Deptford Township (pronounced DEP-ford) is a township in Gloucester County in the U.S. state of New Jersey. As of the 2020 United States census, the township's population was 31,977,
Deptford Township was formed June 1, 1695, and was known initially as Bethlehem. It was incorporated as a township by the New Jersey Legislature on February 21, 1798, as one of the state's initial 104 townships formed under the Township Act. Since then, portions of the township were taken to create Washington Township (February 17, 1836), Woodbury Borough (March 27, 1854; now Woodbury), West Deptford Township (March 1, 1871), Wenonah (March 10, 1883), Westville (April 7, 1914), and Woodbury Heights (April 6, 1915).
Deptford is a southeastern suburb of Philadelphia, located on the eastern side of the Walt Whitman Bridge, one of several bridges that join South Jersey with Philadelphia, the nation's sixth-largest city as of 2020. It is located southeast of Philadelphia and northwest of Atlantic City.
Deptford Township was named for the Deptford area of London, located on the River Thames. It is part of the South Jersey region of the state.
History
Dutch explorer Cornelius Jacobsen May led some of the earliest European settlement in the area. May was followed by settlers from Sweden and Finland before the area ultimately came under British colonial rule. The township was formed in 1695, and covered an area of that included today's Deptford Township along with present-day Monroe Township, Washington Township, West Deptford Township, Westville, Woodbury, and Woodbury Heights.
Clement Oak in Deptford, an old oak tree estimated to have sprouted between 1555 and 1615, was the site of the first hot air balloon landing in North America when Jean-Pierre Blanchard completed his flight to Deptford from Philadelphia in 1793. During his flight, Blanchard carried a personal letter from George Washington to be delivered to the owner of whatever property Blanchard landed on, making the flight the first airmail delivery in the nation.
On September 1, 2021, Deptford Township was hit by a strong EF3 tornado with winds up to produced by the remnants of Hurricane Ida. More than 100 homes in the township were damaged in the tornado outbreak.
Geography
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the township had a total area of 17.57 square miles (45.50 km<sup>2</sup>), including 17.33 square miles (44.89 km<sup>2</sup>) of land and 0.24 square miles (0.61 km<sup>2</sup>) of water (1.35%).
Oak Valley, with a 2020 census population of 3,497, is an unincorporated community and census-designated place (CDP) located in Deptford Township. Other unincorporated communities, localities, and places located partially or completely within the township include Almonesson, Blackwood Terrace, Clements Bridge, Cooper Village, Country Club Estates, Good Intent, Hammond Heights, Jericho, Lake Tract, New Sharon, Oak Valley, Salina, Westcottville, Westville Grove, Woodbury Gardens, Woodbury Park, and Woodbury Terrace.