Elizabeth River (New Jersey) facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Elizabeth River
Midtown/Downtown Elizabeth
Country	United States
State	New Jersey
Region	Essex Union
Physical characteristics
Main source	Watchung Mountains surfaces Irvington/Newark 40°44′12″N 74°13′43″W / 40.736566°N 74.228531°W / 40.736566; -74.228531
River mouth	Arthur Kill Elizabeth 0 ft (0 m) 40°38′39″N 74°11′24″W / 40.6441°N 74.1900°W / 40.6441; -74.1900 (Elizabeth River mouth)
Length	11.9 mi (19.2 km)

The Elizabeth River runs through Essex and Union counties, New Jersey in the United States for 11.9 miles (19.2 km) before draining into the Arthur Kill.

Course

The headwaters of the Elizabeth are in East Orange in Essex County. The river rises in an urban area at the border between Irvington and the Vailsburg neighborhood of Newark. It flows in a generally southern direction through the center of Irvington in a concrete channel with masonry walls built in the 1920s and 30s passing along the east side of Civic Square. Further south, it forms the west boundary of the 19th century Clinton Cemetery. At the southern end of the cemetery, the river passes under the Garden State Parkway near Exit 143 and disappears as a surface waterway.

The Elizabeth River reemerges just south of the Union County line near Garden State Parkway Interchange 142 between Union and Hillside. After passing under I-78 it runs through the Elizabeth River Parkway. Here, the river is joined on its left bank by its first significant tributary, Lightning Brook. The Elizabeth River then flows under the Garden State Parkway again. After passing under US 22, the river turns eastward and is joined by the West Branch Elizabeth River. The river then flows past historic Liberty Hall and Kean University. Much of the river is contained by levees in this section.

At Trotters Lane, the river enters Elizabeth, where the river runs for 4.0 miles (6.4 km), passes under numerous bridges, and for a greater extent is channelized. At the bridge on the South Front Street it flows into the Arthur Kill.

Elizabeth River Parkway

Broad Street entrance to Elizabeth River Trail

The Elizabeth River Parkway is a set of parklands that hugs the river from Hillside through Elizabeth It was designed in for the Union County Parks Commssion in the 1920s by the historic firm Olmsted Brothers, and is one of the three "emerald necklaces" in the county park system, the others being Rahway River Parkway and Passaic River Parkway. The firm also designed Warinanco Park

Elizabeth River Trail

The Elizabeth River Trail is a project to construct a park and riverside trail from South Broad Street in Downtown Elizabeth to the river's outlet into the Arthur Kill, a distance of 2-1/2 miles. Phase I, between Broad and Bridge streets near St. John's Parsonage, opened in 2012. Phase II was completed and opened in August 2018.

Crossings

This transport-related list is incomplete; you can help by expanding it.

