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Hopewell Township, New Jersey
Township
Township of Hopewell
The Delaware and Raritan Canal en route on the Frenchtown branch in Hopewell Township
The Delaware and Raritan Canal en route on the Frenchtown branch in Hopewell Township
Location in Mercer County and the state of New Jersey.
Location in Mercer County and the state of New Jersey.
Census Bureau map of Hopewell Township, Mercer County, New Jersey
Census Bureau map of Hopewell Township, Mercer County, New Jersey
Hopewell Township, New Jersey is located in Mercer County, New Jersey
Hopewell Township, New Jersey
Hopewell Township, New Jersey
Location in Mercer County, New Jersey
Hopewell Township, New Jersey is located in New Jersey
Hopewell Township, New Jersey
Hopewell Township, New Jersey
Location in New Jersey
Hopewell Township, New Jersey is located in the United States
Hopewell Township, New Jersey
Hopewell Township, New Jersey
Location in the United States
Country  United States
State  New Jersey
County Mercer
Founded February 20, 1700
Royal charter March 1, 1755
Incorporated February 21, 1798
Government
 • Type Township
 • Body Township Committee
Area
 • Total 58.95 sq mi (152.67 km2)
 • Land 58.07 sq mi (150.40 km2)
 • Water 0.87 sq mi (2.26 km2)  1.48%
Area rank 22nd of 565 in state
1st of 12 in county
Elevation
217 ft (66 m)
Population
 • Total 17,304
 • Estimate 
(2019)
17,725
 • Rank 147th of 565 in state
7th of 12 in county
 • Density 298.2/sq mi (115.1/km2)
 • Density rank 478th of 565 in state
12th of 12 in county
Time zone UTC−05:00 (EST)
 • Summer (DST) UTC−04:00 (EDT)
ZIP Code
08560 - Titusville
Area code(s) 609 exchanges: 730, 737, 18
FIPS code 3402133180
GNIS feature ID 0882129

Hopewell Township is a township in Mercer County, New Jersey, United States. Located within the Raritan Valley region, the township is an exurb of New York City in the New York metropolitan area as defined by the United States Census Bureau, while also directly bordering the Philadelphia metropolitan area, being a part of the Federal Communications Commission's Philadelphia Designated Market Area. As of the 2010 United States Census, the township's population was 17,304, reflecting an increase of 1,199 (+7.4%) from the 16,105 counted in the 2000 Census, which had in turn increased by 4,515 (+39.0%) from the 11,590 counted in the 1990 Census.

The township dates back to February 20, 1700, when the area was still part of Burlington County. One of the earliest settlers before 1710 was George Woolsey, formerly of Jamaica, Queens, whose father was one of the earliest pre-1650 settlers of what was New Amsterdam. His descendants maintained the family farm for over 200 years.

The township was formerly the name for one of two portions of 800 acres (3.2 km2) of land purchased in 1714 by William Trent, and was formally set off to Hunterdon County, when that county was created on March 11, 1714. Trenton Township was formed out of this estate on June 3, 1719, later to become the City of Trenton. Hopewell Township was incorporated by Royal charter on March 1, 1755, and was re-incorporated by an act of the New Jersey Legislature on February 21, 1798, as one of the state's initial group of 104 townships. Hopewell Township became part of Mercer County at its creation on February 22, 1838. Portions of the township were taken to form Marion Township (February 22, 1838, reverted to Hopewell Township on February 14, 1839), the Borough of Pennington (January 31, 1890) and Hopewell Borough (April 14, 1891), with additional portions of the township transferred to both Pennington and Hopewell Borough in 1915.

Hopewell Township includes the location (now known as Washington Crossing) along the east side of the Delaware River to which George Washington and the Continental Army crossed from Pennsylvania. Once in Hopewell Township, the army marched to Trenton on December 26, 1776. The Battle of Trenton followed. Today, Washington Crossing State Park commemorates this important milestone in American history.

Hopewell Township was also the location where—two months after being abducted from his home in neighboring East Amwell—the body of Charles Lindbergh Jr. was discovered on May 12, 1932.

Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau, the township had a total area of 58.95 square miles (152.67 km2), including 58.07 square miles (150.40 km2) of land and 0.87 square miles (2.26 km2) of water (1.48%).

