Middlesex County, New Jersey facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Middlesex County
County
Images, from top down, left to right: The Bishop House at Rutgers New Brunswick, New Jersey's flagship for higher education and a center for the sciences, arts, and cultural activities; The Metlar–Bodine House in the Road Up Raritan Historic District in Piscataway; The historic Milltown India Rubber Factory in Milltown; Davidson Mill Pond on the Lawrence Brook in South Brunswick
Flag Seal
Nickname(s):  The Greatest County in the Land
Location within the U.S. state of New Jersey
New Jersey's location within the U.S.
Country	United States
State	New Jersey
Founded	1683
Named for	Middlesex, England
Seat	New Brunswick
Largest municipality	Edison (population) Monroe Township (area)
Area
• Total	322.87 sq mi (836.2 km2)
• Land	309.22 sq mi (800.9 km2)
• Water	13.65 sq mi (35.4 km2)  4.2%
Population  (2020)
• Total	863,162 (3rd in NJ)
• Estimate  (2023)	863,623
Time zone	UTC−5 (Eastern)
• Summer (DST)	UTC−4 (EDT)
Congressional districts	6th, 12th

Middlesex County is a county in the central part of New Jersey, a state in the United States. It stretches from the Raritan River area to the northern part of the Jersey Shore. In 2020, it was the third most populated county in New Jersey, with over 863,000 people. This was the highest number of people ever counted in the county!

Middlesex County is part of the larger New York metropolitan area. Many towns here are "commuter towns," meaning people live here and travel to New York City or other northern New Jersey areas for work. The county is also known as The Greatest County in the Land.

The county's main city, called its county seat, is New Brunswick. This city is a hub for science, arts, and culture. It's also home to Rutgers University, a very important school in New Jersey. The largest town by population is Edison, and the largest by area is Monroe Township.

Middlesex County has a great transportation system. It has many train stations along the busy Northeast Corridor Line. Also, the two busiest roads in New Jersey, the New Jersey Turnpike and the Garden State Parkway, meet in Woodbridge Township.

Middlesex County was first settled because of its good location along the Raritan River. It was created on March 7, 1683, as one of the first four areas in Province of East Jersey. Later, in 1693, it was divided into three townships: Piscataway, Perth Amboy, and Woodbridge.

The county's first court met in 1683 in Piscataway. It moved around for a while before settling permanently in New Brunswick in 1778. Even though Middlesex is a busy place with homes, businesses, and factories, it also has many beautiful parks. These parks cover over 6,300 acres!

Middlesex County is special because it has the highest number of Asian Indians in the U.S. Nearly 20% of the population was Asian Indian in 2020.

Geography and Climate

Middlesex County has a climate with hot summers. The average temperatures in New Brunswick range from about 32°F (0°C) in January to 76°F (24°C) in July. The highest temperature ever recorded was 103°F (39°C) in July 1999, and the lowest was -13°F (-25°C) in January 1984.

The county covers about 323 square miles. Most of this area, about 309 square miles, is land. The rest, about 14 square miles, is water. The county is named after a historic area in England called Middlesex.

The Raritan River flows through the county. The land is mostly flat, like much of central New Jersey. The elevation goes from sea level up to about 300 feet (91 meters) on a hill in South Brunswick Township.

There's also a higher area called the Perth Amboy Moraine. This was formed by a huge ice sheet long ago. It stretches through Perth Amboy, Woodbridge, Edison, and Metuchen. Some peaks in this area are over 200 feet high.

People and Communities

Indian cuisine is very popular in Middlesex County.

Indian Community

Middlesex County is well-known for its large Indian community. There's a special area called Little India on Oak Tree Road, which is a busy street with many Indian businesses. This area runs through Edison and Iselin. It's the biggest and most diverse Indian cultural center in the United States.

Monroe Township has seen a huge increase in its Indian American population. The town even celebrates Diwali, a Hindu holiday. In Carteret, there's a large community of Sikhs. Because of the many different cultures, election ballots in Middlesex County are printed in English, Spanish, Gujarati, Hindi, and Punjabi.

