Real American History! The Oldest Towns in New Jersey

If you have been following my articles for any time now, you probably have figured out that I enjoy history and love finding out about our state and nation. Even though the United States and New Jersey are relatively young, there is plenty of history for us to experience and learn from. This particular article will look at the oldest towns in the Garden State, which date back nearly 400 years ago. We are going to take a look at the TOP 5 oldest towns according to a survey done by "homesnacks.com".

Get our free mobile app

Let's begin our countdown with #5 according to Home Snacks

#5 TRENTON

Our 5th oldest town in New Jersey is our capital. Trenton, New Jersey was founded in 1719, making it 304 years old. "The first settlement which would become Trenton was established by Quakers in 1679, in the region then called the "Falls of the Delaware", by 1719, the town adopted the name ‘Trent-towne’, after William Trent, one of its leading landholders.

#4 NEWARK

"Newark was settled in 1666 by Connecticut Puritans led by Robert Treat from the New Haven Colony." This makes Newark 357 years old.

#3 WOODBRIDGE

"The Township of Woodbridge is the oldest original township in New Jersey and was granted a royal charter on June 1, 1669, by King Charles II of England. " This makes Woodbridge 354 years old.

#2 HACKENSACK

"The first inhabitants of the area were the Lenni Lenape, an Algonquian people (later known as the Delaware Indians) who lived along the valley of what they called the Achinigeu-hach, or ‘Ackingsah-sack’, meaning stony ground (today the Hackensack River). " This makes Hackensack 358 years old.

#1 Gloucester City

"The name Fort Nassau was used by the Dutch in the 17th century for several fortifications, mostly trading stations, named for the House of Orange-Nassau." This makes New Jersey's oldest town 396 years old.