Galloway Township, New Jersey


Galloway Township is a township in Atlantic County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey, and a growing edge city to neighboring Atlantic City. At of total area of land and water, Galloway Township is the largest municipality in the state. As of the 2020 United States census, the township's population was 37,813, its highest decennial count ever and an increase of 464 from the 2010 census count of 37,349, which in turn reflected an increase of 6,140 from the 31,209 counted in the 2000 census.
Galloway Township was incorporated by Royal charter on April 4, 1774, from portions of Egg Harbor Township, when it was still part of Gloucester County. Galloway was incorporated as one of the initial group of 104 townships by an act of the New Jersey Legislature on February 21, 1798. After becoming part of the newly formed Atlantic County in 1837, portions of the township were taken to create Mullica Township, Egg Harbor City, Absecon, Brigantine Beach borough and Port Republic.
Geographically, the township, and all of Atlantic County, is part of the South Jersey region of the state and of the Atlantic City-Hammonton metropolitan statistical area, which in turn is included in the Philadelphia-Reading-Camden combined statistical area and the Delaware Valley.
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History

The Township of Galloway was created by Royal Patent of King George III of Great Britain on April 4, 1774. At that time it was part of Gloucester County, and comprised what is now Hammonton, Mullica Township, Egg Harbor City, Port Republic, Brigantine, Atlantic City, and the northern portion of Absecon. Galloway Township was incorporated by the New Jersey Legislature on February 21, 1798, as one of the state's initial group of 104 townships under the Township Act of 1798.
For thousands of years, the area of Galloway Township was occupied by different cultures of indigenous peoples. The Lenape Native Americans were the historic tribe who occupied the area at the time of European encounter. They were one of the many Algonguian language peoples of the East Coast.
They were followed by European settlers, primarily English in the early years of colonial settlement. Historians are uncertain of the source of Galloway Township's name. One theory is that it was named after an area known as Galloway now part of the modern region of Dumfries and Galloway in southern Scotland. An alternative derivation is that the Township was named for Joseph Galloway, a Loyalist delegate to the First Continental Congress in 1774, who was opposed to independence of the Thirteen Colonies. During the American Revolutionary War, Galloway was the site of the Battle of Chestnut Neck, in what is now a part of Port Republic.
During the spring of 2007, a large swath of oak and other hardwood trees were defoliated by the Gypsy moth caterpillar. Due to budget constraints, the township did not apply for spraying through the State of New Jersey, and the gypsy moths flourished.
On the morning of August 28, 2011, Tropical Storm Irene made its second U.S. landfall in Brigantine, though initial reports placed it at the Little Egg Inlet on the border with Little Egg Harbor Township. At the time it was believed to be the first hurricane to make landfall in New Jersey since 1903, but later analysis by the National Hurricane Center determined that the storm had weakened to tropical storm status by the time it made its second landfall.

Geography

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the township had a total area of 114.49 square miles, including 88.67 square miles of land and 25.82 square miles of water. Galloway Township serves as a growing edge city to neighboring Atlantic City.
Absecon Highlands, Cologne, Germania, Leeds Point, Oceanville, Pomona, Smithville, and Stockton University are unincorporated communities and census-designated places located within Galloway Township.
Other unincorporated communities, localities and place names located partially or completely within the township include Absecon, Brigantine Junction, Cologne Station, Conovertown, Doughtys, Hewittville, Higbeetown, Island Beach, Johnsontown, Pinehurst, Pomerania, South Egg Harbor, Somersville, and the "Township Center".
The township borders the municipalities of Absecon, Atlantic City, Egg Harbor City, Egg Harbor Township, Hamilton Township, Mullica Township, and Port Republic in Atlantic County; Bass River Township and Washington Township in Burlington County; and Little Egg Harbor Township in Ocean County.
The township is one of 56 South Jersey municipalities that are included within the New Jersey Pinelands National Reserve, a protected natural area of unique ecology covering, that has been classified as a United States Biosphere Reserve and established by Congress in 1978 as the nation's first National Reserve. Parts of the township are included in the state-designated Pinelands Area, which includes portions of Atlantic County, along with areas in Burlington, Camden, Cape May, Cumberland, Gloucester, and Ocean counties.

