Gloucester County, New Jersey
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Gloucester County ( ) is a
county A county () is a geographic region of a country used for administrative or other purposesL. Brookes (ed.) '' Chambers Dictionary''. Edinburgh: Chambers Harrap Publishers Ltd, 2005. in some nations. The term is derived from the Old French denoti ...
in the
U.S. state In the United States, a state is a constituent political entity, of which there are 50. Bound together in a political union, each state holds governmental jurisdiction over a separate and defined geographic territory where it shares its so ...
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 ...
. As of the 2020 census, the county was the state's 14th-most populous countyTable1. 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 302,294, its highest decennial count ever and an increase of 14,006 (+4.9%) from the 288,288 counted in the 2010 census, which in turn represented an increase of 33,615 (+13.2%) from the 2000 census population of 254,673. 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 ...
's
Population Estimates Program The Population Estimates Program (PEP) is a program of the U.S. Census Bureau that publishes annual population estimates and estimates of birth, death, and international migration rates for people in the United States. In addition to publishing t ...
estimated a 2024 population of 311,783, an increase of 9,489 (+3.1%) from the 2020 decennial census. Its
county seat A county seat is an administrative center, seat of government, or capital city of a county or parish (administrative division), civil parish. The term is in use in five countries: Canada, China, Hungary, Romania, and the United States. An equiva ...
is Woodbury.New Jersey County Map
New Jersey Department of State The secretary of state of New Jersey oversees the Department of State, which is one of the original state offices. The Secretary is responsible for overseeing New Jersey State Council on the Arts, artistic, cultural, and New Jersey Historical Com ...
. Accessed January 6, 2023.
The county is part of the
South Jersey South Jersey, also known as Southern New Jersey, comprises the southern portion of the U.S. state of New Jersey. It is located between Pennsylvania and the lower Delaware River to its west, the Atlantic Ocean to its east, Delaware to its south, ...
region of the state. The county's largest municipality by population in 2020 was Washington Township, with a population of 48,677, while the largest municipality by area was Franklin Township, which covered . The county is part of the
Camden, New Jersey Camden is a City (New Jersey), city in Camden County, New Jersey, Camden County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey. It is part of the Delaware Valley metropolitan region. The city was incorporated on February 13, 1828.Snyder, John P''The Story of ...
metropolitan division of both the Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington metropolitan statistical area, and the Delaware Valley combined statistical area. Gloucester County borders
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 ...
, the nation's sixth-most populous city, to its northwest across the
Delaware River The Delaware River is a major river in the Mid-Atlantic region of the United States and is the longest free-flowing (undammed) river in the Eastern United States. From the meeting of its branches in Hancock, New York, the river flows for a ...
.
Atlantic City Atlantic City, sometimes referred to by its initials A.C., is a Jersey Shore seaside resort city in Atlantic County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey. Atlantic City comprises the second half of the Atlantic City- Hammonton metropolitan sta ...
is to the county's southeast. Gloucester County and adjacent Salem County, also in South Jersey, have become an East Coast epicenter for
logistics Logistics is the part of supply chain management that deals with the efficient forward and reverse flow of goods, services, and related information from the point of origin to the Consumption (economics), point of consumption according to the ...
and
warehouse A warehouse is a building for storing goods. Warehouses are used by manufacturers, importers, exporters, wholesalers, transport businesses, customs, etc. They are usually large plain buildings in industrial parks on the rural–urban fringe, out ...
construction.


