Union County, New Jersey

Etymology

Established in 1857 as the last county created in New Jersey, it was named after the Union threatened by slavery dispute during this period, which would erupt into civil war in 1861.

History

All of present-day Union County was part of the Elizabethtown Tract, which was purchased in 1664, by English colonists from the Lenape Native Americans that lived in the area of present-day Elizabeth, New Jersey. Union County was formed on March 19, 1857, from portions of Essex County; it was the last of New Jersey's 21 counties to be established.^[1]

Many historic places and structures are to be found in the county, including on the National Register of Historic Places listings in Union County, New Jersey.^[20]

In the fall, Union County holds its annual "Four Centuries in a Weekend" festival for the public, celebrating and touring historic buildings, museums and sites in the county.^[21]

Rivers, lakes and streams

• Arthur Kill
• Rahway River
• Elizabeth River
• Nomahegan Brook
• Marshes Creek
• Morses Creek
• Peach Orchard Brook
• Robinson's Brook
• Robinson's Branch Reservoir

Climate and weather

In recent years,^[when?] average temperatures in the county seat of Elizabeth have ranged from a low of 24 °F (−4 °C) in January to a high of 86 °F (30 °C) in July, although a record low of −14 °F (−26 °C) was recorded in February 1934 and a record high of 105 °F (41 °C) was recorded in July 1993. Average monthly precipitation ranged from 2.99 inches (76 mm) in February to 4.76 inches (121 mm) in July.^[23] In Berkeley Heights average monthly temperatures range from 29.4 °F in January to 74.7 °F in July. The climate in the county is hot-summer humid continental (Dfa) in the west and humid subtropical (Cfa) in the east. The hardiness zone is 7a west of the Garden State Parkway and 7b to the east.

2020 census

As of the 2020 census, the county had a population of 575,345. The median age was 38.7 years. 23.4% of residents were under the age of 18 and 14.3% of residents were 65 years of age or older. For every 100 females there were 93.5 males, and for every 100 females age 18 and over there were 90.6 males age 18 and over.^[28][29]

The racial makeup of the county was 41.1% White, 20.4% Black or African American, 0.7% American Indian and Alaska Native, 5.6% Asian, <0.1% Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander, 18.4% from some other race, and 13.8% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino residents of any race comprised 34.0% of the population.^[29]

100.0% of residents lived in urban areas, while <0.1% lived in rural areas.^[30]

There were 200,372 households in the county, of which 37.0% had children under the age of 18 living in them. Of all households, 48.9% were married-couple households, 16.6% were households with a male householder and no spouse or partner present, and 28.5% were households with a female householder and no spouse or partner present. About 23.2% of all households were made up of individuals and 10.0% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older.^[28]

There were 209,908 housing units, of which 4.5% were vacant. Among occupied housing units, 56.4% were owner-occupied and 43.6% were renter-occupied. The homeowner vacancy rate was 1.4% and the rental vacancy rate was 4.0%.^[28]

Racial and ethnic composition

2010 census

The 2010 United States census counted 536,499 people, 188,118 households, and 134,692 families in the county. The population density was 5,216.1 inhabitants per square mile (2,013.9/km²). There were 199,489 housing units at an average density of 1,939.5 per square mile (748.8/km²). The racial makeup was 61.33% (329,052) White, 22.05% (118,313) Black or African American, 0.39% (2,080) Native American, 4.63% (24,839) Asian, 0.03% (163) Pacific Islander, 8.48% (45,496) from other races, and 3.09% (16,556) from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino people of any race were 27.34% (146,704) of the population.^[9]

Of the 188,118 households, 34.4% had children under the age of 18; 50.1% were married couples living together; 15.6% had a female householder with no husband present and 28.4% were non-families. Of all households, 23.6% were made up of individuals and 9.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.82 and the average family size was 3.32.^[9]

24.5% of the population were under the age of 18, 8.6% from 18 to 24, 27.5% from 25 to 44, 26.8% from 45 to 64, and 12.6% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females, the population had 94 males. For every 100 females ages 18 and older there were 90.7 males.^[9]

