Kenilworth is a

borough A borough is an administrative division in various English language, English-speaking countries. In principle, the term ''borough'' designates a self-governing walled town, although in practice, official use of the term varies widely. History ...

in Union County, 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 ...

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 United States census, the borough's population was 8,427, an increase of 513 (+6.5%) from the 2010 census count of 7,914, which in turn reflected an increase of 239 (+3.1%) from the 7,675 counted in the 2000 census. Kenilworth was incorporated as a borough 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 May 13, 1907, from portions of Cranford and Union Township, based on the results of a referendum held on June 18, 1907.Snyder, John P
''The Story of New Jersey's Civil Boundaries: 1606-1968''
Bureau of Geology and Topography; Trenton, New Jersey; 1969. p. 239. Accessed May 29, 2024.

History

In the late 1890s, the New Orange Industrial Association purchased land in Cranford and Union that was subdivided into building lots. The firm brought in several large industries and lured

Upsala College Upsala College (UC) was a private college affiliated with the Swedish-American Augustana Synod (later the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America) and located in East Orange in Essex County, New Jersey in the United States, with an additiona ...

from

Brooklyn Brooklyn is a Boroughs of New York City, borough of New York City located at the westernmost end of Long Island in the New York (state), State of New York. Formerly an independent city, the borough is coextensive with Kings County, one of twelv ...

with an offer of cash and free land for its campus. Because New Orange was often confused with one of

The Oranges The Oranges () are a group of four municipality, municipalities in Essex County, New Jersey, Essex County, New Jersey, all of which have the word ''Orange'' in their name. The four municipalities are Orange, New Jersey, Orange, East Orange, New ...

in Essex County, the name "Kenilworth" was chosen when the borough was incorporated in 1907. The name Kenilworth came from a literary society (The Kenilworth Club) which the businessmen belonged to. The Kenilworth Club was named in honor of the novel ''

Kenilworth Kenilworth ( ) is a market town and Civil parishes in England, civil parish in the Warwick (district), Warwick District of Warwickshire, England, southwest of Coventry and north of both Warwick and Leamington Spa. Situated at the centre of t ...

'' written in 1821 by Sir

Walter Scott Sir Walter Scott, 1st Baronet (15 August 1771 – 21 September 1832), was a Scottish novelist, poet and historian. Many of his works remain classics of European literature, European and Scottish literature, notably the novels ''Ivanhoe'' (18 ...

. The novel refers to England's

Kenilworth Castle Kenilworth Castle is a castle in the town of Kenilworth in Warwickshire, England, managed by English Heritage; much of it is in ruins. The castle was founded after the Norman Conquest of 1066; with development through to the Tudor period. It ...

located in Kenilworth, England.

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 borough had a total area of 2.15 square miles (5.57 km²), including 2.15 square miles (5.56 km²) of land and <0.01 square miles (0.01 km²) of water (0.19%). The upper reaches of

Rahway River Parkway The Rahway River Parkway is a greenway of parkland along the banks the main stem Rahway River and its tributaries in Union County, New Jersey, United States. Created in the 1920s, it was one of the inaugural projects of the newly created Union ...

along tributaries 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 ...

run through the borough. The borough is bordered to the north and east by Union Township, to the southeast by

Roselle Park Roselle Park is a borough in Union County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey. As of the 2020 United States census, the borough's population was 13,967, an increase of 670 (+5.0%) from the 2010 census count of 13,297, which in turn reflected ...

, to the southwest by Cranford, and to the northwest by Springfield Township.

Parks and recreation

Lenape Park is a wildlife reserve and park that is part of the

in Union County. The park also includes portions of Cranford, Springfield and Westfield. An approximately 4.5-mile off-road paved pedestrian path stretches eastbound from Mountainside Police Headquarters in Mountainside, through Echo Lake Park in Westfield, Lenape Park in Westfield and Cranford, Black Brook Park in Kenilworth, and ending near 505 North Michigan Avenue in Kenilworth.

