Carteret, New Jersey facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Carteret, New Jersey
Borough
Carteret Waterfront Park
Seal
Motto(s):  The Center of it All
Location of Carteret in Middlesex County highlighted in red (left). Inset map: Location of Middlesex County in New Jersey highlighted in orange (right).
Census Bureau map of Carteret, New Jersey.png
Carteret, New Jersey Location in Middlesex County, New Jersey Show map of Middlesex County, New Jersey Carteret, New Jersey Location in New Jersey Show map of New Jersey Carteret, New Jersey Location in the United States Show map of the United States
Country	United States
State	New Jersey
County	Middlesex
Incorporated	April 11, 1906 (as Roosevelt)
Renamed	November 7, 1922 (as Carteret)
Named for	George Carteret and Philip Carteret
Government
• Type	borough
• Body	Borough Council
Area
• Total	4.93 sq mi (12.77 km2)
• Land	4.39 sq mi (11.37 km2)
• Water	0.54 sq mi (1.40 km2)  11.53%
Area rank	276th of 565 in state 15th of 25 in county
Elevation	13 ft (4 m)
Population  (2020)
• Total	25,326
• Estimate  (2023)	25,281
• Rank	104th of 565 in state 12th of 25 in county
• Density	5,767.7/sq mi (2,226.9/km2)
• Density rank	96th of 565 in state 8th of 25 in county
Time zone	UTC−05:00 (Eastern (EST))
• Summer (DST)	UTC−04:00 (Eastern (EDT))
ZIP Code	07008
Area code(s)	732/848
FIPS code	3402310750
GNIS feature ID	0885181

Carteret is a cool town, called a "borough," located in the northeastern part of Middlesex County in the state of New Jersey. It's a busy place with a growing population. In 2020, about 25,326 people lived here, which was the highest number ever recorded for the borough! This shows that more and more people are choosing to call Carteret home.

Carteret's History

Carteret started out with a different name. It was first created as the borough of Roosevelt on April 11, 1906. This happened after local people voted for it on May 22, 1906. The area was originally part of Woodbridge Township.

The name was officially changed to Carteret on November 7, 1922. The borough is named after two important historical figures: Sir George Carteret and his son Philip Carteret. They were early leaders in the history of New Jersey.

Where is Carteret?

Carteret is a borough with a total area of about 4.96 square miles (12.86 square kilometers). Most of this area is land, about 4.39 square miles (11.37 square kilometers). The rest is water, which makes up about 11.53% of the borough's total area.

Natural Borders and Neighbors

The Rahway River forms Carteret's northern border. On the other side of the river is Linden, a town in Union County. You can find Joseph Medwick Park, a lovely green space, along the riverbanks.

To the east, Carteret is bordered by the Arthur Kill. This is a waterway that separates New Jersey from Staten Island, which is part of New York City, New York.

On all its land sides, Carteret is surrounded by Woodbridge Township.

Local Areas in Carteret

Within Carteret, there are several smaller communities and named places. These include Canda, Chrome (in the southeast), East Rahway, Lamar, Silvan Beach, South Carteret, and West Carteret. West Carteret is the part of the borough that is west of the New Jersey Turnpike.

People of Carteret

Carteret is home to a diverse group of people. It has a notable Sikh community, which is one of the largest in New Jersey. The Gurudwara Singh Sabha Sahib, a Sikh temple, was first in Carteret before moving nearby.

Carteret's Population in 2010

The 2010 United States census counted 22,844 people living in Carteret. There were 7,591 households and 5,686 families. The population density was about 5,171 people per square mile.

The people living in Carteret came from many backgrounds:

• About 50.7% were White.
• About 14.9% were Black or African American.
• About 0.4% were Native American.
• About 19.0% were Asian.
• About 11.2% were from other races.
• About 3.9% were from two or more races.
• About 30.9% of the population identified as Hispanic or Latino.

In terms of age, about 25.4% of the people were under 18. About 10.8% were 65 years old or older. The average age in Carteret was 35.1 years.

Carteret's Economy

Carteret is a place where new businesses and projects are happening.

Film Production

A huge film production complex called Carteret Stages is being built near the waterfront. This project will cover 1,200,000 square feet and is expected to cost a lot of money. It will bring many jobs and opportunities to the area.

