Edison, New Jersey
Encyclopedia
Edison Township is a township
in Middlesex County, New Jersey
. What is now Edison Township was originally incorporated as Raritan Township by an Act of the New Jersey Legislature
on March 17, 1870, from portions of both Piscataway Township
and Woodbridge Township
. Portions of the township were taken to form Metuchen
on March 20, 1900, and Highland Park
on March 15, 1905. The name was officially changed to Edison Township on November 10, 1954, in honor of inventor Thomas Edison, who had his main laboratory in the Menlo Park section of the township. As of the 2010 United States Census, Edison had a total population of 99,967, adding 2,280 residents (2.3%) from its 2000 Census population of 97,687 and retaining its position as the fifth largest municipality in New Jersey.
Edison was ranked the 28th most livable small city in the United States
by CNN Money Magazine
, and the 2nd in New Jersey in 2006 in Money Magazine's "Best Places To Live". In 2008 two years later, Money Magazine changed the town's ranking to 35 out of the top 100 places to live in the United States of America. Edison Township was not on the 2007 list because that year's list included only municipalities with a population of 50,000 or less. In the 2006 survey of America's Safest Cities, the township was ranked 23rd, out of 371 cities included nationwide, in the 13th annual Morgan Quitno
survey. In 2009, Edison was ranked as one of "America's 10 Best Places to Grow Up" by U.S. News and World Report. The rankings focused on low crime, strong schools, green spaces, and abundance of recreational activities.
, the Benjamin Shotwell House
, and the Homestead Farm at Oak Ridge
, are buildings from the colonial era included in National Register of Historic Places listings in Middlesex County.
The town was previously known as "Raritan Township", not be confused with the current-day Raritan Township
in Hunterdon County
.
It was in his Menlo Park (N.J.) Laboratory that Thomas Edison came up with the phonograph
and a commercially viable incandescent light bulb
filament. Christie Street was the first street in the world to use electric lights for illumination. Edison subsequently left Menlo Park and moved his home and laboratory to West Orange
in 1886. His Menlo Park lab has been called one of the greatest laboratories ever.
, a manufacturer and community leader. Soon after the outbreak of World War I, Nixon established a massive volatile chemicals processing facility there, known as the Nixon Nitration Works. It was the site of the 1924 Nixon Nitration Works disaster
, a massive explosion and resulting fire that killed twenty persons and destroyed several square miles of the Township.
In 1954, the township's name was changed to honor inventor Thomas A. Edison. Also on the ballot in 1954 was a failed proposal to change the community's name to Nixon.
, Jersey City
, Paterson
, and Elizabeth
.
Edison is primarily a middle-class community with more than 75 ethnic communities represented. Edison has a large Jewish community next to Highland Park
, with multiple synagogues located in Edison. Edison also has a growing Indian
community and a number of temples serving the religious needs of the community. Reflecting the number of Edison's residents from India
and China
, the township has sister city
arrangements with Shijiazhuang
, China, and Baroda
, India.
According to the United States Census Bureau
, the township has a total area of 30.69 square miles (79.5 km²), of which 30.12 square miles (78 km²) is land and 0.57 square miles (1.5 km²) (1.86%) is water.
|website = www.edisonnj.org Edison is in Raritan Valley (a line of cities in central New Jersey). Edison is on the east side of Raritan Valley, along with Plainfield, and completely surrounds Metuchen
.
, with an extensive network of highways passing through the township and connecting to major Northeast cities, New York City, Boston, Philadelphia, Trenton, Washington, D.C. and others.
Edison Township hosts various roadways. State roads include Route 27, and 440, both of which are state-maintained. U.S. Route 1
also passes through the township. Interstate 287
passes through Edison, where it houses its southern end at I-95. The municipality also houses about a 5 miles (8 km) section of the New Jersey Turnpike
(Interstate 95
). Exit 10 is located in Edison, featuring a 13-lane toll gate and a “unique” interchange design. When the “dual-dual” setup of the turnpike was created, it first started in Edison Township, and continued north to Exit 14 in Newark
. It wasn’t until 1973 that the “dual-dual” was extended south of 10 to Exit 9 in East Brunswick Township
(and then extended further south in 1990 to Exit 8A in Monroe Township
).
Since Interstate 287
connects to Interstate 87
(the New York State Thruway
), Exit 10 (of the turnpike) is one of the busiest interchanges to be used by tractor-trailers as it connects the New Jersey Turnpike to the New York Thruway. For truck drivers, it is the only connection they have to the Thruway as the Garden State Parkway
, which has its northern terminus at the Thruway, prohibits trucks from using the roadway north of Exit 105. Due to Interstate 95's
discontinuity in New Jersey, U.S. 1 serves as a regional artery linking the New Jersey Turnpike
and Interstate 287 to Interstate 95 and Interstate 295
.
Edison station
, located in South Edison, is served by New Jersey Transit
northbound trains to Newark Penn Station and Penn Station New York, and southbound to the Trenton Transit Center via the Northeast Corridor Line
, with connecting service to Amtrak
. Some passengers in North Edison may actually live closer to, and prefer to use, the Metropark
(in neighboring Iselin
) or Metuchen
stations.
NJ Transit bus service is provided on the 62 route to Newark
; on the 801, 804, 805, 810, 813, 814, and 819 local routes.
Edison also offers a Light Transit bus service to the Edison train station. This bus route services the apartment communities along Plainfield Avenue and other commuters on Ethel Road. The schedule and route map are available here: Edison Light Transit.
In addition, China Airlines
provides private bus service to John F. Kennedy International Airport
from the Kam Man Food
Inc. at 511 Old Post Road in Edison to feed its flight to Taipei
, Taiwan
.
Edison was selected as one of the first communities by the New Jersey Department of Transportation to have a red-light photo enforcement system operated by RedFlex Traffic Systems, Inc.. The three year contract, which allows for up to two one-year extensions, provides for the system to be installed at up to 75 locations.
, a video game company, has its corporate headquarters in Edison. Also, Model Rectifier Corporation, a hobby equipment company, has its main headquarters in Edison. Other companies have warehouse operations within Edison. These companies include the regional hubs for Fedex
, UPS
, and Newegg
. In addition Edison is home to the State's Largest Private Convention Center, the New Jersey Convention and Exposition Center http://www.njexpocenter.com located within the Raritan Center Business Park.
As of the census
of 2010, there were 99,967 people, 35,136 households, and 25,895 families residing in the township. The population density
was 3,243.0 people per square mile (1,252.2/km2). There were 36,018 housing units at an average density of 1,195.7 per square mile (461.7/km2). The racial makeup of the township was 44.1% White
, 43.2% Asian
, 7.0% African American
, 0.23% Native American, 0.36% Pacific Islander
, 2.7% from Other races, and 2.7% from two or more races. Hispanic
or Latino
of any race was 8.1% of the population.
There were 35,136 households out of which 34.3% had children under the age of 18 living in them, 61.1% were married couples
living together, 9.1% had a female householder with no husband present, and 26.3% were non-families. 21.1% of all households were made up of individuals and 7.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.72 and the average family size was 3.19.
In the township the population was spread out with 22.9% under the age of 18, 7.8% from 18 to 24, 34.0% from 25 to 44, 23.4% from 45 to 64, and 11.9% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females there were 96.3 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 94.0 males.
According to a 2007 estimate, the median income for a household in the township was $80,581, and the median income for a family was $92,451.http://factfinder.census.gov/servlet/ACSSAFFFacts?_event=ChangeGeoContext&geo_id=06000US3402320230&_geoContext=01000US%7C04000US29%7C16000US2941348&_street=&_county=edison&_cityTown=edison&_state=04000US34&_zip=&_lang=en&_sse=on&ActiveGeoDiv=geoSelect&_useEV=&pctxt=fph&pgsl=010&_submenuId=factsheet_1&ds_name=ACS_2006_SAFF&_ci_nbr=null&qr_name=null®=null%3Anull&_keyword=&_industry= Males had a median income of $53,303 versus $36,829 for females. The per capita income
for the township was $30,148. About 3.3% of families and 4.8% of the population were below the poverty line, including 4.3% of those under age 18 and 6.3% of those age 65 or over.
As part of the 2010 Census, 28.3% of Edison residents identified themselves as being Indian American
. In the 2000 Census, 17.75% of Edison residents identified themselves as being Indian American, the highest percentage of Indian American people of any place in the United States with 1,000 or more residents identifying their ancestry.
. John Kerry
carried the township over George W. Bush
in the 2004 U.S. Presidential Election.
system with a strong Mayor-Council form of government, and is governed by a mayor and a seven-member Township Council. Members of the council are elected at-large in partisan elections to three-year terms of office on a staggered basis, with three or four seats coming up for election every other year.
