Lopatcong Township () is a township in Warren County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey. As of the

2010 U.S. census The United States census of 2010 was the twenty-third United States national census. National Census Day, the reference day used for the census, was April 1, 2010. The census was taken via mail-in citizen self-reporting, with enumerators servin ...

, the township's population was 8,014, reflecting an increase of 2,249 (+39.0%) from the 5,765 counted in the 2000 census, which had in turn increased by 713 (+14.1%) from the 5,052 counted in the 1990 census.

History

What is now Lopatcong Township was created as Phillipsburg Township on March 7, 1851, by an act approved by 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 ...

from portions of Greenwich Township and Harmony Township. After Phillipsburg was incorporated as an independent municipality on March 8, 1861, the township changed its name to Lopatcong as of March 18, 1863, after the

Lopatcong Creek Lopatcong Creek is a U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline dataThe National Map accessed December 21st, 2019 tributary of the Delaware River in Warren County, New Jersey in the United States. The source of ...

in the area.Snyder, John P
''The Story of New Jersey's Civil Boundaries: 1606-1968''
Bureau of Geology and Topography; Trenton, New Jersey; 1969. p. 247. Accessed September 21, 2012. The name of the creek and township—Lopatcong—came from four words of the Lenni Lenape Native Americans—''Lowan peek achtu onk,'' which meant "winter watering place for deer".

Geography

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the township had a total area of 7.38 square miles (19.10 km²), including 7.32 square miles (18.95 km²) of land and 0.06 square miles (0.16 km²) of water (0.81%). Delaware Park (2010 Census population of 700) and Lopatcong Overlook (population 734 as of 2010) are unincorporated communities and census-designated places (CDPs) located within the township.New Jersey: 2010 - Population and Housing Unit Counts - 2010 Census of Population and Housing (CPH-2-32)
United States Census Bureau, p. III-5, August 2012. Accessed June 6, 2013. Other unincorporated communities, localities and place names located partially or completely within the township include Ingersol Heights and Union Town. Lopatcong is made up of several neighborhoods, including Morris Park, Delaware Park, Rosehill Heights, Brakeley Park, Lows Hollow, Country Hills, Meadow View, Scott's Mountain and Overlook. The township borders the Warren County municipalities of Greenwich Township, Harmony Township, Phillipsburg and Pohatcong Township. Lopatcong Township is northeast of Allentown and west of New York City.

Demographics

The Township's economic data (as is all of Warren County) is calculated by the US Census Bureau as part of the

Allentown-Bethlehem-Easton, PA-NJ Metropolitan Statistical Area The Lehigh Valley (), known colloquially as The Valley, is a geographic region formed by the Lehigh River in Lehigh County and Northampton County in eastern Pennsylvania. It is a component valley of the Great Appalachian Valley bound to the no ...

Census 2010

The Census Bureau's 2006–2010

American Community Survey The American Community Survey (ACS) is a demographics survey program conducted by the U.S. Census Bureau. It regularly gathers information previously contained only in the long form of the decennial census, such as ancestry, citizenship, educati ...

showed that (in 2010

inflation-adjusted In economics, nominal value is measured in terms of money, whereas real value is measured against goods or services. A real value is one which has been adjusted for inflation, enabling comparison of quantities as if the prices of goods had not c ...

dollars) median household income was $77,320 (with a margin of error of +/− $4,889) and the median family income was $89,317 (+/− $6,056). Males had a median income of $61,771 (+/− $6,980) versus $49,338 (+/− $4,584) for females. The per capita income for the borough was $33,633 (+/− $2,586). About 0.7% of families and 4.3% of the population were below the poverty line, including 2.0% of those under age 18 and 8.4% of those age 65 or over.