Urban Enterprise Zone

Parts of Carteret are in an Urban Enterprise Zone (UEZ). This is a special program that helps encourage businesses to open and grow in certain areas. Businesses in a UEZ get benefits like a lower sales tax rate. Shoppers in Carteret's UEZ pay only 3.3125% sales tax, which is half the usual state rate! Carteret joined this program in 1994, and it will continue until March 2026.

NASDAQ Data Center

Carteret is also home to the main data center for the NASDAQ OMX Group. This is where a lot of the computer systems for the stock exchange are located.

Former Headquarters and Arts Center

The electronics store "Nobody Beats the Wiz" used to have its main office in Carteret. Today, the Carteret Performing Arts Center opened in 2021, offering a place for shows and events.

Education in Carteret

The Carteret School District provides education for students from pre-kindergarten all the way through twelfth grade.

Schools in the District

As of the 2021–22 school year, the district had five schools and about 3,882 students. The schools are:

• Columbus School (PreK–5)
• Nathan Hale School (PreK–5)
• Private Nicholas Minue School (PreK–5)
• Carteret Middle School (grades 6–8)
• Carteret High School (grades 9–12)

School Board

In 2016, voters in Carteret decided to keep their school board elected by the public, rather than having members appointed.

County Vocational Schools

Students in eighth grade from all over Middlesex County can apply to special high school programs. These are offered by the Middlesex County Vocational and Technical Schools. They provide hands-on career and technical education at different locations, including:

• Middlesex County Academy in Edison
• Academy for Allied Health and Biomedical Sciences in Woodbridge Township
• Technical high schools in East Brunswick, Perth Amboy, and Piscataway

There is no tuition fee for students to attend these schools.

Private Schools

• Saint Joseph School serves students from Pre-K through 8th grade. It is part of Saint Joseph Roman Catholic Church.
• A private rabbinical college, Yeshiva Gedola of Carteret, opened in 2006.

Getting Around Carteret

Carteret has good transportation options, including major roads and public transit.

Roads and Highways

View south along the New Jersey Turnpike (Interstate 95) in Carteret

As of 2010, Carteret had about 59.24 miles of roads. Most of these roads are maintained by the borough itself.

The main highway that goes through Carteret is the New Jersey Turnpike (Interstate 95). Interchange 12 of the Turnpike is located in Carteret. This interchange was recently improved with new toll lanes and ramps.

Public Transportation

NJ Transit offers local bus services in Carteret.

• The 116 bus route goes to the Port Authority Bus Terminal in Midtown Manhattan, New York City, and to Perth Amboy.
• The 48 bus route connects Carteret to Elizabeth and Perth Amboy.

Ferry Service

There are plans to start a new ferry service from Waterfront Park in Carteret to Lower Manhattan in New York City. This ferry would travel along the Arthur Kill and Kill van Kull waterways. As of 2023, work is being done to prepare for the ferry, including dredging and building a bulkhead. The ferry terminal is expected to be ready by Spring 2025.

Famous People from Carteret

Many interesting people have connections to Carteret. Here are a few:

• Jim Babjak (born 1957), Dennis Diken (born 1957), and Mike Mesaros of the band The Smithereens used to live in Carteret and met there.
• Jim Conti is a member of the ska band Streetlight Manifesto.
• Thomas Deverin (1921–2010) was a former mayor of Carteret. He also served for 22 years in the New Jersey General Assembly.
• Keith Hughes (1968–2014) was a basketball player who played in college for Syracuse and Rutgers.
• Chad Kinch (1958–1994) was a basketball player who played in the NBA for the Cleveland Cavaliers and Dallas Mavericks.
• Isa Leshko (born 1971) is an artist and author.
• Jim McGreevey (born 1957) grew up in Carteret and later became the Governor of New Jersey.
• Art McMahon (born 1946) was a football player for the Boston / New England Patriots.
• Joe "Ducky" Medwick (1911–1975) was a famous baseball player for the St. Louis Cardinals. He was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1968.
• Nicholas Minue (1905–1943) was a United States Army Private who received the Medal of Honor for his bravery in World War II. An elementary school in Carteret is named after him.
• Joseph Sirola (1929–2019) was an actor known for his voice-over work.
• Joel Weisman (1943–2009) was a doctor who helped identify the pattern of illnesses that became known as AIDS.
• Jason Worilds (born 1988) is a football player who was drafted by the Pittsburgh Steelers.

Images for kids

• 

  Census Bureau map of Carteret, New Jersey.

See also

In Spanish: Carteret para niños