History

Woodbury, the county seat, was founded in 1683 and is the county's oldest municipality.
National Park A national park is a nature park designated for conservation (ethic), conservation purposes because of unparalleled national natural, historic, or cultural significance. It is an area of natural, semi-natural, or developed land that is protecte ...
in Gloucester County was the site of the
American Revolutionary War The American Revolutionary War (April 19, 1775 – September 3, 1783), also known as the Revolutionary War or American War of Independence, was the armed conflict that comprised the final eight years of the broader American Revolution, in which Am ...
's Battle of Red Bank, where
Fort Mercer Fort Mercer was an earthen fort on the eastern shores of the Delaware River in New Jersey that was constructed by the Continental Army during the American Revolutionary War. The fort was built in 1777 by Polish engineer Thaddeus Kosciuszko und ...
once stood. It is now the site of Red Bank Battlefield Park in National Park. The remains of the
Royal Navy The Royal Navy (RN) is the naval warfare force of the United Kingdom. It is a component of His Majesty's Naval Service, and its officers hold their commissions from the King of the United Kingdom, King. Although warships were used by Kingdom ...
's were laid in Red Bank Battlefield Park until they were later moved to Gloucester City. During the colonial era, Gloucester County's main industry sector was agriculture. Woodbury was the site of the county courthouse, the county jail, a
Quaker Quakers are people who belong to the Religious Society of Friends, a historically Protestant Christian set of denominations. Members refer to each other as Friends after in the Bible, and originally, others referred to them as Quakers ...
meeting house that is still in existence, and an inn located on the current location of Woodbury Crossings. Due in part to the county's many creeks that lead to the
Delaware River The Delaware River is a major river in the Mid-Atlantic region of the United States and is the longest free-flowing (undammed) river in the Eastern United States. From the meeting of its branches in Hancock, New York, the river flows for a ...
and
Atlantic Ocean The Atlantic Ocean is the second largest of the world's five borders of the oceans, oceanic divisions, with an area of about . It covers approximately 17% of Earth#Surface, Earth's surface and about 24% of its water surface area. During the ...
, smuggling was once common in the county.


Etymology

The county is named after the city of
Gloucester Gloucester ( ) is a cathedral city, non-metropolitan district and the county town of Gloucestershire in the South West England, South West of England. Gloucester lies on the River Severn, between the Cotswolds to the east and the Forest of Dean ...
and county of
Gloucestershire Gloucestershire ( , ; abbreviated Glos.) is a Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in South West England. It is bordered by Herefordshire to the north-west, Worcestershire to the north, Warwickshire to the north-east, Oxfordshire ...
in England.


Geography and climate

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, as of the 2020 census, the county had a total area of , of which was land (95.6%) and was water (4.4%).2020 Census Gazetteer File for Counties in New Jersey
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 ...
. Accessed April 1, 2023.
Gloucester County is largely comprised of low-lying rivers and coastal plains, stretching southeastward from the
Delaware River The Delaware River is a major river in the Mid-Atlantic region of the United States and is the longest free-flowing (undammed) river in the Eastern United States. From the meeting of its branches in Hancock, New York, the river flows for a ...
to the New Jersey Pine Barrens. The highest elevation in the county is a slight rise on County Road 654 southeast of Monroe Township that rises to approximately above sea level. The county's lowest elevation is at sea level on the
Delaware River The Delaware River is a major river in the Mid-Atlantic region of the United States and is the longest free-flowing (undammed) river in the Eastern United States. From the meeting of its branches in Hancock, New York, the river flows for a ...
.


Climate and weather

Average temperatures in the county seat of Woodbury have ranged from a low of in January to a high of in July. A record low of was recorded in February 1934 and a record high of was recorded in August 1918. Average monthly precipitation ranged from in February to in July. The county has a
humid subtropical climate A humid subtropical climate is a subtropical -temperate climate type, characterized by long and hot summers, and cool to mild winters. These climates normally lie on the southeast side of all continents (except Antarctica), generally between ...
(''Cfa''). Average monthly temperatures in Newfield range from 33.0 °F in January to 76.6 °F in July.


Demographics

Swedesboro and
Bridgeport Bridgeport is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Connecticut and the fifth-most populous city in New England, with a population of 148,654 in 2020. Located in eastern Fairfield County at the mouth of the Pequonnock River on Long Is ...
were among the earliest European settlements in
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 ...
and were both part of the 17th century
New Sweden New Sweden () was a colony of the Swedish Empire between 1638 and 1655 along the lower reaches of the Delaware River in what is now Delaware, Maryland, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania. Established during the Thirty Years' War when Sweden was a g ...
colony. Gloucester County dates back to May 26, 1686, when courts were established separate from those in Burlington County. On May 17, 1694, the county was officially formed and its boundaries defined as part of
West Jersey West Jersey and East Jersey were two distinct parts of the Province of New Jersey. The political division existed for 28 years, between 1674 and 1702. Determination of an exact location for a border between West Jersey and East Jersey was often ...
. Portions of Gloucester County were set off on February 7, 1837, to create Atlantic County. On March 13, 1844, its boundaries were again defined as part of the creation of neighboring Camden County.Snyder, John P
''The Story of New Jersey's Civil Boundaries: 1606–1968''
Bureau of Geology and Topography; Trenton, New Jersey; 1969. p. 137. Accessed January 21, 2013.
The county was named for the city of
Gloucester Gloucester ( ) is a cathedral city, non-metropolitan district and the county town of Gloucestershire in the South West England, South West of England. Gloucester lies on the River Severn, between the Cotswolds to the east and the Forest of Dean ...
and the county of
Gloucestershire Gloucestershire ( , ; abbreviated Glos.) is a Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in South West England. It is bordered by Herefordshire to the north-west, Worcestershire to the north, Warwickshire to the north-east, Oxfordshire ...
in the United Kingdom.


