Plainsboro Township, New Jersey facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Plainsboro Township, New Jersey
Township
John Van Buren Wicoff House
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Location of Plainsboro Township in Middlesex County highlighted in red (right). Inset map: Location of Middlesex County in New Jersey highlighted in black (left).
Census Bureau map of Plainsboro Township, New Jersey
Plainsboro Township, New Jersey Location in Middlesex County, New Jersey Show map of Middlesex County, New Jersey Plainsboro Township, New Jersey Location in New Jersey Show map of New Jersey Plainsboro Township, New Jersey Location in the United States Show map of the United States
Country	United States
State	New Jersey
County	Middlesex
Incorporated	May 6, 1919
Government
• Type	Township
• Body	Township Committee
Area
• Total	12.11 sq mi (31.37 km2)
• Land	11.74 sq mi (30.40 km2)
• Water	0.37 sq mi (0.97 km2)  3.09%
Area rank	191st of 565 in state 11th of 25 in county
Elevation	79 ft (24 m)
Population  (2020)
• Total	24,084
• Estimate  (2023)	23,874
• Rank	110th of 565 in state 14th of 25 in county
• Density	2,051.8/sq mi (792.2/km2)
• Density rank	292nd of 565 in state 21st of 25 in county
Time zone	UTC−05:00 (Eastern (EST))
• Summer (DST)	UTC−04:00 (Eastern (EDT))
ZIP Code	08536
Area code(s)	609
FIPS code	3402359280
GNIS feature ID	0882161

Plainsboro Township is a community in Middlesex County, New Jersey. It's located in the central part of the state. Plainsboro is considered a suburb of New York City. However, it's actually a bit closer to Philadelphia.

In 2020, Plainsboro had a population of 24,084 people. This was the highest number of residents ever recorded for the township. The population grew by 1,085 people since the 2010 census.

Plainsboro became an official township on May 6, 1919. It was formed from parts of South Brunswick and Cranbury. The main reason for creating the township was to build new schools. A new school was built and is now called J.V.B. Wicoff School. It was named after one of the people who helped create Plainsboro.

Exploring Plainsboro's Past

The first people to live in the Plainsboro area were the Unami people. They were a group of Lenape Native Americans. In the 1600s, the Dutch settled here. They liked the area for its good farmland.

The oldest part of Plainsboro is where Dey Road and Plainsboro Road meet. It's believed that the road was named after an old Dutch tavern. This tavern, called "The Planes Tavern," was built there in the early 1700s. The building is still standing today.

Farms and Dairy History

In 1897, the Walker-Gordon Dairy Farm opened. This farm was very famous. It even contributed to the creation of Elsie the Cow, a well-known dairy mascot. The farm also had The Walker Gordon Diner, which is now closed. The land where the farm once stood is now a neighborhood with over 350 homes.

Other family farms, like the Parker, Simonson, Stults, and Groendyke farms, also came to Plainsboro. The Parker Farm and Groendyke farm became part of Walker-Gordon's Dairy Farm. Today, the Simonson and Stults Farms are still active in Plainsboro.

The chapel of St. Joseph's Seminary, built in 1914 in Plainsboro.

How Plainsboro Became a Township

Plainsboro was officially founded on May 6, 1919. It was created from parts of Cranbury and South Brunswick townships. This happened because Cranbury and South Brunswick wouldn't build a new, fireproof school in Plainsboro Village. Every year, this date is celebrated with a parade, festival, and concert.

In 1971, Princeton University and Lincoln Properties, Inc. began to develop the area. Princeton University owned most of the land in the township. They helped turn Plainsboro into the large suburban area it is today. Yet, it still keeps some of its rural charm.

By the 1980s, Princeton University owned nearly 5,000 acres (2,000 ha) in Plainsboro. This was much larger than their original university campus. To handle the growth, West Windsor-Plainsboro High School South opened in nearby Princeton Junction. Later, West Windsor-Plainsboro High School North opened in Plainsboro in September 2000. This created a friendly rivalry between the two schools.

First Presbyterian Church, now home to the congregation, in historic Plainsboro Center.

