Hamilton Township is a

township A township is a kind of human settlement or administrative subdivision, with its meaning varying in different countries. Although the term is occasionally associated with an urban area, that tends to be an exception to the rule. In Australia, C ...

in Mercer County,

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 ...

, United States. It is the largest suburb of Trenton, the state's capital, which is located to the township's west. The township is within the

New York metropolitan area The New York metropolitan area, also commonly referred to as the Tri-State area, is the largest metropolitan area in the world by urban landmass, at , and one of the most populous urban agglomerations in the world. The vast metropolitan area ...

as defined by the

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 t ...

but directly borders the Philadelphia metropolitan area and is part of the

Federal Communications Commission The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) is an independent agency of the United States federal government that regulates communications by radio, television, wire, satellite, and cable across the United States. The FCC maintains jurisdicti ...

's Philadelphia Designated Market Area.- Philadelphia Market Area Coverage Maps

. Accessed December 28, 2014. As of the 2020 U.S. census, the township had a total population of 92,297, reflecting an increase of 3,833 (+4.2%) from the 88,464 counted in the 2010 census.DP-1 - Profile of General Population and Housing Characteristics: 2010 for Hamilton township, Mercer County, New Jersey
,

. Accessed November 19, 2012.Profile of General Demographic Characteristics: 2010 for Hamilton township
,

New Jersey Department of Labor and Workforce Development The New Jersey Department of Labor and Workforce Development is a governmental agency of the U.S. state of New Jersey. The New Jersey Civil Service Commission is an independent body within the New Jersey state government under the auspices of t ...

. Accessed November 19, 2012. The township was the state's ninth-largest municipality in 2010 and 2020, after having been ranked 10th in 2000.The Counties and Most Populous Cities and Townships in 2010 in New Jersey: 2000 and 2010

. Accessed October 28, 2017. Hamilton was incorporated as a township by an act of the New Jersey Legislature on April 11, 1842, from portions of the now-defunct Nottingham Township. Portions of the township were taken to form Chambersburg on April 1, 1872, and annexed by Trenton in 1888, and by Wilbur on April 24, 1891, and annexed by Trenton in 1898.Snyder, John P
''The Story of New Jersey's Civil Boundaries: 1606-1968''
Bureau of Geology and Topography; Trenton, New Jersey; 1969. p. 162. Accessed March 17, 2012. Hamilton Township derives its name from the village of

Hamilton Square Hamilton Square is a town square in Birkenhead, Wirral, England. This Georgian square, which was designed by Edinburgh architect James Gillespie Graham, has the most Grade I listed buildings outside London (after Trafalgar Square). It is named ...

, which might have been named for Alexander Hamilton. In 2006, Hamilton Township was ranked by Morgan Quitno Press as the 18th-safest city in the United States, out of 369 cities nationwide. In the company's 2005 survey, the Township was ranked 15th safest of 354 cities surveyed nationwide.

Geography

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the township had a total area of 40.31 square miles (104.41 km²), including 39.44 square miles (102.14 km²) of land and 0.87 square miles (2.26 km²) of water (2.17%). Although Hamilton is one of the largest townships in

it doesn't have a true "downtown", but a number of settlements within the township form smaller commercial centers. Groveville (with a 2010 Census population of 2,945),

(12,784), Mercerville (13,230), White Horse (9,494) and Yardville (7,186) are all

census-designated place A census-designated place (CDP) is a Place (United States Census Bureau), concentration of population defined by the United States Census Bureau for statistical purposes only. CDPs have been used in each decennial census since 1980 as the count ...

s and

unincorporated communities An unincorporated area is a region that is not governed by a local municipal corporation. Widespread unincorporated communities and areas are a distinguishing feature of the United States and Canada. Most other countries of the world either have ...

located within the township. Other unincorporated communities, localities and place names located partially or completely within the township include Briar Manor, Broad Street Park, Bromley, Chewalla Park, Creston, DeCou Village, Deutzville, Duck Island, East Trenton Heights, Edgebrook, Extonville, Golden Crest, Gropps Lake, Haines Corner, Hutchinson Mills, Lakeside Park, Maple Shade, North Crosswicks,

Nottingham Nottingham ( , locally ) is a city and unitary authority area in Nottinghamshire, East Midlands, England. It is located north-west of London, south-east of Sheffield and north-east of Birmingham. Nottingham has links to the legend of Robi ...

, Oil City, Pond Run, Quaker Bridge, Quaker Gardens, Rosemont, The Orchards, Trenton Gardens, Warner Village, White City and Yardville Heights. Van Nest Wildlife Refuge is a

wildlife management area A Wildlife Management Area (WMA) is a protected area set aside for the conservation of wildlife and for recreational activities involving wildlife. New Zealand There are 11 Wildlife Management Areas in New Zealand: * Horsham Downs Wildlife Man ...

operated by the

New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection The New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (NJDEP) is a government agency in the U.S. state of New Jersey that is responsible for managing the state's natural resources and addressing issues related to pollution. NJDEP now has a staff ...