The township completely surrounds Hopewell Borough and Pennington, making it part of two of the 21 pairs of "doughnut towns" in the state, where one municipality entirely surrounds another, and the only municipality that surrounds two others. The township borders Ewing Township, Lawrence Township and Princeton in Mercer County; East Amwell Township and West Amwell Township in Hunterdon County; Montgomery Township in Somerset County; and Solebury Township and Upper Makesfield Township in Bucks County, Pennsylvania, across the Delaware River.

Ackors Corner, Baldwins Corner, Bear Tavern, Centerville, Coopers Corner, Federal City, Glenmoore, Harbourton, Harts Corner, Marshalls Corner, Moore, Mount Rose, Pleasant Valley, Stoutsburg, Titusville, Washington Crossing and Woodsville are unincorporated communities, localities and place names located within Hopewell Township. Some neighborhoods in the township include Hopewell Hunt, Brandon Farms and Elm Ridge.

Climate

According to the Köppen climate classification system, Hopewell Township, New Jersey has a hot-summer, wet all year, humid continental climate (Dfa). Dfa climates are characterized by at least one month having an average mean temperature ≤ 32.0 °F (≤ 0.0 °C), at least four months with an average mean temperature ≥ 50.0 °F (≥ 10.0 °C), at least one month with an average mean temperature ≥ 71.6 °F (≥ 22.0 °C), and no significant precipitation difference between seasons. During the summer months, episodes of extreme heat and humidity can occur with heat index values ≥ 100 °F (≥ 38 °C). On average, the wettest month of the year is July which corresponds with the annual peak in thunderstorm activity. During the winter months, episodes of extreme cold and wind can occur with wind chill values < 0 °F (< -18 °C). The plant hardiness zone at the Hopewell Township Municipal Court is 6b with an average annual extreme minimum air temperature of -0.4 °F (-18.0 °C). The average seasonal (November–April) snowfall total is 24 to 30 inches (61 to 76 cm), and the average snowiest month is February which corresponds with the annual peak in nor'easter activity.

Climate data for Hopewell Township Municipal Court, Mercer County, NJ (1981-2010 Averages)
Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year
Average high °F (°C) 39.5
(4.2)
42.8
(6.0)
51.1
(10.6)
63.1
(17.3)
72.6
(22.6)
81.9
(27.7)
86.2
(30.1)
84.4
(29.1)
77.4
(25.2)
66.2
(19.0)
55.3
(12.9)
44.1
(6.7)
63.8
(17.7)
Daily mean °F (°C) 31.3
(−0.4)
33.9
(1.1)
41.4
(5.2)
52.1
(11.2)
61.5
(16.4)
71.1
(21.7)
75.8
(24.3)
74.1
(23.4)
66.8
(19.3)
55.3
(12.9)
45.8
(7.7)
36.0
(2.2)
53.9
(12.2)
Average low °F (°C) 23.1
(−4.9)
25.1
(−3.8)
31.7
(−0.2)
41.1
(5.1)
50.4
(10.2)
60.2
(15.7)
65.3
(18.5)
63.8
(17.7)
56.2
(13.4)
44.5
(6.9)
36.3
(2.4)
27.9
(−2.3)
43.9
(6.6)
Average precipitation inches (mm) 3.51
(89)
2.77
(70)
4.18
(106)
4.07
(103)
4.24
(108)
4.39
(112)
5.29
(134)
4.15
(105)
4.42
(112)
3.89
(99)
3.68
(93)
4.07
(103)
48.66
(1,236)
Average relative humidity (%) 65.6 62.1 57.7 57.4 62.6 66.8 66.2 69.0 70.2 69.0 67.1 67.0 65.1
Average dew point °F (°C) 21.1
(−6.1)
22.3
(−5.4)
27.6
(−2.4)
37.5
(3.1)
48.6
(9.2)
59.5
(15.3)
63.7
(17.6)
63.3
(17.4)
56.8
(13.8)
45.3
(7.4)
35.5
(1.9)
26.1
(−3.3)
42.4
(5.8)
Source: PRISM Climate Group

Ecology

According to the A. W. Kuchler U.S. potential natural vegetation types, Hopewell Township, New Jersey would have an Appalachian Oak (104) vegetation type with an Eastern Hardwood Forest (25) vegetation form.

