Gloucester County () is a

county A county is a geographic region of a country used for administrative or other purposesChambers Dictionary, L. Brookes (ed.), 2005, Chambers Harrap Publishers Ltd, Edinburgh in certain modern nations. The term is derived from the Old French ...

located in the

U.S. state In the United States, a state is a constituent political entity, of which there are 50. Bound together in a political union, each state holds governmental jurisdiction over a separate and defined geographic territory where it shares its sove ...

New Jersey New Jersey is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern regions of the United States. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York; on the east, southeast, and south by the Atlantic Ocean; on the west by the Delaware ...

. As of the

2020 U.S. census The United States census of 2020 was the twenty-fourth decennial United States census. Census Day, the reference day used for the census, was April 1, 2020. Other than a pilot study during the 2000 census, this was the first U.S. census to of ...

, the county's population was 302,294. Gloucester County is located approximately southeast of

Philadelphia Philadelphia, often called Philly, is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, the sixth-largest city in the U.S., the second-largest city in both the Northeast megalopolis and Mid-Atlantic regions after New York City. Sinc ...

and northwest of

Atlantic City Atlantic City, often known by its initials A.C., is a coastal resort city in Atlantic County, New Jersey, United States. The city is known for its casinos, Boardwalk (entertainment district), boardwalk, and beaches. In 2020 United States censu ...

. It is part of the

Camden, New Jersey Camden is a city in and the county seat of Camden County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey. Camden is part of the Delaware Valley metropolitan area and is located directly across the Delaware River from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. At the 2020 ...

metropolitan division of the Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington

metropolitan statistical area In the United States, a metropolitan statistical area (MSA) is a geographical region with a relatively high population density at its core and close economic ties throughout the area. Such regions are neither legally Incorporated town, incorporate ...

and the Delaware Valley

combined statistical area Combined statistical area (CSA) is a United States Office of Management and Budget (OMB) term for a combination of adjacent metropolitan (MSA) and micropolitan statistical areas (µSA) across the 50 US states and the territory of Puerto Ric ...

. The county is part of

South Jersey South Jersey comprises the southern portion of the U.S. state of New Jersey located between the lower Delaware River and the Atlantic Ocean. The designation of South Jersey with a distinct toponym is a colloquialism rather than an administrative ...

and is the only county in New Jersey to border both

Pennsylvania Pennsylvania (; ( Pennsylvania Dutch: )), officially the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, is a state spanning the Mid-Atlantic, Northeastern, Appalachian, and Great Lakes regions of the United States. It borders Delaware to its southeast, ...

and

Delaware Delaware ( ) is a state in the Mid-Atlantic region of the United States, bordering Maryland to its south and west; Pennsylvania to its north; and New Jersey and the Atlantic Ocean to its east. The state takes its name from the adjacent Del ...

History

Etymology

The county is named after the city and county of

Gloucester Gloucester ( ) is a cathedral city and the county town of Gloucestershire in the South West of England. Gloucester lies on the River Severn, between the Cotswolds to the east and the Forest of Dean to the west, east of Monmouth and east ...

in England.

History

Gloucester County's

county seat A county seat is an administrative center, seat of government, or capital city of a county or civil parish. The term is in use in Canada, China, Hungary, Romania, Taiwan, and the United States. The equivalent term shire town is used in the US st ...

Woodbury Woodbury may refer to: Geography Antarctica *Woodbury Glacier, a glacier on Graham Land, British Antarctic Territory Australia * Woodbury, Tasmania, a locality in Australia England * Woodbury, Bournemouth, an area in Dorset *Woodbury, East Devo ...

, which was founded in 1683 and is the county's oldest municipality.

National Park A national park is a nature park, natural park in use for conservation (ethic), conservation purposes, created and protected by national governments. Often it is a reserve of natural, semi-natural, or developed land that a sovereign state dec ...

in Gloucester County was the site of the

American Revolutionary War The American Revolutionary War (April 19, 1775 – September 3, 1783), also known as the Revolutionary War or American War of Independence, was a major war of the American Revolution. Widely considered as the war that secured the independence of t ...

's Battle of Red Bank, where

Fort Mercer Fort Mercer was a earthen fort on the Delaware River on its New Jersey shore constructed by the Continental Army during the American Revolutionary War. Built by Polish engineer Thaddeus Kosciuszko under the command of George Washington, Fort M ...

once stood. It is now the site of Red Bank Battlefield Park. The remains of the

Royal Navy The Royal Navy (RN) is the United Kingdom's naval warfare force. Although warships were used by English and Scottish kings from the early medieval period, the first major maritime engagements were fought in the Hundred Years' War against F ...

's were laid in Red Bank until they were moved and subsequently resunk in Gloucester City. During the colonial era, Gloucester County's main industry sector was

agriculture Agriculture or farming is the practice of cultivating plants and livestock. Agriculture was the key development in the rise of sedentary human civilization, whereby farming of domesticated species created food surpluses that enabled people to ...

. Woodbury was the site of the county

courthouse A courthouse or court house is a building that is home to a local court of law and often the regional county government as well, although this is not the case in some larger cities. The term is common in North America. In most other English-spe ...

, the

county jail A prison, also known as a jail, gaol (dated, standard English, Australian, and historically in Canada), penitentiary (American English and Canadian English), detention center (or detention centre outside the US), correction center, correct ...

