Both East Windsor and West Windsor were formed when Windsor Township was split on February 9, 1797, while the area was still part of Middlesex County. It was incorporated by an act of the New Jersey Legislature on February 21, 1798, as one of New Jersey's initial group of 104 townships. Portions of the township were taken to form Hightstown borough (March 5, 1853, within East Windsor; became independent c. 1894) and Washington Township (March 11, 1860, and known as Robbinsville Township since 2007).[23] The township was named for Windsor Township, which was named for Windsor, England.[24]
According to the United States Census Bureau, the township had a total area of 15.66 square miles (40.55 km2), including 15.57 square miles (40.32 km2) of land and 0.09 square miles (0.23 km2) of water (0.57%).[1][2]
Twin Rivers (2010 Census population of 7,443[25]) is an unincorporated community and census-designated place (CDP) located within East Windsor Township.[26] According to "New Jersey: A Guide to the State" by Barbara Westergaard, Twin Rivers was "New Jersey's first planned unit development" and "has attracted the scrutiny of countless researchers, from sociologists and anthropologists to specialists in energy conservation." Other unincorporated communities, localities and place names located completely or partially within East Windsor include Allens Station,[citation needed] Eilers Corner, Etra, Hickory Corner, Locust Corner, Millstone[citation needed] and Washington Oak.[27]
The 2010 United States census counted 27,190 people, 10,224 households, and 7,167 families in the township. The population density was 1,737.6 per square mile (670.9/km2). There were 10,851 housing units at an average density of 693.4 per square mile (267.7/km2). The racial makeup was 62.08% (16,880) White, 8.62% (2,343) Black or African American, 0.53% (145) Native American, 17.66% (4,802) Asian, 0.06% (16) Pacific Islander, 8.31% (2,260) from other races, and 2.74% (744) from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 19.64% (5,340) of the population.[20]
Of the 10,224 households, 34.7% had children under the age of 18; 56.3% were married couples living together; 10.1% had a female householder with no husband present and 29.9% were non-families. Of all households, 25.0% were made up of individuals and 9.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.65 and the average family size was 3.18.[20]
24.2% of the population were under the age of 18, 6.7% from 18 to 24, 30.7% from 25 to 44, 26.8% from 45 to 64, and 11.6% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38.2 years. For every 100 females, the population had 95.2 males. For every 100 females ages 18 and older there were 92.1 males.[20]
The Census Bureau's 2006–2010 American Community Survey showed that (in 2010 inflation-adjusted dollars) median household income was $84,503 (with a margin of error of +/− $4,345) and the median family income was $100,411 (+/− $4,485). Males had a median income of $70,057 (+/− $6,291) versus $44,089 (+/− $2,948) for females. The per capita income for the borough was $37,876 (+/− $1,490). About 3.0% of families and 5.0% of the population were below the poverty line, including 4.2% of those under age 18 and 5.4% of those age 65 or over.[44]
As of the 2000 United States census[14] there were 24,919 people, 9,448 households, and 6,556 families residing in the township. The population density was 1,592.8 inhabitants per square mile (615.0/km2). There were 9,880 housing units at an average density of 631.5 per square mile (243.8/km2). The racial makeup of the township was 74.42% White, 8.90% African American, 0.20% Native American, 9.55% Asian, 0.12% Pacific Islander, 4.61% from other races, and 2.20% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 14.28% of the population.[42][43]
There were 9,448 households, out of which 34.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 55.6% were married couples living together, 9.6% had a female householder with no husband present, and 30.6% were non-families. 24.6% of all households were made up of individuals, and 6.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.61 and the average family size was 3.12.[42][43]
The population of the township was spread out, with 24.0% under the age of 18, 7.6% from 18 to 24, 35.2% from 25 to 44, 24.9% from 45 to 64, and 8.3% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females, there were 95.2 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 91.6 males.[42][43]
The median income for a household in the township was $63,616, and the median income for a family was $73,461. Males had a median income of $50,875 versus $35,260 for females. The per capita income for the township was $28,695. About 2.8% of families and 5.3% of the population were below the poverty line, including 4.3% of those under age 18 and 8.1% of those age 65 or over.[42][43]
Pharmaceutical firms located in East Windsor include Hovione, CoreTech, Aprecia, Sabinsa, Novotec, Aurobindo and Windsor Labs.[45]
