Raritan is a

borough A borough is an administrative division in various English language, English-speaking countries. In principle, the term ''borough'' designates a self-governing walled town, although in practice, official use of the term varies widely. History ...

in Somerset 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 ...

. As of the 2020 United States census, the borough's population was 7,835, its highest decennial census count ever and an increase of 954 (+13.9%) from the 2010 census count of 6,881, which in turn had reflected an increase of 543 (+8.6%) from the 6,338 counted at the 2000 census. The borough's name is derived from the

Raritans The Raritan were two groups of Lenape people who lived around the lower Raritan RiverIves Goddard, "Delaware," p. 213. and the Raritan Bay, in what is now northeastern New Jersey, in the 16th century. Name The name ''Raritan'' likely came fro ...

, a Native American group of

Lenape The Lenape (, , ; ), also called the Lenni Lenape and Delaware people, are an Indigenous peoples of the Northeastern Woodlands, Indigenous people of the Northeastern Woodlands, who live in the United States and Canada. The Lenape's historica ...

. The name of the tribe is said to mean "forked river", "stream overflows", or "point on a tidal river".

History

Raritan town was originally established as a subdivision within Bridgewater Township by 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 ...

on April 3, 1868. Despite its size, the town has an extensive history, that encompasses local, national, and even global history.

Raritan Woolen Mills

The town's location on the

Raritan River The Raritan River is a river of the U.S. state of New Jersey. Its Drainage basin, watershed drains much of the mountainous areas in the North Jersey, northern and Central Jersey, central sections of the state, emptying into the Raritan Bay near ...

, a major artery for the use of trading goods into

New York City New York, often called New York City (NYC), is the most populous city in the United States, located at the southern tip of New York State on one of the world's largest natural harbors. The city comprises five boroughs, each coextensive w ...

, contributed it in being a bustling

mill town A mill town, also known as factory town or mill village, is typically a settlement that developed around one or more List of types of mill#Manufacturing facilities, mills or factories, often cotton mills or factories producing textiles. Europe ...

during the 19th and early 20th centuries. The Raritan Woolen Mills was established in 1846, as a major producer of textiles, known throughout the United States. Its name changed to the Somerset Manufacturing Company in 1882, employing as many as 400 people during its peak at the turn of the century. The mill created uniforms and blankets for the Union Army during the

Civil War A civil war is a war between organized groups within the same Sovereign state, state (or country). The aim of one side may be to take control of the country or a region, to achieve independence for a region, or to change government policies.J ...

, along with uniforms for the

United States Army The United States Army (USA) is the primary Land warfare, land service branch of the United States Department of Defense. It is designated as the Army of the United States in the United States Constitution.Article II, section 2, clause 1 of th ...

during

World War I World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...

End of World War I

The

Knox–Porter Resolution The Knox–Porter Resolution () was a joint resolution of the United States Congress signed by President Warren G. Harding on July 2, 1921, officially ending United States involvement in World War I. The documents were signed on the estate of Jos ...

ending United States involvement in

was signed by

President Harding Warren Gamaliel Harding (November 2, 1865 – August 2, 1923) was the 29th president of the United States, serving from 1921 until his death in 1923. A member of the Republican Party, he was one of the most popular sitting U.S. presidents w ...

at the estate of New Jersey Senator

Joseph S. Frelinghuysen Sr. Joseph Sherman Frelinghuysen Sr. (March 12, 1869 – February 8, 1948) represented New Jersey as a Republican in the United States Senate from 1917 to 1923. Early life and family He was born in Raritan, New Jersey, on March 12, 1869, to Fred ...

on July 2, 1921. That Memorial plaque marking of the Frelinghuysen estate is located in the borough.