's Division of Fish and Wildlife. The township borders the municipalities of Lawrence Township, Robbinsville Township, Trenton and West Windsor Township in Mercer County; Bordentown City, Bordentown Township, Chesterfield Township and North Hanover Township in Burlington County; Upper Freehold Township in Monmouth County; and Falls Township in

Bucks County, Pennsylvania Bucks County is a county in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. As of the 2020 census, the population was 646,538, making it the fourth-most populous county in Pennsylvania. Its county seat is Doylestown. The county is named after the English ...

, across the Delaware River in

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, ...

Ecology

According to the A. W. Kuchler U.S. potential natural vegetation types, Hamilton Township, New Jersey would have an Appalachian Oak (''104'') vegetation type with an Eastern Hardwood Forest (''25'') vegetation form.U.S. Potential Natural Vegetation, Original Kuchler Types, v2.0 (Spatially Adjusted to Correct Geometric Distortions)

Data Basin In the pursuit of knowledge, data (; ) is a collection of discrete values that convey information, describing quantity, quality, fact, statistics, other basic units of meaning, or simply sequences of symbols that may be further interpreted. ...

. Accessed November 26, 2019.

Climate

According to the

Köppen climate classification The Köppen climate classification is one of the most widely used climate classification systems. It was first published by German-Russian climatologist Wladimir Köppen (1846–1940) in 1884, with several later modifications by Köppen, notabl ...

system, Hamilton Township, New Jersey has a humid subtropical climate (''Cfa''). Cfa climates are characterized by all months having an average mean temperature > 32.0 °F (> 0.0 °C), at least four months with an average mean temperature ≥ 50.0 °F (≥ 10.0 °C), at least one month with an average mean temperature ≥ 71.6 °F (≥ 22.0 °C), and no significant precipitation difference between seasons. During the summer months, episodes of extreme heat and humidity can occur with heat index values ≥ 100 °F (≥ 38 °C). On average, the wettest month of the year is July which corresponds with the annual peak in

thunderstorm A thunderstorm, also known as an electrical storm or a lightning storm, is a storm characterized by the presence of lightning and its acoustic effect on the Earth's atmosphere, known as thunder. Relatively weak thunderstorms are some ...

activity. During the winter months, episodes of extreme cold and wind can occur with wind chill values < 0 °F (< −18 °C). The

plant hardiness zone A hardiness zone is a geographic area defined as having a certain average annual minimum temperature, a factor relevant to the survival of many plants. In some systems other statistics are included in the calculations. The original and most wide ...

at the Hamilton Township Municipal Court is 7a with an average annual extreme minimum air temperature of 1.1 °F (−17.2 °C).USDA Interactive Plant Hardiness Map
,

United States Department of Agriculture The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) is the federal executive department responsible for developing and executing federal laws related to farming, forestry, rural economic development, and food. It aims to meet the needs of com ...

. Accessed November 26, 2019. The average seasonal (November–April) snowfall total is between and the average snowiest month is February which corresponds with the annual peak in nor'easter activity.

Demographics

2010 Census

The Census Bureau's 2006–2010 American Community Survey showed that (in 2010 inflation-adjusted dollars)

median household income The median income is the income amount that divides a population into two equal groups, half having an income above that amount, and half having an income below that amount. It may differ from the mean (or average) income. Both of these are ways o ...

was $72,026 (with a margin of error of +/− $2,663) and the median family income was $87,512 (+/− $2,631). Males had a median income of $58,674 (+/− $3,519) versus $45,661 (+/− $1,733) for females. The

per capita income Per capita income (PCI) or total income measures the average income earned per person in a given area (city, region, country, etc.) in a specified year. It is calculated by dividing the area's total income by its total population. Per capita i ...

for the township was $32,344 (+/− $701). About 3.5% of families and 5.2% of the population were below the

poverty line The poverty threshold, poverty limit, poverty line or breadline is the minimum level of income deemed adequate in a particular country. The poverty line is usually calculated by estimating the total cost of one year's worth of necessities for t ...

, including 8.3% of those under age 18 and 3.3% of those age 65 or over.

2000 Census

As of the

2000 United States census The United States census of 2000, conducted by the Census Bureau, determined the resident population of the United States on April 1, 2000, to be 281,421,906, an increase of 13.2 percent over the 248,709,873 people enumerated during the 1990 cen ...

there were 87,109 people, 33,523 households, and 23,667 families residing in the township. The

population density Population density (in agriculture: Stock (disambiguation), standing stock or plant density) is a measurement of population per unit land area. It is mostly applied to humans, but sometimes to other living organisms too. It is a key geographical ...

was 2,208.0 people per square mile (852.5/km²). There were 34,535 housing units at an average density of 875.4 per square mile (338.0/km²). The racial makeup of the township was 85.15%

White White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no hue). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully reflect and scatter all the visible wavelengths of light. White o ...