Census 2000

As of the 2020 U.S. census, there were 5,765 people, 2,143 households, and 1,523 families residing in the township. The population density was 814.6 people per square mile (314.4/km²). There were 2,429 housing units at an average density of 343.2 per square mile (132.5/km²). The racial makeup of the township was 96.27% White, 1.13% African American, 0.07% Native American, 1.63% Asian, 0.49% from other races, and 0.42% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.99% of the population.Census 2000 Profiles of Demographic / Social / Economic / Housing Characteristics for Lopatcong township, Warren County, New Jersey
United States Census Bureau. Accessed September 21, 2012.DP-1: Profile of General Demographic Characteristics: 2000 - Census 2000 Summary File 1 (SF 1) 100-Percent Data for Lopatcong township, Warren County, New Jersey
, United States Census Bureau. Accessed September 21, 2012. There were 2,143 households, out of which 32.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 62.5% were

married couples Marriage, also called matrimony or wedlock, is a culturally and often legally recognized union between people called spouses. It establishes rights and obligations between them, as well as between them and their children, and between t ...

living together, 5.7% had a female householder with no husband present, and 28.9% were non-families. 26.2% of all households were made up of individuals, and 16.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.55 and the average family size was 3.09. In the township, the population was spread out, with 24.5% under the age of 18, 4.4% from 18 to 24, 26.7% from 25 to 44, 22.2% from 45 to 64, and 22.2% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 41 years. For every 100 females, there were 85.4 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 79.3 males. The median income for a household in the township was $50,918, and the median income for a family was $65,545. Males had a median income of $52,540 versus $30,967 for females. The per capita income for the township was $24,333. About 4.7% of families and 6.4% of the population were below the poverty line, including 8.2% of those under age 18 and 9.3% of those age 65 or over.

Government

Local government

Lopatcong Township is governed by the Small Municipality form of government, which is available under the terms of the

Faulkner Act The Optional Municipal Charter Law or Faulkner Act (, et seq.) provides New Jersey municipalities with a variety of models of local government. This legislation is called the Faulkner Act in honor of the late Bayard H. Faulkner, former mayor ...

only for those municipalities with a population below 12,000 at the time of adoption. The township is one of 18 municipalities (of the 564) statewide that use this form of government. The governing body is comprised of the Mayor and the four-member Township Council, with all positions 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 ...

on a partisan basis as part of the November general election. The Mayor is elected directly by the voters to a three-year term of office. Council members are elected to serve a term of three years on a staggered basis, so that two seats come up for election in the two years that the mayor is not up for election.''2012 New Jersey Legislative District Data Book'', Rutgers University Edward J. Bloustein School of Planning and Public Policy, March 2013, p. 103. , members of the Lopatcong Township Council are Mayor James Mengucci ( R, term on committee and as mayor ends December 31, 2020), Council President William D. Wright (R, 2022), Louis Belcaro (R, 2024), Richard McQuade (R, 2024) and James Palitto (R, 2022).Council
Lopatcong Township. Accessed March 2, 2022.Summary Results Report 2021 General Election November 2, 2021 Official Results
Warren County, New Jersey, updated November 18, 2021. Accessed January 1, 2022.Warren County 2020 General Election November 20, 2020 Official Results
Warren County, New Jersey, updated November 20, 2020. Accessed January 1, 2021.General Election November 5, 2019, Warren County Official Tally
Warren County, New Jersey, updated November 12, 2019. Accessed January 1, 2020. In June 2016, the Township Council unanimously selected Yvonne Reitemeyer from a list of three candidates nominated by the Republican municipal committee to fill the seat expiring in December 2016 that became vacant following the resignation of Donna Schneider. In the November 2012 general election, Lori Ciesla, who ran as part of the independent slate of Responsible Lopatcong Leadership, won election, as did Maureen McCabe who won an unexpired one-year term when she defeated Republican incumbent Andrew Horun who had been appointed earlier in the year to fill the vacant seat of H. Matthew Curry.

Federal, state and county representation

Lopatcong Township is located in the 7th Congressional DistrictPlan Components Report
New Jersey Redistricting Commission, December 23, 2011. Accessed February 1, 2020. and is part of New Jersey's 23rd state legislative district.Municipalities Sorted by 2011-2020 Legislative District

New Jersey Department of State The secretary of state of New Jersey oversees the Department of State, which is one of the original state offices. The Secretary is responsible for overseeing artistic, cultural, and historical programs within the U.S. state of New Jersey, as we ...

