View source for User:Pat Palmer/sandbox/test7

{{TOC|right}}
'''Princeton, New Jersey''' is a town of about 30,000 people in the central portion of the [[United States of America|U.S.]] state of [[New Jersey (U.S. state)|New Jersey]] and home to [[Princeton University]], which bears its name.  Princeton is situated halfway between [[Philadelphia, Pennsylvania|Philadelphia]] and [[New York, New York|New York City]], about an hour's drive from either city.

Princeton, which was founded before the [[American Revolutionary War]], now styles itself formally as a ''municipality with a borough form of government'' due to its consolidation of the [[Borough of Princeton, New Jersey|Borough of Princeton]] and [[Princeton Township, New Jersey|Princeton Township]] on of Jan. 1, 2013.  Both the former Township and Borough are now defunct.  Informally, people may now refer to the "town of Princeton".

 Although its association with the university is primarily what makes Princeton a [[college town]], other important institutions in the area include the [[Institute for Advanced Study]], [[Westminster Choir College]], [[Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory]], [[Princeton Theological Seminary]], [[Opinion Research Corporation]], [[Bristol-Myers Squibb]], [[Siemens Corporate Research]], [[SRI International]], [[FMC Corporation]], The [[R. W. Johnson Foundation|Robert Wood Johnson Foundation]], [[Amrep Corporation|Amrep]], [[Church and Dwight]], [[Berlitz International]], [[Educational Testing Service]] and [[Dow Jones & Company]].

Princeton is close to many major highways that serve both cities (e.g., [[Interstate 95]] and [[U.S. Route 1]]), and receives major television and radio broadcasts from each. It is 12 miles north of the state's capitol ([[Trenton, New Jersey|Trenton]]).

The New Jersey governor's official residence has been in Princeton since 1945, when [[Morven (Princeton, New Jersey)|Morven]] in what was then Princeton Borough became the first Governor's mansion. In 1982, it was replaced by the larger [[Drumthwacket]], a colonial mansion located in the former Township, but not all have actually lived in these houses. Morven became a museum property of the [[New Jersey Historical Society]].<ref>Janson, Donald. [https://www.nytimes.com/1989/04/30/nyregion/a-tour-of-princeton-landmarks.html "A Tour of Princeton Landmarks"], ''[[The New York Times]]'', April 30, 1989. Accessed June 25, 2020. "In 1945 the Stockton family sold Morven to Gov. Walter E. Edge. Six years later, while still in office, the Governor donated the mansion to the state with the requirement that it be used as the gubernatorial mansion or a state museum. From 1953 to 1982 Morven was home to the families of four Governors: Robert B. Meyner, Richard J. Hughes, William T. Cahill and Brendan T. Byrne. The National Park Service designated the house a National Historic Landmark in 1972.... After the Byrne family moved out, work began to transform Morven into a state museum. Drumthwacket became the official address of New Jersey governors."</ref>

Throughout much of its history, the community was composed of two separate municipalities: a [[township (New Jersey)|township]] and a [[borough (New Jersey)|borough]]. The central borough was completely surrounded by the township. The borough seceded from the township in 1894 in a dispute over school taxes; the two municipalities later formed the [[Princeton Public Schools]], and some other public services were conducted together before they were reunited into a single Princeton in January 2013.  Princeton Borough contained [[Nassau Street (Princeton)|Nassau Street]], the main commercial street, most of the university campus, and incorporated most of the urban area until the postwar suburbanization. The borough and township had roughly equal populations.

==History==
===Early history===
[[File:Map of the Battle of Princeton, NJ January 2-3, 1777.jpg|thumb|upright=1.1|A battlefield map for the [[Battle of Princeton]], 1777]]
[[File:Nassau-hall-princeton.JPG|thumb|upright=1.1|[[Nassau Hall]], which briefly served as the U.S. capitol in 1783<ref>[https://www.senate.gov/reference/reference_item/Nine_Capitals_of_the_United_States.htm The Nine Capitals of the United States]. United States Senate Historical Office. Accessed June 9, 2005. Based on Fortenbaugh, Robert, ''The Nine Capitals of the United States'', York, PA: Maple Press, 1948.</ref>
]]
[[File:Princeton VII.jpg|thumb|upright=1.1|[[Princeton University]]'s campus, December 2016]]
[[File:Princeton X.jpg|thumb|upright=1.1|Nassau Street at night, 2016]]
[[File:Princeton I.jpg|thumb|upright=1.1|[[Princeton University]]'s campus was used as one of the sets for the 2004 film ''[[Harold & Kumar Go to White Castle]]''.]]
The [[Lenape]] [[Native Americans in the United States|Native Americans]] were the earliest identifiable inhabitants of the Princeton area.

