In 2015, the county had aper capita personal income of $80,759, the third-highest in New Jersey and ranked 33rd of 3,113 counties in the United States.[11][12] TheBureau of Economic Analysis ranked the county as having the 19th-highestper capita income of all 3,113 counties in the United States (and the highest in New Jersey) as of 2009.[13] In 2011, Hunterdon County had the second-lowest level ofchild poverty of any county in the United States.[14]
Hunterdon County was established on March 11, 1714, separating fromBurlington County, at which time, aside from itself, it included all of present-dayMorris,Sussex, andWarren counties.[16] The rolling hills and rich soils which produce bountiful agricultural crops drew Native American tribes and then Europeans to the area.
Hunterdon County was named forRobert Hunter, a colonial governor of New Jersey.[17] As language changes over time and location, so by thestemming of [s], and a [t] → [d]lenition of the name of his family seat of "Hunterston" inAyrshire, Scotland, the name "Hunterdon" was derived.[18][19]
Paleo Indians moved into Hunterdon County between 12,000 BCE and 11,000 BCE. The area was warming due to climate change. The Wisconsin Glacier in Warren and Sussex County was retreating northward. The area was that of Taiga/Boreal forests. Paleo Indians traveled in small groups in search of game and edible plants. They used spears made of bone, jasper or black chert. Their camp sites are difficult to find as they are many feet below the present surface.[citation needed]
Native Americans moved into the area but the time they arrived is unknown. Most have come from the Mississippi River area. Many tribes of the Delaware Nation lived in Hunterdon County especially along the Delaware River and in the Flemington area. These tribes were agricultural in nature, growing corn, beans and squash. Those that lived along the South Branch of the Raritan River fished and farmed. There was a Native American trail that went along the South Branch of the Raritan River (Philhower 1924).
Land purchases from Native Americans occurred from 1688 to 1758.[citation needed] Large land purchases from Native Americans occurred in 1703, 1709 and 1710.[citation needed] Over 150,000 acres (610 km2) were bought with metal knives and pots, clothing, blankets, barrels of rum or hard cider, guns, powder and shot allowing for European settlers to enter into Hunterdon County in the early 18th century.[citation needed] After 1760, nearly all Native Americans left New Jersey and relocated to eastern Canada or the Mississippi River area.[citation needed]
The first European settlers were Col. John Reading who settled in Reading Township in 1704 they called him Sir Reading of Readington and John Holcombe who settled in Lambertville in 1705.[18]
Hunterdon County was separated from Burlington County on March 11, 1714. At that time Hunterdon County was large, going fromAssunpink Creek nearTrenton to the New York State line which at that time was about 10 miles (16 km) north ofPort Jervis, New York.[16]
On March 15, 1739,Morris County (which at the time included what would later become Sussex County and Warren County) was separated from Hunterdon County.[16] The boundary between Hunterdon andSomerset counties is evidence of the oldKeith Line which separated the provinces ofWest Jersey andEast Jersey. Hunterdon County was reduced in area on February 22, 1838, with the formation ofMercer County from portions ofBurlington County, Hunterdon County andMiddlesex County. In February 1839, the remaining portion ofHopewell Township was annexed to Mercer County. On March 13, 1844, Hopewell Township returned to Hunterdon County while Tewksbury Township was annexed by Somerset County but in February 1845 both of these changes were repealed. Since then, the county boundaries have remained the same.[16]
Hunterdon County was being affected by industrialization in the state and nation, mining speculation in northwest New Jersey, and competitors constructingrailroads. TheElizabethtown and Somerville Railroad leased a section toWhite House just south of Tewksbury Township in 1848.[citation needed]
In 1935, Hunterdon County and its county seat,Flemington, became the center of worldwide attention as the site of the infamousLindbergh kidnapping trial, in whichBruno Hauptmann was convicted and sentenced to death of the kidnapping and murder of aviatorCharles Lindbergh's son, Charles Lindbergh Jr. The trial, which lasted five weeks, received sensational media coverage, saw thousands of spectators in attendance, including over 700 reporters and hundreds of communications technicians. This led to many observers calling it the "Trial of the Century" for its era.[20]