County government

Union County is governed by a nine-member Board of County Commissioners. The members are elected at-large in partisan elections to serve three-year terms on a staggered basis, with three seats coming up for election each year. The board sets policies for the operation of the county. The Commissioners perform the county's legislative and executive functions. In their legislative role, they formulate and adopt a budget and set county policies and procedures. In their executive role, they oversee county spending and functioning. Many of the administrative duties are delegated by the Board of County Commissioners to the County Manager. Each of the commissioners serves on various committees and boards as a part of their duties. These include committees on Economic Development, Parks and Recreation, and Public Works and Policy. In addition, the board oversees the county's Open Space Trust Fund. Day-to-day operation of the county and its departments is supervised by an appointed County Manager, Edward Oatman.^[69] In 2016, freeholders were paid $30,692, while the Freeholder vice chairman received $31,732 and the Freeholder chairman had an annual salary of $32,773.^[70] The County Manager is Edward Oatman.^[71] No Republican has been elected to countywide office since 1995.

Union County is governed by a Board of County Commissioners, whose nine members are elected at-large to three-year terms of office on a staggered basis with three seats coming up for election each year, with an appointed County Manager overseeing the day-to-day operations of the county. At an annual reorganization meeting held in the beginning of January, the board selects a chair and vice chair from among its members.^[72] As of 2025^[update], Union County's County Commissioners are (with terms for Chair and Vice-Chair ending every December 31):^[73][74]

Constitutional officers elected on a countywide basis are:

Union County constitutes Vicinage 12 of the New Jersey Superior Court and is seated at the Union County Courthouse in Elizabeth, with additional facilities also located in Elizabeth; the Assignment Judge for Vicinage 12 is Karen M. Cassidy.^[90] Law enforcement at the county level includes the Union County Police Department, the Union County Sheriff's Office, and the Union County Prosecutor's Office. Union County's Acting Prosecutor is Michael A. Monahan.^[91]

Notable events in county government

In 2023, Union County agreed to honor the site in North Jersey of what local activists described as the public execution by burning at the stake of three enslaved New Jerseyans in 1741.^[92] In 2023, the county worked to revise its logo, which has had what has been described as the only county seal in the nation that depicts a woman being killed. The logo depicted Hannah Caldwell being shot by a British light infantryman during the Battle of Connecticut Farms.^[93][94] In 2023, Union County moved to revise its county seal, asking residents to participate in an online poll to choose between two alternatives, both of which eliminate the depiction of Caldwell's death.^[95] In 2022, controversy erupted over the county's deletion of negative social media comments made about the opening of Tëmike Park, an LGBTQ-inclusive playground, in Cedar Brook Park.^[96][97][98] In 2022, a state court found the county illegally circumvented the public bidding process in awarding contracts for the construction of a proposed Union County government building in Elizabeth.^[99][100]

In 2015, the county was forced to pay legal fees after losing a trademark claim it brought against a frequent county government critic who used the County of Union seal on her blog.^[101] In 2011, an investigation found mismanagement of county funds in association with MusicFest, a free annual concert.^[102] In 2009, following a First Amendment challenge by the American Civil Liberties Union, the county commissioners agreed to issue a public apology for cutting off speech by a resident who was addressing the board about possible nepotism on the county payroll.^[103]

Federal representatives

Four Congressional Districts cover the county, including portions of the 7th, 8th, 10th and 12th districts.^[104][105] For the 119th United States Congress, New Jersey's 7th congressional district is represented by Thomas Kean Jr. (R, Westfield).^[106] For the 119th United States Congress, New Jersey's 8th congressional district is represented by Rob Menendez (D, Jersey City).^[107][108] For the 119th United States Congress, New Jersey's 10th congressional district is represented by LaMonica McIver (D, Newark).^[109] For the 119th United States Congress, New Jersey's 12th congressional district is represented by Bonnie Watson Coleman (D, Ewing Township).^[110][111]

State representatives

The 21 municipalities of Union County are represented by four legislative districts.

