Edison is a

township A township is a form of human settlement or administrative subdivision. Its exact definition varies among countries. Although the term is occasionally associated with an urban area, this tends to be an exception to the rule. In Australia, Canad ...

located in Middlesex County, in the U.S. state of

New Jersey New Jersey is a U.S. state, state located in both the Mid-Atlantic States, Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern United States, Northeastern regions of the United States. Located at the geographic hub of the urban area, heavily urbanized Northeas ...

. Situated in

Central New Jersey Central Jersey, or Central New Jersey, is the middle region of the U.S. state of New Jersey. The designation Central Jersey is a distinct administrative division, administrative toponymy, toponym. While New Jersey is often divided into North Je ...

within the core of the state's Raritan Valley region, Edison is a commercial hub (home to

Menlo Park Mall Menlo Park Mall is a two-level Super-regional mall, super regional shopping mall, located on U.S. Route 1 in New Jersey, U.S. Route 1 and Parsonage Road in Edison, New Jersey. The mall has a gross leasable area of Little India Little India (also known as Indian Street, India Bazaar, or India Town) is an Indian people, Indian or South Asian sociocultural environment outside India or the Indian subcontinent. It especially refers to an area with a significant concentra ...

) and is a

bedroom community A commuter town is a populated area that is primarily residential rather than commercial or industrial. Routine travel from home to work and back is called commuting, which is where the term comes from. A commuter town may be called by many o ...

New York City New York, often called New York City (NYC), is the most populous city in the United States, located at the southern tip of New York State on one of the world's largest natural harbors. The city comprises five boroughs, each coextensive w ...

within the

New York metropolitan area The New York metropolitan area, also called the Tri-State area and sometimes referred to as Greater New York, is the List of cities by GDP, largest metropolitan economy in the world, with a List of U.S. metropolitan areas by GDP, gross metropo ...

. As of the 2020 United States census, the township was the state's sixth-most-populous municipality,Table1. New Jersey Counties and Most Populous Cities and Townships: 2020 and 2010 Censuses
,

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 ...

. Accessed December 1, 2022. with a population of 107,588, an increase of 7,621 (+7.6%) from the 2010 census count of 99,967, which in turn reflected an increase of 2,280 (+2.3%) from the 97,687 counted in the 2000 census. What is now Edison Township was originally incorporated as Raritan Township by an act of the

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

on March 17, 1870, from portions of both Piscataway and Woodbridge Township. The township got its original name from the Raritan indigenous people. Portions of the township were taken to form Metuchen on March 20, 1900, and Highland Park on March 15, 1905. The name was officially changed to Edison Township on November 10, 1954, in honor of inventor

Thomas Edison Thomas Alva Edison (February11, 1847October18, 1931) was an American inventor and businessman. He developed many devices in fields such as electric power generation, mass communication, sound recording, and motion pictures. These inventions, ...

, who had his main laboratory in the Menlo Park section of the township.Snyder, John P
''The Story of New Jersey's Civil Boundaries: 1606–1968''
, Bureau of Geology and Topography,

Trenton, New Jersey Trenton is the List of capitals in the United States, capital city of the U.S. state of New Jersey and the county seat of Mercer County, New Jersey, Mercer County. It was the federal capital, capital of the United States from November 1 until D ...

, 1969. p. 170 re Edison Township, p. 173 re Raritan Township.

History

Early history

The earliest residents of the area were the Raritan people of the

Lenape The Lenape (, , ; ), also called the Lenni Lenape and Delaware people, are an Indigenous peoples of the Northeastern Woodlands, Indigenous people of the Northeastern Woodlands, who live in the United States and Canada. The Lenape's historica ...

Native Americans, who lived in the area and travelled through it to the shore. In 1646, Chief Matouchin led a group of 1,200 warriors. Edison Township, which was formed from sections of Piscataway and Woodbridge townships, was settled (by Europeans) in the 17th century. The earliest village was Piscatawaytown, which is centered around St. James Church and the Piscatawaytown Common, near the intersection of Plainfield and Woodbridge Avenues in South Edison. The Laing House of Plainfield Plantation (listed on the National Register in 1988), the Benjamin Shotwell House (listed 1987) and the Homestead Farm at Oak Ridge (liste 1995), are buildings from the colonial era included in National Register of Historic Places listings in Middlesex County. The community was previously known as "Raritan Township", not to be confused with the current-day Raritan Township in Hunterdon County.

The Edison era

In 1876,

set up his home and research laboratory in New Jersey on the site of an unsuccessful real estate development in Raritan Township called " Menlo Park", (currently located in Edison State Park). While there he earned the nickname "the Wizard of Menlo Park". Before his death at age 83 in 1931, the prolific inventor amassed a record 1,093 patents for creations including the

phonograph A phonograph, later called a gramophone, and since the 1940s a record player, or more recently a turntable, is a device for the mechanical and analogue reproduction of sound. The sound vibration Waveform, waveforms are recorded as correspond ...

, a stock ticker, the motion-picture camera, the

incandescent light bulb An incandescent light bulb, also known as an incandescent lamp or incandescent light globe, is an electric light that produces illumination by Joule heating a #Filament, filament until it incandescence, glows. The filament is enclosed in a ...

, a mechanical vote counter, the alkaline storage battery including one for an electric car, and the first commercial electric light.Walsh, Bryan
"The Electrifying Edison"
''

Time Time is the continuous progression of existence that occurs in an apparently irreversible process, irreversible succession from the past, through the present, and into the future. It is a component quantity of various measurements used to sequ ...

'', July 5, 2010. Accessed March 16, 2015. The Menlo Park lab was significant in that was one of the first laboratories to pursue practical, commercial applications of research. It was in his Menlo Park laboratory that Thomas Edison came up with the

and a commercially viable

filament. Christie Street was the first street in the world to use electric lights for illumination. Edison subsequently left Menlo Park and moved his home and laboratory to West Orange in 1886.

20th century

Near Piscatawaytown village, a portion of the township was informally known as " Nixon", after Lewis Nixon, a manufacturer and community leader. Soon after the outbreak of

World War I World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...

, Nixon established a massive volatile chemicals processing facility there, known as the Nixon Nitration Works. It was the site of the 1924 Nixon Nitration Works disaster, a massive explosion and resulting fire that killed 20 people and destroyed several square miles of the township. In 1954, the township's name was changed to honor inventor Thomas A. Edison. Also on the ballot in 1954 was a failed proposal to change the community's name to Nixon. In 1959, the

21st century

Edison has been one of the fastest-growing municipalities in New Jersey. As of the 2000 United States Census, it was the fifth most-populated municipality in the state, after the cities of Newark,

Jersey City Jersey City is the List of municipalities in New Jersey, second-most populous

, Paterson, and Elizabeth.The Counties and Most Populous Cities and Townships in 2010 in New Jersey: 2000 and 2010

. Accessed December 21, 2016. Edison is primarily a middle-class community with more than 75 ethnic communities represented. Edison has a large

Jew Jews (, , ), or the Jewish people, are an ethnoreligious group and nation, originating from the Israelites of ancient Israel and Judah. They also traditionally adhere to Judaism. Jewish ethnicity, religion, and community are highly inte ...

ish community next to Highland Park, with multiple synagogues located in Edison. Edison also has a growing Indian community and a number of temples serving the religious needs of the community. Reflecting the number of Edison's residents from

India India, officially the Republic of India, is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by area, seventh-largest country by area; the List of countries by population (United Nations), most populous country since ...

and

China China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East Asia. With population of China, a population exceeding 1.4 billion, it is the list of countries by population (United Nations), second-most populous country after ...

, the township has

sister city A sister city or a twin town relationship is a form of legal or social agreement between two geographically and politically distinct localities for the purpose of promoting cultural and commercial ties. While there are early examples of inte ...

arrangements with

Shijiazhuang Shijiazhuang; Mandarin: ; formerly known as Shimen and romanized as Shihkiachwang is the capital and most populous city of China's Hebei Province. A prefecture-level city southwest of Beijing, it administers eight districts, three county-le ...

