Edison is atownship located inMiddlesex County, in theU.S. state ofNew Jersey. Situated inCentral New Jersey within the core of the state'sRaritan Valley region, Edison is a commercial hub (home toMenlo Park Mall andLittle India) and is abedroom community ofNew York City within theNew York metropolitan area.^[18]

Edison, New Jersey
Township
Edison Tower Edison station JFK Medical Center Little India Menlo Park Mall Roosevelt Hospital Homestead Farm at Oak Ridge Benjamin Shotwell House St. Thomas Aquinas High School
Flag Seal
Nickname:  "Birthplace of the Modern World"
Motto(s):  "Let There Be Light" "Birthplace of Recorded Sound"[1]
Location of Edison inMiddlesex County highlighted in red (left). Inset map: Location of Middlesex County inNew Jersey highlighted in orange (right).
Census Bureau map of Edison, New Jersey Interactive map of Edison, New Jersey
Edison Township Location inMiddlesex County Show map of Middlesex County, New Jersey Edison Township Location inNew Jersey Show map of New Jersey Edison Township Location in the United States Show map of the United States
Coordinates:40°31′39″N74°23′36″W / 40.5274°N 74.3933°W /40.5274; -74.3933
Country	United States
State	New Jersey
County	Middlesex
Settled	1651
Incorporated	March 17, 1870 (as Raritan Township)
Renamed	November 10, 1954 (as Edison Township)
Named after	Thomas Edison
Government [5]
• Type	Faulkner ActMayor-Council
• Body	Township Council
• Mayor	Samip Joshi (D, term ends December 31, 2025)[2]
• Administrator	Sonia Alves-Viveiros[3]
• Municipal clerk	Cheryl Russomanno[4]
Area [6]
• Total	30.69 sq mi (79.49 km2)
• Land	30.06 sq mi (77.86 km2)
• Water	0.63 sq mi (1.63 km2)  2.05%
• Rank	88th of 565 in state 4th of 25 in county[6]
Elevation [7]	39 ft (12 m)
Population  (2020)[8][9]
• Total	107,588
• Estimate  (2023)[8][10]	106,836
• Rank	6th of 565 in state 1st of 25 in county[11]
• Density	3,578.2/sq mi (1,381.6/km2)
• Rank	187th of 565 in state 14th of 25 in county[11]
Time zone	UTC−05:00 (Eastern (EST))
• Summer (DST)	UTC−04:00 (Eastern (EDT))
ZIP Codes	08817, 08818, 08820, 08837, 08899[12][13]
Area code(s)	732 and908[14]
FIPS code	3402320230[6][15][16]
GNIS feature ID	0882166[6][17]
Website	www.edisonnj.org

As of the2020 United States census, the township wasthe state's sixth-most-populous municipality,^[19] with a population of 107,588,^[8][9] an increase of 7,621 (+7.6%) from the2010 census count of 99,967,^[20][21] which in turn reflected an increase of 2,280 (+2.3%) from the 97,687 counted in the2000 census.^[22]

What is now Edison Township was originally incorporated asRaritan Township by an act of theNew Jersey Legislature on March 17, 1870, from portions of bothPiscataway andWoodbridge Township. The township got its original name from theRaritan indigenous people. Portions of the township were taken to formMetuchen on March 20, 1900, andHighland Park on March 15, 1905. The name was officially changed to Edison Township on November 10, 1954, in honor of inventorThomas Edison, who hadhis main laboratory in theMenlo Park section of the township.^[23]

The earliest residents of the area were theRaritan people of theLenapeNative Americans, who lived in the area and travelled through it to the shore. In 1646, Chief Matouchin led a group of 1,200 warriors.^[27]

Edison Township, which was formed from sections of Piscataway and Woodbridge townships, was settled (by Europeans) in the 17th century. The earliest village wasPiscatawaytown, which is centered around St. James Church and the Piscatawaytown Common, near the intersection of Plainfield and Woodbridge Avenues in South Edison.^[28] TheLaing House of Plainfield Plantation (listed on the National Register in 1988), theBenjamin Shotwell House (listed 1987) and theHomestead Farm at Oak Ridge (liste 1995), are buildings from the colonial era included inNational Register of Historic Places listings in Middlesex County.^[29]

The community was previously known as "Raritan Township", not to be confused with the current-dayRaritan Township inHunterdon County.^[23]

In 1876,Thomas Edison set up his home and research laboratory in New Jersey on the site of an unsuccessful real estate development in Raritan Township called "Menlo Park", (currently located inEdison State Park). While there he earned the nickname "the Wizard of Menlo Park". Before his death at age 83 in 1931, the prolific inventor amassed a record 1,093 patents for creations including thephonograph, a stock ticker, the motion-picture camera, theincandescent light bulb, a mechanical vote counter, the alkaline storage battery including one for an electric car, and the first commercial electric light.^[30]

The Menlo Park lab was significant in that was one of the first laboratories to pursue practical, commercial applications of research.^[31] It was in his Menlo Park laboratory that Thomas Edison came up with thephonograph and a commercially viableincandescent light bulb filament. Christie Street was the first street in the world to use electric lights for illumination.^[32] Edison subsequently left Menlo Park and moved his home and laboratory toWest Orange in 1886.^[33]

Near Piscatawaytown village, a portion of the township was informally known as "Nixon", afterLewis Nixon, a manufacturer and community leader. Soon after the outbreak ofWorld War I, Nixon established a massive volatile chemicals processing facility there, known as theNixon Nitration Works. It was the site of the1924 Nixon Nitration Works disaster, a massive explosion and resulting fire that killed 20 people and destroyed several square miles of the township.^[34]

In 1954, the township's name was changed to honor inventorThomas A. Edison.^[23][35] Also on the ballot in 1954 was a failed proposal to change the community's name to Nixon.^[36]

In 1959, theMenlo Park Mall, a two-levelsuper regional shopping mall, opened onU.S. Route 1.