For shopping, numerous businesses are dotted along U.S. Route 130 in the township. Neighboring Hightstown's Downtown has restaurants, boutiques, art galleries and historical sites.[46][47]Downtown Hightstown, Inc., established in 2008, is an organization of businesses owners and stakeholders in the community of Hightstown, dedicated to promoting the "unique ability to be a town big enough to provide a diverse offering of business services while being small enough to offer excellent personal service to residents, visitors and customers."[48]
East Windsor has been governed since 1970[49] within the Faulkner Act, formally known as the Optional Municipal Charter Law, under the Council-Manager form of government. The township is one of 42 municipalities (of the 564) statewide that use this form of government.[50] The council is comprised of seven members elected at-large for four-year terms of office on a staggered basis, with either three or four seats up for vote in odd-numbered years as part of the November general election.[49] In a reorganization meeting held each January, the council selects a mayor and a deputy mayor from among its members for a one-year term.[49][6][51][52]
As of 2023[update], members of the East Windsor Council are Mayor Janice S. Mironov (D, term on council ends December 31, 2027; term as mayor ends 2025), Deputy Mayor David Russell (D, term on council and as deputy mayor ends 2025), Denise Daniels (D, 2025), Anthony Katawick (D, 2027), Marc Lippman (D, 2027), Johnnie Whittington (D, 2025; elected to serve an unexpired term) and John Zoller (D, 2027).[3][53][54][55][56]
Johnnie Whittington was appointed to fill a seat expiring in December 2025 that became vacant following the death of Alan Rosenberg and served on an interim basis until the November 2023 election when he was chosen by voters to serve the balance of the term of office.[57]
In December 2015, the Township Council appointed Denise Daniels to fill the seat expiring in December 2017 that became vacant following the death of Hector Duke earlier that month.[58]
Designed during the 1970s energy crisis and constructed in 1982, the township's municipal building was erected within a landscaped man-made hill, with only its south side exposed. The design allows the building to maintain a comfortable climate inside for most of the year, with greatly reduced energy needs.[59] The passive solar design allows the building to reduce energy consumption by 60% compared to conventional office buildings of the same size.[60]
On February 24, 2022, the computer servers of the East Windsor Municipal Offices were breached.[61] Numerous residents contacted the Township to report the issue, which went unacknowledged for nearly two weeks. East Windsor officials said they first became aware of a municipal cyber breach on March 7, but a letter confirming receipt of an insurance claim contains a loss date from six days earlier.[62] The Windsor-Hights Herald contacted Mayor Mironov by email March 7 and March 14 for comment and explanation, but she did not respond.[63] By March 17, the Township was still attempting to restore operations.[64] Several residents who were professional IT managers and cybersecurity experts offered to assist for free, but were never contacted back by the township.[65] Two months after the initial incident, Township officials had not divulged who was behind the hack or any of the steps taken to prevent future incidents.[66] On May 9, a local cybersecurity expert[67] filed a 13-item Open Public Records Act request with the Township, including requests for "All documentation as to the scope and nature of the incident that is currently known” and “all documentation as to what personal records were released”. Those records were received on May 19 by the resident and the Windsor-Hights Herald. The records contradicted the timeline provided by the Township.[68] The incident received national and international coverage, as it was reported nationally by MSN.[69] It was reported on NJ.com on May 10 that while the Township had claimed to first be aware of the breach on March 7, the Township had actually submitted an insurance claim six days earlier. On May 26, it was reported that unauthorized access to the system also allowed access to certain data relating to individuals associated with the township.[70] It was reported on May 31, 2022, that Township Manager Jim Brady received an email March 2 from a cyber threat intelligence analyst from the New Jersey Cybersecurity and Communications Integration Cell (NJCCIC), which stated that the agency's email security tool had picked up a few emails that used a display name to spoof—or impersonate—East Windsor Township email users. Brady replied March 3 to the cyber threat intelligence analyst, and wrote that the Township was aware of the issue despite the later claim that the Township was not yet aware of the incident[71] It was also reported that over 900 people have had their personal information compromised—potentially including their birth date, driver's license and social security number—following the cyber breach.[72]