, the Mayor of Edison is Antonia "Toni" Ricigliano, its first female mayor. Members of the Municipal Council are Council President Charles Tomaro (2013), Council Vice President Robert Diehl (2013), Thomas Lankey (2013), Robert Karabinchak (2010), Wayne Mascola (2011), Melissa Perilstein (2011), and Sudhanshu Prasad (2011).
, Jun Choi
won the June 2005 primary by a 56–44% margin, defeating longtime incumbent Mayor George A. Spadoro
. This was the first time in Edison history that a challenger won the Democratic primary. Mayor Choi won endorsements from mainstream Democratic leaders including Bill Bradley, for whom he worked on the 2000 presidential campaign, and was unexpectedly endorsed by a number of traditionally candidate- neutral unions in Edison.
In the ensuing general election, Choi did not face a Republican
candidate, but instead faced a former Democrat turned Independent, William (Bill) Stephens.
An American Prospect article details aspects that Choi brought together in his 2005 mayoral campaign. They include 1) attracting new voters into the process, 2) a good government message, 3) anti-Wal-Mart
or economic justice theme and 4) an effective Internet-based progressive mobilization.
On Election Day, November 8, 2005, Jun Choi declared victory, leading in unofficial results with a vote of 12,126 to 11,935. However, due to the small margin of victory, candidate William Stephens pursued a recount and subsequently, an election contest, both without success. On January 1, 2006, at age 34, Mayor Choi was sworn-in by Governor
Jon Corzine
as the youngest Mayor in Edison history. Choi ran for re-election in 2009, but was defeated in the primary election by Antonia "Toni" Ricigliano, who went on to win the general election, and took office January 1, 2010.
Edison is in the
and New Jersey Route 27. Even though Jun Choi stated in his Mayoral Campaign that he would stop Walmart from being built, Walmart filed suit and won. On the day the Walmart was opened, Choi was there to cut the yellow ribbon.
) are 11 elementary schools covering grades PreK-5 —
Benjamin Franklin Elementary (573 students),
Martin Luther King Jr. Elementary (581; PreK-5),
Lincoln Elementary (710),
Lindeneau Elementary (511),
James Madison Primary School (644; PreK-2), who then move on to
James Madison Intermediate School (561; 3–5),
John Marshall Elementary (542),
Menlo Park Elementary (780),
James Monroe Elementary (427),
Washington Elementary (618; PreK-5) and
Woodbrook School
with 798 students —
John Adams Middle School (760; from James Madison Intermediate and MLK Jr.),
Herbert Hoover Middle School (824; from Franklin, Lincoln and Monroe),
Thomas Jefferson Middle School (746; from Lindeneau, Marshall and Washington) and
Woodrow Wilson Middle School
(827; from Menlo Park and Woodbrook) for grades 6–8 and both
Edison High School (1,958; from Hoover and Jefferson) and
J. P. Stevens High School (2,151; from Adams and Wilson) for grades 9–12.
J.P. Stevens was the 65th-ranked public high school in New Jersey out of 322 schools statewide, in New Jersey Monthly
magazine's September 2010 cover story on the state's "Top Public High Schools", after being ranked 52nd in 2008 out of 316 schools. Edison High School was ranked 169th in 2010 and 177th in 2008.
(or MCC) is a public, two-year community college
located in Edison at the intersection of Woodbridge Avenue and Mill Road.
's Livingston campus is located on the former Kilmer Army Base, partially located in Edison.
for Science, Mathematics, and Engineering Technologies, an engineering-based high school, which is part of the Middlesex County Vocational and Technical High Schools
. The high school is free for all Middlesex County residents, but admission is based on a test, past grades, and other academic and extracurricular activities. About 160 students, 40 per grade from around the county attend the Academy.
There are many private school
s in Edison, including the Wardlaw-Hartridge School
, Bishop George Ahr High School
, Rabbi Jacob Joseph School
, Yeshiva Shaarei Tzion, Rabbi Pesach Raymon Yeshiva, St. Helena School, St. Matthew School, Lakeview School and Our Lady Of Peace School. Additionally, the private for-profit technical school
Lincoln Tech (formerly the Cittone Institute) has a campus on Oak Tree Road in Edison. Lincoln Tech in Edison offers various programs in Nursing, Medical and Computer and Networking.
In Edison the sizable Asian
/Chinese
population had pushed for years to establish a Chinese School where students could learn the Chinese language. In 1998, Huaxia Edison Chinese School
(which teaches Simplified Chinese) was established in Thomas Jefferson Middle School. Huaxia currently resides in Edison High School. However, many families from Taiwan send their children to Edison Chinese School, located at John Adams Middle School, or Tzu Chi, located at Woodrow Wilson Middle School
. These schools both teach Traditional Chinese. JP Stevens High School also offers Hindi as an elective language for students that are interested in learning it.
Township (New Jersey)
A township, in the context of New Jersey local government, refers to one of five types and one of eleven forms of municipal government. As a political entity, a township is a full-fledged municipality, on par with any town, city, borough, or village, collecting property taxes and providing...
in Middlesex County, New Jersey
Middlesex County, New Jersey
-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 750,162 people, 265,815 households, and 190,855 families residing in the county. The population density was 2,422 people per square mile . There were 273,637 housing units at an average density of 884 per square mile...
. What is now Edison Township was originally incorporated as Raritan Township by an Act of the New Jersey Legislature
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 the Senate...
on March 17, 1870, from portions of both Piscataway Township
Piscataway Township, New Jersey
The township consists of the following historic villages and areas: New Market, known as Quibbletown in the 18th Century, Randolphville, Fieldville and North Stelton...
and Woodbridge Township
Woodbridge Township, New Jersey
-Communities:Many distinct communities exist within Woodbridge Township. Several of these communities have their own ZIP codes, and many are listed by the United States Census Bureau as census-designated places, but they are all unincorporated areas and neighborhoods within the Township that,...
. Portions of the township were taken to form Metuchen
Metuchen, New Jersey
Metuchen is a Borough in Middlesex County, New Jersey, United States, which is 8 miles northeast of New Brunswick, 18 miles southwest of Newark, 24 miles southwest of Jersey City, and 29 miles southwest of Manhattan, all part of the New York metropolitan area...
on March 20, 1900, and Highland Park
Highland Park, New Jersey
Highland Park is a borough in Middlesex County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, the borough population was 13,982....
on March 15, 1905. The name was officially changed to Edison Township on November 10, 1954, in honor of inventor Thomas Edison, who had his main laboratory in the Menlo Park section of the township. As of the 2010 United States Census, Edison had a total population of 99,967, adding 2,280 residents (2.3%) from its 2000 Census population of 97,687 and retaining its position as the fifth largest municipality in New Jersey.
Edison was ranked the 28th most livable small city in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
by CNN Money Magazine
Money (magazine)
Money is published by Time Inc. Its first issue was published in October 1972. Its articles cover the gamut of personal finance topics ranging from investing, saving, retirement and taxes to family finance issues like paying for college, credit, career and home improvement...
, and the 2nd in New Jersey in 2006 in Money Magazine's "Best Places To Live". In 2008 two years later, Money Magazine changed the town's ranking to 35 out of the top 100 places to live in the United States of America. Edison Township was not on the 2007 list because that year's list included only municipalities with a population of 50,000 or less. In the 2006 survey of America's Safest Cities, the township was ranked 23rd, out of 371 cities included nationwide, in the 13th annual Morgan Quitno
Morgan Quitno
Morgan Quitno Press is a research and publishing company based in Lawrence, Kansas, which compiles books with statistics of crime rates, health care, education, and other categories, ranking cities and states in the United States...
survey. In 2009, Edison was ranked as one of "America's 10 Best Places to Grow Up" by U.S. News and World Report. The rankings focused on low crime, strong schools, green spaces, and abundance of recreational activities.
Early history
Edison Township, comprising former sections of Piscataway and Woodbridge townships, was settled in the 17th Century. The earliest village was Piscatawaytown, which is centered around St. James Church and the Piscatawaytown Common near the intersection of Plainfield and Woodbridge avenues in south Edison. The Laing House of Plainfield PlantationLaing House of Plainfield Plantation
Laing House of Plainfield Plantation is a historic home in Edison, New Jersey built in the early 1700s when the region was being settled by Scottish Quakers in the late 17th and early 18th century, as recalled in the name of The Plainfields and Scotch Plains. The region was part of the colonial era...
