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Township in Camden County, New Jersey, US From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Pennsauken Township is a township in Camden County, in the Philadelphia Metropolitan Area in the U.S. state of New Jersey, and it is located outside of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, which it borders directly on the Delaware River. As of the 2020 United States census, the township's population was 37,074,[9][10] an increase of 1,189 (+3.3%) from the 2010 census count of 35,885,[19][20] which in turn increased by 148 (+0.4%) from the 35,737 counted in the 2000 census.[21]
Pennsauken Township, New Jersey | |
|---|---|
 Seal | |
| Motto(s): A Great Place to Grow, Dream and Prosper! | |
Location of Pennsauken Township in Camden County highlighted in red (right). Inset map: Location of Camden County in New Jersey highlighted in orange (left). | |
 Census Bureau map of Pennsauken Township, New Jersey
 Interactive map of Pennsauken, New Jersey | |
  Pennsauken Township Location in Camden County  Pennsauken Township Location in New Jersey  Pennsauken Township Location in the United States | |
| Coordinates: 39.968392°N 75.057942°W[1][2] | |
| Country |  United States |
| State |  New Jersey |
| County | Camden |
| Incorporated | February 18, 1892 |
| Government | |
| • Type | Township |
| • Body | Township Committee |
| • Mayor | Vince Martinez (D, term ends December 31, 2023)[4][5] |
| • Administrator | Tim Killion[6] |
| • Municipal clerk | Pam Scott-Forman [7] |
| Area | |
• Total | 12.13 sq mi (31.41 km2) |
| • Land | 10.48 sq mi (27.14 km2) |
| • Water | 1.65 sq mi (4.27 km2) 13.59% |
| • Rank | 189th of 565 in state 5th of 37 in county[1] |
| Elevation | 89 ft (27 m) |
| Population | |
• Total | 37,074 |
| 37,288 | |
| • Rank | 66th of 565 in state 5th of 37 in county[12] |
| • Density | 3,537.9/sq mi (1,366.0/km2) |
| • Rank | 190th of 565 in state 23rd of 37 in county[12] |
| Time zone | UTC−05:00 (Eastern (EST)) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC−04:00 (Eastern (EDT)) |
| ZIP Codes | |
| Area code[15] | 856 |
| FIPS code | 3400757660[1][16][17] |
| GNIS feature ID | 0882157[1][18] |
| Website | www |
The township is part of the South Jersey region of the state.
Pennsauken Township was incorporated as a township by an act of the New Jersey Legislature on February 18, 1892, from portions of the now-defunct Stockton Township.[22]
The exact origin of the name Pennsauken is unclear, but it probably derives from the language of the Lenni Lenape Native Americans, who once occupied the area from "Pindasenauken", the Lenape language term for tobacco pouch.[23] Alternatively, the "Penn" in the township's name refers to William Penn, while "sauk" is a water inlet or outlet.[24]
Pennsauken was home to America's first drive-in movie theater, created in 1933 with the opening of the Camden Drive-In in Pennsauken.[25] It featured the comedy Wives Beware, released in the theaters as Two White Arms.
For 50 years, the township was the home to the Pennsauken Mart, a large multi-vendor indoor market, which was closed in January 2006 to make way for a sports arena/conference complex, however, that did not materialize. Most of the vendors relocated to a marketplace in Willingboro Township.[26] A luxury apartment complex was completed on the site in 2018.