2020 census

As of the 2020 United States census, the county's population was 302,294, representing an increase of 14,006 (4.9%) from 288,288 enumerated in the 2010 U.S. census.


2010 census

The 2010 United States census counted 288,288 people, 104,271 households, and 75,805 families in the county. The population density was . There were 109,796 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup was 83.56% (240,890)
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 ...
, 10.06% (29,006) Black or African American, 0.17% (501) Native American, 2.64% (7,609) Asian, 0.03% (95)
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 ...
, 1.41% (4,055) from other races, and 2.13% (6,132) from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 4.76% (13,712) of the population. Of the 104,271 households, 33.4% had children under the age of 18; 55.6% were married couples living together; 12.4% had a female householder with no husband present and 27.3% were non-families. Of all households, 22% were made up of individuals and 8.9% 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 3.2. 24.4% of the population were under the age of 18, 9.4% from 18 to 24, 25.6% from 25 to 44, 28.3% from 45 to 64, and 12.4% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38.7 years. For every 100 females, the population had 94.4 males. For every 100 females ages 18 and older there were 91.1 males.


Economy

The
Bureau of Economic Analysis The Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA) of the United States Department of Commerce is a U.S. government agency that provides official macroeconomic and industry statistics, most notably reports about the gross domestic product (GDP) of the United ...
calculated that the county's
gross domestic product Gross domestic product (GDP) is a monetary measure of the total market value of all the final goods and services produced and rendered in a specific time period by a country or countries. GDP is often used to measure the economic performanc ...
was $14.0 billion in 2021, which was ranked 14th in the state and was a 2.8% increase from the prior year.


Education


Colleges and universities

Rowan University Rowan University is a public research university in Glassboro, New Jersey, with a medical campus in Stratford and medical and academic campuses in Camden. Founded in 1923 as Glassboro Normal School on a site donated by 107 residents, the scho ...
in Glassboro is a
public university A public university, state university, or public college is a university or college that is State ownership, owned by the state or receives significant funding from a government. Whether a national university is considered public varies from o ...
that was founded in 1923 on a site donated by the borough. Rowan College of South Jersey is the county college for Gloucester County. It was established in 1966 as Gloucester County College and opened to students two years later in 1968. Its main campus is in Sewell in Gloucester County; it also operates two satellite campuses in Vineland and Millville, both in
Cumberland County Cumberland County may refer to: Australia * Cumberland County, New South Wales * the former name of Cumberland Land District, Tasmania, Australia Canada *Cumberland County, Nova Scotia United Kingdom * Cumberland, historic county *Cumberl ...
.


School districts

School districts in Gloucester County include:New Jersey School Directory for Gloucester County
New Jersey Department of Education The New Jersey Department of Education (NJ DOE) administers state and federal aid programs affecting more than 1.4 million public and non-public elementary and secondary school children in the state of New Jersey. The department is headquartered ...
. Accessed August 1, 2022.
;K-12: * Clayton Public Schools * Deptford Township Schools * Glassboro Public Schools * Gloucester County Special Services School District * Gloucester County Vocational-Technical School District * Monroe Township Public Schools * Paulsboro Public Schools * Pitman School District * Washington Township Public School District * West Deptford Public Schools * Woodbury Public Schools ;Secondary * Clearview Regional High School District * Delsea Regional School District * Gateway Regional School District * Kingsway Regional School District ; Elementary (K-6, except as indicated) * East Greenwich Township School District * Elk Township School District * Franklin Township Public Schools * Greenwich Township School District (K-8) * Harrison Township School District * Logan Township School District (K-8) * Mantua Township School District * National Park School District * South Harrison Township School District * Swedesboro-Woolwich School District – Consolidated * Wenonah School District * Westville School District * Woodbury Heights School District


Vocational school

Gloucester County has a vocational school, the Gloucester County Institute of Technology, a four-year vocational-technical high school in Deptford Township that serves students from across the county and is part of the Gloucester County Vocational-Technical School District, located in Sewell.