, the Benjamin Shotwell House
Benjamin Shotwell House
The Benjamin Shotwell House, or the Shotwell-Runyon House, is a historic house in Edison, New Jersey listed on the New Jersey Register of Historic Places and National Register of Historic Places in 1987. The farm on which is located in part of Route 287....
, and the Homestead Farm at Oak Ridge
Homestead Farm at Oak Ridge
Homestead Farm at Oak Ridge is a historic home and grounds in Clark and Edison, New Jersey list on the New Jersey Register of Historic Places and National Register of Historic Places in 1995...
, are buildings from the colonial era included in National Register of Historic Places listings in Middlesex County.
The town was previously known as "Raritan Township", not be confused with the current-day Raritan Township
Raritan Township, New Jersey
Raritan Township is a Township in Hunterdon County, New Jersey, United States. As of the United States 2010 Census, the township population was 22,185...
in Hunterdon County
Hunterdon County, New Jersey
Hunterdon County is a county located in the western section of the U.S. state of New Jersey. As of the 2010 United States Census, the population was 128,349. It is part of the New York Metropolitan Area. Its county seat is Flemington....
.
The Edison era
In 1876, Thomas Alva Edison set up his home and research laboratory on the site of an unsuccessful real estate development in Raritan Township called Menlo Park. While there he earned the nickname "the Wizard of Menlo Park." Before his death at age 83 in 1931, the prolific inventor amassed a record 1,093 patents for creations including the phonograph, a stock ticker, the motion-picture camera, the incandescent lightbulb, a mechanical vote counter, the alkaline storage battery including one for an electric car, and the first commercial electric light.It was in his Menlo Park (N.J.) Laboratory that Thomas Edison came up with the phonograph
Phonograph
The phonograph record player, or gramophone is a device introduced in 1877 that has had continued common use for reproducing sound recordings, although when first developed, the phonograph was used to both record and reproduce sounds...
and a commercially viable incandescent light bulb
Incandescent light bulb
The incandescent light bulb, incandescent lamp or incandescent light globe makes light by heating a metal filament wire to a high temperature until it glows. The hot filament is protected from air by a glass bulb that is filled with inert gas or evacuated. In a halogen lamp, a chemical process...
filament. Christie Street was the first street in the world to use electric lights for illumination. Edison subsequently left Menlo Park and moved his home and laboratory to West Orange
West Orange, New Jersey
West Orange is a township in central Essex County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, the township population was 46,207...
in 1886. His Menlo Park lab has been called one of the greatest laboratories ever.
20th century
Near Piscatawaytown village, a portion of the Township was informally known as "Nixon," after Lewis NixonLewis Nixon (naval architect)
Lewis Nixon I was a naval architect, shipbuilding executive, public servant, and political activist. He designed the United States' first modern battleships, and supervised the construction of its first modern submarines, all before his 40th birthday. He was briefly the leader of Tammany Hall...
, a manufacturer and community leader. Soon after the outbreak of World War I, Nixon established a massive volatile chemicals processing facility there, known as the Nixon Nitration Works. It was the site of the 1924 Nixon Nitration Works disaster
1924 Nixon Nitration Works disaster
The 1924 Nixon Nitration Works disaster was an explosion and fire that claimed many lives and destroyed several square miles of New Jersey factories. It began on Saturday morning, March 1, 1924, when an explosion destroyed a building in Nixon, New Jersey used for processing ammonium nitrate. The...
, a massive explosion and resulting fire that killed twenty persons and destroyed several square miles of the Township.
In 1954, the township's name was changed to honor inventor Thomas A. Edison. Also on the ballot in 1954 was a failed proposal to change the community's name to Nixon.
21st century
Edison is currently one of the fastest growing towns in New Jersey. As of the United States 2000 Census, it was the fifth most-populated municipality in the state, after the cities of NewarkNewark, New Jersey
Newark is the largest city in the American state of New Jersey, and the seat of Essex County. As of the 2010 United States Census, Newark had a population of 277,140, maintaining its status as the largest municipality in New Jersey. It is the 68th largest city in the U.S...
, Jersey City
Jersey City, New Jersey
Jersey City is the seat of Hudson County, New Jersey, United States.Part of the New York metropolitan area, Jersey City lies between the Hudson River and Upper New York Bay across from Lower Manhattan and the Hackensack River and Newark Bay...
, Paterson
Paterson, New Jersey
Paterson is a city serving as the county seat of Passaic County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, its population was 146,199, rendering it New Jersey's third largest city and one of the largest cities in the New York City Metropolitan Area, despite a decrease of 3,023...
, and Elizabeth
Elizabeth, New Jersey
Elizabeth is a city in Union County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, the city had a total population of 124,969, retaining its ranking as New Jersey's fourth largest city with an increase of 4,401 residents from its 2000 Census population of 120,568...
.
Edison is primarily a middle-class community with more than 75 ethnic communities represented. Edison has a large Jewish community next to Highland Park
Highland Park, New Jersey
Highland Park is a borough in Middlesex County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, the borough population was 13,982....
, with multiple synagogues located in Edison. Edison also has a growing Indian
Indian American
Indian Americans are Americans whose ancestral roots lie in India. The U.S. Census Bureau popularized the term Asian Indian to avoid confusion with Indigenous peoples of the Americas who are commonly referred to as American Indians.-The term: Indian:...
community and a number of temples serving the religious needs of the community. Reflecting the number of Edison's residents from India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
and China
China
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
, the township has sister city
Town twinning
Twin towns and sister cities are two of many terms used to describe the cooperative agreements between towns, cities, and even counties in geographically and politically distinct areas to promote cultural and commercial ties.- Terminology :...
arrangements with Shijiazhuang
Shijiazhuang
Shijiazhuang is the capital and largest city of North China's Hebei province. Administratively a prefecture-level city, it is about south of Beijing...
, China, and Baroda
Vadodara
Vadodara formerly known as Baroda is the third most populated city in the Indian State of Gujarat . It is one of the four cities with the population of over 1 million...
, India.
Geography
Edison is located at 40.538204°N 74.378585°W (40.538204, −74.378585).According to the United States Census Bureau
United States Census Bureau
The United States Census Bureau is the government agency that is responsible for the United States Census. It also gathers other national demographic and economic data...
, the township has a total area of 30.69 square miles (79.5 km²), of which 30.12 square miles (78 km²) is land and 0.57 square miles (1.5 km²) (1.86%) is water.
|website = www.edisonnj.org Edison is in Raritan Valley (a line of cities in central New Jersey). Edison is on the east side of Raritan Valley, along with Plainfield, and completely surrounds Metuchen
Metuchen, New Jersey
Metuchen is a Borough in Middlesex County, New Jersey, United States, which is 8 miles northeast of New Brunswick, 18 miles southwest of Newark, 24 miles southwest of Jersey City, and 29 miles southwest of Manhattan, all part of the New York metropolitan area...
.
Climate
Extreme temperatures in Edison have ranged from -17 F, recorded in February 1934, to 106 °F (41.1 °C), recorded in July 1936 and August 1949.Transportation
Edison is a transportation hubTransportation hub
A transport hub is a place where passengers and cargo are exchanged between vehicles or between transport modes. Public transport hubs include train stations, rapid transit stations, bus stops, tram stop, airports and ferry slips. Freight hubs include classification yards, seaports and truck...
, with an extensive network of highways passing through the township and connecting to major Northeast cities, New York City, Boston, Philadelphia, Trenton, Washington, D.C. and others.
Edison Township hosts various roadways. State roads include Route 27, and 440, both of which are state-maintained. U.S. Route 1
U.S. Route 1 in New Jersey
U.S. Route 1 is a United States highway which parallels the East Coast of the United States, running from Key West, Florida in the south to Fort Kent, Maine at the Canadian border in the north. Of the entire length of the route, of it runs through New Jersey...
also passes through the township. Interstate 287
Interstate 287
Interstate 287 is an auxiliary Interstate Highway in the U.S. states of New Jersey and New York. It is a partial beltway around New York City, serving the northern half of New Jersey and the counties of Rockland and Westchester in New York...
passes through Edison, where it houses its southern end at I-95. The municipality also houses about a 5 miles (8 km) section of the New Jersey Turnpike
New Jersey Turnpike
The New Jersey Turnpike is a toll road in New Jersey, maintained by the New Jersey Turnpike Authority. According to the International Bridge, Tunnel and Turnpike Association, the Turnpike is the nation's sixth-busiest toll road and is among one of the most heavily traveled highways in the United...
(Interstate 95
Interstate 95 in New Jersey
Interstate 95 is a major Interstate Highway that traverses the full extent of the East Coast of the United States, from Florida to Maine...