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the township had a total area of 12.13 square miles (31.41 km2), including 10.48 square miles (27.14 km2) of land and 1.65 square miles (4.27 km2) of water (13.59%).[1][2]
Unincorporated communities, localities and place names located partially or completely within the township include Amon Heights, Bethel, Biedemon, Delair, Delair Station, Delaware Gardens, Dudley, East Pennsauken, Fish House, Hillcrest, Homesteadville, Jordantown, Merchantville Park, Morris, Morrisville, North Pennsville and Wellwood.[27]
The township includes Petty's Island, a 392-acre (1.59 km2) island in the Delaware River although most of the island actually sits across a narrow strait from neighboring Camden. Once an oil storage and distribution facility, the island is now the site of a container cargo shipping operation and nesting bald eagles. Petty's Island is currently in the process of being turned over to the State of New Jersey by Citgo to be transformed to a new state park and nature center .[28]
Pennsauken borders Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The two municipalities are connected across the Delaware River by the Betsy Ross Bridge which is owned and operated by the Delaware River Port Authority. In New Jersey, Pennsauken borders Camden, Cherry Hill, Collingswood and Merchantville in Camden County, and Cinnaminson Township, Maple Shade Township and Palmyra in Burlington County.[29][30][31]
According to the Köppen Climate Classification system, Pennsauken has a humid subtropical climate, abbreviated "Cfa" on climate maps. The hottest temperature recorded in Pennsauken was 108 °F (42.2 °C) on July 16, 1995, while the coldest temperature recorded was −4 °F (−20.0 °C) on January 19–21, 1994.[32]
| Climate data for Pennsauken, New Jersey, 1991–2020 normals, extremes 1991–present | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Record high °F (°C) | 74 (23) |
77 (25) |
94 (34) |
96 (36) |
100 (38) |
100 (38) |
108 (42) |
103 (39) |
98 (37) |
92 (33) |
80 (27) |
77 (25) |
108 (42) |
| Mean maximum °F (°C) | 64.0 (17.8) |
63.7 (17.6) |
74.2 (23.4) |
85.7 (29.8) |
90.4 (32.4) |
94.9 (34.9) |
98.5 (36.9) |
95.4 (35.2) |
90.9 (32.7) |
82.1 (27.8) |
73.5 (23.1) |
65.2 (18.4) |
99.4 (37.4) |
| Mean daily maximum °F (°C) | 40.5 (4.7) |
43.4 (6.3) |
51.7 (10.9) |
63.8 (17.7) |
73.1 (22.8) |
82.1 (27.8) |
87.0 (30.6) |
84.8 (29.3) |
78.1 (25.6) |
66.0 (18.9) |
55.1 (12.8) |
45.5 (7.5) |
64.3 (17.9) |
| Daily mean °F (°C) | 31.9 (−0.1) |
33.9 (1.1) |
41.6 (5.3) |
52.2 (11.2) |
61.9 (16.6) |
71.5 (21.9) |
76.7 (24.8) |
74.6 (23.7) |
67.7 (19.8) |
55.4 (13.0) |
44.9 (7.2) |
36.9 (2.7) |
54.1 (12.3) |
| Mean daily minimum °F (°C) | 23.3 (−4.8) |
24.5 (−4.2) |
31.4 (−0.3) |
40.7 (4.8) |
50.7 (10.4) |
60.9 (16.1) |
66.4 (19.1) |
64.3 (17.9) |
57.2 (14.0) |
44.9 (7.2) |
34.8 (1.6) |
28.4 (−2.0) |
44.0 (6.7) |
| Mean minimum °F (°C) | 9.9 (−12.3) |
11.7 (−11.3) |
18.8 (−7.3) |
29.6 (−1.3) |
37.9 (3.3) |
48.8 (9.3) |
58.2 (14.6) |
56.2 (13.4) |
45.8 (7.7) |
33.1 (0.6) |
22.8 (−5.1) |
16.9 (−8.4) |
7.4 (−13.7) |
| Record low °F (°C) | −4 (−20) |
1 (−17) |
8 (−13) |
24 (−4) |
32 (0) |
38 (3) |
47 (8) |
52 (11) |
40 (4) |
28 (−2) |
14 (−10) |
6 (−14) |
−4 (−20) |
| Average precipitation inches (mm) | 3.46 (88) |
2.62 (67) |
4.39 (112) |
3.94 (100) |
3.88 (99) |
4.56 (116) |
5.04 (128) |
4.07 (103) |
4.32 (110) |
4.07 (103) |
3.29 (84) |
4.49 (114) |
48.13 (1,224) |
| Average precipitation days (≥ 0.01 in) | 10.5 | 9.3 | 11.2 | 12.1 | 12.6 | 11.0 | 10.1 | 9.9 | 8.9 | 9.9 | 9.3 | 10.8 | 125.6 |
| Source 1: NOAA[33] | |||||||||||||
| Source 2: National Weather Service[32] | |||||||||||||
| Census | Pop. | Note | %± |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1900 | 3,145 | — | |
| 1910 | 4,169 | 32.6% | |
| 1920 | 6,474 | 55.3% | |
| 1930 | 16,915 | 161.3% | |
| 1940 | 17,745 | 4.9% | |
| 1950 | 22,767 | 28.3% | |
| 1960 | 33,771 | 48.3% | |
| 1970 | 36,394 | 7.8% | |
| 1980 | 33,775 | −7.2% | |
| 1990 | 34,738 | 2.9% | |
| 2000 | 35,737 | 2.9% | |
| 2010 | 35,885 | 0.4% | |
| 2020 | 37,074 | 3.3% | |
| 2023 (est.) | 37,288 | [9][11] | 0.6% |
| Population sources: 1900–2000[34] 1900–1920[35] 1900–1910[36] 1910–1930[37] 1940–2000[38] 2000[39][40] 2010[19][20] 2020[9][10] | |||
