The county was primarily settled due to its optimal location along theRaritan River.[18] Middlesex was originally formed as one of four administrative districts withinProvince of East Jersey in 1675, together withBergen,Essex andMonmouth districts. Middlesex County was formed within East Jersey on March 7, 1683.[19] The population increased so the county was partitioned on October 31, 1693, into the townships ofPiscataway,Perth Amboy, and Woodbridge. AdjacentSomerset County was established on May 14, 1688, created from portions of Middlesex County.[19]
The county's first court met in June 1683 in Piscataway, and held session at alternating sites over the next century in Perth Amboy, Piscataway, and Woodbridge before relocating permanently to New Brunswick in 1778.[20] Despite its status as a residential, commercial, and industrial stronghold and a centrally accessible transportation hub, Middlesex is also home to an extensive publicpark system with expansivegreenways, totaling more than 6,300 acres (2,500 ha).[21] Middlesex County is most demographically notable as the U.S. county with the highest concentration ofAsian Indians, at nearly 20% in 2020, spanning the county's boundaries betweenLittle India, Edison/Iselin in the north andMonroe Township at its southern tip.
Middlesex has a hot-summerhumid continental climate (Dfa) which borders ahumid subtropical climate (Cfa) onRaritan Bay andArthur Kill. Average monthly temperatures in downtown New Brunswick range from 31.9 °F (−0.1 °C) in January to 75.6 °F (24.2 °C) in July, while in South Amboy they range from 32.3 °F (0.2 °C) in January to 75.9 °F (24.4 °C) in July.[22] In recent years, average temperatures in the county seat of New Brunswick have ranged from a low of 22 °F (−6 °C) in January to a high of 86 °F (30 °C) in July, although a record low of −13 °F (−25 °C) was recorded in January 1984 and a record high of 103 °F (39 °C) was recorded in July 1999. Average monthly precipitation ranged from 2.98 inches (76 mm) in February to 5.08 inches (129 mm) in July.[23]
According to theU.S. Census Bureau, as of the 2020 Census, the county had a total area of 322.87 square miles (836.2 km2), of which 309.22 square miles (800.9 km2) was land (95.8%) and 13.65 square miles (35.4 km2) was water (4.2%).[3] The county is named after the historic English county ofMiddlesex.[24]
Another area with higher elevation in the county is the Perth Amboy Moraine, left by the southern limit of the Laurentide Ice Sheet. Only the far northeastern area of the county was glaciated, and the Perth Amboy Moraine stretches from Perth Amboy, through Woodbridge, Edison and Metutchen, and stradles the border of Edison and South Plainfield before exiting the county. The area includes peaks of over 200 feet.[citation needed]
Middlesex County is prominently known for its significant concentration ofIndians. The growingLittle India is a Desi-focused commercial strip in Middlesex County, the U.S. county with the highest concentration of Indians.[28][29][30] TheOak Tree Road strip runs for about one-and-a-half miles throughEdison and neighboringIselin inWoodbridge Township, near the area's sprawlingChinatown andKoreatown, running alongNew Jersey Route 27.[31] It is the largest and most diverseDesi cultural hub in the United States.[32][33]Monroe Township in Middlesex County has experienced a particularly rapid growth rate in itsIndian American population, with an estimated 5,943 (13.6%) as of 2017,[34] which was 23 times the 256 (0.9%) counted as of the 2000 Census; andDiwali is celebrated by the township as aHindu holiday.Carteret'sPunjabiSikh community, variously estimated at upwards of 3,000, is the largest concentration of Sikhs in New Jersey.[35] In Middlesex County, electionballots are printed in English,Spanish,Gujarati,Hindi, andPunjabi.[36]
Along with other counties in New Jersey, Middlesex is also home to a largeJewish community, especiallyOrthodox. The world's largest Jewish gathering outside of Israel occurred inEdison on December 1, 2024.[37]
Middlesex 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.
As of theCensus of 2020, the county had 863,162 people, 285,906 households, and 209,808 families. Thepopulation density was 2,794 inhabitants per square mile (1,078.8/km2). There were 315,521 housing units at an average density of 1,021.4 per square mile (394.4/km2). The county's racial makeup was 41.9%White, 9.8%African American, 0.53%Native American, 26.5%Asian, and 9.06% from two or more races.Hispanic orLatino of any race were 22.4% of the population.
There were 285,906 households, of which 34.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 56.9% weremarried couples living together, 24.2% had a female householder with no husband present, 14.2% had a male householder with no wife present and 26.6% were non-families. 14.8% of all households were made up of individuals, and 10.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.80 and the average family size was 3.32.
About 21.6% of the county's population was under age 18, 9.3% was from age 18 to 24, 40.1% was from age 15 to 44, and 15.5% was age 65 or older. The median age was 39.3 years. The gender makeup of the county was 49.4% male and 50.5% female. For every 100 females, there were 97.8 males.