Edison has been one of the fastest-growing municipalities in New Jersey. As of the2000 United States Census, it was thefifth most-populated municipality in the state, after the cities ofNewark,Jersey City,Paterson, andElizabeth.^[37]

Edison is primarily a middle-class community with more than 75 ethnic communities represented. Edison has a largeJewish community next toHighland Park, with multiple synagogues located in Edison. Edison also has a growingIndian community and a number of temples serving the religious needs of the community. Reflecting the number of Edison's residents fromIndia andChina, the township hassister city arrangements withShijiazhuang, China,^[38] andBaroda, India.

Edison was ranked the 28th most-livable small city in the United States byCNN Money magazine, and second in New Jersey in 2006 inMoney magazine's "Best Places To Live".^[39] In 2008, two years later,Money ranked the township 35th out of the top 100 places to live in the United States.^[40] In the 2006 survey of America's Safest Cities, the township was ranked 23rd, out of 371 cities included nationwide, in the 13th annualMorgan Quitno survey.^[41] In 2009, Edison was ranked as one of "America's 10 Best Places to Grow Up" byU.S. News & World Report. The rankings focused on low crime, strong schools, green spaces, and abundance of recreational activities.^[42] In 2014, parenting.com ranked Edison as the top safest city in America.^[43]

According to theUnited States Census Bureau, the township had a total area of 30.69 square miles (79.49 km²), including 30.06 square miles (77.86 km²) of land and 0.63 square miles (1.63 km²) of water (2.05%).^[6][44]

Edison is on the east side of Raritan Valley (a line of communities in central New Jersey), along withPlainfield, and completely surrounds the borough ofMetuchen, making it part of 21 pairs of "doughnut towns" in the state, where one municipality entirely surrounds another.^[45] The township borders the municipalities ofEast Brunswick,Highland Park,New Brunswick,Piscataway,Sayreville,South Plainfield andWoodbridge Township in Middlesex County;Clark,Plainfield andScotch Plains inUnion County.^[46][47][48]

Edison hasnumerous sections and neighborhoods.^[49]Unincorporated communities, localities and place names located partially or completely within the township includeBonhamtown,Briarwood East, Camp Kilmer, Centerville,^{[citation needed]}Clara Barton, Eggert Mills^{[citation needed]}, Greensand, Haven Homes, Lahiere, Lincoln Park, Lindenau, Martins Landing,Menlo Park, Millville,New Dover,New Durham,Nixon, North Edison, Oak Tree, Phoenix,Potters,Pumptown, Raritan Arsenal, Raritan Manor, Sand Hills, Silver Lake,^{[citation needed]}Stelton,Stephenville, Valentine, and Washington Park.^[49]

Edison is about halfway betweenMidtown Manhattan, and New Jersey's capitol, Trenton, being about 27 miles from each.

While the Township's topography is mostly flat, there are some hillier areas, especially along the Perth Amboy Moraine, which forms an arc across the township, left by the southern limit of the Laurentide Ice Sheet. The highest point is on Grandview Avenue, which reaches a maximum elevation of about 220 feet. The lowest elevation in the township is on sea level on theRaritan River.

TheRobinsons Branch of theRahway River flows through Edison en route to theRobinson's Branch Reservoir.^[50]

Extreme temperatures in Edison have ranged from −17 °F (−27 °C), recorded in February 1934, to 106 °F (41 °C), recorded in July 1936 and August 1949.According to the Köppen Climate Classification system, Edison has a humid subtropical climate (Cfa), with abundant rainfall throughout the year, although the late summer months tend to have more rain. Summers tend to be hot and humid with much rain and winters tend to be cool to cold, with snow being an annual occurrence, falling multiple times every winter.

Edison hosts one of the region's main centers of Asian American cultural diversity.^[52][53][54] The township was 50.0% ethnically Asian by population as of the 2020 Census.^[55]

Oak Tree Road is aSouth Asian-focused commercial strip in Middlesex County, theU.S. county with the highest concentration ofAsian Indians.^[56][57][58] The Oak Tree Road strip runs for about one-and-a-half miles through Edison and neighboringIselin inWoodbridge Township, near the area's sprawlingChinatown andKoreatown, running alongNew Jersey Route 27.^[59] It is the largest and most diverseSouth Asian cultural hub in the United States.^[60][61] In Middlesex County, electionballots are printed in English,Spanish,Gujarati,Hindi, andPunjabi.^[62] As part of the 2020 Census, 34.9% of Edison residents identified themselves as beingIndian American, an increase from 28.3% in 2010.^[63][20] In the 2000 Census, 17.75% of Edison residents identified themselves as being Indian American, the highest percentage of Indian-American people of any municipality in the United States with 1,000 or more residents identifying their ancestry.^[64]

Edison also has a significant Chinese population. The town contains several Chinese-language schools and cultural associations. The area near the borders withHighland Park and theLivingston Campus at Rutgers University inPiscataway, has a number of Chinese food establishments, includingKam Man Food,99 Ranch Market, and various dim sum, dumpling, dessert, and tea shops as well as the pan-Asian Korean-founded supermarket,H Mart.^[65][66] Other Chinese operations in Edison includeSino Monthly magazine andChinese News Weekly.

