Hunterdon County is a

county A county is a geographic region of a country used for administrative or other purposes Chambers 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 western section of 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 county's population was 128,947, making it the state's 18th-most populous county,QuickFacts Hunterdon County, New Jersey

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 ...

. Accessed June 21, 2022. representing an increase of 598 (0.5%) from the 128,349 enumerated in 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 serving ...

,DP1 - Profile of General Population and Housing Characteristics: 2010 Demographic Profile Data for Hunterdon County, New Jersey

. Accessed March 26, 2016. which in turn increased by 6,360 (5.2%) from the 121,989 counted in the 2000 census.DP-1 - Profile of General Demographic Characteristics: 2000; Census 2000 Summary File 1 (SF 1) 100-Percent Data for Hunterdon County, New Jersey

. Accessed January 21, 2013. Its

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 ...

is Flemington.New Jersey County Map
, New Jersey Department of State. Accessed July 10, 2017. In 2015, the county had a per capita personal income of $80,759, the third-highest in New Jersey and ranked 33rd of 3,113 counties in the United States. The Bureau of Economic Analysis ranked the county as having the 19th-highest

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 ...

of all 3,113 counties in the United States (and the highest in New Jersey) as of 2009. Hunterdon County is noted for having the second-lowest level of child poverty of any county in the United States. Geographically, much of the county lies in the Delaware Valley as a geographic concept, that is, the drainage basin of the Delaware River. Local businesses and the Delaware Valley Regional High School carry the name. However, "Delaware Valley" is also used to refer to the Philadelphia-Reading-Camden

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 ...

(CSA), and Hunterdon County does not belong to the Philadelphia CSA, but rather to the New York-Northern New Jersey-Long Island

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 as a city or tow ...

(MSA), part of the larger New York-Newark Combined Statistical Area (CSA)."Revised Delineations of Metropolitan Statistical Areas, Micropolitan Statistical Areas, and Combined Statistical Areas, and Guidance on Uses of the Delineations of These Areas", OMB Bulletin no. 18-04, The White House, Office of Management and Budget, September 4, 2018
/ref> It is located within the state's Skylands Region and is considered to be a part of Central Jersey. Hunterdon County was established on March 11, 1714, separating from Burlington County, at which time it included all of present-day

Morris Morris may refer to: Places Australia *St Morris, South Australia, place in South Australia Canada * Morris Township, Ontario, now part of the municipality of Morris-Turnberry * Rural Municipality of Morris, Manitoba ** Morris, Manitob ...

, Sussex, and Warren counties.Snyder, John P
''The Story of New Jersey's Civil Boundaries: 1606-1968''
, Bureau of Geology and Topography; Trenton, New Jersey; 1969. p. 153. Accessed May 30, 2012. The rolling hills and rich soils which produce bountiful agricultural crops drew Native American tribes and then Europeans to the area.

History

Etymology

Hunterdon County was named for Robert Hunter, a colonial governor of New Jersey. Language changes over time and location, so by

stemming In linguistic morphology and information retrieval, stemming is the process of reducing inflected (or sometimes derived) words to their word stem, base or root form—generally a written word form. The stem need not be identical to the morpholog ...

of and a →

lenition In linguistics, lenition is a sound change that alters consonants, making them more sonorous. The word ''lenition'' itself means "softening" or "weakening" (from Latin 'weak'). Lenition can happen both synchronically (within a language at a pa ...

of the name of his family seat of "Hunterston" in Ayrshire, Scotland, the name "Hunterdon" was derived.

Paleo Indians and Native Americans

Paleo Indians moved into Hunterdon County between 12,000 BCE and 11,000 BCE. The area was warming due to climate change. The Wisconsin Glacier in Warren and Sussex County was retreating northward. The area was that of Taiga/Boreal forests. Paleo Indians traveled in small groups in search of game and edible plants. They used spears made of bone, jasper or black chert. Their camp sites are difficult to find as they are many feet below the present surface. Native Americans moved into the area but the time they arrived is unknown. Most have come from the Mississippi River area. Many tribes of the Delaware Nation lived in Hunterdon County especially along the Delaware River and in the Flemington area. These tribes were agricultural in nature, growing corn, beans and squash. Those that lived along the South Branch of the Raritan River fished and farmed. There was a Native American trail that went along the South Branch of the Raritan River (Philhower 1924).