Europeans settled into the area in the late part of the 17th century, arriving from Delaware to settle [[West Jersey]], and from New York to settle [[East Jersey]], with the site destined to become Princeton being amid the wilderness between these two boroughs.<ref name=schenck>{{cite book  |title=An historical account of the First Presbyterian Church of Princeton, N.J. : being a sermon preached on Thanksgiving Day, December 12, 1850  |date=1850  |last=Schenck  |first=William Edward  |publisher=Printed by John T. Robinson, Princeton, N.J.  |url=https://archive.org/details/historicalaccoun00sche/page/6/mode/2up  }}</ref>  The first European to find his home in the boundaries of the future municipality was Henry Greenland. He built his house in 1683 along with a tavern, where representatives of West and East Jersey met to set the boundaries between the two provinces.<ref name=BriefHistory>[https://www.princetonnj.gov/resources/historic-princeton A Brief History of Princeton] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200806132609/https://www.princetonnj.gov/resources/historic-princeton |date=August 6, 2020 }}, Princeton, New Jersey. Accessed November 29, 2019. "In 1683 a New Englander named Henry Greenland built a house on the highway which is believed to be the first by a European within the present municipal boundaries.  He opened it as a 'house of accommodation' or tavern.... East Jersey and West Jersey representatives met in 1683 at Greenland's tavern to establish their common boundary."</ref>  Greenland's son-in-law Daniel Brimson inhabited the area by 1690, and left property in a will dated 1696.<ref name=schenck />

Then, Princeton was known only as part of nearby [[Stony Brook (Millstone River)|Stony Brook]].<ref>{{cite book  |title=History of Princeton and its institutions, etc. Vol. I  |date=1879  |last=Hageman  |first=John Frelinghuysen  |publisher=J.B. Lippincott & co., Philadelphia  |url=https://archive.org/details/historyofprincet01hage  }}</ref><ref>{{cite book  |title=History of Princeton and its institutions, etc. Vol. II  |date=1879   |last=Hageman  |first=John Frelinghuysen  |publisher=J.B. Lippincott & co., Philadelphia  |url=https://archive.org/details/historyofprincet01hage  }}</ref> Nathaniel Fitz Randolph, a native of the town, attested in his private journal on December 28, 1758, that Princeton was named in 1724 upon the making/construction of the first house in the area by James Leonard,<ref name="Hageman" /> who first referred to the community as ''Princetown'' when describing the location of his large estate in his diary.<ref name="Woodward">[https://archive.org/details/historyofburling02wood ''History of Burlington and Mercer counties. New Jersey with Biographical Sketches of their Pioneers and Prominent Men''], Everts & Peck, Philadelphia, 1883.</ref> The community was  later known by a variety of names, including: ''Princetown'', ''Prince's Town'' and finally ''Princeton''.<ref name="Hageman">Hageman, John Frelinghuysen. [https://books.google.com/books/about/History_of_Princeton_and_Its_Institution.html?id=ADwVAAAAYAAJ ''History of Princeton and its Institutions, vol. 1 of 2'', J.B. Lippincott & Co., Philadelphia, 1879.]</ref> The name Princeton was first used in 1724 and became common within the subsequent decade.<ref name=BriefHistory/> Although there is no official documentary backing, the municipality is said to be named after [[William III|King William III, Prince William of Orange of the House of Nassau]].<ref>Hutchinson, Viola L. [http://mapmaker.rutgers.edu/356/nj_place_names_origin.pdf#page=27 ''The Origin of New Jersey Place Names''], New Jersey Public Library Commission, May 1945. Accessed September 21, 2015.</ref> Another theory suggests that the name came from a large land-owner named Henry Prince, the son-in-law of a well-known English merchant, but no evidence backs this contention.<ref name="Hageman" /> A royal prince seems a more likely eponym for the settlement, as three nearby towns had names for royalty: [[Kingston, New Jersey|Kingston]], Queenstown (in the vicinity of the intersection of Nassau and Harrison Streets) and Princessville (Lawrence Township).<ref name="Woodward" />