The township'sLunar New Year parade typically travels northbound from Division Street to festivities in Papaianni Park by the lake and township municipal building.^[67][68]

Edison is also home to a largeJewish community, especiallyOrthodox. The world's largest gathering of rabbis outside of Israel occurred at the New Jersey Convention and Exposition Center on December 1, 2024.^[69]

The2010 United States census counted 99,967 people, 34,972 households, and 26,509 families in the township. Thepopulation density was 3,339.0 per square mile (1,289.2/km²). There were 36,302 housing units at an average density of 1,212.5 per square mile (468.1/km²). The racial makeup was 44.10% (44,084)White, 7.05% (7,046)Black or African American, 0.23% (229)Native American, 43.19% (43,177)Asian, 0.04% (36)Pacific Islander, 2.72% (2,718) fromother races, and 2.68% (2,677) from two or more races.Hispanic or Latino residents of any race were 8.11% (8,112) of the population.^[20]

Of the 34,972 households, 36.4% had children under the age of 18; 62.3% were married couples living together; 9.6% had a female householder with no husband present and 24.2% were non-families. Of all households, 20.4% were made up of individuals and 7.9% 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 3.26.^[20]

22.7% of the population was under the age of 18, 7.6% from 18 to 24, 30.1% from 25 to 44, 27.0% from 45 to 64, and 12.6% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38.1 years. For every 100 females, the population had 95.8 males. For every 100 females ages 18 and older there were 93.8 males.^[20]

The Census Bureau's 2006–2010American Community Survey showed that (in 2010inflation-adjusted dollars)median household income was $86,725 (with a margin of error of +/− $3,000) and the median family income was $100,008 (+/− $2,624). Males had a median income of $66,898 (+/− $4,094) versus $50,953 (+/− $1,462) for females. Theper capita income for the township was $36,464 (+/− $1,184). About 3.5% of families and 7.2% of the population were below thepoverty line, including 8.6% of those under age 18 and 6.3% of those age 65 or over.^[83]

As of the2000 United States census^[15] there were 97,687 people, 35,136 households, and 25,881 families residing in the township. The population density was 3,243.0 inhabitants per square mile (1,252.1/km²). There were 36,018 housing units at an average density of 1,195.7 per square mile (461.7/km²). The racial makeup of the township was 59.49% White, 29.27% Asian, 6.89% African American, 0.14% Native American, .04% Pacific Islander, 2.02% from other races, and 2.15% from two or more races. 6.37% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.^[77][78]

There were 35,136 households, out of which 34.3% had children under the age of 18 living in them, 61.1% weremarried couples living together, 9.1% had a female householder with no husband present, and 26.3% were non-families. 21.1% of all households were made up of individuals, and 7.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.72 and the average family size was 3.19.^[77][78]

In the township 22.9% of the population was under the age of 18, 7.8% was from 18 to 24, 34.0% from 25 to 44, 23.4% from 45 to 64, and 11.9% was 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females, there were 96.3 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 94.0 males.^[77][78]

Themedian household income in the township is $69,746, and the median income for a family was $77,976. Males had a median income of $53,303 versus $36,829 for females. Theper capita income for the township was $30,148. About 3.3% of families and 4.8% of the population were below thepoverty line, including 4.3% of those under age 18 and 6.3% of those age 65 or over.^[77][78]

A number of production facilities in and around the area, includedEdison Assembly,Ford Motor Company's production plant for Rangers, Mustangs, Pintos, Mercurys, and Lincolns. Other notable companies includedFrigidaire's air-conditioner plant in Edison,Siemens in Edison.

Starting in the 2000s, manufacturing began to leave Central Jersey, and many facilities closed and moved overseas.^[84][85][86] The Ford plant was demolished by 2008 and was replaced bySam's Club,Topgolf andStarbucks.^[87]

Majesco Entertainment, a video game company, has its corporate headquarters in Edison.^[88] Other companies have warehouse operations within Edison. These companies include the Italian food producer and importerColavita, anAmazon fulfillment center, as well as the regional hubs forFedEx,UPS, andNewegg. In addition Edison is home to the state's largest private convention center, the New Jersey Convention and Exposition Center, located within theRaritan Center Business Park.^[89] Raritan Center itself is the largest industrial park on the east side of the Mississippi River. The United States headquarters of the international companyZylog Systems is located in Edison,^[90] as is the headquarters of the e-commerce companiesBoxed andBare Necessities.^[91]

Plainfield Country Club is a private country club that has hosted the1987 U.S. Women's Open andThe Barclays golf tournament, the firstPGA TourFedEx Cup playoff event, in both 2011 and 2015.^[92]

Oak Tree Pond is the site of theBattle of Short Hills, a minor battle of theAmerican Revolutionary War and whose conversion into a park ended a real estate development controversy.^[93]

Roosevelt Park, located between Parsonage Road and Route 1, west of the Mall, covers 196 acres (79 ha), including the 8-acre (3.2 ha) Roosevelt Park Lake. The park was established in 1917, making it the oldest county park in Middlesex County.^[94]

Edison State Park andDismal Swamp are also located in the township.

