South River, New Jersey facts for kids

Quick facts for kids South River, New Jersey
Borough
Aerial view of South River borough, along the banks of the namesake South River tributary of the Raritan River
Seal
Motto(s):  "A Community With a Proud Past and a Bright Future"
Location of South River in Middlesex County highlighted in red (left). Inset map: Location of Middlesex County in New Jersey highlighted in orange (right).
Census Bureau map of South River, New Jersey
South River, New Jersey Location in Middlesex County, New Jersey Show map of Middlesex County, New Jersey South River, New Jersey Location in New Jersey Show map of New Jersey South River, New Jersey Location in the United States Show map of the United States
Country	United States
State	New Jersey
County	Middlesex
Incorporated	February 28, 1898
Government
• Type	Borough
• Body	Borough Council
Area
• Total	2.94 sq mi (7.61 km2)
• Land	2.79 sq mi (7.21 km2)
• Water	0.15 sq mi (0.40 km2)  5.27%
Area rank	336th of 565 in state 17th of 25 in county
Elevation	26 ft (8 m)
Population  (2020)
• Total	16,118
• Estimate  (2023)	15,931
• Rank	164th of 565 in state 15th of 25 in county
• Density	5,787.4/sq mi (2,234.5/km2)
• Density rank	95th of 565 in state 7th of 25 in county
Time zone	UTC−05:00 (Eastern (EST))
• Summer (DST)	UTC−04:00 (Eastern (EDT))
ZIP Codes	08882
Area code(s)	732
FIPS code	3402369420
GNIS feature ID	0885403

South River is a small town, called a borough, located in Middlesex County, New Jersey. In 2020, about 16,118 people lived here. This number was a little higher than in 2010.

The area that is now South River was first known as Washington in 1870. It was part of East Brunswick Township. Later, on February 28, 1898, South River officially became its own borough. It got its name from the Raritan River's South River tributary. This river forms the eastern and northeastern edge of the borough.

History of South River

South River in 1936

South River was once part of East Brunswick Township. It was first called Washington. Over time, communities like Spotswood and Milltown also separated.

From 1683 to 1720, the area was known as South River Landing. In 1720, it was named Willettstown after Samuel Willett, an early settler. The name changed to Washington in 1784. People sometimes called it Washington Village or Little Washington. This name was suggested by Abraham Barkelew, one of the first settlers. In 1870, the name became South River. On February 28, 1898, South River officially became a borough.

Where is South River Located?

According to the United States Census Bureau, South River covers about 2.94 square miles (7.61 square kilometers). Most of this area is land, about 2.79 square miles (7.21 square kilometers). A small part, 0.16 square miles (0.40 square kilometers), is water.

The borough shares its borders with other towns in Middlesex County. These include East Brunswick and Sayreville. Newton Heights is a place name found partly within South River. It is located near the border with East Brunswick.

People in South River

South River's Population in 2010

In 2010, the 2010 United States census counted 16,008 people living in South River. There were 5,652 households, which are groups of people living together. About 4,019 of these were families. The population density was about 5,781 people per square mile.

Most of the people were White (76.18%). There were also Black or African American (7.13%), Asian (4.84%), and Native American (0.31%) residents. About 18.20% of the population identified as Hispanic or Latino.

Belarusian Community in South River

Monument for "Those who fought for Freedom and Independence of Byelorussia"

South River has become an important place for Belarusian Americans after World War II. The first immigrants from what is now Belarus came to South River in the late 1800s. Many of them identified as Polish or Russian based on their religion.

These early immigrants built a Roman Catholic church and a Russian Orthodox church. After the war, new immigrants started the Belarusian Congress Committee of America here in 1951. In the 1950s, they also re-established the Belarusian Orthodox church of St. Eufrasinnia. A Belarusian cemetery was opened in 1953.

Education in South River

The South River Public Schools serve students from pre-kindergarten up to twelfth grade. In the 2020–21 school year, the district had four schools. There were 2,325 students and 203 teachers. This means there were about 11.5 students for every teacher.

The New Jersey Department of Education groups school districts by their economic characteristics. South River's district is in group "CD". This is the sixth-highest group out of eight.

Schools in the District

The schools in the South River district are:

• South River Primary School: For students in Pre-K through 1st grade. It had 399 students in 2020–21.
• South River Elementary School: For students in grades 2-5. It had 655 students.
• South River Middle School: For students in grades 6-8. It had 511 students.
• South River High School: For students in grades 9-12. It had 722 students.

Getting Around South River

Roads and Highways

County Route 535 in South River

As of 2010, South River had about 49.25 miles of roads. The town itself took care of 43.50 miles of these roads. Middlesex County maintained the other 5.75 miles.

The main roads that go through South River are County Route 527 and County Route 535. Route 18 is just west of the borough. This highway connects to the New Jersey Turnpike (Interstate 95).

Public Transportation

NJ Transit provides bus service in South River. You can use routes 811 and 815.

Famous People from South River

See also

In Spanish: South River (Nueva Jersey) para niños