Kenilworth RVRR rail trail

Galloping Hill Golf Course in November 2022

Area residents have proposed a 7.3-mile pedestrian

linear park A linear park is a type of park that is significantly longer than it is wide. These linear parks are strips of public land running along canals, rivers, streams, defensive walls, electrical lines, or highways and Esplanade, shorelines. Examples o ...

along the "main line" of the abandoned

Rahway Valley Railroad } The Rahway Valley Railroad (RV) was a shortline railroad in the Northeastern United States. During their operations, the RV was considered as one of the most successful shortline railroads in U.S. history. The RV interchanged with the Lehigh Vall ...

that would run through Kenilworth. The

rail trail A rail trail or railway walk is a shared-use path on a Right of way#Rail right of way, railway right of way. Rail trails are typically constructed after a railway has been abandoned and the track has been removed but may also share the rail corr ...

would run eastbound from

Overlook Medical Center Overlook Hospital is a non-profit teaching hospital located in Summit, New Jersey, United States, 20 miles west of New York City. On a hill in the center of the city, the hospital is one of Summit's three largest employers and offers medical serv ...

on the edge of downtown

Summit A summit is a point on a surface that is higher in elevation than all points immediately adjacent to it. The topographic terms acme, apex, peak (mountain peak), and zenith are synonymous. The term (mountain top) is generally used only for ...

and head south through Springfield, Union, over Route 22 to Kenilworth. In Kenilworth, it would pass between Party City and Burger King on Route 22, run behind Retro Fitness, running south past the Galloping Hill Golf Course, and end at the southwest edge of

at the Cranford border. A northern portion of the rail trail on the RVRR main line is under construction as the Summit Park Line, with a footbridge over Morris Avenue installed in October 2022. In parallel, advocates have been pushing for immediate development of the portion of the RVRR Main Line south of Route 22, running past the Galloping Hill Golf Course through Kenilworth and Roselle Park. 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 ...

, which owns the railbed, has been working to clear it in anticipation of possible future trail use for pedestrians and cyclists.

Demographics

2010 census

The 2010 United States census counted 7,914 people, 2,841 households, and 2,102 families in the borough. 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 3,668.3 per square mile (1,416.3/km²). There were 2,924 housing units at an average density of 1,355.3 per square mile (523.3/km²). The racial makeup was 88.07% (6,970)

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 ...

, 2.91% (230) Black or African American, 0.14% (11) Native American, 3.84% (304) Asian, 0.03% (2)

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 ...

, 3.31% (262) from other races, and 1.71% (135) from two or more races.

Hispanic or Latino ''Hispanic'' and '' Latino'' are ethnonyms used to refer collectively to the inhabitants of the United States who are of Spanish or Latin American ancestry (). While many use the terms interchangeably, for example, the United States Census Bureau ...

of any race were 15.52% (1,228) of the population. Of the 2,841 households, 31.6% had children under the age of 18; 55.2% were married couples living together; 13.3% had a female householder with no husband present and 26.0% were non-families. Of all households, 21.2% were made up of individuals and 10.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.78 and the average family size was 3.26. 21.8% of the population were under the age of 18, 7.8% from 18 to 24, 26.7% from 25 to 44, 28.1% from 45 to 64, and 15.6% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 40.9 years. For every 100 females, the population had 93.9 males. For every 100 females ages 18 and older there were 90.0 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 In economics, nominal value refers to value measured in terms of absolute money amounts, whereas real value is considered and measured against the actual goods or services for which it can be exchanged at a given time. Real value takes into acco ...

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 $76,500 (with a margin of error of +/− $8,607) and the median family income was $84,097 (+/− $6,220). Males had a median income of $58,327 (+/− $7,147) versus $42,589 (+/− $5,730) 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 borough was $31,959 (+/− $2,853). About 4.0% of families and 5.7% 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 11.6% of those under age 18 and 4.5% of those age 65 or over.