In the 1950s, The first sections of Interstate 78 opened up in the western portions of the county. By 1968, the interstate would be completed through the county, enabling commuters easy access to the metropolitan regions of Northern and Central Jersey via Interstate 287. With real estate values soaring along the 78 corridor, multiple companies began relocating into Hunterdon in search of a more tranquil corporate atmosphere, includingMerck & Co,ExxonMobil,New York Life,Chubb, and others. With growing towns and shopping areas, as well as relaxing rural areas, Hunterdon County is a far stretch from the urban areas stereotypically associated with New Jersey. Due to the presence of natural habitats with many homes in wooded settings, Hunterdon County was recently found to have the third highest case rate of Lyme disease out of all counties in the United States.[21]
According to theU.S. Census Bureau, as of the 2020 Census, the county had a total area of 437.4 square miles (1,133 km2), of which 427.84 square miles (1,108.1 km2) was land (97.8%) and 9.56 square miles (24.8 km2) was water (2.2%).[2]
Much of the county is hilly, with several hills rising to 1,000 feet (300 m) in elevation. The highest points are two areas inLebanon Township, one on theMorris County line, both reaching approximately 1,060 feet (320 m) above sea level.[22] The first is at Smith on theMorris County line and the second is north of the area called Little Brook. This area is known as the Highlands of New Jersey. The lowest elevation is where theMercer County line reaches theDelaware River, approximately 50 feet (15 m) above sea level. The county is drained by the Musconetcong River in the north. The river flows in a southwest direction. The Lamington River drains the county in the east. The central portion of the county is drained by the South Branch of the Raritan River. TheDelaware River drains the western side of the county.
Around 500 million years ago, a chain of volcanic islands shaped like an arch collided with proto North America and rode over the top of the North American plate. The rock from the islands created the highlands of Hunterdon County as there was a shallow sea where Hunterdon County is now located. Then around four hundred million years ago, a small continent that was long and thin, collided with proto North America. This collision created compression, which caused heat. The Paleozoic sediment of shale and sandstone folded and faulted. The heat allowed the igneous rock to bend, thus Hunterdon County was born.
The African plate which later collided with North America created more folding and faulting, especially in the southern Appalachians. Then the African and North America plates tore and drifted away from each other.
The Wisconsin glacier that entered into New Jersey around 21,000BCE and then melted around 13,000 BCE did not reach Hunterdon County. However, there are glacial outwash deposits from streams and rivers that flowed from the glacier southward depositing rock and sediment.
Hunterdon County has two geophysical provinces. The first is the Highlands which is the western section of the county. The other is the Piedmont which is the eastern and southern section of the county. The Highlands account for one-third of the area and Piedmont accounts for two-thirds of the county. The Highlands are part of the Reading Prong. Limestone and shale over igneous rock comprise the Highlands. Piedmont includes the Hunterdon Plateau and the Raritan Valley Lowlands which are 150 to 300 feet (46 to 91 m) above sea level. Piedmont is made up of shale and sandstone.[23]
Hunterdon has ahumid continental climate which is hot-summer (Dfa) except in some higher northern areas where it is warm-summer (Dfb). Thehardiness zone is mainly 6b except for some 6a in higher northern areas and 7a along the Delaware River in West Amwell Township. Average monthly temperatures in Clinton range from 29.0 °F in January to 74.0 °F in July, while in Flemington they range from 30.0 °F in January to 74.8 °F in July and in Lambertville they range from 31.1 °F in January to 75.7 °F in July.[1]
In recent years, average temperatures in the county seat of Flemington have ranged from a low of 19 °F (−7 °C) in January to a high of 85 °F (29 °C) in July, although a record low of −18 °F (−28 °C) was recorded in January 1984 and a record high of 106 °F (41 °C) was recorded in July 1936. Average monthly precipitation ranged from 3.16 inches (80 mm) in February to 5.16 inches (131 mm) in July.[24]
Hunterdon County, New Jersey – Racial and ethnic composition Note: the US Census treats Hispanic/Latino as an ethnic category. This table excludes Latinos from the racial categories and assigns them to a separate category. Hispanics/Latinos may be of any race.