East Windsor is served by East Windsor Rescue Squad District I (Squad 142)[73] and Rescue Squad District II (Squad 146).[74] Fire protection is provided by East Windsor Volunteer Fire Department 1 (Station 42)[75] and Volunteer Fire Department 2 (Station 46).[76] The Township is split for faster response times, with Rescue Squad District II and Fire Department 2 serving Twin Rivers and the eastern portion of the Township.[77]
The East Windsor Police Department, located on One Mile Road, is led by Chief James A. Geary,[78] and employs 30 uniformed patrol and Traffic Enforcement Officers, 5 Detectives, 7 Dispatchers and Communications Officers and two Animal Control Officers, for a total of 43 sworn officers.[79]
Mercer County is governed by a County Executive who oversees the day-to-day operations of the county and by a seven-member Board of County Commissioners that acts in a legislative capacity, setting policy. All officials are chosen at-large in partisan elections, with the executive serving a four-year term of office while the commissioners serve three-year terms of office on a staggered basis, with either two or three seats up for election each year as part of the November general election.[90] As of 2024[update], the County Executive is Daniel R. Benson (D, Hamilton Township) whose term of office ends December 31, 2027.[91] Mercer County's Commissioners are:
Mercer County's constitutional officers are:
Clerk Paula Sollami-Covello (D, Lawrence Township, 2025),[101][102]
Sheriff John A. Kemler (D, Hamilton Township, 2026)[103][104] and
Surrogate Diane Gerofsky (D, Lawrence Township, 2026).[105][106][107]
As of March 2011, there were a total of 14,729 registered voters in East Windsor, of which 5,194 (35.3%) were registered as Democrats, 2,120 (14.4%) were registered as Republicans and 7,396 (50.2%) were registered as Unaffiliated. There were 19 voters registered as Libertarians or Greens.[108]
In the 2012 presidential election, Democrat Barack Obama received 66.0% of the vote (7,156 cast), ahead of Republican Mitt Romney with 32.7% (3,548 votes) and other candidates with 1.3% (143 votes), among the 11,821 ballots cast by the township's 15,852 registered voters (974 ballots were spoiled), for a turnout of 74.6%.[111][114] In the 2008 presidential election, Democrat Barack Obama received 66.5% of the vote (7,659 cast), ahead of Republican John McCain with 31.4% (3,624 votes) and other candidates with 1.2% (136 votes), among the 11,524 ballots cast by the township's 15,401 registered voters, for a turnout of 74.8%.[112]
In the 2013 gubernatorial election, Republican Chris Christie received 58.4% of the vote (3,736 cast), ahead of Democrat Barbara Buono with 39.7% (2,537 votes) and other candidates with 1.9% (119 votes), among the 6,536 ballots cast by the township's 15,663 registered voters (144 ballots were spoiled), for a turnout of 41.7%.[117][120] In the 2009 gubernatorial election, Democrat Jon Corzine received 47.2% of the vote (3,439 ballots cast), ahead of Republican Chris Christie with 45.5% (3,319 votes), Independent Chris Daggett with 5.6% (411 votes) and other candidates with 1.1% (79 votes), among the 7,288 ballots cast by the township's 14,999 registered voters, yielding a 48.6% turnout.[118]
Schools in the district (with 2022–23 enrollment data from the National Center for Education Statistics[125]) are
Walter C. Black Elementary School[126] with 480 students in grades K-2,
Ethel McKnight Elementary School[127] with 589 students in grades K-2,
Perry L. Drew Elementary School[128] with 579 students in grades 3-5,
Grace N. Rogers Elementary School[129] with 611 students in grades PreK / 3-5,
Melvin H. Kreps Middle School[130] with 1,176 students in grades 6-8 and
Hightstown High School[131] with 1,644 students in grades 9-12.[132][133][134]
Eighth grade students from all of Mercer County are eligible to apply to attend the high school programs offered by the Mercer County Technical Schools, a county-wide vocational school district that offers full-time career and technical education at its Health Sciences Academy, STEM Academy and Academy of Culinary Arts, with no tuition charged to students for attendance.[135][136]
As of May 2010[update], the township had a total of 93.45 miles (150.39 km) of roadways, of which 68.99 miles (111.03 km) were maintained by the municipality, 10.71 miles (17.24 km) by Mercer County, 9.80 miles (15.77 km) by the New Jersey Department of Transportation and 3.95 miles (6.36 km) by the New Jersey Turnpike Authority.[137]
Several major highways serve East Windsor.[138] The most prominent among them is the New Jersey Turnpike (Interstate 95).[139] One exit, Exit 8, is located within East Windsor, connecting the turnpike to Route 33[140] and Route 133 ("Hightstown Bypass").[141] Route 33 runs east to west across the southern and eastern portions of the township while Route 133 forms a bypass of Hightstown, connecting Route 33 on the east side of East Windsor to County Route 571 on the west side.[142]U.S. Route 130 crosses the western portions of East Windsor with a north–south orientation parallel to the turnpike, forming a concurrency with Route 33 in the southern portion of the township.[143] The township is also served by County Route 535[144] and County Route 539.[145]