Modern Plainsboro Developments

The newest addition to Plainsboro is the Village Center. It's next to the historic village area. The Village Center has many shops, offices, and homes. It features wide sidewalks, outdoor seating, and a large village green with a fountain.

The Village Center also has a new Plainsboro Library. It cost $12.4 million and opened on April 10, 2010. New buildings are also being built for medical offices, more shops, and homes.

A new hospital, now called Penn Medicine Princeton Medical Center, was built in Plainsboro. This hospital opened in May 2012. It replaced an older hospital that had been used for 93 years. The new hospital is a modern medical campus. It includes medical offices, an education center, and a health and fitness center.

Plainsboro's Location and Surroundings

Plainsboro Township covers about 12.11 square miles (31.37 km²). Most of this is land, with a small amount of water.

Two important communities within Plainsboro Township are Plainsboro Center and Princeton Meadows. These are called census-designated places (CDPs).

Plainsboro borders several other towns. These include Cranbury and South Brunswick in Middlesex County. It also borders East Windsor, Princeton, and West Windsor in Mercer County.

The Millstone River as it enters the D&R Canal, on the border of Plainsboro and West Windsor.

Plainsboro's Population and People

Population in 2020

In 2020, Plainsboro Township had 24,084 people living in 9,960 households. The average age of a resident was 38.2 years old. About 22.2% of the population was under 18.

The population was made up of different groups:

• 56% Asian
• 28.9% White
• 6.8% Black/African American
• 6% Hispanic/Latino
• Other groups made up the rest.

Most households (56.9%) were married-couple families. The average household income in 2022 was $120,971.

Population in 2010

The Plainsboro Center neighborhood, located in the middle of the township.

In 2010, Plainsboro had 22,999 people. There were 9,402 households and 5,886 families. The population density was about 1,951.6 people per square mile.

The racial makeup was:

• 41.07% White
• 8.03% Black or African American
• 0.30% Native American
• 46.22% Asian
• 0.02% Pacific Islander
• 1.76% from other races
• 2.61% from two or more races.

About 6.21% of the population was Hispanic or Latino. In 2010, Indian Americans were the largest minority group, making up 29.6% of the population.

About 24.7% of the people were under 18. The median age was 35.5 years. The median household income in 2010 was $86,986.

Shopping and Business in Plainsboro

Courtyard in Forrestal Village.

Forrestal Village is a large shopping and office area on U.S. Route 1. It opened in 1986. It has about 720,000 square feet (67,000 m²) of retail and office space. It was designed to be a place where people would visit often.

Today, Forrestal Village has many smaller shops, offices, restaurants, and a hotel. It has also been approved to add homes. Other shopping centers like MarketFair in Princeton and Quaker Bridge Mall in Lawrence Township are also nearby.

Learning and Schools in Plainsboro

The campus of the former St. Joseph's Seminary is home to a number of private schools.

Plainsboro Township shares a school district with West Windsor Township. This is called the West Windsor-Plainsboro Regional School District. It serves students from pre-kindergarten through 12th grade.

The district has 10 schools:

• 4 elementary schools (grades Pre-K/K–3)
• 2 upper elementary schools (grades 4 and 5)
• 2 middle schools (grades 6–8)
• 2 high schools (grades 9–12)

Some of the schools in Plainsboro are:

• Town Center Elementary School
• J.V.B. Wicoff Elementary School
• Millstone River School
• Community Middle School
• West Windsor-Plainsboro High School North

The district has about 9,386 students and 773 teachers. This means there are about 12 students for every teacher.

School Achievements

Community Middle School won first place at the national "Science Olympiad" competition in 2005 and again in 2007.

West Windsor-Plainsboro High School North and West Windsor-Plainsboro High School South are highly ranked in New Jersey. They have also been recognized by the National Blue Ribbon Schools Program.

Other School Options

Students in Middlesex County can also apply to special high school programs. These are offered by the Middlesex County Vocational and Technical Schools. These schools provide career and technical education.

Private Schools in Plainsboro

The campus of the former St. Joseph's Seminary in Plainsboro is home to several private schools:

• French American School of Princeton (Pre-K–8)
• The Laurel School
• Wilberforce School, a Classical Christian school.