, a

Quaker Quakers are people who belong to a historically Protestant Christian set of Christian denomination, denominations known formally as the Religious Society of Friends. Members of these movements ("theFriends") are generally united by a belie ...

meeting house (still in existence), and an inn located on the current location of Woodbury Crossings. Because of the county's many creeks leading to the

Delaware River The Delaware River is a major river in the Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic region of the United States. From the meeting of its branches in Hancock (village), New York, Hancock, New York, the river flows for along the borders of N ...

and the

Atlantic Ocean The Atlantic Ocean is the second-largest of the world's five oceans, with an area of about . It covers approximately 20% of Earth's surface and about 29% of its water surface area. It is known to separate the " Old World" of Africa, Europe ...

smuggling Smuggling is the illegal transportation of objects, substances, information or people, such as out of a house or buildings, into a prison, or across an international border, in violation of applicable laws or other regulations. There are various ...

was common in the county.

Geography and climate

As of the 2010 U.S. census, the county had a total area of , including of land (95.5%) and of water (4.5%).Census 2010 U.S. Gazetteer Files: New Jersey Counties

United States Census Bureau The United States Census Bureau (USCB), officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the U.S. Federal Statistical System, responsible for producing data about the American people and economy. The Census Bureau is part of the ...

, Backed up by the

Internet Archive The Internet Archive is an American digital library with the stated mission of "universal access to all knowledge". It provides free public access to collections of digitized materials, including websites, software applications/games, music, ...

as of June 11, 2012. Accessed October 4, 2013. Gloucester County is largely comprised of low-lying rivers and coastal plains. The highest elevation in the county is a slight rise along County Route 654 southeast of Monroe Township that reaches approximately above

sea level Mean sea level (MSL, often shortened to sea level) is an average surface level of one or more among Earth's coastal bodies of water from which heights such as elevation may be measured. The global MSL is a type of vertical datuma standardised g ...

. The county's lowest elevation is at sea level on the

Climate and weather

Average temperatures in the county seat of

have ranged from a low of in January to a high of in July. A record low of was recorded in February 1934 and a record high of was recorded in August 1918. Average monthly precipitation ranged from in February to in July. The county has a

humid subtropical climate A humid subtropical climate is a zone of climate characterized by hot and humid summers, and cool to mild winters. These climates normally lie on the southeast side of all continents (except Antarctica), generally between latitudes 25° and 40° ...

(''Cfa''). Average monthly temperatures in Newfield range from 33.0 °F in January to 76.6 °F in July.

Demographics

Swedesboro and

Bridgeport Bridgeport is the most populous city and a major port in the U.S. state of Connecticut. With a population of 148,654 in 2020, it is also the fifth-most populous in New England. Located in eastern Fairfield County at the mouth of the Pequonnoc ...

were among the earliest European settlements in

and were both part of the 17th century

New Sweden New Sweden ( sv, Nya Sverige) was a Swedish colony along the lower reaches of the Delaware River in what is now the United States from 1638 to 1655, established during the Thirty Years' War when Sweden was a great military power. New Sweden f ...

colony. Gloucester County dates back to May 26, 1686 when courts were established separate from those in

Burlington Burlington may refer to: Places Canada Geography * Burlington, Newfoundland and Labrador * Burlington, Nova Scotia * Burlington, Ontario, the most populous city with the name "Burlington" * Burlington, Prince Edward Island * Burlington Bay, no ...

. On May 17, 1694, the county was officially formed and its boundaries defined as part of

West Jersey West Jersey and East Jersey were two distinct parts of the Province of New Jersey. The political division existed for 28 years, between 1674 and 1702. Determination of an exact location for a border between West Jersey and East Jersey was often ...

. Portions of Gloucester County were set off on February 7, 1837 to create

Atlantic County Atlantic County is a County (United States), county located along the southern coast of the U.S. state of New Jersey. As of the 2020 United States census, 2020 U.S. census, the county had a population of 274,534.

. On March 13, 1844, its boundaries were again defined as part of the creation of neighboring Camden County.Snyder, John P
''The Story of New Jersey's Civil Boundaries: 1606–1968''
Bureau of Geology and Topography; Trenton, New Jersey; 1969. p. 137. Accessed January 21, 2013. The county was named for the city of

and the county of

Gloucestershire Gloucestershire ( abbreviated Glos) is a county in South West England. The county comprises part of the Cotswold Hills, part of the flat fertile valley of the River Severn and the entire Forest of Dean. The county town is the city of Gl ...

England England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Wales to its west and Scotland to its north. The Irish Sea lies northwest and the Celtic Sea to the southwest. It is separated from continental Europe b ...

2020 census

As of the

, the county's population was 302,294, representing an increase of 14,006 (4.9%) from 288,288 enumerated in the 2010 U.S. census.DP-1 – Profile of General Demographic Characteristics: 2000; Census 2000 Summary File 1 (SF 1) 100-Percent Data for Gloucester County, New Jersey

. Accessed September 30, 2013.

Economy

Based on data from the

Bureau of Economic Analysis The Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA) of the United States Department of Commerce is a U.S. government agency that provides official economy of the United States, macroeconomic and industry statistics, most notably reports about the gross domestic ...

, Gloucester County had a

gross domestic product Gross domestic product (GDP) is a money, monetary Measurement in economics, measure of the market value of all the final goods and services produced and sold (not resold) in a specific time period by countries. Due to its complex and subjec ...

(GDP) of $14.4 billion in 2018, which was ranked 14th in the state and represented an increase of 1.3% from the previous year.

Education

Colleges and universities

Rowan University Rowan University is a public research university in Glassboro, New Jersey, with a medical campus in Stratford and medical and academic campuses in Camden. It was founded in 1923 as Glassboro Normal School on a site donated by 107 residents. ...