The county's median household income was $93,418, and the median family income was $107,149. About 8.8% of the population were below thepoverty line, including 11.1% of those under age 18 and 8.8% of those age 65 or over.[47]
Aerial view ofMonroe Township housing tracts at the previouslyexurban southern tip of Middlesex County in 2010. Since then, significant new housing construction is rendering this area of the county with an increasinglysuburban environment.
The2010 United States census counted 809,858 people, 281,186 households, and 203,016 families in the county. Thepopulation density was 2,621.6 per square mile (1,012.2/km2). There were 294,800 housing units at an average density of 954.3 per square mile (368.5/km2). The racial makeup was 58.60% (474,589)White, 9.69% (78,462)Black or African American, 0.34% (2,777)Native American, 21.40% (173,293)Asian, 0.03% (251)Pacific Islander, 6.99% (56,569) fromother races, and 2.95% (23,917) from two or more races.Hispanic or Latino of any race were 18.40% (148,975) of the population.[8]
Of the 281,186 households, 34.4% had children under the age of 18; 55.9% were married couples living together; 11.8% had a female householder with no husband present and 27.8% were non-families. Of all households, 22.5% were made up of individuals and 8.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.8 and the average family size was 3.29.[8]
22.9% of the population were under the age of 18, 10.2% from 18 to 24, 28.3% from 25 to 44, 26.3% from 45 to 64, and 12.3% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 37.2 years. For every 100 females, the population had 96.4 males. For every 100 females ages 18 and older there were 94 males.[8]
New Brunswick, nicknamed theHub City of the state of New Jersey, is also Middlesex County's seat of government. The city is experiencing newhigh-rise construction andgentrification amidst an academic and cultural renaissance.
Clay was once frequently mined in Middlesex County,[51] with mining across theRaritan Formation continuing until the late twentieth century.[52] Clay mining activity north of the Raritan River was particularly active near Woodbridge.[51]
Middlesex County is governed by aBoard of Commissioners, which is comprised of seven members who are electedat-large on a partisan basis to serve three-year terms of office on a staggered basis, with either two or three seats coming up for election each year as part of the November general election. At an annual reorganization meeting held in January, the board selects from among its members a Commissioner Director and deputy director. The Commissioner Director appoints commissioners to serve as chairpersons and members on the various committees which oversee county departments.[53] Middlesex County also elects three "constitutional officers" whose existence is laid out in theNew Jersey Constitution. The County Clerk and Surrogate serve five-year terms and the Sheriff serves a three-year term of office.[54][55][56] In 2016, freeholders were paid $23,438 and the freeholder director was paid an annual salary of $24,428, though Ronald Rios has accepted a salary of $8,340 as director.[57]
As of 2025[update], Middlesex County's Commissioners (with terms for director and deputy ending every December 31) are:[53][58][59]
Article VII Section II of theNew Jersey State Constitution requires each county in New Jersey 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).[67] Middlesex county's constitutional officers are:[58][68]
Claribel Cortes (D, North Brunswick, 2026)[73][74]
Republicans have not won countywide in Middlesex County since 1991. The Middlesex County Prosecutor has been Yolanda Ciccone since June 2020.[75] Middlesex County constitutes Vicinage 8 of theNew Jersey Superior Court; the vicinage is seated at the Middlesex County Courthouse, at 56 Paterson Street in New Brunswick.[76] The Middlesex Vicinage also has facilities for the Family Part at the Middlesex County Family Courthouse at 120 New Street, also in New Brunswick; there are also other facilities in New Brunswick and Perth Amboy for Probation.[76] The Assignment Judge for Vicinage 8 is Alberto Rivas.[76]
Thomas N. Acken served as the sheriff in 1891. Joseph Spicuzzo served in 2014 and was arrested for bribery.[84] Mildred S. Scott is the current county sheriff, she was sworn in on January 1, 2011, as the first female sheriff of Middlesex County and the first African-American sheriff in the state of New Jersey.[85]
After being a Republican stronghold in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, Middlesex County leaned Democratic for much of the 20th century, beginning withFranklin Roosevelt's victory in the county in1932. Throughout the twentieth century, in close elections, the county would always vote Democratic, sometimes by solid margins, but the county was willing to flip Republican in the midst of nationwide Republican landslides in the 1970s and 1980s. Since 1992, the county has always voted Democratic, however, the 2024 election saw the Democratic margin held to the single digits for the first time since 1992. As of August 1, 2020, there were a total of 545,795 registered voters in Middlesex County, of which 229,982 (42.1%) were registered asDemocrats, 84,258 (15.4%) were registered asRepublicans and 224,058 (41.1%) were registered asUnaffiliated. There were 7,497 (1.4%) voters registered to other parties.[87]
United States Senate election results for Middlesex County, New Jersey1[88]
The New Jersey Department of Transportation has upgraded the Route 18 "avenue" to a freeway between the Route 1 interchange all the way up to the new 18 Extension inPiscataway.[102]
The Turnpike Authority planned to buildRoute 92, which was to start near the intersection of Ridge Road & Route 1 inSouth Brunswick to Interchange 8A in Monroe Township. This plan was cancelled on December 1, 2006.