The 2010 United States census counted 35,885 people, 12,633 households, and 8,995 families in the township. The population density was 3,438.9 per square mile (1,327.8/km2). There were 13,275 housing units at an average density of 1,272.2 per square mile (491.2/km2). The racial makeup was 47.60% (17,081) White, 26.87% (9,644) Black or African American, 0.59% (210) Native American, 7.72% (2,770) Asian, 0.04% (15) Pacific Islander, 13.59% (4,877) from other races, and 3.59% (1,288) from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 26.91% (9,657) of the population.[19]
Of the 12,633 households, 30.7% had children under the age of 18; 46.9% were married couples living together; 18.4% had a female householder with no husband present and 28.8% were non-families. Of all households, 23.8% were made up of individuals and 10.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.83 and the average family size was 3.36.[19]
24.1% of the population were under the age of 18, 9.7% from 18 to 24, 26.0% from 25 to 44, 27.3% from 45 to 64, and 12.9% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38.0 years. For every 100 females, the population had 91.8 males. For every 100 females ages 18 and older there were 87.8 males.[19]
The Census Bureau's 2006–2010 American Community Survey showed that (in 2010 inflation-adjusted dollars) median household income was $57,241 (with a margin of error of +/− $3,957) and the median family income was $65,910 (+/− $3,272). Males had a median income of $47,651 (+/− $3,101) versus $39,229 (+/− $2,035) for females. The per capita income for the borough was $26,048 (+/− $1,438). About 6.4% of families and 8.9% of the population were below the poverty line, including 12.4% of those under age 18 and 6.7% of those age 65 or over.[41]
As of the 2000 United States census,[16] there were 35,737 people, 12,389 households, and 9,093 families residing in the township. The population density was 3,392.4 inhabitants per square mile (1,309.8/km2). There were 12,945 housing units at an average density of 1,228.8 per square mile (474.4/km2). The racial makeup of the township was 60.10% White, 24.18% African American, 0.35% Native American, 4.58% Asian, 0.02% Pacific Islander, 8.27% from other races, and 2.51% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 14.34% of the population.[39][40]
There were 12,389 households, out of which 36.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 51.6% were married couples living together, 16.2% had a female householder with no husband present, and 26.6% were non-families. 23.1% of all households were made up of individuals, and 10.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.83 and the average family size was 3.34.[39][40]
In the township, the age distribution of the population shows 27.5% under the age of 18, 7.6% from 18 to 24, 29.7% from 25 to 44, 21.1% from 45 to 64, and 14.2% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females, there were 91.9 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 86.8 males.[39][40]
The median income for a household in the township was $47,538, and the median income for a family was $52,760. Males had a median income of $37,652 versus $30,100 for females. The per capita income for the township was $19,004. About 6.1% of families and 8.0% of the population were below the poverty line, including 10.1% of those under age 18 and 8.0% of those age 65 or over.[39][40]
Pennsauken is home to a large industrial park that includes a Pepsi bottling plant and J & J Snack Foods.[42]
Pennsauken Township is governed under the Township form of New Jersey municipal government, one of 141 municipalities (of the 564) statewide that use this form, the second-most commonly used form of government in the state.[43] The Township Committee is comprised of five members, who are elected directly by the voters at-large in partisan elections to serve three-year terms of office on a staggered basis, with either one or two seats coming up for election each year as part of the November general election in a three-year cycle.[3][44] At an annual reorganization meeting, the Township Committee selects one of its members to serve as Mayor and another as Deputy Mayor, each serving a one-year term.
