Phillipsburg, New Jersey facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Phillipsburg, New Jersey
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Town
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Union Square
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Location of Phillipsburg in Warren County highlighted in red (right). Inset map: Location of Warren County in New Jersey highlighted in orange (left).
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Census Bureau map of Phillipsburg, New Jersey
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 Phillipsburg, New Jersey
Location in Warren County, New Jersey
Phillipsburg, New Jersey
Location in New Jersey
Phillipsburg, 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 | Warren | |
| Incorporated | March 8, 1861 | |
| Named for | William Phillips | |
| Government | ||
| • Type | Faulkner Act (mayor–council) | |
| • Body | Town Council | |
| Area | ||
| • Total | 3.31 sq mi (8.58 km2) | |
| • Land | 3.19 sq mi (8.26 km2) | |
| • Water | 0.12 sq mi (0.31 km2) 3.66% | |
| Area rank | 324th of 565 in state 19th of 22 in county |
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| Elevation | 299 ft (91 m) | |
| Population
(2020)
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| • Total | 15,249 | |
| • Estimate
(2023)
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15,328 | |
| • Rank | 171st of 565 in state 1st of 22 in county |
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| • Density | 4,778.8/sq mi (1,845.1/km2) | |
| • Density rank | 121st of 565 in state 1st of 22 in county |
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| Time zone | UTC−05:00 (Eastern (EST)) | |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC−04:00 (Eastern (EDT)) | |
| ZIP Code |
08865
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| Area code(s) | 908 exchanges: 213, 387, 454, 859, 995 | |
| FIPS code | 3404158350 | |
| GNIS feature ID | 0885350 | |
| School district | Phillipsburg School District | |
Phillipsburg is a busy town in New Jersey. It is located right along the Delaware River. This town is the biggest community in Warren County.
Phillipsburg is part of a larger area called the Allentown-Bethlehem-Easton, PA-NJ metropolitan area. In 2020, about 15,249 people lived here. This was a small increase from 2010.
The town is an important spot for trains. The Norfolk Southern Railway's Lehigh Line runs through Phillipsburg. It then crosses the Delaware River into Easton. Phillipsburg is about 19 miles northeast of Allentown. It is also about 70 miles west of New York City.
Contents
History of Phillipsburg
Phillipsburg started as a quiet farming village around 1824. It soon became a major center for transportation and shipping. This change happened because of the Morris Canal. The canal opened in 1831 and connected Phillipsburg to New York City.
Other important transport projects followed. The Central Railroad of New Jersey also built a connection here. Soon, the town was linked to the Delaware Canal and the Lehigh Canal. In 1853, the Lehigh Valley Railroad connected with other lines. This led to very fast growth for Phillipsburg.
Phillipsburg officially became a town on March 8, 1861. This was done by a special law from the New Jersey Legislature. The town was named after William Phillips, who was an early settler in the area.
Geography and Climate
Phillipsburg covers about 3.31 square miles (8.58 square kilometers). Most of this area is land, with a small part being water.
Several smaller communities are located within Phillipsburg. These include Delaware Park and Warren Heights. Pohatcong Mountain is a ridge near Phillipsburg. It stretches for about 6 miles northeast.
Phillipsburg shares borders with other towns in Warren County. These are Lopatcong Township and Pohatcong Township. It also borders Easton, Pennsylvania, and Williams Township across the Delaware River.
Weather in Phillipsburg
Phillipsburg has a climate with warm summers and cold winters. Here is a look at the average temperatures:
| Climate data for Phillipsburg, NJ | |||||||||||||
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| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Mean daily maximum °F (°C) | 37 (3) |
41 (5) |
50 (10) |
61 (16) |
72 (22) |
80 (27) |
85 (29) |
83 (28) |
76 (24) |
65 (18) |
54 (12) |
42 (6) |
62.166 (16.76) |
| Mean daily minimum °F (°C) | 20 (−7) |
21 (−6) |
28 (−2) |
37 (3) |
47 (8) |
57 (14) |
62 (17) |
60 (16) |
52 (11) |
41 (5) |
32 (0) |
24 (−4) |
40 (4) |
Population of Phillipsburg
| Historical population | |||
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| Census | Pop. | %± | |
| 1870 | 5,932 | — | |
| 1880 | 7,181 | 21.1% | |
| 1890 | 8,644 | 20.4% | |
| 1900 | 10,052 | 16.3% | |
| 1910 | 13,903 | 38.3% | |
| 1920 | 16,923 | 21.7% | |
| 1930 | 19,255 | 13.8% | |
| 1940 | 18,314 | −4.9% | |
| 1950 | 18,919 | 3.3% | |
| 1960 | 18,502 | −2.2% | |
| 1970 | 17,849 | −3.5% | |
| 1980 | 16,647 | −6.7% | |
| 1990 | 15,757 | −5.3% | |
| 2000 | 15,166 | −3.8% | |
| 2010 | 14,950 | −1.4% | |
| 2020 | 15,249 | 2.0% | |
| 2023 (est.) | 15,328 | 2.5% | |
| Population sources: 1870–1920 1870 1880–1890 1890–1910 1910–1930 1940–2000 2000 2010 2020 |
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Phillipsburg's population has changed over the years. In 2010, there were 14,950 people living in the town. The population density was about 4,682 people per square mile.