, China,"Position Paper on Sister State and Sister City Relations Between Australia and China"
, Australia-China Chamber of Commerce and Industry of New South Wales, dated November 14, 2001. Accessed August 30, 2015. and Baroda, India. Edison was ranked the 28th most-livable small city in the United States by ''

CNN Money CNN Business (formerly CNN Money) is a financial news and information website, operated by CNN. The website was originally formed as a joint venture between CNN.com and Time Warner's '' Fortune'' and '' Money'' magazines. Since the spin-off of ...

'' magazine, and second in New Jersey in 2006 in ''Money'' magazine's "Best Places To Live".100 Best Places to Live 2006: #28 – Edison
''

Money Money is any item or verifiable record that is generally accepted as payment for goods and services and repayment of debts, such as taxes, in a particular country or socio-economic context. The primary functions which distinguish money are: m ...

'' / Cable News Network, October 22, 2009, backed up by the

Internet Archive The Internet Archive is an American 501(c)(3) organization, non-profit organization founded in 1996 by Brewster Kahle that runs a digital library website, archive.org. It provides free access to collections of digitized media including web ...

as of August 2, 2010. Accessed March 16, 2015. In 2008, two years later, ''Money'' ranked the township 35th out of the top 100 places to live in the United States. In the 2006 survey of America's Safest Cities, the township was ranked 23rd, out of 371 cities included nationwide, in the 13th annual

Morgan Quitno Morgan Quitno Press is a research and publishing company founded in 1989 and based in Lawrence, Kansas. The company compiled annual reference books of US state and city statistics. Its primary volumes included State Rankings, Health Care State Ra ...

survey. In 2009, Edison was ranked as one of "America's 10 Best Places to Grow Up" by '' U.S. News & World Report''. The rankings focused on low crime, strong schools, green spaces, and abundance of recreational activities. In 2014, parenting.com ranked Edison as the top safest city in America.

Geography

According to the

United States Census Bureau The United States Census Bureau, officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the Federal statistical system, U.S. federal statistical system, responsible for producing data about the American people and American economy, econ ...

, the township had a total area of 30.69 square miles (79.49 km²), including 30.06 square miles (77.86 km²) of land and 0.63 square miles (1.63 km²) of water (2.05%).US Gazetteer files: 2010, 2000, and 1990
,

. Accessed September 4, 2014. Edison is on the east side of Raritan Valley (a line of communities in central New Jersey), along with Plainfield, and completely surrounds the borough of Metuchen, making it part of 21 pairs of "doughnut towns" in the state, where one municipality entirely surrounds another. The township borders the municipalities of East Brunswick, Highland Park,

New Brunswick New Brunswick is a Provinces and Territories of Canada, province of Canada, bordering Quebec to the north, Nova Scotia to the east, the Gulf of Saint Lawrence to the northeast, the Bay of Fundy to the southeast, and the U.S. state of Maine to ...

, Piscataway, Sayreville, South Plainfield and Woodbridge Township in Middlesex County; Clark, Plainfield and Scotch Plains in Union County. Edison has numerous sections and neighborhoods. Unincorporated communities, localities and place names located partially or completely within the township include Bonhamtown, Briarwood East, Camp Kilmer, Centerville, Clara Barton, Eggert Mills, Greensand, Haven Homes, Lahiere, Lincoln Park, Lindenau, Martins Landing, Menlo Park, Millville, New Dover, New Durham, Nixon, North Edison, Oak Tree, Phoenix, Potters, Pumptown, Raritan Arsenal, Raritan Manor, Sand Hills, Silver Lake, Stelton, Stephenville, Valentine, and Washington Park. Edison is about halfway between

Midtown Manhattan Midtown Manhattan is the central portion of the New York City borough of Manhattan, serving as the city's primary central business district. Midtown is home to some of the city's most prominent buildings, including the Empire State Building, the ...

, and New Jersey's capitol, Trenton, being about 27 miles from each. While the Township's topography is mostly flat, there are some hillier areas, especially along the Perth Amboy Moraine, which forms an arc across the township, left by the southern limit of the Laurentide Ice Sheet. The highest point is on Grandview Avenue, which reaches a maximum elevation of about 220 feet. The lowest elevation in the township is on sea level on the

Raritan River The Raritan River is a river of the U.S. state of New Jersey. Its Drainage basin, watershed drains much of the mountainous areas in the North Jersey, northern and Central Jersey, central sections of the state, emptying into the Raritan Bay near ...

. The Robinsons Branch of the

Rahway River The Rahway River is a river in Essex County, New Jersey, Essex, Middlesex County, New Jersey, Middlesex, and Union County, New Jersey, Union Counties, New Jersey, United States, The Rahway flows into the Arthur Kill, the tidal channel between ...

flows through Edison en route to the Robinson's Branch Reservoir.

Climate

Extreme temperatures in Edison have ranged from , recorded in February 1934, to , recorded in July 1936 and August 1949. According to the Köppen Climate Classification system, Edison has a humid subtropical climate (Cfa), with abundant rainfall throughout the year, although the late summer months tend to have more rain. Summers tend to be hot and humid with much rain and winters tend to be cool to cold, with snow being an annual occurrence, falling multiple times every winter.

Demographics

Asian community

Edison hosts one of the region's main centers of Asian American cultural diversity. The township was 50.0% ethnically Asian by population as of the 2020 Census.

Indian community

Oak Tree Road is a South Asian-focused commercial strip in Middlesex County, the U.S. county with the highest concentration of Asian Indians. The Oak Tree Road strip runs for about one-and-a-half miles through Edison and neighboring Iselin in Woodbridge Township, near the area's sprawling

Chinatown Chinatown ( zh, t=唐人街) is the catch-all name for an ethnic enclave of Chinese people located outside Greater China, most often in an urban setting. Areas known as "Chinatown" exist throughout the world, including Europe, Asia, Africa, O ...

and

Koreatown A Koreatown (), also known as a Little Korea or Little Seoul, is a Korean-dominated ethnic enclave within a city or metropolitan area outside the Korean Peninsula. History Koreatowns as an East Asian ethnic enclave have only been in existence s ...

, running along New Jersey Route 27. It is the largest and most diverse

South Asian South Asia is the southern Subregion#Asia, subregion of Asia that is defined in both geographical and Ethnicity, ethnic-Culture, cultural terms. South Asia, with a population of 2.04 billion, contains a quarter (25%) of the world's populatio ...

cultural hub in the United States. In Middlesex County, election

ballot A ballot is a device used to cast votes in an election and may be found as a piece of paper or a small ball used in voting. It was originally a small ball (see blackballing) used to record decisions made by voters in Italy around the 16th cent ...

s are printed in English, Spanish, Gujarati, Hindi, and Punjabi. As part of the 2020 Census, 34.9% of Edison residents identified themselves as being

Indian American Indian Americans are Americans whose ancestry originates wholly or partly from India. The terms Asian Indian and East Indian are used to avoid confusion with Native Americans in the United States, Native Americans in the United States, who ar ...

, an increase from 28.3% in 2010.DP-1 – Profile of General Population and Housing Characteristics: 2010 for Edison township, Middlesex County, New Jersey

. Accessed December 25, 2011. In the 2000 Census, 17.75% of Edison residents identified themselves as being Indian American, the highest percentage of Indian-American people of any municipality in the United States with 1,000 or more residents identifying their ancestry.

Chinese community

Edison also has a significant Chinese population. The town contains several Chinese-language schools and cultural associations. The area near the borders with Highland Park and the Livingston Campus at Rutgers University in Piscataway, has a number of Chinese food establishments, including Kam Man Food, 99 Ranch Market, and various dim sum, dumpling, dessert, and tea shops as well as the pan-Asian Korean-founded supermarket, H Mart. Other Chinese operations in Edison include '' Sino Monthly'' magazine and ''Chinese News Weekly.'' The township's

Lunar New Year Lunar New Year is the beginning of a new year based on lunar calendars or, informally, lunisolar calendars. Lunar calendar years begin with a new moon and have a fixed number of lunar months, usually twelve, in contrast to lunisolar calendar ye ...

parade typically travels northbound from Division Street to festivities in Papaianni Park by the lake and township municipal building.