Municipalities

Gloucester County's 24 municipalities along with population, housing units and area from the 2010 U.S. census include:


Transportation


Roads and highways

, the county had of roadways, of which is maintained by the local municipality, by Gloucester County, 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 ...
, by the
Delaware River Port Authority The Delaware River Port Authority (DRPA), officially the Delaware River Port Authority of Pennsylvania and New Jersey, is a bi-state agency instrumentality created by a congressionally approved interstate compact between the state governments ...
, by the
South Jersey Transportation Authority The South Jersey Transportation Authority (SJTA) is a quasi-private agency created by the New Jersey Legislature in 1991 to manage transportation-related services in the six South Jersey, southern New Jersey counties: Atlantic County, New Jersey, ...
, and by the
New Jersey Turnpike Authority The New Jersey Turnpike Authority (NJTA) is a state agency responsible for maintaining the New Jersey Turnpike and the Garden State Parkway, which are two toll roads in the U.S. state of New Jersey. The agency is headquartered in Woodbridge Town ...
. Various county, state, U.S. routes, and interstates pass through the county. Major county highways include County Route 534, County Route 536, County Route 538, County Route 544, County Route 551, County Route 553, County Route 555, and County Route 557. State Routes include Route 41, Route 42, which is part of the North-South Freeway,
Route 45 The following highways are numbered 45: International * AH45, Asian Highway 45 * European route E45 Burma *National Road 45 (Burma) Canada * Alberta Highway 45 * Manitoba Highway 45 * Ontario Highway 45 * Saskatchewan Highway 45 China * ...
, Route 47, Route 55, Route 77, and Route 168. Route 324 is located in Logan Township in the county. The three U.S. routes that traverse the county include:
U.S. Route 130 U.S. Route 130 (US 130) is a United States Numbered Highway System, U.S. Highway that is a spur route of U.S. Route 30 in New Jersey, U.S. Route 30, located completely within the state of New Jersey. It is signed with north and south cardinal di ...
in the northwest,
U.S. Route 322 U.S. Route 322 (US 322) is a , east–west United States Highway, traversing Ohio, Pennsylvania, and New Jersey. The road is a spur route, spur of U.S. Route 22, US 22 and one of the original highways from 1926. A portion of it at one time was c ...
near the county's center, and U.S. Route 40 at the county's southern tip. The Commodore Barry Bridge crosses the
Delaware River The Delaware River is a major river in the Mid-Atlantic region of the United States and is the longest free-flowing (undammed) river in the Eastern United States. From the meeting of its branches in Hancock, New York, the river flows for a ...
, carrying U.S. Route 322 between
Chester, Pennsylvania Chester is a city in Delaware County, Pennsylvania, United States. It is located in the Philadelphia metropolitan area (also known as the Delaware Valley) on the western bank of the Delaware River between Philadelphia and Wilmington, Delaware. ...
and Logan Township in the county. Interstate 295 is an interstate that runs through the county's northwest for about . The
New Jersey Turnpike The New Jersey Turnpike (NJTP) is a system of controlled-access highway, controlled-access toll roads in the U.S. state of New Jersey. The turnpike is maintained by the New Jersey Turnpike Authority (NJTA).The Garden State Parkway, although ma ...
passes through the county in the northwest and interchanges at Exit 2 in Woolwich Township in the county. The
Atlantic City Expressway The Atlantic City Expressway, officially numbered, but Unsigned highway, unsigned, as Route 446 and abbreviated A.C. Expressway, ACE, or ACX, and known locally as the Expressway, is a Controlled-access highway, controlled-access toll roa ...
briefly passes through the county in Washington Township before ending at an interchange with Route 42.


Public transportation

NJ Transit bus service between the county and Philadelphia Greyhound Terminal in Center City Philadelphia is available on the 313 and 315 routes. Additional public transportation in the county includes the
400 __NOTOC__ Year 400 (Roman numerals, CD) was a leap year starting on Sunday of the Julian calendar. In the Roman Empire, it was known as the Year of the Consulship of Stilicho and Aurelianus (consul 400), Aurelianus (or, less frequently, year ...
, 401 (from Salem), 402 (from Pennsville Township), 403, 408, 410 (from Bridgeton), and 412 (from Sewell) routes, and local service is available on the 455 (
Cherry Hill Cherry Hill often refers to: * Cherry Hill, New Jersey, a township in Camden County, New Jersey * Cherry Hill, Prince William County, Virginia, a census-designated place Cherry Hill may also refer to: Places Canada * Cherry Hill, Nova Scotia, a ...
to Paulsboro) and 463 (between Woodbury and the Avandale Park/Ride in Winslow Township) routes. The Glassboro–Camden Line, a proposed diesel multiple unit (DMU) light rail system to connect with the
River Line The River Line (stylized as River LINE) is a hybrid rail (light rail with some features similar to commuter rail) service in South Jersey, southern New Jersey that connects the cities of Camden, New Jersey, Camden and Trenton, New Jersey, Trento ...
and PATCO Speedline in Camden, was initially anticipated to be in operation by 2019. However, a lack of an official sponsor and funding source have to date delayed the project.