Demographics

2010 census

The 2010 United States census counted 37,349 people, 13,067 households, and 9,173 families in the township. The population density was. There were 14,132 housing units at an average density of. The racial makeup was 71.92% White, 11.44% Black or African American, 0.27% Native American, 10.02% Asian, 0.02% Pacific Islander, 3.39% from other races, and 2.95% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 10.05% of the population.
Of the 13,067 households, 31.6% had children under the age of 18; 51.5% were married couples living together; 13.6% had a female householder with no husband present and 29.8% were non-families. Of all households, 23.2% were made up of individuals and 9.0% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.64 and the average family size was 3.12.
21.3% of the population were under the age of 18, 14.3% from 18 to 24, 22.5% from 25 to 44, 28.1% from 45 to 64, and 13.7% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38.6 years. For every 100 females, the population had 90.1 males. For every 100 females ages 18 and older there were 86.8 males.
The Census Bureau's 2006–2010 American Community Survey showed that median household income was $65,908 and the median family income was $76,106. Males had a median income of $50,516 versus $40,663 for females. The per capita income for the township was $24,302. About 5.0% of families and 6.6% of the population were below the poverty line, including 9.3% of those under age 18 and 4.5% of those age 65 or over.

2000 census

As of the 2000 census, there were 31,209 people, 10,772 households, and 7,680 families residing in the township. The population density was. There were 11,406 housing units at an average density of. The racial makeup of the township was 77.16% White, 9.80% African American, 0.24% Native American, 8.00% Asian, 0.05% Pacific Islander, 2.59% from other races, and 2.16% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 6.16% of the population.
There were 10,772 households, out of which 38.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 54.5% were married couples living together, 12.4% had a female householder with no husband present, and 28.7% were non-families. 21.5% of all households were made up of individuals, and 6.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.70 and the average family size was 3.18.
In the township the population was spread out, with 25.8% under the age of 18, 13.6% from 18 to 24, 30.9% from 25 to 44, 20.7% from 45 to 64, and 9.1% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 34 years. For every 100 females, there were 92.4 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 89.1 males.
The median income for a household in the township was $51,595, and the median income for a family was $57,156. Males had a median income of $38,048 versus $31,167 for females. The per capita income for the township was $21,048. About 4.4% of families and 6.6% of the population were below the poverty line, including 6.8% of those under age 18 and 11.9% of those age 65 or over.

Government

Local government

Galloway Township operates under the Faulkner Act within Plan E of the Council-Manager form of New Jersey municipal government, implemented based on the recommendations of a Charter Study Commission as of January 1, 1976. The township is one of 42 municipalities statewide that use this form of government. The governing body is the Township Council, which is comprised of seven members who are elected at-large in partisan elections to four-year terms of office on a staggered basis, with an election in odd-numbered years in which either three or four seats come up for vote on an alternating basis as part of the November general election. At an annual reorganization meeting after each election, members of Council select one of their members to take the office of Mayor and another to serve as Deputy Mayor, who serve two-year terms in that office. The Township Council is led by a Mayor whose role is to preside over meetings and sign certain documents on behalf of the township. The Council sets policy for the township as its governing body, with the day-to-day operation of the Township and its municipal services delegated to the Township Manager.
, the members of Galloway Township Council are Mayor Anthony Coppola, Deputy Mayor Tony DiPietro, R.J. Amato III, Rich Clute, Rosemary Goldberg, Christine Jordan, Joyce Pratt.

Federal, state and county representation

Galloway Township is located in the 2nd Congressional District and is part of New Jersey's 2nd state legislative district.