Jewish community

Edison is also home to a large

Jewish Jews (, , ), or the Jewish people, are an ethnoreligious group and nation, originating from the Israelites of History of ancient Israel and Judah, ancient Israel and Judah. They also traditionally adhere to Judaism. Jewish ethnicity, rel ...

community, especially Orthodox. The world's largest gathering of rabbis outside of Israel occurred at the New Jersey Convention and Exposition Center on December 1, 2024.

Historical population

2020 census

2010 census

The 2010 United States census counted 99,967 people, 34,972 households, and 26,509 families in the township. The

population density Population density (in agriculture: Standing 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 geog ...

was . There were 36,302 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup was 44.10% (44,084)

White White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no chroma). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully (or almost fully) reflect and scatter all the visible wa ...

, 7.05% (7,046) Black or African American, 0.23% (229) Native American, 43.19% (43,177) Asian, 0.04% (36)

Pacific Islander Pacific Islanders, Pasifika, Pasefika, Pacificans, or rarely Pacificers are the peoples of the list of islands in the Pacific Ocean, Pacific Islands. As an ethnic group, ethnic/race (human categorization), racial term, it is used to describe th ...

, 2.72% (2,718) from other races, and 2.68% (2,677) from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino residents of any race were 8.11% (8,112) of the population. Of the 34,972 households, 36.4% had children under the age of 18; 62.3% were married couples living together; 9.6% had a female householder with no husband present and 24.2% were non-families. Of all households, 20.4% were made up of individuals and 7.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.80 and the average family size was 3.26. 22.7% of the population was under the age of 18, 7.6% from 18 to 24, 30.1% from 25 to 44, 27.0% from 45 to 64, and 12.6% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38.1 years. For every 100 females, the population had 95.8 males. For every 100 females ages 18 and older there were 93.8 males. The Census Bureau's 2006–2010

American Community Survey The American Community Survey (ACS) is an annual demographics survey program conducted by the United States Census Bureau. It regularly gathers information previously contained only in the long form of the United States census, decennial census ...

showed that (in 2010 inflation-adjusted dollars)

median household income The median income is the income amount that divides a population into two 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 of und ...

was $86,725 (with a margin of error of +/− $3,000) and the median family income was $100,008 (+/− $2,624). Males had a median income of $66,898 (+/− $4,094) versus $50,953 (+/− $1,462) for females. The

per capita income Per capita income (PCI) or average income measures the average income earned per person in a given area (city, region, country, etc.) in a specified year. In many countries, per capita income is determined using regular population surveys, such ...

for the township was $36,464 (+/− $1,184). About 3.5% of families and 7.2% 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 ...

, including 8.6% of those under age 18 and 6.3% of those age 65 or over.

2000 census

As of the 2000 United States census there were 97,687 people, 35,136 households, and 25,881 families residing in the township. The population density was . There were 36,018 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the township was 59.49% White, 29.27% Asian, 6.89% African American, 0.14% Native American, .04% Pacific Islander, 2.02% from other races, and 2.15% from two or more races. 6.37% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.Census 2000 Profiles of Demographic / Social / Economic / Housing Characteristics for Edison township, Middlesex County, New Jersey
,

. Accessed January 25, 2012.DP-1: Profile of General Demographic Characteristics: 2000 – Census 2000 Summary File 1 (SF 1) 100-Percent Data for Edison township, Middlesex County, New Jersey

. Accessed July 14, 2012. There were 35,136 households, out of which 34.3% had children under the age of 18 living in them, 61.1% were

married couples Marriage, also called matrimony or wedlock, is a culturally and often legally recognised union between people called spouses. It establishes rights and obligations between them, as well as between them and their children (if any), and b ...

living together, 9.1% had a female householder with no husband present, and 26.3% were non-families. 21.1% of all households were made up of individuals, and 7.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.72 and the average family size was 3.19. In the township 22.9% of the population was under the age of 18, 7.8% was from 18 to 24, 34.0% from 25 to 44, 23.4% from 45 to 64, and 11.9% was 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females, there were 96.3 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 94.0 males. The

in the township is $69,746, and the median income for a family was $77,976. Males had a median income of $53,303 versus $36,829 for females. The

for the township was $30,148. About 3.3% of families and 4.8% of the population were below the

, including 4.3% of those under age 18 and 6.3% of those age 65 or over.

Economy

Manufacturing

A number of production facilities in and around the area, included Edison Assembly,

Ford Motor Company Ford Motor Company (commonly known as Ford) is an American multinational corporation, multinational automobile manufacturer headquartered in Dearborn, Michigan, United States. It was founded by Henry Ford and incorporated on June 16, 1903. T ...

's production plant for Rangers, Mustangs, Pintos, Mercurys, and Lincolns. Other notable companies included

Frigidaire Frigidaire Appliance Company is the American consumer and Commercial area, commercial home appliances brand subsidiary of multinational company Electrolux, a Swedish multinational home appliance manufacturer, headquartered in Stockholm. History ...

's air-conditioner plant in Edison,

Siemens Siemens AG ( ) is a German multinational technology conglomerate. It is focused on industrial automation, building automation, rail transport and health technology. Siemens is the largest engineering company in Europe, and holds the positi ...

in Edison. Starting in the 2000s, manufacturing began to leave Central Jersey, and many facilities closed and moved overseas. The Ford plant was demolished by 2008 and was replaced by

Sam's Club Sam's West, Inc. (doing business as Sam's Club) is a chain of membership-only warehouse club retail stores in the United States owned by Walmart. It was founded in 1983 and named after Walmart founder Sam Walton as Sam's Wholesale Club. , Sam's ...

, Topgolf and

Starbucks Starbucks Corporation is an American multinational List of coffeehouse chains, chain of coffeehouses and Starbucks Reserve, roastery reserves headquartered in Seattle, Washington. It was founded in 1971 by Jerry Baldwin, Zev Siegl, and Gor ...

Corporate presence

Majesco Entertainment, a video game company, has its corporate headquarters in Edison. Other companies have warehouse operations within Edison. These companies include the Italian food producer and importer Colavita, an Amazon fulfillment center, as well as the regional hubs for

FedEx FedEx Corporation, originally known as Federal Express Corporation, is an American Multinational corporation, multinational Conglomerate (company), conglomerate holding company specializing in Package delivery, transportation, e-commerce, and ...

, UPS, and Newegg. In addition Edison is home to the state's largest private convention center, the New Jersey Convention and Exposition Center, located within the Raritan Center Business Park.Who We Are
, New Jersey Convention and Exposition Center. Accessed March 22, 2012. Raritan Center itself is the largest industrial park on the east side of the Mississippi River. The United States headquarters of the international company Zylog Systems is located in Edison, as is the headquarters of the e-commerce companies Boxed and Bare Necessities.

Sports

Plainfield Country Club is a private country club that has hosted the 1987 U.S. Women's Open and The Barclays golf tournament, the first

PGA Tour The PGA Tour (stylized as PGA TOUR by its officials) is the organizer of professional golf tours in North America. It organizes most of the events on the flagship annual series of tournaments also known as the PGA Tour, the PGA Tour Champion ...

FedEx Cup The FedEx Cup is the championship trophy for the PGA Tour. Its introduction in 2007 marked the first time that men's professional golf had a playoff system. Since its inception, the competition has been sponsored by FedEx. In 2022, the PGA Tour ...

playoff event, in both 2011 and 2015.

Parks and recreation

Oak Tree Pond is the site of the Battle of Short Hills, a minor battle of the

American Revolutionary War The American Revolutionary War (April 19, 1775 – September 3, 1783), also known as the Revolutionary War or American War of Independence, was the armed conflict that comprised the final eight years of the broader American Revolution, in which Am ...

and whose conversion into a park ended a real estate development controversy. Roosevelt Park, located between Parsonage Road and Route 1, west of the Mall, covers , including the Roosevelt Park Lake. The park was established in 1917, making it the oldest county park in Middlesex County. Edison State Park and Dismal Swamp are also located in the township.