, 8.16%

African American African Americans (also referred to as Black Americans and Afro-Americans) are an ethnic group consisting of Americans with partial or total ancestry from sub-Saharan Africa. The term "African American" generally denotes descendants of ens ...

, 0.14% Native American, 2.56% Asian, 0.04%

Pacific Islander Pacific Islanders, Pasifika, Pasefika, or rarely Pacificers are the peoples of the Pacific Islands. As an ethnic/racial term, it is used to describe the original peoples—inhabitants and diasporas—of any of the three major subregions of O ...

, 2.19% from

other races Other often refers to: * Other (philosophy), a concept in psychology and philosophy Other or The Other may also refer to: Film and television * ''The Other'' (1913 film), a German silent film directed by Max Mack * ''The Other'' (1930 film), a ...

, and 1.76% from two or more races.

Hispanic The term ''Hispanic'' ( es, hispano) refers to people, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or Hispanidad. The term commonly applies to countries with a cultural and historical link to Spain and to viceroyalties forme ...

or Latino of any race were 5.13% of the population.Census 2000 Profiles of Demographic / Social / Economic / Housing Characteristics for Hamilton township, Mercer County, New Jersey
,

. Accessed March 17, 2012.DP-1: Profile of General Demographic Characteristics: 2000 - Census 2000 Summary File 1 (SF 1) 100-Percent Data for Hamilton township, Mercer County, New Jersey
,

. Accessed November 19, 2012. There were 33,523 households, out of which 31.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 55.3% were married couples living together, 11.5% had a female householder with no husband present, and 29.4% were non-families. 24.5% of all households were made up of individuals, and 10.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.58 and the average family size was 3.10. In the township the population was spread out, with 23.2% under the age of 18, 7.0% from 18 to 24, 29.9% from 25 to 44, 24.2% from 45 to 64, and 15.6% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 39 years. For every 100 females, there were 91.1 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 87.0 males. The median income for a household in the township was $57,110, and the median income for a family was $66,986. Males had a median income of $46,360 versus $33,673 for females. The

for the township was $25,441. About 2.8% of families and 4.2% of the population were below the

, including 5.4% of those under age 18 and 5.6% of those age 65 or over.

Economy

As of late 2005, much of the new residential development in Hamilton has been geared to accommodating the aging

baby boomer Baby boomers, often shortened to boomers, are the Western demographic cohort following the Silent Generation and preceding Generation X. The generation is often defined as people born from 1946 to 1964, during the mid-20th century baby boom. ...

generation. New retirement communities and assisted-living facilities outpace that of new traditional residential communities. Such construction has been spurred by several factors. The first being that the public is skeptical of growing school budgets due to its already large size. Hamilton voters have often rejected increases in school budgets in their yearly elections to keep already high taxes from growing higher. As a result, the planning board has been reluctant to authorize construction of housing that will increase the student population. Another reason is a series of improvements to Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital, Hamilton. The hospital is now a highly respected source of care in the state. It is situated next to where most of the under-developed land in the township used to be, land that is now home to the active older-adult communities. As of October 2016, significant construction has been done to further build up the Hamilton Township area. Multiple new retirement communities have been constructed, as well as multiple new restaurants, banks, gas stations and convenience stores along Route 33. Hamilton Township continues to expand rapidly to accommodate the increase in citizens residing in the community.

Parks and recreation

Hamilton hosts one of the largest recreational parks in the state, and borders another. The municipal Veterans Park is and is housed entirely in the township. Mercer County Park borders the township to the North and encompasses of land that was shared from Hamilton Township along with neighboring Lawrence Township and West Windsor Township. The park contains Mercer Lake, one of the largest man-made lakes in the state, which was built as a result of a federal flood control project to prevent flooding in Trenton along

Assunpink Creek Assunpink Creek is a U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline dataThe National Map, accessed April 1, 2011 tributary of the Delaware River in western New Jersey in the United States.Gertler, Edward. ''Garde ...

, with gravel removed to deepen the lake basin used as part of the construction of Interstates 95 and 195. The

Grounds for Sculpture Grounds For Sculpture (GFS) is a sculpture park and museum located in Hamilton, New Jersey. It is located on the former site of Trenton Speedway. Founded in 1992 by John Seward Johnson II, the venue is dedicated to promoting an understanding ...

is a sculpture park which houses more than 270 sculptures, gardens, water features, and other nature scenes. The organization's mission is to promote the appreciation of arts and sculpture. Sayen Park Botanical Garden is named after Fredrick Sayen because it was originally his land and his home.