2000 census

As of the 2000 United States census there were 7,675 people, 2,854 households, and 2,117 families residing in the borough. The population density was . There were 2,926 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the borough was 92.30%

, 2.30%

African American African Americans, also known as Black Americans and formerly also called Afro-Americans, are an Race and ethnicity in the United States, American racial and ethnic group that consists of Americans who have total or partial ancestry from an ...

, 0.25% Native American, 2.88% Asian, 1.80% from other races, and 1.38% from two or more races.

Hispanic The term Hispanic () are people, Spanish culture, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or broadly. In some contexts, Hispanic and Latino Americans, especially within the United States, "Hispanic" is used as an Ethnici ...

or Latino residents of any race were 8.64% of the population.Census 2000 Profiles of Demographic / Social / Economic / Housing Characteristics for Kenilworth borough, New Jersey
,

. Accessed May 17, 2013.DP-1: Profile of General Demographic Characteristics: 2000 - Census 2000 Summary File 1 (SF 1) 100-Percent Data for Kenilworth borough, Union County, New Jersey
,

. Accessed May 17, 2013. There were 2,854 households, out of which 28.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 58.4% 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, 11.9% had a female householder with no husband present, and 25.8% were non-families. 21.4% of all households were made up of individuals, and 11.0% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.69 and the average family size was 3.15. In the borough the population was spread out, with 20.8% under the age of 18, 6.9% from 18 to 24, 30.8% from 25 to 44, 23.3% from 45 to 64, and 18.2% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 40 years. For every 100 females, there were 94.2 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 90.7 males. The median income for a household in the borough was $59,929, and the median income for a family was $66,500. Males had a median income of $40,808 versus $34,698 for females. The

for the borough was $24,343. About 1.9% of families and 2.0% of the population were below the

, including 2.2% of those under age 18 and 3.2% of those age 65 or over.

Economy

Companies headquartered in Kenilworth include

Maingear Maingear (stylized as MAINGEAR) is an American privately held computer manufacturer headquartered in Warren, New Jersey. The company builds, designs, and supports custom desktops, gaming computers, customizable laptops, and workstations in th ...

, a privately held computer manufacturer specializing in custom gaming computers, desktops, custom laptops, media center computers and workstations, all of which are manufactured in the United States. Merck & Co. announced plans in October 2013 to move its global headquarters to Kenilworth from

Whitehouse Station Whitehouse station may refer to: *Whitehouse Station, New Jersey Whitehouse Station, also spelled White House Station, is an Local government in New Jersey#Unincorporated communities, unincorporated community and census-designated place (CDP) ...

in Readington Township, on a site that the company had previously used as a manufacturing facility, with the relocation to be completed by 2015. The campus had been used as the global headquarters for

Schering-Plough Schering-Plough Corporation was an American pharmaceutical company. It was originally the U.S. subsidiary of the German company Schering AG, which was founded in 1851 by Ernst Christian Friedrich Schering. As a result of nationalization, it becam ...

, which was acquired by Merck in 2009. In April 2020, Merck announced that it would be moving its global headquarters from Kenilworth to Rahway by the end of 2023.

Arts and culture

Since 2004, the Hudson Shakespeare Company has brought their

Shakespeare in the Park Shakespeare in the Park is a term for outdoor festivals featuring productions of William Shakespeare's plays. The term originated with the New York Shakespeare Festival in New York City's Central Park, originally created by Joseph Papp. This conc ...

programs to the Kenilworth Library known as the "Bard on the Boulevard". The Friends of the Kenilworth Library, with the assistance of a grant from the Union County Office of Cultural Affairs, sponsor these events.