Government

Local government

Edison Township operates within the Faulkner Act, formally known as the Optional Municipal Charter Law, under the Mayor-Council form of government, which was implemented as of January 1, 1958, based on the recommendations of a Charter Study Commission. The township is one of 71 municipalities (of the 564) statewide governed under this form. Edison's governing body is comprised of the mayor and the seven-member Township Council. Members of the council are elected

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

in partisan elections held as part of the November general election to four-year terms of office on a staggered basis, with three or four seats coming up for election in odd-numbered years, with the mayoral seat up for vote at the same time that three seats are expiring.''2012 New Jersey Legislative District Data Book'',

Rutgers University Rutgers University ( ), officially Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, is a Public university, public land-grant research university consisting of three campuses in New Jersey. Chartered in 1766, Rutgers was originally called Queen's C ...

Edward J. Bloustein School of Planning and Public Policy, March 2013, p. 84. , the Mayor of Edison is Democrat Samip "Sam" Joshi, whose term of office ends December 31, 2025.Mayor Sam Joshi
, Township of Edison. Accessed May 27, 2024. Members of the Township Council are Council President Nishith Patel (D, 2025), Council Vice President Margot Harris (D, 2025), Richard Brescher (D, 2027), Joseph Coyle (D, 2027), Ajay Patil (D, 2027) and John Poyner (D, 2025) and Asaf Shmuel (D, 2027).November 7, 2023 General Election Official Results

Middlesex County, New Jersey Middlesex County is a County (United States), county located in the North Jersey, north-Central Jersey, central part of the U.S. state of New Jersey, extending inland from the Raritan River, Raritan Valley region to the northern portion of the ...

, December 7, 2023. Accessed January 1, 2024.General Election November 2, 2021 Official Results
,

, updated November 19, 2021. Accessed April 13, 2022. The first (and to-date, only) female mayor of Edison was Antonia "Toni" Ricigliano, whose term of office ended on December 31, 2013.

Election 2017

Former Edison Democratic Chair and Detective Keith Hahn ran for mayor as a Republican against incumbent Mayor Thomas Lankey. Lankey was re-elected with 12,032 votes to Hahn's 8,574 votes.

Election 2016

In June 2016, the Township Council selected Joseph Coyle from a list of three candidates nominated by the Democratic municipal committee to fill the seat expiring in December 2019 that had been held by Robert Karabinchak, until he stepped down from office to take a vacant seat 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 ...

. Coyle served on an interim basis until the November 2016 general election, when voters elected him to fill the balance of the term of office.November 8, 2016 General Election Results
,

. Accessed January 30, 2017.

Election 2005

Running on a

good government Good governance is the process of measuring how public institutions conduct public affairs and manage public resources and guarantee the realization of human rights in a manner essentially free of abuse and corruption and with due regard for the ...

platform and a call to reform the Democratic Party, Jun Choi won the June 2005 primary by a 56–44% margin, defeating longtime incumbent Mayor George A. Spadoro, the first time in Edison history that a challenger won the Democratic primary. An article in ''

The American Prospect ''The American Prospect'' is a daily online and bimonthly print American political and public policy magazine dedicated to American modern liberalism and Progressivism in the United States, progressivism. Based in Washington, D.C., ''The America ...

'' details aspects that Choi brought together in his 2005 mayoral campaign, including 1. attracting new voters into the process, 2. a good government message, 3. anti-

Wal-Mart Walmart Inc. (; formerly Wal-Mart Stores, Inc.) is an American multinational retail corporation that operates a chain of hypermarkets (also called supercenters), discount department stores, and grocery stores in the United States and 23 other ...

or economic justice theme and 4. an effective Internet-based progressive mobilization. In the general election, Jun Choi declared victory, leading in unofficial results with a vote of 12,126 to 11,935; a recount effort was unsuccessful. On January 1, 2006, at age 34, Choi was sworn in by

Governor A governor is an politician, administrative leader and head of a polity or Region#Political regions, political region, in some cases, such as governor-general, governors-general, as the head of a state's official representative. Depending on the ...

Jon Corzine as the youngest mayor in Edison history. Recent politics in Edison have concerned plans for zoning the township to facilitate the creation of "walkable" communities that will attract businesses, while still maintaining open spaces and parks and easy access to commuter transit. This strategy is meant to encourage "Smart Growth". Politics in Edison since the 2005 mayoral election have been polarized by an attempt by retail giant

Walmart Walmart Inc. (; formerly Wal-Mart Stores, Inc.) is an American multinational retail corporation that operates a chain of hypermarkets (also called supercenters), discount department stores, and grocery stores in the United States and 23 other ...

to open a store in central Edison near the junction of

Interstate 287 Interstate 287 (I-287) is an auxiliary Interstate Highway in the US states of New Jersey and New York (state), New York. It is a partial beltway around New York City, serving northern New Jersey and the counties of Rockland County, New York ...

and New Jersey Route 27. Even though Jun Choi stated in his mayoral campaign that he would stop Walmart from being built, Walmart filed suit and won, and Choi was there to cut the yellow ribbon when the store was opened.

Law enforcement

The town is served by the full-time Edison Division of Police, led by Chief Thomas Bryan and employing 168 officers as of 2012, assisted by the Edison Auxiliary Police. The department is striving to overcome a history of widespread officer misconduct.

Federal, state, and county representation

Edison is located in the 6th Congressional DistrictPlan Components Report
, New Jersey Redistricting Commission, December 23, 2011. Accessed February 1, 2020. and is part of New Jersey's 18th 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 2011, there were a total of 53,352 registered voters in Edison Township, of which 25,163 (47.2%) were registered as Democrats, 6,242 (11.7%) were registered as Republicans and 21,929 (41.1%) were registered as Unaffiliated. There were 18 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 was the 44th president of the United States from 2009 to 2017. A member of the Democratic Party, he was the first African American president in American history. O ...

received 62.8% of the vote (22,104 cast), ahead of Republican

Mitt Romney Willard Mitt Romney (born March 12, 1947) is an American businessman and retired politician. He served as a United States Senate, United States senator from Utah from 2019 to 2025 and as the 70th governor of Massachusetts from 2003 to 2007 ...

with 36.3% (12,769 votes), and other candidates with 1.0% (339 votes), among the 35,546 ballots cast by the township's 54,857 registered voters (334 ballots were spoiled), for a turnout of 64.8%. In the 2008 presidential election, Democrat Barack Obama received 58.8% of the vote (22,409 cast), ahead of Republican

John McCain John Sidney McCain III (August 29, 1936 – August 25, 2018) was an American statesman and United States Navy, naval officer who represented the Arizona, state of Arizona in United States Congress, Congress for over 35 years, first as ...

with 39.3% (14,986 votes) and other candidates with 1.1% (418 votes), among the 38,129 ballots cast by the township's 55,305 registered voters, for a turnout of 68.9%. In the 2004 presidential election, Democrat

John Kerry John Forbes Kerry (born December 11, 1943) is an American attorney, politician, and diplomat who served as the 68th United States secretary of state from 2013 to 2017 in the Presidency of Barack Obama#Administration, administration of Barac ...

received 55.2% of the vote (20,000 ballots cast), outpolling Republican

George W. Bush George Walker Bush (born July 6, 1946) is an American politician and businessman who was the 43rd president of the United States from 2001 to 2009. A member of the Bush family and the Republican Party (United States), Republican Party, he i ...

with 43.1% (15,615 votes) and other candidates with 0.6% (311 votes), among the 36,205 ballots cast by the township's 52,308 registered voters, for a turnout percentage of 69.2. 2004 and

2024 The year saw the list of ongoing armed conflicts, continuation of major armed conflicts, including the Russian invasion of Ukraine, the Myanmar civil war (2021–present), Myanmar civil war, the Sudanese civil war (2023–present), Sudane ...