Of the 47,169 households, 33.4% had children under the age of 18; 62.8% were married couples living together; 7% had a female householder with no husband present and 27.2% were non-families. Of all households, 22% 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 2.62 and the average family size was 3.1.[7]
23.5% of the population were under the age of 18, 6.9% from 18 to 24, 22.2% from 25 to 44, 34.6% from 45 to 64, and 12.7% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 43.5 years. For every 100 females, the population had 99.8 males. For every 100 females ages 18 and older there were 98.1 males.[7]
Hunterdon County is governed by aBoard of County Commissioners composed of five members who serve three-year terms of officeat-large on a staggered basis, with either one or two seats up for election each year on a partisan basis as part of the November general election. At an annual reorganization meeting held each January, the Commissioners select one member to serve as the board's director and another to serve as deputy director. The Commissioner Board is the center of legislative and administrative responsibility and, as such, performs a dual role. As legislators, they draw up and adopt a budget, and in the role of administrators they are responsible for spending the funds they have appropriated.[42][43] As of 2025[update], Hunterdon County's Commissioners are (with terms for director and deputy director ending every December 31):
Pursuant to Article VII Section II of theNew Jersey State Constitution, each county in New Jersey is required to have three elected administrative officials known as "constitutional officers." These officers are theCounty Clerk andCounty Surrogate (both elected for five-year terms of office) and theCounty Sheriff (elected for a three-year term).[50] Constitutional officers elected on a countywide basis are:
The Hunterdon County Prosecutor is Renée M. Robeson, who was nominated by Governor of New JerseyPhil Murphy in 2021.[57][58] Hunterdon County is a part of Vicinage 13 of theNew Jersey Superior Court (along withSomerset County andWarren County), which is seated at the Somerset County Courthouse inSomerville, the county seat of Somerset County; the Assignment Judge for Vicinage 15 is Yolanda Ciccone. The Hunterdon County Courthouse is in Flemington.[59]
In June 2022, the commissioners appointed Jeff Kuhl to fill the seat expiring in December 2024 that had been held by Mike Holt until he resigned from office. Kuhl will serve on an interim basis until the November 2022 general election, when voters will choose a candidate to serve the balance of the term of office. Democrats have not won a countywide office in Hunterdon County since 1982.[60]
The Hunterdon County Sheriff's Office includes about 43 sworn officers.[65] The current sheriff is Frederick Brown, who was reelected to a second three-year term in 2013.[66] He was preceded by Republican Deborah Trout who served one term starting in November 2007.[67]
On December 22, 2008, state investigators seized computers and other records related to Sheriff Deborah Trout's hiring of undersheriffs and other personnel without the usual background checks and qualifications.[67]In 2010, a grand jury indicted then-sheriff Deborah Trout and two under-sheriffs on 43 counts of official misconduct and other charges. The indictment was later suppressed when new state officials were appointed by incoming GovernorChris Christie. The propriety of the investigation, the indictment and its aftermath are the subject of a number of legal actions.[68][69][70]
Hunterdon County is considered a Republican stronghold and has traditionally elected some of the most conservative members of the New Jersey legislature. All fiveCounty Commissioners are Republicans, as are all countywide elected officers and the majority of township committee and borough council members. The county has only gone Democratic in a presidential election twice since1920, in the national Democratic landslides of1936 and1964.
However, in2016, the margin of victory for Republican presidential candidates decreased from 17.8 percent in2012 to 13.7 percent, despite the Democrats' national popular vote margin shrinking from 3.9 points to 2.1 points. In2020,Joe Biden came closer than any Democratic nominee to carrying the county sinceLyndon B. Johnson’s win in 1964, losing by 4.4 percent toDonald Trump. In2024, despite winning New Jersey by only 6%, Democratic nomineeKamala Harris became the second Democratic nominee to win over 45% of the vote in the county since 1964. The county had the smallest swing to the right of any county in New Jersey from 2020 to 2024, swinging right by 2%, compared to the state swinging right by 10%.