Edison Township operates within theFaulkner Act, formally known as the Optional Municipal Charter Law, under theMayor-Council form of government, which was implemented as of January 1, 1958, based on the recommendations of aCharter Study Commission.^[95] The township is one of 71 municipalities (of the 564) statewide governed under this form.^[96] Edison's governing body is comprised of the mayor and the seven-member Township Council. Members of the council are electedat-large in partisan elections held as part of the November general election to four-year terms of office on a staggered basis, with three or four seats coming up for election in odd-numbered years, with the mayoral seat up for vote at the same time that three seats are expiring.^[5][97][98]

As of 2024^[update], theMayor of Edison isDemocrat Samip "Sam" Joshi, whose term of office ends December 31, 2025.^[2] Members of the Township Council are Council President Nishith Patel (D, 2025), Council Vice President Margot Harris (D, 2025), Richard Brescher (D, 2027), Joseph Coyle (D, 2027), Ajay Patil (D, 2027) and John Poyner (D, 2025) and Asaf Shmuel (D, 2027).^{[99][100][101][102]}

The first (and to-date, only) female mayor of Edison was Antonia "Toni" Ricigliano, whose term of office ended on December 31, 2013.^[103][104]

Former Edison Democratic Chair and Detective Keith Hahn ran for mayor as a Republican^[105] against incumbent Mayor Thomas Lankey. Lankey was re-elected with 12,032 votes to Hahn's 8,574 votes.^[106]

In June 2016, the Township Council selected Joseph Coyle from a list of three candidates nominated by the Democratic municipal committee to fill the seat expiring in December 2019 that had been held byRobert Karabinchak, until he stepped down from office to take a vacant seat in theNew Jersey General Assembly.^[107] Coyle served on an interim basis until the November 2016 general election, when voters elected him to fill the balance of the term of office.^[108]

Running on agood government platform and a call to reform theDemocratic Party,Jun Choi won the June 2005 primary by a 56–44% margin, defeating longtime incumbent MayorGeorge A. Spadoro, the first time in Edison history that a challenger won the Democratic primary.^[109] An article inThe American Prospect details aspects that Choi brought together in his 2005 mayoral campaign, including 1. attracting new voters into the process, 2. a good government message, 3. anti-Wal-Mart or economic justice theme and 4. an effective Internet-based progressive mobilization.^[110] In the general election, Jun Choi declared victory, leading in unofficial results with a vote of 12,126 to 11,935; a recount effort was unsuccessful. On January 1, 2006, at age 34, Choi was sworn in byGovernorJon Corzine as the youngest mayor in Edison history.^[111]

Recent politics in Edison have concerned plans for zoning the township to facilitate the creation of "walkable" communities that will attract businesses, while still maintaining open spaces and parks and easy access to commuter transit. This strategy is meant to encourage "Smart Growth".^[112]

Politics in Edison since the 2005 mayoral election have been polarized by an attempt by retail giantWalmart to open a store in central Edison near the junction ofInterstate 287 andNew Jersey Route 27. Even though Jun Choi stated in his mayoral campaign that he would stop Walmart from being built, Walmart filed suit and won, and Choi was there to cut the yellow ribbon when the store was opened.^[113]

The town is served by the full-time Edison Division of Police, led by Chief Thomas Bryan and employing 168 officers as of 2012, assisted by the Edison Auxiliary Police.^[114] The department is striving to overcome a history of widespread officer misconduct.^{[115][116][117][118][119][120]}

Edison is located in the 6th Congressional District^[121] and is part of New Jersey's 18th state legislative district.^{[122][123][124]}

For the119th United States Congress,New Jersey's 6th congressional district is represented byFrank Pallone (D,Long Branch).^[125][126] New Jersey is represented in theUnited States Senate byDemocratsCory Booker (Newark, term ends 2027) andAndy Kim (Moorestown, term ends 2031).^[127]

For the2024-2025 session, the18th legislative district of theNew Jersey Legislature is represented in theState Senate byPatrick J. Diegnan (D,South Plainfield) and in theGeneral Assembly byRobert Karabinchak (D,Edison) andSterley Stanley (D,East Brunswick).^[128]

Middlesex County is governed by aBoard of County Commissioners, whose seven members 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.^[129] As of 2025^[update], Middlesex County's Commissioners (with party affiliation, term-end year, and residence listed in parentheses) are:

Director Ronald G. Rios (D,Carteret, 2027),^[130]Deputy Director Shanti Narra (D,North Brunswick, 2027),^[131]Claribel A. "Clary" Azcona-Barber (D,New Brunswick, 2025),^[132]Charles Kenny (D,Woodbridge Township, 2025),^[133]Leslie Koppel (D,Monroe Township, 2026),^[134]Chanelle Scott McCullum (D,Piscataway, 2025)^[135] andCharles E. Tomaro (D,Edison, 2026).^[136][137]

Constitutional officers are:ClerkNancy Pinkin (D, 2025,East Brunswick),^[138][139]Sheriff Mildred S. Scott (D, 2025, Piscataway)^[140][141] andSurrogate Claribel Cortes (D, 2026; North Brunswick).^{[142][143][144]}

As of March 2011, there were a total of 53,352 registered voters in Edison Township, of which 25,163 (47.2%) were registered asDemocrats, 6,242 (11.7%) were registered asRepublicans and 21,929 (41.1%) were registered asUnaffiliated. There were 18 voters registered to other parties.^[145]