were the only presidential elections where the Republican candidate got over 40.0% of the vote in the township, while Democrats obtained under 60.0%. In the 2024 presidential election, Republican candidate Donald Trump earned the most votes, 17,554 votes, as well as the highest percentage of all votes cast, 43.5%, that the party had ever earned in Edison since at least the 2004 presidential election. Third-party candidates also earned the most votes, with 1,316 votes, and highest percentage of all votes cast, 3.3%, in 2024 since at least the same year. In the 2013 gubernatorial election, Republican

Chris Christie Christopher James Christie (born September 6, 1962) is an American politician and former United States Attorney, federal prosecutor who served as the 55th governor of New Jersey from 2010 to 2018. A member of the Republican Party (United States) ...

received 58.6% of the vote (12,502 cast), ahead of Democrat Barbara Buono with 39.3% (8,373 votes), and other candidates with 2.1% (443 votes), among the 21,877 ballots cast by the township's 55,392 registered voters (559 ballots were spoiled), for a turnout of 39.5%. In the 2009 gubernatorial election, Republican Chris Christie received 46.6% of the vote (11,230 ballots cast), ahead of Democrat Jon Corzine with 44.5% (10,727 votes), Independent Chris Daggett with 6.4% (1,549 votes) and other candidates with 1.0% (243 votes), among the 24,097 ballots cast by the township's 53,358 registered voters, yielding a 45.2% turnout.

Education

Public schools

The Edison Township Public Schools serve students in

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

through

twelfth grade Twelfth Grade (also known as Grade 12, Senior Year, Standard 12, 12th Standard, 12th Class, or Class 12th or Class 12) is the twelfth and final Educational stage, year of Formal education, formal or compulsory education. It is typically the final ...

. The district's two high schools separate the south and north ends of Edison. In the Edison High School zone to the south, there are six K–5 elementary schools and two 6-8 middle schools, while in the J.P. Stevens High School zone to the north there are five K–5 elementary schools and two 6-8 middle schools. As of the 2021–22 school year, the district, comprised of 19 schools, had an enrollment of 16,268 students and 1,215.0 classroom teachers (on an FTE basis), for a

student–teacher ratio The student–teacher ratio or student–faculty ratio refers to the number of students who attend a school or university divided by the number of teachers or staff in the institution. For example, a student–teacher ratio of 10:1 indicates that ...

of 13.4:1.District information for Edison Township School District
,

National Center for Education Statistics The National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) is the principal federal agency responsible for collecting, analyzing, and reporting data on education in the United States. Established under , it operates within the Institute of Education S ...

. Accessed December 1, 2022. Schools in the district (with 2021-22 enrollment data from the

) are Edison Early Learning Center (53 students; grades PreK-K), Franklin D. Roosevelt Preschool (124; PreK-K), Benjamin Franklin Elementary School (602; K-5), Martin Luther King Jr. Elementary School (618; K-5), Lincoln Elementary School (900; K-5), Lindeneau Elementary School (444; K-5), James Madison Primary School (455; K-2, who then move on to James Madison Intermediate) James Madison Intermediate School (521; 3–5), John Marshall Elementary School (736; K-5), Menlo Park Elementary School (796; K-5), James Monroe Elementary School (521; K-5), Washington Elementary School (589; K-5), Woodbrook Elementary School (902; K-5), John Adams Middle School (980; 6–8, from James Madison Intermediate and MLK Jr.), Herbert Hoover Middle School (911; 6–8, from Franklin, Lincoln, Monroe, and some Lindeneau), Thomas Jefferson Middle School (868; 6–8, from Lindeneau, Marshall and Washington), Woodrow Wilson Middle School (1,163; from Menlo Park and Woodbrook), Edison High School (2,243; 9–12, from Hoover and Jefferson) and J.P. Stevens High School (2,643; 9–12, from Adams and Wilson). J.P. Stevens was the 80th-ranked public high school in New Jersey out of 328 schools statewide in ''

New Jersey Monthly ''New Jersey Monthly'' is an American monthly magazine featuring issues of possible interest to residents of New Jersey New Jersey is a U.S. state, state located in both the Mid-Atlantic States, Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern United St ...

'' magazine's September 2012 cover story on the state's "Top Public High Schools", after being ranked 65th in 2010 out of 322 schools listed, while Edison High School was ranked 174 in 2012 and 169 in 2010. According to '' U.S. News & World Report'' in 2016, J.P. Stevens ranked 41st within New Jersey and 905th nationally, while Edison H.S. ranked 59th and 2,015th. The community is also served by the Greater Brunswick Charter School, a K–8

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 from Edison, Highland Park, Milltown and

. As of the 2021–22 school year, the school had an enrollment of 399 students and 32.5 classroom teachers (on an FTE basis), for a

of 12.3:1. Eighth grade students from all of Middlesex County are eligible to apply to attend the high school programs offered by the Middlesex County Magnet Schools, a county-wide vocational school district that offers full-time career and technical education at its schools in East Brunswick, Edison, Perth Amboy, Piscataway and Woodbridge Township, with no tuition charged to students for attendance. Middlesex College is home to Edison Academy Magnet School.

Private schools

St. Thomas Aquinas High School (9–12), St. Helena School (Pre-K–8) and St. Matthew School (Pre-K–8) operate under the supervision of Roman Catholic Diocese of Metuchen. Jewish schools in the township, which all operate independently, include Rabbi Jacob Joseph School, Rabbi Pesach Raymon Yeshiva (Pre-K–8, founded in 1945) and Yeshiva Shaarei Tzion (Pre-K–8, opened in 1992). Other

private school A private school or independent school is a school not administered or funded by the government, unlike a State school, public school. Private schools are schools that are not dependent upon national or local government to finance their fina ...

s in Edison include Lakeview School (for children ages 3–21 with disabilities), Our Lady of Peace School and Wardlaw-Hartridge School (Pre-K–12, founded in 1882). In 1998, the Huaxia Edison Chinese School, which teaches in

Simplified Chinese Simplification, Simplify, or Simplified may refer to: Mathematics Simplification is the process of replacing a mathematical expression by an equivalent one that is simpler (usually shorter), according to a well-founded ordering. Examples include: ...

on Sunday afternoons, was established in Thomas Jefferson Middle School, subsequently relocating to Herbert Hoover Middle School. Huaxia currently resides in Edison High School. However, many families from Taiwan send their children to Edison Chinese School, located at John Adams Middle School, or Tzu Chi, located at Woodrow Wilson Middle School. These schools both teach

Traditional Chinese A tradition is a system of beliefs or behaviors (folk custom) passed down within a group of people or society with symbolic meaning or special significance with origins in the past. A component of cultural expressions and folklore, common examp ...

. J.P. Stevens High School offers

Mandarin Chinese Mandarin ( ; zh, s=, t=, p=Guānhuà, l=Mandarin (bureaucrat), officials' speech) is the largest branch of the Sinitic languages. Mandarin varieties are spoken by 70 percent of all Chinese speakers over a large geographical area that stretch ...

and Standard Hindi as an elective language for students who are interested in learning it.

Colleges

Lincoln Tech is a for-profit vocational school located in Edison. Lincoln Tech offers various programs in Nursing and in medical and computer applications. Middlesex College is a public, two-year

community college A community college is a type of undergraduate higher education institution, generally leading to an associate degree, certificate, or diploma. The term can have different meanings in different countries: many community colleges have an open enr ...

located in Edison at the intersection of Woodbridge Avenue and Mill Road.

's Livingston campus is located on the former Camp Kilmer, partially located in Edison.

Libraries

Edison has three public library branches: The Main Branch, North Edison Branch and the Clara Barton Branch.

Infrastructure

Transportation

Roads and highways

Edison is a

transport hub A transport hub is a place where passengers and cargo are exchanged between vehicles and/or between mode of transport, transport modes. Public transport hubs include train station, railway stations, metro station, rapid transit stations, bus ...

, with an extensive network of highways passing through the township and connecting to major Northeast cities, New York City,

Boston Boston is the capital and most populous city in the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Massachusetts in the United States. The city serves as the cultural and Financial centre, financial center of New England, a region of the Northeas ...