About 25.8% of the people were under 18 years old. The average age in Phillipsburg was 37.1 years.
Economy and Jobs
Phillipsburg was once a major center for transportation and manufacturing. A big company called Ingersoll Rand opened a factory here in 1903. It employed many people, up to 5,000 at its peak.
The town's location at the meeting point of the Delaware and Lehigh rivers was very helpful. The Morris Canal connected Phillipsburg to the New York City area. This allowed goods to be shipped easily. Many important freight railways also served the area.
Phillipsburg was served by five main railroads:
- Central Railroad of New Jersey (CNJ)
- Lehigh and Hudson River Railway (L&HR)
- Lehigh Valley Railroad (LVRR)
- Delaware, Lackawanna and Western Phillipsburg Branch (DL&W)
- Pennsylvania Railroad Belvidere Division (PRR)
Economic Changes
Most of the manufacturing jobs left Phillipsburg when Ingersoll Rand closed its operations in 2000.
However, parts of the town are now in an Urban Enterprise Zone (UEZ). This program helps encourage new businesses and jobs. Shoppers in this zone can pay a lower sales tax rate. This special status for Phillipsburg lasts until October 2025. New businesses have started to open in the town.
Education in Phillipsburg
The Phillipsburg School District serves public school students. It includes students from pre-kindergarten all the way through twelfth grade. The district has five schools.
In the 2020–21 school year, there were 3,877 students. There were also 329 teachers. This means there were about 11.8 students for every teacher.
The schools in the district are:
- Early Childhood Learning Center (Pre-K–K)
- Phillipsburg Primary School (grades 1–2)
- Phillipsburg Elementary School (grades 3–5)
- Phillipsburg Middle School (grades 6–8)
- Phillipsburg High School (grades 9–12)
The Phillipsburg High School sports teams are called the Stateliners. They have a very old rivalry with Easton Area High School in Pennsylvania. They even had a special "REPLAY" game in 2009 to settle a past tie!
Students from nearby towns also attend Phillipsburg High School. These towns include Alpha, Bloomsbury, Greenwich Township, Lopatcong Township, and Pohatcong Township.
There are also other school options. Students can attend Ridge and Valley Charter School. Or they can go to Warren County Technical School. Private schools like Saints Philip & James School also serve students in Phillipsburg.
Transportation
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Phillipsburg has always been an important transportation hub. It sits where the Delaware River and the Lehigh River meet. The Morris Canal used to connect Phillipsburg to the New York City area.
Many major railroads also met in Phillipsburg. These included the Central Railroad of New Jersey and the Lehigh Valley Railroad. Today, the Norfolk Southern Railway uses some of these old tracks.
Roads and Highways
Phillipsburg has about 59 miles of roads. Major highways like U.S. Route 22 and Route 122 pass through the town. Interstate 78 also goes through Phillipsburg, but it does not have an exit within the town itself.
Three bridges connect Phillipsburg to Pennsylvania across the Delaware River:
- The Easton–Phillipsburg Toll Bridge (for U.S. Route 22)
- The Northampton Street Bridge (also known as the "Free Bridge")
- The Interstate 78 Toll Bridge (for Interstate 78)
Public Transport
NJ Transit offers bus service in Phillipsburg on routes 890 and 891. There is also a bus line that goes down Route 57 to Washington Township.
Air Travel
For air travel, the closest airport is Lehigh Valley International Airport in Allentown, Pennsylvania. It is about 16 miles west of Phillipsburg. For bigger flights, Newark Liberty International Airport is about 59 miles to the east.
Railroad History Museum
Phillipsburg is home to the Phillipsburg Railroad Historians museum. This museum displays many items from railroad history. You can see old cabooses and a miniature railroad. They have an "N" scale diorama, which is a small model of a train world.
Famous People from Phillipsburg
Many interesting people have connections to Phillipsburg. Some were born here, and others lived here.
- Charlie Berry (1902–1972), a professional baseball player and umpire.
- Ned Bolcar (born 1967), a former football player for the Seattle Seahawks and Miami Dolphins.
- Tim Brewster (born 1960), a former college football coach.
- Wayne Dumont (1914–1992), a former New Jersey Senate leader.
- Fiona (born 1961), a rock music singer and actress.
- John R. Guthrie (1921–2009), a four-star general in the United States Army.
- Jayne Mansfield (1933–1967), a famous actress from the 1950s.
- Martin O. May (1922–1945), a Medal of Honor winner from World War II.
- Olivia Miles (born 2003), a college basketball player for Notre Dame.
- Robert B. Meyner (1908–1990), who was the Governor of New Jersey.
- Jim Ringo (1931–2007), a professional football player for the Green Bay Packers.
- Sheetal Sheth (born 1976), an actress.
- Christina Wilson (born 1979), a chef and winner of the TV show Hell's Kitchen.
- Yvonne Zima (born 1989), an actress who appeared on the TV show ER.
See also
In Spanish: Phillipsburg (Nueva Jersey) para niños