Government

Local government

Kenilworth is governed under the

form of New Jersey municipal government, which is used in 218 municipalities (of the 564) statewide, making it the most common form of government in New Jersey. The governing body is comprised of the mayor and the borough council, with all positions elected

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

on a partisan basis as part of the November general election. The mayor is elected directly by the voters to a four-year term of office. The borough council includes six members elected to serve three-year terms on a staggered basis, with two seats coming up for election each year in a three-year cycle.''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 The Edward J. Bloustein School of Planning and Public Policy of Rutgers University (The Bloustein School) serves as a center for the theory and practice of urban planning, public policy and public health/health administration scholarship. The sc ...

, March 2013, p. 90. The borough form of government used by Kenilworth is a "

weak mayor Weak may refer to: Songs * "Weak" (AJR song), 2016 * "Weak" (Melanie C song), 2011 * "Weak" (SWV song), 1993 * "Weak" (Skunk Anansie song), 1995 * "Weak", a song by Seether from '' Seether: 2002-2013'' Television episodes * "Weak" (''Fe ...

/ strong council" government in which council members act as the legislative body with the mayor presiding at meetings and voting only in the event of a tie. The mayor can

veto A veto is a legal power to unilaterally stop an official action. In the most typical case, a president (government title), president or monarch vetoes a bill (law), bill to stop it from becoming statutory law, law. In many countries, veto powe ...

ordinances subject to an

override Override may refer to: Technology * Manual override, a function where an automated system is placed under manual control * Method overriding, a subclassing feature in object-oriented programming languages. Media * ''Override'' (film), a 1994 sci ...

by a two-thirds majority vote of the council. The mayor makes committee and liaison assignments for council members, and most appointments are made by the mayor with the advice and consent of the council. , the

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

of Kenilworth is

Democrat Democrat, Democrats, or Democratic may refer to: Politics *A proponent of democracy, or democratic government; a form of government involving rule by the people. *A member of a Democratic Party: **Democratic Party (Cyprus) (DCY) **Democratic Part ...

Linda Karlovitch, serving a four-year term of office ending December 31, 2027. Members of the Kenilworth Borough Council are Council President Savino Scorese ( R, 2025), Patrick Boyle (D, 2026), Joseph Finistrella (R, 2027), Toni Giordano Picerno (D, 2026), William Mauro (R, 2025), and Douglas Piper (R, 2027).Mayor & Council
Borough of Kenilworth. Accessed January 4, 2024.''Union County Elected Officials''

Union County, New Jersey Union County is a County (United States), county in the northern part of the U.S. state of New Jersey. As of the 2020 United States census, the county was the state's List of counties in New Jersey, seventh-most-populous county

Clerk. Accessed January 18, 2025.General Election November 5, 2024 Official Results

, updated November 22, 2024. Accessed January 18, 2025.General Election November 7, 2023 Official Results

, updated November 22, 2023. Accessed January 3, 2024.General Election November 8, 2022 Official Results

, updated November 21, 2022. Accessed January 1, 2023. In August 2020, the borough council appointed Louis DeMondo to fill the seat expiring in December 2021 that had been vacated the previous month following the resignation of Robert Schielke. In November 2020, Joseph Finistrella was elected to serve the balance of the term of office, defeating DeMondo. In January 2020, the borough council appointed Daniel Lopez to fill the seat expiring in December 2020 that had been held by Linda Karlovitch until she resigned from her council seat to take office as mayor. In May 2016, the borough council again appointed Scott Pentz, this time to fill the seat expiring in December 2016 that had been vacated by Brian Joho when he resigned from office. In January 2016, the borough council appointed former councilmember Lawrence Clementi to fill the seat expiring in December 2017 that had been held by Anthony DeLuca, until he resigned from the council to take office as mayor; Clementi will serve on an interim basis until the November 2016 general election, when voters will choose a candidate to serve the balance of the term of office. In July 2015, the borough council selected Scott Pentz from a list of three candidates nominated by the Republican municipal committee to fill the seat expiring in December 2016 that had been held by Barbara Macecsko, until she resigned from office the previous month. Pentz served on an interim basis until the November 2015 general election, when he lost to Democrat Kay Anne Ceceri, who was elected to serve the balance of the term of office.November 5, 2015 General Election Official Results