Freight rail

Gloucester County is located in
Conrail Conrail , formally the Consolidated Rail Corporation, was the primary Class I railroad in the Northeastern United States between 1976 and 1999. The trade name Conrail is a portmanteau based on the company's legal name. It continues to do busine ...
's South Jersey/Philadelphia Shared Assets Area, freight rail in the county travels along Penns Grove Secondary, the Salem Branch, and the Vineland Secondary. SMS Rail Lines handles interchanges with
CSX Transportation CSX Transportation , known colloquially as simply CSX, is a Class I freight railroad company operating in the Eastern United States and the Canadian provinces of Ontario and Quebec. Operating about 21,000 route miles () of track, it is the lead ...
and
Norfolk Southern Railway The Norfolk Southern Railway is a Class I freight railroad operating in the Eastern United States. Headquartered in Atlanta, the company was formed in 1982 with the merger of the Norfolk and Western Railway and Southern Railway. The comp ...
.


Port

The Port of Paulsboro is located on the
Delaware River The Delaware River is a major river in the Mid-Atlantic region of the United States and is the longest free-flowing (undammed) river in the Eastern United States. From the meeting of its branches in Hancock, New York, the river flows for a ...
and Mantua Creek in and around Paulsboro in the county. Traditionally one of the nation's busiest ports for
marine transfer operations Marine Transfer Operations are conducted at many ports around the world between tanker ships, barges, and marine terminals. Specifically, once the marine vessel is secure at the dock a loading arm or transfer hose is connected between a valve hea ...
of
petroleum product Petroleum products are materials derived from crude oil (petroleum) as it is processed in oil refineries. Unlike petrochemicals, which are a collection of well-defined usually pure organic compounds, petroleum products are complex mixtures. Mos ...
s, the port is undergoing redevelopment as an adaptable omni port able to handle bulk,
breakbulk cargo In shipping, break-bulk, breakbulk, or break bulk cargo, also called general cargo, are goods that are stowed on board ships in individually counted units. Traditionally, the large numbers of items are recorded on distinct bill of lading, bil ...
, and
shipping container A shipping container is a container with strength suitable to withstand shipment, storage, and handling. Shipping containers range from large reusable steel boxes used for intermodal shipments to the ubiquitous corrugated box design, corrugated b ...
s. Studies completed in 2012 concluded that the port is well suited to become a center for the manufacture, assembly, and transport of
wind turbine A wind turbine is a device that wind power, converts the kinetic energy of wind into electrical energy. , hundreds of thousands of list of most powerful wind turbines, large turbines, in installations known as wind farms, were generating over ...
s and platforms involved in
wind power Wind power is the use of wind energy to generate useful work. Historically, wind power was used by sails, windmills and windpumps, but today it is mostly used to generate electricity. This article deals only with wind power for electricity ge ...
development.


