thumb|300px|Historic Oliphant Grist Mill
Galloway Township is a township in Atlantic County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey, and a growing edge city to neighboring Atlantic City. At of total area of land and water, Galloway Township is the largest municipality in the state. As of the 2020 United States census, the township's population was 37,813,
Galloway Township was incorporated by Royal charter on April 4, 1774, from portions of Egg Harbor Township, when it was still part of Gloucester County. Galloway was incorporated as one of the initial group of 104 townships by an act of the New Jersey Legislature on February 21, 1798. After becoming part of the newly formed Atlantic County in 1837, portions of the township were taken to create Mullica Township (March 13, 1838), Egg Harbor City (June 14, 1858), Absecon (February 29, 1872), Brigantine Beach borough (now Brigantine; June 14, 1890) and Port Republic (March 1, 1905).
Geographically, the township, and all of Atlantic County, is part of the South Jersey region of the state and of the Atlantic City-Hammonton metropolitan statistical area, which in turn is included in the Philadelphia-Reading-Camden combined statistical area and the Delaware Valley.
History
The Township of Galloway was created by Royal Patent of King George III of Great Britain on April 4, 1774. At that time it was part of Gloucester County, and comprised what is now Hammonton, Mullica Township, Egg Harbor City, Port Republic, Brigantine, Atlantic City, and the northern portion of Absecon. Galloway Township was incorporated by the New Jersey Legislature on February 21, 1798, as one of the state's initial group of 104 townships under the Township Act of 1798.
During the spring of 2007, a large swath of oak and other hardwood trees were defoliated by the Gypsy moth caterpillar. Due to budget constraints, the township did not apply for spraying through the State of New Jersey, and the gypsy moths flourished.
On the morning of August 28, 2011, Tropical Storm Irene made its second U.S. landfall in Brigantine, though initial reports placed it at the Little Egg Inlet on the border with Little Egg Harbor Township. At the time it was believed to be the first hurricane to make landfall in New Jersey since 1903, but later analysis by the National Hurricane Center determined that the storm had weakened to tropical storm status by the time it made its second landfall.
Geography
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the township had a total area of 114.49 square miles (296.52 km<sup>2</sup>), including 88.67 square miles (229.65 km<sup>2</sup>) of land and 25.82 square miles (66.87 km<sup>2</sup>) of water (22.55%).
Other unincorporated communities, localities and place names located partially or completely within the township include Absecon, Brigantine Junction, Cologne Station, Conovertown, Doughtys, Hewittville, Higbeetown, Island Beach, Johnsontown, Pinehurst, Pomerania, South Egg Harbor, Somersville, and the "Township Center".
The township borders the municipalities of Absecon, Atlantic City, Egg Harbor City, Egg Harbor Township, Hamilton Township, Mullica Township, and Port Republic in Atlantic County; Bass River Township and Washington Township in Burlington County; and Little Egg Harbor Township in Ocean County.
The township is one of 56 South Jersey municipalities that are included within the New Jersey Pinelands National Reserve, a protected natural area of unique ecology covering , that has been classified as a United States Biosphere Reserve and established by Congress in 1978 as the nation's first National Reserve. Parts of the township are included in the state-designated Pinelands Area, which includes portions of Atlantic County, along with areas in Burlington, Camden, Cape May, Cumberland, Gloucester, and Ocean counties.