The nearest NJ Transit rail service is available at the Princeton Junction station.[148] Shuttle bus service to the Princeton Junction station is available during rush hour.[149][150]
Mercer County offers a shuttle service providing access to major businesses and transportation hubs in the area along Route 130[151] as well as a local shuttle within the area.[152]
According to the A. W. Kuchler U.S. potential natural vegetation types, most of East Windsor Township would have a dominant vegetation type of Appalachian Oak (104) with a dominant vegetation form of Eastern Hardwood Forest (25). On the east and northeast side of Hightstown, a Northeastern Oak/Pine ("110") vegetation type and Southern Mixed Forest ("26") vegetation form would prevail.[157]
Loretta Long (born 1938), actress, voice artist, singer, media personality and educator who played the character of Susan Robinson on Sesame Street, from its debut in 1969 until 2015[164]
Zubin Mehenti, sportscaster and radio host who joined ESPN in 2011 and has served as the anchor for several variations of the channel's flagship program, SportsCenter[165]
^Garbarine, Rachelle. "In the Region/New Jersey; A Spate of Building Ending East Windsor's Drought", The New York Times, March 5, 1995. Accessed June 18, 2023. "Terry Lencheski, a sales associate at the Piscataway office of CB Commercial, a real-estate brokerage, added that "Kmart's move to East Windsor is the best endorsement of its potential and is causing other national tenants to look at that market."Moreover, he said, because the township is between the established commercial areas of Princeton and Freehold it could pull shoppers and tenants from them. Mr. Greene said the rest of the space at the new center will consist of 12 stores. Construction is to start in April with completion in a year."
^DeMarco, Megan. "Voters to decide whether to merge two Princetons into one", The Star-Ledger, November 3, 2011. Accessed January 8, 2017. "There are 22 sets of 'doughnut towns' in New Jersey, those where one town wraps around the other town". Note that following voter approval of the Princeton merger, 21 pairs of "doughnut towns" remain.
^Home Page, Meadow Lakes. Accessed March 16, 2015.
^Raum, John O. The History of New Jersey: From Its Earliest Settlement to the Present Time, Volume 1, p. 275, J. E. Potter and company, 1877. Accessed July 9, 2013. "East Windsor contained a population in 1850 of 2,596; in 1860, 1,913; and in 1870, 2,383. The Borough of Hightstown is in this township and has a population of 1,347. The Baptists have here a handsome flourishing educational institute." Population data for both 1860 and 1870 for East Windsor include the population of Hightstown.
^Staff. A compendium of the ninth census, 1870, p. 260. United States Census Bureau, 1872. Accessed July 14, 2012. Source lists a total population of 2,383 for the township, including the 1,347 residents of Hightstown, with the township total calculated by subtraction.
^Mulvaney, Nicole. "Pharmaceutical company to move into vacant Patscentre building in East Windsor", The Times, September 8, 2014. Accessed March 16, 2015. "Novotec now occupies 'one of the most prominent, unique and visible facilities in the township,' Mayor Janice Mironov said in the release. Other pharmaceutical firms that have relocated to East Windsor include Hovione, CoreTech, Aprecia, Sabinsa and Windsor Labs, she said."
^[1], Downtown Hightstown, Inc.. Accessed July 6, 2023.
^[2], Downtown Hightstown, Inc.: About. Accessed July 6, 2023.
^ abcImportant Dates in History, East Windsor Township, Accessed November 25, 2019. "1970 - The township replaces the three-member council with the council-manager form of government. The township council now has seven members, each serving a four-year term. The council elects a Mayor from among its members each January. The council also appoints the Township Manager, who runs the day-to-day operations of the township and reports to the council at-large."
^Chapter II Administrative Code: 2-2 The CouncilArchived February 20, 2020, at the Wayback Machine, East Windsor Township. Accessed February 20, 2020. "2-2.2 Selection of Mayor. At the annual organizational meeting, the members of the township council will assemble at a place designated in December of each year by resolution of the governing body of the township and organize and elect one the councilmen as mayor. The mayor shall be chosen by ballot by majority vote of all members of the township council. 2-2.3 Selection of Deputy Mayor. At the annual organizational meeting, the members of the township council shall select one of the councilmen as deputy mayor."
^Rojas, Cristina. "East Windsor names new councilwoman to replace late councilman", NJ.com, December 28, 2015. Accessed June 20, 2016. "Denise Daniels has been appointed to fill the vacancy on East Windsor's council left by longtime Councilman Hector Duke, who died earlier this month."