Jewish Community

Middlesex County also has a large Jewish community, especially people who follow Orthodox traditions. A very large Jewish gathering happened in Edison on December 1, 2024.

Population Facts

In 2020, Middlesex County had 863,162 people.

• About 41.9% of the people were White.
• About 9.8% were African American.
• About 26.5% were Asian.
• About 22.4% were Hispanic or Latino.

The average age of people in the county was 39.3 years. About 21.6% of the population was under 18 years old. The median household income was $93,418, meaning half of the households earned more than this, and half earned less.

Homes in Monroe Township in 2010. This area is growing with new housing.

Economy

New Brunswick is the county seat and a growing city with new buildings and cultural activities.

In 2021, the total value of all goods and services produced in Middlesex County was $59 billion. This makes it the second highest in New Jersey!

Many large companies have offices or facilities in Middlesex County, providing lots of jobs. Some of the biggest employers are:

• Rutgers University (over 9,000 employees)
• Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital (over 5,000 employees)
• Bristol-Myers Squibb and Wakefern Food Corporation (over 3,500 employees each)
• Johnson & Johnson and St. Peter's University Hospital (over 2,750 employees each)
• JFK Medical Center and Raritan Bay Medical Center (over 2,500 employees each)

History

Why the Name Middlesex?

Middlesex County is named after a county with the same name in England.

Education

Middlesex County offers many educational opportunities, from elementary schools to universities.

Colleges and Universities

• Middlesex County College (in Edison, New Brunswick, and Perth Amboy)
• Rutgers University New Brunswick Campus (in New Brunswick and Piscataway)
• Rutgers Biomedical and Health Sciences (in New Brunswick)
• Princeton University – Forrestal Campus (in Plainsboro)

Local Schools

There are many school districts in Middlesex County that serve students from kindergarten through 12th grade. Some towns have schools for younger kids, and then students go to a different district for high school.

Transportation

A road map of Middlesex County from 1947.

Middlesex County has a huge network of roads and highways. As of 2010, there were over 2,500 miles of roadways! These include local roads, state routes, U.S. routes, and major highways.

Major Roads and Highways

Important roads include:

• Route 1
• Route 9
• Route 18
• Route 27
• I-287
• The Garden State Parkway (which has nine exits in the county)
• The New Jersey Turnpike (which carries I-95 and has five exits in the county)

The Garden State Parkway northbound as it enters Middlesex County.

The Governor Alfred E. Driscoll Bridge on the Garden State Parkway crosses the Raritan River. It connects Woodbridge Township to Sayreville and is one of the world's widest and busiest bridges.

Public Transportation

Edison station is a stop on New Jersey Transit's Northeast Corridor Line.

NJ Transit provides train service throughout Middlesex County. You can catch trains on the North Jersey Coast Line, Northeast Corridor Line, and Raritan Valley Line.

You can also take Amtrak trains through Middlesex County. The Keystone and Northeast Regional trains stop at New Brunswick or Metropark.

Bus service is also available from NJ Transit and other companies. There are also special bus networks, like the Rutgers Campus bus network, that help people get around.

Healthcare

Middlesex County has many hospitals that provide healthcare services. There are over 1,900 beds available for patients.

Towns and Cities

Middlesex County has 25 different towns and cities, also called municipalities. Some of these towns have smaller, "unincorporated communities" within them. Here's a list of the main municipalities:

Map showing the different towns and cities in Middlesex County.

Parks and Recreation

Middlesex County has a great park system with many places to enjoy nature and outdoor activities.

Thompson Park in Monroe Township is a popular spot for outdoor fun.

Some of the parks include:

• Donaldson Park
• Carteret Park
• Johnson Park
• Roosevelt Park
• Spring Lake Park
• Thompson Park
• Raritan Bay Waterfront Park
• Davidson's Mill Pond Park
• Jamesburg Park Conservation Area

See also

In Spanish: Condado de Middlesex (Nueva Jersey) para niños