George Washington George Washington (February 22, 1732, 1799) was an American military officer, statesman, and Founding Father who served as the first president of the United States from 1789 to 1797. Appointed by the Continental Congress as commander of ...

used Quakerbridge Road on his famous night march from the Second Battle of Trenton on his way to the Battle of Princeton.

Government

Local government

Hamilton Township has been governed under the Faulkner Act Mayor-Council system of New Jersey municipal government since January 1, 1976, based on the recommendations of a

Charter Study Commission 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 ...

. The township is one of 71 municipalities (of the 564) statewide governed under this form. The township's government is comprised of the Mayor and the five-member Township Council, with all elected representatives chosen at-large on a partisan basis as part of the November general election in odd-numbered years and serving four-year terms of office. Elections alternate in a four-year cycle, with the mayor and two township council members up for election and then the three other township council seats coming up for vote two years later.''2013 New Jersey Legislative District Data Book'',

Rutgers University Rutgers University (; RU), officially Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, is a public land-grant research university consisting of four campuses in New Jersey. Chartered in 1766, Rutgers was originally called Queen's College, and was ...

Edward J. Bloustein School of Planning and Public Policy, March 2012, p. 70. At an annual reorganization meeting, the council selects a president and vice president from among its members for a one-year term. , the

Mayor In many countries, a mayor is the highest-ranking official in a municipal government such as that of a city or a town. Worldwide, there is a wide variance in local laws and customs regarding the powers and responsibilities of a mayor as well ...

of Hamilton Township is Democrat Jeffrey S. Martin, serving a term of office that ends December 31, 2023.Office of the Mayor
Hamilton Township. Accessed June 1, 2022. Members of the Township Council are Council President Nancy Phillips (D, 2023), Council Vice President Charles F. "Chuddy" Whalen III (D, 2025), Anthony P. Carabelli Jr. (D, 2025), Pasquale "Pat" Papero Jr. (D, 2023) and Richard L. Tighe (D, 2025).Mercer County Elected Officials
Mercer County, New Jersey, as of January 6, 2021. Accessed April 28, 2022.General Election November 2, 2021 Official Results
Mercer County, New Jersey, updated November 20, 2021. Accessed January 1, 2022.General Election November 3, 2020 Official Results
Mercer County, New Jersey, updated November 20, 2020. Accessed January 1, 2021.General Election November 2019 Official Results (Amended November 25, 2019)
Mercer County, New Jersey, updated December 9, 2019. Accessed January 1, 2020. In January 2020, the Township Council chose Charles Whalen from a list of three candidates nominated by the Democratic municipal committee to fill the seat expiring in December 2021 that had been held by Jeffrey Martin until he stepped down to take office as mayor. Whalen served on an interim basis until the November 2020 general election, when he was chosen to serve the balance of the term of office.

Emergency services

Starting in January 2021, fire protection is provided by a consolidated professional fire department, which replaced eight separate fire districts each of which served a separate of the township and had its own tax assessments. The new combined department operates on an annual budget of $28 million and is comprised of 135 firefighters in four engine companies, two ladder companies and two squad companies.

Mayoral history

On April 27, 2012, Mayor John Bencivengo was charged by the U.S. Attorney's office for corruption in the extortion of payments in exchange for influencing the awarding of a health insurance contract for the Township's Board of Education. On June 22, 2012 he was indicted by a federal grand jury on five criminal counts including extortion, attempted extortion, money laundering and two counts related to the federal travel act. On June 29, 2012, Rob Warney, a former Hamilton Township Director in Mayor John Bencivengo's cabinet, pleaded guilty before US District Court Judge Peter Sheridan to laundering money related to the federal bribery indictment against Mayor Bencivengo. Warney also admitted to accepting a bribe in 2006 in exchange for his vote and influence over a health insurance broker's contract. On November 19, 2012, Bencivengo was found guilty on all counts of corruption, extortion and bribery. He submitted his resignation effective November 21, 2012. Councilman Kevin J. Meara was sworn in as Acting Mayor, replacing Bencivengo following his resignation. On March 24, 2013, Bencivengo was sentenced to a 38-month prison term, which he served at a minimum security federal prison at

Lewisburg Federal Penitentiary The United States Penitentiary, Lewisburg (USP Lewisburg) is a medium-security United States federal prison in Pennsylvania for male inmates. It is operated by the Federal Bureau of Prisons, a division of the United States Department of Justice. ...

Lewisburg, Pennsylvania Lewisburg is a borough in Union County, Pennsylvania, United States, south by southeast of Williamsport and north of Harrisburg. In the past, it was the commercial center for a fertile grain and general farming region. The population was 5,1 ...

. On September 23, 2013, his attorney filed an appeal with the Third Circuit Court of Appeals, which was denied in April 2014. He was released to a half-way house in December 2014, and completed his sentence while under house arrest in June 2015.