, updated November 9, 2015. Accessed August 3, 2016. Mayor Kathi Fiamingo resigned her position in April 2014 after being selected to serve as a tax court judge. Council President Scott Klinder was chosen by the borough council to fill Fiamingo's vacant mayoral seat and serve in that role until the November 2014 general election, when a successor would be chosen. Kevin Leary was then chosen to fill Klinder's vacant council seat. In the November 2014 general election, Republican Fred M. Pugliese won the special election for the remaining term through December 2015 of the mayoral seat, while Democrats Anthony DeLuca and Nicholas Mascaro won both of the council seats up for election for terms starting January 1, 2015. Richard LoForte was appointed to fill Pugliese's vacant council seat expiring in December 2015.

Mayors of Kenilworth

Federal, state, and county representation

Kenilworth is located in the 10th Congressional District2022 Redistricting Plan

New Jersey Redistricting Commission The New Jersey Redistricting Commission is a constitutional body of the government of New Jersey tasked with redrawing the state's Congressional election districts after each decade's census. Like Arizona, Idaho, Hawaii, Montana, and Washington ...

, December 8, 2022. and is part of New Jersey's 20th state legislative district.Municipalities Sorted by 2023-2031 Legislative District

New Jersey Department of State The secretary of state of New Jersey oversees the Department of State, which is one of the original state offices. The Secretary is responsible for overseeing New Jersey State Council on the Arts, artistic, cultural, and New Jersey Historical Com ...

. Accessed September 1, 2023.

Politics

As of March 2011, there were a total of 4,891 registered voters in Kenilworth, of which 1,496 (30.6% vs. 41.8% countywide) were registered as Democrats, 1,076 (22.0% vs. 15.3%) were registered as

Republicans Republican can refer to: Political ideology * An advocate of a republic, a type of government that is not a monarchy or dictatorship, and is usually associated with the rule of law. ** Republicanism, the ideology in support of republics or agains ...

and 2,317 (47.4% vs. 42.9%) were registered as Unaffiliated. There were 2 voters registered as either

Libertarians Libertarianism (from ; or from ) is a political philosophy that holds freedom, personal sovereignty, and liberty as primary values. Many libertarians believe that the concept of freedom is in accord with the Non-Aggression Principle, according ...

or Greens.Voter Registration Summary - Union

Division of Elections, March 23, 2011. Accessed May 17, 2013. Among the borough's 2010 Census population, 61.8% (vs. 53.3% in Union County) were registered to vote, including 79.1% of those ages 18 and over (vs. 70.6% countywide). In the

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

, 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 ...

received 1,775 votes (52.6% vs. 32.3% countywide), ahead of 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 ...

with 1,535 votes (45.5% vs. 66.0%) and other candidates with 39 votes (1.2% vs. 0.8%), among the 3,376 ballots cast by the borough's 5,167 registered voters, for a turnout of 65.3% (vs. 68.8% in Union County). In the 2008 presidential election, 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 ...

received 2,064 votes (55.5% vs. 35.2% countywide), ahead of Democrat Barack Obama with 1,564 votes (42.0% vs. 63.1%) and other candidates with 54 votes (1.5% vs. 0.9%), among the 3,721 ballots cast by the borough's 5,039 registered voters, for a turnout of 73.8% (vs. 74.7% in Union County). In the 2004 presidential election, 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 ...

received 1,949 votes (54.0% vs. 40.3% countywide), ahead of 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 ...

with 1,589 votes (44.0% vs. 58.3%) and other candidates with 32 votes (0.9% vs. 0.7%), among the 3,608 ballots cast by the borough's 4,927 registered voters, for a turnout of 73.2% (vs. 72.3% in the whole county). In the 2017 gubernatorial election, Republican