Glassboro Glassboro is a Borough (New Jersey), borough in Gloucester County, New Jersey, Gloucester County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey. As of the 2010 United States census, 2010 U.S. census, the borough's population was 18,579, ...

is a

public university A public university or public college is a university or college that is in owned by the state or receives significant public funds through a national or subnational government, as opposed to a private university. Whether a national universit ...

that was founded in 1923 on a site donated by the borough.

Rowan College of South Jersey Rowan College of South Jersey (RCSJ) is a public community college with two campuses in New Jersey, including one in Sewell (Gloucester Main Campus) and one in Vineland and Millville (Cumberland Branch Campus). The college was established in ...

is the county college for Gloucester County. It was established in 1966 as Gloucester County College and opened to students two years later, in 1968. Its main campus is in Sewell and its two satellite campuses are in

Vineland ''Vineland'' is a 1990 novel by Thomas Pynchon, a postmodern fiction set in California, United States in 1984, the year of Ronald Reagan's reelection.Knabb 2002 Through flashbacks by its characters, who have lived the sixties in their youth, th ...

and Millville.

School districts

School districts in Gloucester County include:New Jersey School Directory for Gloucester County
New Jersey Department of Education. Accessed August 1, 2022. ;K-12: *

Clayton Public Schools Clayton Public Schools form a comprehensive community public school district that serves students in pre-kindergarten through twelfth grade from the town of Clayton, in Gloucester County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2020–21 school ...

* Deptford Township Schools *

Glassboro Public Schools The Glassboro Public Schools are a comprehensive community public school district that serves students in pre-kindergarten through twelfth grade from Glassboro, in Gloucester County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2020–21 school year, ...

* Gloucester County Special Services School District *

Gloucester County Vocational-Technical School District The Gloucester County Vocational-Technical School District is a vocational public school district located in the Sewell section of Mantua Township, New Jersey, serving the vocational and educational needs of both public high school students i ...

* Monroe Township Public Schools *

Paulsboro Public Schools The Paulsboro Public Schools is a comprehensive community public school district that serves students in pre-kindergarten through twelfth grade from Paulsboro, in Gloucester County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2020–21 school year, ...

Pitman School District The Pitman School District is a comprehensive community public school district that serves students in pre-kindergarten through twelfth grade from Pitman, in Gloucester County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2021–22 school year, the d ...

* Washington Township Public School District *

West Deptford Public Schools The West Deptford Public Schools is a comprehensive community public school district that serve students in pre-kindergarten through twelfth grade from West Deptford Township, in Gloucester County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey. As of the ...

* Woodbury Public Schools ;Secondary *

Clearview Regional High School District Clearview Regional High School District is a regional public school district serving students in seventh through twelfth grades from the constituent districts of Harrison Township and Mantua Township, two communities in Gloucester County, Ne ...

Delsea Regional School District The Delsea Regional School District is a regional public school district serving students in seventh through twelfth grades from Elk Township and Franklin Township, two constituent communities in Gloucester County, New Jersey, United States. ...

* Gateway Regional School District * Kingsway Regional School District ; Elementary (K-6, except as indicated) *

East Greenwich Township School District The East Greenwich Township School District is a community public school district that serves students in pre-kindergarten through sixth grade from East Greenwich Township, in Gloucester County, New Jersey. Based on data from the 2014 Taxpay ...

* Elk Township School District * Franklin Township Public Schools * Greenwich Township School District (K-8) *

Harrison Township School District The Harrison Township School District is a comprehensive community state school, public school district serving students in pre-kindergarten through sixth grade from Harrison Township, New Jersey, Harrison Township, in Gloucester County, New Jer ...

* Logan Township School District (K-8) *

Mantua Township School District The Mantua Township School District is a community public school district that serves students in pre-kindergarten through sixth grade from Mantua Township, in Gloucester County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2020–21 school year, the ...

National Park School District The National Park School District is a community public school district that serves students in pre-kindergarten through sixth grade from National Park, in Gloucester County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey. As of the 2021–22 school year, th ...

South Harrison Township School District The South Harrison Township School District is a community public school district that serves students in pre-kindergarten through sixth grade from South Harrison Township, in Gloucester County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2020–21 ...

Swedesboro-Woolwich School District The Swedesboro-Woolwich School District is a consolidated public school district that serves students in pre-kindergarten through sixth grade from Swedesboro and Woolwich Township, two communities in Gloucester County, in the U.S. state of Ne ...

– Consolidated *

Wenonah School District The Wenonah School District is a community public school district that serves students in preschool through sixth grade from Wenonah, in Gloucester County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2018–19 school year, the district, comprising o ...

Westville School District The Westville School District is a community state school, public school district that serves students in pre-kindergarten through sixth grade from Westville, New Jersey, Westville, in Gloucester County, New Jersey, Gloucester County, New Jersey ...

Woodbury Heights School District The Woodbury Heights School District is a community public school district that serves students in pre-kindergarten through sixth grade from Woodbury Heights, in Gloucester County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2019–20 school year, t ...

Vocational school

Gloucester County includes the

, and one vocational school, the

Gloucester County Institute of Technology The Gloucester County Institute of Technology (GCIT) is a four-year vocational-technical public high school located in Deptford Township in Gloucester County, New Jersey. It operates as part of the Gloucester County Vocational-Technical Scho ...

in Deptford Township, a four-year vocational-technical high school that serves students from across Gloucester County.

Municipalities

Gloucester County's 24 municipalities (with 2010 Census data for population, housing units and area) include:

Transportation

Roads and highways

, the county had of roadways, of which were maintained by the local municipality, by Gloucester County and by the

New Jersey Department of Transportation The New Jersey Department of Transportation (NJDOT) is the agency responsible for transportation issues and policy in New Jersey, including maintaining and operating the state's highway and public road system, planning and developing transportat ...

