Millville, New Jersey facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Millville, New Jersey
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City
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High Street in downtown Millville in 2006
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| Nickname(s):
"The Holly City of America"
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Map of Millville highlighted within Cumberland County. Right: Location of Cumberland County in New Jersey.
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Census Bureau map of Millville, New Jersey
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 Millville, New Jersey
Location in Cumberland County, New Jersey
Millville, New Jersey
Location in New Jersey
Millville, New Jersey
Location in the United States
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| Country |  United States |
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| State |  New Jersey |
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| County | Cumberland | |
| Founded | c. 1720 | |
| Incorporated | February 24, 1801 (as Township) | |
| Reincorporated | March 1, 1866 (as City) | |
| Government | ||
| • Type | Walsh Act | |
| • Body | Board of Commissioners | |
| Area | ||
| • Total | 44.50 sq mi (115.25 km2) | |
| • Land | 42.00 sq mi (108.78 km2) | |
| • Water | 2.50 sq mi (6.47 km2) 5.62% | |
| Area rank | 43rd of 565 in state 4th of 14 in county |
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| Elevation | 43 ft (13 m) | |
| Population
(2020)
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| • Total | 27,491 | |
| • Estimate
(2023)
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27,358 | |
| • Rank | 91st of 565 in state 2nd of 14 in county |
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| • Density | 654.6/sq mi (252.7/km2) | |
| • Density rank | 424th of 565 in state 3rd of 14 in county |
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| Time zone | UTC−05:00 (Eastern (EST)) | |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC−04:00 (Eastern (EDT)) | |
| ZIP Code |
08332
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| Area code(s) | 856 | |
| FIPS code | 3401146680 | |
| GNIS feature ID | 0885304 | |
Millville is a city located in Cumberland County, in the state of New Jersey, United States. In 2020, about 27,491 people lived here. This was a small decrease from the 28,400 people counted in 2010.
Millville became a township on February 24, 1801. Later, on March 1, 1866, it officially became a city. The name "Millville" comes from the idea of creating a town with many mills. The city is part of the South Jersey area and is close to the larger Philadelphia metropolitan area.
Contents
History of Millville
Early Beginnings and Mills
Around 1720, people believe there was a sawmill in the area, which was known as "Shingle Landing." It had a public road, a place for boats to land, and a bridge.
In 1790, Joseph Smith and Henry Drinker bought a large piece of land. They started the Union Estates Company and built lumber mills along the Maurice River. They also built a dam to power these new mills. Joseph Buck, a veteran from the American Revolutionary War, helped plan the city of Millville in 1795.
Glassmaking and Manufacturing Growth
In 1806, an immigrant named James Lee opened the first glass factory in the area. He used the local silica sand and wood to run the factory.
In the early 1850s, the Smith and Wood Iron Foundry and New Jersey Mills were built. By 1860, a bleachery and dye house were added to New Jersey Mills, which then became Millville Manufacturing. David Wood built a dam, creating the largest man-made lake in New Jersey. This lake powered the entire manufacturing business. By 1870, the mill had 600 employees, and this number doubled in 40 years.
Roosevelt Park and the Airport
In 1936, Millville became home to Roosevelt Park. This was a special project to create the country's first housing development for older people. It was known as the "Roosevelt Colony" and opened on October 23, 1936.
Millville Airport was opened on August 2, 1941, as "America's First Defense Airport." In 1943, the Millville Army Air Field became a school for training fighter pilots. Pilots learned to fly planes like the Republic P-47 Thunderbolt here. After World War II, the airport was given back to the City of Millville. Many of its buildings were turned into apartments for returning soldiers. Today, the airport is an important center for industry and aviation in Southern New Jersey.
Arts and Culture Development
In the past, the downtown area of Millville was quiet. But in recent years, it has been redeveloped into a lively arts district. Many old buildings have been restored.
The Glasstown Arts District is a special area in Millville for art. It has a public art center with galleries and studios. There are also many full-time and part-time art galleries and studios. The Wheaton Arts and Creative Glass Center of America has a large collection of old American glass. It also shows modern glass art and has working glass artists. The Levoy Theatre, which first opened in 1908, reopened in September 2012 after being closed for many years.
Millville is famous for a unique way of making paperweights. These special paperweights, often called "Millville roses," were made by glassworkers in their free time.