Politics

As of March 2011, there were a total of 22,037 registered voters in Galloway Township, of which 5,897 were registered as Democrats, 5,214 were registered as Republicans and 10,913 were registered as Unaffiliated. There were 13 voters registered as Libertarians or Greens. Among the township's 2010 Census population, 59.0% were registered to vote, including 75.0% of those ages 18 and over.

Education

For pre-kindergarten through eighth grade, students attend the Galloway Township Public Schools. As of the 2021–22 school year, the district, comprised of six schools, had an enrollment of 3,164 students and 304.5 classroom teachers, for a student–teacher ratio of 10.4:1. Schools in the district are
Pomona Preschool with 90 students in grades PreK,
Arthur Rann Elementary School with 658 students in grades K-6,
Reeds Road Elementary School with 498 students in grades K-6,
Roland Rogers Elementary School with 522 students in grades K-6,
Smithville Elementary School with 562 students in grades K-6 and
Galloway Township Middle School with 729 students in grades 7–8.
Public school students in ninth through twelfth grades attend Absegami High School, located in the township. As of the 2021–22 school year, the high school had an enrollment of 1,169 students and 102.2 classroom teachers, for a student–teacher ratio of 11.4:1. Students in the western portion of the township have the option of attending Cedar Creek High School in neighboring Egg Harbor City under the school of choice program. Both high schools are part of the Greater Egg Harbor Regional High School District, a regional public high school district serving students from the constituent districts of Egg Harbor City, Galloway Township, Hamilton Township and Mullica Township. The district also serves students from the districts of the City of Port Republic and Washington Township as part of sending/receiving relationships. Seats on the nine-member board are allocated based on the population of the constituent municipalities, with four seats assigned to Galloway Township.
Township public school students are also eligible to attend the Atlantic County Institute of Technology in the Mays Landing section of Hamilton Township or the Charter-Tech High School for the Performing Arts, located in Somers Point.
The Galloway Community Charter School was a public school that served students in kindergarten through eighth grade. The school, which drew students from across Atlantic County, operated independently of the Galloway Township Public Schools under a charter issued by the New Jersey Department of Education. There was no tuition charged; costs were paid on a per-student basis by each of the sending districts, with additional funding provided by the State of New Jersey. Opened in 1997 among the state's first group of charter schools, the school's charter was revoked due to low scores on standardized tests and the school closed at the end of the 2014–2015 school year.
Assumption Regional Catholic School is a Catholic elementary school for pre-kindergarten through eighth grades with a specially designed middle school system, operated under the jurisdiction of the Diocese of Camden and serving students from the sending parishes of Our Lady of Perpetual Help Parish, St. Thomas the Apostle Church and St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Parish. The school had been located in Pomona, and moved in September 2007 to another campus elsewhere in the township.
Stockton University is a four-year liberal arts university located in the Pomona section of the township.
Galloway Township is served by Atlantic Cape Community College, a public community college in Atlantic and Cape May counties, with more than 8,000 students enrolled. Its main campuses are in the Mays Landing section of Hamilton Township, Atlantic City, and Cape May Court House.

Transportation

Roads and highways

, the township had a total of of roadways, of which were maintained by the municipality, by Atlantic County and by the New Jersey Department of Transportation and by the New Jersey Turnpike Authority.
The Garden State Parkway passes through the township, extending from Egg Harbor Township in the south to Port Republic in the north. Included in the township are Interchange 40 for U.S. Route 30 White Horse Pike East, Interchange 41 for Route 561 Jimmie Leeds Road, and Interchange 44 for Route 575 Pomona. It was on this stretch of the Parkway that Governor of New Jersey Jon Corzine was involved in a serious accident on April 12, 2007.
Also passing through the township are Route 50 and U.S. Route 30, along with CR 561, CR 561 Alternate, CR 563 and CR 575.

Public transportation

NJ Transit provides bus service to Atlantic City on routes 508, 554 and 559.

Notable people

People who were born in, residents of, or otherwise closely associated with Galloway Township include:

Points of interest