Union County, New Jersey facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Union County
County
Downtown Westfield in July 2005
Flag Seal
Location within the U.S. state of New Jersey
New Jersey's location within the U.S.
Country	United States
State	New Jersey
Founded	1857
Named for	Union threatened by slavery dispute
Seat	Elizabeth
Largest city	Elizabeth (population and area)
Area
• Total	105.41 sq mi (273.0 km2)
• Land	102.77 sq mi (266.2 km2)
• Water	2.64 sq mi (6.8 km2)  2.5%
Population  (2020)
• Total	575,345
• Estimate  (2023)	572,726
• Density	5,458.16/sq mi (2,107.41/km2)
Time zone	UTC−5 (Eastern)
• Summer (DST)	UTC−4 (EDT)
Congressional districts	7th, 8th, 10th, 12th

Union County is a county located in the northern part of New Jersey. It is the seventh-most-populous county in the state. In 2020, its population was 575,345 people. The county seat, or main government town, is Elizabeth. Elizabeth is also the largest city in Union County, both in population and size. Union County connects the central and northern parts of New Jersey.

History of Union County

How Union County Got Its Name

Union County was the last county created in New Jersey. It was formed in 1857. The county was named "Union" because of the big arguments over slavery at that time. These arguments eventually led to the American Civil War in 1861. The name showed support for keeping the United States united.

Early Days and Formation

The land that is now Union County was first bought in 1664. English colonists bought it from the Lenape Native Americans. These Native Americans lived in the area where Elizabeth, New Jersey, is today. Union County officially became a county on March 19, 1857. It was created from parts of Essex County.

Many old and important places are found in Union County. Some of these are listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Each fall, Union County hosts a "Four Centuries in a Weekend" festival. This event lets people visit and learn about historic buildings, museums, and sites.

Geography and Climate

What Does Union County Look Like?

Union County covers about 105.41 square miles. Most of this area, about 102.77 square miles, is land. The rest, about 2.64 square miles, is water. The county is mostly flat and low. However, in the northwestern part, you can find the Watchung Mountains. The highest points are in Berkeley Heights, about 560 feet above sea level. The lowest point is sea level along the eastern shore at the Arthur Kill.

Rivers and Lakes in Union County

Union County has several important waterways:

• Arthur Kill
• Rahway River
• Elizabeth River
• Nomahegan Brook
• Marshes Creek
• Morses Creek
• Peach Orchard Brook
• Robinson's Brook
• Robinson's Branch Reservoir

Weather in Union County

The weather in Union County changes with the seasons. In Elizabeth, the average temperature in January is about 24°F. In July, it's around 86°F. The coldest temperature ever recorded was -14°F in February 1934. The hottest was 105°F in July 1993. The county gets a good amount of rain throughout the year.

People of Union County

Union County is a very diverse place, meaning people from many different backgrounds live there.

• Many Italian American residents live in towns like Berkeley Heights, Clark, Cranford, and Westfield.
• Large African American communities are found in Elizabeth, Plainfield, and Rahway.
• Towns like Roselle Park, Linden, and Elizabeth have growing Hispanic and Portuguese populations. Roselle Park also has a large Indian American community.
• The county has a significant Jewish population, with communities in Elizabeth, Springfield, and Westfield.

Education in Union County

Colleges and Universities

• Kean University: This is a public university in Union and Hillside. It was founded in 1855 and has nearly 13,000 students. It's known for teaching arts, sciences, and education.
• Union College: This is a two-year community college for Union County. It has campuses in Cranford, Elizabeth, Plainfield, and Scotch Plains. It was started in 1933.

Local School Districts

Most towns in Union County have their own public high schools. However, some towns send their students to high schools in nearby towns:

• Students from Garwood go to Arthur L. Johnson High School in Clark.
• Students from Winfield go to David Brearley High School in Kenilworth.
• Students from Mountainside go to Governor Livingston High School in Berkeley Heights.
• Fanwood and Scotch Plains share one high school.

Here are the school districts in Union County:

K-12 (Kindergarten to 12th Grade)

Elementary (Kindergarten to 8th Grade)

• Garwood Public Schools
• Mountainside School District
• Winfield Township School District

Union County also has Union County Vocational Technical Schools. These schools offer special programs. Some are full-time magnet programs that students apply to. Others are part-time vocational programs.

