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Dunellen, New Jersey
Borough
Borough of Dunellen
Nickname(s): 
"The Railroad Town"
Motto(s): 
"Small Enough to Know You, Large Enough to Serve You."
Dunellen highlighted in Middlesex County. Inset: location of Middlesex County highlighted in the State of New Jersey.
Dunellen highlighted in Middlesex County. Inset: location of Middlesex County highlighted in the State of New Jersey.
Census Bureau map of Dunellen, New Jersey
Census Bureau map of Dunellen, New Jersey
Dunellen, New Jersey is located in Middlesex County, New Jersey
Dunellen, New Jersey
Dunellen, New Jersey
Location in Middlesex County, New Jersey
Dunellen, New Jersey is located in New Jersey
Dunellen, New Jersey
Dunellen, New Jersey
Location in New Jersey
Dunellen, New Jersey is located in the United States
Dunellen, New Jersey
Dunellen, New Jersey
Location in the United States
Country  United States
State  New Jersey
County Middlesex
Incorporated October 28, 1887
Named for Dunellen station
Government
 • Type Borough
 • Body Borough Council
Area
 • Total 1.06 sq mi (2.75 km2)
 • Land 1.06 sq mi (2.75 km2)
 • Water 0.00 sq mi (0.00 km2)  0.00%
Area rank 495th of 565 in state
23rd of 25 in county
Elevation
52 ft (16 m)
Population
 • Total 7,637
 • Rank 313th of 566 in state
21st of 25 in county
 • Density 6,894.8/sq mi (2,662.1/km2)
 • Density rank 66th of 566 in state
4th of 25 in county
Time zone UTC−05:00 (Eastern (EST))
 • Summer (DST) UTC−04:00 (Eastern (EDT))
ZIP Code
08812
Area code(s) 732 and 908
FIPS code 3402318490
GNIS feature ID 0885198

Dunellen is a borough in Middlesex County, New Jersey, United States. It is located within the Raritan Valley region. As of the 2020 United States Census, the borough's population was 7,637, reflecting an increase of 410 (+5.4%) from the 7,227 counted in the 2010 Census.

Dunellen was formed as a borough by an act of the New Jersey Legislature on October 28, 1887, when it broke away from Piscataway Township, based on the results of a referendum held on March 23, 1886. Dunellen's incorporation was confirmed on April 15, 1914. The borough was named for the Dunellen station of the Central Railroad of New Jersey.

History

Dunellen grew from its start in 1867 with the construction of a railroad station, which was originally called New Market station, serving the nearby community of the same name in Piscataway. When it was originally constructed, the tracks were at grade level with North Avenue and the railroad was the Elizabethtown and Somerville Railroad, which later became part of the Central Railroad of New Jersey. The railroad brought industry to the area.

The Art Color factory built in 1925 was Dunellen's principal industry and produced as many as 10 million magazines a month. The W. F. Hall Printing Company of Chicago bought Art Color in 1931, and ran it until 1968, when it closed the plant there.

Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau, the borough had a total area of 1.048 square miles (2.715 km2), all of which is land. Dunellen is in the Raritan Valley, a line of communities in central New Jersey. Dunellen is in the central division along with Bound Brook, South Bound Brook and Middlesex.

The borough borders Middlesex and Piscataway Township in Middlesex County; Green Brook Township in Somerset County; and Plainfield in Union Conty.

Demographics

Historical population
Census Pop.
1880 817
1890 1,060 29.7%
1900 1,239 16.9%
1910 1,990 60.6%
1920 3,394 70.6%
1930 5,148 51.7%
1940 5,360 4.1%
1950 6,291 17.4%
1960 6,840 8.7%
1970 7,072 3.4%
1980 6,593 −6.8%
1990 6,528 −1.0%
2000 6,823 4.5%
2010 7,227 5.9%
2020 7,637 5.7%
Population sources:
1880-1920 1880-1890
1890-1910 1910-1930
1930-1990 2000 2010

Census 2010

As of the census of 2010, there were 7,227 people, 2,566 households, and 1,763 families residing in the borough. The population density was 6,894.8 per square mile (2,662.1/km2). There were 2,683 housing units at an average density of 2,559.7 per square mile (988.3/km2)*. The racial makeup of the borough was 73.46% (5,309) White, 8.62% (623) Black or African American, 0.26% (19) Native American, 4.51% (326) Asian, 0.06% (4) Pacific Islander, 9.67% (699) from other races, and 3.42% (247) from two or more races. [[Hispanic (U.S. Census)|Hispanic or Latino of any race were 26.75% (1,933) of the population.

There were 2,566 households out of which 33.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 49.4% were married couples living together, 13.3% had a female householder with no husband present, and 31.3% were non-families. 24.9% of all households were made up of individuals, and 7.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.81 and the average family size was 3.36.

In the borough, the population was spread out with 23.7% under the age of 18, 8.8% from 18 to 24, 30.9% from 25 to 44, 26.8% from 45 to 64, and 9.7% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 37.1 years. For every 100 females there were 101.3 males. For every 100 females ages 18 and old there were 100.4 males.