European settlement

Land purchases from Native Americans occurred from 1688 to 1758. Large land purchases from Native Americans occurred in 1703, 1709 and 1710. Over were bought with metal knives and pots, clothing, blankets, barrels of rum or hard cider, guns, powder and shot. This allowed for European settlers to enter into Hunterdon County in the early 18th century. After 1760, nearly all Native Americans left New Jersey and relocated to eastern Canada or the Mississippi River area. The first European settlers were Col. John Reading who settled in Reading Township in 1704 they called him Sir Reading of Readington and John Holcombe who settled in Lambertville in 1705.Fun Facts
, Hunterdon County, New Jersey. Accessed October 5, 2013. Hunterdon County was separated from Burlington County on March 11, 1714. At that time Hunterdon County was large, going from

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 ...

near Trenton to the New York State line which at that time was about north of

Port Jervis, New York Port Jervis is a city located at the confluence of the Neversink and Delaware rivers in western Orange County, New York, United States, north of the Delaware Water Gap. Its population was 8,775 at the 2020 census. The communities of Deerpark, ...

. On March 15, 1739, Morris County (which at the time included what would later become Sussex County and Warren County) was separated from Hunterdon County. The boundary between Hunterdon and

Somerset ( en, All The People of Somerset) , locator_map = , coordinates = , region = South West England , established_date = Ancient , established_by = , preceded_by = , origin = , lord_lieutenant_office =Lord Lieutenant of Somerset , lord_ ...

counties is evidence of the old

Keith Line The Keith line was a line drawn through the Province of New Jersey, dividing it into the Province of West Jersey and the Province of East Jersey. The line was created by Surveyor-General George Keith in 1686, when he ran the first survey to ...

which separated the provinces 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 ofte ...

and

East Jersey The Province of East Jersey, along with the Province of West Jersey, between 1674 and 1702 in accordance with the Quintipartite Deed, were two distinct political divisions of the Province of New Jersey, which became the U.S. state of New Jersey. ...

. Hunterdon County was reduced in area on February 22, 1838, with the formation of Mercer County from portions of Burlington County, Hunterdon County and Middlesex County. In February 1839, the remaining portion of Hopewell Township was annexed to Mercer County. On March 13, 1844 Hopewell Township returned to Hunterdon County while Tewksbury Township was annexed by Somerset County but in February 1845 both of these changes were repealed. Since then, the county boundaries have remained the same. Hunterdon County was being affected by industrialization in the state and nation, mining speculation in northwest New Jersey, and competitors constructing

railroads Rail transport (also known as train transport) is a means of transport that transfers passengers and goods on wheeled vehicles running on rails, which are incorporated in tracks. In contrast to road transport, where the vehicles run on a prep ...

. The Elizabethtown and Somerville Railroad leased a section to

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 ...

just south of Tewksbury Township in 1848.

Recent history

Transitioning from rural to suburban, Hunterdon County is an

exurb An exurb (or alternately: exurban area) is an area outside the typically denser inner suburban area, at the edge of a metropolitan area, which has some economic and commuting connection to the metro area, low housing density, and growth. It sh ...

on the western edge of New Jersey and home to commuters to New York City and

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 ...

. The county seat, Flemington, is noted as the site of the

Lindbergh kidnapping On March 1, 1932, Charles Augustus Lindbergh Jr. (born June 22, 1930), the 20-month-old son of aviators Charles Lindbergh and Anne Morrow Lindbergh, was abducted from his crib in the upper floor of the Lindberghs' home, Highfields, in East Am ...

trial which convicted Bruno Hauptmann of the murder of aviator

Charles Lindbergh Charles Augustus Lindbergh (February 4, 1902 – August 26, 1974) was an American aviator, military officer, author, inventor, and activist. On May 20–21, 1927, Lindbergh made the first nonstop flight from New York City to Paris, a distance o ...

's son. With growing towns and shopping areas, as well as relaxing rural areas, Hunterdon County is a far stretch from the urban areas stereotypically associated with New Jersey. Due to the presence of natural habitats with many homes in wooded settings, Hunterdon County was recently found to have the third highest case rate of Lyme disease out of all counties in the United States. On December 24, 2020, The Hunterdon County Library System announced that the library system will be joining the MAIN Library System which covers libraries in Morris County and parts of

and Warren counties, this merger was completed on January 11, 2021.

