Location of Clinton Township in Hunterdon County highlighted in yellow (right). Inset map: Location of Hunterdon County in New Jersey highlighted in black (left).
According to the United States Census Bureau, the township had a total area of 33.87 square miles (87.72 km2), including 29.87 square miles (77.36 km2) of land and 4.00 square miles (10.36 km2) of water (11.81%).[1][2]
Cushetunk Mountain is a ring-shaped mountain located in Readington Township and Clinton Township. Once an active volcano, the diabase mountain was formed 160 million years ago. The Lenape called the mountain "Cushetunk" meaning "place of hogs".[31] In the 1960s, the valley was filled with water to create Round Valley Reservoir, at 180 feet (55 m) in depth the second-deepest in the state.[32]
Of the 4,568 households, 36.6% had children under the age of 18; 67.3% were married couples living together; 5.6% had a female householder with no husband present and 24.6% were non-families. Of all households, 20.6% were made up of individuals and 6.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.68 and the average family size was 3.14.[18]
24.1% of the population were under the age of 18, 12.0% from 18 to 24, 20.3% from 25 to 44, 33.0% from 45 to 64, and 10.7% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 40.9 years. For every 100 females, the population had 116.2 males. For every 100 females ages 18 and older there were 121.3 males.[18]
The Census Bureau's 2006–2010 American Community Survey showed that (in 2010 inflation-adjusted dollars) median household income was $120,565 (with a margin of error of +/− $6,904) and the median family income was $147,689 (+/− $10,532). Males had a median income of $106,898 (+/− $7,766) versus $73,264 (+/− $11,810) for females. The per capita income for the borough was $52,700 (+/− $6,064). About 1.7% of families and 2.3% of the population were below the poverty line, including 3.7% of those under age 18 and 2.0% of those age 65 or over.[40]
As of the 2000 United States census[15] there were 12,957 people, 4,129 households, and 3,253 families residing in the township. The population density was 431.9 inhabitants per square mile (166.8/km2). There were 4,234 housing units at an average density of 141.1 per square mile (54.5/km2). The racial makeup of the township was 87.71% White, 6.96% African American, 0.20% Native American, 2.35% Asian, 0.07% Pacific Islander, 1.59% from other races, and 1.12% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 3.91% of the population.[38][39]
There were 4,129 households, out of which 42.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 73.1% were married couples living together, 4.1% had a female householder with no husband present, and 21.2% were non-families. 17.4% of all households were made up of individuals, and 5.1% 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 3.23.[38][39]
In the township the population was spread out, with 26.2% under the age of 18, 11.1% from 18 to 24, 28.8% from 25 to 44, 26.5% from 45 to 64, and 7.3% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females, there were 118.4 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 124.8 males.[38][39]
The median income for a household in the township was $96,570, and the median income for a family was $106,448. Males had a median income of $77,229 versus $46,762 for females. The per capita income for the township was $37,264. About 0.3% of families and 0.9% of the population were below the poverty line, including none of those under age 18 and 3.6% of those age 65 or over.[38][39]
Clinton Township is governed within the Faulkner Act, formally known as the Optional Municipal Charter Law, under the Small Municipality form of government. The township is one of 18 municipalities (of the 564) statewide that use this form of government, which is available as an option only for municipalities with a population of under 12,000 at the time of adoption.[43] The government is comprised of the mayor and the four-member township council, with all positions elected at-large on a partisan basis as part of the November general elections. A mayor is elected directly by the voters to a three-year term of office. Council members serve a term of three years, which are staggered so that two council seats come up for election each year that the mayor's seat does not come up for vote.[6][44]
The mayor is the township's executive official and is responsible for selecting the Municipal Clerk and Assessor, which are subject to confirmation by the township council. The council is the township's legislative body and is responsible for ordinances, resolutions and the annual budget, as well as most hiring other than those positions delegated to the mayor. The mayor presides over and is eligible to vote at council meetings, but has no veto power.[45]
