Piscataway Township (IPA pronunciation: pɪs'kætəˌweɪ) is a Township in Middlesex County, New Jersey, United States. As of the United States 2000 Census, the township population was 50,482.
The name Piscataway derives from its original settlers who lived near the Piscataqua River, whose name derives from Pisgeu (meaning "dark night") and awa ("Place of"), or it may come from the Lenape word meaning "Great Deer". The area was first settled in 1666 by Quakers and Baptists who had left the Puritan colony in New Hampshire.
Piscataway Township was formed on October 31, 1693, and officially incorporated on February 21, 1798. The community, the fifth oldest municipality in New Jersey, has grown from Native American territory, through a colonial period and is one of the links in the earliest settlement of the Atlantic Ocean seacoast that ultimately led to the formation of the United States. Over the years, portions of Piscataway were taken to form Raritan Township (March 17, 1870, now Edison), Dunellen (October 28, 1887), Middlesex (April 9, 1913) and South Plainfield (March 10, 1926).
There were 16,500 households out of which 34.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 60.6% were married couples living together, 10.4% had a female householder with no husband present, and 25.3% were non-families. 19.5% of all households were made up of individuals and 5.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.84 and the average family size was 3.29.
In the township the population was spread out with 21.9% under the age of 18, 14.1% from 18 to 24, 33.3% from 25 to 44, 22.1% from 45 to 64, and 8.7% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 33 years. For every 100 females there were 97.9 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 95.2 males.
The median income for a household in the township was $68,721, and the median income for a family was $75,218. Males had a median income of $47,188 versus $36,271 for females. The per capita income for the township was $26,321. About 2.7% of families and 3.8% of the population were below the poverty line, including 3.3% of those under age 18 and 4.3% of those age 65 or over.
Government
Local government
In November, 1966, Piscataway voters, under the Faulkner Act, approved a Charter Study and elected a Charter Study Commission to recommend the form of Government best suited to Piscataway's needs. The Commission recommended Mayor-Council Plan F, and in November 1967, the voters approved, and the new form of government was inaugurated on January 1, 1969. Under Plan F the Mayor is the administrator and the Council is the legislative body. A full time business administrator, appointed by the Mayor with the advice and consent of the Council, and responsible to the Mayor, supervises the day-by-day operation of municipal government. Terms of office for the Mayor and Council members are four years, on a staggered schedule. There are seven Council members, one representing each of four wards, and three At-Large members.
The Mayor of Piscataway is Brian C. Wahler. Members of the Township Council are:
Federal, state and county representation
Piscataway is in the Sixth Congressional District and is part of New Jersey's 17th Legislative District.
Fire Companies and Rescue Squads
Piscataway is divided into four fire districts which are served by a total of six volunteer fire companies.
District 1
District 2
District 3
District 4
Fire Prevention
Fire District Map
Education
The Piscataway Township Schools serves almost 7,000 students in grades kindergarten through 12 under the leadership of Superintendent of Schools, Robert L. Copeland. In addition to its high school, there are four schools that educate students in kindergarten through third grade, two intermediate schools serving grades 4-5, and three middle schools for students in grades six, seven, and eight.
Schools in the district (with 2003-04 enrollment data from the National Center for Education Statistics) are:
Elementary Schools (Grades K-3)
Intermediate Schools (Grades 4-5)
Middle Schools (Grades 6-8)
High School (Grades 9-12)
Middlesex County Schools In Piscataway:
Private Schools In Piscataway:
Colleges In Piscataway
Points of interest
External links