Federal, state, and county representation

Hamilton Township is located in the 3rd Congressional District2022 Redistricting Plan
New Jersey Redistricting Commission, December 8, 2022. and is part of New Jersey's 14th state legislative district.Municipalities Sorted by 2011-2020 Legislative District
New Jersey Department of State. Accessed February 1, 2020.''2019 New Jersey Citizen's Guide to Government''
New Jersey League of Women Voters. Accessed October 30, 2019.

Politics

As of March 23, 2011, there were a total of 56,202 registered voters in Hamilton Township, of which 18,266 (32.5%) were registered as Democrats, 10,402 (18.5%) were registered as Republicans and 27,508 (48.9%) were registered as Unaffiliated. There were 26 voters registered to other parties. In the 2012 presidential election, Democrat

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 ...

received 57.1% of the vote (23,434 cast), ahead of Republican Mitt Romney with 41.7% (17,114 votes), and other candidates with 1.2% (510 votes), among the 44,558 ballots cast by the township's 58,973 registered voters (3,500 ballots were spoiled), for a turnout of 75.6%. In the 2008 presidential election, Democrat Barack Obama received 53.5% of the vote here (23,658 cast), ahead of Republican John McCain with 43.9% (19,422 votes) and other candidates with 1.5% (679 votes), among the 44,201 ballots cast by the township's 58,979 registered voters, for a turnout of 74.9%. In the 2013 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 N ...

received 62.0% of the vote (17,434 cast), ahead of Democrat Barbara Buono with 36.3% (10,217 votes), and other candidates with 1.7% (478 votes), among the 29,111 ballots cast by the township's 57,809 registered voters (982 ballots were spoiled), for a turnout of 50.4%. In the 2009 gubernatorial election, Republican Chris Christie received 47.4% of the vote here (14,234 ballots cast), ahead of 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 ...

with 45.0% (13,490 votes), Independent Chris Daggett with 5.4% (1,629 votes) and other candidates with 1.1% (324 votes), among the 29,999 ballots cast by the township's 57,543 registered voters, yielding a 52.1% turnout.

Education

The Hamilton Township School District serve students in pre-kindergarten through

twelfth grade Twelfth grade, 12th grade, senior year, or grade 12 is the final year of secondary school in most of North America. In other regions, it may also be referred to as class 12 or Year 13. In most countries, students are usually between the ages of 17 ...

. The district consists of seventeen elementary schools, three middle schools and three high schools along with an alternative program.''2017-2018 Mercer County Charter and Public Schools Directory''
Mercer County, New Jersey. Accessed November 15, 2019. As of the 2017–2018 school year, the district, comprised of 23 schools, had an enrollment of 11,695 students and 935.9 classroom teachers (on an FTE basis), for a student–teacher ratio of 12.5:1.District information for Hamilton Township Public School District
National Center for Education Statistics. Accessed November 1, 2019. Schools in the district (with 2017–2018 enrollment data from the National Center for Education Statistics) are Alexander Elementary School (312 students; in grades K–5), Greenwood Elementary School (237; K–5), Kisthardt Elementary School (214; K–5), Klockner Elementary School (261; Pre-K–5), Kuser Elementary School (402; Pre-K–5), Lalor Elementary School (240; K–5), Langtree Elementary School (373; Pre-K–5), McGalliard Elementary School (270; K–5), Mercerville Elementary School (312; K–5), Morgan Elementary School (316; K–5), Robinson Elementary School (375; K–5), Sayen Elementary School (273; K–5), Sunnybrae Elementary School (313; K–5), University Heights Elementary School (325; Pre-K–5), George E. Wilson Elementary School (439; Pre-K–5), Yardville Elementary School (285; Pre-K–5), Yardville Heights Elementary School (258; K–5), Richard C. Crockett Middle School (800; 6–8), Albert E. Grice Middle School (881; 6–8), Emily C. Reynolds Middle School (906; 6–8), Nottingham High School (North) (1,258; 9–12),

Hamilton High School West Hamilton High School West is a four-year comprehensive public high school serving students in ninth through twelfth grade located in Hamilton Township, in Mercer County, New Jersey, United States, operating as one of the three secondary scho ...

(1,243; 9–12),

Steinert High School Steinert High School (also formally known as Hamilton High School East) is a four-year comprehensive public high school serving students in ninth through twelfth grades as one of three secondary high schools that are part of the Hamilton Townsh ...

(East) (1,255; 9–12) and Hamilton Educational Program (HEP) High School. Pace Charter School of Hamilton is a

charter school A charter school is a school that receives government funding but operates independently of the established state school system in which it is located. It is independent in the sense that it operates according to the basic principle of autono ...

serving students in Kindergarten through fifth grade, operating under a charter granted by the New Jersey Department of Education. The school was one of 11 in the state to be recognized in 2014 by the

United States Department of Education The United States Department of Education is a Cabinet-level department of the United States government. It began operating on May 4, 1980, having been created after the Department of Health, Education, and Welfare was split into the Departmen ...

