Hightstown, New Jersey

Hightstown, New Jersey
Hightstown, New Jersey
Borough
	Samuel Sloan House on South Main Street
	Seal
	Location of Hightstown in Mercer County highlighted in red (right). Inset map: Location of Mercer County in New Jersey highlighted in orange (left). Interactive map of Hightstown, New Jersey
	Census Bureau map of Hightstown, New Jersey
	Hightstown Location in Mercer County Hightstown Location in New Jersey Hightstown Location in the United States
	Coordinates: 40°16′06″N 74°31′33″W / 40.268457°N 74.525804°W
Country	United States
State	New Jersey
County	Mercer
Incorporated	March 5, 1853
Named for	Hight family
Government
• Type	Borough
• Body	Borough Council
• Mayor	Susan Bluth (D, term ends December 31, 2026)
• Administrator	Dimitri Musing
• Municipal clerk	Peggy Riggio
Area
• Total	1.27 sq mi (3.28 km2)
• Land	1.23 sq mi (3.19 km2)
• Water	0.03 sq mi (0.09 km2) 2.60%
• Rank	478th of 565 in state; 10th of 12 in county
Elevation	92 ft (28 m)
Population (2020)
• Total	5,900
• Estimate (2023)	5,853
• Rank	352nd of 565 in state; 10th of 12 in county
• Density	4,785.1/sq mi (1,847.5/km2)
• Rank	119th of 565 in state; 2nd of 12 in county
Time zone	UTC−05:00 (Eastern (EST))
• Summer (DST)	UTC−04:00 (Eastern (EDT))
ZIP Code	08520
Area code	609
FIPS code	3402131620
GNIS feature ID	0885254
Website	www.hightstownborough.com

Hightstown is a borough in Mercer County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey. Nestled within the Raritan Valley region, Hightstown is an historic, commercial, and cultural hub of Central New Jersey, along with being a diverse outer-ring commuter suburb of New York City in the New York Metropolitan Area.^[19]^[20] As of the 2020 United States census, the borough's population was 5,900,^[9]^[10] its highest decennial count ever and an increase of 406 (+7.4%) from the 5,494 recorded at the 2010 census,^[21]^[22] which in turn reflected an increase of 278 (+5.3%) from the 5,216 counted in the 2000 census.^[23]

Hightstown was incorporated as a borough by an act of the New Jersey Legislature on March 5, 1853, within portions of East Windsor Township. The borough became fully independent around 1894. Additional portions of East Windsor Township were annexed in 1913, 1915, and 1927.^[24] The traditional explanation is that the borough was named for John and Mary Hight, who established a tavern in the area in the 1750s.^[25]^[26]^[27]^[28]

^ ^a ^b ^c ^d 2019 Census Gazetteer Files: New Jersey Places, United States Census Bureau. Accessed July 1, 2020.
^ US Gazetteer files: 2010, 2000, and 1990, United States Census Bureau. Accessed September 4, 2014.
^ Cite error: The named reference MayorCouncil was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
^ 2023 New Jersey Mayors Directory, New Jersey Department of Community Affairs, updated February 8, 2023. Accessed February 10, 2023.
^ ^a ^b Administration, Borough of Hightstown. Accessed February 24, 2023.
^ Cite error: The named reference DataBook was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
^ "ArcGIS REST Services Directory". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved October 11, 2022.
^ U.S. Geological Survey Geographic Names Information System: Borough of Hightstown, Geographic Names Information System. Accessed March 5, 2013.
^ ^a ^b ^c Cite error: The named reference Census2020 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
^ ^a ^b Cite error: The named reference LWD2020 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
^ Cite error: The named reference PopEst was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
^ ^a ^b Population Density by County and Municipality: New Jersey, 2020 and 2021, New Jersey Department of Labor and Workforce Development. Accessed March 1, 2023.
^ Look Up a ZIP Code for Hightstown, NJ, United States Postal Service. Accessed March 14, 2012.
^ Zip Codes, State of New Jersey. Accessed August 28, 2013.
^ Area Code Lookup - NPA NX for Hightstown, NJ, Area-Codes.com. Accessed August 28, 2013.
^ U.S. Census website, United States Census Bureau. Accessed September 4, 2014.
^ Geographic Codes Lookup for New Jersey, Missouri Census Data Center. Accessed April 1, 2022.
^ US Board on Geographic Names, United States Geological Survey. Accessed September 4, 2014.
^ New York-Newark, NY-NJ-CT-PA Combined Statistical Area, United States Census Bureau. Accessed October 18, 2023.
^ Cheslow, Jerry. "If You're Thinking of Living In/Hightstown; A Borough With Respect for Its Roots", The New York Times, February 6, 1994. Accessed October 18, 2023.
^ Cite error: The named reference Census2010 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
^ Cite error: The named reference LWD2010 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
^ Table 7. Population for the Counties and Municipalities in New Jersey: 1990, 2000 and 2010, New Jersey Department of Labor and Workforce Development, February 2011. Accessed May 1, 2023.
^ Snyder, John P. The Story of New Jersey's Civil Boundaries: 1606-1968, Bureau of Geology and Topography; Trenton, New Jersey; 1969. p. 162. Accessed May 28, 2024.
^ Hutchinson, Richard S. "Hightstown, New Jersey And Some Hight Family Connections", Hightstown-East Windsor, New Jersey Historical Society News, November–December 2003. Accessed November 27, 2019.
^ Gannett, Henry. The Origin of Certain Place Names in the United States, p. 156. United States Government Printing Office, 1905. Accessed January 1, 2015.
^ Hutchinson, Viola L. The Origin of New Jersey Place Names, New Jersey Public Library Commission, May 1945. Accessed September 1, 2015.
^ Mulvaney, Nicole. "Virginia woman and her mother to travel to N.J. to confirm lineage to Hightstown's founders", NJ.com, October 7, 2014. Accessed September 1, 2015. "John Hight was the first tavern keeper in town between the 1750s and 1770s. It was during those years, in the 1760s, that the name 'Hightstown' was established, Craig said.... 'John and Mary Hight were the namesake founders of the village of Hightstown, which later grew into the borough of Hightstown,' he said."

