About

Cranbury is a township in Middlesex County within central New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, the township's population was 3,857. The township has a total area of 13.43 square miles.

Cranbury was incorporated as a township by an act of the New Jersey Legislature on March 7, 1872 and is "Cranbury is the best preserved 19th century village in Middlesex County", known for George Washington's headquarters, which was located in Cranbury while planning for the Battle of Monmouth, a major turning point during the Revolutionary War. Many buildings on Cranbury's Main Street and in the surrounding area date to the 18th or 19th century. The entire downtown area is designated as a Historic District, which was added to the National Register of Historic Places in September 1980.

Cranbury Township is governed under the Township form of government, one of 141 municipalities statewide governed under this form. The five-member Township Committee is elected directly by the voters at-large in elections to serve three-year terms of office on a staggered basis, with either one or two seats coming up for election each year as part of the November general election in a three-year cycle. At an annual reorganization meeting, the Township Committee selects one of its members to serve as Mayor.

For 2023, members of the Cranbury Township Committee are Mayor Michael Ferrante (Term of office on committee ends December 31, 2024; term as mayor ends 2023), Deputy Mayor Eman El-Badawi (Term on committee ends December 31, 2024), term as deputy mayor ends 2023), Lisa Knierim (Term ends December 31, 2025), Dr. Barbara Rogers (Term ends December 31, 2025), and Matt Scott (Term ends December 31, 2023). Cranbury Township is located in the 12th Congressional District and is part of New Jersey's 14th state legislative district.

The Cranbury School District serves children in public school for pre-kindergarten through eighth grade at Cranbury School. In 2016-17 school years, Cranbury School was formally designated as a National Blue Ribbon School. For ninth through twelfth grades, students move on to Princeton High School in Princeton, as part of a sending/receiving relationship with the Princeton Public Schools.

The Cranbury Public Library serves Cranbury residents and is part of the Middlesex County library system.

Several major roads and highways pass through the township, including a 4-mile section of the New Jersey Turnpike (I-95) via Exit 8 and Exit 8A (both located in neighboring towns). Other significant roads passing through Cranbury include U.S. Route 130, County Route 535, County Route 539, County Route 615 and County Route 614.

Cranbury is unique in New Jersey for its landmark work in preserving farmlands, which has been ongoing since the 1980s. The New York Times featured Cranbury recently as "One Town, Many Personalities"

https://www.nytimes.com/2014/03/02/realestate/cranbury-nj-one-town-many-personalities.html