's National Blue Ribbon Schools Program.Goldman, Jeff
"Which N.J. schools were named to national 'Blue Ribbon' list?"
NJ Advance Media for

NJ.com NJ.com is a digital news content provider and website in New Jersey owned by Advance Publications. According to a report in ''The New York Times'' in 2012, it was the largest provider of digital news in the state at the time. In 2018, comScore r ...

, October 2, 2014. Accessed December 31, 2014. "Eleven New Jersey schools have been named to the annual National Blue Ribbon list, the U.S. Department of Education announced Tuesday."2014 National Blue Ribbon Schools All Public and Private

. Accessed December 31, 2014. Eighth grade students from all of Mercer County are eligible to apply to attend the high school programs offered by the Mercer County Technical Schools, a county-wide vocational school district that offers full-time career and technical education at its Health Sciences Academy, STEM Academy and Academy of Culinary Arts, with no tuition charged to students for attendance. St. Gregory the Great Academy is a Catholic school serving students in preschool through eighth grade that operates under the auspices of the

Roman Catholic Diocese of Trenton The Diocese of Trenton is a Latin Church ecclesiastical territory or diocese of the Catholic Church that encompasses Burlington, Mercer, Monmouth, and Ocean counties in central New Jersey. The Diocese of Trenton is a suffragan diocese in the ecc ...

. The school was also recognized in 2014 by the National Blue Ribbon Schools Program.

Transportation

Roads and highways

Situated next to the New Jersey state capital of Trenton, and New Jersey's eighth-largest municipality, Hamilton Township is away from

New York City New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the most densely populated major city in the Un ...

and away from

Philadelphia Philadelphia, often called Philly, is the List of municipalities in Pennsylvania#Municipalities, largest city in the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, the List of United States cities by population, sixth-largest city i ...

. Hamilton is also close to most points along the Jersey Shore. By car, Hamilton is about 80 minutes from New York City and 50 minutes from Philadelphia. The train ride to New York is slightly shorter than the drive into New York while the train ride to Philadelphia is slightly longer than the drive into Philadelphia. With nearly 90,000 residents and of land, it offers modern train station and major roads passing through. , the township had a total of of roadways, of which were maintained by the municipality, by Mercer 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 transporta ...

and by the New Jersey Turnpike Authority. Roads include the New Jersey Turnpike ( Interstate 95), Interstate 295, Interstate 195, U.S. Route 130, U.S. Route 206, Route 29, Route 33 and Route 156. Hamilton is the only municipality in the state that hosts Interstate 95 and both of its auxiliary routes, Interstates 195 and 295. Major county routes that traverse through include CR 524, CR 533 and CR 535. The Turnpike's

Woodrow Wilson Thomas Woodrow Wilson (December 28, 1856February 3, 1924) was an American politician and academic who served as the 28th president of the United States from 1913 to 1921. A member of the Democratic Party, Wilson served as the president of ...

service area Service area may refer to: * Rest area A rest area is a public facility located next to a large thoroughfare such as a motorway, expressway, or highway, at which drivers and passengers can rest, eat, or refuel without exiting onto secondary r ...

is located between Interchanges 7 and 7A northbound at milepost 58.7. The Richard Stockton

is located between Interchanges 7A and 7 southbound at milepost 58.7. No turnpike interchange is located in the township, but the closest exit is at Interchange 7A along I-195 in neighboring Robbinsville Township. The New Jersey Turnpike Authority widened the turnpike between Exit 6 in Mansfield Township, Burlington County and Exit 8A in Monroe Township, Middlesex County. Two new carriageways were built to accommodate the outer roadway (or truck lanes). In Hamilton, new sound barriers and overpasses were built, as well as new entrance & exit ramps to the service areas. The project was announced in December 2004 and completed in early November 2014.

Public transportation

With the addition of the modern Hamilton train station located on Sloan Avenue just off I-295 at Exit 65B, the township has attracted more

-based commuters to the area. The station offers service on

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 ...

's Northeast Corridor Line to New York Penn Station in Midtown Manhattan and to Trenton station where there is a SEPTA Trenton Line Regional Rail service to and from

. NJ Transit provides public bus service between the township and

on the 409 route and to Trenton on the 601, 603, 606, 607, 608 and 609 routes. The Greater Mercer Transportation Management Association offers service between Hamilton and Matrix Business Park on the ZLine route to the Amazon sorting center in Robbinsville Township on the ZLine2; and on the Route 130 Connection between the

Trenton Transit Center Trenton Transit Center is the main passenger train station in Trenton, New Jersey. It is the southernmost stop in New Jersey on the Northeast Corridor. It is the terminus for NJ Transit trains to and from New York City and SEPTA Trenton Line ...

and South Brunswick. OurBus offers intercity bus service between Hamilton and Tysons, Virginia

In the news

* The Megan Kanka case, for whom Megan's Law was named, occurred in Hamilton Township in 1994. * Some letters involved in the 2001 anthrax attacks were processed through the

United States Postal Service The United States Postal Service (USPS), also known as the Post Office, U.S. Mail, or Postal Service, is an independent agency of the executive branch of the United States federal government responsible for providing postal service in the U ...

