Cranford, New Jersey facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Cranford, New Jersey
Township
Williams-Droescher's Mill, built in 1737 on the Rahway River
Seal
Nickname(s):  "The Venice of New Jersey"
Motto(s):  "Friendship and Progress"
Location of Cranford in Union County highlighted in yellow (left). Inset map: Location of Union County in New Jersey highlighted in black (right).
Census Bureau map of Cranford, New Jersey
Cranford, New Jersey Location in Union County, New Jersey Show map of Union County, New Jersey Cranford, New Jersey Location in New Jersey Show map of New Jersey Cranford, New Jersey Location in the United States Show map of the United States
Country	United States
State	New Jersey
County	Union
Incorporated	March 14, 1871
Government
• Type	Township
• Body	Township Committee
Area
• Total	4.87 sq mi (12.62 km2)
• Land	4.84 sq mi (12.52 km2)
• Water	0.04 sq mi (0.10 km2)  0.78%
Area rank	281st of 565 in state 10th of 21 in county
Elevation	82 ft (25 m)
Population  (2020)
• Total	23,847
• Estimate  (2023)	23,741
• Rank	112th of 565 in state 8th of 21 in county
• Density	4,927.1/sq mi (1,902.4/km2)
• Density rank	115th of 565 in state 11th of 21 in county
Time zone	UTC−05:00 (Eastern (EST))
• Summer (DST)	UTC−04:00 (Eastern (EDT))
ZIP Code	07016
Area code(s)	908
FIPS code	3403915640
GNIS feature ID	0882214

Paddlers race past the Cranford Canoe Club on the Rahway River during the annual Fourth of July competition in Cranford.

Cranford as depicted on a 1913 Board of Trade brochure

Cranford is a township in Union County, New Jersey. It is located about 18 miles southwest of Manhattan, New York City. In 2020, Cranford had a population of 23,847 people. This was a small increase from 2010.

Cranford is part of the larger New York City metropolitan area. You can travel to Newark Penn Station and Penn Station in Midtown Manhattan by train from the Cranford station. This service is on the Raritan Valley train line.

Cranford became an official township on March 14, 1871. It was formed from parts of other nearby townships. The name "Cranford" likely comes from the Crane family. John Crane built a mill here in 1720 along the Rahway River.

Cranford's History and Special People

Cranford has a rich history with many interesting people. The Cranford Historic Preservation Advisory Board helps protect old buildings and sites. The Cranford Historical Society, started in 1927, runs the Crane-Phillips House as a museum.

Important Figures from Cranford's Past

Many people from Cranford have made a difference.

• James E. Warner was a sheriff who worked hard to keep the Rahway River clean. He helped protect the parkland along the river. The Cranford Canoe Club, built in 1908, is still a popular spot on the river today.
• Charles Hansel helped create the Union County Parks Commission in the 1920s. This group saved parkland along the Rahway River, creating the beautiful Rahway River Parkway.
• Joshua Bryant was Cranford's first Black law enforcement officer. He was also the first Black person elected to public office in the township.
• William P. Westervelt is known for stopping a plan to harm president-elect Abraham Lincoln. He cut telegraph wires to prevent assassins from knowing Lincoln's arrival.

The cover of Souvenir of Cranford (1894) by architect Frank T. Lent.

An announcement for a river carnival in 1894.

A picture of Cranford's lantern-lit river carnival from 1908.

Joshua Bryant (1852–1898) was Cranford's first Black law enforcement officer.

Cranford's Location and Surroundings

Cranford covers about 4.87 square miles. Most of this area is land, with a small amount of water.

Ice hockey on the Rahway River in 2017.

Neighboring Towns

Cranford shares its borders with several other towns. These include Garwood, Westfield, Springfield Township, Kenilworth, Roselle, Roselle Park, Linden, Winfield Township, and Clark.

Parks and Outdoor Fun in Cranford

Cranford has many parks for everyone to enjoy. They are managed by the Cranford Recreation and Parks Department or the Union County Parks and Recreation Department.

Cranford's Local Parks

• Adams Park is located near Morses Creek.
• Buchanan Park is a local park for residents.
• Cranford Canoe Club lets you rent canoes and kayaks for trips on the Rahway River. The current building was built in 1908.
• Community Center offers classes, sports, and other fun activities.
• Josiah Crane Park has Cranford's 9/11 Memorial.
• Cranford West was once home to the Cranford Boys Club.
• Girl Scout Park used to be the site of a canoe club.
• Hampton Park is a nice place to relax.
• Hanson Park is home to the Hanson Park Conservancy.
• Johnson Park has a playground that opened in 1957.
• Lincoln Park was once the Cranford Golf Club. It also has a special grove of trees from the famous "Old Peppy" tree. The park hosts bocce ball games.
• Mayor's Park is another community park.
• Memorial Park has a Civil War monument.
• Roosevelt Park is a great spot for outdoor activities.
• Sherman Park is located on the Old York Road.

There is also a memorial bench dedicated to the Cranford Dixie Giants. This was a semiprofessional baseball team of African-American players from the early 1900s.

County Parks in Cranford

A view around a lake in Nomahegan Park.

• Lenape Park stretches across several towns, including Cranford. Ancient mastodon tusks were found here in 1936!
• MacConnell Park is named after Cranford's first doctor. It's almost surrounded by the Rahway River.
• Nomahegan Park is named after a brook that flows through it. The park offers many outdoor activities.
• Droescher's Mill Park is located near the historic Droescher's Mill.
• Mohawk Park is in the Indian Village section of Cranford.
• Sperry Park is named after William Miller Sperry. It hosts an annual rubber duck derby.
• Unami Park is another county park in Cranford.

