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Millburn, New Jersey

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Millburn is a township in Essex County, New Jersey, United States. As of the United States 2000 Census, the township population was 19,765. Millburn Township was created by an act of the New Jersey Legislature on March 20, 1857.

Millburn also includes the hamlet of Short Hills. Millburn is comprised of the historic Wyoming district, and South Mountain and Millburn Center areas. Short Hills contains the sections of Knollwood, Glenwood, Brookhaven, Country Club, Merrywood, Deerfield-Crossroads, Mountaintop, White Oak Ridge, and Old Short Hills Estates.

Millburn is known for its proximity to South Mountain Reservation.

Geography

Panoramic view of Millburn, NJ
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Panoramic view of Millburn, NJ

Millburn is located at [40°44′2″N, 74°19′13″W] (40.733751, -74.320141)[Geographic references#1GR1], less than 20 miles from Manhattan.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the township has a total area of 25.6 km² (9.9 mi²). 24.3 km² (9.4 mi²) of it is land and 1.3 km² (0.5 mi²) of it (5.25%) is water.

The West Branch of the Rahway River runs through downtown Millburn.

Demographics

As of the census[Geographic references#2GR2] of 2000, there were 19,765 people, 7,015 households, and 5,604 families residing in the township. The population density was 813.6/km² (2,106.2/mi²). There were 7,158 housing units at an average density of 294.6/km² (762.8/mi²). The racial makeup of the township was 88.91% White, 8.40% Asian, 1.10% African American, 0.05% Native American, 0.03% Pacific Islander, 0.43% from other races, and 1.08% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 2.04% of the population.

There were 7,015 households out of which 44.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 71.6% were married couples living together, 6.3% had a female householder with no husband present, and 20.1% were non-families. 17.4% of all households were made up of individuals and 7.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.82 and the average family size was 3.19.

In the township the population was spread out with 30.2% under the age of 18, 3.2% from 18 to 24, 28.4% from 25 to 44, 25.1% from 45 to 64, and 13.1% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 39 years. For every 100 females there were 94.1 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 90.2 males.

The median income for a household in the township was $130,848, and the median income for a family was $158,888. Males had a median income of $100,000 versus $51,603 for females. The per capita income for the township was $76,796. About 1.2% of families and 1.5% of the population were below the poverty line, including 1.4% of those under age 18 and 1.0% of those age 65 or over. Millburn is widely considered to be one of the most affluent towns in America.

Millburn has traditionally had one of the largest Jewish communities in Essex County, along with neighboring Livingston and Maplewood. Philip Roth's popular novel Goodbye, Columbus about a newly affluent Jewish family, was set in the Short Hills section of Millburn, and a key scene takes place at the Millburn High School track.

The township has also become very popular with young professionals moving out of Manhattan, thanks to train service to Penn Station in as little as 30 minutes as well a public school system that is widely regarded as one of the best in the nation.

Government

Local government

Downtown Millburn
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Downtown Millburn

Since its incorporation as a municipality in 1857, Millburn has operated under the Township Committee form of government. A Business Administrator manages the day-to-day functions of the Township.

The Township Committee is made up of five members elected to staggered, three-year terms. At the Committee’s organizational meeting each January, one member is elected to serve as chairman for a twelve-month term and another is chosen to serve as vice chairman. Under state statute the chairman of a Township Committee also holds the title of mayor.

Members of the Township Committee are Mayor Daniel J. Baer, (term expires on December 31, 2007), Deputy Mayor James F. Suell (2008), Sandra H. Haimoff (2006), Thomas C. McDermott (2007), Ellen Steinberg (2008)[Mayor and Township Committee], accessed March 4, 2006.

Federal, state and county representation

Millburn is split between the Seventh and Eleventh Congressional Districts and is part of New Jersey's 21st Legislative District.

New Jersey's Seventh Congressional District, covering portions of Hunterdon County, Middlesex County, Somerset County and Union County, is represented by Mike Ferguson (R). New Jersey's Eleventh Congressional District, covering western portions of Essex County, all of Morris County, and sections of Passaic County, Somerset County and Sussex County, is represented by Rodney Frelinghuysen (R, Harding Township). New Jersey is represented in the Senate by Frank Lautenberg (D, Cliffside Park) and Robert Menendez (D, Union City).

The 21st legislative district of the New Jersey Legislature is represented in the State Senate by Thomas Kean Jr. (R, Westfield) and in the Assembly by Jon Bramnick (R, Westfield) and Eric Munoz (R, Summit). The Governor of New Jersey is Jon Corzine (D, Hoboken).

Essex County's County Executive is Joseph N. DiVincenzo, Jr. The executive, along with the Board of Chosen Freeholders administer all county business. Essex County's Freeholders are Freeholder President Johnny Jones, Freeholder Vice President Patricia Sebold, Freeholder-At-Large Blonnie R. Watson, Freeholder-At-Large Donald M. Payne, Jr., Freeholder District 1 Samuel Gonzalez, Freeholder District 2 D. Bilal Beasley, Freeholder District 3 Carol Y. Clark, Freeholder District 4 Linda Lordi Cavanaugh and Freeholder District 5 Ralph R. Caputo.

Politics

On the national level, Millburn leans toward the Democratic Party. In 2004, Democrat John Kerry received 55 percent of the vote here, defeating Republican George W. Bush, who received around 44 percent.

Education

The Millburn Township Public Schools serve students in prekinderagrten through twelfth grade. Schools in the district consist of five K-5 elementary schools ( [Deerfield Elementary School], [Glenwood Elementary School], [Hartshorn Elementary School], [South Mountain Elementary School] and [Wyoming Elementary School]) and [Millburn Middle School], which serves prekindergarten through eighth grade. Millburn High School, which serves grades 9-12, was recently ranked as Number 148 in Newsweek Magazine's recent listing of "America's Best High Schools" in the August 5, 2005 issue["America's Best High Schools"], Newsweek Magazine, August 5, 2005. Factors contributing to the ranking include campus size, number of classes, average GPA, and a large Advanced Placement course enrollment.

Far Brook School is a private, nonsectarian coeducational day school located in the Short Hills section of Millburn, serving students in nursery through eighth grade. The school has a total enrollment of 197 students.

Transportation

Millburn Township is served by two New Jersey Transit railroad stations along the Morristown Line: the Millburn station, located at the intersection of Essex Avenue and Lackawanna Place near the Millburn Free Public Library, and the Short Hills station, located near The Crescent Street between Hobart Avenue and Chatham Road. The latter station is also the site of the [Millburn-Short Hills Historical Society] museum.

In addition, New Jersey Transit operates multiple bus lines along Millburn and Essex Avenues, including line NJT-70 that stops at the Millburn RR station.

Points of interest

References

External links

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