Geography and geology

Geography

According to the 2010 Census, the county had a total area of , including of land (97.8%) and of water (2.2%).Census 2010 U.S. Gazetteer Files: New Jersey Counties

, 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 5, 2013. Much of the county is hilly, with several hills rising to one thousand foot in elevation. The highest points are two areas in Lebanon Township, one on the Morris County line, both reaching approximately above sea level. The first is at Smith on the Morris County line and the second is north of the area called Little Brook. This area is known as the Highlands of New Jersey. The lowest elevation is where the Mercer County line reaches the Delaware River, approximately 50 feet (15 m) above sea level. The county is drained by the Musconetcong River in the north. The river flows in a southwest direction. The Lamington River drains the county in the east. The central portion of the county is drained by the South Branch of the Raritan River. The Delaware River drains the western side of the county.

Geology

Around 500 million years ago, a chain of volcanic islands shaped like an arch collided with proto North America and rode over the top of the North American plate. The rock from the islands created the highlands of Hunterdon County as there was a shallow sea where Hunterdon County is now located. Then around four hundred million B.C., a small continent that was long and thin, collided with proto North America. This collision created compression, which caused heat. The Paleozoic sediment of shale and sandstone folded and faulted. The heat allowed the igneous rock to bend, thus Hunterdon County was born. The African plate which later collided with North America created more folding and faulting, especially in the southern Appalachians. Then the African and North America plates tore and drifted away from each other. The Wisconsin glacier that entered into New Jersey around 21,000

BCE Common Era (CE) and Before the Common Era (BCE) are year notations for the Gregorian calendar (and its predecessor, the Julian calendar), the world's most widely used calendar era. Common Era and Before the Common Era are alternatives to the or ...

and then melted around 13,000 BCE did not reach Hunterdon County. However, there are glacial outwash deposits from streams and rivers that flowed from the glacier southward depositing rock and sediment. Hunterdon County has two geophysical provinces. The first is the Highlands which is the western section of the county. The other is the Piedmont which is the eastern and southern section of the county. The Highlands account for one-third of the area and Piedmont accounts for two-thirds of the county. The Highlands are part of the Reading Prong. Limestone and shale over igneous rock comprise the Highlands. Piedmont includes the Hunterdon Plateau and the Raritan Valley Lowlands which are above sea level. Piedmont is made up of shale and sandstone.

Climate

Hunterdon has a

humid continental climate A humid continental climate is a climatic region defined by Russo-German climatologist Wladimir Köppen in 1900, typified by four distinct seasons and large seasonal temperature differences, with warm to hot (and often humid) summers and freezing ...

which is hot-summer (''Dfa'') except in some higher northern areas where it is warm-summer (''Dfb''). The hardiness zone is mainly 6b except for some 6a in higher northern areas and 7a along the Delaware River in West Amwell Township. Average monthly temperatures in Clinton range from 29.0 °F in January to 74.0 °F in July, while in Flemington they range from 30.0 °F in January to 74.8 °F in July and in Lambertville they range from 31.1 °F in January to 75.7 °F in July

In recent years, average temperatures in the county seat of Flemington have ranged from a low of in January to a high of in July, although a record low of was recorded in January 1984 and a record high of was recorded in July 1936. Average monthly precipitation ranged from in February to in July. Canal in Lambertville

Demographics

2020 Census

2010 Census

Economy

Based on data from the Bureau of Economic Analysis, Hunterdon County had a

gross domestic product Gross domestic product (GDP) is a monetary 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 subjective nature this measure is oft ...

(GDP) of $6.8 billion in 2018, which was ranked 16th in the state and represented an increase of -0.4% from the previous year. Hunterdon County ranked as the 19th among the

highest-income counties in the United States There are 3,144 counties and county-equivalents in the United States. The source of the data is the U.S. Census Bureau and the data is current as of the indicated year. Independent cities are considered county-equivalent by the Census Bureau. ...

with a 2010 per capita income of $67,053. It ranks fourth among U.S. counties for household income according to the most recent data from the U.S. Census Bureau. Hunterdon County's median household income was $105,186, behind only

Loudoun County Loudoun County () is in the northern part of the Commonwealth of Virginia in the United States. In 2020, the census returned a population of 420,959, making it Virginia's third-most populous county. Loudoun County's seat is Leesburg. Loudoun C ...

and

Fairfax County Fairfax County, officially the County of Fairfax, is a County (United States), county in the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Virginia. It is part of Northern Virginia and borders both the city of Alexandria, Virginia, Alexandria and ...

in Virginia, and Howard County, Maryland.