The Census Bureau's 2006-2010 American Community Survey showed that (in 2010 inflation-adjusted dollars) median household income was $74,375 (with a margin of error of +/- $13,504) and the median family income was $88,527 (+/- $13,868). Males had a median income of $48,542 (+/- $13,495) versus $43,920 (+/- $12,613) for females. The per capita income for the borough was $30,960 (+/- $3,015). About 5.6% of families and 8.3% of the population were below the poverty line, including 7.8% of those under age 18 and 9.5% of those age 65 or over.

Census 2000

As of the 2000 United States Census there were 6,823 people, 2,451 households, and 1,710 families residing in the borough. The population density was 6,573.9 people per square mile (2,533.1/km2). There were 2,520 housing units at an average density of 2,428.0 per square mile (935.6/km2). The racial makeup of the borough was 84.07% White, 3.66% African American, 0.25% Native American, 3.56% Asian, 0.01% Pacific Islander, 6.38% from other races, and 2.07% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 14.80% of the population.

There were 2,451 households, out of which 33.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 54.4% were married couples living together, 10.7% had a female householder with no husband present, and 30.2% were non-families. 23.5% of all households were made up of individuals, and 8.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.75 and the average family size was 3.30.

In the borough the population was spread out, with 24.9% under the age of 18, 6.9% from 18 to 24, 36.0% from 25 to 44, 20.9% from 45 to 64, and 11.3% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females, there were 101.0 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 99.2 males.

The median income for a household in the borough was $59,205, and the median income for a family was $67,188. Males had a median income of $45,000 versus $34,130 for females. The per capita income for the borough was $26,529. About 1.4% of families and 3.3% of the population were below the poverty line, including 2.0% of those under age 18 and 4.2% of those age 65 or over.

Transportation

2018-05-20 16 52 45 View east along New Jersey State Route 28 (North Avenue) at Middlesex County Route 529 (Washington Avenue) in Dunellen, Middlesex County, New Jersey
Route 28 in Dunellen

Roads and highways

As of May 2010, the borough had a total of 17.82 miles (28.68 km) of roadways, of which 14.29 miles (23.00 km) were maintained by the municipality, 2.48 miles (3.99 km) by Middlesex County and 1.05 miles (1.69 km) by the New Jersey Department of Transportation.

No Interstate or U.S. highways serve Dunellen directly. The most prominent roads passing through the borough include New Jersey Route 28 and County Route 529.

Public transportation

The Dunellen station offers NJ Transit service on the Raritan Valley Line. There is a ticket office open only during morning rush hour and a small waiting area at this stop. There are now automated ticket machines located next to the office. A simple station, there are two tracks with two small side platforms. The station is located on a high embankment.

NJ Transit bus service is provided on the 113 and 114 routes to the Port Authority Bus Terminal in Midtown Manhattan, with local service on the 59, 65 and 66 routes.

Suburban Transit offers service between Dunellen and Atlantic City on its 700 route.

Organizations

  • Juggling Life, a non-profit organization whose purpose is to inspire and emotionally heal ill and/or disadvantaged children through juggling and the arts.
  • Dunellen Skylight Theatre Productions is a non-profit organization that offers inspirational and educational theatrical presentations featuring the work of local performers, directors, playwrights and other artisans.

Education

The Dunellen Public Schools serve students in pre-kindergarten through twelfth grade. As of the 2017–18 school year, the district, comprised of three schools, had an enrollment of 1,226 students and 98.8 classroom teachers (on an FTE basis), for a student–teacher ratio of 12.4:1. Schools in the district (with 2017–18 enrollment data from the National Center for Education Statistics) are John P. Faber School with 591 students in grades PreK-5, Lincoln Middle School with 246 students in grades 6-8 and Dunellen High School with 372 students in grades 9-12.

Eighth grade students from all of Middlesex County are eligible to apply to attend the high school programs offered by the Middlesex County Vocational and Technical Schools, a county-wide vocational school district that offers full-time career and technical education at Middlesex County Academy in Edison, the Academy for Allied Health and Biomedical Sciences in Woodbridge Township and at its East Brunswick, Perth Amboy and Piscataway technical high schools, with no tuition charged to students for attendance.

Notable people

See also (related category): People from Dunellen, New Jersey

People who were born in, residents of, or otherwise closely associated with Dunellen include:

  • Tom Brislin (born 1973), keyboardist/songwriter/vocalist for American band Kansas from 2018-present.
  • Bob Fitzsimmons (1863–1917), a boxer who was the sport's first three-division world champion.
  • Bob Maier (1915–1993), third baseman who played for the Detroit Tigers team that won the 1945 World Series in his only season in the Major Leagues.
  • Sydney McLaughlin (born 1999), hurdler and sprinter who won the Gold Medal in the 400-meter hurdles at the 2020 Summer Olympics.
  • Judith Persichilli (born 1949), nurse and health care executive who has served as the Commissioner of the New Jersey Department of Health.
  • William Marsh Rice (1816–1900), businessman who bequeathed his fortune to found Rice University.
  • Tom Scharpling (born 1969), host of The Best Show and a writer/executive producer of the television series Monk.
  • Walter Stone (1920-1999), writer for The Honeymooners and The Jackie Gleason Show.
  • Frank Umont (1917–1991), Major League Baseball umpire.

See also

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