Princeton was described by William Edward Schenck in 1850 as having attained "no very considerable size" until the establishment of the College of New Jersey in the town.<ref name="schenck" /> When Richard Stockton, one of the founders of the township, died in 1709 he left his estate to his sons, who helped to expand property and the population. Based on the [[1880 United States Census]], the population of Princeton comprised 3,209 persons (not including students).<ref name="Woodward" /> Local population has expanded from the nineteenth century. According to the [[2010 United States Census|2010 Census]], Princeton Borough had 12,307 inhabitants, while Princeton Township had 16,265.<ref>[http://factfinder.census.gov/bkmk/table/1.0/en/DEC/10_DP/DPDP1/1600000US3460900 DP-1 - Profile of General Population and Housing Characteristics: 2010 from the 2010 Demographic Profile Data for Princeton Borough, New Jersey] {{Webarchive|url=https://archive.today/20200213090204/http://factfinder.census.gov/bkmk/table/1.0/en/DEC/10_DP/DPDP1/1600000US3460900 |date=February 13, 2020 }}, [[United States Census Bureau]]. Accessed September 21, 2015.</ref><ref>[http://factfinder.census.gov/bkmk/table/1.0/en/DEC/10_DP/DPDP1/0600000US3402160915 DP-1 - Profile of General Population and Housing Characteristics: 2010 from the 2010 Demographic Profile Data for Princeton Township, New Jersey] {{Webarchive|url=https://archive.today/20200212101957/http://factfinder.census.gov/bkmk/table/1.0/en/DEC/10_DP/DPDP1/0600000US3402160915 |date=February 12, 2020 }}, [[United States Census Bureau]]. Accessed September 21, 2015.</ref> The numbers have become stagnant; since the arrival of the College of New Jersey, now Princeton University, in 1756, the town's population spikes every year during the fall and winter and drops significantly over the course of the summer.<ref name="Woodward" />

===Revolution===
In the pivotal [[Battle of Princeton]] in January 1777, [[George Washington]] forced the British to evacuate southern New Jersey.<ref name=BriefHistory/> After the victory, Princeton hosted the first Legislature under the State Constitution to decide the State's seal, Governor and organization of its government. In addition, two of the original signers of the Declaration of Independence—[[Richard Stockton (Continental Congressman)|Richard Stockton]] and [[John Witherspoon]] lived in Princeton.<ref name="Woodward" /> Princetonians honored their citizens' legacy by naming two streets in the downtown area after them.

On January 10, 1938, Henry Ewing Hale called for a group of citizens to establish a "Historical Society of Princeton." Later the Bainbridge House, constructed in 1766 by Job Stockton, would be dedicated for this purpose. Previously the house was used once for a meeting of [[Continental Congress]] in 1783, a general office, and as the Princeton Public Library. The House is owned by Princeton University and is leased to the Princeton Historical Society for one dollar per year.<ref>[https://artmuseum.princeton.edu/story/new-life-historic-bainbridge-house "New Life for Historic Bainbridge House"], [[Princeton University Art Museum]], June 2019. Accessed November 29, 2019. "The origins of Bainbridge House date to 1766, when  Job Stockton (1734–1771)—a wealthy tanner, grandson of  an early English settler to the area, and cousin to one of the signers of the Declaration of Independence, Richard Stockton—built it along the primary thoroughfare of the young village."</ref> The house has kept its original staircase, flooring and paneled walls. Around 70% of the house has been unaltered. Aside from safety features such as wheelchair access and electrical work, the house has been restored to its original look.

===Government history===
During the most stirring events in its history, Princeton was a wide spot in the road; the boundary between [[Somerset County, New Jersey|Somerset County]] and [[Middlesex County, New Jersey|Middlesex County]] ran right through Princeton, along the high road between New York and Philadelphia, now Nassau Street. When Mercer County was formed in 1838, part of [[West Windsor Township, New Jersey|West Windsor Township]] was added to the portion of [[Montgomery Township, New Jersey|Montgomery Township]] which was included in the new county, and made into Princeton Township; the area between the southern boundary of the former Borough and the [[Delaware and Raritan Canal]] was added to Princeton Township in 1853. Princeton Borough became a separate municipality in 1894.<ref name=Story/>

In the early nineteenth century, [[Borough (New Jersey)|New Jersey boroughs]] had been quasi-independent subdivisions chartered within existing townships that did not have full autonomy. Princeton Borough received such a charter in 1813, as part of Montgomery and West Windsor Townships; it continued to be part of Princeton Township until the Borough Act of 1894, which required each township to form a single school district; rather than do so, Princeton Borough petitioned to be separated. (The two Princetons combined their public school systems in the decades before municipal consolidation.) Two minor boundary changes united the then site of the Princeton Hospital and of the Princeton Regional High School inside the Borough, in 1928 and 1951 respectively.<ref name=Story>Snyder, John P. [https://www.state.nj.us/dep/njgs/enviroed/oldpubs/bulletin67.pdf ''The Story of New Jersey's Civil Boundaries: 1606-1968''], Bureau of Geology and Topography; Trenton, New Jersey; 1969. See p. 23 and 164, which cites the Acts of the NJ Legislature 1843, p. 67; 1853, p. 361, for the changes of those years.</ref>

