Dennis Township, New Jersey facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Dennis Township, New Jersey
Township
Dennisville Historic District
Seal
Location of Dennis Township in Cape May County highlighted in red (left). Inset map: Location of Cape May County in New Jersey highlighted in red (right).
Census Bureau map of Dennis Township, New Jersey
Dennis Township, New Jersey Location in Cape May County, New Jersey Show map of Cape May County, New Jersey Dennis Township, New Jersey Location in New Jersey Show map of New Jersey Dennis Township, New Jersey Location in the United States Show map of the United States
Country	United States
State	New Jersey
County	Cape May
Incorporated	March 1, 1827
Government
• Type	Township
• Body	Township Committee
Area
• Total	63.94 sq mi (165.61 km2)
• Land	60.42 sq mi (156.49 km2)
• Water	3.52 sq mi (9.12 km2)  5.51%
Area rank	19th of 565 in state 3rd of 16 in county
Elevation	16 ft (5 m)
Population  (2020)
• Total	6,285
• Estimate  (2023)	6,149
• Rank	335th of 565 in state 5th of 16 in county
• Density	104.0/sq mi (40.2/km2)
• Density rank	539th of 565 in state 16th of 16 in county
Time zone	UTC−05:00 (Eastern (EST))
• Summer (DST)	UTC−04:00 (Eastern (EDT))
ZIP Code	08214 – Dennisville
Area code(s)	609 exchanges: 624, 861
FIPS code	3400917560
GNIS feature ID	0882046

Dennis Township is a community located in Cape May County, in the state of New Jersey. It's part of the South Jersey region. The township is also considered part of the larger Philadelphia metropolitan area.

As of the 2020 United States census, about 6,285 people live in Dennis Township. The township was officially created on March 1, 1827. It was formed from parts of Upper Township. Later, some areas left to form Sea Isle City (in 1882) and Woodbine (in 1903).

In 2008, New Jersey Monthly magazine named Dennis Township the 20th best place to live in New Jersey.

History of Dennis Township

For many years, Dennis Township was a "dry town." This meant that stores and restaurants could not sell alcoholic drinks. In 2001, people voted to change this rule. After the vote, the township allowed one special license for selling alcohol. This license brought in $1.1 million for the township!

Where is Dennis Township?

Dennis Township covers about 63.94 square miles (165.61 square kilometers). Most of this area is land, with a small part being water.

Several small communities are located within Dennis Township.

• Belleplain is one of these communities. In 2010, about 597 people lived there.
• Dennisville is another important community.
• Ocean View has its own ZIP Code, 08230.

Other places you might find in the township include:

• Clermont
• East Creek
• Eldora
• Mount Pleasant
• North Dennis
• North-West Dennis
• Savage Pond
• South Dennis
• South Seaville
• Stipsons Island
• West Creek Landing

Dennis Township shares borders with several other towns and areas:

• Avalon
• Middle Township
• Sea Isle City
• Upper Township
• Woodbine Borough (all in Cape May County)
• Parts of Cumberland County
• The Delaware Bay

People of Dennis Township

Population in 2010

In 2010, the 2010 United States census counted 6,467 people living in Dennis Township. There were 2,370 households, with 1,792 of them being families.

Most residents (96.75%) were White. About 0.79% were Black or African American, and 0.56% were Asian. People of Hispanic or Latino background made up 1.81% of the population.

About 21.4% of the people were under 18 years old. About 15.0% were 65 years or older. The average age in the township was 44.5 years.

The average income for a household was about $84,205 per year. For families, it was about $84,400. About 7.6% of the total population lived below the poverty line.

Education in Dennis Township

The Dennis Township Public Schools serve students from pre-kindergarten up to eighth grade. The district has two schools:

• Dennis Township Primary School: For students in Pre-K through 2nd grade.
• Dennis Township Elementary / Middle School: For students in 3rd through 8th grade.

After 8th grade, students go to Middle Township High School. This high school is in Cape May Court House. Students from Avalon, Stone Harbor, and Woodbine also attend this high school.

Students can also choose to go to the Cape May County Technical High School. This school offers special programs and job training for students from all over the county. It is free for county residents.

There is also a Catholic school called Bishop McHugh Regional School. It serves students from kindergarten to 8th grade. This school is supported by four Catholic churches in Cape May County.

Getting Around Dennis Township

The Garden State Parkway southbound at exit 17 in Dennis Township

Dennis Township has many roads for getting around. As of 2010, there were about 112.5 miles of roadways.

• The township itself takes care of 58.7 miles of roads.
• Cape May County maintains 32.9 miles.
• The state of New Jersey maintains 16.7 miles.
• The New Jersey Turnpike Authority maintains 4.2 miles.

The most important highway in Dennis Township is the Garden State Parkway. It runs for over 4.1 miles through the township. Other major roads include:

• U.S. Route 9
• New Jersey Route 47
• New Jersey Route 83
• New Jersey Route 347

Famous People from Dennis Township

Many interesting people have lived in or are connected to Dennis Township:

• Richard S. Leaming (1828–1895): A ship builder and politician. He served in the New Jersey government.
• Jonathan Maslow (1948–2008): An author who wrote a lot about nature and unusual animals.
• Jarrett Porter (born 1993): A talented singer known for opera.
• Willie Royster (1954–2015): A professional baseball player who played for the Baltimore Orioles.
• Joshua Swain (1778–1855): A politician and inventor.
• Jeff Van Drew (born 1953): A U.S. Representative and former New Jersey Senator.