As of 2023[update], members of the Pennsauken Township Committee are Mayor Vince Martinez (D, term of office on committee ends December 31, 2023), Deputy Mayor Patrick Olivo (D, term on committee and as deputy mayor ends 2023; elected to an unexpired term), Marco DiBattista (D, 2024), Jessica Jarbou-Rafeh (R, 2024) and Marie McKenna (D, 2025; appointed to serve an unexpired term).[4][45][46][47][48]
In January 2023, Marie McKenna was appointed to fill the seat expiring in December 2025 that had been held by Nicole "Nikki" Roberts who had been elected to a full three-year term in the November 2022 general election and resigned from office as of December 2022.[49][50]
During the 2022 reorganization meeting of Pennsauken Township Committee, Jessica Rafeh was sworn in as the town’s first Hispanic and Middle Eastern mayor; Nicole Roberts became the town’s first African American female deputy mayor; and the pair represent the first time Pennsauken will have an all-female led governing body[51]
In December 2021, the Township Committee selected Nicole Roberts from a list of three candidates submitted by the Democratic municipal committee to fill the seat expiring in December 2021 that was vacated by Almar Dyer when he took office on the Camden County Board of County Commissioners.[52]
In June 2021, Patrick Olivo was appointed to fill the seat expiring in December 2023 that had been held by Tim Killion until he stepped down from office to become the township's administrator.[53][54]
Pennsauken Township is located in the 1st Congressional District[55] and is part of New Jersey's 5th state legislative district.[56]
For the 118th United States Congress, New Jersey's 1st congressional district is represented by Donald Norcross (D, Camden).[57][58] New Jersey is represented in the United States Senate by Democrats Cory Booker (Newark, term ends 2027)[59] and George Helmy (Mountain Lakes, term ends 2024).[60][61]
For the 2024-2025 session, the 5th legislative district of the New Jersey Legislature is represented in the State Senate by Nilsa Cruz-Perez (D, Barrington) and in the General Assembly by Bill Moen (D, Camden) and William Spearman (D, Camden).[62]
Camden County is governed by a Board of County Commissioners composed of seven members chosen at-large in partisan elections for three-year terms on a staggered basis by the residents of the county, with either two or three seats up for election each year as part of the November general election. At a reorganization meeting held in January after each election, the newly constituted Board of Commissioners selects one member to serve as Director and another as Deputy Director, each serving a one-year term in that role.[63] As of 2024[update], Camden County's Commissioners are: Commissioner Director Louis Cappelli Jr. (D, Collingswood, 2026),[64] Commissioner Deputy Director Edward T. McDonnell (D, Pennsauken Township, 2025),[65] Virginia Ruiz Betteridge (D, Runnemede, 2025),[66] Almar Dyer (D, Pennsauken Township, 2024),[67] Melinda Kane (D, Cherry Hill, 2024),[68] Jeffrey L. Nash (D, Winslow Township, 2024),[69] and Jonathan L. Young Sr. (D, Berlin Township, 2026).[70][63][71][72][73]
Camden County's constitutional officers are: Clerk Joseph Ripa (D, Voorhees Township, 2024),[74][75] Sheriff Gilbert "Whip" Wilson (D, Camden, 2024)[76][77] and Surrogate Michelle Gentek-Mayer (D, Gloucester Township, 2025).[78][79][80]
As of March 2011, there were a total of 22,704 registered voters in Pennsauken Township, of which 9,989 (44.0%) were registered as Democrats, 2,263 (10.0%) were registered as Republicans and 10,443 (46.0%) were registered as Unaffiliated. There were 9 voters registered as Libertarians or Greens.[81]
In the 2012 presidential election, Democrat Barack Obama received 78.4% of the vote (12,200 cast), ahead of Republican Mitt Romney with 20.8% (3,233 votes), and other candidates with 0.9% (135 votes), among the 15,722 ballots cast by the township's 24,313 registered voters (154 ballots were spoiled), for a turnout of 64.7%.[82][83] In the 2008 presidential election, Democrat Barack Obama received 74.0% of the vote (12,195 cast), ahead of Republican John McCain, who received around 23.2% (3,824 votes), with 16,485 ballots cast among the township's 21,669 registered voters, for a turnout of 76.1%.[84] In the 2004 presidential election, Democrat John Kerry received 63.7% of the vote (9,384 ballots cast), outpolling Republican George W. Bush, who received around 32.1% (4,720 votes), with 14,726 ballots cast among the township's 20,846 registered voters, for a turnout percentage of 70.6.[85]
