Rocky Hill is a borough in Somerset County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey. Named for the Rocky Hill Ridge, this historic village is nestled within the heart of the Raritan Valley region, located alongside the course of the Millstone River.

As of the 2020 United States census, the borough's population was 743,

History

The earliest European settlement in the area began after John Harrison negotiated the purchase of land in 1701 from the Lenape Native Americans. Speaking an Algonquian language, they had occupied the area for centuries prior to the arrival of European settlers. Bands of Lenape lived along the coast from Connecticut through New York and New Jersey and south to Maryland and Delaware.

In 1783, during the American Revolutionary War, General George Washington camped at Rockingham, the house owned by the Berrien family. He passed through the area again in 1789 on his way to New York City for his inauguration as President of the United States. Before roads were improved, it was known as the Devil's Featherbed because it was difficult to travel the rocky terrain by horse and wagon.

Rocky Hill was incorporated as a borough by an act of the New Jersey Legislature on December 18, 1889, from portions of Montgomery Township. This was based on the results of a referendum held four days earlier.

Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau, the borough had a total area of 0.61 square miles (1.59&nbsp;km<sup>2</sup>), including 0.61 square miles (1.58&nbsp;km<sup>2</sup>) of land and <0.01 square miles (0.01&nbsp;km<sup>2</sup>) of water (0.49%).

Ecology

According to the A. W. Kuchler U.S. potential natural vegetation types, Rocky Hill would have an Appalachian Oak (104) vegetation type with an Eastern Hardwood Forest (25) vegetation form.

Demographics

2010 census

The 2010 United States census counted 682 people, 280 households, and 189 families in the borough. The population density was 1,101.4 per square mile (425.3/km<sup>2</sup>). There were 292 housing units at an average density of 471.6 per square mile (182.1/km<sup>2</sup>). The racial makeup was 91.64% (625) White, 1.47% (10) Black or African American, 0.00% (0) Native American, 2.35% (16) Asian, 0.00% (0) Pacific Islander, 1.47% (10) from other races, and 3.08% (21) from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 4.84% (33) of the population.

2000 census

As of the 2000 United States census

There were 284 households, out of which 24.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 60.9% were married couples living together, 4.9% had a female householder with no husband present, and 33.1% were non-families. 27.8% of all households were made up of individuals, and 12.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.33 and the average family size was 2.82. The governing body is comprised of the mayor and the borough council, with all positions elected at-large on a partisan basis as part of the November general election. The mayor is elected directly by the voters to a four-year term of office. The borough council includes six members elected to serve three-year terms on a staggered basis, with two seats coming up for election each year in a three-year cycle. The borough form of government used by Rocky Hill is a "weak mayor / strong council" government, in which council members act as the legislative body. The mayor presides at meetings and votes only in the event of a tie. The mayor can veto ordinances subject to an override by a two-thirds majority vote of the council. The mayor makes committee and liaison assignments for council members, and most appointments are made by the mayor with the advice and consent of the council.

, the mayor of Rocky Hill is Democrat Robert Uhrik, whose term of office ends December 31, 2022. Members of the Borough Council are Council President Edgar L. "Trey" Delaney (D, 2024), Susan P. Bristol (I, 2023), Jonathan Lee (D, 2022; appointed to serve an unexpired term), Catherine Plunkett (D, 2022), Ken Rizzi (D, 2023; appointed to serve an unexpired term), Denise Varga (D, 2024).

In January 2022, the borough council selected Jonathan Lee from a list of three candidates nominated by the Democratic municipal committee to fill the seat expiring in December 2022 that had been held by Rasheeda Pretto until she resigned from office.

Rasheeda Pretto was appointed to fill the borough council seat expiring in December 2020 that had been held by Robert Uhrik until he stepped down to take office as mayor, though she chose to run for a full three-year term rather than to run for the remainder of the term. In November 2019, Amy Kirtland won a write-in campaign to fill the balance of Uhrik's council term.

At the January 2015 reorganization meeting, the borough council selected Robert Ashbaugh to fill the vacant seat expiring in December 2015 of Jeffrey Donohue, who vacated the seat when he took office as mayor.

Federal, state, and county representation

Rocky Hill is located in the 12th Congressional District and is part of New Jersey's 16th state legislative district

Politics

As of March 2011, there were a total of 527 registered voters in Rocky Hill, of which 183 (34.7% vs. 26.0% countywide) were registered as Democrats, 190 (36.1% vs. 25.7%) were registered as Republicans and 151 (28.7% vs. 48.2%) were registered as Unaffiliated. There were 3 voters registered to other parties. Among the borough's 2010 Census population, 77.3% (vs. 60.4% in Somerset County) were registered to vote, including 100% of those ages 18 and over (vs. 80.4% countywide).

<!-- PresRow should be -->

|}

In the 2012 presidential election, Democrat Barack Obama received 63.6% of the vote (252 cast), ahead of Republican Mitt Romney with 34.6% (137 votes), and other candidates with 1.8% (7 votes), among the 397 ballots cast by the borough's 532 registered voters (1 ballot was spoiled), for a turnout of 74.6%. In the 2008 presidential election, Democrat Barack Obama received 258 votes (61.0% vs. 52.1% countywide), ahead of Republican John McCain with 154 votes (36.4% vs. 46.1%) and other candidates with 8 votes (1.9% vs. 1.1%), among the 423 ballots cast by the borough's 511 registered voters, for a turnout of 82.8% (vs. 78.7% in Somerset County). In the 2004 presidential election, Democrat John Kerry received 241 votes (56.3% vs. 47.2% countywide), ahead of Republican George W. Bush with 181 votes (42.3% vs. 51.5%) and other candidates with 6 votes (1.4% vs. 0.9%), among the 428 ballots cast by the borough's 501 registered voters, for a turnout of 85.4% (vs. 81.7% in the whole county).