). Exit 10 is located in Edison, featuring a 13-lane toll gate and a “unique” interchange design. When the “dual-dual” setup of the turnpike was created, it first started in Edison Township, and continued north to Exit 14 in Newark
Newark, New Jersey
Newark is the largest city in the American state of New Jersey, and the seat of Essex County. As of the 2010 United States Census, Newark had a population of 277,140, maintaining its status as the largest municipality in New Jersey. It is the 68th largest city in the U.S...
. It wasn’t until 1973 that the “dual-dual” was extended south of 10 to Exit 9 in East Brunswick Township
East Brunswick Township, New Jersey
The town is located southwest of New York City and 48 miles northeast of Philadelphia.Lawrence Brook, a tributary of the Raritan River, runs along the western border of the township...
(and then extended further south in 1990 to Exit 8A in Monroe Township
Monroe Township, Middlesex County, New Jersey
Monroe Township is a Township in Middlesex County, New Jersey, United States. As of the United States 2000 Census, the township population was 27,999. Monroe was incorporated as a township by an Act of the New Jersey Legislature on April 9, 1838, from portions of South Amboy Township, based on the...
).
Since Interstate 287
Interstate 287
Interstate 287 is an auxiliary Interstate Highway in the U.S. states of New Jersey and New York. It is a partial beltway around New York City, serving the northern half of New Jersey and the counties of Rockland and Westchester in New York...
connects to Interstate 87
Interstate 87
Interstate 87 is a Interstate Highway located entirely within New York State in the United States of America. I-87 is the longest intrastate Interstate highway in the Interstate Highway System. Its southern end is at the Bronx approaches of the Robert F. Kennedy Bridge in New York City...
(the New York State Thruway
New York State Thruway
The New York State Thruway is a system of limited-access highways located within the state of New York in the United States. The system, known officially as the Governor Thomas E. Dewey Thruway for former New York Governor Thomas E. Dewey, is operated by the New York State Thruway Authority and...
), Exit 10 (of the turnpike) is one of the busiest interchanges to be used by tractor-trailers as it connects the New Jersey Turnpike to the New York Thruway. For truck drivers, it is the only connection they have to the Thruway as the Garden State Parkway
Garden State Parkway
The Garden State Parkway is a 172.4-mile limited-access toll parkway that stretches the length of New Jersey from the New York line at Montvale, New Jersey, to Cape May at New Jersey's southernmost tip. Its name refers to New Jersey's nickname, the "Garden State." Most New Jersey residents refer...
, which has its northern terminus at the Thruway, prohibits trucks from using the roadway north of Exit 105. Due to Interstate 95's
Interstate 95 in New Jersey
Interstate 95 is a major Interstate Highway that traverses the full extent of the East Coast of the United States, from Florida to Maine...
discontinuity in New Jersey, U.S. 1 serves as a regional artery linking the New Jersey Turnpike
New Jersey Turnpike
The New Jersey Turnpike is a toll road in New Jersey, maintained by the New Jersey Turnpike Authority. According to the International Bridge, Tunnel and Turnpike Association, the Turnpike is the nation's sixth-busiest toll road and is among one of the most heavily traveled highways in the United...
and Interstate 287 to Interstate 95 and Interstate 295
Interstate 295 (Delaware-New Jersey)
Interstate 295 in New Jersey and Delaware is an auxiliary Interstate Highway, designated as a bypass around Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The route begins at a junction with Interstate 95 south of Wilmington, Delaware, and runs to another junction with I-95 north of Trenton, New Jersey...
.
Edison station
Edison (NJT station)
Edison Station is a New Jersey Transit station 30.3 miles southwest of New York on the Northeast Corridor Line, in Edison, New Jersey. Known as Stelton station until circa 1955, it is at the corner of Central and Plainfield Avenues in the Stelton area of Edison Township, and accessible by car via...
, located in South Edison, is served by New Jersey Transit
New Jersey Transit
The New Jersey Transit Corporation is a statewide public transportation system serving the United States state of New Jersey, and New York, Orange, and Rockland counties in New York State...
northbound trains to Newark Penn Station and Penn Station New York, and southbound to the Trenton Transit Center via the Northeast Corridor Line
Northeast Corridor Line
The Northeast Corridor Line is a commuter rail operation run by New Jersey Transit along Amtrak's Northeast Corridor. It is the successor to commuter services provided by the Pennsylvania Railroad along the section between Trenton, New Jersey and New York Penn Station...
, with connecting service to Amtrak
Amtrak
The National Railroad Passenger Corporation, doing business as Amtrak , is a government-owned corporation that was organized on May 1, 1971, to provide intercity passenger train service in the United States. "Amtrak" is a portmanteau of the words "America" and "track". It is headquartered at Union...
. Some passengers in North Edison may actually live closer to, and prefer to use, the Metropark
Metropark (NJT station)
Metropark Station is the name of a train station in Edison Township, Middlesex County, New Jersey, which is served by Amtrak and New Jersey Transit trains on the Northeast Corridor Line...
(in neighboring Iselin
Iselin, New Jersey
Iselin is a census-designated place and unincorporated area within Woodbridge Township, in Middlesex County, New Jersey, United States. As of the United States 2000 Census, the CDP population was 16,698.-Geography:...
) or Metuchen
Metuchen (NJT station)
Metuchen Station is a New Jersey Transit station on the Northeast Corridor Line, in Metuchen, New Jersey. It is on Main Street between Pennsylvania and Woodbridge Avenues; the platforms are on an overpass over Main Street. The New York City-bound platform and station office are accessible from...
stations.
NJ Transit bus service is provided on the 62 route to Newark
Newark, New Jersey
Newark is the largest city in the American state of New Jersey, and the seat of Essex County. As of the 2010 United States Census, Newark had a population of 277,140, maintaining its status as the largest municipality in New Jersey. It is the 68th largest city in the U.S...
; on the 801, 804, 805, 810, 813, 814, and 819 local routes.
Edison also offers a Light Transit bus service to the Edison train station. This bus route services the apartment communities along Plainfield Avenue and other commuters on Ethel Road. The schedule and route map are available here: Edison Light Transit.
In addition, China Airlines
China Airlines
China Airlines is both the flag carrier and the largest airline of Republic of China . Although not directly state-owned, the airline is owned by China Airlines Group, which is owned by the China Aviation Development Foundation...
provides private bus service to John F. Kennedy International Airport
John F. Kennedy International Airport
John F. Kennedy International Airport is an international airport located in the borough of Queens in New York City, about southeast of Lower Manhattan. It is the busiest international air passenger gateway to the United States, handling more international traffic than any other airport in North...
from the Kam Man Food
Kam Man Food
Kam Man Food is a Chinese supermarket chain based in Chinatown, New York City. While it has its main store in Manhattan, it also has locations in Quincy, Massachusetts, Edison and East Hanover, New Jersey, and Long Island, New York...
Inc. at 511 Old Post Road in Edison to feed its flight to Taipei
Taipei
Taipei City is the capital of the Republic of China and the central city of the largest metropolitan area of Taiwan. Situated at the northern tip of the island, Taipei is located on the Tamsui River, and is about 25 km southwest of Keelung, its port on the Pacific Ocean...
, Taiwan
Taiwan
Taiwan , also known, especially in the past, as Formosa , is the largest island of the same-named island group of East Asia in the western Pacific Ocean and located off the southeastern coast of mainland China. The island forms over 99% of the current territory of the Republic of China following...
.
Edison was selected as one of the first communities by the New Jersey Department of Transportation to have a red-light photo enforcement system operated by RedFlex Traffic Systems, Inc.. The three year contract, which allows for up to two one-year extensions, provides for the system to be installed at up to 75 locations.
Economy
Majesco EntertainmentMajesco Entertainment
Majesco Entertainment is a video game publisher founded in 1986.-History:Majesco first made a name as a reissuer of old titles that had been abandoned by their original publisher. By cutting the prices dramatically and, eventually, arranging the rights to self-manufacture games for both Nintendo...
, a video game company, has its corporate headquarters in Edison. Also, Model Rectifier Corporation, a hobby equipment company, has its main headquarters in Edison. Other companies have warehouse operations within Edison. These companies include the regional hubs for Fedex
FedEx
FedEx Corporation , originally known as FDX Corporation, is a logistics services company, based in the United States with headquarters in Memphis, Tennessee...
, UPS
United Parcel Service
United Parcel Service, Inc. , typically referred to by the acronym UPS, is a package delivery company. Headquartered in Sandy Springs, Georgia, United States, UPS delivers more than 15 million packages a day to 6.1 million customers in more than 220 countries and territories around the...
