Cherry Hill, New Jersey facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Cherry Hill, New Jersey
Township
Township of Cherry Hill
The Cherry Hill Public Library, one of the largest in New Jersey, at 72,000 square feet (6,700 m2)
Seal
Motto(s):  You couldn't pick a better place
Location of Cherry Hill in Camden County.
Census Bureau map of Cherry Hill, New Jersey.
Cherry Hill, New Jersey Location in Camden County, New Jersey Show map of Camden County, New Jersey Cherry Hill, New Jersey Location in New Jersey Show map of New Jersey Cherry Hill, New Jersey Location in the United States Show map of the United States
Country	United States
State	New Jersey
County	Camden
Incorporated	February 28, 1844, as Delaware Township
Renamed	November 7, 1961, to Cherry Hill Township
Named for	Cherry Hill farm
Government
• Type	Faulkner Act Mayor-Council
• Body	Township Council
Area
• Total	24.20 sq mi (62.67 km2)
• Land	24.07 sq mi (62.35 km2)
• Water	0.12 sq mi (0.32 km2)  0.51%
Area rank	114th of 565 in state 3rd of 37 in county
Elevation	39 ft (12 m)
Population  (2010 Census)
• Total	71,045
• Estimate  (2019)	71,245
• Rank	14th of 566 in state 2nd of 37 in county
• Density	2,948.3/sq mi (1,138.3/km2)
• Density rank	217th of 566 in state 24th of 37 in county
Time zone	UTC−05:00 (Eastern (EST))
• Summer (DST)	UTC−04:00 (EDT)
ZIP Codes	08002, 08003, 08034
Area code(s)	856
FIPS code	3400712280
GNIS feature ID	0882155

Cherry Hill is a township within Camden County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey. As of the 2020 United States Census, the township had a population of 74,553, reflecting an increase of 3,508 (+4.94%) from the 71,045 counted in the 2010 Census, which had in turn increased by 1,080 (+1.01%) from the 69,965 counted in the 2000 Census. As of 2020, the township was the state's 12th most populous municipality and the largest in Camden County, after having been the state's 13th most populous municipality in the 2000 Census. Cherry Hill is a suburb of Philadelphia and with the decline of downtown Camden has become an edge city and one of the region's main commercial centers. Cherry Hill is situated on the Delaware Valley coastal plain, approximately eight miles (13 kilometers) southeast of Center City, Philadelphia.

History

The area now known as Cherry Hill was originally settled by the Lenni-Lenape Native Americans who had their land taken from them by the first settlers from England, namely Quaker followers of William Penn who arrived in the late 17th century. The first settlement was a small cluster of homes named Colestown, in the perimeters of what is now the Colestown Cemetery on the corner of Route 41 (King's Highway) and Church Road. The municipality was founded on February 25, 1844, in Gloucester County as Delaware Township from half of the area of Waterford Township, and became part of Camden County at its creation some two weeks later on March 13, 1844. Portions of the township were taken to form Stockton Township (February 23, 1859) and Merchantville (March 3, 1874). At its territorial peak, Delaware Township included all of modern-day Cherry Hill Township, as well as the neighborhood of North Camden and the municipalities Merchantville and Pennsauken (including Petty's Island in the Delaware River).

The township's population grew rapidly after World War II, and continued to increase until the 1980s. Today, the municipality's population is stable with new development generally occurring in pockets of custom luxury houses or through the rehabilitation and adaptive reuse of commercial and industrial areas.

Origin of the name

Cherry Hill was a 19th-century farm on Kaighn Avenue / Route 38, owned by Abraham Browning. The farm property later became the Cherry Hill Inn (now a movie theater complex), as well as an office campus (now a shopping center with big-box retailers), and today's Cherry Hill Towers and Cherry Hill Estates housing developments.

Adding to the prevalence of the Cherry Hill name, developer Eugene Mori branded several properties using the name, including the Cherry Hill Inn and Cherry Hill Lodge hotels, Cherry Hill Apartments, and Cherry Hill Estates. Cherry Hill Shopping Center (now known as Cherry Hill Mall) opened in 1961 opposite the old Cherry Hill Farm site, featuring 75 stores within a single enclosed space.

When the township sought a new post office, another New Jersey municipality in Hunterdon County was using the name Delaware Township. The United States Postal Service insisted on a name change, suggesting "Deltown". Delaware Township mayors Christian Weber and John Gilmour pursued public write-in campaigns to select possible titles, and chose Cherry Hill from suggestions that included Chapel Hill, Cherry Valley and Delaware City. The name "Cherry Hill" was chosen by the township's citizens in a non-binding referendum in 1961, and was officially adopted November 7, 1961.

Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau, the township had a total area of 24.244 square miles (62.792 km²), including 24.097 square miles (62.410 km²) of land and 0.147 square miles (0.382 km²) of water (0.61%),

Ashland (2010 population of 8,302), Barclay (4,428), Cherry Hill Mall (14,171), Ellisburg (4,413), Golden Triangle (4,145), Greentree (11,367), Kingston Estates (5,685) and Springdale (14,518) are unincorporated communities and census-designated places (CDPs) located within the township.

Other unincorporated communities, localities and place names located partially or completely within the township include Coffins Corner, Colwick, Cooperstown, Deer Park, Erlton, Freeman, Huttons Hill, Locust Grove, Orchard and Woodcrest.

The township's eastern border with Burlington County is defined by the Pennsauken Creek. The creek separates Cherry Hill from the communities of Maple Shade Township, Evesham Township (and its Marlton neighborhood), and Mount Laurel Township.

The Cooper River forms the southern border with Haddon Township, Haddonfield Borough, and Lawnside Borough, through the Maria Barnaby Greenwald Park and parallel to the east-west Route 70.

To the north, Cherry Hill borders Merchantville Borough and Pennsauken Township, while Voorhees Township shares its southern border along County Route 544 (Evesham Road).

Climate

Cherry Hill has a humid subtropical climate, with mild to warm winters and hot, humid summers.

Demographics

The Asian-American population in Cherry Hill is experiencing rapid growth, increasing by 25% from 7,661 in 2010 to 9,587 in the 2013-2017 American Community Survey, significantly out of proportion to the 0.3% growth in the overall population of the township over the same period. An extensive array of businesses owned by Korean Americans has emerged along Marlton Pike (Route 70) in Cherry Hill since 2010, with signage in Hangul ubiquitous along this stretch.

2010 Census

As of the census of 2010, there were 71,045 people, 26,882 households, and 19,301 families residing in the township. The population density was 2,948.3 per square mile (1,138.3/km²). There were 28,452 housing units at an average density of 1,180.7 per square mile (455.9/km²)^*. The racial makeup of the township was 78.06% (55,459) White, 6.14% (4,360) Black or African American, 0.11% (78) Native American, 11.69% (8,304) Asian, 0.02% (13) Pacific Islander, 1.83% (1,302) from other races, and 2.15% (1,529) from two or more races. [[Hispanic (U.S. Census)|Hispanic or Latino of any race were 5.64% (4,005) of the population.

There were 26,882 households out of which 31.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 58.6% were married couples living together, 9.6% had a female householder with no husband present, and 28.2% were non-families. 24.2% of all households were made up of individuals, and 11.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.60 and the average family size was 3.12.

In the township, the population was spread out with 23.0% under the age of 18, 6.7% from 18 to 24, 23.1% from 25 to 44, 29.5% from 45 to 64, and 17.7% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 43.1 years. For every 100 females there were 92.2 males. For every 100 females ages 18 and old there were 88.4 males.

The Census Bureau's 2006–2010 American Community Survey showed that (in 2010 inflation-adjusted dollars) median household income was $88,183 (with a margin of error of +/− $2,748) and the median family income was $105,786 (+/− $2,321). Males had a median income of $72,128 (+/− $2,699) versus $48,937 (+/− $3,321) for females. The per capita income for the township was $41,252 (+/− $1,504). About 3.0% of families and 4.2% of the population were below the poverty line, including 3.9% of those under age 18 and 5.9% of those age 65 or over.

Arts and culture

• "Cherry Hill Park", a 1969 hit song by Billy Joe Royal, takes its title from Cherry Hill, New Jersey. Royal came up with the title after a friend mentioned seeing Cherry Hill on a visit to Philadelphia. The song appears on a 1969 album also titled Cherry Hill Park.
• The 86th episode of the crime drama Criminal Minds, "A Shade of Gray", which aired on April 22, 2009, was set in Cherry Hill.
• The Latin Casino was a nightclub that showcased popular entertainers from the time it relocated to Cherry Hill in 1960 until it was demolished in the early 1980s. Singer Jackie Wilson suffered a heart attack at the club in 1975.
• In the movie Harold & Kumar Go to White Castle, Cherry Hill is the location of the White Castle franchise Harold and Kumar ultimately visit. There are, in fact, no White Castle locations in Cherry Hill, nor does the movie's representation of Cherry Hill accurately reflect the dense, suburban nature of the town or its proximity to Philadelphia. Rather, it depicts Cherry Hill as rural farmland.
• In the movie The Freshman, Clark Kellogg (Matthew Broderick) is sent to Cherry Hill to deliver a Komodo dragon.

