Clinton is a town in Hunterdon County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey. It is located on the South Branch of the Raritan River in the Raritan Valley region. As of the 2020 United States census, the town's population was 2,773, an increase of 54 (+2.0%) from the 2010 census count of 2,719, which in turn reflected an increase of 87 (+3.3%) from the 2,632 counted in the 2000 census.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. Despite its relatively small population, Clinton is the predominant control city for Interstate 78 traveling westbound from Newark.
History When the Clinton post office was established in 1829, it was named for DeWitt Clinton, Governor of New York and the primary impetus behind the then-newly completed Erie Canal.Hutchinson, Viola L. The Origin of New Jersey Place Names, New Jersey Public Library Commission, May 1945. Accessed August 28, 2015.
Clinton was incorporated as a town by an act of the New Jersey Legislature on April 5, 1865, within portions of Clinton, Franklin and Union Townships. Clinton gained full independence from its three parent townships in 1895.Snyder, John P. The Story of New Jersey's Civil Boundaries: 1606–1968, Bureau of Geology and Topography; Trenton, New Jersey; 1969. Accessed May 1, 2026.
The town is perhaps best known for its two mills which sit on opposite banks of the South Branch Raritan River. The Red Mill, with its historic village, dates back to 1810 with the development of a mill for wool processing.History , The Red Mill Museum. Accessed November 15, 2019. "Ralph Hunt built the earliest section of this Mill to process wool sometime around 1810. His wool business failed, however, thanks to a permanent downturn in the market for domestic cloth." Across the river sits the Stone Mill, home of the Hunterdon Art Museum, located in a former gristmill that had been reconstructed in 1836 and operated continuously until 1952. In 1952, a group of local residents conceived of a plan to convert the historic building into an art museum, which is still in operation today.
On October 30, 1891, a major fire destroyed 23 buildings and 17 businesses on Main Street. This is known here as the Great Fire of 1891.
Described by The New York Times in 1988 as having "conquered the worst residential radon hotspot known in the United States" which resulted from uranium in the limestone under sections of the town, Clinton and mayor-at-the-time Robert A. Nulman received state, national, and international attention for the town's successful efforts to combat the radon using ventilation systems in affected homes.Klaidman, Steve. Health in the Headlines: The Stories Behind the Stories, Oxford University Press, 1991. . Accessed November 15, 2019. "Clinton's public officials were aware of the extraordinary radon levels found in the Watras house in nearby Pennsylvania."Hanley, Robert. "The Jersey Village That Fought Radon With Fans and Won", The New York Times, September 15, 1988. Accessed November 15, 2019. "Mayor Nulman cringes now while recalling TV and newspaper accounts in early 1986 that predicted mass evacuations and Clinton Knolls' reduction to a ghost town."
The Clinton Historic District encompassing much of the town was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1995 for its significance in architecture, commerce, engineering, industry and exploration/settlement. The district includes 270 contributing buildings. With
In 1998, Republican Assemblyman Michael Patrick Carroll proposed to honor former president Ronald Reagan by changing the town's name to Reagan, New Jersey, and renaming Clinton Township to Reagan Township."Clinton, N.J., Becomes Subject Of Idol Curiosity Republican Lawman Suggests The Town Change Its Name To Reagan. But He Admits An April Fool's Day Announcement Would Have Been Better Timing For His Joke.", The Morning Call, March 15, 1998. Accessed March 27, 2024.
Geography According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the town had a total area of 1.44 square miles (3.72 km2), including 1.35 square miles (3.49 km2) of land and 0.09 square miles (0.24 km2) of water (6.39%).
The town borders the Hunterdon County municipalities of Clinton Township, Franklin Township and Union Township.Areas Touching Clinton, MapIt. Accessed November 15, 2019.Map of County Municipalities, Hunterdon County, New Jersey. Accessed July 30, 2023.New Jersey Municipal Boundaries, New Jersey Department of Transportation. Accessed November 15, 2019.
Clinton is considered an exurb of New York City, as Hunterdon County lies on the western fringe of the New York City Metropolitan Area, which is mainly rural with scattered housing developments and old farm homes. Clinton is part of the Primary Metropolitan Statistical Area of Middlesex, Somerset and Hunterdon counties in New Jersey.Metropolitan Areas And Components, 1999, With FIPS Codes, United States Census Bureau. Accessed November 14, 2012. It serves as a bedroom community for many commuters working in and around Northern New Jersey and New York City, often younger residents who have supplanted long-time residents of Clinton.Sclafani, Tony. "11:15 A.M.", Courier News, June 26, 2001. Accessed July 21, 2011. "Godown, 61, who just returned from a breakfast with Hunterdon County's police chiefs in Clinton, parks his cruiser beside the police department's door and steps inside the tiny, sparklingly clean headquarters.... It's very quiet Godown says about the borough where he's been chief for more than a decade He says many older residents have gone and been replaced by younger adults turning the 1squaremile town into more of a bedroom community."
