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List of municipalities in Sussex County, New Jersey facts for kids

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Sussex County, New Jersey Municipalities
Index map of Sussex County municipalities (click to see index key)

There are twenty-four municipalities within the boundaries of Sussex County in the state of New Jersey. These include one municipality incorporated as a town, eight incorporated as boroughs, and fifteen incorporated as townships, organized in accordance with state law. In 2010 Federal decennial census, 149,265 persons resided in Sussex County, a gain of 3.5% from the 144,166 persons counted in the 2000 Federal decennial census. Populations, as of 2010, range from the county's largest municipality, Vernon Township, with 23,943 residents, to Walpack Township, with 16 residents. In size, municipalities range from Branchville borough, the smallest at 0.6 square miles (1.6 km2) to the largest, Vernon, at 70.59 square miles (182.8 km2).

When Sussex County was created on June 8, 1753 from the northern and western regions of Morris County it consisted of the land area of present-day Sussex County and Warren County (created in 1824) in northwestern New Jersey. That county, from 1753 to 1824, comprised roughly 898.60 square miles (2,327.4 km2), was bounded by the Delaware River, Musconetcong River, New York-New Jersey border, and a line drawn northeast from Lake Hopatcong to the colony's northern border with New York. In 1753, Sussex County consisted of four large "precincts": Walpack (created c. 1731), Greenwich (created c. 1738), Hardwick (created 1750), and Newtown (created 1751, dissolved 1864). These four precincts would be divided to create the 24 municipalities presently extant in Sussex County and 22 municipalities presently extant in Warren County.

By a legislative act on November 20, 1824, Warren County was created of the southern half of Sussex County divided on by partition line "beginning on the river Delaware, at the mouth of Flat brook, in the township of Walpack, and running from thence, a straight course to the corner of the Hardwick church [now in Yellow Frame], situated on the south side of the main road leading from Johnsonsburg to Newton and from thence in the same course to the middle of Muskonetcong creek". This line divided Hardwick Township with its lands north of the line being ceded to create the townships of Green and Stillwater. The line also divided Walpack Township with the lands south of the line being ceded to create Pahaquarry Township in Warren County.

Another line of partition, the Lawrence Line of 1743, is still extant in the boundaries of four Sussex County municipalities. This line was drawn by surveyor John Lawrence to provide final resolution after 67 years of disputes to the division of New Jersey into the two proprietary colonies of the Province of West Jersey and Province of East Jersey in accordance with the Quintipartite Deed (1676), divided the state in a straight line from "the Northernmost Branch of said Bay or River of De la Ware which is in forty-one Degrees and forty minutes of latitude...unto the most southwardly poynt of the East syde of Little Egge Harbour". This line divides Walpack Township from Sandyston Township, and Stillwater Township from Hampton Township.