The Rahway River Parkway

The Rahway River Parkway is a long green area along the Rahway River. It was designed in the 1920s by the famous Olmsted Brothers firm. The Cranford part of the parkway goes through many local parks like Lenape Park and Nomahegan Park.

Cranford Riverwalk

The Cranford Riverwalk is a special path along the Rahway River. It starts near the Cranford Canoe Club and goes south to the old Williams-Droescher Mill.

Cranford's Economy and Downtown

Stores in downtown Cranford.

An intersection in downtown Cranford.

Cranford's downtown area has seen many improvements. The Riverfront project brought new restaurants and homes. Cranford also has a special improvement district. This helps fund projects to develop and market the downtown area.

Weather in Cranford

Cranford has a climate with hot, humid summers. Winters are generally mild to cool. This type of climate is called a humid subtropical climate.

Learning in Cranford: Schools and Colleges

A program from the 1914 Cranford river carnival.

Columbia University-educated professor and Cranford native Deborah Cannon Partridge Wolfe.

Cranford has a great school system for students of all ages.

Public Schools in Cranford

The Cranford Township Public Schools serve students from kindergarten through 12th grade. There are seven schools in the district:

• Bloomingdale Avenue School (grades K-2)
• Brookside Place School (grades K-5)
• Hillside Avenue School (grades K-8)
• Livingston Avenue School (grades 3-5)
• Orange Avenue School (grades 3-8)
• Walnut Avenue School (grades PreK-2)
• Cranford High School (grades 9-12)

Cranford High School focuses on technology and community service. It has been recognized as a top high school in New Jersey.

Private Schools in Cranford

Cranford also has private and religious schools.

• Saint Michael's School is a Roman Catholic school for students in Nursery through 8th grade.
• Helen K. Baldwin Nursery School is located at the First Presbyterian Church.

Union College

The main campus of Union College is in Cranford. The college first opened in 1933 and moved to Cranford in 1942. Its Cranford campus covers 50 acres.

Cranford's Local News and Media

Cranford TV-35 public access logo.

Cranford has many ways for people to stay informed:

• The Westfield Leader is a weekly newspaper that covers Cranford news.
• Union News Daily covers news for Union County, including a special Cranford section.
• TAPInto Cranford is an online news site just for Cranford.
• Cranford Patch is another online news site.
• Westfield + Cranford Local is a monthly magazine.
• Cranford Radio is a podcast about Cranford news.
• Cranford Monthly is a free newspaper mailed each month.
• TV-35 is Cranford's own TV channel. It shows township meetings and other local programs.
• The township also has a low-power radio station, WQWE 201, for emergency information.

Arts and Culture in Cranford

Rowers on the Rahway River in Cranford, around 1885.

Cranford offers many cultural activities:

• The Cranford Film Festival is held every year at the Cranford Theater.
• The Garden State Film Festival also screens movies at the Cranford Theater.
• The Cranford Dramatic Club is a local theater group. They have been putting on plays since 1918.
• PorchFest is an annual music festival where musicians perform on lawns and porches.
• Dreyer Farms hosts art shows and performances.
• Union College has the Roy W. Smith Theater and Tomasulo Art Gallery for performances and art shows.
• The Cranford Public Library started in 1910 as a Carnegie library.

Places to Worship in Cranford

Temple Beth-El Mekor Chayim in Cranford.

Cranford's First Presbyterian Church around 1910.

Cranford has many different places of worship:

• The Cranford United Methodist Church was founded in the 1850s.
• Temple Beth-El Mekor Chayim has been a Jewish community for over 100 years.
• Trinity Episcopal Church was founded in 1872.
• First Presbyterian Church of Cranford was founded in 1850.
• The First Baptist Church was founded in 1887.
• St. Michael's Church is Cranford's Roman Catholic parish, founded in 1872.
• The Cranford Alliance Church started as a Bible study in 1898.
• Calvary Lutheran Church was founded in the 1920s.

Getting Around Cranford: Transportation

The Cranford station.

View north along the Garden State Parkway in Cranford.

Cranford has good transportation options for getting around.

Roads and Highways

Major roads in Cranford include the Garden State Parkway and Route 28. The Parkway runs along the eastern edge of town. Route 28 goes through the center of the township.

Cranford has a "Pace Car Program" to make roads safer. Drivers pledge to follow speed limits and stop signs, and yield to pedestrians.

Public Transportation

Train Service

The Cranford station offers train service to Newark Penn Station and New York City Penn Station. You can also connect to other train lines and Newark Liberty International Airport.

Bus Service

NJ Transit provides bus service from Cranford to Port Authority Bus Terminal in New York City. There are also local bus routes.

Airports

Newark Liberty International Airport is about 13 minutes away. Linden Airport is a smaller airport nearby.

Cranford in Movies and TV Shows

Cranford has been a filming location for several movies and TV shows!

• Some episodes of the 1990s Nickelodeon show, The Adventures of Pete & Pete, were filmed in Cranford.
• The 2005 movie Guess Who, starring Bernie Mac and Ashton Kutcher, is set in Cranford.
• Parts of movies like Far from Heaven and Garden State were filmed here.
• The HBO miniseries The Plot Against America also filmed scenes in Cranford.
• More recently, movies like Bros, Maybe I Do, and Dumb Money have filmed in downtown Cranford.

Famous People from Cranford

Many notable people have lived in or are connected to Cranford.

Images for kids

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  Novelist Robert Ferro of the Violet Quill, who attended Cranford High School

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  Cranford tennis player Dean Mathey, namesake of Mathey College at Princeton University

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  Cranford golf champion Max Marston

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  Cranford resident John Moody founded Moody's Investors Service

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  American advertising pioneer J. Walter Thompson moved to Cranford in 1892.

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  British suffragette Christabel Pankhurst, c. 1910