, and Newegg
Newegg
Newegg.com Inc. is an online retailer of computer hardware and software. It is based in City of Industry, California. The company was founded by Fred Chang, a Taiwanese immigrant, in 2001.- History :...
. In addition Edison is home to the State's Largest Private Convention Center, the New Jersey Convention and Exposition Center http://www.njexpocenter.com located within the Raritan Center Business Park.
Demographics
Edison is one of the more diverse townships in New Jersey. It and the surrounding communities of Middlesex County are commonly known throughout the state and the New York metro area as being one of the region's main centers of Asian American cultural diversity.As of the census
Census
A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring and recording information about the members of a given population. It is a regularly occurring and official count of a particular population. The term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common...
of 2010, there were 99,967 people, 35,136 households, and 25,895 families residing in the township. The population density
Population density
Population density is a measurement of population per unit area or unit volume. It is frequently applied to living organisms, and particularly to humans...
was 3,243.0 people per square mile (1,252.2/km2). There were 36,018 housing units at an average density of 1,195.7 per square mile (461.7/km2). The racial makeup of the township was 44.1% White
White
White is a color, the perception of which is evoked by light that stimulates all three types of color sensitive cone cells in the human eye in nearly equal amounts and with high brightness compared to the surroundings. A white visual stimulation will be void of hue and grayness.White light can be...
, 43.2% Asian
Asian people
Asian people or Asiatic people is a term with multiple meanings that refers to people who descend from a portion of Asia's population.- Central Asia :...
, 7.0% African American
African American
African Americans are citizens or residents of the United States who have at least partial ancestry from any of the native populations of Sub-Saharan Africa and are the direct descendants of enslaved Africans within the boundaries of the present United States...
, 0.23% Native American, 0.36% Pacific Islander
Pacific Islander American
Pacific Islander Americans, also known as Oceanian Americans, are residents of the United States with original ancestry from Oceania. They represent the smallest racial group counted in the United States census of 2000. They numbered 874,000 people or 0.3 percent of the United States population...
, 2.7% from Other races, and 2.7% from two or more races. Hispanic
Hispanic
Hispanic is a term that originally denoted a relationship to Hispania, which is to say the Iberian Peninsula: Andorra, Gibraltar, Portugal and Spain. During the Modern Era, Hispanic sometimes takes on a more limited meaning, particularly in the United States, where the term means a person of ...
or Latino
Latino
The demonyms Latino and Latina , are defined in English language dictionaries as:* "a person of Latin-American descent."* "A Latin American."* "A person of Hispanic, especially Latin-American, descent, often one living in the United States."...
of any race was 8.1% of the population.
There were 35,136 households out of which 34.3% had children under the age of 18 living in them, 61.1% were married couples
Marriage
Marriage is a social union or legal contract between people that creates kinship. It is an institution in which interpersonal relationships, usually intimate and sexual, are acknowledged in a variety of ways, depending on the culture or subculture in which it is found...
living together, 9.1% had a female householder with no husband present, and 26.3% were non-families. 21.1% of all households were made up of individuals and 7.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.72 and the average family size was 3.19.
In the township the population was spread out with 22.9% under the age of 18, 7.8% from 18 to 24, 34.0% from 25 to 44, 23.4% from 45 to 64, and 11.9% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females there were 96.3 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 94.0 males.
According to a 2007 estimate, the median income for a household in the township was $80,581, and the median income for a family was $92,451.http://factfinder.census.gov/servlet/ACSSAFFFacts?_event=ChangeGeoContext&geo_id=06000US3402320230&_geoContext=01000US%7C04000US29%7C16000US2941348&_street=&_county=edison&_cityTown=edison&_state=04000US34&_zip=&_lang=en&_sse=on&ActiveGeoDiv=geoSelect&_useEV=&pctxt=fph&pgsl=010&_submenuId=factsheet_1&ds_name=ACS_2006_SAFF&_ci_nbr=null&qr_name=null®=null%3Anull&_keyword=&_industry= Males had a median income of $53,303 versus $36,829 for females. The per capita income
Per capita income
Per capita income or income per person is a measure of mean income within an economic aggregate, such as a country or city. It is calculated by taking a measure of all sources of income in the aggregate and dividing it by the total population...
for the township was $30,148. About 3.3% of families and 4.8% of the population were below the poverty line, including 4.3% of those under age 18 and 6.3% of those age 65 or over.
As part of the 2010 Census, 28.3% of Edison residents identified themselves as being Indian American
Indian American
Indian Americans are Americans whose ancestral roots lie in India. The U.S. Census Bureau popularized the term Asian Indian to avoid confusion with Indigenous peoples of the Americas who are commonly referred to as American Indians.-The term: Indian:...
. In the 2000 Census, 17.75% of Edison residents identified themselves as being Indian American, the highest percentage of Indian American people of any place in the United States with 1,000 or more residents identifying their ancestry.
Government
Edison's politics tend to lean towards the Democratic PartyDemocratic Party (United States)
The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...
. John Kerry
John Kerry
John Forbes Kerry is the senior United States Senator from Massachusetts, the 10th most senior U.S. Senator and chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. He was the presidential nominee of the Democratic Party in the 2004 presidential election, but lost to former President George W...
carried the township over George W. Bush
George W. Bush
George Walker Bush is an American politician who served as the 43rd President of the United States, from 2001 to 2009. Before that, he was the 46th Governor of Texas, having served from 1995 to 2000....
in the 2004 U.S. Presidential Election.
Local government
Edison Township is governed under the Faulkner Act (Mayor-Council)Faulkner Act (Mayor-Council)
The Faulkner Act, or Optional Municipal Charter Law, provides for New Jersey municipalities to adopt a Mayor-Council government.This form of government provides for election of a mayor and five, seven, or nine council members...
system with a strong Mayor-Council form of government, and is governed by a mayor and a seven-member Township Council. Members of the council are elected at-large in partisan elections to three-year terms of office on a staggered basis, with three or four seats coming up for election every other year.
, the Mayor of Edison is Antonia "Toni" Ricigliano, its first female mayor. Members of the Municipal Council are Council President Charles Tomaro (2013), Council Vice President Robert Diehl (2013), Thomas Lankey (2013), Robert Karabinchak (2010), Wayne Mascola (2011), Melissa Perilstein (2011), and Sudhanshu Prasad (2011).
Election 2005
Running on a good government platform and a call to reform the Democratic PartyDemocratic Party (United States)
The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...
, Jun Choi
Jun Choi
Jun H. Choi is an American politician and the former Mayor of Edison, New Jersey, a community of over 100,000 people and the fifth largest municipality in the state. He was sworn in on January 1, 2006 as the youngest mayor in Edison history...
won the June 2005 primary by a 56–44% margin, defeating longtime incumbent Mayor George A. Spadoro
George A. Spadoro
George A. Spadoro is an American Democratic Party politician who served three terms as Mayor of Edison, New Jersey, and two terms in the New Jersey General Assembly, where he represented the 18th Legislative District.-Biography:...
. This was the first time in Edison history that a challenger won the Democratic primary. Mayor Choi won endorsements from mainstream Democratic leaders including Bill Bradley, for whom he worked on the 2000 presidential campaign, and was unexpectedly endorsed by a number of traditionally candidate- neutral unions in Edison.
In the ensuing general election, Choi did not face a Republican
Republican Party (United States)
The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...
candidate, but instead faced a former Democrat turned Independent, William (Bill) Stephens.
An American Prospect article details aspects that Choi brought together in his 2005 mayoral campaign. They include 1) attracting new voters into the process, 2) a good government message, 3) anti-Wal-Mart
Wal-Mart
Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. , branded as Walmart since 2008 and Wal-Mart before then, is an American public multinational corporation that runs chains of large discount department stores and warehouse stores. The company is the world's 18th largest public corporation, according to the Forbes Global 2000...
or economic justice theme and 4) an effective Internet-based progressive mobilization.
On Election Day, November 8, 2005, Jun Choi declared victory, leading in unofficial results with a vote of 12,126 to 11,935. However, due to the small margin of victory, candidate William Stephens pursued a recount and subsequently, an election contest, both without success. On January 1, 2006, at age 34, Mayor Choi was sworn-in by Governor
Governor of New Jersey
The Office of the Governor of New Jersey is the executive branch for the U.S. state of New Jersey. The office of Governor is an elected position, for which elected officials serve four year terms. While individual politicians may serve as many terms as they can be elected to, Governors cannot be...
