ZIP Code 08844

As of the 2010 United States Census, the township's population was 38,303, reflecting an increase of 1,669 (+4.6%) from the 36,634 counted in the 2000 Census. In Money magazine's 2013 Best Places to Live rankings, Hillsborough was ranked 16th in the nation, the third-highest among the three places in New Jersey included in the top 50 list. Hillsborough is home to Duke Gardens and Duke Farms, a 2,700 acres (11 km²) estate in the north-eastern quadrant of the town that was originally owned by tobacco and electric energy tycoon James "Buck" Duke. The Belle Mead GSA depot, or Belle Mead General Depot, was a storage site for materials during World War II, along with housing Italian and German prisoners of war. It continued storing materials until the 1980s, and various contaminants have leaked into the ground and surrounding area during that time. The township has a humid subtropical climate, consistent with most of Somerset County. The average high in July is 85 °C, while the average low in January is 18 °F (8 °C) The average cold month is January, and the average warm month is July, with an average high of 85°C (8°F) The township is located in the Raritan Valley region within the much larger New York Metropolitan Area. It is one of the few remaining "preserved" natural areas in Hillsborough Township, and is now a mixed recreation and R&D complex.

History

Hillsborough is the home of the Belle Mead GSA depot, or Belle Mead General Depot, which was a storage site for materials during World War II. In Money magazine's 2013 Best Places to Live rankings, Hillsborough was ranked 16th in the nation, the third-highest among the three places in New Jersey included in the top 50 list. The records of Hillsborough Township are complete from their inception in 1746 and there are ten volumes, each some several hundred pages, kept in the Special Collections Department of the Rutgers University Library. Hillsborough is home to Duke Gardens and Duke Farms, a 2,700 acres (11 km²) estate in the north-eastern quadrant of the town that was originally owned by tobacco and electric energy tycoon James "Buck" Duke and then passed down to daughter Doris Duke. The township was formally incorporated on February 21, 1798. In the magazine's 2007 rankings, the township was ranked as the 23rd best place to live in the country. It is one of the few remaining "preserved" natural areas in Hillsborough, New Jersey. The town is located on the New Jersey Turnpike, which runs from New Jersey to New York City. It was the site of the Battle of Princeton, where General George Washington and his troops were forced to retreat to Morristown after a defeat by the British. The British thought Washington had received reinforcements and fresh supplies and slipped off to New Brunswick leaving Washington to continue.

Geography

The township borders Branchburg Township, Bridgewater Township, Franklin Township, Manville, Millstone, Montgomery Township, Raritan and Somerville in Somerset County. Hillsborough Township, New Jersey would have an Appalachian Oak (104) vegetation type with an Eastern Hardwood Forest (25) vegetation form. The township has a humid subtropical climate (Cfa) if the -3 isotherm is used. The low in January, the coldest month on average, is 18 °F (8 °C), while the high in July, the warmest month in the township, is 85°F (29°C) The township had a total of 55.10 square miles (142.71 km²) of land and 0.49 sq miles (1.26 km² of water (0.88%) as of the 2010 U.S. Census. Unincorporated communities, localities and place names located partially or completely within the township include Amwell, Belle Mead, Blackwells Mills, Champlain, Cloverhill, Clover Mill, Flagtown, Frankfort, Hamilton, Higgins Mills, Montgomery, Neshanic, Pleasant View, Royce Field, Roycie Valley, South Branch, Woods Tavern and Zion. The Township has a population of 1,071. It is located on the New Jersey Turnpike, which connects to the New York City area via the New Haven and Newark railroads. It has an average annual rainfall of 3.7 inches (91.7 mm).

Demographics

As of the 2000 U.S. Census there were 36,634 people, 12,649 households, and 9,802 families residing in the township. The racial makeup of the township was 85.96% White, 7.31% Asian, 3.76% African American, 0.09% American Indian, 0.06% Pacific Islander, 1.28% from other races, and 1.53% from two or more races. Hispanics or Latinos of any race were 4.75% of the population. The median household income was $105,429 (with a margin of error of +/ $2,892) and the median family income was $119,750. The per capita income for the borough was $43,029 (+/ $1,701). About 0.8% of families and 1,6% of. the population were below the poverty line, including 1.1% of those under age 18 and 4.0% ofThose age 65 or over. The average household size was 2.88, and the average family size was 3.31. For every 100 females ages 18 and older there were 91.4 males. The. median income for a township was $83,290, and $93,33 for a family was $93.33. The population was spread out, with 29.1%. under the age of 18, 6.0%. from 18 to 24, 34.7% from 25 to 44, 32.2% from 45 to 64 and 9.3% who were 65 years of age or older.

