Cranford, New Jersey

Cranford, New Jersey
Township
Williams-Droescher's Mill, built in 1737 on the Rahway River
Williams-Droescher's Mill, built in 1737 on the Rahway River
Official seal of Cranford, New Jersey
Seal
Nickname: 
"The Venice of New Jersey"
Motto(s): 
"Friendship and Progress"[1]
Location of Cranford in Union County highlighted in yellow (left). Inset map: Location of Union County in New Jersey highlighted in black (right).
Location of Cranford in Union County highlighted in yellow (left). Inset map: Location of Union County in New Jersey highlighted in black (right).
Census Bureau map of Cranford, New Jersey
Census Bureau map of Cranford, New Jersey
Cranford is located in Union County, New Jersey
Cranford
Cranford
Location in Union County
Cranford is located in New Jersey
Cranford
Cranford
Location in New Jersey
Cranford is located in the United States
Cranford
Cranford
Location in the United States
Coordinates: 40°39′23″N 74°18′17″W / 40.656391°N 74.30483°W / 40.656391; -74.30483[2][3]
Country United States
State New Jersey
CountyUnion
IncorporatedMarch 14, 1871
Government
[8]
 • TypeTownship
 • BodyTownship Committee
 • MayorBrian Andrews (D, term ends December 31, 2024)[4][5]
 • AdministratorLavona Patterson (interim)[6]
 • Municipal clerkPatricia Donahue[7]
Area
[2]
 • Total4.87 sq mi (12.62 km2)
 • Land4.84 sq mi (12.52 km2)
 • Water0.04 sq mi (0.10 km2)  0.78%
 • Rank281st of 565 in state
10th of 21 in county[2]
Elevation
[9]
82 ft (25 m)
Population
 (2020)[10][11]
 • Total23,847
 • Estimate 
(2023)[10][12]
23,741
 • Rank112th of 565 in state
8th of 21 in county[13]
 • Density4,927.1/sq mi (1,902.4/km2)
  • Rank115th of 565 in state
11th of 21 in county[13]
Time zoneUTC−05:00 (Eastern (EST))
 • Summer (DST)UTC−04:00 (Eastern (EDT))
ZIP Code
07016[14][15]
Area code908[16]
FIPS code3403915640[2][17][18]
GNIS feature ID0882214[2][19]
Websitewww.cranfordnj.org
Paddlers race past the Cranford Canoe Club on the Rahway River during the annual Fourth of July competition in Cranford.
Cranford as depicted on a 1913 Board of Trade brochure

Cranford is a township in Union County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey, located 18 miles (29 km) southwest of Manhattan. As of the 2020 United States census, the township's population was 23,847,[10][11] an increase of 1,222 (+5.4%) from the 2010 census count of 22,625,[20][21] which in turn reflected an increase of 47 (+0.2%) from the 22,578 counted in the 2000 census.[22]

NJ Transit rail service is available at the Cranford station, along the Raritan Valley train line, with service to Newark Penn Station and to Penn Station in Midtown Manhattan via Midtown Direct. It is part of the New York City metropolitan area.

Cranford was incorporated as a township by an act of the New Jersey Legislature on March 14, 1871, from portions of the Townships of Clark, Linden, Springfield, Union and Westfield. Portions of the township were taken to form Garwood (in 1903) and Kenilworth (in 1907).[23] The township's name is said to derive from the Crane family,[24] including John Crane, who built a mill in 1720 along the Rahway River.[25]

  1. ^ Kuperinsky, Amy. "'The Jewel of the Meadowlands'?: N.J.'s best, worst and weirdest town slogans", NJ Advance Media for NJ.com, January 22, 2015. Accessed July 12, 2016. "Cranford, in Union County, uses 'Friendship & Progress' — and a crane bird (the town is named for Josiah Crane) — on its township seal, but since it is bisected by the Rahway River, the town is informally known as 'The Venice of New Jersey.'"
  2. ^ a b c d e 2019 Census Gazetteer Files: New Jersey Places, United States Census Bureau. Accessed July 1, 2020.
  3. ^ US Gazetteer files: 2010, 2000, and 1990, United States Census Bureau. Accessed September 4, 2014.
  4. ^ Cite error: The named reference Committee was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  5. ^ 2023 New Jersey Mayors Directory, New Jersey Department of Community Affairs, updated February 8, 2023. Accessed February 10, 2023.
  6. ^ Township Administrator, Township of Cranford. Accessed July 4, 2023.
  7. ^ Township Clerk, Township of Cranford. Accessed July 4, 2023.
  8. ^ Cite error: The named reference DataBook was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  9. ^ U.S. Geological Survey Geographic Names Information System: Township of Cranford, Geographic Names Information System. Accessed March 5, 2013.
  10. ^ a b c Cite error: The named reference Census2020 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  11. ^ a b Cite error: The named reference LWD2020 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  12. ^ Cite error: The named reference PopEst was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  13. ^ a b Population Density by County and Municipality: New Jersey, 2020 and 2021, New Jersey Department of Labor and Workforce Development. Accessed March 1, 2023.
  14. ^ Look Up a ZIP Code for Cranford, NJ, United States Postal Service. Accessed July 17, 2012.
  15. ^ Zip Codes, State of New Jersey. Accessed September 3, 2013.
  16. ^ Area Code Lookup – NPA NXX for Cranford, NJ, Area-Codes.com. Accessed September 3, 2013.
  17. ^ U.S. Census website, United States Census Bureau. Accessed September 4, 2014.
  18. ^ Geographic Codes Lookup for New Jersey, Missouri Census Data Center. Accessed April 1, 2022.
  19. ^ US Board on Geographic Names, United States Geological Survey. Accessed September 4, 2014.
  20. ^ Cite error: The named reference Census2010 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  21. ^ Cite error: The named reference LWD2010 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  22. ^ Table 7. Population for the Counties and Municipalities in New Jersey: 1990, 2000 and 2010, New Jersey Department of Labor and Workforce Development, February 2011. Accessed May 1, 2023.
  23. ^ Snyder, John P. The Story of New Jersey's Civil Boundaries: 1606–1968, Bureau of Geology and Topography; Trenton, New Jersey; 1969. p. 237. Accessed July 17, 2012.
  24. ^ Hutchinson, Viola L. The Origin of New Jersey Place Names, New Jersey Public Library Commission, May 1945. Accessed August 28, 2015.
  25. ^ Cheslow, Jerry. "If You're Thinking of Living in: Cranford", The New York Times, March 8, 1992. Accessed August 29, 2015. "KNOWN at the turn of the century as the Venice of New Jersey, the Union County Township of Cranford grew up around the meandering Rahway River. In 1720, John Crane of nearby Elizabeth Towne (now Elizabeth) built a grist mill on the north side of a ford in the river and a sawmill on the south side."