Demographics

Historical population
Census Pop.
1790 2,320
1810 2,565
1820 2,881 12.3%
1830 3,154 9.5%
1840 3,205 1.6%
1850 3,698 15.4%
1860 3,900 5.5%
1870 4,276 9.6%
1880 4,462 4.3%
1890 4,338 −2.8%
1900 3,360 −22.5%
1910 3,171 −5.6%
1920 3,249 2.5%
1930 3,907 20.3%
1940 3,738 −4.3%
1950 4,731 26.6%
1960 7,818 65.3%
1970 10,030 28.3%
1980 10,893 8.6%
1990 11,590 6.4%
2000 16,105 39.0%
2010 17,304 7.4%
2020 17,491 1.1%
Population sources:
1790-1920 1840 1850-1870
1850 1870 1880-1890
1890-1910 1910-1930
1930-1990 2000 2010
* = Lost territory in previous decade
2020

Census 2010

As of the census of 2010, there were 17,304 people, 6,282 households, and 4,925 families residing in the township. The population density was 298.2 per square mile (115.1/km2). There were 6,551 housing units at an average density of 112.9 per square mile (43.6/km2)*. The racial makeup of the township was 86.74% (15,010) White, 2.10% (364) Black or African American, 0.07% (12) Native American, 8.89% (1,539) Asian, 0.01% (1) Pacific Islander, 0.52% (90) from other races, and 1.66% (288) from two or more races. [[Hispanic (U.S. Census)|Hispanic or Latino of any race were 3.31% (573) of the population.

There were 6,282 households out of which 39.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 69.1% were married couples living together, 6.6% had a female householder with no husband present, and 21.6% were non-families. 17.8% of all households were made up of individuals, and 7.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.75 and the average family size was 3.14.

In the township, the population was spread out with 26.4% under the age of 18, 5.0% from 18 to 24, 19.8% from 25 to 44, 34.6% from 45 to 64, and 14.2% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 44.4 years. For every 100 females there were 96.7 males. For every 100 females ages 18 and old there were 93.4 males.

The Census Bureau's 2006-2010 American Community Survey showed that (in 2010 inflation-adjusted dollars) median household income was $132,813 (with a margin of error of +/- $15,634) and the median family income was $151,394 (+/- $9,062). Males had a median income of $106,431 (+/- $9,830) versus $66,285 (+/- $11,820) for females. The per capita income for the borough was $55,219 (+/- $3,466). About 0.6% of families and 1.7% of the population were below the poverty line, including 1.9% of those under age 18 and 1.3% of those age 65 or over.

Census 2000

As of the 2000 United States Census there were 16,105 people, 5,498 households, and 4,431 families residing in the township. The population density was 277.1 people per square mile (107.0/km2). There were 5,629 housing units at an average density of 96.9 per square mile (37.4/km2). The racial makeup of the township was 77.30% White, 15.83% African American, 0.12% Native American, 3.97% Asian, 0.02% Pacific Islander, 0.66% from other races, and 1.09% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 2.45% of the population.

There were 5,498 households, out of which 40.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 71.6% were married couples living together, 6.8% had a female householder with no husband present, and 19.4% were non-families. 16.0% of all households were made up of individuals, and 6.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.77 and the average family size was 3.11.

In the township the population was spread out, with 26.5% under the age of 18, 5.4% from 18 to 24, 29.9% from 25 to 44, 26.8% from 45 to 64, and 11.5% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 39 years. For every 100 females, there were 103.9 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 104.3 males.

The median income for a household in the township was $93,640, and the median income for a family was $101,579. Males had a median income of $66,849 versus $47,701 for females. The per capita income for the township was $43,947. About 0.9% of families and 1.1% of the population were below the poverty line, including 1.5% of those under age 18 and none of those age 65 or over.

Parks and recreation

2014-11-02 13 43 41 View east along a wooded portion of Woosamonsa Road during autumn in Hopewell Township, New Jersey
Woosamonsa Road in Hopewell during autumn
  • Stony Brook-Millstone Watershed Association
  • Washington Crossing State Park is a state park covering 3,575 acres (1,447 ha) in portions of both Hunterdon County and Mercer County that commemorates "one of the pivotal events of the American Revolution."
  • St. Michaels Farm Preserve, which was first preserved in 2010, is a 400-acre (160 ha) area of farm fields and forested land.
  • Woolsey Park

Neighboring municipalities

Hopewell Township surrounds both Pennington and Hopewell Borough.