In the2012 presidential election, DemocratBarack Obama received 62.8% of the vote (22,104 cast), ahead of RepublicanMitt Romney with 36.3% (12,769 votes), and other candidates with 1.0% (339 votes), among the 35,546 ballots cast by the township's 54,857 registered voters (334 ballots werespoiled), for a turnout of 64.8%.^[152][153] In the2008 presidential election, Democrat Barack Obama received 58.8% of the vote (22,409 cast), ahead of RepublicanJohn McCain with 39.3% (14,986 votes) and other candidates with 1.1% (418 votes), among the 38,129 ballots cast by the township's 55,305 registered voters, for a turnout of 68.9%.^[150] In the2004 presidential election, DemocratJohn Kerry received 55.2% of the vote (20,000 ballots cast), outpolling RepublicanGeorge W. Bush with 43.1% (15,615 votes) and other candidates with 0.6% (311 votes), among the 36,205 ballots cast by the township's 52,308 registered voters, for a turnout percentage of 69.2.^[151] 2004 and2024 were the only presidential elections where the Republican candidate got over 40.0% of the vote in the township, while Democrats obtained under 60.0%. In the 2024 presidential election, Republican candidate Donald Trump earned the most votes, 17,554 votes, as well as the highest percentage of all votes cast, 43.5%, that the party had ever earned in Edison since at least the 2004 presidential election. Third-party candidates also earned the most votes, with 1,316 votes, and highest percentage of all votes cast, 3.3%, in 2024 since at least the same year.

In the2013 gubernatorial election, RepublicanChris Christie received 58.6% of the vote (12,502 cast), ahead of DemocratBarbara Buono with 39.3% (8,373 votes), and other candidates with 2.1% (443 votes), among the 21,877 ballots cast by the township's 55,392 registered voters (559 ballots were spoiled), for a turnout of 39.5%.^[156][159] In the2009 gubernatorial election, Republican Chris Christie received 46.6% of the vote (11,230 ballots cast), ahead of DemocratJon Corzine with 44.5% (10,727 votes), IndependentChris Daggett with 6.4% (1,549 votes) and other candidates with 1.0% (243 votes), among the 24,097 ballots cast by the township's 53,358 registered voters, yielding a 45.2% turnout.^[160]

TheEdison Township Public Schools serve students inpre-kindergarten throughtwelfth grade.^[161] The district's two high schools separate the south and north ends of Edison. In the Edison High School zone to the south, there are six K–5 elementary schools and two 6-8 middle schools, while in the J.P. Stevens High School zone to the north there are five K–5 elementary schools and two 6-8 middle schools. As of the 2021–22 school year, the district, comprised of 19 schools, had an enrollment of 16,268 students and 1,215.0 classroom teachers (on anFTE basis), for astudent–teacher ratio of 13.4:1.^[162] Schools in the district (with 2021-22 enrollment data from theNational Center for Education Statistics^[163]) are Edison Early Learning Center^[164] (53 students; grades PreK-K), Franklin D. Roosevelt Preschool^[165] (124; PreK-K), Benjamin Franklin Elementary School^[166] (602; K-5), Martin Luther King Jr. Elementary School^[167] (618; K-5), Lincoln Elementary School^[168] (900; K-5), Lindeneau Elementary School^[169] (444; K-5), James Madison Primary School^[170] (455; K-2, who then move on to James Madison Intermediate)James Madison Intermediate School^[171] (521; 3–5), John Marshall Elementary School^[172] (736; K-5), Menlo Park Elementary School^[173] (796; K-5), James Monroe Elementary School^[174] (521; K-5), Washington Elementary School^[175] (589; K-5), Woodbrook Elementary School^[176] (902; K-5), John Adams Middle School^[177] (980; 6–8, from James Madison Intermediate and MLK Jr.), Herbert Hoover Middle School^[178] (911; 6–8, from Franklin, Lincoln, Monroe, and some Lindeneau), Thomas Jefferson Middle School^[179] (868; 6–8, from Lindeneau, Marshall and Washington), Woodrow Wilson Middle School^[180] (1,163; from Menlo Park and Woodbrook),Edison High School^[181] (2,243; 9–12, from Hoover and Jefferson) andJ.P. Stevens High School^[182] (2,643; 9–12, from Adams and Wilson).^[183][184]

J.P. Stevens was the 80th-ranked public high school in New Jersey out of 328 schools statewide inNew Jersey Monthly magazine's September 2012 cover story on the state's "Top Public High Schools", after being ranked 65th in 2010 out of 322 schools listed, while Edison High School was ranked 174 in 2012 and 169 in 2010.^[185] According toU.S. News & World Report in 2016, J.P. Stevens ranked 41st within New Jersey and 905th nationally, while Edison H.S. ranked 59th and 2,015th.^[186][187]

The community is also served by theGreater Brunswick Charter School, a K–8charter school serving students from Edison,Highland Park,Milltown andNew Brunswick.^[188] As of the 2021–22 school year, the school had an enrollment of 399 students and 32.5 classroom teachers (on anFTE basis), for astudent–teacher ratio of 12.3:1.^[189]