Transportation

Roads and highways

, the county had a total of of roadways, of which were maintained by the local municipality, by Hunterdon 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

Delaware River Joint Toll Bridge Commission The Delaware River Joint Toll Bridge Commission (DRJTBC) is a bistate, public agency that maintains and operates river crossings connecting the U.S. states of Pennsylvania and New Jersey. The agency's jurisdiction stretches roughly along the Dela ...

. Many important roads pass through the county. They include state routes, such as Route 12, Route 29, Route 31, Route 173 and Route 179. Two U.S. Routes pass through the county, which are

U.S. Route 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 US 27, US 42, US 127, and US 52 to Newark, New Jersey, at U.S. Route 1/9 in the Newark Airport Intercha ...

and U.S. Route 202. The only limited access road that passes through is

Interstate 78 Interstate 78 (I-78) is an east–west Interstate Highway in the Northeastern United States, running from I-81 northeast of Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, through Allentown to western and northern New Jersey and terminating at the Holland T ...

Public transportation

Limited rail service to the northern part of the county from

Newark Penn Station Pennsylvania Station (also known as Newark Penn Station) is an intermodal passenger station in Newark, New Jersey. One of the New York metropolitan area's major transportation hubs, Newark Penn Station is served by multiple rail and bus carriers, ...

Pennsylvania Station Pennsylvania Station (often abbreviated Penn Station) is a name applied by the Pennsylvania Railroad (PRR) to several of its grand passenger terminals. Several are still in active use by Amtrak and other transportation services; others have been ...

is provided to High Bridge, Annandale,

Lebanon Lebanon ( , ar, لُبْنَان, translit=lubnān, ), officially the Republic of Lebanon () or the Lebanese Republic, is a country in Western Asia. It is located between Syria to Lebanon–Syria border, the north and east and Israel to Blue ...

and Whitehouse Station by

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 ...

Raritan Valley Line The Raritan Valley Line is a commuter rail service operated by New Jersey Transit (NJT) which serves passengers in municipalities in Union, Somerset, and Hunterdon counties in the Raritan Valley region in central New Jersey, United States. ...

. The Norfolk Southern Railway's Lehigh Line (formerly the mainline of the

Lehigh Valley Railroad The Lehigh Valley Railroad was a railroad built in the Northeastern United States to haul anthracite coal from the Coal Region in Pennsylvania. The railroad was authorized on April 21, 1846 for freight and transportation of passengers, goods, ...

), runs through Hunterdon County. In addition, The Hunterdon County Link operates demand-response service across the county, as well as fixed-route service in Flemington. Trans-Bridge Lines also provides service to the

Port Authority Bus Terminal The Port Authority Bus Terminal (colloquially known as the Port Authority and by its acronym PABT) is a bus terminal located in Manhattan in New York City. It is the busiest bus terminal in the world by volume of traffic, serving about 8,000 buse ...

in Midtown Manhattan, as well as several towns/cities west in Pennsylvania. Stops include Clinton, Flemington, Lambertville, and Frenchtown.

Government

County Government

Hunterdon County is governed by a Board of County Commissioners comprised of five members who serve three-year terms of office at-large on a staggered basis, with either one or two seats up for election each year on a partisan basis as part of the November general election. At an annual reorganization meeting held each January, the Commissioners select one member to serve as the board's director and another to serve as deputy director. The Commissioner Board is the center of legislative and administrative responsibility and, as such, performs a dual role. As legislators, they draw up and adopt a budget, and in the role of administrators they are responsible for spending the funds they have appropriated. In 2016, freeholders were paid $16,000 and the freeholder director was paid an annual salary of $17,000. , Hunterdon County's Commissioners are (with terms for director and deputy director ending every December 31st):Elected Officials
Hunterdon County, New Jersey. Accessed June 21, 2022. In June 2022, the commissioners appointed Jeff Kuhl to fill the seat expiring in December 2024 that had been held by Mike Holt until he resigned from office. Kuhl will serve on an interim basis until the November 2022 general election, when voters will choose a candidate to serve the balance of the term of office. Pursuant to Article VII Section II of the New Jersey State Constitution, each county in New Jersey is required to have three elected administrative officials known as "constitutional officers." These officers 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 ...

(elected for a three-year term). Hunterdon County's constitutional officers, elected on a countywide basis, are: The Hunterdon County Prosecutor is Renée M. Robeson, who was nominated by Governor of New Jersey

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 ...

in 2021. Hunterdon County is a part of Vicinage 13 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 Somerset County and

Warren County Warren County is the name of fourteen counties in the USA. Some are named after General Joseph Warren, who was killed in the Battle of Bunker Hill in the American Revolutionary War: * Warren County, Georgia * Warren County, Illinois * Warren County ...