2014-05-10 12 25 33 View south along New Jersey Route 29 entering Hopewell Township, New Jersey
View south along NJ Route 29 in Hopewell Township

Education

Public school students in pre-kindergarten through twelfth grade attend the Hopewell Valley Regional School District. The comprehensive regional public school district serves students from Hopewell Borough, Hopewell Township and Pennington Borough. As of the 2019–20 school year, the district, comprised of six schools, had an enrollment of 3,467 students and 351.1 classroom teachers (on an FTE basis), for a student–teacher ratio of 9.9:1. Schools in the district (with 2019–20 enrollment data from the National Center for Education Statistics) are Bear Tavern Elementary School with 397 students in grades PreK-5, Hopewell Elementary School with 400 students in grades PreK-5, Stony Brook Elementary School with 378 students in grades K-5, Toll Gate Grammar School with 306 students in grades K-5, Timberlane Middle School with 820 students in grades 6-8 and Hopewell Valley Central High School with 1,097 students in grades 9-12. The district's Board of Education is composed of nine members, which are allocated to each of the three municipalities based on population, with Hopewell Township assigned seven seats.

Eighth grade students from all of Mercer County are eligible to apply to attend the high school programs offered by the Mercer County Technical Schools, a county-wide vocational school district that offers full-time career and technical education at its Health Sciences Academy, STEM Academy and Academy of Culinary Arts, with no tuition charged to students for attendance.

Transportation

Roads and highways

As of May 2010, the township had a total of 189.67 miles (305.24 km) of roadways, of which 136.96 miles (220.42 km) are maintained by the municipality, 36.68 miles (59.03 km) by Mercer County and 16.03 miles (25.80 km) by the New Jersey Department of Transportation.

Route 29 passes through the southwestern part of Hopewell alongside the Delaware and Raritan Canal. Route 31 is the main north–south road that goes through the township. Interstate 295 also passes through in the southern part; the highway has two interchanges in the Township: Exits 73 (Scotch Road) and 72 (Route 31). Major county roads that go through are County Route 518, County Route 546, County Route 569 and County Route 579.

2021-06-29 11 25 18 View south along Interstate 295 from the overpass for New Jersey State Route 31 (Pennington Road) in Hopewell Township, Mercer County, New Jersey
View south along Interstate 295 from Route 31 in Hopewell Township. The interchange with the cancelled Somerset Freeway would have been located in the distance where the median between the northbound and southbound roadways widens and becomes wooded

Hopewell Township was supposed to be where the Somerset Freeway would have started in the south, ending in the north in either Piscataway or Franklin. This would have completed Interstate 95 in New Jersey. The cancellation of this project led to having the New Jersey Turnpike carry the interstate numbering instead. Originally, I-295 had extended into Hopewell and ended where the supposed Somerset Freeway interchange was to be built. Ultimately, the Somerset Freeway was canceled in 1982. I-295 was redesignated I-95 from the canceled interchange to the exit at U.S. Route 1 in 1993. In March 2018, I-95 through Hopewell Township became I-295 as part of the Pennsylvania Turnpike/Interstate 95 Interchange Project that completed the gap in I-95.

Public transportation

NJ Transit provides bus service between the township and Trenton on the 602, 606 and 608 routes.

Media

  • Hopewell Valley News
  • Pennington Post
  • Town Topics
  • The Hopewell Sun

Winery

Notable people

See also (related category): People from Hopewell Township, Mercer County, New Jersey

People who were born in, residents of, or otherwise closely associated with Hopewell Township include:

  • John Gano (1727–1804), Baptist minister who is said to have baptized George Washington.
  • Fred Green (1933-1996), former MLB relief pitcher who played most of his career with the Pittsburgh Pirates.
  • John Hart (c. 1711-1779), signer of the United States Declaration of Independence.
  • Rush D. Holt Jr. (born 1948), former U.S. Congressman for New Jersey's 12th congressional district, who represented the district from 1999 to 2015.
  • Robyn Jones (born 1985), professional soccer goalkeeper who played two years for the Philadelphia Independence of Women's Professional Soccer.
  • James W. Marshall (1810–1885), sawmill operator, whose 1848 find of gold in the American River in California was the impetus for the California Gold Rush.
  • Anne M. Patterson (born 1959), Associate Justice of the New Jersey Supreme Court.
  • Debbie Ryan (born 1952), former head coach of the women's basketball team at the University of Virginia, who was inducted into the Women's Basketball Hall of Fame in 2008
  • Suthan Suthersan (1956-2017), environmental engineer who served as the Chief Technical Officer and Executive Vice President of Arcadis North America.
  • Anthony Verrelli (born 1964), carpenter, union leader and politician, who represents the 15th Legislative District in the New Jersey General Assembly.
  • Brandon Wagner (born 1995), professional baseball player.

See also

Kids robot.svg In Spanish: Municipio de Hopewell (condado de Mercer, Nueva Jersey) para niños

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