 census with a population of 9,058. Atco was the home of the Atco Raceway, and served as the location for the movie '' Eddie and the Cruisers''. In 2005, an episode of '' Viva La Bam'' was shot at the raceway. The area is served as

United States Postal Service The United States Postal Service (USPS), also known as the Post Office, U.S. Mail, or simply the Postal Service, is an independent agencies of the United States government, independent agency of the executive branch of the federal governmen ...

ZIP Code 08004.

History

Atco's name originates from the Atlantic Transport Company, although alternative origins have been proposed, including an indigenous term meaning "Land of many deer." The Atlantic Transport Company of West Virginia placed a substantial order for four large ships with the New York Shipbuilding Corporation, located in Camden, New Jersey, between 1902 and 1903. This event may have contributed to the adoption of the name "Atco" around that time. Camden and Atlantic Railroad was founded in 1854; it crossed the Pinelands from Camden to

Atlantic City Atlantic City, sometimes referred to by its initials A.C., is a Jersey Shore seaside resort city in Atlantic County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey. Atlantic City comprises the second half of the Atlantic City- Hammonton metropolitan sta ...

. The Raritan and Delaware Bay Railroad was established soon after, linking Atco to communities such as Toms River, Waretown, Atsion and Vineland. The story of the Atco Ghost is popular in Atco. Legend has it that a young boy was killed by a drunk driver while chasing a ball, and his ghost can now be seen playing on Burnt Mill Road, the same street where the accident occurred, after a motorist honks their horn.

Geography

The town is at the western edge of Wharton State Forest and the Pine Barrens. Atco Lake is a lake in Atco.

Climate

The climate in this area is characterized by hot, humid summers and generally mild to cool winters. According to the

Köppen Climate Classification The Köppen climate classification divides Earth climates into five main climate groups, with each group being divided based on patterns of seasonal precipitation and temperature. The five main groups are ''A'' (tropical), ''B'' (arid), ''C'' (te ...

system, Atco has a

humid subtropical climate A humid subtropical climate is a subtropical -temperate climate type, characterized by long and hot summers, and cool to mild winters. These climates normally lie on the southeast side of all continents (except Antarctica), generally between ...

, abbreviated "Cfa" on climate maps.

Education

Atco was the site of Assumption School, an elementary school that operated under the auspices of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Camden until it was closed at the end of the 2012–13 school year. Atco public schools, operated by Waterford Township School District, serve K-6 grade. Atco Elementary (grades to K-1), Thomas Richards Elementary (grades 2–3) and Waterford Elementary (grades 4–6) serve students from Atco. Junior high school and high school students from Atco are served by Hammonton Public Schools or parochial schools of their choice.

Transportation

Atco has a

train station A train station, railroad station, or railway station is a railway facility where trains stop to load or unload passengers, freight, or both. It generally consists of at least one platform, one track, and a station building providing suc ...

on the Atlantic City Line, which is operated by NJ Transit. The station is accessible from Route 73 and the White Horse Pike ( U.S. Route 30).

Demographics

Atco first appeared as a

census designated place A census-designated place (CDP) is a Place (United States Census Bureau), 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 counte ...

in the 2020 U.S. Census.

2020 census

Notable people

People who were born in, residents of, or otherwise closely associated with Atco include: * Marvin Borowsky (1907–1969), novelist and screenwriter * Kellyanne Conway (born 1967),

strategist A strategist is a person with responsibility for the formulation and implementation of a strategy. Strategy generally involves setting goals, determining actions to achieve the goals, and mobilizing resources to execute the actions. A strategy ...

, and

pollster An opinion poll, often simply referred to as a survey or a poll, is a survey (human research), human research survey of public opinion from a particular sampling (statistics), sample. Opinion polls are usually designed to represent the opinions ...

who was campaign manager for Republican presidential candidate

Donald Trump Donald John Trump (born June 14, 1946) is an American politician, media personality, and businessman who is the 47th president of the United States. A member of the Republican Party (United States), Republican Party, he served as the 45 ...

in 2016. *

Rey Ramsey Rey Ramsey is an American social justice entrepreneur, author, and the former CEO of the One Economy Corporation, a nonprofit he co-founded in 2000. Ramsey received a Bachelor of Arts, B.A. in political science from Rutgers University, where he ...

(born 1960), social justice entrepreneur, author and former CEO of the One Economy Corporation. * Jimmy "Superfly" Snuka (1943–2017), former professional wrestler born in Fiji. * Sally Starr (1923–2013), 1950s celebrity television personality.Sally Starr
Broadcast Pioneers of Philadelphia. Accessed September 2, 2015. "Sally was instrumental in the resurrection of the "Wilson Line Show Cruises." She was a survivor, having had a heart attack in 1993. She lived in her home in Atco, New Jersey."

References

External links

National Dragster Records shattered, history made in Atco
{{Authority control Census-designated places in Camden County, New Jersey Census-designated places in New Jersey Unincorporated communities in Camden County, New Jersey Unincorporated communities in New Jersey Waterford Township, New Jersey Winslow Township, New Jersey