. Accessed February 1, 2020.''2019 New Jersey Citizen's Guide to Government''
New Jersey

League of Women Voters The League of Women Voters (LWV or the League) is a nonprofit, nonpartisan political organization in the United States. Founded in 1920, its ongoing major activities include registering voters, providing voter information, and advocating for vot ...

. Accessed October 30, 2019. Prior to the 2010 Census, Lopatcong Township had been part of the , a change made by the New Jersey Redistricting Commission that took effect in January 2013, based on the results of the November 2012 general elections.''2011 New Jersey Citizen's Guide to Government''
, p. 60, New Jersey

. Accessed May 22, 2015.

Politics

As of March 23, 2011, there were a total of 5,153 registered voters in Lopatcong Township, of which 1,391 (27.0% vs. 21.5% countywide) were registered as Democrats, 1,470 (28.5% vs. 35.3%) were registered as

Republicans 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 ...

and 2,288 (44.4% vs. 43.1%) were registered as Unaffiliated. There were 4 voters registered as Libertarians or

Greens Greens may refer to: *Leaf vegetables such as collard greens, mustard greens, spring greens, winter greens, spinach, etc. Politics Supranational * Green politics * Green party, political parties adhering to Green politics * Global Greens * Europ ...

.Voter Registration Summary - Warren

Division of Elections, March 23, 2011. Accessed June 8, 2013. Among the township's 2010 Census population, 64.3% (vs. 62.3% in Warren County) were registered to vote, including 83.6% of those ages 18 and over (vs. 81.5% countywide). In the

2012 presidential election This national electoral calendar for 2012 lists the national/federal elections held in 2012 in all sovereign states and their dependent territories. By-elections are excluded, though national referendums are included. January *3–4 January: E ...

, Republican

Mitt Romney Willard Mitt Romney (born March 12, 1947) is an American politician, businessman, and lawyer serving as the junior United States senator from Utah since January 2019, succeeding Orrin Hatch. He served as the 70th governor of Massachusetts f ...

received 1,964 votes (52.8% vs. 56.0% countywide), ahead of Democrat Barack Obama with 1,638 votes (44.0% vs. 40.8%) and other candidates with 51 votes (1.4% vs. 1.7%), among the 3,720 ballots cast by the township's 5,386 registered voters, for a turnout of 69.1% (vs. 66.7% in Warren County). In the 2008 presidential election, Republican

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 ...

received 1,985 votes (51.9% vs. 55.2% countywide), ahead of Democrat Barack Obama with 1,730 votes (45.2% vs. 41.4%) and other candidates with 46 votes (1.2% vs. 1.6%), among the 3,827 ballots cast by the township's 5,090 registered voters, for a turnout of 75.2% (vs. 73.4% in Warren County). In the 2004 presidential election, Republican George W. Bush received 1,994 votes (57.5% vs. 61.0% countywide), ahead of Democrat John Kerry with 1,419 votes (40.9% vs. 37.2%) and other candidates with 30 votes (0.9% vs. 1.3%), among the 3,467 ballots cast by the township's 4,536 registered voters, for a turnout of 76.4% (vs. 76.3% in the whole county). In the 2013 gubernatorial election, Republican Chris Christie received 70.4% of the vote (1,615 cast), ahead of Democrat Barbara Buono with 27.6% (634 votes), and other candidates with 2.0% (45 votes), among the 2,345 ballots cast by the township's 5,506 registered voters (51 ballots were spoiled), for a turnout of 42.6%. In the 2009 gubernatorial election, Republican Chris Christie received 1,455 votes (58.6% vs. 61.3% countywide), ahead of Democrat Jon Corzine with 736 votes (29.6% vs. 25.7%), Independent Chris Daggett with 228 votes (9.2% vs. 9.8%) and other candidates with 35 votes (1.4% vs. 1.5%), among the 2,484 ballots cast by the township's 4,981 registered voters, yielding a 49.9% turnout (vs. 49.6% in the county).