List of municipalities

Municipality Location Type Incorporated Created from Area Population (2010) Population (2000) % change
Andover Borough Andover nj.png- Borough March 25, 1904
by legislative act
Andover Township 1.47 square miles (3.8 km2) 606 658 -7.9%
Andover Township Andover twp nj.png Township April 11, 1864
by legislative act
Newton Township 20.68 square miles (53.6 km2) 6,319 6,033 +4.7%
Branchville Borough Branchville nj.png Borough March 9, 1898
by legislative act
Frankford Township 0.6 square miles (1.6 km2) 841 845 -0.5%
Byram Township Byram twp nj.png Township
(council–manager)
April 9, 1798
by legislative act
Newton Township 22.26 square miles (57.7 km2) 8,350 8,254 +1.2%
Frankford Township Frankford twp nj.png Township April 10, 1797
by legislative act
Newton Township 35.44 square miles (91.8 km2) 5,565 5,420 +2.7%
Franklin Borough Franklin nj.png Borough April 23, 1913
by legislative act and referendum
Hardyston Township 4.57 square miles (11.8 km2) 5,045 5,160 -2.2%
Fredon Township Fredon twp nj.png Township February 24, 1904
by legislative act
from Andover, Green, Hampton and Stillwater townships 18.00 square miles (46.6 km2) 3,437 2,860 +20.2%
Green Township Green twp nj.png Township December 27, 1824
by legislative act
Hardwick and
Independence townships
16.26 square miles (42.1 km2) 3,601 3,220 +11.8%
Hamburg Borough Hamburg nj.png Borough April 24, 1920
by legislative act and referendum
Hardyston Township 1.165 square miles (3.02 km2) 3,277 3,105 +5.5%
Hampton Township Hampton twp nj.png Township April 11, 1864
by legislative act
Newton Township 25.30 square miles (65.5 km2) 5,196 4,943 +5.1%
Hardyston Township Hardyston twp nj.png Township
(Special Charter)
February 25, 1762
by royal charter
Newton Township 32.64 square miles (84.5 km2) 8,213 6,171 +33.1%
Hopatcong Borough Hopatcong nj.png Borough March 24, 1898
by legislative act
Byram Township 12.25 square miles (31.7 km2) 15,147 15,888 -4.7%
Lafayette Township Lafayette twp nj.png Township April 14, 1845
by legislative act
Frankford and Newton townships 18.05 square miles (46.7 km2) 2,538 2,300 +10.3%
Montague Township Montague twp nj.png Township March 26, 1759
by colonial county courts
Walpack Township 45.38 square miles (117.5 km2) 3,847 3,412 +12.7%
Newton Newton nj.png Town
(council–manager)
April 11, 1864
by legislative act
Newton Township 3.17 square miles (8.2 km2) 7,997 8,244 -30%
Ogdensburg Borough Ogdensburg nj.png Borough March 31, 1914
by legislative act and referendum
Sparta Township 2.33 square miles (6.0 km2) 2,410 2,638 -8.6%
Sandyston Township Sandyston twp nj.png Township February 26, 1762
by royal charter
Walpack Township 43.26 square miles (112.0 km2) 1,998 1,825 +9.5%
Sparta Township Sparta twp nj.png Township
(council–manager)
April 14, 1845
by legislative act
Byram, Frankford, Hardyston, and Newton townships 38.97 square miles (100.9 km2) 19,722 18,080 +9.1%
Stanhope Borough Stanhope nj.png Borough March 24, 1904
by legislative act
Byram Township 2.19 square miles (5.7 km2) 3,610 3,584 +0.7%
Stillwater Township Stillwater twp nj.png Township December 27, 1824
by legislative act
Hardwick Township 28.39 square miles (73.5 km2) 4,099 4,267 -3.9%
Sussex Borough Sussex nj.png Borough October 14, 1891
by referendum
Wantage Township 0.62 square miles (1.6 km2) 2,130 2,145 -0.7%
Vernon Township Vernon twp nj.png Township
(council–manager)
April 8, 1793
by legislative act
Hardyston Township 70.59 square miles (182.8 km2) 23,943 24,686 -3.0%
Walpack Township Walpack twp nj.png Township c. 1731 unincorporated wilderness 24.70 square miles (64.0 km2) 16 41 -61.0%
Wantage Township Wantage twp nj.png Township May 30, 1754
by colonial county courts
Newton Township 67.48 square miles (174.8 km2) 11,358 10.387 +9.3%

Defunct municipalities

Municipality Location Incorporated Dissolved Area Notes
Newton Township - March 27, 1751
by colonial county courts
April 11, 1864
by division
approx. 360 square miles (930 km2) Created by the colonial courts in Morris County from New Jersey's last unorganized wilderness areas; one of original four precincts ceded to create Sussex County in 1753. From 1754 to 1864 was divided on six occasions to create 9 municipalities (direct and indirect parent of 18 of Sussex County's present-day 24 municipalities). Dissolved after its final division in 1864 into the Town of Newton, Andover Township, and Hampton Township.

See also

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