South Brunswick is a township in Middlesex County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey. The township is centrally located within the Raritan Valley region and is an outer-ring suburb of New York City in the New York metropolitan area. As of the 2020 United States census, the township's population was 47,043,
South Brunswick was first mentioned in minutes of the Board of Chosen Freeholders on February 28, 1778, as being formed from the township of New Brunswick. It was formally incorporated as one of New Jersey's initial group of 104 townships on February 21, 1798. Portions of the township have been taken to form Cranbury (as of March 7, 1872) and Plainsboro Township (on April 1, 1919).
Niche.com placed Monmouth Junction in the top 10 of its "2021 Best Places to Live in New Jersey". In 2021, SafeWise placed South Brunswick in the "100 Safest Cities in America".
History
thumb|left|[[Red Maple Farm]]
South Brunswick Township was incorporated by the New Jersey Legislature Act on February 21, 1798. The township got its name from New Brunswick, which in turn was named after the city of Braunschweig (called Brunswick in the Low German language), in the state of Lower Saxony, in Germany. Braunschweig was an influential and powerful city in the Hanseatic League, later in the Holy Roman Empire, and was an administrative seat for the Duchy (and later Principality) of Hanover. Shortly after the first settlement of New Brunswick in colonial New Jersey, George, Duke of Brunswick-Lüneburg, and Elector of Hanover, of the House of Hanover (also known as the House of Brunswick), became King George I of Great Britain (1660–1727). Alternatively, the city derived its name from King George II of Great Britain, the Duke of Brunswick-Lüneburg.
In 1872, the Legislature first reduced the size of South Brunswick by creating Cranbury from the southern portion of South Brunswick. In 1885, it redefined and enlarged the boundaries of Cranbury, and Plainsboro Township was formed in 1919. The present boundaries of South Brunswick date back to this last change.
In 1980, the township's population approached 18,000. In 1990, this figure reached 25,792; by 2020, South Brunswick had over 47,000 residents. Much of the township's remain undeveloped and there are still significant amounts of wetlands, woodlands, and open space within the community.
Geography
According to the United States Census Bureau, the township had a total area of 41.02 square miles (106.23 km<sup>2</sup>), including 40.61 square miles (105.19 km<sup>2</sup>) of land and 0.40 square miles (1.04 km<sup>2</sup>) of water (0.98%).), Deans (1,615), Heathcote (7,154), Kendall Park (9,989), Kingston (1,581) and Monmouth Junction (8,895) are unincorporated communities and census-designated places (CDPs) located within South Brunswick.
Other unincorporated communities, localities and place names located partially or completely within the township include: Cottageville,, Franklin Park, Fresh Ponds, Little Rocky Hill, Sand Hills, South Brunswick Terrace and Ten Mile Run.
Because the township is served by several different zip codes, Dayton, Monmouth Junction, Kendall Park, Kingston, Jamesburg, Cranbury, Princeton and even North Brunswick are often used in place of the township's name, even when referring to areas located beyond their defined boundaries.
Dayton was first known simply as The Cross Roads, where James Whitlock built a tavern on Georges Road around 1750. Early enterprises included a brick manufacturer and a large nursery. In 1866, the name was changed from Cross Roads to Dayton, in honor of William L. Dayton, an attorney for the Freehold and Jamesburg Agricultural Railroad. Dayton had helped settle disputes arising from the location of a railroad right-of-way. He was later a United States Senator, was the first Republican nominee for Vice President (in 1856), and Minister to France.
Deans originated from its location on both Crosswicknung Trail (Georges Road) and Lawrence Brook. Dams were built on the brook, creating Deans Pond.
Kingston's location on the Lenape Assunpink Trail where it crossed the Millstone River was the prime factor in its early prominence. Kingston was by far the most active and important community, being situated on both the heavily traveled King's Road and Millstone River, combining commercial activities of both mills and taverns. The Kingston Village Advisory Committee, jointly appointed by the South Brunswick and Franklin township councils, reports to the South Brunswick township council on matters of concern to residents of Kingston. Kingston has been designated as a Village Center by the New Jersey State Planning Commission and is overseen by an advisory commission that consists of seven members from Franklin Township and South Brunswick.
Monmouth Junction was created as the junction of three rail branches, the New York division of the Pennsylvania Railroad, the Rocky Hill and the Jamesburg and Freehold Railroad.
The Pigeon Swamp Ledger is a 1780 document that is an accounting log of South Brunswick landowners regarding the draining of the Pigeon Swamp. This was made possible by a New Jersey Act of Legislature.
The township borders Cranbury, East Brunswick, Monroe Township, North Brunswick and Plainsboro Township in Middlesex County; Princeton in Mercer County; and Franklin Township in Somerset County.
Climate
South Brunswick is in the humid continental climate zone. Average Winter-time high temperatures range from , and the lows range from degrees with the record low being . Average summer-time high temperatures range from , though temperatures exceed often with the record high being . The summertime lows range from degrees. South Brunswick can receive much snow during the winter months, sometimes up to . About of rain falls every month and is evenly spread throughout the year, though the area can go through long periods of drought or long-lasting periods with little to no rain. During winter and early spring, South Brunswick can in some years experience "nor'easters", which are capable of causing blizzards or flooding throughout the northeastern United States. Hurricanes and tropical storms (such as Hurricane Irene in 2011), tornadoes, and earthquakes are rare.