This list is for the crossings in Union County

South Front Street Bridge

Elzabeth River downstream of the New Jersey Turnpike

Mile Point	Crossing	Carries	Coordinates	References
0.0	South Front Street Bridge		40°38′40″N 74°11′27″W / 40.64437°N 74.19083°W / 40.64437; -74.19083 (South Front Street Bridge)
0.4	South First Street/Amboy Avenue		40°38′32″N 74°11′54″W / 40.64222°N 74.19834°W / 40.64222; -74.19834 (South First Street Bridge)
0.7	Elizabeth River Bridge Conrail (CRCX)	Perth Amboy and Elizabethport Railroad Garden State Secondary	40°38′43″N 74°12′10″W / 40.64514°N 74.20268°W / 40.64514; -74.20268 (Elizabeth River Bridge (CRCX))
0.9	New Jersey Turnpike	Interstate 95	40°38′44″N 74°12′13″W / 40.64555°N 74.20359°W / 40.64555; -74.20359 (I-95 bridges)	Baltic Street eliminated in 1959
	Trenton Avenue/Atlantic Street		40°38′51″N 74°12′18″W / 40.64756°N 74.20509°W / 40.64756; -74.20509 (Trenton Avenue Bridge)
1.7	South Fifth Street/Summer Street		40°39′00″N 74°12′35″W / 40.65005°N 74.20968°W / 40.65005; -74.20968 (South Fifth Street Bridge)
	Elizabeth River Viaduct	U.S. Route 1/9	40°39′30″N 74°12′34″W / 40.65836°N 74.20937°W / 40.65836; -74.20937 (Elizabeth River Viaduct (U.S. Route 1/9))
	South Street		40°39′29″N 74°12′38″W / 40.65812°N 74.21045°W / 40.65812; -74.21045 (South Street Bridge)
2.1	Bridge Street		40°39′40″N 74°12′42″W / 40.66103°N 74.21157°W / 40.66103; -74.21157 (Bridge Street Bridge)
	South Broad Street		40°39′40″N 74°12′55″W / 40.66098°N 74.21519°W / 40.66098; -74.21519 (South Broad Street Bridge)
	Rahway Avenue		40°39′42″N 74°13′03″W / 40.6616°N 74.2175°W / 40.6616; -74.2175 (Rahway Avenue Bridge)
	Elizabeth River Bridge	Northeast Corridor Amtrak (Northeast Regional) New Jersey Transit Northeast Corridor Line North Jersey Coast Line	40°39′43″N 74°13′05″W / 40.66203°N 74.21797°W / 40.66203; -74.21797 (Elizabeth River Bridge (Northeast Corridor))
	Murray Street		40°39′48″N 74°13′08″W / 40.66325°N 74.21879°W / 40.66325; -74.21879 (Murray Street Bridge)
	West Jersey Street		40°39′53″N 74°13′08″W / 40.66464°N 74.21885°W / 40.66464; -74.21885 (West Jersey Street Bridge)
	West Grand		40°39′59″N 74°13′07″W / 40.66632°N 74.21852°W / 40.66632; -74.21852 (West Grand Street Bridge)
	Central Railroad of New Jersey ROW		40°40′01″N 74°13′07″W / 40.66701°N 74.21868°W / 40.66701; -74.21868 (Jersey Central Bridge)
	Westfield Avenue	New Jersey Route 27	40°40′05″N 74°13′10″W / 40.66805°N 74.21943°W / 40.66805; -74.21943 (Westfield Avenue Bridge)
	Morris Avenue	CR 629	40°40′12″N 74°13′09″W / 40.66997°N 74.21906°W / 40.66997; -74.21906 (Morris Avenue Bridge)
	Orchard Street		40°40′16″N 74°13′10″W / 40.67115°N 74.21951°W / 40.67115; -74.21951 (Orchard Street Bridge)
3.7	Trotters Lane		40°40′30″N 74°13′20″W / 40.67502°N 74.22219°W / 40.67502; -74.22219 (Trotters Lane Bridge)
3.8	Ursino Dam		40°40′31″N 74°13′21″W / 40.67536°N 74.22246°W / 40.67536; -74.22246 (Ursino Dam)
	North Avenue	New Jersey Route 439	40°40′39″N 74°13′32″W / 40.67752°N 74.22552°W / 40.67752; -74.22552 (North Avenue Bridge)
	Kean University Footbridge		40°40′51″N 74°13′37″W / 40.68091°N 74.22708°W / 40.68091; -74.22708 (Kean University Footbridge)
	Conrail New Jersey Transit	Lehigh Line Raritan Valley Line	40°41′10″N 74°14′04″W / 40.68617°N 74.23439°W / 40.68617; -74.23439 (Lehigh Line/Raritan Valley Line Bridge)
	Liberty Avenue/Salem Road	New Jersey CR 509	40°41′23″N 74°14′16″W / 40.68979°N 74.23772°W / 40.68979; -74.23772 (Liberty Avenue Bridge)
	Salem Dam		40°41′24″N 74°14′16″W / 40.69010°N 74.23773°W / 40.69010; -74.23773 (Salem Dam)
	U.S. Route 22		40°41′52″N 74°14′48″W / 40.69785°N 74.24654°W / 40.69785; -74.24654 (U.S. Route 22 Bridge)
	Garden State Parkway		40°42′04″N 74°14′57″W / 40.70108°N 74.24930°W / 40.70108; -74.24930 (Garden State Parkway Bridge)
	Phillipsburg-Newark Expressway	Interstate 78	40°42′20″N 74°14′50″W / 40.70556°N 74.24719°W / 40.70556; -74.24719 (I-78 Bridge)
	Union Avenue		40°42′26″N 74°14′49″W / 40.70726°N 74.24707°W / 40.70726; -74.24707 (Union Avenue Bridge)
	Garden State Parkway Interchange 142		40°42′34″N 74°14′46″W / 40.70949°N 74.24600°W / 40.70949; -74.24600 (Garden State Parkway Interchange 142 bridges)
Elizabeth River becomes sub-surface waterway

This list is for the crossings in Essex County from Union County line to source

Crossing	Carries	Coordinates	References
Elizabeth River runs as sub-surface waterway under the Garden State Parkway
Mill Road
Chancellor Avenue	CR601
Yale Avenue
Lyons Avenue	CR602	40°43′44″N 74°14′02″W / 40.728822°N 74.233985°W / 40.728822; -74.233985
Nye Avenue
Springfield Avenue	CR603
Bridge at Civic Square
Bridge at Civic Square
Clinton Avenue	CR665	40°43′44″N 74°14′02″W / 40.728822°N 74.233985°W / 40.728822; -74.233985
Madison Avenue
Valley Street