Kim Guadagno Kimberly Ann Guadagno (; ''née'' McFadden; born April 13, 1959) is an American lawyer and politician who served as the first lieutenant governor and 33rd secretary of state of New Jersey from 2010 to 2018. Guadagno was the Republican nominee ...

received 1,065 votes (52.6% vs. 32.6% countywide), ahead of Democrat

Phil Murphy Philip Dunton Murphy (born August 16, 1957) is an American politician, diplomat, and financier serving as the 56th governor of New Jersey since 2018. A member of the Democratic Party (United States), Democratic Party, he was elected governor i ...

with 912 votes (45.0% vs. 65.2%), and other candidates with 48 votes (2.4% vs. 2.1%), among the 2,099 ballots cast by the borough's 5,365 registered voters, for a turnout of 39.1%. 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 66.2% of the vote (1,357 cast), ahead of Democrat

Barbara Buono Barbara A. Buono (born July 28, 1953) is an American politician who served in the New Jersey Senate from 2002 to 2014, where she represented the 18th Legislative District. She served from 2010 to 2012 as the Majority Leader in the Senate, succ ...

with 32.1% (657 votes), and other candidates with 1.7% (35 votes), among the 2,099 ballots cast by the borough's 5,073 registered voters (50 ballots were spoiled), for a turnout of 41.4%. In the 2009 gubernatorial election, Republican Chris Christie received 1,442 votes (59.9% vs. 41.7% countywide), ahead of Democrat

Jon Corzine Jon Stevens Corzine ( ; born January 1, 1947) is an American financial executive and retired politician who served as a United States Senator from New Jersey from 2001 to 2006, and the 54th governor of New Jersey from 2006 to 2010. Corzine ran f ...

with 759 votes (31.5% vs. 50.6%), Independent

Chris Daggett Christopher Jarvis Daggett (born March 7, 1950) is an American businessman who is the president and CEO of the Geraldine R. Dodge Foundation, one of the largest foundations in New Jersey. A former regional administrator of the United States En ...

with 148 votes (6.1% vs. 5.9%) and other candidates with 25 votes (1.0% vs. 0.8%), among the 2,408 ballots cast by the borough's 4,996 registered voters, yielding a 48.2% turnout (vs. 46.5% in the county).

Education

The Kenilworth Public Schools serves 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 ...

. As of the 2022–23 school year, the district, comprised of two schools, had an enrollment of 1,473 students and 135.3 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 10.9:1.District information for Kenilworth 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 February 1, 2024. Schools in the district (with 2022–23 enrollment data from the

) are Warren G. Harding Elementary School with 681 students in grades PreK-6 and David Brearley Middle School /

David Brearley High School David Brearley High School is a four-year comprehensive public middle - high school that serves students in seventh through twelfth grades from Kenilworth in Union County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey, operating as the lone secondary schoo ...

with 774 students in grades 7-12. Students from Winfield Township attend David Brearley High School as part of a

sending/receiving relationship A sending/receiving relationship is one in which a public school district sends some or all of its students to attend the schools of another district. This is often done to achieve costs savings in smaller districts or continues after districts hav ...

with the

Winfield Township School District The Winfield Township School District is a community public school district that serves students in pre-Kindergarten to eighth grade from Winfield Township in Union County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey. As of the 2022–23 school year, th ...

. Kenilworth is home to St. Theresa School, a

Roman Catholic The Catholic Church (), also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.27 to 1.41 billion baptized Catholics worldwide as of 2025. It is among the world's oldest and largest international institut ...

school operating under the

Archdiocese of Newark The Archdiocese of Newark () is a Latin Church ecclesiastical jurisdiction, or archdiocese, of the Catholic Church in northeastern New Jersey in the United States. The mother church of the archdiocese is the Cathedral Basilica of the Sacred Hea ...

founded in 1955 that serves students in pre-school through eighth grade through the

Salesians of Don Bosco The Salesians of Don Bosco (SDB), formally known as the Society of Saint Francis de Sales (), is a religious congregation of men in the Catholic Church, founded in 1859 by the Italian priest John Bosco to help poor and migrant youth during the ...