Government


County government

Gloucester County is governed by a Board of County Commissioners and includes seven members who are elected
at-large At large (''before a noun'': at-large) is a description for members of a governing body who are elected or appointed to represent a whole membership or population (notably a city, county, state, province, nation, club or association), rather tha ...
to three-year terms of office on a staggered basis in partisan elections, with either two or three seats coming up for election each November. At a reorganization meeting held each January, the Board selects a director and a deputy director from among the members. In 2017, commissioners, then called freeholders, were paid $16,908 annually and the director was paid $17,908. , Gloucester County's Commissioners are (with terms for director and deputy director ending December 31): Pursuant to Article VII Section II of the
Constitution of New Jersey The Constitution of the State of New Jersey is the basic governing document of the State of New Jersey. In addition to three British Royal Charters issued for East Jersey, West Jersey and united New Jersey while they were still colonies, the s ...
, each county in New Jersey is required to have three elected administrative officials known as constitutional officers. These officials are the
County Clerk A clerk is a white-collar worker who conducts record keeping as well as general office tasks, or a worker who performs similar sales-related tasks in a retail environment. The responsibilities of clerical workers commonly include record keepin ...
and County Surrogate, both elected for five-year terms of office, and the County Sheriff, who is elected for a three-year term. Gloucester County's constitutional officers are: Gloucester County's prosecutor, appointed in March 2020, is Christine A. Hoffman. Along with
Cumberland Cumberland ( ) is an area of North West England which was historically a county. The county was bordered by Northumberland to the north-east, County Durham to the east, Westmorland to the south-east, Lancashire to the south, and the Scottish ...
and Salem counties, Gloucester County is part of Vicinage 15 of the
New Jersey Superior Court The Superior Court is the state court in the U.S. state of New Jersey, with statewide trial and appellate jurisdiction. The New Jersey Constitution of 1947 establishes the power of the New Jersey courts: under Article Six of the State Consti ...
, which is based in Woodbury in Gloucester County; the assignment judge for the vicinage is Benjamin C. Telsey. Gloucester County Courthouse is located in Woodbury.


Federal representatives

Gloucester County is part of the
1st First most commonly refers to: * First, the ordinal form of the number 1 First or 1st may also refer to: Acronyms * Faint Images of the Radio Sky at Twenty-Centimeters, an astronomical survey carried out by the Very Large Array * Far Infrared a ...
and
2nd A second is the base unit of time in the International System of Units (SI). Second, Seconds, The Second, or (The) 2nd may also refer to: Mathematics * 2 (number), as an ordinal (also written as ''2nd'' or ''2d'') * Minute and second of arc, ...
Congressional Districts.


State representatives

The 24 municipalities of Gloucester County are part of three legislative districts.


Politics

The county has tended to be a bellwether, as it has voted for the national winner all but four times since 1936. In
2016 2016 was designated as: * International Year of Pulses by the sixty-eighth session of the United Nations General Assembly. * International Year of Global Understanding (IYGU) by the International Council for Science (ICSU), the Internationa ...
,
Donald Trump Donald John Trump (born June 14, 1946) is an American politician, media personality, and businessman who is the 47th president of the United States. A member of the Republican Party (United States), Republican Party, he served as the 45 ...
became the first Republican to win Gloucester County (through a narrow plurality of 674 votes) since 1988, when
George H. W. Bush George Herbert Walker BushBefore the outcome of the 2000 United States presidential election, he was usually referred to simply as "George Bush" but became more commonly known as "George H. W. Bush", "Bush Senior," "Bush 41," and even "Bush th ...
won it and New Jersey's electoral votes as well, the last time a Republican has done so. In 2020, the county voted for Democrat
Joe Biden Joseph Robinette Biden Jr. (born November 20, 1942) is an American politician who was the 46th president of the United States from 2021 to 2025. A member of the Democratic Party (United States), Democratic Party, he served as the 47th vice p ...
, but in 2024 it voted for Trump again, this time giving him a full majority of over 50%. As of October 2021, there were a total of 230,545 registered voters in Gloucester County. Of these, 89,073 (38.6%) were registered as Democrats, 57,779 (25.1%) were registered as Republicans and 80,776 (35.0%) were registered as unaffiliated. There were 2,917 voters (1.3%) registered to other parties.