Law enforcement

The Union County Sheriff's Office is located in Elizabeth, New Jersey. It is currently headed by Peter Corvelli. It was headed by Ralph Froehlich, a Union resident who was first elected in 1977 and served in office for 37 years, making him the longest-serving Sheriff in New Jersey history.^[113] There are two top deputies, known as undersheriffs, and they are Dennis Burke and Amilcar Colon. A 1981 investigation of the Union County Jail reviewed issues relating to overcrowding, escapes, escape attempts and suicides in the detention facility.^[114]

On July 1, 2021, the Sheriff's Office regained control of the Union County Jail and made it a division within the organization; the Division of Corrections. The New Jersey State Policemen's Benevolent Association Local 108 is the official labor union and the collective bargaining agent for the Sheriff's Officers of Union County. This body is subdivided into Local 108 for the line officers and Local 108A for the supervisors (sergeants, lieutenants, and captains).

The Union County Police Department operates independently of the Sheriff's office. The Union County Police Department originally began as the Union County Park Police. The Union County Police are tasked with patrolling Union County's properties. They also supplement the local municipalities with police presence and patrol when requested.^[115] Martin Mogensen has been the Chief of Police since February 2023.^[116]

The Union County Police have several divisions and are relied upon for their multiple services. Currently assigned are Patrol, Detective Bureau, Emergency Services Unit, and the Marine Unit. Union County Regional 911 and Dispatch is one of the many services that the County Police provide. They are the primary PSAP for multiple municipalities, provide police/fire/EMS dispatch, dispatch medics, and Union County Fire Mutual Aid. The PD belongs to the New Jersey State Policemen's Benevolent Association, Local 73.^[117]

Symbols

The flag and seal of Union County depict the murder of Hannah Caldwell, the wife of James Caldwell, by British soldiers during the Battle of Connecticut Farms.^[118] After killing her the British troops burned the house and neighboring church as well as most of the town.^[118] Her death inspired many people to join both the New Jersey militia and the Continental Army.^[118] The seal was adopted in 1932 and has been official since 1933.^[118]

Beginning in fall of 2020 then County Commission Chairman Sergio Granados began exploring changing the seal at the urging of Mothers Against Domestic Violence who argued the scene was offensive and encouraged Domestic Violence.^[118] Neither the general public, nor either the Union Township nor Union County Historical Societies would be informed of these efforts until it was leaked in 2022.^[118] Granados and the county government stated that there would be a poll to determine the seals replacement, either a depiction of the Union County Courthouse or a quartered design with other local symbols.^[118] Retaining the existing seal was not an option.^[118]

The proposal saw significant public backlash, with a petition reaching 6,600 county resident signatures to retain the current seal.^[119] Granados then defended his decision to change the seal, arguing that "the picture on the current seal is not a true depiction of what actually occurred" as Caldwell was shot looking out her window, not while standing in the doorway.^[120] This is despite the county not offering a corrected, historically accurate depiction, as one of the replacement options.^[118] In 2023 Granados ultimately backtracked and "postponed" the redesign indefinitely.^[119][118] As of 2026 the existing seal is still in use.

State elections

Tertiary education

Kean University, a co-educational, public research university dating back to 1855 is located in Union and Hillside, serving nearly 13,000 undergraduates. Kean University educates its students in the liberal arts, the sciences and the professions; it is best known for its programs in the humanities and social sciences and in education, graduating the most teachers in the state of New Jersey annually, along with a physical therapy program which it holds in conjunction with the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey.^[130]

Union College is the two-year community college for Union County, one of a network of 19 county colleges in New Jersey. Union College was founded in 1933 as Union County College and has campuses in Cranford, Elizabeth, Plainfield and Scotch Plains.^[131]

School districts

Most municipalities have their own public high schools, exceptions being Garwood, whose students attend Arthur L. Johnson High School in Clark; Winfield, whose students attend David Brearley High School in Kenilworth; and Mountainside, whose students attend Governor Livingston High School in Berkeley Heights. Fanwood is mostly merged with Scotch Plains educationally and the two towns have one high school.

The county has the following school districts:^{[132][133][134]}

K-12

Elementary (K-8)

• Garwood Public Schools
• Mountainside School District
• Winfield Township School District

The county also has Union County Vocational Technical Schools, which has both full-time magnet programs that students must apply to, and split-time vocational programs.