Jon Corzine
Jon Corzine
Jon Stevens Corzine is the former CEO of Goldman Sachs and of MF Global, and a one time American politician, who served as the 54th Governor of New Jersey from 2006 to 2010. A Democrat, Corzine served five years of a six-year U.S. Senate term representing New Jersey before being elected Governor...
as the youngest Mayor in Edison history. Choi ran for re-election in 2009, but was defeated in the primary election by Antonia "Toni" Ricigliano, who went on to win the general election, and took office January 1, 2010.
Federal, state, and county representation
Edison is split between the 6th and 7th Congressional districts.Edison is in the
Politics
Recent politics in Edison have concerned plans for zoning the township to facilitate the creation of "walkable" communities that will attract businesses, while still maintaining open spaces and parks and easy access to commuter transit. This strategy is meant to encourage "Smart Growth."Walmart controversy
Politics in Edison since the 2005 mayoral election have been polarized by an attempt by retail giant Walmart to open a store in central Edison near the junction of Interstate 287Interstate 287
Interstate 287 is an auxiliary Interstate Highway in the U.S. states of New Jersey and New York. It is a partial beltway around New York City, serving the northern half of New Jersey and the counties of Rockland and Westchester in New York...
and New Jersey Route 27. Even though Jun Choi stated in his Mayoral Campaign that he would stop Walmart from being built, Walmart filed suit and won. On the day the Walmart was opened, Choi was there to cut the yellow ribbon.
Public schools
The two public high schools separate the South and North ends of Edison. In the Edison High School zone to the south, there are six K – 5 elementary schools, while in the J.P. Stevens High School zone there are five K-5 elementary schools. Schools in the district (with 2008–09 enrollment data from the National Center for Education StatisticsNational Center for Education Statistics
The National Center for Education Statistics is the part of the United States Department of Education's Institute of Education Sciences that collects, analyzes, and publishes statistics on education and public school district finance information in the United States...
) are 11 elementary schools covering grades PreK-5 —
Benjamin Franklin Elementary (573 students),
Martin Luther King Jr. Elementary (581; PreK-5),
Lincoln Elementary (710),
Lindeneau Elementary (511),
James Madison Primary School (644; PreK-2), who then move on to
James Madison Intermediate School (561; 3–5),
John Marshall Elementary (542),
Menlo Park Elementary (780),
James Monroe Elementary (427),
Washington Elementary (618; PreK-5) and
Woodbrook School
Woodbrook School
Woodbrook School is an elementary school located in Edison, New Jersey, in the United States, and is part of the Edison Township Public Schools. It consists of grades K through 5 and graduates of Woodbrook attend Woodrow Wilson Middle School....
with 798 students —
John Adams Middle School (760; from James Madison Intermediate and MLK Jr.),
Herbert Hoover Middle School (824; from Franklin, Lincoln and Monroe),
Thomas Jefferson Middle School (746; from Lindeneau, Marshall and Washington) and
Woodrow Wilson Middle School
Woodrow Wilson Middle School, Edison, New Jersey
Woodrow Wilson Middle School is a middle school located in Edison, New Jersey, in the United States, and is part of the Edison Township Public Schools. The school serves students in the 6th, 7th, and 8th grade in a two-story building. There are approximately 43 classrooms in the school. Graduates...
(827; from Menlo Park and Woodbrook) for grades 6–8 and both
Edison High School (1,958; from Hoover and Jefferson) and
J. P. Stevens High School (2,151; from Adams and Wilson) for grades 9–12.
J.P. Stevens was the 65th-ranked public high school in New Jersey out of 322 schools statewide, in New Jersey Monthly
New Jersey Monthly
New Jersey Monthly is a monthly glossy publication featuring issues of possible interest to residents of the United States state of New Jersey...
magazine's September 2010 cover story on the state's "Top Public High Schools", after being ranked 52nd in 2008 out of 316 schools. Edison High School was ranked 169th in 2010 and 177th in 2008.
Middlesex County College
Middlesex County CollegeMiddlesex County College
Middlesex County College is a community college with its main campus located in Edison, New Jersey, United States. The two-year college serves the needs of Middlesex County, as well as surrounding communities. There are two urban campuses located in New Brunswick and Perth Amboy.The college was...
(or MCC) is a public, two-year community college
Community college
A community college is a type of educational institution. The term can have different meanings in different countries.-Australia:Community colleges carry on the tradition of adult education, which was established in Australia around mid 19th century when evening classes were held to help adults...
located in Edison at the intersection of Woodbridge Avenue and Mill Road.
Rutgers University
Rutgers UniversityRutgers University
Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey , is the largest institution for higher education in New Jersey, United States. It was originally chartered as Queen's College in 1766. It is the eighth-oldest college in the United States and one of the nine Colonial colleges founded before the American...
's Livingston campus is located on the former Kilmer Army Base, partially located in Edison.
Other schools/private schools
Middlesex County College is also home to the Middlesex County AcademyMiddlesex County Academy
The Middlesex County Academy for Science, Mathematics and Engineering Technologies is a four-year comprehensive career academy college preparatory high school located on the campus of the Middlesex County College in Edison, in Middlesex County, New Jersey, United States...
for Science, Mathematics, and Engineering Technologies, an engineering-based high school, which is part of the Middlesex County Vocational and Technical High Schools
Middlesex County Vocational and Technical High Schools
The Middlesex County Vocational and Technical High Schools is a network of public high schools serving the vocational and technical education needs of students in Middlesex County, New Jersey, USA. The district was the first county vocational school system in the United States...
. The high school is free for all Middlesex County residents, but admission is based on a test, past grades, and other academic and extracurricular activities. About 160 students, 40 per grade from around the county attend the Academy.
There are many private school
Private school
Private schools, also known as independent schools or nonstate schools, are not administered by local, state or national governments; thus, they retain the right to select their students and are funded in whole or in part by charging their students' tuition, rather than relying on mandatory...
s in Edison, including the Wardlaw-Hartridge School
Wardlaw-Hartridge School
The Wardlaw-Hartridge School is a private, nonsectarian, coeducational day school located in Edison, New Jersey, United States, serving students in pre-kindergarten through twelfth grade. It is commonly referred to as Wardlaw or W-H...
, Bishop George Ahr High School
Bishop George Ahr High School
Bishop George Ahr High School, also known as Bishop Ahr, Ahr or BGA, is a four-year, private, coeducational Roman Catholic high school located on a campus covering in the northern section in Edison, New Jersey. The school operates under the auspices of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Metuchen. The...
, Rabbi Jacob Joseph School
Rabbi Jacob Joseph School
The Rabbi Jacob Joseph School is an Orthodox Jewish day school located in Staten Island, New York that serves students from nursery through twelfth grade. The school was founded in 1903 and named in honor of Rabbi Jacob Joseph, chief rabbi of New York City's Association of American Orthodox Hebrew...
, Yeshiva Shaarei Tzion, Rabbi Pesach Raymon Yeshiva, St. Helena School, St. Matthew School, Lakeview School and Our Lady Of Peace School. Additionally, the private for-profit technical school
Technical school
Technical school is a general term used for two-year college which provide mostly employment-preparation skills for trained labor, such as welding, culinary arts and office management.-Associations supporting technical schools:...
Lincoln Tech (formerly the Cittone Institute) has a campus on Oak Tree Road in Edison. Lincoln Tech in Edison offers various programs in Nursing, Medical and Computer and Networking.
In Edison the sizable Asian
Asian people
Asian people or Asiatic people is a term with multiple meanings that refers to people who descend from a portion of Asia's population.- Central Asia :...
/Chinese
China
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
population had pushed for years to establish a Chinese School where students could learn the Chinese language. In 1998, Huaxia Edison Chinese School
HuaXia Edison Branch Chinese School
Hua Xia Edison Chinese School is a branch of the Hua Xia Chinese School System. Hua Xia Chinese School consists of students of mostly Asian ancestries and is hosted by Edison High School in Edison, New Jersey, United States, every Sunday from 1:00PM to 5:20PM.-History:Established in 1998, Hua Xia...
(which teaches Simplified Chinese) was established in Thomas Jefferson Middle School. Huaxia currently resides in Edison High School. However, many families from Taiwan send their children to Edison Chinese School, located at John Adams Middle School, or Tzu Chi, located at Woodrow Wilson Middle School
Woodrow Wilson Middle School, Edison, New Jersey
Woodrow Wilson Middle School is a middle school located in Edison, New Jersey, in the United States, and is part of the Edison Township Public Schools. The school serves students in the 6th, 7th, and 8th grade in a two-story building. There are approximately 43 classrooms in the school. Graduates...