As of 2023[update], the Clinton Township Council consists of Mayor Brian Mullay (R, term ends December 31, 2023), Council President Marc H. Strauss (R, 2024), William A. Glaser Jr. (R, 2025), Thomas Kochanowski (R, 2024) and Amy Switlyk (R, 2025).[3][46][47][48][49][50][51]
In January 2021, the township council selected Bill Glaser from a list of three candidates submitted by the Republican municipal committee to fill the council seat expiring in December 2022 that became vacant when Brian Mullay took office as mayor.[52] Glaser served on an interim basis until the November 2021 general election, when he was chosen to serve the balance of the term of office.[50]
Hunterdon County is governed by a Board of Chosen Commissioners composed of five members who are elected at-large on a partisan basis to serve three-year terms of office on a staggered basis, with either one or two seats up for election each year as part of the November general election. At an annual reorganization meeting held each January, the commissioners select one member to serve as the board's Director and another to serve as Deputy Director, each for a one-year term.[60][61] As of 2024[update], Hunterdon County's Commissioners are:
As of March 2011, there were a total of 8,817 registered voters in Clinton Township, of which 1,433 (16.3%) were registered as Democrats, 3,861 (43.8%) were registered as Republicans and 3,517 (39.9%) were registered as Unaffiliated. There were 6 voters registered as Libertarians or Greens.[74]
In the 2012 presidential election, Republican Mitt Romney received 61.1% of the vote (4,265 cast), ahead of Democrat Barack Obama with 37.6% (2,628 votes), and other candidates with 1.3% (90 votes), among the 7,023 ballots cast by the township's 9,298 registered voters (40 ballots were spoiled), for a turnout of 75.5%.[75][76] In the 2008 presidential election, Republican John McCain received 58.7% of the vote (4,279 cast), ahead of Democrat Barack Obama with 39.2% (2,859 votes) and other candidates with 1.3% (98 votes), among the 7,289 ballots cast by the township's 8,975 registered voters, for a turnout of 81.2%.[77] In the 2004 presidential election, Republican George W. Bush received 64.0% of the vote (4,389 ballots cast), outpolling Democrat John Kerry with 34.1% (2,340 votes) and other candidates with 0.7% (60 votes), among the 6,863 ballots cast by the township's 8,143 registered voters, for a turnout percentage of 84.3.[78]
In the 2013 gubernatorial election, Republican Chris Christie received 76.4% of the vote (3,195 cast), ahead of Democrat Barbara Buono with 21.5% (899 votes), and other candidates with 2.1% (89 votes), among the 4,261 ballots cast by the township's 9,144 registered voters (78 ballots were spoiled), for a turnout of 46.6%.[79][80] In the 2009 gubernatorial election, Republican Chris Christie received 70.5% of the vote (3,662 ballots cast), ahead of Democrat Jon Corzine with 20.4% (1,058 votes), Independent Chris Daggett with 7.5% (391 votes) and other candidates with 0.6% (30 votes), among the 5,196 ballots cast by the township's 8,869 registered voters, yielding a 58.6% turnout.[81]
Eighth grade students from all of Hunterdon County are eligible to apply to attend the high school programs offered by the Hunterdon County Vocational School District, a county-wide vocational school district that offers career and technical education at its campuses in Raritan Township and at programs sited at local high schools, with no tuition charged to students for attendance.[97]
As of May 2010[update], the township had a total of 119.00 miles (191.51 km) of roadways, of which 86.79 miles (139.67 km) were maintained by the municipality, 17.20 miles (27.68 km) by Hunterdon County and 15.01 miles (24.16 km) by the New Jersey Department of Transportation.[101]
Annandale is an NJ Transit railroad station on the Raritan Valley Line, in the Annandale section of Clinton Township. There is a station building that is no longer used and there are two small shelters. This station has limited weekday service and no weekend service. NJ Transit offers bus service on the 884 route.[106]
^ abMayor and Council, Clinton Township. Accessed May 3, 2023. "Clinton Township has a Faulkner Act Small Municipality form of government, with the Mayor and Council comprising the legislative body. The Mayor and each member of Council are elected at large to 3 year terms."