), which is seated at the Somerset County Courthouse in Somerville, the county seat of Somerset County; the Assignment Judge for Vicinage 15 is Yolanda Ciccone. The Hunterdon County Courthouse is in Flemington.

Federal representatives

Hunterdon County falls entirely within the 7th congressional district.

State representatives

The 26 municipalities of Hunterdon County are represented by three Separate Legislative Districts.

Law enforcement

The Hunterdon County Sheriff's Office includes about 43 sworn officers. The current sheriff is Frederick Brown, who was reelected to a second three-year term in 2013. He was preceded by Republican Deborah Trout who served one term starting in November 2007. On December 22, 2008, state investigators seized computers and other records related to Sheriff Deborah Trout’s hiring of undersheriffs and other personnel without the usual background checks and qualifications. In 2010, a grand jury indicted then-sheriff Deborah Trout and two under-sheriffs on 43 counts of official misconduct and other charges. The indictment was later suppressed when new state officials were appointed by incoming Governor

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 ...

. The propriety of the investigation, the indictment and its aftermath are the subject of a number of legal actions.

Politics

Hunterdon County is considered a Republican stronghold and has traditionally elected some of the most conservative members of the New Jersey legislature. It has also provided big votes for independent conservative third party candidates opposing liberal and moderate Republicans, particularly in 1997, when 13% of county voters backed two conservative independent candidates against the incumbent Governor Christine Todd Whitman. All five County Commissioners are Republicans, as are all countywide elected officers and the majority of township committee and borough council members. The county has only gone Democratic in a presidential election twice since 1920, in the national Democratic landslides of

1936 Events January–February * January 20 – George V of the United Kingdom and the British Dominions and Emperor of India, dies at his Sandringham Estate. The Prince of Wales succeeds to the throne of the United Kingdom as King E ...

and

1964 Events January * January 1 – The Federation of Rhodesia and Nyasaland is dissolved. * January 5 - In the first meeting between leaders of the Roman Catholic and Orthodox churches since the fifteenth century, Pope Paul VI and Patriarc ...

. As of October 1, 2021, there were a total of 107,101 registered voters in Hunterdon County, of whom 29,256 (27.3%) were registered as Democrats, 41,836 (39.1%) were registered as Republicans and 35,077 (32.8%) were registered as unaffiliated. There were 932 voters (0.9%) 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 ...

defeated John McCain by a 7.2% margin nationally, but Obama defeated McCain in New Jersey by a 15.5% margin. Republican John McCain received 55.5% of the vote (39,092 cast), ahead of Democrat Barack Obama with 42.3% (29,776 votes) and other candidates with 1.4% (981 votes), among the 70,409 ballots cast by the county's 87,460 registered voters, for a turnout of 80.5%. However 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 of Dilma Rousseff, impeachment trial of Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff; Damaged houses duri ...

, the margin of victory for Republican presidential candidates decreased 17.8 percent in

2012 File:2012 Events Collage V3.png, From left, clockwise: The passenger cruise ship Costa Concordia lies capsized after the Costa Concordia disaster; Damage to Casino Pier in Seaside Heights, New Jersey as a result of Hurricane Sandy; People gat ...

to 13.7 percent, despite the Democrats national popular vote margin shrinking from 3.9 points to 2.1 points. In

2020 2020 was heavily defined by the COVID-19 pandemic, which led to global social and economic disruption, mass cancellations and postponements of events, worldwide lockdowns and the largest economic recession since the Great Depression in t ...

, Joe Biden came closer than any Democratic nominee to carrying the county since

Lyndon B. Johnson Lyndon Baines Johnson (; August 27, 1908January 22, 1973), often referred to by his initials LBJ, was an American politician who served as the 36th president of the United States from 1963 to 1969. He had previously served as the 37th vice ...

’s win in 1964, losing by 4.4 percent to

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 P ...

