Borough of Princeton, New Jersey facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Borough of Princeton, New Jersey
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Borough
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Monument Hall, the borough hall for the previous incarnation of Princeton Borough
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Location of Princeton Township and Borough in Mercer County highlighted in red (right). Inset map: Location of Mercer County in New Jersey highlighted in orange (left).
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Census Bureau map of Borough of Princeton, New Jersey
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| Country |  United States |
| State |  New Jersey |
| County | Mercer |
| Incorporated | February 11, 1813 |
| Disestablished | January 1, 2013 |
| Government | |
| • Type | Borough |
| • Body | Borough Council |
| Area | |
| • Total | 1.843 sq mi (4.774 km2) |
| • Land | 1.843 sq mi (4.772 km2) |
| • Water | 0.000 sq mi (0.001 km2) 0.03% |
| Area rank | 423rd of 566 in state 10th of 13 in county |
| Elevation | 190 ft (58 m) |
| Population | |
| • Total | 12,307 |
| • Rank | 198th of 566 in state 10th of 13 in county |
| • Density | 6,679.2/sq mi (2,578.9/km2) |
| • Density rank | 70th of 566 in state 2nd of 13 in county |
| Time zone | UTC-5 (Eastern (EST)) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-4 (Eastern (EDT)) |
| ZIP code |
08540, 08542
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| Area code(s) | 609 and 640 |
| FIPS code | 3402160900 |
| GNIS feature ID | 0885361 |
| Website | http://www.princetonboro.org/ |
The Borough of Princeton was a special type of town, called a borough, in New Jersey. It existed for nearly 200 years, from 1813 until the end of 2012. On January 1, 2013, it joined together with Princeton Township to create a new, single town called Princeton, New Jersey. Both the old Borough of Princeton and Princeton Township stopped existing when they merged.
This borough was located in Mercer County, which is in the state of New Jersey. It was completely surrounded by the former Princeton Township. The borough was first formed from parts of the township in 1894. In 2010, about 12,307 people lived in the borough.
The Borough of Princeton officially became a borough on February 11, 1813. It was created from parts of other towns in different counties. Later, in 1838, it became part of the new Mercer County. By 1894, it was a fully independent town. Over the years, it gained a little more land from Princeton Township. Finally, in 2011, people in both Princeton Borough and Princeton Township voted to become one town.
Morven, a historic home, was located in the former borough. It used to be where the Governor of New Jersey lived. The current governor's home, Drumthwacket, is in what used to be Princeton Township.
Contents
Where Was Princeton Borough Located?
Princeton Borough was located at coordinates 40.350461 degrees north and -74.659371 degrees west. The total area of the borough was about 1.843 square miles (4.774 square kilometers). All of this area was land, with no significant water bodies within its borders.
Who Lived in Princeton Borough?
| Historical population | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Census | Pop. | %± | |
| 1870 | 2,798 | — | |
| 1880 | 3,209 | 14.7% | |
| 1890 | 3,422 | 6.6% | |
| 1900 | 3,899 | 13.9% | |
| 1910 | 5,136 | 31.7% | |
| 1920 | 5,917 | 15.2% | |
| 1930 | 6,992 | 18.2% | |
| 1940 | 7,719 | 10.4% | |
| 1950 | 12,230 | 58.4% | |
| 1960 | 11,890 | −2.8% | |
| 1970 | 12,311 | 3.5% | |
| 1980 | 12,035 | −2.2% | |
| 1990 | 12,016 | −0.2% | |
| 2000 | 14,203 | 18.2% | |
| 2010 | 12,307 | −13.3% | |
| 2011 (est.) | 12,131 | −1.4% | |
| Population sources: 1870 1880-1890 1890-1910 1910-1930 1930-1990 2000 2010 |
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In 2010, the U.S. Census counted 12,307 people living in Princeton Borough. There were 3,161 households, which are groups of people living together. The population density was about 6,679 people per square mile. This means a lot of people lived in a small area.
Most residents, about 72%, were White. About 6.4% were Black or African American, and 13.5% were Asian. People of Hispanic or Latino background made up about 10.3% of the population.
The average household had about 2.21 people. About 11.7% of the population was under 18 years old. A large portion, 43.7%, were between 18 and 24 years old. This is because Princeton University is located there. The median age was 22.9 years, which is quite young for a town.
In 2000, there were 14,203 people in the borough. The population density was even higher then. The median age was 25 years. The presence of Princeton University greatly influenced the age of the population.
What Was the Weather Like?