Education

The Lopatcong Township School District serves public school students in

pre-kindergarten Pre-kindergarten (also called Pre-K or PK) is a voluntary classroom-based preschool program for children below the age of five in the United States, Canada, Turkey and Greece (when kindergarten starts). It may be delivered through a preschool ...

through

eighth grade Eighth grade (or grade eight in some regions) is the eighth post-kindergarten year of formal education in the US. The eighth grade is the ninth school year, the second, third, fourth, or final year of middle school, or the second and/or final ye ...

. As of the 2018–2019 school year, the district, comprised of two schools, had an enrollment of 737 students and 54.4 classroom teachers (on an FTE basis), for a

student–teacher ratio Student–teacher ratio or student–faculty ratio is the number of students who attend a school or university divided by the number of teachers in the institution. For example, a student–teacher ratio of 10:1 indicates that there are 10 students ...

of 13.5:1.District information for Lopatcong Township School District

National Center for Education Statistics The National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) is the part of the United States Department of Education's Institute of Education Sciences (IES) that collects, analyzes, and publishes statistics on education and public school district finance ...

. Accessed April 1, 2020. Schools in the district (with 2018–2019 enrollment data from the

) are Lopatcong Elementary School with 378 students in grades Pre-K–4 and Lopatcong Middle School with 356 students in grades 5–8.''Warren County 2022-2023 Public School Directory''
Warren County, New Jersey. Accessed December 27, 2022. Before the Middle School opened in 2003, students would attend the Elementary School through eighth grade; The middle school was constructed in the wake of increasing enrollment, which climbed more than 50% from just over 500 in 1995 to more than 750 by 2001. Public school students in

ninth In music, a ninth is a compound interval consisting of an octave plus a second. Like the second, the interval of a ninth is classified as a dissonance in common practice tonality. Since a ninth is an octave larger than a second, its ...

through twelfth grades attend Phillipsburg High School in Phillipsburg as part of a sending/receiving relationship with the Phillipsburg School District. The high school also serves students from four other sending communities:

Alpha Alpha (uppercase , lowercase ; grc, ἄλφα, ''álpha'', or ell, άλφα, álfa) is the first letter of the Greek alphabet. In the system of Greek numerals, it has a value of one. Alpha is derived from the Phoenician letter aleph , whic ...

Bloomsbury Bloomsbury is a district in the West End of London. It is considered a fashionable residential area, and is the location of numerous cultural, intellectual, and educational institutions. Bloomsbury is home of the British Museum, the largest mus ...

(in Hunterdon County), Greenwich Township and Pohatcong Township. The site of the new Phillipsburg High School, which began construction in January 2014, is in Lopatcong's borders. The three-story, building, with more than double the floor space of the existing high school and a capacity to accommodate more than 2,100 students, was completed for the 2016–2017 school year and was dedicated in September 2016 at ceremonies attended by Governor of New Jersey Chris Christie. As of the 2018–2019 school year, the high school had an enrollment of 1,650 students and 126.5 classroom teachers (on an FTE basis), for a

of 13.0:1. Students from the township and from all of Warren County are eligible to attend Ridge and Valley Charter School in Frelinghuysen Township (for grades K–8) or Warren County Technical School in Washington borough (for 9–12), with special education services provided by local districts supplemented throughout the county by the Warren County Special Services School District in Oxford Township (for Pre-K–12). Lopatcong Township was featured in a 2003 '' The New York Times'', which addressed problems of public school financing in suburban communities and various strategies that Lopatcong and other such communities were adopting to deal with the problem.Mansnerus, Laura
"Great Haven for Families, but Don't Bring Children"
'' The New York Times'' August 13, 2003. Accessed June 10, 2013. "That describes Lopatcong, near Interstate 78 at the state's western edge. As farms gave way to subdivisions of single-family houses, the population rose to 6,991 in 2002 from 5,765 in 2000. Enrollment at the town's elementary school was 503 in 1995 and 755 in 2001, and it is expected to reach 900 this fall, when a new middle school will open."

