Pennsauken Township, New Jersey


Pennsauken Township is a township in Camden County, in the US state of New Jersey, and a suburb of Philadelphia. As of the 2010 United States Census, the township's population was 35,885, reflecting an increase of 148 from the 35,737 counted in the 2000 Census, which had in turn increased by 999 from the 34,738 counted in the 1990 Census.

History

Pennsauken Township was incorporated as a township by an act of the New Jersey Legislature on February 18, 1892, from portions of the now-defunct Stockton Township.
The exact origin of the name Pennsauken is unclear, but it probably derives from the language of the Lenni Lenape people from "Pindasenauken", the Lenape language term for "tobacco pouch". Alternatively, the "Penn" in the township's name refers to William Penn, while "sauk" is a water inlet or outlet.
Pennsauken was home to America's first drive-in movie theater, created in 1933 with the opening of the Camden Drive-In in Pennsauken. It featured the comedy Wives Beware, released in the theaters as Two White Arms.
For 50 years, the township was the home to the Pennsauken Mart, a large multi-vendor indoor market, which was closed in January 2006 to make way for a sports arena/conference complex, however that did not materialize. In its place in 2018 a new high-end luxury apartment complex will be built-Haddon Point. Most of the vendors moved to the Grand Market Place in Willingboro Township.

Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau, the township had a total area of 12.082 square miles, including 10.435 square miles of land and 1.647 square miles of water.
Unincorporated communities, localities and place names located partially or completely within the township include Amon Heights, Bethel, Biedemon, Delair, Delair Station, Delaware Gardens, Dudley, East Pennsauken, Fish House, Hillcrest, Homesteadville, Jordantown, Merchantville Park, Morris, Morrisville, North Pennsville and Wellwood.
The township includes Petty's Island, a island in the Delaware River although most of the island actually sits across a narrow strait from neighboring Camden. Once an oil storage and distribution facility, the island is now the site of a container cargo shipping operation and nesting bald eagles. Petty's Island is currently in the process of being turned over to the State of New Jersey by Citgo to be transformed to a new state park and nature center.
Pennsauken borders Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The two municipalities are connected across the Delaware River by the Betsy Ross Bridge which is owned and operated by the Delaware River Port Authority. In New Jersey, Pennsauken borders Camden, Cherry Hill, Collingswood and Merchantville in Camden County, and Cinnaminson Township, Maple Shade Township and Palmyra in Burlington County.

Demographics

Census 2010

The Census Bureau's 2006–2010 American Community Survey showed that median household income was $57,241 and the median family income was $65,910. Males had a median income of $47,651 versus $39,229 for females. The per capita income for the borough was $26,048. About 6.4% of families and 8.9% of the population were below the poverty line, including 12.4% of those under age 18 and 6.7% of those age 65 or over.

Census 2000

As of the 2000 United States Census there were 35,737 people, 12,389 households, and 9,093 families residing in the township. The population density was 3,392.4 people per square mile. There were 12,945 housing units at an average density of 1,228.8 per square mile. The racial makeup of the township was 60.10% White, 24.18% African American, 0.35% Native American, 4.58% Asian, 0.02% Pacific Islander, 8.27% from other races, and 2.51% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 14.34% of the population.
There were 12,389 households out of which 36.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 51.6% were married couples living together, 16.2% had a female householder with no husband present, and 26.6% were non-families. 23.1% of all households were made up of individuals and 10.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.83 and the average family size was 3.34.
In the township the age distribution of the population shows 27.5% under the age of 18, 7.6% from 18 to 24, 29.7% from 25 to 44, 21.1% from 45 to 64, and 14.2% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females, there were 91.9 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 86.8 males.
The median income for a household in the township was $47,538, and the median income for a family was $52,760. Males had a median income of $37,652 versus $30,100 for females. The per capita income for the township was $19,004. About 6.1% of families and 8.0% of the population were below the poverty line, including 10.1% of those under age 18 and 8.0% of those age 65 or over.

Economy

Pennsauken is home to a large industrial park that includes a Pepsi bottling plant and J & J Snack Foods.

Government

Local government

Pennsauken Township is governed under the Township form of New Jersey municipal government, one of 141 of 565 municipalities statewide that use this form, the second-most commonly used form of government in the state. The Township Committee is comprised of five members, who are elected directly by the voters at-large in partisan elections to serve three-year terms of office on a staggered basis, with either one or two seats coming up for election each year as part of the November general election in a three-year cycle. At an annual reorganization meeting, the Township Committee selects one of its members to serve as Mayor and another as Deputy Mayor, each serving a one-year term.
, members of the Pennsauken Township Committee are Mayor Tim Killion, Deputy Mayor Marco DiBattista, Almar "Al" Dyer, Elizabeth W. "Betsy" McBride and Jessica Rafeh.
In July 2019, the Township Committee appointed Tim Killion to fill the seat expiring in December 2020 that had been held by former Mayor Jack Killion until he resigned from office the previous month; Betsy McBride was selected to replace Jack Killion as mayor. In November 2020, Killion was elected to serve the balance of the term of office.