Creation of the borough

After a series of bitter lawsuits between Raritan and Bridgewater in the 1930s and 1940s, the Legislature allowed Raritan to become a fully independent borough by an Act on May 12, 1948, based on the results of a referendum passed on June 12, 1948. The new borough incorporated the old town and an additional portion of Bridgewater Township.Snyder, John P
''The Story of New Jersey's Civil Boundaries: 1606-1968''
Bureau of Geology and Topography; Trenton, New Jersey; 1969. p. 224. Accessed May 30, 2024.

Geography

According to the

United States Census Bureau The United States Census Bureau, officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the Federal statistical system, U.S. federal statistical system, responsible for producing data about the American people and American economy, econ ...

, the borough had a total area of 2.03 square miles (5.27 km²), including 1.99 square miles (5.16 km²) of land and 0.04 square miles (0.11 km²) of water (2.02%). The borough borders the Somerset County municipalities of Bridgewater Township, Hillsborough Township, and

Somerville Somerville may refer to: Places Australia *Somerville, Victoria, a town **Somerville railway station * Somerville, Western Australia, a suburb of Kalgoorlie, Australia New Zealand * Somerville, New Zealand, a suburb of Manukau City, New Zea ...

. Raritan is in the western division of the Raritan Valley region (a line of municipalities in

central New Jersey Central Jersey, or Central New Jersey, is the middle region of the U.S. state of New Jersey. The designation Central Jersey is a distinct administrative division, administrative toponymy, toponym. While New Jersey is often divided into North Je ...

), along with Branchburg and Bridgewater.

Demographics

2010 census

The 2010 United States census counted 6,881 people, 2,673 households, and 1,748 families in the borough. The

population density Population density (in agriculture: Standing stock (disambiguation), 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 geog ...

was 3,452.2 per square mile (1,332.9/km²). There were 2,847 housing units at an average density of 1,428.3 per square mile (551.5/km²). The racial makeup was 76.40% (5,257)

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

, 2.09% (144) Black or African American, 0.16% (11) Native American, 14.29% (983) Asian, 0.01% (1)

Pacific Islander Pacific Islanders, Pasifika, Pasefika, Pacificans, or rarely Pacificers are the peoples of the list of islands in the Pacific Ocean, Pacific Islands. As an ethnic group, ethnic/race (human categorization), racial term, it is used to describe th ...

, 4.59% (316) from other races, and 2.46% (169) from two or more races.

Hispanic or Latino ''Hispanic'' and '' Latino'' are ethnonyms used to refer collectively to the inhabitants of the United States who are of Spanish or Latin American ancestry (). While many use the terms interchangeably, for example, the United States Census Bureau ...

of any race were 16.39% (1,128) of the population. Of the 2,673 households, 31.2% had children under the age of 18; 48.5% were married couples living together; 11.2% had a female householder with no husband present and 34.6% were non-families. Of all households, 27.8% were made up of individuals and 10.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.57 and the average family size was 3.16. 23.1% of the population were under the age of 18, 7.3% from 18 to 24, 28.2% from 25 to 44, 27.8% from 45 to 64, and 13.6% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 40.1 years. For every 100 females, the population had 96.1 males. For every 100 females ages 18 and older there were 95.1 males. The Census Bureau's 2006–2010

American Community Survey The American Community Survey (ACS) is an annual demographics survey program conducted by the United States Census Bureau. It regularly gathers information previously contained only in the long form of the United States census, decennial census ...

showed that (in 2010

inflation-adjusted In economics, nominal value refers to value measured in terms of absolute money amounts, whereas real value is considered and measured against the actual goods or services for which it can be exchanged at a given time. Real value takes into acco ...

dollars)

median household income The median income is the income amount that divides a population into two 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 of und ...

was $70,116 (with a margin of error of +/− $10,294) and the median family income was $79,813 (+/− $8,715). Males had a median income of $54,130 (+/− $7,617) versus $44,125 (+/− $12,260) for females. The

per capita income Per capita income (PCI) or average income measures the average income earned per person in a given area (city, region, country, etc.) in a specified year. In many countries, per capita income is determined using regular population surveys, such ...

for the borough was $34,617 (+/− $5,703). About 6.3% of families and 7.4% 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 15.4% of those under age 18 and 3.5% of those age 65 or over.

2000 census

As of the 2000 United States census there were 6,338 people, 2,556 households, and 1,671 families residing in the borough. The population density was . There were 2,644 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the borough was 87.74%

, 0.93%

African American African Americans, also known as Black Americans and formerly also called Afro-Americans, are an Race and ethnicity in the United States, American racial and ethnic group that consists of Americans who have total or partial ancestry from an ...

, 0.08% Native American, 8.17% Asian, 0.16%

, 1.64% from other races, and 1.28% from two or more races.

Hispanic The term Hispanic () are people, Spanish culture, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or broadly. In some contexts, Hispanic and Latino Americans, especially within the United States, "Hispanic" is used as an Ethnici ...

or Latino of any race were 8.41% of the population.Census 2000 Profiles of Demographic / Social / Economic / Housing Characteristics for Raritan borough, New Jersey
,

. Accessed February 13, 2013.DP-1: Profile of General Demographic Characteristics: 2000 - Census 2000 Summary File 1 (SF 1) 100-Percent Data for Raritan borough, Somerset County, New Jersey
,

. Accessed February 13, 2013. There were 2,556 households, out of which 30.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 51.0% were

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

living together, 10.0% had a female householder with no husband present, and 34.6% were non-families. 29.0% of all households were made up of individuals, and 11.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.48 and the average family size was 3.08. In the borough, the population was spread out, with 22.3% under the age of 18, 6.5% from 18 to 24, 35.0% from 25 to 44, 20.0% from 45 to 64, and 16.2% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females, there were 92.3 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 91.1 males. The median income for a household in the borough was $51,122, and the median income for a family was $59,962. Males had a median income of $46,071 versus $35,704 for females. The

for the borough was $26,420. About 5.5% of families and 6.4% of the population were below the

, including 6.0% of those under age 18 and 12.8% of those age 65 or over.

Parks and recreation

Frelinghuysen Park is a public park dedicated to General

John Frederick Frelinghuysen John Frederick Frelinghuysen (March 21, 1776 – April 10, 1833) was an American general and lawyer. Biography John Frelinghuysen was born in Millstone, then in the Province of New Jersey, on March 21, 1776, to Frederick Frelinghuysen and Ger ...

. This is one of the public parks in Raritan, along with Basilone Park and Elizabeth Avenue Park, and it includes two little league baseball fields, two full-sized outdoor basketball courts, two full sized tennis courts and a playground. During the summer months Frelinghuysen Park and Basilone Park have recreational pools open to children. The parks offers tables for picnicking. It is located at the end of Sherman Avenue before getting onto Highway 206.

Government

Local government

Raritan is governed under the

form of New Jersey municipal government, which is used in 218 municipalities (of the 564) statewide, making it the most common form of government in New Jersey. The governing body is comprised of the mayor and the borough council, with all positions 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 tha ...

on a partisan basis as part of the November general election. The mayor is elected directly by the voters to a four-year term of office. The borough council includes six members elected to serve three-year terms on a staggered basis, with two seats coming up for election each year in a three-year cycle.''2012 New Jersey Legislative District Data Book'',

Rutgers University Rutgers University ( ), officially Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, is a Public university, public land-grant research university consisting of three campuses in New Jersey. Chartered in 1766, Rutgers was originally called Queen's C ...

Edward J. Bloustein School of Planning and Public Policy The Edward J. Bloustein School of Planning and Public Policy of Rutgers University (The Bloustein School) serves as a center for the theory and practice of urban planning, public policy and public health/health administration scholarship. The sc ...

, March 2013, p. 77. The borough form of government used by Raritan is a "

weak mayor Weak may refer to: Songs * "Weak" (AJR song), 2016 * "Weak" (Melanie C song), 2011 * "Weak" (SWV song), 1993 * "Weak" (Skunk Anansie song), 1995 * "Weak", a song by Seether from '' Seether: 2002-2013'' Television episodes * "Weak" (''Fe ...

/ strong council" government in which council members act as the legislative body with the mayor presiding at meetings and voting only in the event of a tie. The mayor can

veto A veto is a legal power to unilaterally stop an official action. In the most typical case, a president (government title), president or monarch vetoes a bill (law), bill to stop it from becoming statutory law, law. In many countries, veto powe ...

ordinances subject to an

override Override may refer to: Technology * Manual override, a function where an automated system is placed under manual control * Method overriding, a subclassing feature in object-oriented programming languages. Media * ''Override'' (film), a 1994 sci ...

by a two-thirds majority vote of the council. The mayor makes committee and liaison assignments for council members, and most appointments are made by the mayor with the advice and consent of the council. , the

mayor In many countries, a mayor is the highest-ranking official in a Municipal corporation, 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 responsibilitie ...

of the Borough of Raritan is Republican Nicolas Carra, whose term of office expires December 31, 2027. Members of the Raritan Borough Council are Council President Donald Tozzi (R, 2026), Michael Patente (R, 2026), Umesh Agrawal (R, 2025),''2023 Directory of County & Municipal Offices''

Somerset County, New Jersey Somerset County is a county located in the north-central part of the U.S. state of New Jersey. As of the 2020 census, the county was the state's 13th-most-populous county,D, 2025), Kenneth DiGraziano (R, 2027) and David Fritzinger (R, 2027). In January 2024, the borough council appointed Republican Umesh Agrawal to fill the seat expiring in December 2025 that became vacant when Nicolas J. Carra took office as mayor earlier that month; Agrawal served on an interim basis until the November 2024 general election in which he won his election to serve the remainder of Carra's term. In May 2024, the borough council appointed Republican Kenneth DiGraziano to fill the seat expiring in December 2024 that became vacant when Joyce Melitsky resigned earlier that month; DiGraziano served on an interim basis until the November 2024 general election in which he won his election to serve a full three-year term. Rocco Miele was Raritan's first mayor, serving from its founding in 1948 to 1953.

Federal, state and county representation

Raritan is located in the 7th Congressional DistrictPlan Components Report

New Jersey Redistricting Commission The New Jersey Redistricting Commission is a constitutional body of the government of New Jersey tasked with redrawing the state's Congressional election districts after each decade's census. Like Arizona, Idaho, Hawaii, Montana, and Washington ...

, December 23, 2011. Accessed February 1, 2020. and is part of New Jersey's 23rd 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 New Jersey State Council on the Arts, artistic, cultural, and New Jersey Historical Com ...

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

League of Women Voters The League of Women Voters (LWV) is a nonpartisan American nonprofit political organization. Founded in 1920, its ongoing major activities include Voter registration, registering voters, providing voter information, boosting voter turnout and adv ...

. Accessed October 30, 2019.

Politics

As of March 2011, there were a total of 3,926 registered voters in Raritan, of which 1,122 (28.6% vs. 26.0% countywide) were registered as Democrats, 882 (22.5% vs. 25.7%) were registered as

Republicans Republican can refer to: Political ideology * An advocate of a republic, a type of government that is not a monarchy or dictatorship, and is usually associated with the rule of law. ** Republicanism, the ideology in support of republics or agains ...

and 1,917 (48.8% vs. 48.2%) were registered as Unaffiliated. There were 5 voters registered as

Libertarians Libertarianism (from ; or from ) is a political philosophy that holds freedom, personal sovereignty, and liberty as primary values. Many libertarians believe that the concept of freedom is in accord with the Non-Aggression Principle, according ...

or Greens.Voter Registration Summary - Somerset

Division of Elections, March 23, 2011. Accessed February 13, 2013. Among the borough's 2010 Census population, 57.1% (vs. 60.4% in Somerset County) were registered to vote, including 74.2% of those ages 18 and over (vs. 80.4% countywide). In the

2012 presidential election This national electoral calendar for 2012 lists the national/ federal elections held in 2012 in all sovereign states and their dependent territories. By-elections are excluded, though national referendums are included. January *3–4 January: ...

, Republican

Mitt Romney Willard Mitt Romney (born March 12, 1947) is an American businessman and retired politician. He served as a United States Senate, United States senator from Utah from 2019 to 2025 and as the 70th governor of Massachusetts from 2003 to 2007 ...

received 50.0% of the vote (1,360 cast), ahead of Democrat

Barack Obama Barack Hussein Obama II (born August 4, 1961) is an American politician who was the 44th president of the United States from 2009 to 2017. A member of the Democratic Party, he was the first African American president in American history. O ...

with 48.7% (1,323 votes), and other candidates with 1.3% (35 votes), among the 2,759 ballots cast by the borough's 4,159 registered voters (41 ballots were spoiled), for a turnout of 66.3%. In the 2008 presidential election, Republican

John McCain John Sidney McCain III (August 29, 1936 – August 25, 2018) was an American statesman and United States Navy, naval officer who represented the Arizona, state of Arizona in United States Congress, Congress for over 35 years, first as ...

received 1,514 votes (52.6% vs. 46.1% countywide), ahead of Democrat Barack Obama with 1,287 votes (44.7% vs. 52.1%) and other candidates with 42 votes (1.5% vs. 1.1%), among the 2,879 ballots cast by the borough's 3,830 registered voters, for a turnout of 75.2% (vs. 78.7% in Somerset County). In the 2004 presidential election, Republican

George W. Bush George Walker Bush (born July 6, 1946) is an American politician and businessman who was the 43rd president of the United States from 2001 to 2009. A member of the Bush family and the Republican Party (United States), Republican Party, he i ...

received 1,497 votes (53.4% vs. 51.5% countywide), ahead of Democrat

John Kerry John Forbes Kerry (born December 11, 1943) is an American attorney, politician, and diplomat who served as the 68th United States secretary of state from 2013 to 2017 in the Presidency of Barack Obama#Administration, administration of Barac ...

with 1,239 votes (44.2% vs. 47.2%) and other candidates with 33 votes (1.2% vs. 0.9%), among the 2,802 ballots cast by the borough's 3,606 registered voters, for a turnout of 77.7% (vs. 81.7% in the whole county). In the 2013 gubernatorial election, Republican

Chris Christie Christopher James Christie (born September 6, 1962) is an American politician and former United States Attorney, federal prosecutor who served as the 55th governor of New Jersey from 2010 to 2018. A member of the Republican Party (United States) ...

received 72.0% of the vote (1,249 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 26.0% (451 votes), and other candidates with 2.0% (34 votes), among the 1,759 ballots cast by the borough's 4,253 registered voters (25 ballots were spoiled), for a turnout of 41.4%. In the 2009 gubernatorial election, Republican Chris Christie received 1,292 votes (60.9% vs. 55.8% countywide), ahead of Democrat

Jon Corzine Jon Stevens Corzine ( ; born January 1, 1947) is an American financial executive and retired politician who served as a United States Senator from New Jersey from 2001 to 2006, and the 54th governor of New Jersey from 2006 to 2010. Corzine ran f ...

with 562 votes (26.5% vs. 34.1%), Independent

Chris Daggett Christopher Jarvis Daggett (born March 7, 1950) is an American businessman who is the president and CEO of the Geraldine R. Dodge Foundation, one of the largest foundations in New Jersey. A former regional administrator of the United States En ...

with 202 votes (9.5% vs. 8.7%) and other candidates with 22 votes (1.0% vs. 0.7%), among the 2,120 ballots cast by the borough's 3,948 registered voters, yielding a 53.7% turnout (vs. 52.5% in the county).

Education

Students from Raritan attend the Bridgewater-Raritan Regional School District, together with students from Bridgewater Township. As of the 2020–21 school year, the district, comprised of 11 schools, had an enrollment of 8,254 students and 754.4 classroom teachers (on an FTE basis), for a

student–teacher ratio The student–teacher ratio or student–faculty ratio refers to the number of students who attend a school or university divided by the number of teachers or staff in the institution. For example, a student–teacher ratio of 10:1 indicates that ...

of 10.9:1.District information for Bridgewater-Raritan Regional School District

National Center for Education Statistics The National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) is the principal federal agency responsible for collecting, analyzing, and reporting data on education in the United States. Established under , it operates within the Institute of Education S ...

. Accessed February 15, 2022. One of the largest suburban districts statewide, the district is the largest in Somerset County. Schools in the district (with 2020–21 enrollment data from the

) are Adamsville Primary School (532 students; in grades PreK–4), Bradley Gardens Primary School (263; PreK–4), Crim Primary School (342; K–4), Hamilton Primary School (477; K–4), John F. Kennedy Primary School (427; K–4), Milltown Primary School (402; PreK–4), Van Holten Primary School (334; K–4), Eisenhower Intermediate School (704; 5–6), Hillside Intermediate School (574; 5–6), Bridgewater–Raritan Middle School (1,384; 7–8) and Bridgewater–Raritan High School (2,747; 9–12). The overwhelming majority of students in the district are from Bridgewater, with approximately 1,000 students from Raritan. All schools in the district are in Bridgewater except for Kennedy, which is in Raritan. During the 1999–2000 school year, Bridgewater-Raritan High School was recognized with the National Blue Ribbon School Award of Excellence by the

United States Department of Education The United States Department of Education is a cabinet-level department of the United States government, originating in 1980. The department began operating on May 4, 1980, having been created after the Department of Health, Education, and ...

, the highest award an American school can receive from the federal government. Public high school students also have the option to attend the Somerset County Vocational and Technical High School, a four-year

magnet school In the U.S. education system, magnet schools are public schools with specialized courses or curricula. Normally, a student will attend an elementary school, and this also determines the middle school and high school they attend unless they mo ...

located in Bridgewater that provides occupational and academic training to students from all of Somerset County. St. Ann Classical Academy is a classical, liberal-arts Catholic school for 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 eighth grade that operates under the supervision of the Raritan

Oratory of St. Philip Neri The Confederation of Oratories of Saint Philip Neri (), abbreviated C.O. and commonly known as the Oratorians, is a Catholic society of apostolic life of pontifical right for men (priests and religious brothers) who live together in a commun ...

and the

Roman Catholic Diocese of Metuchen The Diocese of Metuchen () is a Latin Church diocese of the Catholic church in the borough of Metuchen, New Jersey, Metuchen in New Jersey in the United States. The Diocese of Metuchen was established on November 19, 1981. The mother church of th ...

Transportation

Roads and highways

, the borough had a total of of roadways, of which were maintained by the municipality, by Somerset 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 transport ...

U.S. Route 202 U.S. Route 202 (US 202) is a spur route of U.S. Route 2, US 2. It follows a northeasterly and southwesterly direction stretching from Delaware in the south to Maine in the north and traveling through the states of Pennsylvania, N ...

traverses the borough from east to west.