Parks and recreation

Duke Farms is an estate that was established by James Buchanan Duke, an American entrepreneur who founded Duke Power and the American Tobacco Company. After a $45-million renovation, Duke Farms now include 30 endangered species and 230 varieties of birds, among which are the great blue heron and the bald eagle. Duke Farms is owned by the Duke Farms Foundation (DFF) that was set up in 1998 to manage the estate. The Foundation, in turn, is part of the Doris Duke Charitable Foundation, and the two entities share a common board and leadership team. The DFF over the years have created new indoor and outdoor display gardens that are eco-friendly, use native plants, and are wheelchair accessible. In the process of rehabilitation numerous invasive foreign plants were removed including Norwegian maple and Asian Ailanthus and replaced by native species. On May 19, 2012, Duke Farms opened to the public. After extensive reorganization and an investment of $45 million, "D Duke Farms" was opened to. the public on May19, 2012. After some controversy for when the commission made the decision to permanently close Duke Gardens, demolishing the indoor display gardens. The commission has made strides in contributing to renovating the property for the 21st century. The Duke Farms Conservatory and greenhouses known as the Orchid Range were renovated to became more energy-efficient. The Conservatory was also renovated to become more. energy- efficient. The conservatory was renovated to becoming more energy. efficient.

Government

Hillsborough Township is governed under the Township form of New Jersey municipal government. The Township Committee is comprised of five members, who are elected directly by the voters at-large in partisan elections. The mayor and deputy mayor are chosen by the Township Committee from among its members at an annual reorganization meeting, each serving a one-year term. Somerset County is governed by a five-member Board of County Commissioners, whose members are elected at- Large to three-year terms of office on a staggered basis, with one or two seats coming up for election each year. New Jersey is represented in the United States Senate by Democrats Cory Booker (Newark, term ends 2027) and Bob Menendez (Harrison, term end 2025). New Jersey's Seventh Congressional District is represented by Tom Malinowski (D, Rocky Hill). For the 117th United States Congress, New York's Twelfth Congressional District was represented by Bonnie Watson Coleman (D), Ewing Township. As of March 2011, there were a total of 24,841 registered voters in Hillsborough Township, of which 5,575 (4% vs. 5,507 countywide) were registered as Democrats. There were 25,507 registered as Republicans in the township, with 25,745 (22%) as Republicans and 13,722 (7%) as Democrats in Somerset County. The township is located in the 7th and 12th Congressional Districts and is part of New York State's 16th state legislative district.

Education

The Hillsborough Township School District serves students in pre-kindergarten through twelfth grade. As of the 2020-2021 school year, the district, comprised of nine schools, had an enrollment of 7,288 students and 596.6 classroom teachers (on an FTE basis), for a studentteacher ratio of 12.2:1. Students from Millstone attend the district's schools, originally as part of a sending/receiving relationship; the New Jersey Commissioner of Education merged Millstone's non-operating school district with the Hillsborough School District effective July 1, 2009. Schools in the district are Amsterdam Elementary School (456 students; in grades K4), Hillsborough elementary School (488), Sunnymead Elementary School  (495; K4) and Auten Road Intermediate School (1,143; 56) and Hillsborough High School (2,318; 912). The district also has a middle school and a high school, both of which are located in the town of Hillsborough, New Jersey. The district has a total of nine elementary schools and one middle school, as well as two high schools, all of which have a combined enrollment of more than 2,000 students. The school district's mascot is the "Hillsboro Hawk" The district's colors are blue, white, and gray. It has a mascot of the same name: The Hillsborough Hawk. It is also known as the "Township of the Hills".

Transportation

As of May 2010, the township had a total of 211.92 miles (341.05 km) of roadways, of which 185.42 miles (298.40 km) were maintained by the municipality. U.S. Route 206 is the main road that passes through the township. The Norfolk Southern Railway's Lehigh Line (formerly the mainline of the Lehigh Valley Railroad) runs through Hillsborough. Part of the proposed routing of Interstate 95 through central New Jersey included Hillsborough; this project was ultimately canceled in the 1980s. Coach USA offers weekday express service across 42nd Street to the United Nations in Midtown Manhattan from Hillsborough operated by Suburban Transit.NJ Transit has proposed a new West Trenton Line that would stretch for 27 miles (43 km) from the Westrenton station in Ewing Township to a connection with the Raritan Valley Line at Bridgewater Township. The plan was canceled due to lack of funding and NJ Transit has no plans to restore the project. The township is served by SCOOT buses, providing service to Manville, Bridgewater Township and Somerville, with service continuing to Bedminster during rush hour. There are four morning buses Monday through Friday with a reduced schedule on some Holidays. I-287 is outside the municipality in bordering Bridgewater and Franklin Townships. CR 514 runs for 10.24 miles (16.48 km) through the Township, and CR 533 runs for 6.71 miles (10.80 km) into Somerset County.