^Form of Government, Clinton Township. Accessed May 3, 2023. "The Township of Clinton's government consists of a Mayor and four Council members, all elected at-large.... This form of Government is known as 'Plan C', one of various options within the 'Small Municipality Plan' among possible new categories of municipal charters."
^Primerano, Jane. "Clinton Township appoints newest council member", New Jersey Hills, February 1, 2021. Accessed June 24, 2022. "Bill Glaser is the township’s newest councilman, as of the Township Council’s Wednesday, Jan. 27, meeting. The council selected Glaser over two other Republicans nominated by the township Republican Committee, David Powlowski and Jason Keifer.... They did so again on Wednesday to fill the vacancy left by Mullay's election as mayor, replacing outgoing Mayor John Higgins, whose term ended in December."
^Board of County Commissioners, Hunterdon County, New Jersey. Accessed March 1, 2023. "As top governing officials of Hunterdon County, the five Commissioners are chosen by popular vote in the November general elections. The term of office is for two or three years and the current compensation is $16,000 a year, with an extra $1,000 for the Director. One or two of the five members is elected each year."
^Clinton Township Board of Education District Policy 0110 - Identification, Clinton Township School District. Accessed August 25, 2022. "Purpose: The Board of Education exists for the purpose of providing a thorough and efficient system of free public education in grades Pre-Kindergarten through eight in the Clinton Township School District. Composition: The Clinton Township School District is comprised of all the area within the municipal boundaries of Clinton Township."
^Clinton Township Middle School 2016 Report Card Narrative, New Jersey Department of Education. Accessed February 18, 2020. "Opened in 2007, the Clinton Township Middle School is the newest school in the district. It serves approximately 415 seventh and eighth grade students. The student body is comprised of Clinton Township students, Lebanon Borough students, and a number of School Choice students."
^Information Regarding Choice of District School, North Hunterdon-Voorhees Regional High School District. Accessed January 2, 2015. "In the past, parents and students of the North Hunterdon High School sending districts were able to select either North Hunterdon High School or Voorhees High School as their school of choice.... As our student population continued to grow and our two high schools reached, and exceeded, 90% capacity, the option of choosing Voorhees was eliminated in the 2005-2006 school year for the North Hunterdon sending districts (Bethlehem Township, Clinton Township, Franklin Township, Lebanon Borough and Union Township – Clinton Town students still have choice as they are classmates at Clinton Public School with Glen Gardner students, who attend Voorhees)."
^Voorhees High School 2015 Report Card Narrative, New Jersey Department of Education. Accessed June 3, 2016. "Voorhees High School has consistently ranked among the top high schools in New Jersey and was named a National Blue Ribbon School in 2015. With an enrollment of 1,095 students in grades 9-12, the school serves the communities of Califon, Glen Gardner, Hampton, High Bridge, Lebanon Township, and Tewksbury Township."
^Heyboer, Kelly. "How to get your kid a seat in one of N.J.'s hardest-to-get-into high schools", NJ Advance Media for NJ.com, May 2017. Accessed November 18, 2019. "Hunterdon County's vo-tech district has three academies for high-achieving students, all operating in partnerships with local high schools.... The academies are open to all students in the county. Students in the 8th grade are required to submit an application, schedule an interview and take a placement exam."
^Rundquist, Jeanette. "15 N.J. schools named as national 'Blue Ribbon' winners", The Star-Ledger, September 24, 2013. Accessed September 25, 2013. "Five Catholic schools, six county vocational-technical schools and a Yeshiva are among the list of honored schools in New Jersey. Also named as 2013 Blue Ribbon Schools were Dover, Harrison and Wildwood high schools."
^Hunterdon County Short Line Rail StudyArchived January 20, 2022, at the Wayback Machine, p. 9. Hunterdon County, New Jersey Planning Board, September 1998. Accessed November 15, 2019. "The Lehigh Line is a major regional line that connects the Allentown-Bethlehem-Easton (PA) metropolitan hub with the Newark (NJ) metropolitan area. The Lehigh Line enters the County at the Borough of Bloomsbury and passes through the Townships of Bethlehem, Union, Franklin, Clinton, and Raritan before exiting the County at the southern tip of Readington Township."