As of October 1, 2021, there were a total of 107,101 registered voters in Hunterdon County, of whom 29,256 (27.3%) were registered asDemocrats, 41,836 (39.1%) were registered asRepublicans and 35,077 (32.8%) were registered asunaffiliated. There were 932 voters (0.9%) registered to other parties.[72]
United States Senate election results for Hunterdon County, New Jersey1[73]
A map of Hunterdon County high school sending districts; click for a key
Delaware Valley Regional High School, in Alexandria Township, serves the townships of Alexandria, Holland and Kingwood and the boroughs of Frenchtown and Milford.[83]
Hunterdon Central Regional High School, located in Raritan Township, serves students from Delaware Township, East Amwell Township, Flemington Borough, Raritan Township and Readington Township.[84]
North Hunterdon High School, located in Clinton Township, hosts the students of Bethlehem Township, Clinton Town, Clinton Township, Franklin Township, Lebanon Borough and Union Township.[85]
Phillipsburg High School, located inPhillipsburg in neighboring Warren County, educates the students of Bloomsbury, though a proposal is currently on the table to send the borough's students to Delaware Valley Regional High school instead.[86]
Voorhees High School, in Lebanon Township, serves the students of Califon Borough, Glen Gardner Borough, Hampton Borough, High Bridge Borough, Lebanon Township, Tewksbury Township.[88]
Raritan Valley Community College is the two-year community college for both Hunterdon and Somerset County, one of a network of 19 county colleges statewide. Founded in 1965, the school's main campus is located inNorth Branch, in Somerset County.[89]
Rutgers University has a partnership with Raritan Valley Community College which offers bachelor's degree completion programs at the North Branch campus.[90]
Hunterdon County is considered the premier place to huntwhite tailed deer in New Jersey. More deer are harvested each year than any other county according to New Jersey Fish and Game records.[91] The premier fishing streams are the Musconetcong in the north and the Lamington River. The NJ Fish and Game stocks thousands of rainbow, brown, and brook trout in these streams as well as other streams such as the South Branch of the Raritan River.
Round Valley Reservoir andSpruce Run Reservoir are manmade reservoirs that provide boating and fishing opportunities for patrons. Covering 2,000 acres (810 ha) and the state's largest reservoir with 55,000,000,000 US gallons (2.1×1011 L; 4.6×1010 imp gal) of water, Round Valley is one of New Jersey's trophy trout lakes, and holds the state records for smallmouth bass, brown trout, lake trout, and American eel.[92] Spruce Run, the state's third-largest reservoir, held the state record for Northern Pike for nearly 30 years, and offers a large variety of species for anglers to pursue.[93] New Jersey Fish and Game has nine Wildlife Management Areas for hunting ducks, deer, pheasants, quail, rabbits, squirrels and bears.[94]
The Hunterdon County Department of Parks and Recreation manages these parks.
^Governor Murphy Settles Central Jersey Debate,Governor of New JerseyPhil Murphy, press release dated August 4, 2023. "Governor Phil Murphy today signed S3206 to promote Central Jersey tourism.... The 'Central Jersey' region will be comprised of, at minimum, the counties of Hunterdon, Mercer, Middlesex, and Somerset."
^Willis, David P."'This is how wars start': Does Central Jersey include both Ocean and Union counties?",Asbury Park Press, February 20, 2023. Accessed March 31, 2024. "North Jersey is defined as Sussex, Warren, Morris, Passaic, Bergen, Essex and Hudson counties; South Jersey would be Burlington, Camden, Gloucester, Atlantic, Salem, Cumberland and Cape May counties. But for Central, things get a little tricky. It would include Hunterdon, Somerset, Union, Middlesex, Mercer, Monmouth, and Ocean counties."