Regional Mail Facility in Hamilton Township. The building was closed for more than four years while it was decontaminated at a cost of $65 million, but an improvised post office was made from tents and canopies in the building's vicinity. * The annual Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree chosen for 2008 was grown in Hamilton. It was a 77-year-old Norway Spruce weighing 8 tons and rising that was located off the side of Klockner Road at the Tree King Tree Mart.

Notable people

People who were born in, residents of, or otherwise closely associated with Hamilton Township include: * Samuel Alito (born 1950),

Associate Justice Associate justice or associate judge (or simply associate) is a judicial panel member who is not the chief justice in some jurisdictions. The title "Associate Justice" is used for members of the Supreme Court of the United States and some sta ...

of the Supreme Court of the United States *

Bill Baroni William E. Baroni Jr. (born December 10, 1971) is an American Republican Party politician and law professor. He represented the 14th legislative district in the New Jersey Senate and General Assembly. In 2010, New Jersey Governor Chris Christie ...

(born 1971), former Deputy Executive Director of the

Port Authority of New York and New Jersey The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, PANYNJ; stylized, in logo since 2020, as Port Authority NY NJ, is a joint venture between the U.S. states of New York and New Jersey, established in 1921 through an interstate compact authorize ...

, State Senator, and Assemblyman *

Daniel R. Benson Daniel R. Benson (born November 22, 1975) is an American Democratic Party (United States), Democratic Party politician who serves in the New Jersey New Jersey General Assembly, General Assembly representing the New Jersey's 14th legislative di ...

(born 1975), member of the New Jersey General Assembly and former Hamilton Township Councilman * David Bird (–2014), journalist who covered

energy market Energy markets are national and international regulated markets that deal specifically with the trade and supply of energy. Energy market may refer to an electricity market, but can also refer to other sources of energy. Typically energy developme ...

s for ''

The Wall Street Journal ''The Wall Street Journal'' is an American business-focused, international daily newspaper based in New York City, with international editions also available in Chinese and Japanese. The ''Journal'', along with its Asian editions, is published ...

'' * Joseph L. Bocchini Jr. (born 1944), politician who served in the

New Jersey General Assembly The New Jersey General Assembly is the lower house of the New Jersey Legislature. Since the election of 1967 (1968 Session), the Assembly has consisted of 80 members. Two members are elected from each of New Jersey's 40 legislative districts f ...

from the 14th Legislative District from 1982 to 1988 * Erin Bowman (born 1990), pop singer-songwriter * Christian Burns (born 1985), professional

basketball Basketball is a team sport in which two teams, most commonly of five players each, opposing one another on a rectangular court, compete with the primary objective of shooting a basketball (approximately in diameter) through the defender's h ...

player for Germani Basket Brescia of the Italian

Lega Basket Serie A The Lega Basket Serie A (LBA) is a professional men's club basketball league that has been organised in Italy since 1920. Serie A is organised by Lega Basket, which is regulated by the Italian Basketball Federation (FIP). It is the highest-tier ...

* Conrad Daniels (born 1941), professional

darts Darts or dart-throwing is a competitive sport in which two or more players bare-handedly throw small sharp-pointed missiles known as darts at a round target known as a dartboard. Points can be scored by hitting specific marked areas of the bo ...

player who was active in the 1970s and 1980s * Wayne DeAngelo (born 1965), member of the New Jersey General Assembly and former Hamilton Township Councilman * Jayson DiManche (born 1990), outside linebacker for the Cincinnati Bengals in the

National Football League The National Football League (NFL) is a professional American football league that consists of 32 teams, divided equally between the American Football Conference (AFC) and the National Football Conference (NFC). The NFL is one of the ...

* Dan Donigan (born 1967), retired soccer forward and current head coach of

Men's Soccer team * Colin Ferrell (born 1984), defensive tackle for the Indianapolis Colts, who played collegiate football at

Kent State University Kent State University (KSU) is a public research university in Kent, Ohio. The university also includes seven regional campuses in Northeast Ohio and additional facilities in the region and internationally. Regional campuses are located in ...

* Dave Gallagher (born 1960), former MLB outfielder * Eddie Gaven (born 1986), soccer player who plays for the

Columbus Crew The Columbus Crew, formerly known as Columbus Crew SC, is an American professional soccer club based in Columbus, Ohio. The Crew competes in Major League Soccer (MLS) as a member of the league's Eastern Conference and began play in 1996 as one ...

of Major League Soccer * Lisa Gmitter-Pittaro (born 1965), former soccer player who played as a forward, making twelve appearances for the United States women's national team *

Tom Goodwin Thomas Jones Goodwin (born July 27, 1968) is an American professional baseball coach and former player. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for 14 seasons, primarily as a center fielder, from 1991 to 2004. As a player, he was listed at and ...