Eighth grade students from all of Middlesex County are eligible to apply to attend the high school programs offered by theMiddlesex County Magnet Schools, a county-wide vocational school district that offers full-time career and technical education at its schools inEast Brunswick,Edison,Perth Amboy,Piscataway andWoodbridge Township, with no tuition charged to students for attendance.^[190][191]Middlesex College is home to Edison Academy Magnet School.^[192]

St. Thomas Aquinas High School (9–12), St. Helena School (Pre-K–8) and St. Matthew School (Pre-K–8) operate under the supervision ofRoman Catholic Diocese of Metuchen.^[193] Jewish schools in the township, which all operate independently, includeRabbi Jacob Joseph School,Rabbi Pesach Raymon Yeshiva (Pre-K–8, founded in 1945)^[194] and Yeshiva Shaarei Tzion (Pre-K–8, opened in 1992).^[195]

Otherprivate schools in Edison include Lakeview School (for children ages 3–21 with disabilities),^[196] Our Lady of Peace School andWardlaw-Hartridge School (Pre-K–12, founded in 1882).^[197]

In 1998, the Huaxia Edison Chinese School, which teaches inSimplified Chinese on Sunday afternoons, was established in Thomas Jefferson Middle School, subsequently relocating to Herbert Hoover Middle School. Huaxia currently resides inEdison High School. However, many families from Taiwan send their children to Edison Chinese School, located at John Adams Middle School, or Tzu Chi, located at Woodrow Wilson Middle School. These schools both teachTraditional Chinese. J.P. Stevens High School offersMandarin Chinese andStandard Hindi as an elective language for students who are interested in learning it.

Lincoln Tech is a for-profit vocational school located in Edison.^[198] Lincoln Tech offers various programs in Nursing and in medical and computer applications.

Middlesex College is a public, two-yearcommunity college located in Edison at the intersection of Woodbridge Avenue and Mill Road.^[199]

Rutgers University's Livingston campus is located on the formerCamp Kilmer, partially located in Edison.^[200]

Edison has three public library branches: The Main Branch, North Edison Branch and the Clara Barton Branch.^[201]

Edison is atransport hub, with an extensive network of highways passing through the township and connecting to major Northeast cities, New York City,Boston,Philadelphia,Trenton andWashington, D.C..^[202] Edison is located about 25 miles (40 km) fromNewark Liberty International Airport, a 30 to 45 minute drive.

As of May 2010^[update], the township had a total of 307.05 miles (494.15 km) of roadways, of which 257.31 miles (414.10 km) were maintained by the municipality, 29.78 miles (47.93 km) by Middlesex County and 14.75 miles (23.74 km) by theNew Jersey Department of Transportation and 5.21 miles (8.38 km) by theNew Jersey Turnpike Authority.^[203]

State highways includeRoute 27^[204] and440,^[205] both of which are state-maintained.U.S. Route 1 also passes through the township.^[206]Interstate 287 passes through Edison, where it houses its southern end at I-95.^[207] The municipality also houses about a 5-mile (8.0 km) section of theNew Jersey Turnpike (Interstate 95).^[208] Exit 10 is located in Edison, featuring a 13-lane toll gate and a unique interchange design.^[209] When the "dual-dual" setup of the turnpike was created, it first started in Edison and continued north to Exit 14 inNewark. It wasn't until 1973 that the "dual-dual" was extended south of 10 to Exit 9 inEast Brunswick Township (and then extended further south in 1990 to Exit 8A inMonroe Township).

SinceInterstate 287 connects toInterstate 87 (theNew York State Thruway), Exit 10 (of the turnpike) is one of the busiest interchanges to be used by tractor-trailers as it connects the New Jersey Turnpike to the New York Thruway. For truck drivers, it is the only direct limited-access road connection they have from the Turnpike to the Thruway as theGarden State Parkway, which has its northern terminus at the Thruway, prohibits trucks from using the roadway north of Exit 105.

In 2009, theNew Jersey Department of Transportation selected Edison as one of the first communities to have ared light camera enforcement system. The program was ended by the state in December 2014, despite a more than 30% drop in accidents at the three camera-controlled intersections in the township.^[210]

Edison station, located in South Edison, is served byNJ Transit northbound trains toNewark Penn Station andNew York Penn Station, and southbound to theTrenton Transit Center via theNortheast Corridor Line, with connecting service toAmtrak, andSEPTA.^[211][212] Some passengers in North Edison are closer to, and may prefer to use, theMetropark station (near neighboringIselin inWoodbridge Township) orMetuchen station.^[213][214]

NJ Transit bus service is provided on the48 route toElizabeth, with local service available on the801,804,805,810,813,814, and819 routes.^[215]

The Taiwanese airlineChina Airlines provides private bus service toJohn F. Kennedy International Airport from theKam Man Food location in Edison to feed its flight toTaipei,Taiwan.^[216]

JFK Medical Center, located on James Street off Parsonage Road is a 498-bed hospital founded in 1967.^[217]

Roosevelt Care Center is a long term/sub-acute care facility located just east of Roosevelt Park. The facility was original constructed in 1936 under the auspices of theWork Projects Administration.^[218]

Edison is served by the Raritan Valley Regional EMS. The squad consists of three sub-squads, Edison First Aid Squad #1 (established in 1935), Edison First Aid Squad #2 (since 1936) and Clara Barton First Aid Squad (since 1951). The three squads merged in 2009 to better provide residents of Edison with more comprehensive care. RVREMS receives support from paramedics out of JFK Medical Center. The squad consists of approximately 50 volunteer EMTs.^[219]

Edison is served byarea codes 732 and 848 and908. Area Code 848 is an overlay area code that was created so that a split was not needed.