Community

• Springdale Farms is Cherry Hill's only working farm.
• Barclay Farm House, a farm house constructed in 1816 and listed on the National and New Jersey registers of historic places.
• Cherry Hill was the home of four of the five members of the Fort Dix 5, who were convicted in federal court in Camden on December 22, 2008 on a plot to kill soldiers at Fort Dix. The Cherry Hill members are Dritan Duka, 30, Shain Duka, 27, and Eljvir Duka, 25, as well as Mohamad Ibrahim Shnewer, 23. Ages were at the time of conviction.

Parks and recreation

Signage for Cherry Hill Parks

Cherry Hill has 51 public parks, plus three parks owned by Camden County. Most parks have playground equipment, basketball courts, tennis courts, walking paths, and athletic fields. Croft Farm, which was originally a working mill and farm, is the only park with an arts center. It was originally built in 1753, and is a historic landmark in Cherry Hill. The farmhouse underwent many changes throughout the years, including an expansion in 1816. The property was sold to the township in 1985. It was formed into the Cherry Hill Arts Center in 1995, which serves the community for art classes, seminars, and concerts produced by the Cherry Hill Recreation Department.

Toward the last two weeks of April, one can see a two-mile avenue of continuous rows of cherry blossoms on Chapel Avenue between Haddonfield Road and Kings Highway. The avenue of cherry blossoms was conceived by a group of residents who wanted to unify the townspeople of Cherry Hill to participate in a community-wide celebration of the diverse community of Cherry Hill. This effort started in 1972 and cherry trees are still being planted every year by the Cherry Hill Fire Department and community volunteers.

Golf courses

Merchantville Country Club is a private country club in Cherry Hill. Woodcrest Country Club was sold at a bankruptcy auction in spring 2013, and is now a semi-private club open to the public.

Transportation

I-295 southbound in Cherry Hill

A PATCO Speedline train pulls into the Woodcrest station in Cherry Hill, heading westbound to Philadelphia, top; the Cherry Hill NJT station, along the NJ Transit route connecting Philadelphia and Atlantic City, below.

Roads and highways

As of May 2010^[update], the township had a total of 309.36 miles (497.87 km) of roadways, of which 246.81 miles (397.20 km) were maintained by the municipality, 40.41 miles (65.03 km) by Camden County and 17.91 miles (28.82 km) by the New Jersey Department of Transportation and 4.23 miles (6.81 km) by the New Jersey Turnpike Authority.

The New Jersey Turnpike passes through Cherry Hill Township. The Walt Whitman rest area (southbound at milepost 30.2) is located in the township, but the closest interchange is exit 4 in neighboring Mount Laurel Township.

Interstate 295 has three exits in the township. Exit 34A/B is Route 70 (Marlton Pike); exit 32 is CR 561 (Haddonfield-Berlin Road); and exit 31 goes directly to the Woodcrest station of the PATCO high-speed commuter rail line.

Other major highways in Cherry Hill include Route 38, Route 41, and Route 154.

Public transportation

NJ Transit bus service is available to and from Philadelphia on the 317, 404, and 406 routes, with local service on the 405, 450, 451, 455, and 457 routes. BoltBus, and Chinatown Buses provides frequent express service to and from New York City, and also frequent commuter service to and from the 34th Street – Hudson Yards New York City Subway station.

NJ Transit's Atlantic City Line, traveling on the Pennsylvania-Reading Seashore Line route, stops at the Cherry Hill station, located on the west side of the tracks between the Garden State Pavilion shopping center and the newer development on the grounds of the former Garden State Racetrack.

The Woodcrest station of the PATCO Speedline is located in Cherry Hill, offering service between Lindenwold and 15–16th & Locust station in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

As of 2016^[update] two Taiwanese airlines, China Airlines and EVA Air, provides private bus services to and from John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York City for customers based in New Jersey and the Philadelphia area. These bus services stop in Cherry Hill.

Rankings

• In 2006, Cherry Hill was named among the 'Best Places to Live' in the United States by Money magazine and was ranked eighth safest place to live in the same survey.
• Cherry Hill was also named among the "Best Places to Live" in the Philadelphia region for 2006 by Philadelphia magazine (see magazine print edition, October 2006).

Economy

Cherry Hill is a corporate and employment hub in South Jersey. TD Bank, N.A., the seventh largest U.S. bank by deposits, has headquarters in Cherry Hill. Melitta USA has its coffee roasting plant in the township. The Courier-Post, the fifth-largest New Jersey-based newspaper, is published in Cherry Hill. Subaru of America's headquarters was also located in the township until 2018. Cherry Hill Mall, a principal shopping center in the Philadelphia metropolitan area, was the first enclosed shopping mall in the eastern United States, opening in October 1961.