(born 1951), politician who served briefly in the New Jersey Senate representing the 14th Legislative District from March to November 2010 * Gary Guear (born 1951), politician who served in the

from 2000–2004, where he represented the 14th Legislative District * Eric Hamilton (born 1953), retired

American football American football (referred to simply as football in the United States and Canada), also known as gridiron, is a team sport played by two teams of eleven players on a rectangular field with goalposts at each end. The offense, the team wi ...

coach who was head football coach at

The College of New Jersey The College of New Jersey (TCNJ) is a public university in Ewing Township, New Jersey. It is part of New Jersey's public system of higher education. Established in 1855 as the New Jersey State Normal School, TCNJ was the first normal school, or ...

from 1977 through 2012, where he had a record of 212–144–6 * Janice Harsanyi (1930–2007), soprano singer and college professor * Peter Inverso (born 1938), former member of the New Jersey Senate * Brad Jenkins, producer who is the managing director and executive producer of Funny or Die DC and is the former associate director of the

White House Office of Public Engagement The White House Office of Public Engagement is a unit of the White House Office within the Executive Office of the President of the United States. Under the administration of President Barack Obama, it was called the White House Office of Public ...

* Dahntay Jones (born 1980), professional basketball player, currently playing for the Cleveland Cavaliers * Tad Kornegay (born 1982) defensive back for the

Saskatchewan Roughriders The Saskatchewan Roughriders are a professional Canadian football team based in Regina, Saskatchewan. The Roughriders compete in the Canadian Football League (CFL) as a member club of the league's West Division. The Roughriders were founded in ...

in the

Canadian Football League The Canadian Football League (CFL; french: Ligue canadienne de football—LCF) is a professional sports league in Canada. The CFL is the highest level of competition in Canadian football. The league consists of nine teams, each located in a ci ...

* Paul Kramer (1933–2020), member of the

* Jim McKeown (born 1956), defender who played in the North American Soccer League for the Tulsa Roughnecks and Philadelphia Fury * Francis J. McManimon (1926–2020), politician who served in the

from 1972 to 1982 and in the New Jersey Senate from 1982 to 1992 * Karin Miller (born 1977), former professional tennis player * Chris Pittaro (born 1961), former Major League Baseball infielder * Bruce Ritter (1927–1999),

Catholic The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.3 billion baptized Catholics worldwide . It is among the world's oldest and largest international institutions, and has played a ...

priest A priest is a religious leader authorized to perform the sacred rituals of a religion, especially as a mediatory agent between humans and one or more deities. They also have the authority or power to administer religious rites; in partic ...

and one-time

Franciscan , image = FrancescoCoA PioM.svg , image_size = 200px , caption = A cross, Christ's arm and Saint Francis's arm, a universal symbol of the Franciscans , abbreviation = OFM , predecessor = , ...

friar A friar is a member of one of the mendicant orders founded in the twelfth or thirteenth century; the term distinguishes the mendicants' itinerant apostolic character, exercised broadly under the jurisdiction of a superior general, from the ...

who founded the charity

Covenant House Covenant House is a large, Catholic, privately funded agency in the Americas, whose primary purpose is to promote Catholicism. It provides shelter, food, immediate crisis care, and other services to homeless and runaway young people. Covenant Ho ...

in 1972 for homeless teenagers and led it until he was forced to resign in 1990 * George R. Robbins (1814–1875), represented

New Jersey's 2nd congressional district New Jersey's 2nd congressional district, based in Southern New Jersey, is represented by Republican Jeff Van Drew. He was first elected as a Democrat in 2018, but announced on December 19, 2019, that he would be switching parties. The distric ...

in the

United States House of Representatives The United States House of Representatives, often referred to as the House of Representatives, the U.S. House, or simply the House, is the lower chamber of the United States Congress, with the Senate being the upper chamber. Together they ...

from 1855 to 1859 * Robert "Bobby" Smith (born 1951), retired U.S. soccer defender and National Soccer Hall of Fame memberFisher, Rick
"Soccer legend Smith returns to his roots"
Community News, November 7, 2014. Accessed November 17, 2018. "Smith is arguably the second-most recognizable Hamiltonian in the world next to U.S. Supreme Court Justice Sam Alito.... And yet the 63-year-old Smith still calls Hamilton home, and Mercer County is lucky enough to have him nurturing soccer youth at the Bob Smith Soccer Academy in Robbinsville."

References

External links

Hamilton Township website
{{authority control 1842 establishments in New Jersey Faulkner Act (mayor–council) Populated places established in 1842 Townships in Mercer County, New Jersey New Jersey populated places on the Delaware River