U.S. Route 206 U.S. Route 206 (US 206) is a north–south United States Numbered Highway in the states of New Jersey, New Jersey and Pennsylvania, Pennsylvania. Only about a half a mile (800 m) of its length is in Pennsylvania; the Milford–Monta ...

follows the border with

New Jersey Route 28 Route 28 is a state highway in the central part of New Jersey, United States that is long. Its western terminus is at U.S. Route 22 (US 22) in Bridgewater Township, Somerset County, while its eastern terminus is at Route ...

has one side of the roadway within the borough as it follows the border with Bridgewater Township. The northern terminus of County Route 567 is in Raritan. U.S. Routes 202 and 206 intersect with NJ Route 28 at the

Somerville Circle The Somerville Circle is a traffic circle located on the border of Bridgewater Township and Raritan, in Somerset County, New Jersey in the United States. The circle lies at the intersection of U.S. Routes 202 and 206, and New Jersey Route 28 ...

on the borders with Bridgewater Township and Somerville, with the eastern half of the circle located in Raritan. As part of an ongoing effort to improve traffic safety at the circle, the

has made a series of changes to the structure of the

traffic circle A roundabout, a rotary and a traffic circle are types of circular intersection or junction in which road traffic is permitted to flow in one direction around a central island, and priority is typically given to traffic already in the junct ...

, originally constructed during the 1930s. With the suburbanization of the area, the circle was handling an average of 70,000 vehicles each day. In 1994, an overpass was completed to allow traffic on Route 202 between Flemington and

Interstate 78 Interstate 78 (I-78) is an east–west Interstate Highway in the Northeastern United States that runs from I-81 northeast of Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, through Allentown to western and North Jersey, terminating at the Holland Tunnel entra ...

and

Interstate 287 Interstate 287 (I-287) is an auxiliary Interstate Highway in the US states of New Jersey and New York (state), New York. It is a partial beltway around New York City, serving northern New Jersey and the counties of Rockland County, New York ...

to avoid the circle, though the rate of accidents grew from 195 in 1991 before the project started to 302 for the year after the overpass was open to traffic. After yield signs were added in February 1995, the accident rate increased again, to an annualized rate above 400 per year.

Public transportation

The Raritan train station offers

NJ Transit New Jersey Transit Corporation, branded as NJ Transit or NJTransit and often shortened to NJT, is a state-owned public transportation system that serves the U.S. state of New Jersey and portions of the states of New York and Pennsylvania. I ...

service on the

Raritan Valley Line The Raritan Valley Line is a commuter rail service operated by New Jersey Transit (NJT) which serves passengers in municipalities in Union, Somerset, Middlesex, Essex, and Hunterdon counties in the Raritan Valley region, primarily in centra ...

Newark Penn Station Newark Penn Station is an intermodal passenger station in Newark, New Jersey. One of the New York metropolitan area's major transportation hubs, Newark Penn Station is served by multiple rail and bus carriers, making it the seventh busiest rai ...

. The station is north of the town center on Thompson Street. The station building is south of the tracks in the main parking lot and was built in the early 1890s. There are also three other small lots for this station. Raritan is usually the most frequent terminus of the Raritan Valley Line. There is limited service farther west to High Bridge. The borough is served by the CAT-1R, 2R, and 3R routes (which all continue to

Raritan Valley Community College Raritan Valley Community College (RVCC) is a public community college in Branchburg, New Jersey. RVCC offers Associate degree programs leading to an Associate of Arts (A.A.), Associate of Science (A.S.), Associate of Fine Art (A.F.A), or an ...

on the western end. On the eastern end, buses continue to

New Brunswick New Brunswick is a Provinces and Territories of Canada, province of Canada, bordering Quebec to the north, Nova Scotia to the east, the Gulf of Saint Lawrence to the northeast, the Bay of Fundy to the southeast, and the U.S. state of Maine to ...

, North Plainfield, and

Bridgewater Commons Bridgewater Commons is a fully enclosed shopping mall located in Bridgewater Township, New Jersey. The mall is located at the intersection of Route 22 and Route 202/206 and borders I-287. The mall opened on February 24, 1988, as Somerset Co ...

respectively), operated by Community Access Transit.

Community

The Raritan Public Library is located in what was originally the homestead of General

.Library History
Raritan Public Library. Accessed July 28, 2012.

Notable people

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

John Basilone John Basilone (November 4, 1916 – February 19, 1945) was a United States Marine Corps gunnery sergeant who received the Medal of Honor for actions during the Battle for Henderson Field in the Guadalcanal campaign, and the Navy Cross posthumou ...