Princeton Borough had a climate known as a Hot-summer Humid continental climate. This means it experienced all four seasons. Summers were hot, and winters were cold with snow.
| Climate data for Princeton Twp (40.3512, -74.6575), Elevation 184 ft (56 m), 1991–2020 normals, extremes 1981–2022 | |||||||||||||
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| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Record high °F (°C) | 71.2 (21.8) |
77.7 (25.4) |
87.6 (30.9) |
94.8 (34.9) |
95.4 (35.2) |
97.2 (36.2) |
102.6 (39.2) |
100.4 (38.0) |
97.4 (36.3) |
93.4 (34.1) |
80.4 (26.9) |
75.2 (24.0) |
102.6 (39.2) |
| Mean daily maximum °F (°C) | 39.8 (4.3) |
42.3 (5.7) |
50.1 (10.1) |
62.4 (16.9) |
72.0 (22.2) |
81.2 (27.3) |
85.8 (29.9) |
84.0 (28.9) |
77.6 (25.3) |
65.6 (18.7) |
54.9 (12.7) |
44.8 (7.1) |
63.5 (17.5) |
| Mean daily minimum °F (°C) | 22.7 (−5.2) |
24.1 (−4.4) |
31.0 (−0.6) |
40.9 (4.9) |
50.8 (10.4) |
59.9 (15.5) |
65.1 (18.4) |
63.3 (17.4) |
56.2 (13.4) |
44.5 (6.9) |
34.8 (1.6) |
27.8 (−2.3) |
43.5 (6.4) |
| Record low °F (°C) | −12.0 (−24.4) |
−3.5 (−19.7) |
3.4 (−15.9) |
17.5 (−8.1) |
31.3 (−0.4) |
40.3 (4.6) |
46.3 (7.9) |
41.0 (5.0) |
34.7 (1.5) |
23.8 (−4.6) |
9.4 (−12.6) |
−0.3 (−17.9) |
−12.0 (−24.4) |
| Average precipitation inches (mm) | 3.58 (91) |
2.82 (72) |
4.26 (108) |
3.77 (96) |
4.09 (104) |
4.57 (116) |
5.00 (127) |
4.47 (114) |
4.23 (107) |
4.16 (106) |
3.36 (85) |
4.41 (112) |
48.72 (1,237) |
| Average snowfall inches (cm) | 8.2 (21) |
8.7 (22) |
4.2 (11) |
0.2 (0.51) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.2 (0.51) |
0.7 (1.8) |
3.7 (9.4) |
26.0 (66) |
| Average dew point °F (°C) | 21.2 (−6.0) |
21.7 (−5.7) |
27.2 (−2.7) |
36.8 (2.7) |
48.9 (9.4) |
59.2 (15.1) |
64.0 (17.8) |
63.4 (17.4) |
57.4 (14.1) |
45.8 (7.7) |
34.4 (1.3) |
26.9 (−2.8) |
42.3 (5.7) |
| Source 1: PRISM | |||||||||||||
| Source 2: NOHRSC (Snow, 2008/2009 - 2022/2023 normals) | |||||||||||||
What About Nature?
If you looked at the natural plants and trees that would grow in Princeton Borough without human interference, it would mostly be an Appalachian Oak forest. This means lots of different kinds of Hardwood trees.
Learning in Princeton Borough
Education was a big part of life in Princeton Borough, with many important schools located there.
Colleges and Universities
A large part of Princeton University was located within the borough. This famous university attracts students from all over the world. Other parts of the university were in the surrounding township and other nearby towns.
Other important schools in the borough included Westminster Choir College, which is part of Rider University. Also, most of Princeton Theological Seminary, a school for religious studies, was located here. The Institute for Advanced Study, a place for advanced research, was in the township.
Schools for Kids
For younger students, from kindergarten through 12th grade, public schools were part of the Princeton Regional Schools district. This district was shared with the former Princeton Township. It also served students from Cranbury Township.
Most of the elementary and middle schools were in the former Princeton Township. However, Princeton High School was located right in the Borough of Princeton. There was also a public charter school, the Princeton Charter School, which opened in 1997. It was in the township and accepted students from both the borough and township through a lottery system.
For private school options, St. Paul School was located within the borough.
Public Libraries
The Princeton Public Library was in the borough. It served all the residents of both the borough and the township.
Friends Around the World
Princeton Borough had a special connection with a city in France. It was a sister city with Colmar, which is in the Alsace region of France. This means they shared cultural exchanges and friendly ties.
Famous People from Princeton Borough
- Wendy Benchley (born 1941): She is known for her work protecting oceans and the environment. She also served on the Princeton Borough council. She was married to the famous author, Peter Benchley.
- Charles Browne (1875–1947): He was the mayor of Princeton, New Jersey, from 1914 to 1923. He also represented New Jersey in the U.S. Congress.
- John Popper (born 1967): A well-known musician, famous for playing the harmonica in the band Blues Traveler.
