Maple Shade Township is a township in Burlington County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey. As of the 2020 United States census, the township's population was 19,980, The township, and all of Burlington County, is a part of the Philadelphia-Reading-Camden combined statistical area and the Delaware Valley.
History
What is now Maple Shade was originally formed as Chester Township on November 6, 1688, and was known as Cropwell Township from June 5, 1690, through February 22, 1699. Chester was incorporated as one of New Jersey's initial 104 townships by an act of the New Jersey Legislature on February 21, 1798. Portions of the township were taken to form Cinnaminson Township (March 15, 1860) and Moorestown Township (March 11, 1922). The municipality's name was changed to Maple Shade Township as of November 6, 1945, based on the results of a referendum passed that same day.
The Mary's Cafe sit-in was an informal sit-in style protest which occurred on the evening of June 11, 1950, at Mary's Cafe, a tavern in Maple Shade Township that had a reputation of being unwelcoming of Black patrons. After being refused service, Martin Luther King Jr. and three friends staged a sit-in that is believed to be the first use of the non-violence and civil disobedience tactics which would distinguish Dr. King's civil-rights activism and legacy.
Geography
According to the United States Census Bureau, the township had a total area of 3.83 square miles (9.92 km<sup>2</sup>), including 3.83 square miles (9.91 km<sup>2</sup>) of land and <0.01 square miles (<0.01 km<sup>2</sup>) of water (0.03%).
Climate
The climate in this area is characterized by hot, humid summers and generally mild to cool winters. According to the Köppen Climate Classification system, Maple Shade Township has a humid subtropical climate, abbreviated "Cfa" on climate maps, with the coldest months of January and February averaging about , and with an annual average temperature of .