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Penns Grove, New Jersey facts for kids

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Penns Grove, New Jersey
Borough
Church of Our Merciful Saviour
Church of Our Merciful Saviour
Official seal of Penns Grove, New Jersey
logo
Motto(s): 
Pride in Progress
Penns Grove Borough highlighted in Salem County. Inset map: Salem County highlighted in the State of New Jersey.
Penns Grove Borough highlighted in Salem County. Inset map: Salem County highlighted in the State of New Jersey.
Census Bureau map of Penns Grove, New Jersey
Census Bureau map of Penns Grove, New Jersey
Penns Grove, New Jersey is located in Salem County, New Jersey
Penns Grove, New Jersey
Penns Grove, New Jersey
Location in Salem County, New Jersey
Penns Grove, New Jersey is located in New Jersey
Penns Grove, New Jersey
Penns Grove, New Jersey
Location in New Jersey
Penns Grove, New Jersey is located in the United States
Penns Grove, New Jersey
Penns Grove, New Jersey
Location in the United States
Country  United States
State  New Jersey
County Salem
Incorporated March 8, 1894
Named for William Penn
Government
 • Type Borough
 • Body Borough Council
Area
 • Total 0.89 sq mi (2.31 km2)
 • Land 0.89 sq mi (2.31 km2)
 • Water 0.00 sq mi (0.00 km2)  0.00%
Area rank 517th of 565 in state
15th of 15 in county
Elevation
7 ft (2 m)
Population
 (2020)
 • Total 4,837
 • Estimate 
(2023)
4,865
 • Rank 383rd of 565 in state
5th of 15 in county
 • Density 5,418.8/sq mi (2,092.2/km2)
 • Density rank 102nd of 565 in state
1st of 15 in county
Time zone UTC−05:00 (Eastern (EST))
 • Summer (DST) UTC−04:00 (Eastern (EDT))
ZIP Code
08069
Area code(s) 856 exchanges: 299, 351
FIPS code 3403357750
GNIS feature ID 0885348
Website

Penns Grove is a small town, also called a borough, located in Salem County, New Jersey. In 2020, about 4,837 people lived there. The town's name comes from William Penn, a famous person in New Jersey's history.

History of Penns Grove

How Penns Grove Became a Town

For a long time, the area where Penns Grove is now was mostly farmland. On March 8, 1894, Penns Grove officially became a borough. This happened after people voted for it just two days before. The town was formed from parts of a larger area called Upper Penns Neck Township. Around this time, factories and industries started to grow in Penns Grove.

Immigrants and Growth

In the early 1900s, many people came to Penns Grove from Italy, especially from a region called Teramo. They came to work at the E.I. DuPont de Nemours plant nearby. Many of these families settled on Pitman Street in Penns Grove. In 1925, the Italian community brought a special statue of the Madonna and Child from Italy to the Saint James Roman Catholic Church in Penns Grove. People from other parts of Eastern Europe also moved to the area, helping the town grow even more.

Geography and Location

Where is Penns Grove?

Penns Grove is a small town, covering about 0.89 square miles (2.31 square kilometers) of land. It is located right next to Carneys Point Township and the Delaware River.

If you look across the Delaware River from Penns Grove, you'll see Wilmington, Delaware. Penns Grove is also about 33 miles (53 kilometers) south of Philadelphia, a much larger city.

Population and People

How Many People Live Here?

Historical population
Census Pop.
1900 1,826
1910 2,118 16.0%
1920 6,060 186.1%
1930 5,895 −2.7%
1940 6,488 10.1%
1950 6,669 2.8%
1960 6,176 −7.4%
1970 5,727 −7.3%
1980 5,760 0.6%
1990 5,228 −9.2%
2000 4,886 −6.5%
2010 5,147 5.3%
2020 4,837 −6.0%
2023 (est.) 4,865 −5.5%
Population sources:
1900–2000 1900–1920
1900–1910 1910–1930
1940–2000 2000
2010 2020

The population of Penns Grove has changed over the years. In 2010, there were 5,147 people living in the borough. By 2020, the population had slightly decreased to 4,837.

Many different groups of people live in Penns Grove. In 2010, about 41.8% of the people were White, and 39.8% were Black or African American. About 28.3% of the population identified as Hispanic or Latino.

Education in Penns Grove

Public Schools for Students

Students in Penns Grove attend public schools through the Penns Grove-Carneys Point Regional School District. This district also serves students from Carneys Point Township. The district has five schools for students from pre-kindergarten all the way to twelfth grade.

  • Lafayette-Pershing School: For students in Pre-K to Kindergarten.
  • Field Street School: For students in grades 1–3.
  • Paul W. Carleton School: For students in grades 4–5.
  • Penns Grove Middle School: For students in grades 6–8.
  • Penns Grove High School: For students in grades 9–12.

Some high school students from Oldmans Township, New Jersey also attend Penns Grove High School.

Catholic Schools in the Area

There used to be a Catholic school in Penns Grove called St. James Elementary School, but it closed in 2000. Now, students who want to attend a Catholic school can go to Guardian Angels Regional School. This school has two campuses: one for PreK-3 in Gibbstown and another for grades 4-8 in Paulsboro.

Transportation in Penns Grove

Main Roads and Highways

2018-08-25 10 32 25 View south along U.S. Route 130 (Virginia Avenue) at Trumbull Street in Penns Grove, Salem County, New Jersey
U.S. Route 130 southbound through Penns Grove

Penns Grove has several important roads that run through it. U.S. Route 130 is known as Virginia Avenue in town. Route 48 starts here and is called Main Street. These roads help people travel in and out of the borough.

Bus Services

If you need to travel by bus, NJ Transit offers routes from Penns Grove. You can take the 402 bus to Philadelphia or the 468 bus to Woodstown.

Notable People from Penns Grove

Many interesting people have connections to Penns Grove, including:

  • Kenneth A. Black Jr. (1932–2019): A politician who served in the New Jersey government.
  • Don Bragg (1935–2019): An Olympic gold medalist in pole vaulting from the 1960 Summer Olympics.
  • Roy Elsh (1892–1978): A professional baseball player.
  • John Forsythe (1918–2010): A famous television and movie actor.
  • Paul Foster (1931-2021): A well-known playwright.
  • Ernest Martin Hennings (1888–1956): A talented landscape and portrait painter.
  • Dave Romansky (born 1938): A competitive racewalker who represented the United States in the 1968 Summer Olympics.
  • Bruce Willis (born 1955): A very famous actor who moved to Penns Grove as a child and graduated from Penns Grove High School.

See also

Kids robot.svg In Spanish: Penns Grove para niños

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