Emergency services

Gloucester County is served by the Gloucester County Emergency Medical Services (GCEMS), the first county-based EMS agency in New Jersey, which provides emergency services to the municipalities of Clayton, Deptford Township, East Greenwich Township, Elk Township, Franklin Township, Glassboro, Greenwich Township, Harrison Township, Logan Township, Mantua Township, Monroe Township,
National Park A national park is a nature park designated for conservation (ethic), conservation purposes because of unparalleled national natural, historic, or cultural significance. It is an area of natural, semi-natural, or developed land that is protecte ...
, Newfield, Paulsboro, Pitman, South Harrison Township, Swedesboro, Wenonah, West Deptford Township, Westville, Woolwich Township, Woodbury, and Woodbury Heights. GCEMS was launched in September 2007 with the goal of providing emergency medical services to county residents within nine minutes from the time of dispatch 90 percent of the time, which is considered to be the gold standard in EMS services. The program currently has 15 ambulances in service around the clock and four power shift ambulances on duty from 8am to 8pm seven days a week. GCEMS operates three Quick Response Vehicles (QRV) units that based in West Deptford Township, Newfield, and South Harrison Township. The department operates from 19 stations throughout the county. GCEMS administrative offices are located at the county's Emergency Response Center in Clayton. It was the winner of the 2010 Outstanding Public EMS Agency by the State of New Jersey. Gloucester County's
special weapons and tactics A SWAT (''Special Weapons and Tactics'') team is a generic term for a police tactical unit within the United States, though the term has also been used by other nations. SWAT units are generally trained, equipped, and deployed to reso ...
(SWAT) unit includes police officers from Gloucester County and provides emergency services for SWAT-oriented scenarios, including barricaded and
suicidal Suicide is the act of intentionally causing one's own death. Risk factors for suicide include mental disorders, physical disorders, and substance abuse. Some suicides are impulsive acts driven by stress (such as from financial or acad ...
subjects,
hostage A hostage is a person seized by an abductor in order to compel another party, one which places a high value on the liberty, well-being and safety of the person seized—such as a relative, employer, law enforcement, or government—to act, o ...
rescues, high-risk warrant service, dignitary protection, and
counterterrorism Counterterrorism (alternatively spelled: counter-terrorism), also known as anti-terrorism, relates to the practices, military tactics, techniques, and strategies that governments, law enforcement, businesses, and Intelligence agency, intelligence ...
responses.


Heroin overdoses

In 2014,
heroin overdose An opioid overdose is toxicity due to excessive consumption of opioids, such as morphine, codeine, heroin, fentanyl, tramadol, and methadone. This preventable pathology can be fatal if it leads to Hypoventilation, respiratory depression, a let ...
rate in Gloucester County was 17.3 deaths per 100,000 people, the fourth-highest rate in New Jersey and nearly seven times the national average.