Philadelphia Philadelphia ( ), colloquially referred to as Philly, is the List of municipalities in Pennsylvania, most populous city in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania and the List of United States cities by population, sixth-most populous city in the Unit ...

, Trenton and

Washington, D.C. Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly known as Washington or D.C., is the capital city and federal district of the United States. The city is on the Potomac River, across from Virginia, and shares land borders with ...

Edison is located about from

Newark Liberty International Airport Newark Liberty International Airport is a major international airport serving the New York metropolitan area. The airport straddles the boundary between the cities of Newark, New Jersey, Newark in Essex County, New Jersey, Essex County and E ...

, a 30 to 45 minute drive. , the township had a total of of roadways, of which were maintained by the municipality, by Middlesex 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 transport ...

and by the New Jersey Turnpike Authority. State highways include Route 27 and

440 Year 440 (Roman numerals, CDXL) was a leap year starting on Monday of the Julian calendar. At the time, it was known as the Year of the Consulship of Valentinian III, Valentinianus and Anatolius (consul), Anatolius (or, less frequently, year ...

, both of which are state-maintained. U.S. Route 1 also passes through the township.

passes through Edison, where it houses its southern end at I-95. The municipality also houses about a section of the New Jersey Turnpike (

Interstate 95 Interstate 95 (I-95) is the main north–south Interstate Highway on the East Coast of the United States, running from U.S. Route 1 (US 1) in Miami, Florida, north to the Houlton–Woodstock Border Crossing between Maine and the ...

). Exit 10 is located in Edison, featuring a 13-lane toll gate and a unique interchange design. When the "dual-dual" setup of the turnpike was created, it first started in Edison and continued north to Exit 14 in Newark. It wasn't until 1973 that the "dual-dual" was extended south of 10 to Exit 9 in East Brunswick Township (and then extended further south in 1990 to Exit 8A in Monroe Township). Since

connects to Interstate 87 (the New York State Thruway), Exit 10 (of the turnpike) is one of the busiest interchanges to be used by tractor-trailers as it connects the New Jersey Turnpike to the New York Thruway. For truck drivers, it is the only direct limited-access road connection they have from the Turnpike to the Thruway as the

Garden State Parkway The Garden State Parkway (GSP) is a Controlled-access highway, controlled-access toll road that stretches the north–south length of eastern New Jersey from the state's southernmost tip near Cape May, New Jersey, Cape May north to the New York ...

, which has its northern terminus at the Thruway, prohibits trucks from using the roadway north of Exit 105. In 2009, the

selected Edison as one of the first communities to have a

red light camera A red light camera (short for red light running camera ) is a type of traffic enforcement camera that photographs a vehicle that has entered an intersection after the traffic signal controlling the intersection has turned red. By automatically pho ...

enforcement system. The program was ended by the state in December 2014, despite a more than 30% drop in accidents at the three camera-controlled intersections in the township.

Public transportation

Edison station, located in South Edison, is served by NJ Transit northbound trains to Newark Penn Station and New York Penn Station, and southbound to the Trenton Transit Center via the

Northeast Corridor Line The Northeast Corridor Line is a commuter rail service operated by NJ Transit between the Trenton Transit Center and New York Penn Station on Amtrak's Northeast Corridor in the United States. The service is the successor to Pennsylvania Railroad ...

, with connecting service to

Amtrak The National Railroad Passenger Corporation, Trade name, doing business as Amtrak (; ), is the national Passenger train, passenger railroad company of the United States. It operates intercity rail service in 46 of the 48 contiguous United Stat ...

, and

SEPTA SEPTA, the Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority, is a regional public transportation authority that operates bus, rapid transit, commuter rail, light rail, and electric trolleybus services for nearly four million people througho ...

. Some passengers in North Edison are closer to, and may prefer to use, the

Metropark station Metropark station is an Intermodal passenger transport, intermodal transportation hub on the Northeast Corridor in the Iselin, New Jersey, Iselin section of Woodbridge Township, New Jersey, Woodbridge Township in Middlesex County, New Jersey th ...

(near neighboring Iselin in Woodbridge Township) or Metuchen station. NJ Transit bus service is provided on the 48 route to Elizabeth, with local service available on the 801, 804, 805, 810, 813, 814, and 819 routes. The Taiwanese airline

China Airlines China Airlines (CAL; zh, t=中華航空, poj=Tiong-hôa Hâng-khong, p=Zhōnghuá Hángkōng, first=t, c=, s=) is the state-owned flag carrier of the Taiwan, Republic of China (Taiwan). It is one of Taiwan's two major airlines, along with E ...

provides private bus service to

John F. Kennedy International Airport John F. Kennedy International Airport is a major international airport serving New York City and its metropolitan area. JFK Airport is located on the southwestern shore of Long Island, in Queens, New York City, bordering Jamaica Bay. It is ...

from the Kam Man Food location in Edison to feed its flight to

Taipei , nickname = The City of Azaleas , image_map = , map_caption = , pushpin_map = Taiwan#Asia#Pacific Ocean#Earth , coordinates = , subdivision_type = Country ...

Taiwan Taiwan, officially the Republic of China (ROC), is a country in East Asia. The main geography of Taiwan, island of Taiwan, also known as ''Formosa'', lies between the East China Sea, East and South China Seas in the northwestern Pacific Ocea ...

Healthcare

JFK Medical Center, located on James Street off Parsonage Road is a 498-bed hospital founded in 1967. Roosevelt Care Center is a long term/sub-acute care facility located just east of Roosevelt Park. The facility was original constructed in 1936 under the auspices of the

Work Projects Administration The Works Progress Administration (WPA; from 1935 to 1939, then known as the Work Projects Administration from 1939 to 1943) was an American New Deal agency that employed millions of jobseekers (mostly men who were not formally educated) to car ...

. Edison is served by the Raritan Valley Regional EMS. The squad consists of three sub-squads, Edison First Aid Squad #1 (established in 1935), Edison First Aid Squad #2 (since 1936) and Clara Barton First Aid Squad (since 1951). The three squads merged in 2009 to better provide residents of Edison with more comprehensive care. RVREMS receives support from paramedics out of JFK Medical Center. The squad consists of approximately 50 volunteer EMTs.

Telecommunications

Edison is served by

area codes 732 and 848 Area codes 732 and 848 are telephone area codes in the North American Numbering Plan (NANP) for parts of the U.S. state of New Jersey. History In the original configuration of the first nationwide telephone numbering plan of 1947, all of New Je ...

and 908. Area Code 848 is an overlay area code that was created so that a split was not needed. Edison has five Verizon Central offices serving the Township: * Central Office Rahway (Switch ID: RHWYNJRADS5) (Area Code 732): Serving from Wood Avenue North to Roxy Avenue on the west side of the Street inward to New Dover Road. * Central Office Plainfield (Switch ID: PLFDNJPFDS5) (Area Code 908): Serving Roxy Avenue heading north into South Plainfield on both sides of Inman Avenue. * Central Office Metuchen (Switch ID: MTCHNJMTDS5) (Area Code 732): Serving Edison, Metuchen and Iselin (Technically Iselin Numbers that have 732–283 and 732–404 are routed out of the Woodbridge Office Switch ID: WDBRNJWDDS5). * Central Office Edison (Switch ID: EDSNNJEDDS5): Serving South Edison with phone numbers that come up as "New Brunswick" – 732–339, 732–393, 732–572, 732–777, 732–819, 732–985, and Exchanges for "Metuchen" that are 732–248, 732–287, 732–650. * Central Office Fords (Switch ID: FRDSNJFRDS5): Serving Eastern Edison area and Raritan Center areas with 732–225, 732–346, 732–417, 732–512 and Perth Amboy Exchanges 732–661, 732–738. In 1982, the BPU and New Jersey Bell, after receiving thousands of complaints from both North and South Edison residents, made an exception that any calls originating and terminating in the Township would be considered a local call. This was due to the new home construction in Edison where existing cables that belonged to the Rahway central office were assigned to give new phone service to over 400 homes. In 1997, mandatory

ten-digit dialing Ten-digit dialing is a telephone dialing procedure in the countries and territories of the North American Numbering Plan (NANP). It is the practice of including the area code of a telephone number when Dialling (telephony), dialing to initiate a t ...

came to Edison with the introduction of Area code 732. Edison residents living on Roxy Avenue once again were in the spotlight in the news, with one side of the street served by the Rahway central office (Area code 732) and the other side of the street is served by the Plainfield central office (Area Code 908). Residents complained to the BPU and Bell Atlantic that it would be easier to yell across the street than dial a ten-digit number to call their neighbor across the street. Edison has Cablevision's Optimum cable television service. Before Cablevision, there was TKR, which was so poorly run that many FCC and BPU complaints about programming and many town hall meetings eventually forced change. TKR was bought out by Cablevision.