[CensusArea-1] 2019 Census Gazetteer Files: New Jersey Places, United States Census Bureau. Accessed July 1, 2020.

[GR1-2] US Gazetteer files: 2010, 2000, and 1990, United States Census Bureau. Accessed September 4, 2014.

[MayorCouncil-3] Cite error: The named reference MayorCouncil was invoked but never defined (see the help page).

[4] 2023 New Jersey Mayors Directory, New Jersey Department of Community Affairs, updated February 8, 2023. Accessed February 10, 2023.

[Administration-5] Administration, Borough of Hightstown. Accessed February 24, 2023.

[DataBook-6] Cite error: The named reference DataBook was invoked but never defined (see the help page).

[TigerWebMapServer-7] "ArcGIS REST Services Directory". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved October 11, 2022.

[8] U.S. Geological Survey Geographic Names Information System: Borough of Hightstown, Geographic Names Information System. Accessed March 5, 2013.

[Census2020-9] Cite error: The named reference Census2020 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).

[LWD2020-10] Cite error: The named reference LWD2020 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).

[PopEst-11] Cite error: The named reference PopEst was invoked but never defined (see the help page).

[LWD2020Density-12] Population Density by County and Municipality: New Jersey, 2020 and 2021, New Jersey Department of Labor and Workforce Development. Accessed March 1, 2023.

[13] Look Up a ZIP Code for Hightstown, NJ, United States Postal Service. Accessed March 14, 2012.

[14] Zip Codes, State of New Jersey. Accessed August 28, 2013.

[15] Area Code Lookup - NPA NX for Hightstown, NJ, Area-Codes.com. Accessed August 28, 2013.

[GR2-16] U.S. Census website, United States Census Bureau. Accessed September 4, 2014.

[17] Geographic Codes Lookup for New Jersey, Missouri Census Data Center. Accessed April 1, 2022.

[GR3-18] US Board on Geographic Names, United States Geological Survey. Accessed September 4, 2014.

[19] New York-Newark, NY-NJ-CT-PA Combined Statistical Area, United States Census Bureau. Accessed October 18, 2023.

[20] Cheslow, Jerry. "If You're Thinking of Living In/Hightstown; A Borough With Respect for Its Roots", The New York Times, February 6, 1994. Accessed October 18, 2023.

[Census2010-21] Cite error: The named reference Census2010 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).

[LWD2010-22] Cite error: The named reference LWD2010 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).

[23] Table 7. Population for the Counties and Municipalities in New Jersey: 1990, 2000 and 2010, New Jersey Department of Labor and Workforce Development, February 2011. Accessed May 1, 2023.

[Story-24] Snyder, John P. The Story of New Jersey's Civil Boundaries: 1606-1968, Bureau of Geology and Topography; Trenton, New Jersey; 1969. p. 162. Accessed May 28, 2024.

[25] Hutchinson, Richard S. "Hightstown, New Jersey And Some Hight Family Connections", Hightstown-East Windsor, New Jersey Historical Society News, November–December 2003. Accessed November 27, 2019.

[26] Gannett, Henry. The Origin of Certain Place Names in the United States, p. 156. United States Government Printing Office, 1905. Accessed January 1, 2015.

[27] Hutchinson, Viola L. The Origin of New Jersey Place Names, New Jersey Public Library Commission, May 1945. Accessed September 1, 2015.

[28] Mulvaney, Nicole. "Virginia woman and her mother to travel to N.J. to confirm lineage to Hightstown's founders", NJ.com, October 7, 2014. Accessed September 1, 2015. "John Hight was the first tavern keeper in town between the 1750s and 1770s. It was during those years, in the 1760s, that the name 'Hightstown' was established, Craig said.... 'John and Mary Hight were the namesake founders of the village of Hightstown, which later grew into the borough of Hightstown,' he said."

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