Transportation

Roads and highways

, the township had a total of of roadways, of which were maintained by the municipality, by Warren County and by the New Jersey Department of Transportation. The most prominent highway in Lopatcong Township is

US 22 U.S. Route 22 (US 22) is a west–east route and is one of the original United States highways of 1926, running from Cincinnati, Ohio, at U.S. Route 27, US 27, U.S. Route 42, US 42, U.S. Route 127, US 127, and U.S. Route 52, US 52 to Newark, New ...

, which traverses the southern section of the township. Route 57 traverses towards the center from its western end at US 22. The main county road that passes through is County Route 519 which passes through in the eastern part of the township.

Public transportation

NJ Transit bus service is provided on the 890 and

891 Year 891 ( DCCCXCI) was a common year starting on Friday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar. Events By place Europe * February 21 – Guy III, duke of Spoleto, is crowned Holy Roman Emperor by Pope Ste ...

routes.

Notable people

People who were born in, residents of, or otherwise closely associated with Lopatcong Township include: *

Donald J. Albanese Donald J. Albanese (born June 26, 1937) is an American Republican Party politician who served in the New Jersey General Assembly from 1976 to 1982. Biography Born in Belvidere, he attended public schools there and later graduated from Rider Col ...

(born 1937), politician who served in the New Jersey General Assembly from 1976 to 1982 *

Ned Bolcar Ned Francis Bolcar (born January 12, 1967) is a former American football linebacker. He played three seasons in the National Football League (NFL), one with the Seattle Seahawks and two with the Miami Dolphins. A native of Lopatcong Township, Ne ...

(born 1967), linebacker who played three seasons in the NFL, one with the

Seattle Seahawks The Seattle Seahawks are a professional American football team based in Seattle. The Seahawks compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) West, which they rejoined in 2002 as ...

and two with the Miami Dolphins *

Lou Reda Louis J. Reda (January 31, 1925 – September 30, 2017) was an American filmmaker, specializing in television documentaries, who produced some 30 productions, as chairman of Lou Reda Productions, based in Easton, Pennsylvania. Reda's production ...

(1925–2017), filmmaker who specialized in television documentaries *

Harold S. Sloan Harold Stephenson Sloan (1888 – November 5, 1988) was an economist who wrote extensively and taught in the field of economics. He served as the executive director of the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation, which was established by his older brother, w ...

(1888–1988), economist who wrote extensively and taught in the field of economics, who also served as the executive director of the

Alfred P. Sloan Foundation The Alfred P. Sloan Foundation is an American philanthropic nonprofit organization. It was established in 1934 by Alfred P. Sloan Jr., then-president and chief executive officer of General Motors. The Sloan Foundation makes grants to support or ...

* Doug Steinhardt (born 1968), attorney and politician who served as mayor of Lopatcong Township and is Chairman of the New Jersey Republican State Committee

Film community

Lopatcong Township was the primary location for the

independent film An independent film, independent movie, indie film, or indie movie is a feature film or short film that is produced outside the major film studio system, in addition to being produced and distributed by independent entertainment companies (or, i ...

Several Ways to Die Trying ''Several Ways to Die Trying'' is an independent film made in 2005 by a group of college students and recent graduates. The film was mostly shot in Lopatcong Township, New Jersey, United States. The film's writer/director as well as members of ...

''. The film's writer/director, Glen Tickle, as well as members of the cast and crew are residents of the township.Longsdorf, Amy
"Celebrating Lehigh Valley filmmakers2nd annual festival gives a big screen to locally produced works, including features, shorts, web series"
'' The Morning Call'', October 26, 2012. Accessed June 10, 2013.

References

External links

Lopatcong Township website
{{authority control 1851 establishments in New Jersey Faulkner Act (small municipality) Populated places established in 1851 Townships in Warren County, New Jersey New Jersey populated places on the Delaware River