Geography and Climate
Location and Area
Millville covers about 44.50 square miles (115.25 km2). Most of this area is land, with about 2.50 square miles (6.47 km2) being water. Some smaller communities and places within the city include Clarks Mill and Union Lake.
Millville shares borders with several other towns in Cumberland County. These include Commercial Township, Fairfield Township, and Vineland. Major roads like Route 47, Route 49, and Route 55 pass through the city.
Weather in Millville
Millville has a humid subtropical climate. This means it has hot, humid summers and mild winters.
| Climate data for Millville Executive Airport, New Jersey (1991–2020 normals, extremes 1947–present) | |||||||||||||
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| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Record high °F (°C) | 74 (23) |
76 (24) |
86 (30) |
93 (34) |
96 (36) |
100 (38) |
103 (39) |
101 (38) |
97 (36) |
97 (36) |
84 (29) |
77 (25) |
103 (39) |
| Mean daily maximum °F (°C) | 42.2 (5.7) |
44.6 (7.0) |
52.3 (11.3) |
63.7 (17.6) |
72.9 (22.7) |
81.6 (27.6) |
86.1 (30.1) |
84.3 (29.1) |
78.0 (25.6) |
66.9 (19.4) |
56.1 (13.4) |
46.7 (8.2) |
64.6 (18.1) |
| Daily mean °F (°C) | 33.0 (0.6) |
34.6 (1.4) |
41.8 (5.4) |
52.1 (11.2) |
61.7 (16.5) |
70.9 (21.6) |
76.2 (24.6) |
74.3 (23.5) |
67.6 (19.8) |
55.9 (13.3) |
45.5 (7.5) |
37.3 (2.9) |
54.2 (12.3) |
| Mean daily minimum °F (°C) | 23.8 (−4.6) |
24.6 (−4.1) |
31.4 (−0.3) |
40.6 (4.8) |
50.4 (10.2) |
60.2 (15.7) |
66.2 (19.0) |
64.4 (18.0) |
57.2 (14.0) |
45.0 (7.2) |
34.9 (1.6) |
27.9 (−2.3) |
43.9 (6.6) |
| Record low °F (°C) | −10 (−23) |
−6 (−21) |
−7 (−22) |
17 (−8) |
29 (−2) |
40 (4) |
44 (7) |
44 (7) |
35 (2) |
21 (−6) |
12 (−11) |
2 (−17) |
−10 (−23) |
| Average precipitation inches (mm) | 3.13 (80) |
2.63 (67) |
4.09 (104) |
3.53 (90) |
3.12 (79) |
3.91 (99) |
4.26 (108) |
4.61 (117) |
3.15 (80) |
3.82 (97) |
3.17 (81) |
3.95 (100) |
43.37 (1,102) |
| Average precipitation days (≥ 0.01 in) | 8.9 | 9.3 | 10.5 | 11.1 | 10.6 | 10.0 | 9.8 | 8.9 | 8.4 | 8.6 | 8.3 | 10.3 | 114.7 |
| Source: NOAA | |||||||||||||
Population and People
| Historical population | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Census | Pop. | %± | |
| 1810 | 1,032 | — | |
| 1820 | 1,010 | −2.1% | |
| 1830 | 1,559 | 54.4% | |
| 1840 | 1,771 | 13.6% | |
| 1850 | 2,332 | 31.7% | |
| 1860 | 3,932 | 68.6% | |
| 1870 | 6,101 | * | 55.2% |
| 1880 | 7,660 | 25.6% | |
| 1890 | 10,002 | 30.6% | |
| 1900 | 10,583 | 5.8% | |
| 1910 | 12,451 | 17.7% | |
| 1920 | 14,691 | 18.0% | |
| 1930 | 14,705 | 0.1% | |
| 1940 | 14,806 | 0.7% | |
| 1950 | 16,041 | 8.3% | |
| 1960 | 19,096 | 19.0% | |
| 1970 | 21,366 | 11.9% | |
| 1980 | 24,815 | 16.1% | |
| 1990 | 25,992 | 4.7% | |
| 2000 | 26,847 | 3.3% | |
| 2010 | 28,400 | 5.8% | |
| 2020 | 27,491 | −3.2% | |
| 2023 (est.) | 27,358 | −3.7% | |
| Population sources: 1810–2010 1810–1920 1840 1850–1890 1850–1870 1850 1870 1880–1890 1890–1910 1870–1930 1900–1990 2000 2010 2020 * = Lost territory in previous decade. |
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In 2010, Millville had 28,400 people living in 10,648 homes. The city's population density was about 676 people per square mile. The population included people of many different backgrounds. About 25.8% of the people were under 18 years old.