Roads and highways

As of 2010^[update], the county had a total of 1,418.31 miles (2,282.55 km) of roadways, of which 1,158.45 miles (1,864.34 km) were maintained by the local municipality, 176.32 miles (283.76 km) by Union County and 66.22 miles (106.57 km) by the New Jersey Department of Transportation, 16.22 miles (26.10 km) by the New Jersey Turnpike Authority and 1.10 miles (1.77 km) by the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey.^[137][138]

Major highways which traverse the county include the New Jersey Turnpike (I-95), the Garden State Parkway, I-78, I-278, Route 1/9, Route 22, Route 24, Route 27, Route 28, Route 35 (only in Rahway), Route 82, Route 124, Route 439, and the Goethals Bridge. At 0.15 miles, Route 59, located entirely in Union County, is the shortest state highway in New Jersey.^[139]

Public transportation

Passenger rail service is provide by NJ Transit via the Northeast Corridor, North Jersey Coast Line, Raritan Valley Line, the Morristown Line and the Gladstone Branch.^{[140][141][142][143][144]} Freight service is provided by on Conrail's Lehigh Line and Chemical Coast Branch. Freight and passenger rail service was provided by the Rahway Valley Railroad from 1897 until 1992 when the short line closed due to lack of customers.^[145]

NJ Transit provides bus service to the Port Authority Bus Terminal in Midtown Manhattan, as well as service to major cities in New Jersey and within Union County.^[146]

The Port Newark-Elizabeth Marine Terminal is part of the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey.^[147]

The southern portion of Newark Liberty International Airport is located in Elizabeth, within Union County.^[148]

Potential rail-to-trails

Union County Park Line rail trail is a proposed walking and/or biking trail proposed on old railroad tracks. Two abandoned rails exist in the county.^[149]

The City of Summit and the Summit Park Line Foundation are working on turning the line from Morris Avenue to Briant Park in Summit into a rail trail that will be approximately one mile long. This rail trail, potentially called the Summit Park Line, could provide a greenway to connect several county parks, akin to a Summit High Line.^[150] A path could run directly from Summit to the Arthur Kill in Linden, New Jersey on the Rahway Valley Railroad and the Staten Island Rapid Transit line.

The Summit city council applied for a $1 million grant toward the Summit Park Line project in November 2016.^[151] "If Summit is able to complete the project, it might help other parts of the greenway come through," said Union County Public Relations Coordinator, Sebastian Delia.^[152]

The Rahway Valley Railroad runs from Summit to Roselle Park. Beginning in Hidden Valley Park, the railroad right-of-way continues by connecting Houdaille Quarry, Briant Park, Meisel Park, Rahway River Parkway, Galloping Hill Golf Course and Black Brook Park. The ending of the railway is on Westfield Avenue in Roselle Park. The Staten Island Rapid Transit runs from Cranford to Staten Island, although the project would only include the section that runs from Cranford to Linden.^[152] The possible inception in Cranford would be a lot on South Avenue East. The ending of this trail would be in Linden at an empty lot. A boardwalk would run over the existing tracks to ease line reactivation.

County-run parks

^[155]

• Ash Brook Reservation, Scotch Plains
• Black Brook Park, Kenilworth
• Briant Park, Summit^[156][157]
• Brookside Park, Scotch Plains

• Cedar Brook Park, Plainfield
  • Home to the Shakespeare Garden.
• Echo Lake Park, Westfield and Mountainside
  • The privately owned Echo Lake Country Club donated the parkland for this park in the 1920s. The name arises from the echo heard off the high bluff on the far side of the lake. Echo Lake itself was created by damning when mills were established on Nomahegan Brook, a tributary of the Rahway River. The Great Minisink Trail passed by Echo Lake Park.
• Elizabeth River Parkway
• Esposito Park, Clark
  • Features a 1/2-mile path with exercise equipment and a skate park
• Green Brook Park, Plainfield (partial)
• Hidden Valley Park, Springfield and Summit^[158][157]
  • Eastern border is adjacent to the now-closed Houdaille Quarry.
• Houdaille Quarry, Springfield (closed to public)
• Kawameeh Park, Union
• Lenape Park, Cranford, Westfield, and Kenilworth
  • In the 1930s, workers digging Lenape Lake found mastodon bones here.
• Madison Avenue Park, Rahway
  • Adjacent to Rahway 7th and 8th Grade Academy

• Clark Reservoir Recreation Area
• Mattano Park, Elizabeth
  • Named for a Lenape tribal leader, whose name was recorded by colonists as Mattano. In 1664, a group called the Elizabethtown Associates bought land in the Union County area from Mattano and another Lenape leader named Warinanco.
• McConnell Park, Cranford
  • Named for the first town doctor in Cranford
• Milton Lake Park, Clark and Rahway
• Mindowaskin Park, Westfield
• Nomahegan Park, Cranford
  • Contains Nomahegan Park Pond and encircles the Rahway River.

    

• Oak Ridge Park, Clark
• Passaic River Parkway,^[159][157] Berkeley Heights, New Providence, and Summit
• Phil Rizzuto Park, Elizabeth
• Ponderosa Farm Park, Scotch Plains
• Rahway River Park, Rahway
  • Environmental groups protested at the building of a stadium here in 2016. The movement gave birth to Friends of Rahway River Parkway.^[160]
• Rahway River Parkway
• Snyder Avenue Park, Berkeley Heights
• Sperry Park, Cranford
• Stanley Avenue Park, Summit
• Tamaques Park, Scotch Plains
• Unami Park, Cranford, Garwood, and Westfield
• Washington Avenue Park, Springfield
• Watchung Reservation, Mountainside and Scotch Plains
• Warinanco Park, Elizabeth and Roselle
  • Named for the Native American known as "Warinanco." Designed by the Olmsted Brothers firm.
• Wheeler Park, Linden

Other notable parks

Parks that are not managed by the county government include:

• Hawk Rise Sanctuary. A bird sanctuary was built in 2012 on the banks of Rahway River in Linden. Hawk Rise Sanctuary is a 95-acre ecological preserve and wetland complex in Linden in an area previously concealed by various industrial land uses. Its trails were created adjacent to the former Linden Landfill area by the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection, the city of Linden and the New Jersey Audubon Society.^[161] The trails in the Hawk Rise forest are boardwalk, with some continuing as gravel along the edge of the former Linden Landfill. It has an overlook area where hikers can view the Rahway River and nearby marshes. It has been open to the public since 2012. The site includes diverse environments: forested wetlands, vernal pools, grasslands, shrublands, salt marsh, mudflats, a pond, and the tidal Rahway River. 163 bird species have been spotted there.^[162][163] It has been reported as vandalized.^[161]
• Reeves-Reed Arboretum in Summit.^[164]
• Kennedy Reservation in Union.^[165]
• The grounds of Liberty Hall Museum near the campus of Kean University in Union and Elizabeth.

Rahway River Parkway

The Rahway River Parkway is a greenway of parkland that hugs the Rahway River and its tributaries, such as Nomahegan Brook. It was the inaugural project of the Union County Parks Commission designed in the 1920s by the Olmsted Brothers firm, who were the sons of landscape architect Frederick Law Olmsted. Several county and municipal parks run along the Rahway River.^[166][167]

Elizabeth River Parkway

The Elizabeth River Parkway is a greenway of parkland alongside the Elizabeth River and its tributaries. It runs through Kean University and Liberty Hall Museum on the river's way to the Arthur Kill. The Elizabeth River Parkway is broken down into separate sections.

• Chatfield/Zimmerman - Hillside and Union Township^[168]
• Lightning Brook - Hillside and Union^[169]

• 

  Pruden/Pearl Oval - Elizabeth^[170]
• Salem/Rutgers/Liberty - Hillside and Union^[171]
• Woodruff/Conant Street - Hillside and Union^[172]
• Ursino - Hillside and Union Township^[173]

Public golf courses

Union County's Division of Golf Operations runs two golf courses, which offer golf lessons and practice areas.^[174]

• Ash Brook Golf Course in Scotch Plains.
• Galloping Hill Golf Course and Golf Learning Center in Kenilworth.^[175] The facility, which hosts the headquarters of the New Jersey State Golf Association, hosted the 2016 New Jersey State Open golf tournament, the first public golf course to host the tournament since it was established in 1921.^[176]