, by the

Delaware River Port Authority The Delaware River Port Authority (DRPA), officially the Delaware River Port Authority of Pennsylvania and New Jersey, is a bi-state agency instrumentality created by a congressionally approved interstate compact between the governments of Penn ...

, by the

South Jersey Transportation Authority The South Jersey Transportation Authority (SJTA) is a quasi-private agency created by the New Jersey Legislature in 1991 to manage transportation-related services in the six southern New Jersey counties: Atlantic, Camden, Cape May, Cumberland, G ...

and by the New Jersey Turnpike Authority. Various county, state, U.S. routes, and interstates pass through the county. Major county highways include County Road 534, County Road 536, County Road 538, County Road 544, County Road 551, County Road 553, County Road 555, and County Road 557. State Routes include Route 41, Route 42 (part of the North-South Freeway), Route 45, Route 47, Route 55, Route 77, Route 168, and Route 324 (only in Logan Township). The three U.S. routes that traverse include: U.S. Route 130 in the northwest,

U.S. Route 322 U.S. Route 322 (US 322) is a long, east–west United States Highway, traversing Ohio, Pennsylvania, and New Jersey. The road is a spur of U.S. Route 22 and one of the original highways from 1926. A portion of it at one time was concurrent with ...

near the center, and U.S. Route 40 in the southern tip. The

Commodore Barry Bridge The Commodore Barry Bridge (also known as the Commodore John Barry Bridge or John Barry Bridge) is a cantilever bridge that spans the Delaware River from Chester, Pennsylvania to Bridgeport, in Logan Township, New Jersey. It is named after the A ...

carries U.S. Route 322 between

Chester, Pennsylvania Chester is a city in Delaware County, Pennsylvania, United States. Located within the Philadelphia Metropolitan Area, it is the only city in Delaware County and had a population of 32,605 as of the 2020 census. Incorporated in 1682, Chester is ...

and

Logan Township, New Jersey Logan Township is a township in Gloucester County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey. As of the 2010 U.S. census, the township's population was 6,042, reflecting an increase of 10 (+0.2%) from the 6,032 counted in the 2000 census. Logan Town ...

. Interstate 295 is the only Interstate in the county which also runs through the northwest for about . The

New Jersey Turnpike The New Jersey Turnpike (NJTP) is a system of controlled-access highways in the U.S. state of New Jersey. The turnpike is maintained by the New Jersey Turnpike Authority (NJTA).The Garden State Parkway, although maintained by NJTA, is not consi ...

passes through the county in the northwest. The turnpike's interchange in the county is Exit 2 in Woolwich Township.

Public transportation

NJ Transit New Jersey Transit Corporation, branded as NJ Transit, and often shortened to NJT, is a state-owned public transportation system that serves the U.S. state of New Jersey, along with portions of New York State and Pennsylvania. It operates bu ...

bus service between the county and the Philadelphia Greyhound Terminal is available on the 313, and

315 __NOTOC__ Year 315 ( CCCXV) was a common year starting on Saturday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar. At the time, it was known as the Year of the Consulship of Constantinus and Licinianus (or, less frequently, year ...

routes to

. On the 400, 401 (from Salem),

402 __NOTOC__ Year 402 (Roman numerals, CDII) was a common year starting on Wednesday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar. At the time, it was known as the Year of the Consulship of Arcadius and Honorius (or, less frequent ...

(from Pennsville Township), 403,

408 __NOTOC__ Year 408 (Roman numerals, CDVIII) was a leap year starting on Wednesday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar. At the time, it was known as the Year of the Consulship of Bassus and Philippus (or, less frequentl ...

, 410 (from Bridgeton), and 412 (from Sewell) routes, with local service offered on the 455 ( Cherry Hill to Paulsboro), and

463 Year 463 ( CDLXIII) was a common year starting on Tuesday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar. At the time, it was known as the Year of the Consulship of Basilius and Vivianus (or, less frequently, year 1216 '' Ab urbe ...

(between

and the Avandale Park/Ride in Winslow Township) routes. The Glassboro–Camden Line is a proposed

diesel multiple unit A diesel multiple unit or DMU is a multiple-unit train powered by on-board diesel engines. A DMU requires no separate locomotive, as the engines are incorporated into one or more of the carriages. Diesel-powered single-unit railcars are also ...

(DMU) light rail system that is planned to connect with the River LINE and PATCO Speedline in Camden and was previously anticipated to be in operation in 2019. The lack of both an official project sponsor and identified funding source(s), have delayed the start of construction, making the 2019 timeframe unrealistic. Located within

Conrail Conrail , formally the Consolidated Rail Corporation, was the primary Class I railroad in the Northeastern United States between 1976 and 1999. The trade name Conrail is a portmanteau based on the company's legal name. It continues to do busin ...

's South Jersey/Philadelphia Shared Assets Area,

freight rail Rail freight transport is the use of railroads and trains to transport cargo as opposed to human passengers. A freight train, cargo train, or goods train is a group of freight cars (US) or goods wagons (International Union of Railways) hauled ...

in the county travels along

Penns Grove Secondary Penns Grove Secondary is a Rail freight transport, rail freight line in the Delaware Valley in the South Jersey, southwestern part of New Jersey. Part of Conrail's South Jersey/Philadelphia Shared Assets Area, South Jersey/Philadelphia Shared Asset ...

, the Salem Branch, and the Vineland Secondary.