Sister cities

Hebei Hebei is a Provinces of China, province in North China. It is China's List of Chinese administrative divisions by population, sixth-most populous province, with a population of over 75 million people. Shijiazhuang is the capital city. It bor ...

, China *

Vadodara Vadodara (), also known as Baroda, is a city situated on the banks of the Vishwamitri River in the Indian state of Gujarat. It serves as the administrative headquarters of the Vadodara district. The city is named for its abundance of banyan ...

Gujarat Gujarat () is a States of India, state along the Western India, western coast of India. Its coastline of about is the longest in the country, most of which lies on the Kathiawar peninsula. Gujarat is the List of states and union territories ...

, India

Notable people

People who were born in, residents of, or otherwise closely associated with Edison include: * Peter J. Barnes Jr. (1928–2018), Chairman of the New Jersey State Parole Board who had served in the

* Peter J. Barnes III (born 1956), politician who serves in the

and previously on the Edison Township Council * Tyus Battle (born 1997), college basketball player for the

Syracuse Orange The Syracuse Orange are the college athletics in the United States, athletic teams that represent Syracuse University. The school is a member of NCAA Division I and the Atlantic Coast Conference. Until 2013, Syracuse was a member of the Big East ...

* Brandon Bielak (born 1996),

pitcher In baseball, the pitcher is the player who throws ("Pitch (baseball), pitches") the Baseball (ball), baseball from the pitcher's mound toward the catcher to begin each play, with the goal of out (baseball), retiring a batter (baseball), batter, ...

for the

Houston Astros The Houston Astros are an American professional baseball team based in Houston. The Astros compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) American League West, West Division. They are one of two major leag ...

Major League Baseball Major League Baseball (MLB) is a professional baseball league composed of 30 teams, divided equally between the National League (baseball), National League (NL) and the American League (AL), with 29 in the United States and 1 in Canada. MLB i ...

* Gayleatha B. Brown (1947–2013), United States Ambassador to Benin and to

Burkina Faso Burkina Faso is a landlocked country in West Africa, bordered by Mali to the northwest, Niger to the northeast, Benin to the southeast, Togo and Ghana to the south, and Ivory Coast to the southwest. It covers an area of 274,223 km2 (105,87 ...

* David Bryan (born 1962), keyboardist, founding member of

Bon Jovi Bon Jovi is an American Rock music, rock band formed in Sayreville, New Jersey in 1983. The band consists of singer Jon Bon Jovi, keyboardist David Bryan, drummer Tico Torres, guitarists John Shanks and Phil X, percussionist Everett Bradley ...

* Michael Campbell (born 1989),

wide receiver A wide receiver (WR), also referred to as a wideout, and historically known as a split end (SE) or flanker (FL), is an eligible receiver in gridiron football. A key skill position of the offense (American football), offense, WR gets its name ...

who played in the NFL for the

New York Jets The New York Jets are a professional American football team based in the New York metropolitan area. The Jets compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC East, East division. The team p ...

* Leonte Carroo (born 1994), wide receiver who has played in the NFL for the

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

* Alan Chez (born 1961), trumpet player for the ''

Late Show with David Letterman ''Late Show with David Letterman'' is an American late-night talk show hosted by David Letterman on CBS, the first iteration of the ''Late Show'' franchise. The show debuted on August 30, 1993, and was produced by Letterman's production com ...

'' * Jun Choi (born 1971), politician who served as Mayor of Edison * Rich Clementi (born 1976),

mixed martial arts Mixed martial arts (MMA) is a full-contact fighting combat sport, sport based on strike (attack), striking and grappling; incorporating techniques from various combat sports from around the world. In the early 20th century, various inter-s ...

fighter *

Ken Cuccinelli Kenneth Thomas "Cooch” Cuccinelli II ( ; born July 30, 1968) is an American lawyer and politician who served as the acting Deputy Secretary of Homeland Security from 2019 to 2021. A member of the Republican Party (United States), Republican Pa ...

(born 1968), former

Attorney General of Virginia The attorney general of Virginia is an elected constitutional position that holds an Executive (government), executive office in the government of Virginia. Attorneys general are elected for a four-year term in the year following a United State ...

* Jerry Dior (1932–2015),

graphic designer A graphic designer is a practitioner who follows the discipline of graphic design, either within companies or organizations or independently. They are professionals in design and visual communication, with their primary focus on transforming ...

, best known for creating the

Major League Baseball logo The Major League Baseball logo was designed by Jerry Dior in 1968 and was included on all on-field uniforms of Major League Baseball (MLB) employees beginning in the 1969 Major League Baseball season, 1969 season. Creation The logo was created i ...

* Tom Dwan (born 1986), professional poker player * Bernard J. Dwyer (1921–1998), politician who served in the

United States House of Representatives The United States House of Representatives is a chamber of the Bicameralism, bicameral United States Congress; it is the lower house, with the U.S. Senate being the upper house. Together, the House and Senate have the authority under Artic ...

from 1981 to 1993 *

(1847–1931), inventor, businessman and entrepeneur who is the township's namesake * Katherine Polk Failla (born 1969), United States district judge of the

United States District Court for the Southern District of New York The United States District Court for the Southern District of New York (in case citations, S.D.N.Y.) is a federal trial court whose geographic jurisdiction encompasses eight counties of the State of New York. Two of these are in New York Ci ...

* Darren Fenster (born 1978), former professional baseball player who has been a manager in the

Boston Red Sox The Boston Red Sox are an American professional baseball team based in Boston. The Red Sox compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) American League East, East Division. Founded in as one of the Ameri ...

Minor League Baseball Minor League Baseball (MiLB) is a professional baseball organization below Major League Baseball (MLB), constituted of teams affiliated with MLB clubs. It was founded on September 5, 1901, in response to the growing dominance of the National Le ...

system * Gail Fisher (1935–2000), actress best known for her role on ''

Mannix ''Mannix'' is an American detective television series that originally aired for eight seasons on CBS from September 16, 1967, to March 13, 1975. The show was created by Richard Levinson and William Link, and developed by executive producer ...

'' * Rich Gaspari (born 1963), retired

professional A professional is a member of a profession or any person who work (human activity), works in a specified professional activity. The term also describes the standards of education and training that prepare members of the profession with the partic ...

bodybuilder and founder of supplement company Gaspari Nutrition who was inducted into the IFBB Hall of Fame in 2004 * Greg Gigantino (born ),

college football College football is gridiron football that is played by teams of amateur Student athlete, student-athletes at universities and colleges. It was through collegiate competition that gridiron football American football in the United States, firs ...

coach who was the head football coach for Iona College in 1984 *

Frank Guinta Frank Christopher Guinta (born September 26, 1970) is an American businessman and politician who represented New Hampshire's 1st congressional district in the United States House of Representatives from 2011 to 2013 and 2015 to 2017. A member of ...

(born 1970), served in the U.S. House of Representatives from

New Hampshire's 1st congressional district New Hampshire's 1st congressional district covers parts of Southern New Hampshire and the eastern portion of the state. The district contains parts of Hillsborough, Rockingham, Merrimack, Grafton, and Belknap counties; and the entirety of ...