The southern end of the "dual-dual" configuration (inner car lanes and outer truck lanes) used to be one mile south of Interchange 8A at the border ofCranbury and Monroe Township. It was relocated to Exit 6 inMansfield Township inBurlington County after the Turnpike widening project was completed in early November 2014.[103]
Interactive map of municipalities in Middlesex County.
The 25 municipalities in Middlesex County (with 2010 Census data for population, housing units and area in square miles) are:[120] Other,unincorporated communities in the county are listed next to their parent municipality. Many of these areas arecensus-designated places that have been defined by theUnited States Census Bureau for enumeration purposes within aTownship and for which 2010 population data is included in parentheses.
Index map of County municipalities (see map key index in table below)
^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."
^Sweilem, Amira."N.J.’s population center still tilts north. This town considers it a badge of honor.", NJ Advance Media forNJ.com, November 27, 2022. Accessed January 20, 2024. "Answer time: East Brunswick has held the statistical center of population title since the 2010 Census.... The U.S. Census runs the calculation every 10 years and it has wobbled around Middlesex County since 1880, straying just once since that time into Somerset County (Warren Township) in 1890. East Brunswick just barely held onto the population center in the 2020 Census calculations.... The new spot is on Hawk Court just off Milltown Road between the NJ Turnpike and Ryders Lane."
^History of the Grand JuryArchived October 4, 2013, at theWayback Machine, Middlesex County, New Jersey. Accessed October 1, 2013. "By June 19, 1683, the first County Court was held at Piscataway. It sat alternately in Piscataway and Woodbridge until 1688 when Perth Amboy was added as one of the three alternate sites. In 1778, New Brunswick became the most prime town in the county and at that time the Middlesex County Courts were transferred there."
^"Raritan Formation". Rutgers University Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences. RetrievedFebruary 10, 2025.
^abBoard of County Commissioners, Middlesex County, New Jersey. Accessed June 19, 2022. "County Commissioner is a term used by all 21 of New Jersey's counties to describe county legislators. The residents of Middlesex County's 25 municipalities elect seven persons at-large to staggered three-year terms in the November general election to serve as members of the Board of County Commissioners. Every January, the Board selects one County Commissioner to serve as Director and another to serve as Deputy Director and all County Commissioners serve as chairpersons and members of various committees to oversee County departments."
^Biography, Congressman Frank Pallone Jr. Accessed January 3, 2019. "Frank Pallone, Jr., was born in Long Branch, New Jersey, where he grew up and still resides."
^Biography, Congresswoman Bonnie Watson Coleman. Accessed January 3, 2019. "Watson Coleman and her husband William reside in Ewing Township and are blessed to have three sons; William, Troy, and Jared and three grandchildren; William, Kamryn and Ashanee."
^Strunsky, Steve."The duties, pay and – for most – pensions of N.J.'s 21 sheriffs", NJ Advance Media forNJ.com, January 29, 2018, updated May 15, 2019. Accessed February 9, 2022. "Middlesex County Sheriff Mildred Scott, a Democrat, was elected in 2010, making her the first African-American woman to be elected sheriff in New Jersey, and the first woman sheriff in Middlesex."
^About JFK Medical CenterArchived September 6, 2015, at theWayback Machine, JFK Medical Center. Accessed September 17, 2015. "Founded in 1967, JFK Medical Center is a non-profit, 498-bed community hospital, serving residents of Middlesex, Union and Somerset counties in Central New Jersey."
^abFact SheetArchived September 5, 2015, at theWayback Machine Raritan Bay Medical Center. Accessed September 17, 2015. "Licensed for 501 beds with a medical staff of more than 600, RBMC provides medical-surgical, maternity, pediatric, diagnostic imaging, laboratory and general and critical care, as well as adult behavioral health, emergency and interventional cardiac and same day surgery services... 388 licensed beds at Perth Amboy location; 113 licensed beds at Old Bridge location"
^Home PageArchived January 10, 2011, at theWayback Machine, St. Peter's University Hospital. Accessed September 17, 2015. "From our simple beginnings in 1907, Saint Peter's has grown to become a technologically advanced, 478-bed teaching hospital that provides a broad array of services to the community. Saint Peter's University Hospital, a member of the Saint Peter's Healthcare System, is a non-profit, acute care facility sponsored by the Roman Catholic Diocese of Metuchen, NJ."
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