SMS Rail Lines SMS Rail Lines is a shortline railroad based at Pureland Industrial Park in Bridgeport, New Jersey. The company handles all freight car delivery to businesses located within the industrial park. It also operates lines in Morrisville, Pennsylvan ...

handles

interchanges Interchange may refer to: Transport * Interchange (road), a collection of ramps, exits, and entrances between two or more highways * Interchange (freight rail), the transfer of freight cars between railroad companies * Interchange station, a rai ...

with

CSX Transportation CSX Transportation , known colloquially as simply CSX, is a Class I freight railroad operating in the Eastern United States and the Canadian provinces of Ontario and Quebec. The railroad operates approximately 21,000 route miles () of track. ...

and

Norfolk Southern Railway The Norfolk Southern Railway is a Class I freight railroad in the United States formed in 1982 with the merger of Norfolk and Western Railway and Southern Railway. With headquarters in Atlanta, the company operates 19,420 route miles (31 ...

Port

The Port of Paulsboro is located on the

and Mantua Creek in and around Paulsboro. Traditionally one of the nation's busiest for

marine transfer operations Marine Transfer Operations are conducted at many ports around the world between tanker ships, barges, and marine terminals. Specifically, once the marine vessel is secure at the dock a loading arm or transfer hose is connected between a valve hea ...

of petroleum products, the port is being redeveloped as an adaptable omniport able to handle

bulk Bulk can refer to: Industry * Bulk cargo * Bulk liquids * Bulk mail * Bulk material handling * Bulk pack, packaged bulk materials/products * Bulk purchasing * Baking * Bulk fermentation, the period after mixing when dough is left alone to f ...

breakbulk cargo In shipping, break-bulk, breakbulk, or break bulk cargo, also called general cargo, refers to goods that are stowed on board ship in individually counted units. Traditionally, the large numbers of items are recorded on distinct bills of lading ...

, and

shipping container A shipping container is a container with strength suitable to withstand shipment, storage, and handling. Shipping containers range from large reusable steel boxes used for intermodal shipments to the ubiquitous corrugated boxes. In the context of ...

s. Studies completed in 2012 concluded that the port is well suited to become a center for the manufacture, assembly, and transport of

wind turbine A wind turbine is a device that converts the kinetic energy of wind into electrical energy. Hundreds of thousands of large turbines, in installations known as wind farms, now generate over 650 gigawatts of power, with 60 GW added each year. ...

s and platforms the development of

wind power in New Jersey Wind power in New Jersey is in the early stages of development. As of 2022, New Jersey has just six wind turbines, but the state has plans to develop several major offshore wind projects on the continental shelf of the Atlantic Ocean off the sout ...

Government

County Government

Gloucester County is governed by a Board of County Commissioners comprised of seven members who are elected

at-large At large (''before a noun'': at-large) is a description for members of a governing body who are elected or appointed to represent a whole membership or population (notably a city, county, state, province, nation, club or association), rather than ...

to three-year terms of office on a staggered basis in partisan elections, with either two or three seats coming up for election each November. At a reorganization meeting held each January, the Board selects a Director and a Deputy Director from among its members. In 2017, commissioners (then called freeholders) were paid $16,908 and the director was paid an annual salary of $17,908. , Gloucester County's Commissioners are (with terms for director and deputy director ending every December 31st): In February 2022, the Board of Commissioners appointed Denice DiCarlo to fill the seat expiring in December 2022 that had been held by Dan Christy until his resignation the previous month. Pursuant to Article VII Section II of the

Constitution of New Jersey The Constitution of the State of New Jersey is the Constitution, basic governing document of the U.S. state, State of New Jersey. In addition to three British Royal Charters issued for East Jersey, West Jersey and united New Jersey while they wer ...

, each county in New Jersey is required to have three elected administrative officials known as "constitutional officers." These officials are the County Clerk and County Surrogate, both elected for five-year terms of office, and the

County Sheriff A sheriff is a government official, with varying duties, existing in some countries with historical ties to England where the office originated. There is an analogous, although independently developed, office in Iceland that is commonly transla ...

, who is elected for a three-year term. Gloucester County's constitutional officers are: The Acting Gloucester County

Prosecutor A prosecutor is a legal representative of the prosecution in states with either the common law adversarial system or the Civil law (legal system), civil law inquisitorial system. The prosecution is the legal party responsible for presenting the ...

is Christine A. Hoffman, who was appointed in March 2020 to succeed Charles A. Fiore. Gloucester County is a part of Vicinage 15 of the

New Jersey Superior Court The Superior Court is the state court in the U.S. state of New Jersey, with statewide trial and appellate jurisdiction. The New Jersey Constitution of 1947 establishes the power of the New Jersey courts.Jeffrey S. Mandel, New Jersey Appellate Pr ...

(along with

Cumberland Cumberland ( ) is a historic county in the far North West England. It covers part of the Lake District as well as the north Pennines and Solway Firth coast. Cumberland had an administrative function from the 12th century until 1974. From 19 ...

and Salem counties), seated in

in Gloucester County; the Assignment Judge for the vicinage is Benjamin C. Telsey. The Gloucester County Courthouse is in Woodbury.

Federal representatives

Gloucester County is included in the 1st and 2nd Congressional Districts.

State representatives

The county is part of the 3rd, 4th and 5th Districts in the

New Jersey Legislature The New Jersey Legislature is the legislative branch of the government of the U.S. state of New Jersey. In its current form, as defined by the New Jersey Constitution of 1947, the Legislature consists of two houses: the General Assembly and the ...