Edison has five Verizon Central offices serving the Township:

• Central Office Rahway (Switch ID: RHWYNJRADS5) (Area Code 732): Serving from Wood Avenue North to Roxy Avenue on the west side of the Street inward to New Dover Road.
• Central Office Plainfield (Switch ID: PLFDNJPFDS5) (Area Code 908): Serving Roxy Avenue heading north into South Plainfield on both sides of Inman Avenue.
• Central Office Metuchen (Switch ID: MTCHNJMTDS5) (Area Code 732): Serving Edison, Metuchen and Iselin (Technically Iselin Numbers that have 732–283 and 732–404 are routed out of the Woodbridge Office Switch ID: WDBRNJWDDS5).
• Central Office Edison (Switch ID: EDSNNJEDDS5): Serving South Edison with phone numbers that come up as "New Brunswick" – 732–339, 732–393, 732–572, 732–777, 732–819, 732–985, and Exchanges for "Metuchen" that are 732–248, 732–287, 732–650.
• Central Office Fords (Switch ID: FRDSNJFRDS5): Serving Eastern Edison area and Raritan Center areas with 732–225, 732–346, 732–417, 732–512 and Perth Amboy Exchanges 732–661, 732–738.

In 1982, the BPU and New Jersey Bell, after receiving thousands of complaints from both North and South Edison residents, made an exception that any calls originating and terminating in the Township would be considered a local call. This was due to the new home construction in Edison where existing cables that belonged to the Rahway central office were assigned to give new phone service to over 400 homes.

In 1997, mandatoryten-digit dialing came to Edison with the introduction ofArea code 732. Edison residents living on Roxy Avenue once again were in the spotlight in the news, with one side of the street served by the Rahway central office (Area code 732) and the other side of the street is served by the Plainfield central office (Area Code 908). Residents complained to the BPU and Bell Atlantic that it would be easier to yell across the street than dial a ten-digit number to call their neighbor across the street.

Edison has Cablevision's Optimum cable television service. Before Cablevision, there was TKR, which was so poorly run that many FCC and BPU complaints about programming and many town hall meetings eventually forced change. TKR was bought out by Cablevision.

•  Shijiazhuang,Hebei, China^[38]
•  Vadodara,Gujarat, India^[220]

People who were born in, residents of, or otherwise closely associated with Edison include:

• Peter J. Barnes Jr. (1928–2018), Chairman of theNew Jersey State Parole Board who had served in theNew Jersey General Assembly^[221]
• Peter J. Barnes III (born 1956), politician who serves in theNew Jersey General Assembly and previously on the Edison Township Council^[222]
• Tyus Battle (born 1997), college basketball player for theSyracuse Orange^[223]
• Brandon Bielak (born 1996),pitcher for theHouston Astros ofMajor League Baseball^[224]
• Gayleatha B. Brown (1947–2013),United States Ambassador to Benin and toBurkina Faso^[225]
• David Bryan (born 1962), keyboardist, founding member ofBon Jovi^[226]
• Michael Campbell (born 1989),wide receiver who played in the NFL for theNew York Jets^[227]
• Leonte Carroo (born 1994), wide receiver who has played in the NFL for theMiami Dolphins^[228]
• Alan Chez (born 1961), trumpet player for theLate Show with David Letterman^[229][230]
• Jun Choi (born 1971), politician who served as Mayor of Edison^[231]
• Rich Clementi (born 1976),mixed martial arts fighter^[232]
• Ken Cuccinelli (born 1968), formerAttorney General of Virginia^[233]
• Jerry Dior (1932–2015),graphic designer, best known for creating theMajor League Baseball logo^[234]
• Tom Dwan (born 1986), professional poker player^[235]
• Bernard J. Dwyer (1921–1998), politician who served in theUnited States House of Representatives from 1981 to 1993^[236]
• Thomas Edison (1847–1931), inventor who is the township's namesake^[23][35]
• Katherine Polk Failla (born 1969),United States district judge of theUnited States District Court for the Southern District of New York^[237]
• Darren Fenster (born 1978), former professional baseball player who has been a manager in theBoston Red SoxMinor League Baseball system^[238]
• Gail Fisher (1935–2000), actress best known for her role onMannix^[239]
• Rich Gaspari (born 1963), retiredprofessional bodybuilder and founder ofsupplement company Gaspari Nutrition who was inducted into theIFBB Hall of Fame in 2004^[240]
• Greg Gigantino (bornc. 1955),college football coach who was the head football coach forIona College in 1984^[241]
• Frank Guinta (born 1970), served in the U.S. House of Representatives fromNew Hampshire's 1st congressional district^[242]
• Halsey (born 1994 as Ashley Nicolette Frangipane) singer-songwriter^[243]
• John Jay Hoffman (born 1965), lawyer who served as the actingattorney general of New Jersey from 2013 to 2016^[244]
• Alexander Julien (born 1988), musician, member ofVision Eternel, lived in theBriarwood East community^{[245][246][247]}
• Pamela Long, singer with former Bad Boy groupTotal^[248]
• Paul Matey (born 1971), attorney who is aUnited States circuit judge of theUnited States Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit^[249]
• Patrick McDonnell (born 1956), cartoonist, creatorMutts comics^[250]
• Earl Schenck Miers (1910–1972), historian who wrote extensively about theAmerican Civil War^[251]
• Victor Mitchell (born 1965), former member of theColorado House of Representatives^[252]
• Akash Modi (born 1995),artistic gymnast who represented the United States at the2018 World Artistic Gymnastics Championships^[253]
• Brittany Murphy (1977–2009), actress^[254]
• Jim Norton (born 1968), stand-up comedian^[255]
• Margie Palatini, author of books for children^[256]
• Robert Pastorelli (1954–2004), theater, film and television actor^[257]
• Zach Perez (born 1996), professionalsoccer player who plays as adefender forUSL League One clubRichmond Kickers^[258]
• Marc Pisciotta (born 1970), former Major League Baseball pitcher^[259]
• Mark L. Polansky (born 1956),NASA astronaut^[260]
• Bernard Purdie (born 1939), prolific session drummer^[261]
• Retta (born 1970), comedian and actress, best known for her roles ofDonna Meagle onNBC'sParks and Recreation and Ruby Hill on NBC'sGood Girls^[262]
• Jim Rose (born 1953), sports anchor forWLS-TV inChicago,Illinois^[263]
• Matt Salzberg, businessperson and entrepreneur who co-foundedBlue Apron (where he was CEO),Embark Veterinary and Suma Brands^[264]
• Susan Sarandon (born 1946), actress, lived in theStephenville community^{[265][266][267]}
• Jasmin Singer (born 1979),animal rights activist, writer, speaker and actress^[268]
• Janet Smith, formerlong-distance runner who competed in the5000-meter run,10000-meter run andcross country^[269]
• Chris Snee (born 1982), guard who has played for theNew York Giants^[270]
• George A. Spadoro (born 1955), former mayor of Edison, Council President and Assemblyman^[271]
• Joel Stein (born 1971),Los Angeles Times columnist^[272]
• Robert T. Stevens (1899–1983), businessman and former chairman ofJ.P. Stevens and Company^[273]
• Anthony Stolarz (born 1994), professionalice hockeygoaltender for theToronto Maple Leafs of theNational Hockey League and2024 Stanley Cup Champion^[274]
• Jim Stoops (born 1972), former professional baseballpitcher who played for one season in MLB for theColorado Rockies^[275]
• Jennifer Sung (born 1972), lawyer who is a nominee to be aUnited States circuit judge of theUnited States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit^[276]
• Marques Townes (born 1995), basketball player for theLoyola Ramblers men's basketball team, who transferred out of Cardinal McCarrick after his sophomore year^[277]
• Karl-Anthony Towns (born 1995), professional basketball player for theNew York Knicks^[278]
• Mike Vallely (born 1970), professional skateboarder and lead singer ofBlack Flag^[279]
• Gary Vaynerchuk (born 1975), entrepreneur and Internet personality who spent much of his childhood in Edison^[280]
• Jeffrey A. Warsh (born 1960), politician who served two terms in theNew Jersey General Assembly, from 1992 to 1996, where he represented the18th Legislative District^[281]
• Darrin Winston (1966–2008), played two seasons inMajor League Baseball for thePhiladelphia Phillies^[282]
• Jeremy Zuttah (born 1986), offensive lineman for theTampa Bay Buccaneers^[283]

• Advian, which in 2012 featured what was then the nation's largest solar rooftop installation at 17 acres (6.9 ha).^[284]
• Bonhamtown, site of a battle during theAmerican Revolutionary War^[285]
• Camp Kilmer, aWorld War II era army post, was partially located in what is now Edison.^[286]
• Dismal Swamp, preserved wetlands area that also includes portions ofMetuchen andSouth Plainfield.^[287]
• Durham Woods, a complex of several apartment buildings and scene of theEdison, New Jersey natural gas explosion in 1994, in which a 36-inch natural gas pipeline burst and exploded, destroying buildings in the area.^[288]
• Edison Landfill, landfill site undergoing environmental cleanup since it was ordered closed in 1977.^[289]
• Edison station in South Edison, offering service onNJ Transit'sNortheast Corridor Line.^[290]
• ILR Landfill, closed landfill site owned by Industrial Land Reclaiming (ILR) providing power to Middlesex County's wastewater treatment operations from methane gas recovery.^[291]
• Kin-Buc Landfill, formerlandfill andSuperfund site where 70 million US gallons (260,000 m³) of hazardous waste was dumped.^[292]
• Laing House of Plainfield Plantation, historic home built in the early 1700s when the region was being settled by Scottish Quakers in the late 17th and early 18th century.^[293]
• Roosevelt Park, a 196-acre park next to Menlo Park Mall.
• Menlo Park Mall, located at the intersection of Route 1 and Parsonage Road, has agross leasable area of 1,260,703 square feet (117,123.1 m²).^[294]
• Oak Tree Road in Edison and theIselin section ofWoodbridge Township is known for its large concentration ofIndian stores and restaurants.
• TheThomas Alva Edison Memorial Tower and Museum, in Menlo Park, dedicated in 1938. Located inEdison State Park, at the site where its namesake inventor invented theincandescent light bulb and thephonograph.^[295]
• Tastee Sub Shop is a popular sandwich establishment off of Route 27 Lincoln Highway in South Edison that PresidentBarack Obama visited in 2010 as part of a small business campaign.^[296]

• Edison divorce torture plot

• Official website