In the 2013 gubernatorial election, Democrat Barbara Buono received 51.4% of the vote (414 cast), ahead of Republican Chris Christie with 44.3% (357 votes), and other candidates with 4.2% (34 votes), among the 915 ballots cast by the borough's 2,793 registered voters (110 ballots were spoiled), for a turnout of 32.8%.[86][87] In the 2009 gubernatorial election, Democrat Jon Corzine received 64.% of the vote (5,594 ballots cast), ahead of both Republican Chris Christie with 28.8% (2,517 votes) and Independent Chris Daggett with 4.2% (364 votes), with 8,745 ballots cast among the township's 22,497 registered voters, yielding a 38.9% turnout.[88]
The Pennsauken Public Schools serve public school students in pre-kindergarten through twelfth grade.[89] As of the 2018–19 school year, the district, comprised of nine schools, had an enrollment of 4,785 students and 395.5 classroom teachers (on an FTE basis), for a student–teacher ratio of 12.1:1.[90] Schools in the district (with 2018–19 enrollment data from the National Center for Education Statistics[91]) are Baldwin Early Childhood Learning Center[92] (103 students in grade Pre-K), Carson Elementary School[93] (300; Pre-K–4), Delair Elementary School[94] (386; Pre-K–4), George B. Fine Elementary School[95] (249; Pre-K–4), Benjamin Franklin Elementary School[96] (361; K–4), Pennsauken Intermediate School[97] (702; 5–6), Howard M. Phifer Middle School[98] (1,151; 7–8), Alfred E. Burling High School[99] (now 6–12; was 108 in Pre-K–3) and Pennsauken High School[100] (1,317; 9–12).[101][102] Beginning in 1972, Merchantville sent its students to attend the Pennsauken district's high school as part of a sending/receiving relationship with the Merchantville School District;[103] the Merchantville district has sought to end the relationship with the Pennsauken school and send its students to Haddon Heights High School.[104] From 2015 to 2019 Merchantville was phased out of the Pennsauken High School.[105]
Also available in the township is the Pennsauken Technical High School, which offers day and evening technical and vocational education to students from across the county.[106]
Eustace Preparatory School is a coeducational, private high school for students in grades 9–12, founded in 1954 by the priests and brothers of the Society of the Catholic Apostolate (the Pallottines).[107] Established in 1927, St. Cecilia School is a K–8 elementary school that operates under the auspices of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Camden.[108][109] St. Cecilia operates jointly with a group of schools in Camden in the Catholic Partnership Schools, a post-parochial model of Urban Catholic Education.[110]
_from_the_pedestrian_overpass_at_Garfield_Avenue_in_Pennsauken_Township,_Camden_County,_New_Jersey.jpg)
As of May 2010[update], the township had a total of 144.85 miles (233.11 km) of roadways, of which 105.82 miles (170.30 km) were maintained by the municipality, 26.76 miles (43.07 km) by Camden County, 10.27 miles (16.53 km) by the New Jersey Department of Transportation and 2.00 miles (3.22 km) by the Delaware River Port Authority.[111]
Major roads through the township include Route 130, the largest highway through the township, which intersects with Route 73 in the northern part of the township, near the Cinnaminson Township border. Route 90 is a short highway leading to the Betsy Ross Bridge, which connects the township with Philadelphia. Owned and operated by the Delaware River Port Authority, the bridge stretches 8,500 feet (2,600 m) between abutments and opened to traffic on April 30, 1976.[112] New Jersey Route 38 and Route 70 merge westbound in the eastern part of the township near the Cherry Hill border and U.S. Route 30 at the border with Camden. US 130 and 30 and NJ 38 and 70 converge at the Airport Circle in the southern section of Pennsauken Township.
CR 537 passes through in the south while CR 543 travels through in the north.
The township hosts three NJ Transit rail stops. The Pennsauken-Route 73[113] and 36th Street[114] stations on the River Line offer service between Trenton and Camden. The Pennsauken Transit Center[115] on River Road features a transfer between the River Line and the Atlantic City Line, which provides rail service between Atlantic City and Philadelphia.[116] The station was constructed at a cost of $40 million and opened for commuters in October 2013.[117]
Daily NJ Transit bus service between the township and Philadelphia is available on routes 317, 404, 406, and 409. Additional service to Philadelphia is available through routes 414 and 417, which run on weekdays during morning and evening rush hours. The township is also serviced by intrastate or local routes 405, 407, 413, and 419, as well as express route 418.[118][119]
People who were born in, residents of, or otherwise closely associated with Pennsauken Township include:
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