. Hunterdon County supported

Steve Lonegan Steven Mark Lonegan (born April 27, 1956) is an American businessman and politician. He served as mayor of Bogota, New Jersey, from 1995 to 2007. A member of the Republican Party, Lonegan was named the New Jersey State Chairman for the Ted Cruz ...

for Governor over

in the 2009 Republican Primary, by a 4.0% margin. Although in the 2009 gubernatorial election, Republican

received 64.9% of the vote (33,360 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 25.1% (12,893 votes), Independent Chris Daggett with 8.0% (4,098 votes) and other candidates with 0.8% (387 votes), among the 51,372 ballots cast by the county's 86,186 registered voters, yielding a 59.6% turnout. In the 2013 gubernatorial election, Republican Governor Chris Christe received 73.5% of the vote (31,292 votes) to Democrat Barbara Buono's 24.4% (10,425 votes). In the 2017 gubernatorial election, Democrat Phil Murphy received 39.0% of the vote (17,697 votes) to Republican Kim Guadagno's 58.9% (26,708 votes). In the 2021 gubernatorial election, Democratic Governor Phil Murphy received 40.2% of the vote (22,820 votes) to Republican Jack Ciattarelli's 58.9% (33,459 votes), making it just one of two counties (along with Somerset) to shift to the left in that election.

Municipalities

The following 26 municipalities are located in Hunterdon County (with 2010 Census data for population, housing units and area):

Other unincorporated places

Other unincorporated places within Hunterdon County include: * Pittstown (within Franklin, Union, and Alexandria) * Pottersville (within Tewksbury and Bedminster)

Notable people

Emma Bell Emma Jean Bell (born December 17, 1986) is an American actress, best known for her roles in films '' Frozen'' (2010) and ''Final Destination 5'' (2011), and for playing Amy in the first and third season of '' The Walking Dead'' (2010; 2012), and ...

(born 1986), actress * Scott Bradlee (born 1981), musician *

John Whitfield Bunn and Jacob Bunn :''This article concerns John Whitfield Bunn, Jacob Bunn, and the entrepreneurs who were interconnected with the Bunn brothers through association or familial and genealogical connection.'' John Whitfield Bunn (June 21, 1831 – June 7, 1920)Ill ...

, industrialists * Daryl Cobb (born 1961), children's book author. * Jack Cust (born 1979), MLB player * Vera Farmiga (born 1973),

Academy Award The Academy Awards, better known as the Oscars, are awards for artistic and technical merit for the American and international film industry. The awards are regarded by many as the most prestigious, significant awards in the entertainment ind ...

-nominated actress, film director and television producer *

Taissa Farmiga Taissa Farmiga (; born August 17, 1994) is an American actress. Born in Whitehouse Station, New Jersey, she is the younger sister of actress Vera Farmiga. Her numerous appearances in horror films have established her as a scream queen. Farmi ...

(born 1994), actress * Wanda Gág (1893–1946), writer *

Elizabeth Gilbert Elizabeth Gilbert (born July 18, 1969) is an American journalist and author. She is best known for her 2006 memoir, '' Eat, Pray, Love'', which has sold over 12 million copies and has been translated into over 30 languages. The book was also ma ...

(born 1969), writer *

Troy Glaus Troy Edward Glaus (; born August 3, 1976) is an American former professional baseball first baseman and third baseman. Glaus played in Major League Baseball with the Anaheim Angels (–), Arizona Diamondbacks (), Toronto Blue Jays (–), St. Lou ...

(born 1976), MLB player *

Merv Griffin Mervyn Edward Griffin Jr. (July 6, 1925 – August 12, 2007) was an American television show host and media mogul. He began his career as a radio and big band singer, later appearing in film and on Broadway. From 1965 to 1986 he hosted his own t ...

(1925–2007), musician, talk-show host, television producer * Liver-Eating Johnson ( 1824-1900), mountain man of the American West, on whom the film '' Jeremiah Johnson'' is based. * William Kirkpatrick, (1769–1832), United States Congressman * Stephen Kovacs (1972–2022),

saber A sabre (French: �sabʁ or saber in American English) is a type of backsword with a curved blade associated with the light cavalry of the early modern and Napoleonic periods. Originally associated with Central European cavalry such as the ...

fencer and fencing coach, charged with sexual assault, died in prison *

Leonard Lance Leonard John Lance (born June 25, 1952) is an American politician and attorney who served as the U.S. representative for , from 2009 to 2019. He ran for re-election in 2018, but was defeated by Democrat Tom Malinowski. He is a member of the ...

(born 1952), United States Congressman * James W. Marshall (1810–1885), discoverer of gold at Sutter's Mill in California in 1848 (started the Gold Rush) * Collin McKinney, Texas independence leader * Joe Piscopo (born 1951), comedian * Susan Seidelman (born 1952), film director and producer *

Gary Vaynerchuk Gary Vaynerchuk (born Gennady Vaynerchuk; November 14, 1975; , ), commonly known as Gary Vee, is a Soviet-born American entrepreneur, author, speaker, and Internet personality. He is a co-founder of the restaurant reservation software company Res ...