* Halsey (born 1994 as Ashley Nicolette Frangipane) singer-songwriter * John Jay Hoffman (born 1965), lawyer who served as the acting

attorney general of New Jersey The attorney general of New Jersey is a member of the executive cabinet of the state and oversees the New Jersey Department of Law and Public Safety, Department of Law and Public Safety. The office is appointed by the governor of New Jersey, confi ...

from 2013 to 2016 * Alexander Julien (born 1988), musician, member of Vision Eternel, lived in the Briarwood East community * Clarence Lewis,

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

defensive back In gridiron football, defensive backs (DBs), also called the secondary, are the players on the defensive side of the ball who play farthest back from the line of scrimmage. They are distinguished from the other two sets of defensive players, the ...

for the

Tennessee Titans The Tennessee Titans are a professional American football team based in Nashville, Tennessee. The Titans compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC South, South division. They play the ...

of the * Pamela Long, singer with former Bad Boy group Total * Paul Matey (born 1971), attorney who is a United States circuit judge of the

United States Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit The United States Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit (in case citations, 3d Cir.) is a United States federal court, federal court with appellate jurisdiction over the United States district court, district courts for the following United Sta ...

* Patrick McDonnell (born 1956), cartoonist, creator '' Mutts'' comics * Earl Schenck Miers (1910–1972), historian who wrote extensively about the

American Civil War The American Civil War (April 12, 1861May 26, 1865; also known by Names of the American Civil War, other names) was a civil war in the United States between the Union (American Civil War), Union ("the North") and the Confederate States of A ...

* Victor Mitchell (born 1965), former member of the Colorado House of Representatives * Akash Modi (born 1995), artistic gymnast who represented the United States at the 2018 World Artistic Gymnastics Championships *

Brittany Murphy Brittany Anne Murphy-Monjack (; November 10, 1977 – December 20, 2009) was an American actress and singer, known for her work in both comedy and drama. Born in Atlanta, Murphy moved to Los Angeles as a teenager to pursue a career in a ...

(1977–2009), actress * Jim Norton (born 1968), stand-up comedian * Margie Palatini, author of books for children * Robert Pastorelli (1954–2004), theater, film and television actor * Zach Perez (born 1996), professional

soccer Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a team sport played between two teams of 11 Football player, players who almost exclusively use their feet to propel a Ball (association football), ball around a rectangular f ...

player who plays as a defender for

USL League One USL League One (USL1) is a professional men's association football, soccer league in the United States that had its inaugural season in 2019 USL League One season, 2019. The United States soccer league system, Division III league is operated ...

club

Richmond Kickers Richmond Kickers is an American professional soccer club based in Richmond, Virginia. The Kickers compete as a member of USL League One (USL1). The club was established in 1993, and began play that same year as a United States Interregional S ...

* Marc Pisciotta (born 1970), former Major League Baseball pitcher * Mark L. Polansky (born 1956),

NASA The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA ) is an independent agencies of the United States government, independent agency of the federal government of the United States, US federal government responsible for the United States ...

astronaut * Bernard Purdie (born 1939), prolific session drummer * Retta (born 1970), comedian and actress, best known for her roles of Donna Meagle on NBC's ''Parks and Recreation'' and Ruby Hill on NBC's ''Good Girls (TV series), Good Girls'' * Jim Rose (sports anchor), Jim Rose (born 1953), sports anchor for WLS-TV in Chicago, Illinois * Matt Salzberg, businessperson and entrepreneur who co-founded Blue Apron (where he was CEO), Embark Veterinary and Suma Brands * Susan Sarandon (born 1946), actress, lived in the Stephenville community * Jasmin Singer (born 1979), animal rights activist, writer, speaker and actress * Janet Smith (runner), Janet Smith, former long-distance running, long-distance runner who competed in the 5000 metres, 5000-meter run, 10,000 metres, 10000-meter run and Cross country running, cross country * Chris Snee (born 1982), guard who has played for the New York Giants * George A. Spadoro (born 1955), former mayor of Edison, Council President and Assemblyman * Joel Stein (born 1971), ''Los Angeles Times'' columnist * Robert T. Stevens (1899–1983), businessman and former chairman of WestPoint Home, J.P. Stevens and Company * Anthony Stolarz (born 1994), professional ice hockey Goaltender (ice hockey), goaltender for the Toronto Maple Leafs of the National Hockey League and 2024 Stanley Cup Finals, 2024 Stanley Cup Champion * Jim Stoops (born 1972), former professional baseball

who played for one season in MLB for the Colorado Rockies * Jennifer Sung (born 1972), lawyer who is a nominee to be a United States circuit judge of the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit * Marques Townes (born 1995), basketball player for the Loyola Ramblers men's basketball team, who transferred out of Cardinal McCarrick after his sophomore year * Karl-Anthony Towns (born 1995), professional basketball player for the New York Knicks * Mike Vallely (born 1970), professional skateboarder and lead singer of Black Flag (band), Black Flag * Gary Vaynerchuk (born 1975), entrepreneur and Internet personality who spent much of his childhood in Edison * Jeffrey A. Warsh (born 1960), politician who served two terms in the

, from 1992 to 1996, where he represented the New Jersey's 18th legislative district, 18th Legislative District * Darrin Winston (1966–2008), played two seasons in

for the Philadelphia Phillies * Jeremy Zuttah (born 1986), offensive lineman for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Notable places

* Advian, which in 2012 featured what was then the nation's largest solar rooftop installation at . * Bonhamtown, site of a battle during the

Chang, Kathy; and Kesten, Karen L
"Birth of a town"
''Edison Sentinel'', December 30, 2009. Accessed September 17, 2017. "The Bonhamtown section of Edison was named after Nicholas Bonham, a freeholder from 1682 to 1683. In his book ''Welcome to Edison – An Enlightening Community'', David C. Sheehan writes that Bonhamtown at the time was 'a hamlet town [of few homes], which is said to have been the site of an old Indian Village and later a Continental Army camp and battleground during the Revolution. * Camp Kilmer, a World War II era army post, was partially located in what is now Edison. * Dismal Swamp, preserved wetlands area that also includes portions of Metuchen and South Plainfield. * Durham Woods, a complex of several apartment buildings and scene of the Edison, New Jersey natural gas explosion in 1994, in which a 36-inch natural gas pipeline burst and exploded, destroying buildings in the area. * Edison Landfill, landfill site undergoing environmental cleanup since it was ordered closed in 1977. * Edison station in South Edison, offering service on NJ Transit's

. * ILR Landfill, closed landfill site owned by Industrial Land Reclaiming (ILR) providing power to Middlesex County's wastewater treatment operations from methane gas recovery. * Kin-Buc Landfill, former landfill and Superfund site where of hazardous waste was dumped. * Laing House of Plainfield Plantation, historic home built in the early 1700s when the region was being settled by Scottish Quakers in the late 17th and early 18th century. * Roosevelt Park (Edison, New Jersey), Roosevelt Park, a 196-acre park next to Menlo Park Mall. *

Menlo Park Mall Menlo Park Mall is a two-level Super-regional mall, super regional shopping mall, located on U.S. Route 1 in New Jersey, U.S. Route 1 and Parsonage Road in Edison, New Jersey. The mall has a gross leasable area of Iselin section of Woodbridge Township is known for its large concentration of Indian stores and restaurants. * The Thomas Alva Edison Memorial Tower and Museum, in Menlo Park, dedicated in 1938. Located in Edison State Park, at the site where its namesake inventor invented the

and the

. * Tastee Sub Shop is a popular sandwich establishment off of Route 27 Lincoln Highway in South Edison that President

visited in 2010 as part of a small business campaign.Friedman, Matt
"President Obama meets small business owners at Edison Tastee Sub Shop"
NJ Advance Media for NJ.com, July 28, 2010. Accessed February 7, 2024.

References

External links

* {{Authority control Edison, New Jersey, 1870 establishments in New Jersey Faulkner Act (mayor–council) Little Indias Populated places established in 1870 Thomas Edison Townships in New Jersey Townships in Middlesex County, New Jersey