. These schools both teach Traditional Chinese. JP Stevens High School also offers Hindi as an elective language for students that are interested in learning it.
Notable residents
Notable current and former residents of Edison Township include:- Peter J. Barnes IIIPeter J. Barnes IIIPeter J. Barnes III is an American Democratic Party politician, who served in New Jersey's General Assembly since 2007, where he represents the 18th legislative district...
(born 1956), represents the 18th legislative district in the New Jersey General AssemblyNew Jersey General AssemblyThe New Jersey General Assembly is the lower house of the New Jersey Legislature.Since the election of 1967 , the Assembly has consisted of 80 members. Two members are elected from each of New Jersey's 40 legislative districts for a term of two years, each representing districts with average...
, and served on the Edison Township Council from 1996 to 2007. - David BryanDavid BryanDavid Bryan is the keyboard player of the band rock classic, Bon Jovi. Bryan also sings backing vocals and often at live shows sings part of or the whole of the song "In These Arms", one of a handful of Bon Jovi songs credited to him as songwriter...
(born 1962), keyboardist, founding member of Bon JoviBon JoviBon Jovi is an American rock band from Sayreville, New Jersey. Formed in 1983, Bon Jovi consists of lead singer and namesake Jon Bon Jovi , guitarist Richie Sambora, keyboardist David Bryan, drummer Tico Torres, as well as current bassist Hugh McDonald...
. - Al ChezAl CheznovitzAl Chesnovitz, also Alan Chez is an American musician who principally plays the trumpet and the flugelhorn on the CBS Orchestra for the Late Show with David Letterman...
, trumpet player for the Late Show with David LettermanLate Show with David LettermanLate Show with David Letterman is a U.S. late-night talk show hosted by David Letterman on CBS. The show debuted on August 30, 1993, and is produced by Letterman's production company, Worldwide Pants Incorporated. The show's music director and band-leader of the house band, the CBS Orchestra, is...
. - Tom DwanTom DwanThomas Dwan Jr. is an American professional poker player who regularly plays online in the highest-stakes No-Limit Texas hold 'em and Pot-Limit Omaha games, primarily on Full Tilt Poker, where he plays under the screen name "durrrr"...
(born 1986), professional poker player. - Thomas EdisonThomas EdisonThomas Alva Edison was an American inventor and businessman. He developed many devices that greatly influenced life around the world, including the phonograph, the motion picture camera, and a long-lasting, practical electric light bulb. In addition, he created the world’s first industrial...
(1847–1931), inventor, the township's namesake. - Patrick McDonnellPatrick McDonnellPatrick McDonnell is the creator of the daily comic strip Mutts. He has also illustrated Russell Baker's Sunday Observer column in The New York Times magazine and created the monthly comic strip Bad Baby for Parents magazine...
(born 1956), cartoonist, creator MuttsMuttsMutts is a daily comic strip created by Patrick McDonnell in 1994 based on the day-to-day adventures of two house pets: a dog named Earl and a cat named Mooch. Earl and Mooch interact with each other, their human owners and a large cast of neighborhood animals.Charles M...
comics. - Brittany MurphyBrittany MurphyBrittany Anne Murphy-Monjack , known professionally as Brittany Murphy, was an American actress and singer. She starred in films such as Clueless, Just Married, Girl Interrupted, Spun, 8 Mile, Uptown Girls, Sin City, Happy Feet, and Riding in Cars with Boys...
(1977–2009), actress. - Jim NortonJim Norton (comedian)James Joseph "Jim" Norton, Jr. is an American stand-up comedian, radio personality, author, and actor. He is an on-air personality, often dubbed the 'third mic' on The Opie and Anthony Show, which airs on Sirius XM Radio...
(born 1968), stand-up comedian. - Mark L. PolanskyMark L. PolanskyMark Lewis "Roman" Polansky is an American aerospace engineer and research pilot and a NASA astronaut. Polansky received the nickname "Roman" as a joke, because he shares a last name with director Roman Polanski. He has flown on three Space Shuttle missions: STS-98, STS-116, and...
(born 1956), NASANASAThe National Aeronautics and Space Administration is the agency of the United States government that is responsible for the nation's civilian space program and for aeronautics and aerospace research...
astronaut. - Susan SarandonSusan SarandonSusan Sarandon is an American actress. She has worked in films and television since 1969, and won an Academy Award for Best Actress for her performance in the 1995 film Dead Man Walking. She had also been nominated for the award for four films before that and has received other recognition for her...
(born 1946), actress. - Chris SneeChris SneeChristopher Snee is an American football guard for the New York Giants of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Giants in the second round of the 2004 NFL Draft. He played college football at Boston College....
(born 1982), guard who has played for the New York GiantsNew York GiantsThe New York Giants are a professional American football team based in East Rutherford, New Jersey, representing the New York City metropolitan area. The Giants are currently members of the Eastern Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
. - George A. SpadoroGeorge A. SpadoroGeorge A. Spadoro is an American Democratic Party politician who served three terms as Mayor of Edison, New Jersey, and two terms in the New Jersey General Assembly, where he represented the 18th Legislative District.-Biography:...
, former Mayor of Edison, Council President and Assemblyman. - Joel SteinJoel SteinJoel Stein is a journalist who wrote for the Los Angeles Times and is a regular contributor to Time.-Early life:Stein grew up in Edison, New Jersey and attended J. P. Stevens High School, where he was a writer and entertainment editor for Hawkeye, the student newspaper...
(born 1971), Los Angeles TimesLos Angeles TimesThe Los Angeles Times is a daily newspaper published in Los Angeles, California, since 1881. It was the second-largest metropolitan newspaper in circulation in the United States in 2008 and the fourth most widely distributed newspaper in the country....
columnist. - Mike VallelyMike VallelyMike Vallely , also known as Mike V, is a professional skateboarder. Mike is also a musician, actor, television personality, stuntman, professional wrestler and FHL hockey player.-Early life:...
(born 1970), professional skateboarder. - Darrin WinstonDarrin WinstonDarrin Alexander Winston was a Major League Baseball player. He played two baseball seasons in the majors, both for the Philadelphia Phillies, and also played in the Montreal Expos and Pittsburgh Pirates minor league organizations. He batted right-handed and threw left-handed during his baseball...
(1966–2008), Major League BaseballMajor League BaseballMajor League Baseball is the highest level of professional baseball in the United States and Canada, consisting of teams that play in the National League and the American League...
player who played two seasons in Major League Baseball for the Philadelphia PhilliesPhiladelphia PhilliesThe Philadelphia Phillies are a Major League Baseball team. They are the oldest continuous, one-name, one-city franchise in all of professional American sports, dating to 1883. The Phillies are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball's National League...
. - Jeremy ZuttahJeremy ZuttahJeremy Kwasi Zuttah is an American football offensive lineman for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Buccaneers in the third round of the 2008 NFL Draft. He played college football at Rutgers....
(born 1986), offensive lineman for the Tampa Bay BuccaneersTampa Bay BuccaneersThe Tampa Bay Buccaneers are a professional American football franchise based in Tampa, Florida, U.S. They are currently members of the Southern Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League – they are the only team in the division not to come from the old NFC West...
.
Notable places
- Udipi Sri Krishna Temple housing First Mrithika Brindavana of Guru Raghavendra is a HinduHinduismHinduism is the predominant and indigenous religious tradition of the Indian Subcontinent. Hinduism is known to its followers as , amongst many other expressions...
temple on May Street - Bochasanwasi Shri Akshar Purushottam Swaminarayan Sanstha (BAPSBAPSBochasanwasi Shri Akshar Purushottam Swaminarayan Sanstha , often abbreviated as BAPS , is a major organization within the Swaminarayan sect of Hinduism...
) has a HinduHinduismHinduism is the predominant and indigenous religious tradition of the Indian Subcontinent. Hinduism is known to its followers as , amongst many other expressions...
temple on Woodbridge Avenue - BonhamtownBonhamtown, New JerseyBonhamtown is an unincorporated area within Edison Township in Middlesex County, New Jersey. The area was named after Nicholas Bonham, a freeholder from the 1600s.-Transportation hub:...
, a neighborhood which is the site of an old Native American village and later a Continental Army camp and battleground during the Revolutionary War. - Camp KilmerCamp KilmerCamp Kilmer, New Jersey is a former United States Army camp that was activated in June 1942 as a staging area and part of an installation of the New York Port of Embarkation. The camp was organized as part of the Army Service Forces Transportation Corps. Troops were quartered at Camp Kilmer in...
, a World War IIWorld War IIWorld War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
era army post, was partially located in what is now Edison. - The Clara Barton downtown area.