Churches

There are six churches that are located in Kenilworth. The six churches are the Ignite

United Methodist The United Methodist Church (UMC) is a worldwide mainline Protestant denomination based in the United States, and a major part of Methodism. In the 19th century, its main predecessor, the Methodist Episcopal Church, was a leader in evangelical ...

church, the First

Baptist Baptists are a Christian denomination, denomination within Protestant Christianity distinguished by baptizing only professing Christian believers (believer's baptism) and doing so by complete Immersion baptism, immersion. Baptist churches ge ...

church, the Union Baptist church, the

non-denominational A non-denominational person or organization is one that does not follow (or is not restricted to) any particular or specific religious denomination. The term has been used in the context of various faiths, including Jainism, Baháʼí Faith, Zoro ...

Kenilworth Gospel Chapel, the Saint Paul

African Methodist Episcopal The African Methodist Episcopal Church, usually called the AME Church or AME, is a Methodist denomination based in the United States. It adheres to Wesleyan–Arminian theology and has a connexional polity. It cooperates with other Methodist ...

church, and the Saint Theresa

church.

Transportation

Roads and highways

, the borough had a total of of roadways, of which were maintained by the municipality, by Union County and by the

. Kenilworth is served by two county routes, County Route 509 and County Route 617. CR 509 (Boulevard) runs west–east through the borough, connecting it to Cranford, Springfield and Westfield in one direction and Union and

in the other. CR 617 (Michigan Avenue) runs north–south, connecting Union and

U.S. Route 22 U.S. Route 22 (US 22) is a major east–west route and one of the original United States Numbered Highways, founded in 1926. It runs from Cincinnati, Ohio, at US 27, US 42, US 127, and US 52 to Newark, New Jer ...

at its north end to Roselle Park and

Route 28 Highway 28 may refer to: Australia * Cumberland Highway *Mountain Highway, Mountain Highway (Victoria) * – NT Canada * Alberta Highway 28 * British Columbia Highway 28 * Nova Scotia Trunk 28 * Ontario Highway 28 * Saskatchewan Highway 28 Cz ...

at its south end. 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 ...

cuts northeast–southwest through the town, with Interchange 138 at CR 509 serving much of the town's long-distance travelers.

Public transportation

NJ Transit New Jersey Transit Corporation, branded as NJ Transit or NJTransit and often shortened to NJT, is a state-owned public transportation system that serves the U.S. state of New Jersey and portions of the states of New York and Pennsylvania. I ...

provides bus service between Kenilworth and the

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

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 ...

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 ...

and to New Jersey points, including the city of

Elizabeth Elizabeth or Elisabeth may refer to: People * Elizabeth (given name), a female given name (including people with that name) * Empress Elisabeth (disambiguation), lists various empresses named ''Elisabeth'' or ''Elizabeth'' * Princess Elizabeth ...

and nearby

Union County College Union College (formally known as Union College of Union County, NJ and previously known as Union County College) is a Public college, public community college in Union County, New Jersey, Union County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey. It was fou ...

in Cranford. Local service is available on the 58 route, which is a direct descendant of Kenilworth's trolley route in the early 20th century. The closest NJ Transit rail station is

, less than a mile from the Kenilworth border and offering direct service into New York City's

Penn Station Pennsylvania Station or Penn Station may refer to: Current train stations * Baltimore Penn Station * New York Penn Station ** Pennsylvania Station (1910–1963), the predecessor to the present New York City station * Newark Penn Station Train ...

on the

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

. The

passed through the community but is currently out of service, the final train on the line having left the borough in April 1992. Originally established as the New York and New Orange Railroad, the line stretched from Aldene (now known as

) to

. The headquarters of the railroad were located in Kenilworth, originally in Kenilworth's Victorian-style station house until that was severely damaged in a 1974 fire, after which railroad offices were moved into a trailer and then an unused railroad club car.

