About Bethlehem, NJ
Bethlehem, NJ is also included on NJroute22.com. While the main road that cuts through the township is Route 78, it’s still technically Route 22. As well as the “old Route 22,” which is now referred to as Route 173.
Below is the “encyclopedia” entry:
Bethlehem Township, New Jersey
Bethlehem Township is a township in Hunterdon County, New Jersey, United States. It is part of the New York metropolitan area. As of the 2010 United States Census, the township’s population was 3,979, reflecting an increase of 159 (+4.2%) from the 3,820 counted in the 2000 Census, which had in turn increased by 716 (+23.1%) from the 3,104 counted in the 1990 Census.
History
Bethlehem was first mentioned in official records dating back to 1730, though details of its formation are uncertain. Bethlehem was incorporated as one of New Jersey’s initial 104 townships by an act of the New Jersey Legislature on February 21, 1798. Portions of the township were taken to form Kingwood Township (1749, date uncertain), Alexandria Township (March 5, 1765), Union Township (February 17, 1853), Junction borough (February 20, 1895, now known as Hampton borough), Bloomsbury (March 30, 1905) and Glen Gardner (March 26, 1919).
The township was named for the city of Bethlehem.
Geography
According to the United States Census Bureau, the township had a total area of 20.828 square miles (53.944 km), including 20.711 square miles (53.642 km) of land and 0.117 square miles (0.303 km) of water (0.56%). The township is an exurb of New York City, lying on the western fringe of the New York metropolitan area, as part of the Newark-Union, NJ-PA Metropolitan Division, which is in turn a part of the New York City Metropolitan Area.
The Musconetcong River forms the township’s northern border with Warren County. The northern half of the Township consists of the Musconetcong Valley while the southern half is covered by the Musconetcong Mountains. The southwest corner of the township lies on what is known as the Hunterdon Plateau.
The landscape is mainly rural in nature, featuring farms and forests, scattered with newer housing developments and older farm homes.
Unincorporated communities, localities and place names located partially or completely within the township include Charlestown, Jugtown, Ludlow, Polktown, Swinesburg, Valley and West Portal.
Mailing addresses
Residents and businesses in Bethlehem Township have mailing addresses to nearby towns including Clinton Hampton, Bloomsbury,NJ (and even Asbury, New Jersey which is located in neighboring Warren County), as ‘Bethlehem Township’ itself is not a mailing address.
Wildlife and ecosystem
Various animals are native to central-western New Jersey, including red fox (vulpes vulpes), black bear, groundhogs, wild turkeys, deer, squirrels, chipmunks, a variety of birds, and a plethora of insects and vegetation. There are also some fish in the streams of the county.
Trees include deciduous varieties and evergreen varieties.
Black bears are the largest land mammals in New Jersey and are known to be most abundant in the northern-western regions of the state, including Bethlehem Township.
Demographics
| Historical population | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Census | Pop. | %± | |
| 1790 | 1,335 | — | |
| 1810 | 1,728 | — | |
| 1820 | 2,002 | 15.9% | |
| 1830 | 2,032 | 1.5% | |
| 1840 | 2,370 | 16.6% | |
| 1850 | 2,746 | 15.9% | |
| 1860 | 1,859 | * | −32.3% |
| 1870 | 2,211 | 18.9% | |
| 1880 | 2,830 | 28.0% | |
| 1890 | 2,308 | −18.4% | |
| 1900 | 1,634 | * | −29.2% |
| 1910 | 980 | * | −40.0% |
| 1920 | 798 | * | −18.6% |
| 1930 | 735 | −7.9% | |
| 1940 | 791 | 7.6% | |
| 1950 | 857 | 8.3% | |
| 1960 | 1,090 | 27.2% | |
| 1970 | 1,385 | 27.1% | |
| 1980 | 3,045 | 119.9% | |
| 1990 | 3,104 | 1.9% | |
| 2000 | 3,820 | 23.1% | |
| 2010 | 3,979 | 4.2% | |
| Est. 2014 | 3,913 | −1.7% | |
Census 2010
At the 2010 United States Census, there were 3,979 people, 1,344 households, and 1,148 families residing in the township. The population density was 192.1 per square mile (74.2/km). There were 1,386 housing units at an average density of 66.9 per square mile (25.8/km). The racial makeup of the township was 95.65% (3,806) White, 0.98% (39) Black or African American, 0.10% (4) Native American, 1.88% (75) Asian, 0.00% (0) Pacific Islander, 0.50% (20) from other races, and 0.88% (35) from two or more races. Hispanics or Latinos of any race were 4.02% (160) of the population.
There were 1,344 households, of which 41.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 77.0% were married couples living together, 4.8% had a female householder with no husband present, and 14.6% were non-families. 11.9% of all households were made up of individuals, and 5.0% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.96 and the average family size was 3.22.
In the township, 27.6% of the population were under the age of 18, 6.2% from 18 to 24, 18.1% from 25 to 44, 38.4% from 45 to 64, and 9.7% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 44.2 years. For every 100 females there were 100.8 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 100.6 males.
The Census Bureau’s 2006-2010 American Community Survey showed that (in 2010 inflation-adjusted dollars) median household income was $127,540 (with a margin of error of +/- $12,090) and the median family income was $130,580 (+/- $16,200). Males had a median income of $95,694 (+/- $16,468) versus $70,069 (+/- $27,112) for females. The per capita income for the borough was $44,477 (+/- $4,087). About 0.6% of families and 1.0% of the population were below the poverty line, including 1.1% of those under age 18 and 0.0% of those age 65 or over.
Parks and recreation
Spruce Run State Park and Reservoir, part of the New Jersey State Park system, is located near Bethlehem Township in close-by Clinton Township. It is possible to walk or bike to Spruce Run from Bethlehem Township.
Roads and highways
As of May 2010, the township had a total of 57.76 miles (92.96 km) of roadways, of which 42.26 miles (68.01 km) were maintained by the municipality, 7.86 miles (12.65 km) by Hunterdon County and 7.64 miles (12.30 km) by the New Jersey Department of Transportation.
Bethlehem Township is well-connected to major metropolitan areas and cities (such as the Lehigh Valley in Pennsylvania and New York City) via Interstate 78 / U.S. 22 and Route 173. While I-78/US 22 pass through without any interchanges, the nearest exit is just outside the township in bordering Bloomsbury (Exit 7) and Union Township (Exit 11).
Anderson Road, located within Bethlehem Township, begins in neighboring Union Township and ends in Bethlehem Township as a dead-end, or cul-de-sac. Consequently, Anderson Road cannot be accessed internally through Bethlehem Township; it can only be accessed through Union Township.
Public transportation
Public transportation is limited to The LINK, a public bus service which services Hunterdon County. Fares range from about $2.00 to $10.00. Funding for the operation of the Hunterdon County LINK System is provided by Hunterdon County, New Jersey Transit and the Federal Transit Administration.
Notable people
People who were born in, residents of, or otherwise closely associated with Bethlehem Township include:
- John T. Bird (1829–1911), member of the United States House of Representatives from 1869 to 1873.
- Johnston Cornish (1858–1920), represented New Jersey’s 4th congressional district in the United States House of Representatives from 1893-1895.
- Anne Marie Letko (born 1969), two-time Olympian, in 1996 and 2000.
- Daniel Morgan (1736–1802), Revolutionary War general and a United States Representative from the State of Virginia.
- James Parker (1776–1868), member of the House of Representatives from New Jersey.
(SOURCE: Infogalactic)
