Jump to content

Mercer County, New Jersey: Difference between revisions

Coordinates: 40°17′N 74°42′W / 40.28°N 74.70°W / 40.28; -74.70
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Browse history interactively
← Previous editNext edit →
Content deleted Content added
VisualWikitext
→‎Municipalities: not true - Hudson County has fewer
Line 98: Line 98:
== Municipalities ==
== Municipalities ==
[[Image:Mercer County, New Jersey Municipalities.png|thumb|right|400px|Index map of Mercer County municipalities (click to see index)]]
[[Image:Mercer County, New Jersey Municipalities.png|thumb|right|400px|Index map of Mercer County municipalities (click to see index)]]
The following municipalities are located in Mercer County. The municipality type is listed in parentheses after the name, except where the type is included as part of the name. [[Census-designated place]]s and other [[unincorporated area (New Jersey)|unincorporated areas]] are listed under their municipalities. Mercer County has the fewest municipalities of any county in New Jersey.
The following municipalities are located in Mercer County. The municipality type is listed in parentheses after the name, except where the type is included as part of the name. [[Census-designated place]]s and other [[unincorporated area (New Jersey)|unincorporated areas]] are listed under their municipalities.
*[[East Windsor Township, New Jersey|East Windsor Township]]
*[[East Windsor Township, New Jersey|East Windsor Township]]
**[[Twin Rivers, New Jersey|Twin Rivers]]
**[[Twin Rivers, New Jersey|Twin Rivers]]

Revision as of 23:51, 11 March 2010

Mercer County
County
Official seal of Mercer County
Seal
Map of New Jersey highlighting Mercer County
Location within the U.S. state of New Jersey
Map of the United States highlighting New Jersey
New Jersey's location within the U.S.
Coordinates: 40°17′N 74°42′W / 40.28°N 74.7°W / 40.28; -74.7
Country United States
State New Jersey
Founded1838
SeatTrenton
Largest cityHamilton
Area
 • Total229 sq mi (590 km2)
 • Land226 sq mi (590 km2)
 • Water3 sq mi (8 km2)  1.27%
Population
 • Estimate 
(2006)
367,605
 • Density1,550/sq mi (599/km2)
Websitewww.mercercounty.org

Mercer County is a county located in the U.S. state of New Jersey. Its county seat is Trenton, the state capitalTemplate:GR. It is officially part of both the New York metropolitan area and Delaware Valley, due to it being close to New York City and Philadelphia, as well as the Trenton-Ewing Metropolitan Statistical Area. As of 2007, the Trenton-Ewing MSA is ranked 136th in the list of U.S. Metropolitan Statistical Areas for total population at 365,449.

The county is named for Continental Army General Hugh Mercer, who died at the Battle of Princeton in 1777. The Mercer Oak, against which the dying general rested as his men continued to fight, appears on the county seal. As of the United States 2000 Census, the population was 350,761, estimated to have risen to 367,605 as of 2006.[1] Mercer County ranks 79th among the highest-income counties in the United States. It also is ranked 57th in the United States by per capita income.[2]

Mercer county is home to Princeton University, Princeton Theological Seminary, Institute for Advanced Study, Rider University, The College of New Jersey, Thomas Edison State College and Mercer County Community College.[3]


Demographics

Historical population
CensusPop.Note%±
184021,502—
185027,99230.2%
186037,41933.7%
187046,38624.0%
188058,06125.2%
189079,97837.7%
190095,36519.2%
1910125,65731.8%
1920159,88127.2%
1930187,14317.1%
1940197,3185.4%
1950229,78116.5%
1960266,39215.9%
1970304,11614.2%
1980307,8631.2%
1990325,8245.8%
2000350,7617.7%
2006 (est.)367,605[1]
historical census data source: [4][5]

As of the censusTemplate:GR of 2000, there were 350,761 people, 125,807 households, and 86,303 families residing in the county. The population density was 1,552 people per square mile (599/km²). There were 133,280 housing units at an average density of 590 per square mile (228/km²). The racial makeup of the county was 68.48% White, 19.81% Black or African American, 0.20% Native American, 4.94% Asian, 0.10% Pacific Islander, 4.29% from other races, and 2.17% from two or more races. 9.66% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race. 15.5% were of Italian, 9.7% Irish, 8.2% German, 6.7% Polish and 5.7% English ancestry according to Census 2000.

An outdoor scene of Mercer County.

There were 125,807 households out of which 32.80% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 50.60% were married couples living together, 13.80% had a female householder with no husband present, and 31.40% were non-families. 25.60% of all households were made up of individuals and 9.90% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.62 and the average family size was 3.16.

In the county the population was spread out with 24.00% under the age of 18, 10.20% from 18 to 24, 30.60% from 25 to 44, 22.50% from 45 to 64, and 12.60% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females there were 94.90 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 92.00 males.

The median income for a household in the county was $56,613, and the median income for a family was $68,494 (these figures had risen to $68,582 and $85,169 respectively as of a 2007 estimate[6]). Males had a median income of $47,444 versus $34,788 for females. The per capita income for the county was $27,914. About 5.90% of families and 8.60% of the population were below the poverty line, including 10.60% of those under age 18 and 8.40% of those age 65 or over.