Historic Places in Plainsboro

Princeton Nurseries was a very large plant nursery in Plainsboro. It was founded in 1913 and was once the biggest commercial nursery in the United States. The company stopped operating here in 1995. The area was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2018 as the Princeton Nurseries Historic District.

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  Storage Building

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  Flemer Arboretum

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  Flowering tree in the arboretum

Getting Around Plainsboro

Roads and Highways

View north along U.S. Route 1 in Plainsboro.

Plainsboro has about 64.94 miles (104.51 km) of roads. Most of these are maintained by the township.

US 1 is a major road that goes through the northwestern part of Plainsboro. County Route 614 also passes through the center of town.

The closest major highway is the New Jersey Turnpike (Interstate 95). You can get on it from nearby East Windsor or Monroe Township.

Public Transportation

New Jersey Transit buses provide service to Trenton. The NJ Transit Northeast Corridor train line runs through Plainsboro. You can catch trains at the nearby Princeton Junction station.

Suburban Transit buses also go from Plainsboro to Grand Central Terminal in Midtown Manhattan, New York City.

Cycling

Plainsboro has many bike paths. These paths connect shopping areas and lead to the D&R Canal cycle pathway. The bike routes are generally well-maintained.

Healthcare in Plainsboro

Penn Medicine Princeton Medical Center.

Penn Medicine Princeton Medical Center (PMC) is a hospital located in Plainsboro Township. It serves the greater Princeton area. This includes parts of Middlesex, Mercer, Monmouth, and Somerset counties.

PMC is a 355-bed hospital. It is owned by the Penn Medicine Health System. It is also a teaching hospital for the Robert Wood Johnson Medical School of Rutgers University. The hospital has a helipad for transporting critical patients.

PMC offers many services at its main campus in Plainsboro. It also has primary and specialty care offices in other nearby towns.

Other hospitals close to Plainsboro include:

• CentraState Medical Center in Freehold Township
• Raritan Bay Medical Center in Old Bridge Township
• Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital (RWJUH) in Hamilton Township
• Saint Peter's University Hospital and Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital in New Brunswick

Plainsboro in Media

Plainsboro has been mentioned in popular culture:

• The fictional Princeton-Plainsboro Teaching Hospital in the TV show House is named after Plainsboro.
• Plainsboro is mentioned in Tim Curry's song "Paradise Garage."
• The HBO film Rocket Science is set in Plainsboro and features a fictional Plainsboro High School.
• Plainsboro was mentioned in Orson Welles's 1938 radio broadcast, The War of the Worlds. It described the aftermath of a Martian invasion near Grover's Mill.
• Plainsboro was featured in an episode of the MTV series True Life called "I'm Graduating from High School" in 2008.
• Plainsboro is the site of the tomb of Elsie the Cow.

Science and Research in Plainsboro

Plainsboro is home to important science and research facilities:

• From 1986 to 1989, the John von Neumann Center was in Plainsboro. It had the ETA10 supercomputer, which was the world's fastest computer at the time. It was also a major hub for the early Internet.
• The Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory is located here. It conducts research on plasma physics.
• The National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration's Geophysical Fluid Dynamics Laboratory is in Plainsboro. This is where the first computer models of climate were developed.
• Plainsboro had a nuclear research reactor built in 1957.
• In 1930, the Rotolactor was invented by Walker Gordon Farms in Plainsboro. This was the first rotary milking parlor and a popular tourist attraction.

Notable People from Plainsboro

Many interesting people have lived in or are connected to Plainsboro Township:

• Andrew Bynum (born 1987), a former professional basketball player.
• Patrick Clark (1955–1998), a famous chef.
• Linda R. Greenstein (born 1950), a state senator for New Jersey.
• Henry W. Jeffers (1871–1953), one of the leaders who helped establish Plainsboro Township and its first mayor.
• Gary Jeter (1955–2016), a former NFL defensive end.
• Mariam Nazarian (born 1983), a concert pianist.
• Rebecca Soni (born 1987), a U.S. Olympic swimmer and gold medalist.
• Barbara Wright (born 1933), a former mayor of the township and state assembly member.
• Felicia Zhang (born 1993), a former pair skater who competed in the 2014 Winter Olympics.