Bridgeton

Sister cities

• Enköping Municipality

History

Similar to other areas near rivers and the bay, this area was inhabited for thousands of years by Indigenous peoples. At the time of European contact, Lenape Native Americans lived in the area. The tribe followed a seasonal pattern of cultivation and hunting and fishing. The state-recognized Nanticoke Lenni-Lenape Indians of New Jersey maintain a cultural center here, serving a community of 12,000 in Cumberland, Gloucester and Salem counties. The organization shares ancestral and cultural ties with the state-recognized Lenape Indian Tribe of Delaware and the state-recognized Nanticoke Indian Association of Delaware. All three organizations have ancestors who were once known as the Delaware Moors, a mixed-race group in Delaware and New Jersey that was legally classified as African-Americans until 1914, when the State of Delaware reclassified its members as a separate, non-Black group. The first recorded European settlement in what is now Bridgeton occurred in 1686, when Richard Hancock established a sawmill there. Settlers established a pioneer iron-works in 1814. Bridgeton was incorporated as a township by an act of the New Jersey Legislature on March 3, 1845, from portions of Deerfield Township. Bridgeton was incorporated as a city on March 1, 1865, replacing both Bridgeton Township and Cohansey Township. The city was named for its location at a bridge on the Cohansey River and is said to be a corruption of "Bridge Town". After the American Civil War, Bridgeton's industrial base and commercial centrality in this area of high agricultural production, along with its high profile as an educational center (it was home to the South Jersey Institute, the West Jersey Academy, and two notable academies for women), made it the most prosperous town in the state. Bridgeton was…

Geography

Bridgeton is located about one hour away from Philadelphia, and 50 minutes away from Wilmington, Delaware. It is also about one hour away from Atlantic City and Cape May. Bridgeton is divided into three sections, Northside, Southside and Hillside. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the city had a total area of 6.49 square miles (16.82 km2), including 6.23 square miles (16.13 km2) of land and 0.27 square miles (0.69 km2) of water (4.10%). Bridgeton borders the Cumberland County municipalities of Fairfield Township, Hopewell Township and Upper Deerfield Township. The climate in this area is characterized by hot, humid summers and generally mild to cool winters. According to the Köppen Climate Classification system, Bridgeton has a humid subtropical climate, abbreviated "Cfa" on climate maps.

Race & ethnicity

Most-observed species

• Northern Cardinal

  Cardinalis cardinalis (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  2,986
• Carolina Wren

  Thryothorus ludovicianus (Latham, 1790) · Aves
  2,795
• Blue Jay

  Cyanocitta cristata (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  2,594
• Turkey Vulture

  Cathartes aura (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  2,539
• Mourning Dove

  Zenaida macroura (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  2,397
• American Robin

  Turdus migratorius Linnaeus, 1766 · Aves
  2,375
• Carolina Chickadee

  Poecile carolinensis (Audubon, 1834) · Aves
  2,237
• Tufted Titmouse

  Baeolophus bicolor (Linnaeus, 1766) · Aves
  2,179

Largest nearby schools

• Bridgeton High School
  High · BRIDGETON · 1,681 students · 15.4:1 ratio
• Cumberland Regional High School
  High · BRIDGETON · 1,124 students
• Cumberland County Technical Education Center
  High · Millville · 1,084 students · 12.2:1 ratio
• Lakeside Middle School
  Middle · MILLVILLE · 987 students · 10.6:1 ratio
• Broad Street School
  Elementary · BRIDGETON · 773 students · 9.8:1 ratio
• Quarter Mile Lane School
  Elementary · BRIDGETON · 699 students · 12.5:1 ratio
• West Avenue School
  Elementary · BRIDGETON · 642 students · 11.3:1 ratio
• Buckshutem Road School
  Elementary · BRIDGETON · 624 students · 14.5:1 ratio

Most recent

• M 4.1 — 2017-11-30
  3 km NNE of Little Creek, Delaware
• M 2.64 — 2015-01-25
  4 km ESE of Downingtown, Pennsylvania
• M 2.78 — 2009-07-01
  3 km ESE of Pennsville, New Jersey