Everything About Edison, New Jersey

History

Edison, New Jersey was formerly known as Raritan Township, New Jersey and was first settled in the 1600s by Dutch settlers. In 1870, Raritan Township was renamed Edison Township to honor inventor Thomas Edison, who had his first invention lab and factory in Menlo Park within the township. In 1954, Edison Township officially changed its name to the Township of Edison, and in 1975 it was incorporated as the municipality of Edison.

For over 300 years, Edison and surrounding Middlesex County were a hub for agriculture, industry, and transportation innovation. Key historical sites and events in Edison include the Edison National Historic Site with Thomas Edison’s Menlo Park lab complex, Camp Kilmer which served as a World War II staging area, and Rutgers University’s Edison campus which houses groundbreaking science and technology research facilities.

Geography

Edison is located in central New Jersey in Middlesex County, about 30 miles southwest of New York City. It has a total area of around 30 square miles, of which only 0.4 square miles is water. Edison completely surrounds the borough of Metuchen and borders several other municipalities including Piscataway Township, Woodbridge Township, Sayreville, and South Plainfield.

A prominent natural feature within Edison is the Raritan River, which forms part of its northern boundary line. The municipally owned Waterside Park runs for two miles along the Raritan River and offers walking paths, gardens, and scenic river views. Another key geographical feature is Roosevelt Park, a large mixed recreational and preserved natural area spanning over 1,000 acres centrally located in Edison.

Geology

Edison sits atop the Newark Basin bedrock region, with geology consisting of sedimentary shale, sandstone, and mudstone formations. During the last ice age over 10,000 years ago, the Wisconsin Glacier shaped much of New Jersey’s landforms and deposited thick glacial sediment over the Newark Basin bedrock in Edison and Middlesex County. This resulted in relatively flat terrain and fertile, well-drained soils conducive to agriculture.

Today, Edison averages around 150 feet above sea level with slight variations in typography. The community lies outside of major fault lines and as such seismic activity is minimal, however some areas are susceptible to flooding during major storm events when the Raritan River swells. Unconsolidated surface geology is primarily glaciofluvial deposits of sand and gravel. No major mineral deposits of economic significance exist in Edison.

Neighborhoods

As Edison developed through the 20th century, several distinct neighborhoods took shape. Some of the main neighborhoods in Edison today include:

Nixon – An urban neighborhood in North Edison bordering Iselin and Woodbridge. Known for its strong community feel and density of Brazilian and other South American immigrant communities.

Lake Papaianni – Located along the south bank of the Raritan River, this community hosts high-end luxury homes, corporate campuses, and the scenic Waterside Park.

Menlo Park – The historical neighborhood surrounding Thomas Edison’s original Invention Factory. Contains a mix of residential, commercial, and preserved open spaces.

Raritan Center – Primarily a commercial and industrial district, Raritan Center houses many of Edison’s corporate business parks and shopping centers.

Edison Center – As downtown Edison, this centers around the junction of Route 1 and 27 featuring municipal buildings, small shops, cafes, and community parks.

Clara Barton – Located in South Edison, Clara Barton is a desirable suburban community known for its quality schools, tree-lined streets, and spacing between homes.

In addition there are other micro neighborhoods scattered throughout residential zones of North, East, West, and South Edison. Most neighborhoods have active homeowner associations and regular community events.

Climate

Edison has a humid continental climate, with cold winters and hot, humid summers. Winters see average lows around 23°F (-5°C) and highs reaching 37°F (3°C). Extreme cold is unusual but temperatures can occasionally drop below 0°F (-18°C). Snow accumulation averages 23 inches per winter. Spring starts off cool to mild, while late spring warms to around 68°F (20°C) daily highs.

Summers are long and hot, spanning May through September. Average June to August high temps are in the range of 82-86°F (28-30°C) with dew points giving a muggy feel. Short heat waves peak just over 100°F (38°C). Rainfall is abundant through the year, but summer is wettest. Autumn cools gradually with comfortable 60s-70s °F highs in October. The fall foliage display is enhanced around Roosevelt Park and along the Raritan River.

Demographics

Per the 2020 census, Edison had a population of about 111,000 residents. Edison is exceptionally diverse – over 40% of inhabitants hail from Asian ethnic backgrounds including significant Indian, Chinese, and Filipino communities. Other large groups are African Americans at 14% of the population and Hispanics/Latinos also at 14%. 45% of residents are foreign born and 70 languages are spoken across Edison homes and neighborhoods.

There is a broad spread in age demographics in Edison. 25% of residents are under age 18, and 15% are over age 65. The median age is 40 indicating solid representation from Millennials and Gen Xers raising families. Median household income is $102,000 demonstrating economic growth and opportunity within the community. Just over 6% live below the federal poverty line. The population density basing on inhabitable land area equates to a fairly dense suburban landscape of around 5,500 people per square mile on average.

Economy

Edison enjoys a thriving local economy centered around research, technology, retail, medicine, and transportation & shipping. Over 10,000 businesses call Edison home with representation from major corporations through small sole proprietorships. Largest employers include logistics leader United Parcel Service, healthcare organization Hackensack Meridian Health, and technology conglomerates like Juniper Networks and Oracle Corp which house campuses along the “Tech Corridor” along Oak Tree Road and Woodbridge Avenue. These industries provide skilled jobs, with over 70% of residents holding white collar occupations.

In addition to its strong corporate presence, Edison hosts substantial retail centers include the sprawling Menlo Park Mall and big box strip malls along Route 1 offering shopping, dining, and entertainment options. Edison’s strategic location at a major highway crossroads and proximity to one of the East Coast’s largest seaports also provides economic opportunities related to warehousing and goods distribution. Even through ups and downs of business cycles, Edison has displayed economic resilience and steady growth over recent decades. The median home price is currently around $400,000, providing stability to the local real estate market.

Culture

Edison, NJ is truly a cultural melting pot which translates into rich diversity of cuisine, faiths, festivals and fusion from the many nationalities comprising the population. Indian saris and fabrics share rack space beside Chinese slippers at ethnic clothing stores in little India. The smells of Brazilian steakhouses and empanadas from new immigrant entrepreneurs mingle with flavors of more established Italian and Jewish delis across town. Edison’s cultural traditions run the global gamut.

Places of worship range from the Metuchen Hindu Mandir, Edison Buddhist Temple, and Muslim mosques to Catholic and Protestant churches spread throughout neighborhoods, many offering services in multiple languages. Events like the Diwali festival of lights sponsored by the Hindu mandir, Chinese New Year celebrations, and Brazilian Day Carnival draw locals across diverse backgrounds to partake together in experiencing and sharing one another’s heritages.

Arts also infuse Edison culture, underscored by performing arts centers at local high schools and colleges, public libraries, and private academies for Indian classical dance or Chinese calligraphy. The community manages to blend its cultures in harmony through appreciation of the broader tapestry of national identities woven together courtesy of Edison’s long history of embracing immigration, diversity and opportunity – key pillars of the community’s culture.

Colleges and universities

Several higher education learning centers operate within or just beyond Edison providing educational advancement for local students as well as adults. Most prominent is the sprawling Campus of Rutgers University housing over a dozen research and academic buildings focused primarily on fields of pharmacy, technology, business, and life sciences.

Middlesex County College just over the border in the neighboring Perth Amboy municipality offers dozens of associates degree and professional certification programs drawing in students from Edison and beyond. Just to the north lies Drew University’s wooded campus providing four-year undergraduate and graduate degree programs from their College of Liberal Arts and Theology School.

Additionally, DeVry University operates a learning site providing undergraduate and graduate management and technology degrees, Lincoln Tech offers career-focused technical education, and over a half dozen specialized technology and healthcare institutes give local options to develop skillsets required by Edison’s leading professional industries. These schools contribute significantly to the educated workforce which fuels business innovation and opportunity within the community.

Media

Residents of Edison rely primarily on New York Metro focused media outlets for their daily news and entertainment. This includes regional network affiliate television stations broadcasting on channels 4, 5 7 and 11 each with local subsidiary news teams delivering weather and stories specific for Middlesex county towns. Alternatives come from News12 New Jersey, a statewide cable news channel, as well as print and online editions of papers like The Star Ledger, Home News Tribune and Edison Sentinel community papers.

Some media created specifically by and for Edison locals provide additional community-level perspectives online or through niche cultural publications. Township of Edison also runs its own Government Access channel with notices, weather alerts, town council updates and mayoral addresses relevant to residents. Overall information is abundant from both mass media tailored to broader NYC-area coverage down to hyperlocal vehicles focused solely on disseminating news and events within Edison proper. This blend keeps inhabitants well informed with happenings across a spectrum of geography and cultures reflecting those living within the community.

Roadways

Edison evolved into a hub of transportation and shipping logistics in part due to its strategic location at multiple intersections between major highways of the New York metropolitan region. The New Jersey Turnpike runs along Edison’s western perimeter while Interstate 287 clips its northernmost corner. This connects motorists to exits heading into Edison’s districts via Route 1 entering north-south and Route 27 flowing east-west.

Many state highways namely the northern arterial 440, truck route US-1, Route 35, township roads 500-535 and more bisect neighborhoods and handle traffic between Edison’s industrial and commercial centers as well as neighboring towns. Oak Tree Road forms an interior beltway around a business campus core while Woodbridge Avenue parallels the Turnpike. Rail transport includes NJ Transit and Amtrak lines with the Edison station connecting commuters to Manhattan and Philadelphia. Overall routing efficiency has been a boon for corporations and residents alike with accessibility enabling growth. Yet as more drivers take to Edison’s road infrastructure, the township also faces surmounting traffic congestion issues during peak times which officials continually work to try mitigating through projects aimed at enhancing mobility.

Major Landmarks

Edison contains several distinguishing sites and structures tied to its unique history and identity as an innovative community advancing industry, technology and culture. Most iconic is Thomas Edison’s Menlo Park research facilities including his reconstructed Invention Factory and nearby memorial tower marking the spot where the legendary inventor brought the first practical incandescent bulb to light.

The runways at historic Camp Kilmer WWII army staging ground turned living history park commemorate the tens of thousands of American GIs who passed through Edison when shipping out to European and Pacific campaigns. Sculptures honoring the camp’s service along Amboy Avenue serve as visceral public monuments. Another key military site lies on the National Register in Nixon’s Roosevelt Hospital where casualties were treated after D-Day.

Modern landmarks exemplifying innovation include the 30-story Newark skyscraper molding the highrise skyline visible for miles and branded by multi-billion dollar technology firm Panasonic. Corporate campuses for UPS, Ford, Bristol-Myers Squibb and others similarly bookend Edison’s commercial district hubs bustling with ideas and entrepreneurship for the 21st century like Edison’s forebears over a century earlier. Between history and progress, the township’s landmarks intrinsically link past and future.