Economy and Jobs

Union County has a strong economy. In 2021, the county's total economic output was $34.4 billion. This ranked it eighth in the state.

Some of the largest employers in Union County include:

• Merck & Co. (a pharmaceutical company)
• New England Motor Freight (a trucking company)
• USI Services Group
• Overlook Medical Center (a hospital)
• Maher Terminals (a port terminal operator)

Transportation and Travel

Union County has many ways to get around, including roads, trains, and even an airport.

Roads and Highways

Garden State Parkway northbound entering Union County

The county has over 1,400 miles of roads. Major highways that pass through Union County include:

• New Jersey Turnpike (I-95)
• Garden State Parkway
• I-78
• I-278
• Route 1/9
• Route 22
• Route 24
• Route 27
• Route 28
• Route 35
• Route 82
• Route 124
• Route 439
• The Goethals Bridge

Did you know? Route 59 is the shortest state highway in New Jersey. It is only 0.15 miles long and is entirely in Union County!

Public Transportation Options

• Trains: NJ Transit provides passenger train service. You can take trains on the Northeast Corridor, North Jersey Coast Line, Raritan Valley Line, Morristown Line, and Gladstone Branch.
• Buses: NJ Transit also offers bus service. Buses can take you to Port Authority Bus Terminal in Midtown Manhattan. They also go to other major cities in New Jersey and around Union County.
• Ports: The Port Newark-Elizabeth Marine Terminal is a large shipping port. It is part of the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey.
• Airport: The southern part of Newark Liberty International Airport is located in Elizabeth, within Union County.

Future Rail Trails

There are plans to turn old railroad tracks into walking and biking trails. These are called "rail trails."

• The city of Summit is working on the Summit Park Line. This trail would be about one mile long. It would connect several county parks.
• Another idea is a trail along the old Rahway Valley Railroad. This would run from Summit to Roselle Park.
• A trail is also planned for the Staten Island Rapid Transit line. This would go from Cranford to Linden.

Towns and Cities in Union County

Index map of Union County municipalities (click to see index key)

Union County has 21 different towns and cities. Here is a list of them:

Parks and Recreation

Union County has many parks and places for fun activities. The Union County Department of Parks and Recreation takes care of these areas.

County Parks to Explore

Warinanco Park in Roselle

• Ash Brook Reservation, Scotch Plains
• Black Brook Park, Kenilworth
• Briant Park, Summit
• Brookside Park, Scotch Plains

Shakespeare Garden at Cedar Brook Park, Plainfield

• Cedar Brook Park, Plainfield
  • This park is home to the beautiful Shakespeare Garden.
• Echo Lake Park, Westfield and Mountainside
  • The name "Echo Lake" comes from the echo you can hear off a high cliff.
• Elizabeth River Parkway
• Esposito Park, Clark
  • This park has a half-mile path with exercise equipment and a skate park.
• Green Brook Park, Plainfield (partial)
• Hidden Valley Park, Springfield and Summit
• Kawameeh Park, Union
• Lenape Park, Cranford, Westfield, and Kenilworth
  • In the 1930s, workers found mastodon bones here!
• Madison Avenue Park, Rahway
• Clark Reservoir Recreation Area

Mattano Park

• Mattano Park, Elizabeth
  • This park is named after Mattano, a Lenape tribal leader.
• McConnell Park, Cranford
• Milton Lake Park, Clark and Rahway
• Mindowaskin Park, Westfield
• Nomahegan Park, Cranford
  • This park has Nomahegan Park Pond and surrounds the Rahway River.