- Dismal Swamp, preserved wetlands area.
- Durham Woods, a complex of several apartment buildings and scene of the Durham Woods Fire in 1994
- Edison Landfill, closed landfill site undergoing environmental cleanup
- Edison has three public libraries: the Main Library is on Plainfield Avenue in South Edison, near Edison stationEdison (NJT station)Edison Station is a New Jersey Transit station 30.3 miles southwest of New York on the Northeast Corridor Line, in Edison, New Jersey. Known as Stelton station until circa 1955, it is at the corner of Central and Plainfield Avenues in the Stelton area of Edison Township, and accessible by car via...
; North Edison Branch is on Grove Avenue, and the Clara Barton Branch is in the Clara Barton downtown area, on Hoover Avenue. Library service also includes a popular BookmobileBookmobileA bookmobile or mobile library is a large vehicle designed for use as a library. It is designed to hold books on shelves so that when the vehicle is parked the books can be accessed by readers. It usually has enough space for people to sit and read books inside. Mobile libraries are often used to...
. - The Edison Municipal Complex, located off Route 27 next to the Edison Square/Clarion Hotel office park.
- Edison StationEdison (NJT station)Edison Station is a New Jersey Transit station 30.3 miles southwest of New York on the Northeast Corridor Line, in Edison, New Jersey. Known as Stelton station until circa 1955, it is at the corner of Central and Plainfield Avenues in the Stelton area of Edison Township, and accessible by car via...
in south Edison - Ford Motor CompanyFord Motor CompanyFord Motor Company is an American multinational automaker based in Dearborn, Michigan, a suburb of Detroit. The automaker was founded by Henry Ford and incorporated on June 16, 1903. In addition to the Ford and Lincoln brands, Ford also owns a small stake in Mazda in Japan and Aston Martin in the UK...
had a plant here, the Ford Assembly Plant on U.S. Route 1U.S. Route 1 in New JerseyU.S. Route 1 is a United States highway which parallels the East Coast of the United States, running from Key West, Florida in the south to Fort Kent, Maine at the Canadian border in the north. Of the entire length of the route, of it runs through New Jersey...
, assembling the Ford RangerFord RangerThe Ford Ranger is a pickup truck produced by the Ford Motor Company. The "Ranger" name had previously been used for a premium styling package on the F-Series full-sized pickup trucks since 1965. The name was moved to this line of North American compact trucks for the 1983 model year.In North...
and Mazda B-SeriesMazda B-SeriesThe Mazda B-Series is a pickup truck, first manufactured in 1961 by Mazda Motor Corporation. From the first B-Series, Mazda has used the engine displacement to determine the name. Thus, the B1500 had a 1.5 L engine and the B2600 had a 2.6 L engine...
trucks. The plant closed in 2004, with about 1,420 workers losing their jobs. Hartz Mountain purchased the property and is proposing a mixed-use retail center to begin construction in 2007. Township officials have negotiated no housing on the site, to be called "Edison Towne Square." Instead, it is hoped that a community center can be built at no cost to taxpayers alongside the retail and commercial space. - John F. Kennedy Hospital, located on James Street off Parsonage Road.
- Laing House of Plainfield PlantationLaing House of Plainfield PlantationLaing House of Plainfield Plantation is a historic home in Edison, New Jersey built in the early 1700s when the region was being settled by Scottish Quakers in the late 17th and early 18th century, as recalled in the name of The Plainfields and Scotch Plains. The region was part of the colonial era...
- ILR Landfill, closed landfill site owned by Industrial Land Reclaiming (ILR) providing power to Middlesex County's wastewater treatment operations from methane gas recovery.
- Inman Sports Club, Located off Inman Avenue. Some of the best in the world make appearances here, for the wrestling promotion, Ring of HonorRing of HonorRing of Honor ' is an American professional wrestling promotion, founded in 2002 by Rob Feinstein and Gabe Sapolsky. From 2004 to 2011, the promotion was under the ownership of Cary Silkin before being sold to the Sinclair Broadcast Group in May 2011...
- Jewish Community CenterJewish Community CenterA Jewish Community Center or Jewish Community Centre is a general recreational, social and fraternal organization serving the Jewish community in a number of cities...
/YMCAYMCAThe Young Men's Christian Association is a worldwide organization of more than 45 million members from 125 national federations affiliated through the World Alliance of YMCAs...
or Community Campus located off Oak Tree Road. - Nixon Park, a large neighborhood surrounding Lincoln School. A "cookie-cutter" development of 3-bedroom homes built in the very early 1950s, homes there were largely purchased by WWII veterans using the GI Bill. Constructed at the same time, and adjoining Nixon Park, were the Lincoln Village, Vineyard Village and Washington Park developments. Children from Lincoln and Vineyard Villages attended Lincoln School. Washington Park surrounded both the Washington School and the Saint Matthew's Catholic School (grades 1–8).
- Kin-Buc LandfillKin-Buc LandfillThe Kin-Buc Landfill is a Superfund site located in Edison, New Jersey where of liquid toxic waste and 1 million tons of solid waste were dumped. It was active from the late 1940s to 1976. Cleanup operations have been underway to address environmental issues with contamination from 1980s through...
, former landfillLandfillA landfill site , is a site for the disposal of waste materials by burial and is the oldest form of waste treatment...
and Superfund site site where 70 million USgals (264,978.8 m³) of hazardous waste was dumped. - Menlo Park MallMenlo Park MallMenlo Park Mall is a two-level super regional shopping mall, located on U.S. Route 1 and Parsonage Road in Edison, New Jersey, United States. The mall has a gross leasable area of 1,232,000 ft² . Menlo Park Mall is currently owned by the Simon Property Group.-History:Menlo Park Shopping Center...
, one of the more popular malls in New Jersey, located at the intersection of Route 1 and Parsonage Road. - Oak Tree Pond, site of a minor battle of the American Revolutionary WarAmerican Revolutionary WarThe American Revolutionary War , the American War of Independence, or simply the Revolutionary War, began as a war between the Kingdom of Great Britain and thirteen British colonies in North America, and ended in a global war between several European great powers.The war was the result of the...
and whose conversion into a park ended a real estate development controversy. - Oak Tree Road in Edison and IselinIselin, New JerseyIselin is a census-designated place and unincorporated area within Woodbridge Township, in Middlesex County, New Jersey, United States. As of the United States 2000 Census, the CDP population was 16,698.-Geography:...
is known for its large concentration of IndiaIndiaIndia , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
n stores and restaurants. - Raritan CenterRaritan CenterRaritan Center is a large business park located in the southern portion of Edison Township in Middlesex County, New Jersey. It is one of the largest business parks in the Northeast and the largest in Middlesex County. Raritan Center contains approximately in over 100 buildings of office, research,...
, a major industrial park anchored by the New Jersey Convention and Exposition Center. - Roosevelt Hospital, a hospice located just East of Roosevelt Park.
- Roosevelt ParkRoosevelt Park (Edison)Roosevelt Park is a park located in Edison, New Jersey, at Parsonage Road and U.S. Route 1, just west of Menlo Park Mall. It is owned and operated by the Middlesex County government. It contains a number of picnic groves as well as fields and courts for baseball, soccer, basketball and tennis...
, located between Parsonage Road and Route 1, west of the Mall. - St. Helena Roman Catholic Church, off New Dover Road.
- The Thomas Alva Edison Memorial Tower and MuseumThomas Alva Edison Memorial Tower and MuseumThe Thomas Edison Center at Menlo Park, also known as the Menlo Park Museum / Edison Memorial Tower, is a memorial to inventor and businessman Thomas Alva Edison, located in the Menlo Park area of Edison, New Jersey...
, in Menlo Park.
News/business
- Edison Chamber of Commerce
- Edison-Metuchen Sentinel community newspaper
- Oak Tree Road (Edison, NJ) Asian Indian Community Guide
- Money Magazine's "Best Places To Live".
- 100 Best Places to Live 2006: #28 – Edison, MoneyMoney (magazine)Money is published by Time Inc. Its first issue was published in October 1972. Its articles cover the gamut of personal finance topics ranging from investing, saving, retirement and taxes to family finance issues like paying for college, credit, career and home improvement...
. Accessed December 4, 2006.
Educational
- Bishop George Ahr High School website
- Edison Public Library
- Edison Township Public Schools
- Edison High School website
- J.P. Stevens High School website
- Metuchen-Edison Historical Society website
- National Center for Education Statistics data for the Edison Township Public Schools
- Thomas Edison/Menlo Park page
- The Wardlaw-Hartridge School website