(1916–1945), awarded the

Medal of Honor The Medal of Honor (MOH) is the United States Armed Forces' highest Awards and decorations of the United States Armed Forces, military decoration and is awarded to recognize American United States Army, soldiers, United States Navy, sailors, Un ...

for his actions at the

Battle of Guadalcanal The Guadalcanal campaign, also known as the Battle of Guadalcanal and codenamed Operation Watchtower by the United States, was an Allied offensive against forces of the Empire of Japan in the Solomon Islands during the Pacific Theater of W ...

Tony Bongiovi Anthony Carmine Bongiovi Jr. (born September 7, 1947) is an American record producer and recording engineer. He is the cousin of musician Jon Bon Jovi. Early life Anthony Carmine Bongiovi Jr. was born on September 7, 1947, in Raritan, New Jerse ...

(born 1947), record producer and recording engineer * Isaac Brokaw (1746–1826), clockmaker *

Ben Carnevale Bernard Louis Carnevale (October 30, 1915 – March 25, 2008) was an American basketball coach and college athletic administrator. He served as the head basketball coach at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill from 1944 to 1946 and th ...

(1915–2008), basketball coach inducted into the

Basketball Hall of Fame The Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame is an American history museum and hall of fame, located at 1000 Hall of Fame Avenue in Springfield, Massachusetts. It serves as basketball's most complete library, in addition to promoting and pres ...

in 1970 *

Jack Ciattarelli Giacchino Michael "Jack" Ciattarelli ( ; born December 12, 1961) is an American politician and businessman. A member of the Republican Party, he served in the New Jersey General Assembly from 2011 to 2018, representing the 16th legislative dist ...

(born 1961), member of 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 ...

who represented the 16th Legislative District from 2011 to 2018 *

(1869–1948), U.S. Senator representing New Jersey * Mike Grosso (born 1947), former professional basketball player who played in the

American Basketball Association The American Basketball Association (ABA) was a major professional basketball league that operated for nine seasons from 1967 to 1976. The upstart ABA operated in direct competition with the more established National Basketball Association thr ...

Terry Matalas Terry Matalas (born December 11, 1975) is an American television writer, director, and executive producer, best known for co-creating and showrunning ''12 Monkeys'' (201518), which ran for four seasons on SyFy. He was a showrunner on the fourth ...

(born 1975), screenwriter, grew up near Raritan * Frank Perantoni (1923–1991),

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

center Center or centre may refer to: Mathematics *Center (geometry), the middle of an object * Center (algebra), used in various contexts ** Center (group theory) ** Center (ring theory) * Graph center, the set of all vertices of minimum eccentrici ...

who played professional football for the

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

Elvira Woodruff Elvira Woodruff (born June 18,1951) is an American children's writerMarch 15th, 2008Kirkus Review of 'Fearless' Accessed June 15, 2014, "...Woodruff spins a labored but engrossing tale around a lighthouse, its builder and a cataclysmic storm—all ...

(born 1951), children's writer known for books that include elements of fantasy and historyMathias, Madeleine
"Writers' workshop will benefit Easton library"
''

The Morning Call ''The Morning Call'' is a daily newspaper in Allentown, Pennsylvania. Founded in 1883, it is the second-longest continuously published newspaper in the Lehigh Valley, after '' The Express-Times''. The newspaper is owned by Alden Global Capital ...

'', April 11, 2004. Accessed October 5, 2014. "When children's book author Elvira Woodruff was growing up in Raritan, N.J., the library was like a second home. Her mother and father would take her there every week to gather the books she wanted to read."

References

External links

Raritan Borough official web site
{{Authority control 1948 establishments in New Jersey Borough form of New Jersey government Boroughs in New Jersey Boroughs in Somerset County, New Jersey Populated places established in 1948