Economy and Business
Millville is part of a special area called an Urban Enterprise Zone (UEZ) along with Vineland. This program helps businesses grow and create jobs. In these zones, shoppers can pay a lower sales tax rate. Millville became one of the first UEZs in 1983.
Education in Millville
Public Schools
The Millville Public Schools district serves students from pre-kindergarten all the way through twelfth grade. The district has nine schools. These schools are part of a state program that helps pay for school building and renovation projects.
As of the 2021–22 school year, the district had 5,107 students and 433.5 teachers. This means there were about 11.8 students for every teacher. Schools in the district include:
- Child Family Center (PreK)
- R. M. Bacon Elementary School (K-5)
- Holly Heights Elementary School (K-5)
- Mount Pleasant Elementary School (K-5)
- Rieck Avenue Elementary School (K-5)
- Silver Run Elementary School (K-5)
- Lakeside Middle School (6-8)
- Millville Senior High School (9-12)
- Thunderbolt Academy, which offers an alternative setting for students who need extra support.
Some students from nearby townships like Commercial Township and Maurice River Township also attend Millville Senior High School. The high school is undergoing a big expansion project to add more space and renovate its buildings.
Students can also attend the Cumberland County Technical Education Center in Millville. This center offers free technical training programs for students from across the county.
Other Schools and Colleges
St. Mary Magdalen School was a Catholic school for grades K–8. It opened in 1882 but closed in June 2012 due to financial reasons and fewer students.
Rowan College of South Jersey Cumberland Campus, which used to be Cumberland County College, is partly located in Millville and partly in Vineland. Millville also has its own public library, the Millville Public Library.
Transportation
_at_Exit_27_(New_Jersey_State_Route_47,_Millville,_Vineland)_in_Millville,_Cumberland_County,_New_Jersey.jpg)
Millville has many miles of roads. The city maintains most of them, while others are maintained by Cumberland County and the New Jersey Department of Transportation.
The Millville Municipal Airport is used for general aviation, meaning it's for private planes and smaller flights.
NJ Transit provides bus services in the Millville area. These buses connect Millville to places like Philadelphia and Atlantic City.
Fun Places to Visit
- New Jersey Motorsports Park
- Southwind Vineyard & Winery
- Laurel Lake Community Center, Beaches and Piersites
- Wheaton Arts and Cultural Center
- Glasstown Brewing Company
Parks and Recreation
The Cumberland Cape Atlantic YMCA is located nearby in Vineland. This YMCA serves people in Atlantic, Cape May, and Cumberland counties.
Millville used to have its own YMCA campus. In 1997, the Millville Housing Authority bought the old campus. They turned some of the buildings into apartments and built a new exercise center. This center is now used by the Holly City Development Corp. Family Center, which opened in 2001.
Famous People from Millville
Many notable people have lived in Millville, including:
- A. R. Ammons (1926–2001), a famous author and poet.
- Fred Pierce Corson (1896−1985), a Bishop of The Methodist Church.
- Merritt Gant (born 1971), guitarist for the metal band Overkill.
- Leon Henderson (1895–1986), a government administrator.
- Dwayne Hendricks (born 1986), a professional football player.
- Buddy Kennedy (born 1998), a Major League Baseball player.
- R. Bruce Land (born 1950), a politician.
- Chase Petty (born circa 2002–2003), a Minor League Baseball player.
- Steve Romanik (1924–2009), a professional football player.
- Edward H. Salmon (born 1942), a politician and former mayor of Millville.
- Hannah Whitall Smith (1832–1911), a speaker and author.
- Logan Pearsall Smith (1865–1946), an essayist and critic.
- Edward C. Stokes (1860–1942), a former Governor of New Jersey.
- Mike Trout (born 1991), a Major League Baseball player for the Los Angeles Angels, known as "The Millville Meteor."
- Anne Waldman (born 1945), a poet.
- Frank H. Wheaton Sr. (1881–1983), known for his work in the glassware industry.
Images for kids
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High Street in downtown Millville in 2006
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Seal of Millville
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Map of Millville highlighted within Cumberland County
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Census Bureau map of Millville, New Jersey
See also
In Spanish: Millville (Nueva Jersey) para niños