Nomahegan Pond near Union County College in Cranford

• Oak Ridge Park, Clark
• Passaic River Parkway, Berkeley Heights, New Providence, and Summit
• Phil Rizzuto Park, Elizabeth
• Ponderosa Farm Park, Scotch Plains
• Rahway River Park, Rahway
• Rahway River Parkway
• Snyder Avenue Park, Berkeley Heights
• Sperry Park, Cranford
• Stanley Avenue Park, Summit
• Tamaques Park, Scotch Plains
• Unami Park, Cranford, Garwood, and Westfield
• Washington Avenue Park, Springfield
• Watchung Reservation, Mountainside and Scotch Plains
• Warinanco Park, Elizabeth and Roselle
  • This park was designed by the famous Olmsted Brothers firm.
• Wheeler Park, Linden

Other Cool Parks

• Hawk Rise Sanctuary: This is a bird sanctuary in Linden. It has trails and is a great place to see many different bird species.
• Reeves-Reed Arboretum in Summit.
• Kennedy Reservation in Union.
• The grounds of Liberty Hall Museum near Kean University.

Greenways: Rahway River Parkway and Elizabeth River Parkway

• The Rahway River Parkway is a long stretch of parkland along the Rahway River. It was designed in the 1920s by the Olmsted Brothers firm.
• The Elizabeth River Parkway is a similar greenway along the Elizabeth River. It runs through Kean University and Liberty Hall Museum.

Golf Courses in Union County

Union County has two public golf courses:

• Ash Brook Golf Course in Scotch Plains.
• Galloping Hill Golf Course and Golf Learning Center in Kenilworth. This course hosted a big golf tournament in 2016.

Galloping Hill Golf Course in November 2022

There are also important private golf courses:

• Shady Rest Country Club in Scotch Plains is very special. It was the first African-American owned and operated golf clubhouse in the United States. It was home to John Matthew Shippen, Jr., the first African-American golf professional to play in the U.S. Open.
• Baltusrol Golf Club in Springfield.
• Echo Lake Country Club in Westfield.
• Hyatt Hills Golf Complex in Clark.

Other Fun Places

Deserted Village of Feltville

• Clark Community Pool
• Centennial Avenue Pool in Cranford
• Oak Ridge Archery Range
• Orange Avenue Pool in Cranford
• Trailside Nature and Science Center at Watchung Reservation
• Warinanco Ice Skating Rink
• Westfield Memorial Pool

Arts and Culture

Union County offers many ways to enjoy arts and culture.

• The Union County Performing Arts Center in Rahway has professional music and theater shows. It also offers classes in performing arts.
• Kean Stage is the performing arts group at Kean University. They have shows at Wilkins Theatre and Enlow Recital Hall.
• The Cranford Dramatic Club is New Jersey's oldest theater group. They have been putting on plays since 1919.
• The Tomasulo Art Gallery is at Union County College in Cranford.
• The Wharton Institute for the Performing Arts in Berkeley Heights and New Providence teaches music and other performing arts, especially to children.
• The Plainfield Symphony Orchestra started in 1919. It is the oldest community orchestra in New Jersey.
• The duCret School of Art in Plainfield was founded in 1926.
• The Swain Gallery in Plainfield is the oldest private art gallery in the state, founded in 1868.

Historical Societies

The Union County Historical Society of New Jersey was started in 1869. Many towns in Union County also have their own historical societies:

• Berkeley Heights Historical Society.
• Clark Historical Society: They run the Dr. William Robinson Plantation House Museum, built in 1690.
• Cranford Historical Society: They maintain the Crane-Phillips House (around 1845) as a museum.
• Hillside Historical Society: They meet at the Woodruff House.
• Kenilworth Historical Society: They run the Oswald J. Nitschke House (around 1880).
• Plainfield Historical Society: They are at the Nathaniel Drake House Museum, built in 1746.
• Rahway Historical Society: Now called the Merchants' and Drovers' Tavern Museum Association.
• Scotch Plains-Fanwood Historical Society: They run the Osborn Cannonball House.
• Springfield Historical Society: They are at the Historic Cannon Ball House.
• Westfield Historical Society: They are in the Reeve History & Cultural Resource Center. They also run the Miller-Cory House Museum, an old home from the 1740s.
• Union Township Historical Society: Located in the 1782 historic Caldwell Parsonage.

Sister City

Union County has a special "sister city" relationship with Wenzhou in Zhejiang, China. This helps build friendships and understanding between the two places.

Images for kids

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  Downtown Westfield in July 2005

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  Flag of Union County, New Jersey

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  Seal of Union County, New Jersey