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 ...

is approximately from Kenilworth.

Notable people

People who were born in, residents of, or otherwise closely associated with Kenilworth include: * Tashawn Bower (born 1995),

defensive end Defensive end (DE) is a defensive position in the sport of gridiron football. This position has designated the players at each end of the defensive line, but changes in formation (American football), formations over the years have substantially ...

who played in the NFL for the

Las Vegas Raiders The Las Vegas Raiders are a professional American football team based in the Las Vegas Valley, Las Vegas metropolitan area. The Raiders compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC West ...

* Mike Chalenski (born 1970), former professional

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 lineman In gridiron football, a lineman is a player who specializes in play at the line of scrimmage. The linemen of the team currently in possession of the ball are the offensive line (OL), while linemen on the opposing team are the defensive line (D ...

who played for six seasons in the

National Football League The National Football League (NFL) is a Professional gridiron football, professional American football league in the United States. Composed of 32 teams, it is divided equally between the American Football Conference (AFC) and the National ...

Sam DeCavalcante Simone Paul Rizzo DeCavalcante (April 30, 1913 – February 7, 1997), known as "Sam the Plumber", was an Italian-American mobster who was boss of the DeCavalcante crime family of New Jersey. Claiming descent from the Italian royal family, DeCaval ...

(1912–1997), boss of the

DeCavalcante crime family The DeCavalcante crime family, also known as the North Jersey crime family or the North Jersey Mafia, is an Italian American Mafia crime family that operates mainly in northern New Jersey, particularly in Elizabeth, Newark, West New York and ...

known as "Sam the Plumber", who used a Kenilworth plumbing supply business as his front operation * John P. Gallagher (1932–2011), politician who served in the

New Jersey Senate The New Jersey Senate is the upper house of the New Jersey Legislature by the Constitution of 1844, replacing the Legislative Council. There are 40 legislative districts, representing districts with an average population of 232,225 (2020 figure ...

from the 13th Legislative District from 1982 to 1984 * Bill Henry (1942–2022),

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 ...

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, ...

who played for the

New York Yankees The New York Yankees are an American professional baseball team based in the Boroughs of New York City, New York City borough of the Bronx. The Yankees compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) Am ...

* Sheldon Karlin (1950–2000), distance runner who won the

New York City Marathon The New York City Marathon, currently branded as the TCS New York City Marathon for sponsorship reasons, is an annual marathon () that courses through the five boroughs of New York City. It is the largest marathon in the world, with 53,627 fini ...

in 1972 *

Tony Siragusa Anthony Siragusa (May 14, 1967 – June 22, 2022), nicknamed "the Goose", was an American professional football player who was a defensive tackle for 12 seasons with the Indianapolis Colts and the Baltimore Ravens in the National Football Leagu ...

(1967–2022),

Indianapolis Colts The Indianapolis Colts are a professional American football team based in Indianapolis. The Colts compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC South, South division. Since the 2008 India ...

and

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 ...

defensive tackle A defensive tackle (DT) is a position in American football that typically lines up on the line of scrimmage, opposite one of the Guard (American football), offensive guards; however, he may also line up opposite one of the offensive Tackle (gridir ...

, was born and raised in Kenilworth, and starred in football and wrestling for

Miller, Randy
"N.J. native Tony Siragusa loses NFL broadcasting gig with Fox"
NJ Advance Media for

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

, March 17, 2016. Accessed June 23, 2022. "Meantime, Siragusa has other working adventures. The Kenilworth native and Brearley High alum is a co-host for Man Caves, a reality show on DIY network that recreates living spaces."

References

External links

Kenilworth Borough website
{{Authority control 1907 establishments in New Jersey Borough form of New Jersey government Boroughs in New Jersey Boroughs in Union County, New Jersey Populated places established in 1907