(born 1975), Entrepreneur * Christine Todd Whitman (born 1946), 50th Governor of New Jersey *

Sharon Van Etten Sharon Katharine Van Etten (born February 26, 1981) is an American singer-songwriter. She has released six studio albums, the latest of which is '' We've Been Going About This All Wrong'' (2022). Early life Van Etten was born in Belleville, N ...

(born 1981), singer-songwriter

Education

School districts

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

South Hunterdon Regional School District South Hunterdon Regional School District is a regional state school, public school district serving students in pre-kindergarten though twelfth grades from three communities in southern Hunterdon County, New Jersey, Hunterdon County, New Jersey, ...

;Secondary: * Delaware Valley Regional High School *

Hunterdon Central Regional High School Hunterdon Central Regional High School is a comprehensive, four-year public high school, and regional school district that serves students from five municipalities in east central Hunterdon County, New Jersey, United States. Students hail from ...

* Hunterdon County Vocational School District * North Hunterdon-Voorhees Regional High School District ;Elementary (K-8, except as noted): * Alexandria Township School District *

Bethlehem Township School District The Bethlehem Township School District is a community public school district that serves students in pre-kindergarten through eighth grade from Bethlehem Township, in Hunterdon County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey. As of the 2021–22 school y ...

* Bloomsbury School District *

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

Clinton-Glen Gardner School District The Clinton-Glen Gardner School District is a community state school, public school district that serves students in pre-kindergarten through eighth grade from the Clinton, New Jersey, Town of Clinton and the Glen Gardner, New Jersey, Borough of ...

(renamed from Clinton Public School as of 2009) * Clinton Township School District * Delaware Township School District *

East Amwell Township School District The East Amwell Township School District is a community public school district that serves students in pre-kindergarten through eighth grade from East Amwell Township, in Hunterdon County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2018–19 school ...

* Flemington-Raritan Regional School District *

Franklin Township School District (Hunterdon County, New Jersey) The Franklin Township School District is a community state school, public school district that serves students in pre-kindergarten through eighth grade from Franklin Township, Hunterdon County, New Jersey, Franklin Township, in Hunterdon County, ...

* Frenchtown School District * Hampton School District *

High Bridge School District The High Bridge School District is a comprehensive community public school district that serves students in pre-kindergarten through eighth grade from High Bridge, in Hunterdon County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey. As of the 2018–19 schoo ...

Holland Township School District The Holland Township School District is a community public school district that serves students in pre-kindergarten through eighth grade from Holland Township, in Hunterdon County, New Jersey, United States.

Kingwood Township School District The Kingwood Township School District is a community public school district that serves students ranging from pre-kindergarten through eighth grade from Kingwood Township, in Hunterdon County, New Jersey, United States.

* Lebanon Borough School District K–6 * Lebanon Township Schools *

Milford Borough School District The Milford Borough School District is a community public school district that serves students in pre-kindergarten through eighth grade from Milford, in Hunterdon County, New Jersey, United States.Readington Township Public Schools * Tewksbury Township Schools *

Union Township School District The Union Township School District is a community public school district that serves students in kindergarten through eighth grade from Union Township, in Hunterdon County, New Jersey, United States. A new elementary school, named "Union Towns ...

High schools

* Delaware Valley Regional High School, in Alexandria Township, serves the townships of Alexandria, Holland and Kingwood and the boroughs of Frenchtown and Milford. *

, located in Raritan Township, serves students from Delaware Township, East Amwell Township, Flemington Borough, Raritan Township and Readington Township. *

North Hunterdon High School North Hunterdon High School is a four-year regional public high school serving students from six municipalities in northern Hunterdon County, New Jersey, United States, as one of two high schools in the North Hunterdon-Voorhees Regional High Sch ...

, located in Clinton Township, hosts the students of Bethlehem Township, Clinton Town, Clinton Township, Franklin Township, Lebanon Borough and Union Township. * Phillipsburg High School, located in Phillipsburg in neighboring Warren County, educates the students of Bloomsbury, though a proposal is currently on the table to send the borough's students to Delaware Valley Regional High school instead. *

South Hunterdon Regional High School South Hunterdon Regional High School is a regional state school, public Secondary education in the United States, high school serving students in seventh though twelfth grades from three communities in southern Hunterdon County, New Jersey, Hunt ...

