Atco is an unincorporated community and census-designated place (CDP)State of New Jersey Census Designated Places - BVP20 - Data as of January 1, 2020, United States Census Bureau. Accessed December 1, 2022. in Waterford Township in Camden County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey.Locality Search, State of New Jersey. Accessed June 9, 2016. It is part of the Philadelphia-Camden metropolitan area, located southeast of Camden. Though generally considered part of Waterford Township, a small section of the southern edge of Atco is located in Winslow Township.Gargan, Guy. "Local bowling: Kevin Voss rolls his first perfect game en route to 796 series in Hammonton" in The Press of Atlantic City, April 18, 2011. Accessed November 15, 2013.McCullen, Sean. in Gloucester Township Patch, November 6, 2011. Accessed November 15, 2013.

Atco was first listed as a CDP prior to the 2020 census with a population of 9,058.

Atco was the home of the Atco Raceway, and served as the location for the movie Eddie and the Cruisers. In 2005, an episode of Viva La Bam was shot at the raceway. The area is served as United States Postal Service ZIP Code 08004.

History Atco's name originates from the Atlantic Transport Company, although alternative origins have been proposed, including an indigenous term meaning "Land of many deer."Beck, Henry Charlton. "Jersey Genesis: The Story of the Mullica River", via Google Books, p. 291. "More pertinent to us is the fact that Atco, in the same neighborhood, took its name from the Atlantic Transportation Company..." The Atlantic Transport Company of West Virginia placed a substantial order for four large ships with the New York Shipbuilding Corporation, located in Camden, New Jersey, between 1902 and 1903. This event may have contributed to the adoption of the name "Atco" around that time.

Camden and Atlantic Railroad was founded in 1854; it crossed the Pinelands from Camden to Atlantic City. The Raritan and Delaware Bay Railroad was established soon after, linking Atco to communities such as Toms River, Waretown, Atsion and Vineland.

The story of the Atco Ghost is popular in Atco. Legend has it that a young boy was killed by a drunk driver while chasing a ball, and his ghost can now be seen playing on Burnt Mill Road, the same street where the accident occurred, after a motorist honks their horn.Rose, Lisa. "Creepy New Jersey: The stuff of legends", The Star-Ledger, April 13, 2012. Accessed July 31, 2012. "The Atco Ghost is Jersey's most dutiful apparition, a specter that appears when drivers honk three times on Burnt Mill Road in the Pine Barrens. The legend is that a boy darted into the street chasing a ball and was struck by a drunken driver."

Geography The town is at the western edge of Wharton State Forest and the Pine Barrens. Atco Lake is a lake in Atco.

Climate The climate in this area is characterized by hot, humid summers and generally mild to cool winters. According to the Köppen Climate Classification system, Atco has a humid subtropical climate, abbreviated "Cfa" on climate maps.Climate Summary for Atco, New Jersey

Education Atco was the site of Assumption School, an elementary school that operated under the auspices of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Camden until it was closed at the end of the 2012–13 school year.Laday, Jason. "Fuming parents question whereabouts of $340K after closure of Atco Catholic school", South Jersey Times, May 10, 2013. Accessed December 6, 2016. "There is a serious lack of trust, and $340,000, at Assumption School in Atco. The Diocese of Camden’s decision in February to close the school at the end of this academic year has caused a wave of anger and accusations from parents and other supporters, who have since cried fraud over the apparent disappearance of hundreds of thousands of dollars they say they have raised over the last two and a half years in order to keep the school going."

Atco public schools, operated by Waterford Township School District, serve K-6 grade. Atco Elementary (grades to K-1), Thomas Richards Elementary (grades 2–3) and Waterford Elementary (grades 4–6) serve students from Atco. Junior high school and high school students from Atco are served by Hammonton Public Schools or parochial schools of their choice.

Transportation

Atco has a train station on the Atlantic City Line, which is operated by NJ Transit. The station is accessible from Route 73 and the White Horse Pike (U.S. Route 30).Atco Station , NJ Transit. Accessed March 29, 2016.

Demographics

Atco first appeared as a census designated place in the 2020 U.S. census.

2020 census As of the 2020 census, Atco had a population of 9,058. The median age was 43.0 years. 19.8% of residents were under the age of 18 and 18.1% of residents were 65 years of age or older. For every 100 females there were 101.4 males, and for every 100 females age 18 and over there were 98.7 males age 18 and over.

95.9% of residents lived in urban areas, while 4.1% lived in rural areas.

There were 3,270 households in Atco, of which 31.9% had children under the age of 18 living in them. Of all households, 56.2% were married-couple households, 16.0% were households with a male householder and no spouse or partner present, and 20.4% were households with a female householder and no spouse or partner present. About 19.7% of all households were made up of individuals and 8.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older.

There were 3,397 housing units, of which 3.7% were vacant. The homeowner vacancy rate was 1.5% and the rental vacancy rate was 3.8%.

+Atco CDP, New Jersey – Racial and ethnic compositionRace / Ethnicity (NH = Non-Hispanic)Pop 2020% 2020White alone (NH)7,51182.92%Black or African American alone (NH)4715.20%Native American or Alaska Native alone (NH)100.11%Asian alone (NH)1281.41%Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander alone (NH)00.00%Other Race alone (NH)430.47%Mixed race or Multiracial (NH)3423.78%Hispanic or Latino (any race)5536.11%Total9,058100.00% Notable people

People who were born in, residents of, or otherwise closely associated with Atco include: Marvin Borowsky (1907–1969), novelist and screenwriter"University of California: In Memoriam, December 1970 - Marvin Borowsky, Theater Arts: Los Angeles", Calisphere. Accessed March 26, 2024. "Marvin Borowsky, a brilliant teacher and an extraordinary man, was born in Atco, New Jersey, in 1907." Kellyanne Conway (born 1967), strategist, and pollster who was campaign manager for Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump in 2016.Johnson, Brent. "How N.J. native Conway got Trump over the finish line", NJ Advance Media for NJ.com, November 9, 2016. Accessed November 9, 2016. "Conway, who grew up in the Atco section of Waterford Township in Camden County, was hired in August, at a time when Trump was suffering from gaffes and drooping poll numbers." Rey Ramsey (born 1960), social justice entrepreneur, author and former CEO of the One Economy Corporation.Rey Ramsey, The History Makers. Accessed September 10, 2015. "Lawyer and Chief Executive Officer of One Economy Corporation Rey Ramsey was born Reynard Ramsey on September 10, 1960, in Lower Marion Township, Pennsylvania. At the age of five, Ramsey and his family moved to a predominantly white neighborhood in Atco, New Jersey, where he attended grammar and high school." Jimmy "Superfly" Snuka (1943–2017), former professional wrestler born in Fiji.Staff. "Ex-wrestler 'Superfly' Snuka charged in girlfriend's 1983 death", Courier-Post, September 1, 2015. Accessed May 5, 2016. "A native of the Fiji Islands, Snuka has been living in South Jersey off and on since the 1980s, in Cherry Hill with his second wife and now in Atco." Sally Starr (1923–2013), 1950s celebrity television personality.Sally Starr, Broadcast Pioneers of Philadelphia. Accessed September 2, 2015. "Sally was instrumental in the resurrection of the "Wilson Line Show Cruises." She was a survivor, having had a heart attack in 1993. She lived in her home in Atco, New Jersey."

References

External links