Many residents of Cherry Hill also work elsewhere. Cherry Hill is an edge city within a half-hour commute to Philadelphia or Camden, and within an hour to Trenton or Princeton, New Jersey.

Food and dining

Chick's Deli is a deli best known for hoagies and cheesesteaks, notable for having a single retail location, which is in Cherry Hill.

Sports

In 1973–1974, the Cherry Hill Arena hosted a WHA hockey team, the New Jersey Knights, and from 1964 to 1971, an Eastern Hockey League team, the Jersey Devils (unrelated to the present NHL New Jersey Devils).

Muhammad Ali purchased a house at 1121 Winding Drive in Cherry Hill's Voken Tract in 1971, living there with his family until 1974.

Education

Public schools

The Cherry Hill Public Schools is a public school district that serves students in pre-kindergarten through twelfth grade. The district operates 19 schools including an early childhood center, 12 elementary schools, three middle schools, two traditional high schools and an alternative high school. Cherry Hill is the 12th-largest school district in the state of New Jersey and one of the largest suburban districts. The district has grown by about 2,000 students since the late 1990s, and employs 1,400 (about 1,000 teachers plus administration and staff). The District is governed by a volunteer Board of Education which consists of nine citizens elected at-large to three-year terms on a staggered basis, with three seats coming up for election each year as part of the November general election.

As of the 2017–18 school year, the district, comprised of 19 schools, had an enrollment of 11,078 students and 841.6 classroom teachers (on an FTE basis), for a student–teacher ratio of 13.2:1. Schools in the district (with 2017-18 enrollment data from the National Center for Education Statistics) are Barclay Early Childhood Center (260 students; in PreK), Clara Barton Elementary School (473; K-5), James F. Cooper Elementary School (234; K-5), Bret Harte Elementary School (409; K-5), James H. Johnson Elementary School (434; K-5), Joyce Kilmer Elementary School (457; K-5), Kingston Elementary School (403; K-5), A. Russell Knight Elementary School (362; K-5), Horace Mann Elementary School (297; K-5), Thomas Paine Elementary School (361; K-5), Joseph D. Sharp Elementary School (355; K-5), Richard Stockton Elementary School (359; K-5), Woodcrest Elementary School (371; K-5), Henry C. Beck Middle School (887; 6-8), John A. Carusi Middle School (952; 6-8), Rosa International Middle School (801; 6-8), Cherry Hill High School East (2,176; 9-12), Cherry Hill High School West (1,321; 9-12) and Cherry Hill Alternative High School (36; 9-12).

For the 2001–02 school year, Cherry Hill High School East received the National Blue Ribbon Award of Excellence from the U.S. Department of Education. Three of the district's schools have been named as "Star Schools" by the New Jersey Department of Education: Cherry Hill High School East (1999–2000), Thomas Paine Elementary School (2002–03) and Clara Barton Elementary School (2003–04). The district has five Best Practices Award Winners. SAT scores far exceed state and national averages, with Cherry Hill High School East's average SAT score of 1668, ranking 41st in the state, and West's 1,529 average ranking 124th in New Jersey, out of 349 schools with students taking the test that year. In 2013, the graduation rate was 95% for East and 89% for West. Newsweek named Cherry Hill High School East 85th overall among the nearly 30,000 public high schools in the U.S. in their rankings of "America's Top High Schools 2015".

Cherry Hill's school district offered the International Baccalaureate certificate and diploma program at Cherry Hill West beginning in 2001, but phased it out at the conclusion of the 2007–08 school year. The IB Primary Years Programme is offered at Joseph D. Sharp, James F. Cooper and Thomas Paine Elementary Schools. This program is also a part of the IB Middle Years Programme offered for grades 6–8 at Rosa International Middle School (RIMS).

Rohrer Campus of Camden County College

Private schools

The Roman Catholic Diocese of Camden operates Resurrection Regional Catholic School, a Pre-K to 8 elementary school resulting of the merger of St. Peter Celestine School and Queen of Heaven School, as well as Camden Catholic High School for grades 9–12.

The King's Christian School is a private Christian fully accredited PreK–12 institution founded as the Christian Day School of Camden County in 1946.

Politz Day School of Cherry Hill is a private Modern Orthodox Jewish day school serving early childhood through middle school students, co-located with and supported by Congregation Sons of Israel.

Colleges and universities

Camden County College operates one of its three campuses at the William G. Rohrer Center at Route 70 East and Springdale Road.

Notable people

Images for kids

• 

  The Barclay Farm House, built in 1816 and added to the U.S. National Register of Historic Places on January 26, 1978

See also

In Spanish: Cherry Hill para niños