, located in West Amwell Township, serves students from Lambertville, Stockton and West Amwell Township. * Voorhees High School, in Lebanon Township, serves the students of Califon Borough, Glen Gardner Borough, Hampton Borough, High Bridge Borough, Lebanon Township, Tewksbury Township.

Higher education

* Raritan Valley Community College is the two-year community college for both Hunterdon and Somerset County, one of a network of 19 county colleges statewide. Founded in 1965, the school's main campus is located in North Branch, in Somerset County. *

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 ...

has a partnership with Raritan Valley Community College which offers bachelor's degree completion programs at the North Branch campus.

Points of interest

Hunterdon County is considered the premier place to hunt

white tailed deer The white-tailed deer (''Odocoileus virginianus''), also known as the whitetail or Virginia deer, is a medium-sized deer native to North America, Central America, and South America as far south as Peru and Bolivia. It has also been introduced t ...

in New Jersey. More deer are harvested each year than any other county according to New Jersey Fish and Game records. The premier fishing streams are the Musconetcong in the north and the Lamington River. The NJ Fish and Game stocks thousands of rainbow, brown, and brook trout in these streams as well as other streams such as the South Branch of the Raritan River. Round Valley Reservoir and Spruce Run Reservoir are manmade reservoirs that provide boating and fishing opportunities for patrons. Covering and the state's largest reservoir with of water, Round Valley is one of New Jersey's trophy trout lakes, and holds the state records for smallmouth bass, brown trout, lake trout, and American eel. Spruce Run, the state's third-largest reservoir, held the state record for Northern Pike for nearly 30 years, and offers a large variety of species for anglers to pursue. New Jersey Fish and Game has nine Wildlife Management Areas for hunting ducks, deer, pheasants, quail, rabbits, squirrels and bears. The Hunterdon County Department of Parks and Recreation manages these parks. * Point Mountain Section * Mountain Farm/Teetertown Preserve * Tower Hill Park * Charlestown Reserve * Union Furnace Nature Preserve * Columbia Trail Section * Cold Brook Reserve * Musconetcong Gorge Section * Schick Reserve * Hoffman Park * South Branch Reservation * Landsdown Trail Section * Cushetunk Mountain Nature Preserve * Arboretum * Deer Path Park and Round Mountain Section * Uplands Reserve * Clover Hill Park * Heron Glen Golf Course * Wescott Nature Preserve * South County Park * Future Park * Laport Reserve * Sourland Mountain Nature Preserve * Jugtown Mountain Nature Preserve * Finn Road Park *

Beneduce Vineyards Beneduce Vineyards ( ) is a winery in the Pittstown section of Alexandria Township in Hunterdon County, New Jersey, United States. A family farm since 2000, the vineyard was first planted in 2009, and opened to the public in 2012.Hunterdon County Arboretum * Hunterdon Art Museum *

Hunterdon County Courthouse The Hunterdon County Courthouse is an historic site located in Flemington, New Jersey, Flemington, the county seat of Hunterdon County, New Jersey, Hunterdon County, New Jersey, United States, that is best known as the site of the 1935 "Trial of t ...

* Hunterdon Medical Center *

Mount Salem Vineyards Mount Salem Vineyards is a boutique winery in the Pittstown section of Alexandria Township in Hunterdon County, New Jersey, United States.

* Old York Cellars * The Red Mill (in

Clinton, New Jersey Clinton is a town in Hunterdon County, New Jersey. It is located on the South Branch of the Raritan River in the Raritan Valley region. As of the 2020 U.S. census, the town's population was 2,719,The Red Mill in Operation: 1810 - 1928
, Red Mill Museum Village. Accessed October 27, 2017. * Solitude Dam/TISCO Headquarters 1742 in

High Bridge, New Jersey High Bridge is a borough in Hunterdon County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, the borough's population was 3,648,Unionville Vineyards Unionville Vineyard is a winery in the Unionville section of East Amwell in Hunterdon County, New Jersey.Corcoran, David"So Crisp, So Complex, So Unexpected"in ''The New York Times'' (17 July 2005). Retrieved 16 April 2013. Originally part of the ...

References

External links

Hunterdon County Official Website

Hunterdon Land Trust Alliance

HunterdonCountry.com

River Ballet Company

Hunterdon County Chamber of Commerce Website

NY-NJTC: Teetertown Ravine Nature Preserve Trail Details and Info

Hunterdon County Library

Hunterdon County Alive - Community Website

Hunterdon Happening Magazine
{{authority control 1714 establishments in New Jersey Central Jersey Counties in the New York metropolitan area Populated places established in 1714