Politics

The county leans toward the

Democratic Party Democratic Party most often refers to: *Democratic Party (United States) Democratic Party and similar terms may also refer to: Active parties Africa *Botswana Democratic Party *Democratic Party of Equatorial Guinea *Gabonese Democratic Party *Demo ...

, though to a slightly lesser degree than the state of New Jersey as a whole. As of October 1, 2021, there were a total of 230,545 registered voters in Gloucester County, of whom 89,073 (38.6%) were registered as Democrats, 57,779 (25.1%) were registered as Republicans and 80,776 (35.0%) were registered as unaffiliated. There were 2,917 voters (1.3%) registered to other parties. In the 2008 presidential election,

Barack Obama Barack Hussein Obama II ( ; born August 4, 1961) is an American politician who served as the 44th president of the United States from 2009 to 2017. A member of the Democratic Party, Obama was the first African-American president of the U ...

carried Gloucester County by a 12.2% margin over

John McCain John Sidney McCain III (August 29, 1936 – August 25, 2018) was an American politician and United States Navy officer who served as a United States senator from Arizona from 1987 until his death in 2018. He previously served two terms ...

, while Obama carried the state by 15.5% over McCain. In the 2012 election,

carried Gloucester County by an even larger margin, even as his support declined nationwide. In

2016 File:2016 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: Bombed-out buildings in Ankara following the 2016 Turkish coup d'état attempt; the impeachment trial of Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff; Damaged houses during the 2016 Nagorno-Karabakh ...

Donald Trump Donald John Trump (born June 14, 1946) is an American politician, media personality, and businessman who served as the 45th president of the United States from 2017 to 2021. Trump graduated from the Wharton School of the University of Pe ...

became the first

Republican Republican can refer to: Political ideology * An advocate of a republic, a type of government that is not a monarchy or dictatorship, and is usually associated with the rule of law. ** Republicanism, the ideology in support of republics or agains ...

to win Gloucester County since

1988 File:1988 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: The oil platform Piper Alpha explodes and collapses in the North Sea, killing 165 workers; The USS Vincennes (CG-49) mistakenly shoots down Iran Air Flight 655; Australia celebrates its Australian ...

, when

George H.W. Bush George Herbert Walker BushSince around 2000, he has been usually called George H. W. Bush, Bush Senior, Bush 41 or Bush the Elder to distinguish him from his eldest son, George W. Bush, who served as the 43rd president from 2001 to 2009; p ...

won it and New Jersey's electoral votes as well, the last time a Republican has done so. In

2020 2020 was heavily defined by the COVID-19 pandemic, which led to global Social impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, social and Economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, economic disruption, mass cancellations and postponements of events, COVID- ...

, Democrat Joe Biden was declared victor in the county in the closest Democratic victory in the county in the last 30 years. On the state level, the county is far more competitive as in the 2009 Gubernatorial Election, Republican

Chris Christie Christopher James Christie (born September 6, 1962) is an American politician, lawyer, political commentator, lobbyist, and former federal prosecutor who served as the 55th governor of New Jersey from 2010 to 2018. Christie, who was born in Ne ...

received 47% of the vote, defeating Democrat

Jon Corzine Jon Stevens Corzine ( ; born January 1, 1947) is an American financial executive and retired politician who served as a United States Senator from New Jersey from 2001 to 2006 and the 54th governor of New Jersey from 2006 to 2010. Corzine ran fo ...

, who received around 43%. In the 2013 gubernatorial election, Republican

received 50,640 votes in the county (64.1%), ahead of Democrat

Barbara Buono Barbara A. Buono (born July 28, 1953) is an American politician who served in the New Jersey Senate from 2002 to 2014, where she represented the 18th Legislative District. She served from 2010 to 2012 as the Majority Leader in the Senate, succ ...

with 27,060 votes (34.2%). However, Gloucester County narrowly opted for Democrat

Phil Murphy Philip Dunton Murphy (born August 16, 1957) is an American financier, diplomat, and politician serving as the 56th governor of New Jersey since January 2018. A member of the Democratic Party, he served as the United States ambassador to Germa ...

over Republican

Kim Guadagno Kimberly Ann Guadagno (; ''née'' McFadden; born April 13, 1959) is an American lawyer and politician who served as the first lieutenant governor and 33rd secretary of state of New Jersey from 2010 to 2018. Guadagno was the Republican nominee ...

in the 2017 Gubernatorial Election. Then, in the 2021 Gubernatorial Election, the county voted for Republican

Jack Ciattarelli Jack M. Ciattarelli ( ; born December 12, 1961) is an American politician and businessman. A member of the Republican Party, he served in the New Jersey General Assembly from 2011 to 2018, representing the 16th legislative district. He was also t ...

over the Democratic incumbent, Governor Phil Murphy, making it one of three counties that Ciattarelli flipped.

Emergency services

Gloucester County is home to Gloucester County Emergency Management Services (GCEMS), the first county-based EMS agency in

, which provides emergency services to the municipalities of Clayton, Deptford Township, East Greenwich Township, Elk Township, Franklin Township,

, Greenwich Township, Harrison Township, Logan Township, Mantua Township,

, Newfield, Paulsboro,

Pitman Pitman may refer to: * A coal miner, particularly in Northern England * Pitman (surname) * Pitman, New Jersey, United States * Pitman, Pennsylvania, United States * Pitman, Saskatchewan, Canada * Pitman Shorthand, a system of shorthand * Pitman ar ...