Notable people

* Corey Clement (born 1994), former professional football player,
Dallas Cowboys The Dallas Cowboys are a professional American football team based in the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex. The Cowboys compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC East, East division. T ...
,
New York Giants The New York Giants are a professional American football team based in the New York metropolitan area. The Giants compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC East, East division. The ...
, and
Philadelphia Eagles The Philadelphia Eagles are a professional American football team based in Philadelphia. The Eagles compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC East, East division. The team plays its ...
( Glassboro) * Danielson, American
Indie pop Indie pop (also typeset as indie-pop or indiepop) is a music genre and subculture that combines guitar pop with a DIY ethic in opposition to the style and tone of mainstream pop music. It originated from British post-punk in the late 1970s and s ...
band ( Clarksboro) * Linda Fiorentino (born 1958 or 1960), actress ( Mantua Township) * Grace Helbig (born 1985), comedian, actress, author, talk show host, and YouTube personality ( Woodbury) * Michael Johns (born 1964),
health care Health care, or healthcare, is the improvement or maintenance of health via the preventive healthcare, prevention, diagnosis, therapy, treatment, wikt:amelioration, amelioration or cure of disease, illness, injury, and other disability, physic ...
executive, former
White House The White House is the official residence and workplace of the president of the United States. Located at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue Northwest (Washington, D.C.), NW in Washington, D.C., it has served as the residence of every U.S. president ...
presidential speechwriter,
conservative Conservatism is a cultural, social, and political philosophy and ideology that seeks to promote and preserve traditional institutions, customs, and values. The central tenets of conservatism may vary in relation to the culture and civiliza ...
policy analyst and writer ( Deptford Township) *
Tara Lipinski Tara Kristen Lipinski (born June 10, 1982) is an American former competitive figure skater, actress, sports commentator, and documentary film producer. A former competitor in women's singles, she is the 1998 Olympic champion, the 1997 Worl ...
(born 1982), Olympic gold medal winner,
figure skating Figure skating is a sport in which individuals, pairs, or groups perform on figure skates on ice. It was the first winter sport to be included in the Olympic Games, with its introduction occurring at the Figure skating at the 1908 Summer Olympi ...
( Sewell) * Bryant McKinnie (born 1979), former professional football player,
Baltimore Ravens The Baltimore Ravens are a professional American football team based in Baltimore. The Ravens compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC North, North division. The team plays its home g ...
,
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 ...
, and
Minnesota Vikings The Minnesota Vikings are a professional American football team based in Minneapolis. The Vikings compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC North, North division. Founded in 1960 as ...
(Woodbury) * J. Hampton Moore (1864–1950), former mayor of
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 ...
(Woodbury). * Milt Plum (born 1935), former professional football player,
Cleveland Browns The Cleveland Browns are a professional American football team based in Cleveland. The Browns compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC North, North division. The team is named after ...
,
Detroit Lions The Detroit Lions are a professional American football team based in Detroit. The Lions compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC North, North division. The team plays their home game ...
,
Los Angeles Rams The Los Angeles Rams are a professional American football team based in the Greater Los Angeles, Greater Los Angeles area. The Rams compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC West, West ...
, and
New York Giants The New York Giants are a professional American football team based in the New York metropolitan area. The Giants compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC East, East division. The ...
( Westville) *
Jimmy Rollins James Calvin Rollins (born November 27, 1978), nicknamed "J-Roll", is an American former professional baseball shortstop, who played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Philadelphia Phillies (–), Los Angeles Dodgers (), and Chicago White S ...
(born 1978), former professional baseball player,
Chicago White Sox The Chicago White Sox are an American professional baseball team based in Chicago. The White Sox compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) American League Central, Central Division. The club plays its ...
,
Los Angeles Dodgers The Los Angeles Dodgers are an American professional baseball team based in Los Angeles. The Dodgers compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (baseball), National League (NL) National League West, West Div ...
, and
Philadelphia Phillies The Philadelphia Phillies are an American professional baseball team based in Philadelphia. The Phillies compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) East Division. Since 2004, the team's home stadium has ...
( Woolwich Township) * Stephen Mallozzi (born 2001),
NASCAR Camping World Truck Series The NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series is a pickup truck racing series owned and operated by the National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing (NASCAR), and is the only series in NASCAR to race production pickup truck-based stock cars. The series i ...
driver for Reaume Brothers Racing (Swedesboro) *
Patti Smith Patricia Lee Smith (born December 30, 1946) is an American singer, songwriter, poet, painter, author, and photographer. Her 1975 debut album '' Horses'' made her an influential member of the New York City-based punk rock movement. Smith has fu ...
(born 1946),
punk rock Punk rock (also known as simply punk) is a rock music genre that emerged in the mid-1970s. Rooted in 1950s rock and roll and 1960s garage rock, punk bands rejected the corporate nature of mainstream 1970s rock music. They typically produced sh ...
musician (Deptford Township) *
Steve Squyres Steven Weldon Squyres (born January 9, 1956) is an American geologist and planetary scientist. He was the James A. Weeks Professor of Physical Sciences at Cornell University in Ithaca, New York. His research area is in planetary sciences, with a ...
(born 1956), former professor,
Cornell University Cornell University is a Private university, private Ivy League research university based in Ithaca, New York, United States. The university was co-founded by American philanthropist Ezra Cornell and historian and educator Andrew Dickson W ...
, and principal investigator of the
Mars Exploration Rover NASA's Mars Exploration Rover (MER) mission was a robotic space mission involving two Mars rovers, ''Spirit (rover), Spirit'' and ''Opportunity (rover), Opportunity'', exploring the planet Mars. It began in 2003 with the launch of the two rove ...
mission ( Wenonah) * Charles C. Stratton (1796–1859),
New Jersey governor The governor of New Jersey is the head of government of the U.S. state of New Jersey. The office of governor is an elected position with a four-year term. There is a two consecutive term limit, with no limitation on non-consecutive terms. The ...
and former Member of
Congress A congress is a formal meeting of the representatives of different countries, constituent states, organizations, trade unions, political parties, or other groups. The term originated in Late Middle English to denote an encounter (meeting of ...
( Swedesboro)


Recreation


Gloucester County Historical Society

The Gloucester County Historical Society, founded in 1903, maintains a collection of materials and artifacts related to the history of
South Jersey South Jersey, also known as Southern New Jersey, comprises the southern portion of the U.S. state of New Jersey. It is located between Pennsylvania and the lower Delaware River to its west, the Atlantic Ocean to its east, Delaware to its south, ...
.
Hunter–Lawrence–Jessup House The Hunter–Lawrence–Jessup House is a historic Second Empire architecture in the United States and Canada, Second Empire style house located at 58 North Broad Street in the city of Woodbury, New Jersey, Woodbury in Gloucester County, New Jer ...
in Woodbury displays many of these artifacts.About Us
Gloucester County Historical Society. Accessed January 27, 2018.


National protected area

* Great Egg Harbor River (part)


See also

* National Register of Historic Places listings in Gloucester County, New Jersey


References


External links

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