Federal, state and county representation

Pennsauken Township is located in the 1st Congressional District and is part of New Jersey's 6th state legislative district. Prior to the 2011 reapportionment following the 2010 Census, Pennsauken Township had been in the 7th state legislative district.

Politics

As of March 23, 2011, there were a total of 22,704 registered voters in Pennsauken Township, of which 9,989 were registered as Democrats, 2,263 were registered as Republicans and 10,443 were registered as Unaffiliated. There were 9 voters registered to other parties.
In the 2012 presidential election, Democrat Barack Obama received 78.4% of the vote, ahead of Republican Mitt Romney with 20.8%, and other candidates with 0.9%, among the 15,722 ballots cast by the township's 24,313 registered voters, for a turnout of 64.7%. In the 2008 presidential election, Democrat Barack Obama received 74.0% of the vote, ahead of Republican John McCain, who received around 23.2%, with 16,485 ballots cast among the township's 21,669 registered voters, for a turnout of 76.1%. In the 2004 presidential election, Democrat John Kerry received 63.7% of the vote, outpolling Republican George W. Bush, who received around 32.1%, with 14,726 ballots cast among the township's 20,846 registered voters, for a turnout percentage of 70.6.
In the 2013 gubernatorial election, Democrat Barbara Buono received 51.4% of the vote, ahead of Republican Chris Christie with 44.3%, and other candidates with 4.2%, among the 915 ballots cast by the borough's 2,793 registered voters, for a turnout of 32.8%. In the 2009 gubernatorial election, Democrat Jon Corzine received 64.% of the vote, ahead of both Republican Chris Christie with 28.8% and Independent Chris Daggett with 4.2%, with 8,745 ballots cast among the township's 22,497 registered voters, yielding a 38.9% turnout.

Education

The Pennsauken Public Schools serve public school students in pre-kindergarten through twelfth grade. As of the 2018–19 school year, the district, comprised of nine schools, had an enrollment of 4,785 students and 395.5 classroom teachers, for a student–teacher ratio of 12.1:1. Schools in the district are
Baldwin Early Childhood Learning Center,
Carson Elementary School,
Delair Elementary School,
George B. Fine Elementary School,
Benjamin Franklin Elementary School,
Pennsauken Intermediate School,
Howard M. Phifer Middle School,
Alfred E. Burling High School and
Pennsauken High School. Students from Merchantville attend the district's high school as part of a sending/receiving relationship with the Merchantville School District. The Merchantville district has sought to end the relationship with the Pennsauken school and send its students to Haddon Heights High School.
Also available in the township is the Pennsauken Technical High School, which offers day and evening technical and vocational education to students from across the county.
Bishop Eustace Preparatory School is a coeducational, private high school for students in grades 9-12, founded in 1954 by the priests and brothers of the Society of the Catholic Apostolate. St. Cecilia School is a K-8 elementary school that operates under the auspices of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Camden.

Transportation

Roads and highways

, the township had a total of of roadways, of which were maintained by the municipality, by Camden County, by the New Jersey Department of Transportation and by the Delaware River Port Authority.
Major roads through the township include Route 130, the largest highway through the township, which intersects with Route 73 in the northern part of the township, near the Cinnaminson Township border. Route 90 is a short highway leading to the Betsy Ross Bridge, which connects the township with Philadelphia. Owned and operated by the Delaware River Port Authority, the bridge stretches between abutments and opened to traffic on April 30, 1976. New Jersey Route 38 and Route 70 merge westbound in the eastern part of the township near the Cherry Hill border and U.S. Route 30 at the border with Camden. US 130 and 30 and NJ 38 and 70 converge at the Airport Circle in the southern section of Pennsauken Township.
CR 537 passes through in the south while CR 543 travels through in the north.

Public transportation

The township hosts three NJ Transit rail stops. The Pennsauken-Route 73 and 36th Street stations on the River Line offer service between Trenton and Camden. The Pennsauken Transit Center on River Road features a transfer between the River Line and the Atlantic City Line, which provides rail service between Atlantic City and Philadelphia. The station was constructed at a cost of $40 million and opened for commuters in October 2013.
Daily NJ Transit bus service between the township and Philadelphia is available on routes 317, 404, 406, and 409. Additional service to Philadelphia is available through routes 414 and 417, which run on weekdays during morning and evening rush hours. The township is also serviced by intrastate or
local routes 405, 407, 413, and 419, as well as express route 418.

Notable people

People who were born in, residents of, or otherwise closely associated with Pennsauken Township include: