Trenton

History

The earliest known inhabitants of the area that is today Trenton were the Lenape Native Americans, specifically the Axion band who were the largest tribe on the Delaware River in the mid-17th century. The first European settlement in what would become Trenton was established by Quakers in 1679, in the region then called the Falls of the Delaware, led by Mahlon Stacy from Handsworth, Sheffield, England. Quakers were being persecuted in England at this time, and North America provided an opportunity to exercise their religious freedom. By 1719, the town adopted the name "Trent-towne", after William Trent, one of its leading landholders who purchased much of the surrounding land from Stacy's family. This name was later shortened to "Trenton". The first municipal boundaries were recorded on March 2, 1720, and a courthouse and jail were constructed around the same time. In 1758, the Old Barracks were built to house British soldiers during the French and Indian War. On January 19, 1764, Benjamin Franklin, Postmaster General of the colonies, appointed Abraham Hunt, a Lieutenant Colonel in the New Jersey Hunterdon County militia and prominent merchant in Trenton, as the city's first postmaster. Hunt was again appointed Trenton's postmaster on October 13, 1775, shortly after the American Revolutionary War broke out. During the American Revolutionary War, Trenton was the site of the Battle of Trenton. On December 25–26, 1776, George Washington and his army crossed the icy Delaware River to Trenton, where they defeated Hessian troops garrisoned there. The second battle of Trenton, Battle of the Assunpink Creek, was fought here on January 2, 1777. After the war, the Congress of the Confederation met for two months at the French Arms Tavern from November 1, 1784, to December…

Geography

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the city had a total area of 8.21 square miles (21.25 km2), including 7.58 square miles (19.63 km2) of land and 0.63 square miles (1.62 km2) of water (7.62%). Trenton is located near the geographic center of the state, which is located southeast of the city. Mercer County constitutes its own metropolitan statistical area, the Trenton-Princeton MSA, which is part of the Tri-State Region. They are generally split as to whether they are within New York or Philadelphia's sphere of influence. While it is closer to Philadelphia, many people commute to New York City and have moved to Trenton to escape the New York region's high housing costs. Trenton is one of two state capitals that border another state—the other being Carson City, Nevada. Trenton borders Ewing Township, Hamilton Township and Lawrence Township in Mercer County; and Falls Township, Lower Makefield Township and Morrisville in Bucks County, Pennsylvania, across the Delaware River in Pennsylvania. The Northeast Corridor goes through Trenton. A straight line drawn between Center City, Philadelphia and Downtown Manhattan would pass within 2000 feet of the New Jersey State House. Several bridges across the Delaware River connect Trenton to Morrisville, Pennsylvania, all of which are operated by the Delaware River Joint Toll Bridge Commission. The Trenton–Morrisville Toll Bridge, originally constructed in 1952, stretches , carrying U.S. Route 1. The Lower Trenton Bridge, bearing the legend "TRENTON MAKES THE WORLD TAKES", is a span that was constructed in 1928 on the site of a bridge that dates back to 1804. The Calhoun Street Bridge, dating back to 1884, is long. Trenton is home to numerous neighborhoods and sub-neighborhoods. The main neighborhoods are…

Race & ethnicity

Most-observed species

• Northern Cardinal

  Cardinalis cardinalis (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  39,318
• American Robin

  Turdus migratorius Linnaeus, 1766 · Aves
  37,952
• Blue Jay

  Cyanocitta cristata (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  36,715
• Song Sparrow

  Melospiza melodia (A.Wilson, 1810) · Aves
  32,343
• Mourning Dove

  Zenaida macroura (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  31,970
• Canada Goose (canadensis Group)

  Branta canadensis (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  29,672
• Red-bellied Woodpecker

  Melanerpes carolinus (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  29,144
• Carolina Wren

  Thryothorus ludovicianus (Latham, 1790) · Aves
  28,250

Largest nearby schools

• Trenton Central High School - Main Campus
  High · TRENTON · 2,255 students · 14.5:1 ratio
• West Windsor-Plainsboro High School South
  High · West Windsor · 1,630 students · 13.3:1 ratio
• Hamilton East - Steinert
  High · HAMILTON · 1,427 students · 13.5:1 ratio
• Hamilton West-Watson
  High · HAMILTON · 1,348 students · 13.6:1 ratio
• Lawrence High School
  High · LAWRENCEVILLE · 1,207 students · 12.3:1 ratio
• Thomas R Grover Middle School
  Middle · West Windsor · 1,197 students · 12.1:1 ratio
• Ewing High School
  High · EWING · 1,109 students · 12.3:1 ratio
• Hopewell Valley Central High School
  High · PENNINGTON · 1,079 students · 10:1 ratio

Most recent

• M 3 — 2025-08-03
  0 km W of Little Ferry, New Jersey
• M 2.9 — 2024-05-24
  6 km E of Califon, New Jersey
• M 2.6 — 2024-05-01
  1 km NW of Gladstone, New Jersey
• M 2.9 — 2024-04-27
  7 km WSW of Gladstone, New Jersey
• M 2.6 — 2024-04-10
  5 km WSW of Gladstone, New Jersey
• M 3.7 — 2024-04-05
  7 km WSW of Gladstone, New Jersey