^Shupe, Lillian."What's with this? Walpack Township once part of HunterdonArchived April 23, 2012, at theWayback Machine,Hunterdon County Democrat, April 19, 2012. Accessed May 30, 2012. "At one time Hunterdon County, the second county to be established in New Jersey, extended as far south as Trenton and as far north as the New York State line which at that time was about 10 miles north of Port Jervis, N.Y. Hunterdon County was named for Robert Hunter, a colonial governor of New Jersey. His former home in England was called Hunterston but over time the name was changed to Hunterdon."
^Hunterdon County Freight ProfileArchived October 24, 2017, at theWayback Machine, North Jersey Transportation Planning Authority. Accessed October 24, 2017. "On the rail network, the Norfolk Southern Lehigh Line, which runs across the County, is one of the most heavily - traveled freight rail lines in the State."
^Board of County Commissioners, Hunterdon County, New Jersey. Accessed March 1, 2023. "As top governing officials of Hunterdon County, the five Commissioners are chosen by popular vote in the November general elections. The term of office is for two or three years and the current compensation is $16,000 a year, with an extra $1,000 for the Director. One or two of the five members is elected each year."
^Deak, Mike."Hunterdon County taps familiar face for commissioner vacancy",Courier News, June 11, 2022. Accessed July 8, 2022. "Jeff Kuhl, a former Raritan Township mayor, has taken the vacancy on the Hunterdon County Board of Commissioners created by the resignation of longtime Commissioner Matt Holt."
^Delaware Valley Regional High School District 2016 Report Card NarrativeArchived April 7, 2017, at theWayback Machine,New Jersey Department of Education. Accessed October 27, 2017. "The Delaware Valley Regional High School District can be found in the heart of pastoral and beautiful Hunterdon County, New Jersey. The District serves students in grades nine through twelve who reside in the five municipalities that comprise our region: Alexandria Township, Frenchtown Borough, Holland Township, Kingwood Township, and Milford Borough."
^Hunterdon Central Regional High School District 2016 Report Card NarrativeArchived September 26, 2017, at theWayback Machine,New Jersey Department of Education. Accessed March 24, 2018. "Located in beautiful, historic Hunterdon County in central New Jersey, Hunterdon Central Regional High School serves the five municipalities of Delaware Township, East Amwell Township, Flemington Borough, Raritan Township and Readington Township. The District is comprised of 152.5 square miles and has a population of approximately 51,468 residents."
^Petty, Todd."Bloomsbury school board will consider ending relationship with Phillipsburg High School tomorrow night"Archived October 11, 2012, at theWayback Machine,The Warren Reporter, October 8, 2012. Accessed October 27, 2017. "The Board of Education will vote to decide whether it wants to continue sending students to Phillipsburg High School at a meeting tomorrow night. The agenda for tomorrow night's meeting includes a resolution 'approving the filing of petition to sever send/receive relationship between the Bloomsbury Board of Education and the Phillipsburg Board of Education.'"
^Voorhees High School 2016 Report Card NarrativeArchived October 27, 2017, at theWayback Machine,New Jersey Department of Education. Accessed October 27, 2017. "Voorhees High School has consistently ranked among the top high schools in New Jersey and was named a National Blue Ribbon School in 2015. With an enrollment of 1,087 students in grades 9-12, the school serves the communities of Califon, Glen Gardner, Hampton, High Bridge, Lebanon Township, and Tewksbury Township."
^Round Valley Recreation AreaArchived May 27, 2010, at theWayback Machine,New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection Division of Parks and Forestry. Accessed October 24, 2017. "The Round Valley Reservoir swimming area was created by the construction of an earth dam across a narrow waterway on the west side of the reservoir, separating it from the main part of the reservoir. The reservoir covers over 2,000 acres and is approximately 180 feet deep, the deepest lake in New Jersey. It has a water capacity of 55 billion gallons."
^Spruce Run Recreation AreaArchived June 12, 2010, at theWayback Machine,New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection Division of Parks and Forestry. Accessed October 24, 2017. "The reservoir was one of the first water supply facilities to be constructed and operated by the state and covers 1,290 acres with 15 miles of shoreline for recreation. Spruce Run is the third largest reservoir in the state after Round Valley and Wanaque reservoirs."
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