Penns Grove, New Jersey facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Penns Grove, New Jersey
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Borough
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Church of Our Merciful Saviour
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| Motto(s):
Pride in Progress
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Penns Grove Borough highlighted in Salem County. Inset map: Salem County highlighted in the State of New Jersey.
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Census Bureau map of Penns Grove, New Jersey
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 Penns Grove, New Jersey
Location in Salem County, New Jersey
Penns Grove, New Jersey
Location in New Jersey
Penns Grove, 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 |  Salem |
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| 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 |
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| Elevation | 7 ft (2 m) | |
| Population
(2020)
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| • Total | 4,837 | |
| • Estimate
(2023)
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4,865 | |
| • Rank | 383rd of 565 in state 5th of 15 in county |
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| • Density | 5,418.8/sq mi (2,092.2/km2) | |
| • Density rank | 102nd of 565 in state 1st of 15 in county |
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| Time zone | UTC−05:00 (Eastern (EST)) | |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC−04:00 (Eastern (EDT)) | |
| ZIP Code |
08069
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| 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.
Contents
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 | |||
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| 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 |
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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
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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
In Spanish: Penns Grove para niños