Climate
Clinton falls under the North Jersey climate zone. According to the Office of the New Jersey State Climatologist at Rutgers University, the Northern climate zone covers about one-quarter of New Jersey and consists mainly of elevated highlands and valleys which are part of the Appalachian Uplands. Surrounded by land, this region can be characterized as having a continental climate with minimal influence from the Atlantic Ocean, except when the winds contain an easterly component. Prevailing winds are from the southwest in summer and from the northwest in winter. Being in the northernmost portion of the state, and with small mountains up to in elevation, the Northern Zone normally exhibits a colder temperature regime than other climate regions of the State of New Jersey. This difference is most dramatic in winter when average temperatures in the Northern Zone can be more than ten degrees Fahrenheit cooler than in the Coastal Zone. Annual snowfall averages in the northern zone as compared with an average of in the extreme south.ONJSC, Rutgers University. Accessed December 1, 2009.
Clinton falls under the USDA 6b Plant Hardiness zone.
Demographics
2020 census As of the 2020 census, Clinton had a population of 2,773. The median age was 42.3 years. 22.0% of residents were under the age of 18 and 14.3% of residents were 65 years of age or older. For every 100 females there were 92.0 males, and for every 100 females age 18 and over there were 89.3 males age 18 and over.
100.0% of residents lived in urban areas, while 0.0% lived in rural areas.
There were 1,114 households in Clinton, of which 33.4% had children under the age of 18 living in them. Of all households, 52.5% were married-couple households, 14.2% were households with a male householder and no spouse or partner present, and 28.4% were households with a female householder and no spouse or partner present. About 27.7% of all households were made up of individuals and 10.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older.
There were 1,157 housing units, of which 3.7% were vacant. The homeowner vacancy rate was 0.8% and the rental vacancy rate was 3.4%.
+ Racial composition as of the 2020 census Race Number Percent White 2,167 78.1% Black or African American 53 1.9% American Indian and Alaska Native 23 0.8% Asian 235 8.5% Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander 1 0.0% Some other race 65 2.3% Two or more races 229 8.3% Hispanic or Latino (of any race) 281 10.1%
2010 census The 2010 United States census counted 2,719 people, 1,057 households, and 727 families in the town. The population density was 2,032.6 per square mile (784.8/km2). There were 1,098 housing units at an average density of 820.8 per square mile (316.9/km2). The racial makeup was 89.52% (2,434) White, 1.32% (36) Black or African American, 0.22% (6) Native American, 6.66% (181) Asian, 0.00% (0) Pacific Islander, 0.63% (17) from other races, and 1.66% (45) from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 6.22% (169) of the population.
Of the 1,057 households, 37.0% had children under the age of 18; 55.2% were married couples living together; 9.7% had a female householder with no husband present and 31.2% were non-families. Of all households, 25.4% were made up of individuals and 8.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.57 and the average family size was 3.14.
26.0% of the population were under the age of 18, 6.1% from 18 to 24, 27.6% from 25 to 44, 28.8% from 45 to 64, and 11.5% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 39.6 years. For every 100 females, the population had 94.8 males. For every 100 females ages 18 and older there were 92.8 males.
The Census Bureau's 2006–2010 American Community Survey showed that (in 2010 inflation-adjusted dollars) median household income was $83,850 (with a margin of error of +/− $12,019) and the median family income was $109,375 (+/− $19,698). Males had a median income of $62,697 (+/− $9,258) versus $67,014 (+/− $13,316) for females. The per capita income for the borough was $43,354 (+/− $4,395). About 2.6% of families and 3.2% of the population were below the poverty line, including 2.0% of those under age 18 and 11.9% of those age 65 or over.DP03: Selected Economic Characteristics from the 2006–2010 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates for Clinton town, Hunterdon County, New Jersey , United States Census Bureau. Accessed November 14, 2012.
2000 census As of the 2000 United States census, there were 2,632 people, 1,068 households, and 724 families residing in the town. The population density was . There were 1,095 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the town was 92.06% White, 1.33% African American, 0.46% Native American, 3.72% Asian, 1.37% from other races, and 1.06% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 4.10% of the population.Census 2000 Profiles of Demographic / Social / Economic / Housing Characteristics for Clinton town, New Jersey , United States Census Bureau. Accessed November 14, 2012.DP-1: Profile of General Demographic Characteristics: 2000 – Census 2000 Summary File 1 (SF 1) 100-Percent Data for Clinton town, Hunterdon County, New Jersey , United States Census Bureau. Accessed November 14, 2012.
There were 1,068 households, out of which 35.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 55.3% were married couples living together, 8.9% had a female householder with no husband present, and 32.2% were non-families. 26.3% of all households were made up of individuals, and 7.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.46 and the average family size was 3.00.
In the town, the population was spread out, with 26.4% under the age of 18, 4.7% from 18 to 24, 35.4% from 25 to 44, 24.2% from 45 to 64, and 9.4% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 37 years. For every 100 females, there were 95.3 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 92.3 males.