^Staff. "Postings, manmade mountain", The New York Times, September 26, 1982. Accessed November 28, 2015. "The most energy-efficient buildings, architects say, are those built into mountains. Officials of East Windsor Township, N.J., wanted an energy-efficient building, but didn't have a suitable mountain. So they built one. The result is the town's new municipal building, surrounded on three sides by earth."
^Government, Mercer County. Accessed March 1, 2023. "Mercer County is governed by an elected County Executive and a seven-member Freeholder Board."
^Meet the County Executive, Mercer County. Accessed March 1, 2023. "Brian M. Hughes continues to build upon a family legacy of public service as the fourth person to serve as Mercer County Executive. The voters have reaffirmed their support for Brian's leadership by re-electing him three times since they first placed him in office in November 2003."
^East Windsor Board of Education District Policy 0110 - Identification, East Windsor Regional School District. Accessed March 28, 2022. "Purpose: The Board of Education exists for the purpose of providing a thorough and efficient system of free public education in grades kindergarten through twelve in the East Windsor Regional School District. Composition: The East Windsor Regional School District is comprised of all the area within the municipal boundaries of East Windsor Township and the Borough of Hightstown."
^East Windsor Regional School District 2015 Report Card Narrative, New Jersey Department of Education. Accessed July 11, 2016. "The East Windsor Regional School District, located in central New Jersey at New Jersey Turnpike Exit 8, is a stable K-12 public school district serving the communities of the East Windsor Township and the Borough of Hightstown as well as Roosevelt Borough students' grades 7 through 12."
^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. "Mercer County has a stand-alone specialized high school for top students: a Health Sciences Academy at the district's Assunpink Center campus. The district also offers a STEM Academy at Mercer County Community College. How to apply: Students can apply online in the fall of their 8th grade year."
^English, Chris. "New book on Sesame Place coming out Monday", Bucks County Courier Times, July 2, 2015. Accessed January 17, 2020. "It's written by Guy Hutchinson and Chris Mercaldo, who both used to visit the park as children. Hutchinson, who grew up in Princeton, New Jersey, and now lives in East Windsor, New Jersey, has also been back several times as a parent, he said."
^Chiappardi, Matt. "East Windsor: Sesame Street actress hit by car on Route 130", CentralJersey.com, February 11, 2010. Accessed August 18, 2020. "East Windsor - A township resident and cast member of the iconic children's television show Sesame Street was hospitalized Tuesday night with head and leg injuries after she was hit by car while crossing Route 130, according to township police. Loretta Long, 71, of Einstein Way, was taken to Capital Health Systems Fuld Campus in Trenton around 6:45 p.m. after a car making a left turn from Dutch Neck Road onto Route 130 struck her, police said."
^Tony PaigeArchived 2011-07-23 at the Wayback Machine, WFAN. Accessed June 6, 2011. "Paige is married to the former Terilyn Smith of Bermuda and they reside in East Windsor, New Jersey with their son Jalen."
^"New Jersey Next Stop - Real People - Randal Pinkett". New Jersey Department of Labor and Workforce Development. 2007. Retrieved December 23, 2014. The lesser-known story is that Randal, who grew up in East Windsor and now lives in Somerset, was a success long before his "Apprentice" victory.
^Mulvaney, Nicole. "Republicans challenge incumbent Democrats for council seats in East Windsor", The Times, September 14, 2013. Accessed March 16, 2015. "Prior to serving on council, Rosenberg was a planning board member for two years. He is a retired writer for several radio and television shows, including the Howard Stern Show and the Don Imus in the Morning Show, and serves on the board of Rise, a nonprofit in Hightstown."
^Weber, Bruce. "Carl E. Schorske, 100, Dies; Pulitzer-Winning Historian Saw Vienna as Pivotal", The New York Times, September 17, 2015. Accessed September 18, 2015. "Carl E. Schorske, a professor and scholar whose collection of essays fixing turn-of-the-century Vienna as the radiating source of modernist thinking won a Pulitzer Prize in 1981 and remains an exemplar of cultural history, died on Sunday in East Windsor, N.J.... His death, at Meadow Lakes, a retirement community not far from Princeton, where Professor Schorske taught for many years, was confirmed by his daughter, Anne Edwards."
^Boyer, Zac. "Nick Williams elated by promotion from practice squad"Archived November 18, 2013, at the Wayback Machine, The Washington Times, November 13, 2013. Accessed November 17, 2013. "Nick Williams was standing outside in a T-shirt and shorts on Monday night when his agent called to tell him the Washington Redskins were looking to sign him off their practice squad to their 53-man active roster.... He grew up in East Windsor, N.J., which is 45 minutes northeast of Philadelphia."