Another notable course

• Shady Rest Country Club ^[177] in Scotch Plains is recognized as the first African-American owned and operated golf clubhouse in the United States. As such, Shady Rest is the home course of the first African-American golf professional to play in the U.S. Open, John Matthew Shippen, Jr. (1879-1968), who is considered a pioneer of the sport.^[178] Originally a private club and center for African-American social life, the township acquired and renamed it in the 1930s as the 'Scotch Hills Country Club' and made it open to the public. The history and significance of the course and clubhouse has not always been promoted as a place of national historic interest. Thankfully, the National Park Service has listed the Shady Rest Golf and Country Club (_100007869) in the National Registry of Historic Places, in large part due to the efforts of the Preserve Shady Rest Committee.^[179] The committee continues working to further solidify Shady Rest as a local, state, and national landmark given its historical significance.^{[180][181][177]}

Private golf courses

• Baltusrol Golf Club is a private 36-hole golf club in Springfield founded in 1895 by Louis Keller. Both courses were originally designed by A. W. Tillinghast in 1918. The club has hosted seven U.S. Opens and the 2005 and 2016 PGA Championships.^[182]
• Echo Lake Country Club is a private, member-owned country club located in Westfield, founded in 1899. The 18-hole golf course was designed by Donald Ross in 1913.^[183]
• Hyatt Hills Golf Complex in Clark
• Shackamaxon Country Club
• Suburban Golf Club

Other recreational facilities

• Clark Community Pool^[184]
• Centennial Avenue Pool in Cranford, NJ
• Oak Ridge Archery Range
• Orange Avenue Pool in Cranford, NJ
• Trailside Nature and Science Center at Watchung Reservation
• Warinanco Ice Skating Rink
• Wheeler Park
• Westfield Memorial Pool
• Spray Pool – Wheeler Park (Linden)
• County Pool – Rahway River Park (Rahway)

Union County Historical Society

In 1869, the Union County Historical Society of New Jersey was incorporated. The society meets at the Hanson House in Cranford.^[194]

Municipal historical societies

• Berkeley Heights - The Berkeley Heights Historical Society.^[195]
• Clark - The Clark Historical Society was founded in 1970. It operates the Dr. William Robinson Plantation House Museum, built in 1690 by a doctor from Scotland.^[196]
• Cranford - The Cranford Historic Preservation Advisory Board is an official township committee body, while the Cranford Historical Society itself is citizen-run. It is located in the Hanson House in Hanson Park on Springfield Avenue and maintains the Crane-Phillips House (c. 1845) a couple of blocks south on North Union Avenue as a museum.^[197]
• Garwood - Garwood Historical Committee.^[198]
• Hillside - The Hillside Historical Society, founded in 1975, meets at the Woodruff House.^[199]
• Kenilworth - The Kenilworth Historical Society dates to 1974. It runs the Oswald J. Nitschke House (c. 1880).^[200]
• Linden - The Linden Society for Historical Preservation is an offshoot of an official cultural board in the city.^[201]
• Mountainside - The Mountainside Restoration Committee, Inc. is also called the Mountainside Historic Committee, founded in 1984.^[202]
• Plainfield - The Historical Society of Plainfield is headquartered at the Nathaniel Drake House Museum, built in 1746 on the Old York Road.^[203][204]
• Rahway - The Rahway Historical Society is now called the Merchants' and Drovers' Tavern Museum Association.^[205]
• Scotch Plains and Fanwood - The Scotch Plains-Fanwood Historical Society runs the Osborn Cannonball House.^[206]
• Springfield - The Historic Cannon Ball House serves as the home of the Springfield Historical Society.^[207]
• Westfield - The Westfield Historical Society is in the Reeve History & Cultural Resource Center, a structure from the 1870s. The Society also runs the Miller-Cory House Museum, in a home that dates back to the 1740s.^[208]
• Union - Union Township Historical Society is located in the 1782 historic Caldwell Parsonage. The Society's mission is to preserve and promote the rich and diverse history of the Township of Union.

Other historical preservation groups

• Friends of Rahway River Parkway is dedicated to preserving Olmsted design principles and features of county parkland along the Rahway River as it flows to the Arthur Kill.^[209]

Sister city

The county has a sister city relationship with Wenzhou in Zhejiang, China.^[210][211]