, South Harrison Township, Swedesboro, Wenonah, West Deptford Township, Westville, Woolwich Township,

, and Woodbury Heights. GCEMS was launched in September 2007 with the goal of providing emergency medical services to the residents of the county within nine minutes from the time of dispatch 90 percent of the time, which is considered to be the gold standard in EMS services. The program currently has twelve ambulances in service around the clock and three power shift ambulances on duty from the hours of 8 am to 8 pm seven days a week. GCEMS operates three Quick Response Vehicles (QRV) units that are located in West Deptford, Newfield, and South Harrison. The department operates from sixteen stations is spread strategically throughout Gloucester County. Its administrative offices are located at the county's Emergency Response Center at 1200 North Delsea Drive in Clayton. It was the winner of the 2010 Outstanding Public EMS Agency by the State of New Jersey. Gloucester County's special weapons and tactics (SWAT) unit is comprised of police officers from departments within Gloucester County offering emergency services for SWAT-oriented scenarios, included barricaded and

suicidal Suicide is the act of intentionally causing one's own death. Mental disorders (including depression, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, personality disorders, anxiety disorders), physical disorders (such as chronic fatigue syndrome), and subs ...

subjects,

hostage A hostage is a person seized by an abductor in order to compel another party, one which places a high value on the liberty, well-being and safety of the person seized, such as a relative, employer, law enforcement or government to act, or ref ...

rescues, high-risk warrant service, dignitary protection, and

counterterrorism Counterterrorism (also spelled counter-terrorism), also known as anti-terrorism, incorporates the practices, military tactics, techniques, and strategies that Government, governments, law enforcement, business, and Intelligence agency, intellig ...

responses.

Heroin overdoses

In 2014, the

heroin Heroin, also known as diacetylmorphine and diamorphine among other names, is a potent opioid mainly used as a recreational drug for its euphoric effects. Medical grade diamorphine is used as a pure hydrochloride salt. Various white and brow ...

death rate in Gloucester County was 17.3 deaths per 100,000 people, the fourth-highest rate in New Jersey and nearly seven times the national average.

Notable people

Corey Clement Corey Joel Clement (born November 2, 1994) is an American football running back for the Arizona Cardinals of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at Wisconsin, and was signed by the Eagles as an undrafted free agent in ...

(born 1994), former professional football player,

Dallas Cowboys The Dallas Cowboys are a professional American football team based in the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex. The Cowboys compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) East divisi ...

New York Giants The New York Giants are a professional American football team based in the New York metropolitan area. The Giants compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) East division. ...

, and

Philadelphia Eagles The Philadelphia Eagles are a professional American football team based in Philadelphia. The Eagles compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) East division. The team plays ...

(

) *

Danielson Danielson is an American rock band from Clarksboro, New Jersey, that plays indie pop gospel music. The group consists of frontman Daniel Smith and a number of various artists with whom he collaborates. Smith has also released solo work as Br ...

, American

Indie pop Indie pop (also typeset as indie-pop or indiepop) is a music genre and subculture that combines guitar pop with DIY ethic in opposition to the style and tone of mainstream pop music. It originated from British post-punk in the late 1970s and sub ...

band ( Clarksboro) *

Linda Fiorentino Clorinda "Linda" Fiorentino (born March 9, 1958 or 1960) is an American former actress. Fiorentino made her screen debut with a leading role in the 1985 coming-of-age drama film ''Vision Quest'', followed that same year with a lead role in the ac ...

(born 1958 or 1960), actress ( Mantua Township) *

Grace Helbig Grace Anne Helbig is an American comedian, actress, and internet personality. She is the co-creator and co-host of the podcast ''This Might Get Weird'' (2018–present) alongside frequent collaborator Mamrie Hart and is the voice of Cindy Bear ...

, comedian, actress, author, talk show host, and YouTube personality (

) * Michael Johns (born 1964),

health care Health care or healthcare is the improvement of health via the prevention, diagnosis, treatment, amelioration or cure of disease, illness, injury, and other physical and mental impairments in people. Health care is delivered by health profe ...

executive, former

White House The White House is the official residence and workplace of the president of the United States. It is located at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW in Washington, D.C., and has been the residence of every U.S. president since John Adams in 1800. ...

presidential speechwriter,

conservative Conservatism is a cultural, social, and political philosophy that seeks to promote and to preserve traditional institutions, practices, and values. The central tenets of conservatism may vary in relation to the culture and civilization i ...

policy analyst and writer ( Deptford Township) *

Tara Lipinski Tara Kristen Lipinski (born June 10, 1982) is an American former competitive figure skater, actress, sports commentator and documentary film producer. A former competitor in women's singles, she is the 1998 Olympic champion, the 1997 World ...

(born 1982), Olympic gold medal winner,

figure skating Figure skating is a sport in which individuals, pairs, or groups perform on figure skates on ice. It was the first winter sport to be included in the Olympic Games, when contested at the 1908 Olympics in London. The Olympic disciplines are me ...

( Sewell) * Bryant McKinnie (born 1979), former professional football player,

Baltimore Ravens The Baltimore Ravens are a professional American football team based in Baltimore, Maryland. The Ravens compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the American Football Conference (AFC) North division. The team plays its ...

Miami Dolphins The Miami Dolphins are a professional American football team based in the Miami metropolitan area. They compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member team of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) East division. The team pla ...

, and

Minnesota Vikings The Minnesota Vikings are a professional American football team based in Minneapolis. They compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the National Football Conference (NFC) North division. Founded in 1960 as an expansion ...

(Woodbury) * J. Hampton Moore (1864–1950), former mayor of

(Woodbury). *

Milt Plum Milton Ross Plum (born January 20, 1935) is a former American football quarterback who played for the Cleveland Browns (1957–61), Detroit Lions (1962–67), Los Angeles Rams (1968) and New York Giants (1969) of the National Football League (NFL ...