Government

Mercer County has a County Executive form of government, in which the County Executive performs executive functions and a Board of Chosen Freeholders acts in a legislative capacity. The County Executive as of 2008 is Brian M. Hughes. Members of the seven-person Board of Chosen Freeholders are elected at-large to serve three-year staggered terms. The Board is led by a Freeholder Chair and Vice-Chair, selected on an annual basis from among its members.[7]

The Freeholder Board acts as a formulator of policy and provides a check on the powers of the County Executive. The Board also approves all county contracts and gives advice and consent to the County Executive’s appointments of department heads, and appointments to boards and commissions. After receiving the proposed county budget from the County Executive in January of each year, it is the duty of the Freeholder Board to thoroughly review, make appropriate changes, and then vote on the budget.

As of 2008, Mercer County's Freeholders are:[8]

Politics

In the 2004 U.S. Presidential election, John Kerry carried Mercer County by a 23.4% margin over George W. Bush, with Kerry carrying the state by 6.7% over Bush.[9] In 2008, the county voted for Barack Obama by a 35.4% margin over John McCain, with Obama winning New Jersey by 14.4% over McCain.[10]

Transportation

Mercer County has state routes, U.S. Routes and Interstates. Mercer also boasts its NJTransit's stations, including Trenton, Hamilton, and Princeton Junction. The state routes that pass through Mercer are Route 33, Route 29, Route 31, Route 27, Route 129, and Route 133. There are three US Routes that pass through Mercer, which are: U.S. Route 1, U.S. Route 130 and U.S. Route 206.

Mercer County houses a couple of limited access roads, such as Interstate 295, Interstate 195, and Interstate 95 (which is also designated along the New Jersey Turnpike). Two turnpike interchanges are located in Mercer, Exit 7A and Exit 8.

Interstate 95 abruptly ends at the interchange with US 1 & I-295 in Lawrence Township, and becomes I-295 south. Signs direct motorists to the continuation of I-95 by using I-295 to I-195 east to Interstate 95 / New Jersey Turnpike. This is all due in part to the cancellation of the Somerset Freeway that was supposed to go from Hopewell in Mercer County up to Franklin in Somerset County. However, the 95 shields on the "Trenton section" are to re-numbered as part of "I-195 Extension," when a direct interchange with Interstate 95 in Pennsylvania & Interstate 276 is built (which won't be until 2012).

Municipalities

Index map of Mercer County municipalities (click to see index)

The following municipalities are located in Mercer County. The municipality type is listed in parentheses after the name, except where the type is included as part of the name. Census-designated places and other unincorporated areas are listed under their municipalities.

History

Officially founded in 1838 and carved out of other surrounding counties, Mercer County has a historical impact that reaches back to the pivotal battles of the American Revolutionary War. On the night of December 25, 1776, General George Washington led the American forces across the Delaware River to attack Hessian forces in Trenton, New Jersey, who did not anticipate an attack near Christmas. Washington followed up the assault with a surprise attack on General Charles Cornwallis' forces in the Battle of Princeton on the eve of January 2, 1777, eventually retaking the colony. The successful attacks built morale among the pro-independence colonists.

Mercer County also has the dubious distinction of being the famed landing spot for a fictional Martian invasion of the United States. In 1938, in what has become one of the most famous radio plays of all time, Orson Welles acted out his The War of the Worlds invasion. Wells landed his imaginary aliens on Mercer County soil, using what is now West Windsor Township as the point of first contact. A monument commemorating the "landing" is erected at Grover's Mill park.[11]

Sports

Mercer County has a number of large parks. The largest, Mercer County Central Park is the home for the US Olympic Rowing Team's training center.[12]

Mercer County is also the home of the minor league baseball team, the Trenton Thunder (Eastern League Double-A affiliate of the New York Yankees), and the minor league hockey team, the Trenton Devils (ECHL Double-A affiliate of the New Jersey Devils.)


External links

References

  1. ^ a b "QuickFacts: Mercer County, New Jersey". U.S. Census Bureau. Retrieved 2007-03-01.
  2. ^ 250 Highest Per Capita Personal Incomes of the 3111 Counties in the United States, 2006, Bureau of Economic Analysis. Statistics for year 2006 Accessed May 2, 2008.
  3. ^ About Mercer County, 2007, [Mercer County "The Capital County"]. Statistics for year 2007 Accessed March 23, 2008.
  4. ^ "New Jersey Resident Population by County: 1880 - 1930".
  5. ^ "Geostat Center: Historical Census Browser". University of Virginia Library. Retrieved 2007-03-02.
  6. ^ http://factfinder.census.gov/servlet/ACSSAFFFacts?_event=Search&geo_id=05000US34015&_geoContext=01000US%7C04000US34%7C05000US34015&_street=&_county=mercer&_cityTown=mercer&_state=04000US34&_zip=&_lang=en&_sse=on&ActiveGeoDiv=geoSelect&_useEV=&pctxt=fph&pgsl=050&_submenuId=factsheet_1&ds_name=ACS_2007_3YR_SAFF&_ci_nbr=null&qr_name=null&reg=null%3Anull&_keyword=&_industry=
  7. ^ What is a Freeholder?, Mercer County, New Jersey. Accessed March 11, 2008.
  8. ^ Meet the Freeholders, Mercer County. Accessed July 4, 2007.
  9. ^ New Jersey Presidential Election Returns by County 2004, Eagleton Institute of Politics at Rutgers University. Accessed August 31, 2008.
  10. ^ U.S. Election Atlas
  11. ^ " War of the Worlds Monument", South Suburban College. Accessed October 17, 2008.
  12. ^ "Know, know, know your boat". The Christian Science Monitor. 2008-07-17. Retrieved 2008-12-03.

40°17′N 74°42′W / 40.28°N 74.70°W / 40.28; -74.70

Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Mercer_County,_New_Jersey&oldid=349328313"