(born 1935), former professional football player,

Cleveland Browns The Cleveland Browns are a professional American football team based in Cleveland. Named after original coach and co-founder Paul Brown, they compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the American Football Conference ( ...

Detroit Lions The Detroit Lions are a professional American football team based in Detroit. The Lions compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) North Division. The team play their home games at Ford ...

Los Angeles Rams The Los Angeles Rams are a professional American football team based in the Los Angeles metropolitan area. The Rams compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) West division. The Rams play ...

, and

( Westville) *

Jimmy Rollins James Calvin Rollins (born November 27, 1978), nicknamed "J-Roll", is an American former professional baseball shortstop, who played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Philadelphia Phillies (–), Los Angeles Dodgers (), and Chicago White S ...

(born 1978), former professional baseball player,

Chicago White Sox The Chicago White Sox are an American professional baseball team based in Chicago. The White Sox compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) Central division. The team is owned by Jerry Reinsdorf, and p ...

Los Angeles Dodgers The Los Angeles Dodgers are an American professional baseball team based in Los Angeles. The Dodgers compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) West division. Established in 1883 in the city of Brooklyn ...

, and

Philadelphia Phillies The Philadelphia Phillies are an American professional baseball team based in Philadelphia. They compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member of the National League (NL) National League East, East division. Since 2004, the team's home sta ...

( Woolwich Township) * Stephen Mallozzi (born 2001),

NASCAR Camping World Truck Series The NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series is a pickup truck racing series owned and operated by the National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing, and is the only series in NASCAR to race production pickup truck based stock cars. The series is one of th ...

driver for

Reaume Brothers Racing Reaume Brothers Racing is an American professional stock car racing team that currently competes part-time in the NASCAR Xfinity Series and full-time in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series. The team is owned by Josh Reaume, and it currently fiel ...

(Swedesboro) *

Patti Smith Patricia Lee Smith (born December 30, 1946) is an American singer, songwriter, poet, painter and author who became an influential component of the New York City punk rock movement with her 1975 debut album '' Horses''. Called the "punk poe ...

(born 1946), punk rock musician (Deptford Township) *

Steve Squyres Steven Weldon Squyres (born January 9, 1956) is an American geologist and planetary scientist. He was the James A. Weeks Professor of Physical Sciences at Cornell University in Ithaca, New York. His research area is in planetary sciences, with a f ...

(born 1956), former professor,

Cornell University Cornell University is a private statutory land-grant research university based in Ithaca, New York. It is a member of the Ivy League. Founded in 1865 by Ezra Cornell and Andrew Dickson White, Cornell was founded with the intention to teach an ...

, and principal investigator of the

Mars Exploration Rover NASA's Mars Exploration Rover (MER) mission was a robotic space mission involving two Mars rovers, ''Spirit (rover), Spirit'' and ''Opportunity (rover), Opportunity'', exploring the planet Mars. It began in 2003 with the launch of the two rover ...

mission ( Wenonah) * Charles C. Stratton (1796–1859),

New Jersey governor The governor of New Jersey is the head of government of New Jersey. The office of governor is an elected position with a four-year term. There is a two consecutive term term limit, with no limitation on non-consecutive terms. The official res ...

and former Member of

Congress A congress is a formal meeting of the representatives of different countries, constituent states, organizations, trade unions, political parties, or other groups. The term originated in Late Middle English to denote an encounter (meeting of a ...

( Swedesboro)

Recreation

Gloucester County Historical Society

The Gloucester County Historical Society, founded in 1903, maintains a collection of materials and artifacts related to the history of

. Hunter–Lawrence–Jessup House in

displays many of these artifacts.About Us
Gloucester County Historical Society. Accessed January 27, 2018.

National protected area

Great Egg Harbor River The Great Egg Harbor River is a river in South Jersey.U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline dataThe National Map , accessed April 1, 2011 It is one of the major rivers that traverse the largely pristine ...

(part)

References

External links

Gloucester County Historic Photos, Part I
(

Clayton, New Jersey Clayton is a borough in Gloucester County in the U.S. state of New Jersey. As of the 2020 U.S. census, the borough's population was 8,807, an increase of 628 from the 2010 census count of 8,179,Harrison Township, New Jersey Harrison Township is a township in Gloucester County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey. As of the 2010 U.S. census, the township's population was 12,417, reflecting an increase of 3,629 (+41.3%) from the 8,788 counted in the 2000 census. Har ...

)
Gloucester County Historic Photos, Part II
(

South Harrison, New Jersey South Harrison Township is a township in Gloucester County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey. As of the 2010 U.S. census, the township's population was 3,162, reflecting an increase of 745 (+30.8%) from the 2,417 counted in the 2000 census. ...

)
Gloucester County Historic Photos, Part III
( Swedesboro, New Jersey to

Woolwich Township, New Jersey Woolwich Township is a township in Gloucester County, New Jersey. As of the 2010 U.S. census, the township's population was 10,200, reflecting an increase of 7,168 (+236.4%) from the 3,032 counted in the 2000 census. Woolwich was formed by ...

) {{authority control 1686 establishments in New Jersey Geography of the Pine Barrens (New Jersey) Populated places established in 1686 South Jersey

History

Etymology

History

Geography and climate

Climate and weather

Demographics

2020 census

Economy

Education

Colleges and universities

School districts

Vocational school

Municipalities

Transportation

Roads and highways

Public transportation

Port

Government

County Government

Federal representatives

State representatives

Politics

Emergency services

Heroin overdoses

Notable people

Recreation

Gloucester County Historical Society

National protected area

See also

References

External links