==Geography==
Princeton is located just south of a long, curving ridge, today locally referred to ''Princeton Ridge''<ref>[https://planetprinceton.com/?s=princeton+ridge Recent references to "Princeton Ridge"] in the local newspaper, Planet Princeton</ref><ref>[https://www.google.com/maps/@40.3621384,-74.7352067,13z/data=!5m1!1e4 Princeton Ridge] is detectable in Google Maps with the right settings.</ref>  This means the town and its suburbs are mostly located in a low-lying area which, for many years, has reported issues with cell phone signals.<ref>[https://planetprinceton.com/2017/07/25/many-princeton-residents-reporting-poor-cell-phone-coverage-last-few-months/ Many Princeton Residents Reporting Poor Cell Phone Coverage for the Last Few Months] on Planet Princeton, 7-25-2017.</ref>   The ridge is still wooded, and a portion of it contains protected habitat including wetlands, but the remaining part that is privately controlled is under considerable development pressure.

According to the [[United States Census Bureau|U.S. Census Bureau]], the town of Princeton had a total area of 18.41 square miles (47.69&nbsp;km<sup>2</sup>), including 17.95 square miles (46.48&nbsp;km<sup>2</sup>) of land and 0.47 square miles (1.21&nbsp;km<sup>2</sup>) of water (2.53%).

[[Cedar Grove, Mercer County, New Jersey|Cedar Grove]],<ref>[http://www.state.nj.us/infobank/localnames.txt Locality Search], State of [[New Jersey (U.S. state)|New Jersey]]. Accessed May 17, 2015.</ref> [[Port Mercer, New Jersey|Port Mercer]], Princeton Basin, and Jugtown are [[Unincorporated area (New Jersey)|unincorporated communities]] that have been absorbed into Greater Princeton over the years, but still maintain their own community identity.<ref>{{cite book|last1=Federal Writers' Project of the Works Progress Administration for the State of New Jersey|title=Old Princeton's Neighbors|date=1939|publisher=Graphic Arts Press|location=Princeton}}</ref>

Princeton borders the municipalities of [[Hopewell Township, Mercer County, New Jersey|Hopewell Township]], [[Lawrence Township, Mercer County, New Jersey|Lawrence]] and [[West Windsor Township, New Jersey|West Windsor Townships]] in Mercer County; [[Plainsboro Township, New Jersey|Plainsboro Township]] and [[South Brunswick, New Jersey|South Brunswick Township]] in [[Middlesex County, New Jersey|Middlesex County]]; and [[Franklin Township, Somerset County, New Jersey|Franklin Township]] and [[Montgomery Township, New Jersey|Montgomery Township]] in [[Somerset County, New Jersey|Somerset County]].<ref>[http://global.mapit.mysociety.org/area/752431/touches.html Areas touching Princeton Township], MapIt. Accessed May 17, 2015.</ref><ref>[https://www.dvrpc.org/Mapping/Maps/pdf/Mercer_MCDs.pdf Municipalities within Mercer County, NJ], [[Delaware Valley Regional Planning Commission]]. Accessed November 15, 2019.</ref><ref>[https://www.state.nj.us/transportation/gis/maps/polnoroads.pdf New Jersey Municipal Boundaries], [[New Jersey Department of Transportation]]. Accessed November 15, 2019.</ref>

United States Postal ZIP codes for Princeton include 08540, 08541 ([[Educational Testing Service]]), 08542 (largely the old Borough), 08543 ([[PO box]]es), and 08544 (the [[Princeton University|University]]).

==Ecology==
According to the [[A. W. Kuchler]] U.S. [[potential natural vegetation]] types, Princeton, New Jersey, would have an Appalachian [[Oak]] (''104'') vegetation type with an Eastern [[Hardwood]] Forest (''25'') vegetation form.<ref name="Conservation Biology Institute">[https://databasin.org/datasets/1c7a301c8e6843f2b4fe63fdb3a9fe39 U.S. Potential Natural Vegetation, Original Kuchler Types, v2.0 (Spatially Adjusted to Correct Geometric Distortions)], [[Data Basin]]. Accessed November 26, 2019.</ref>

==Demographics==
{{US Census population
|2010= 28572
|2020= 30681
| estyear=2021
| estimate=30872
| estref=<ref name=PopEst>[https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/popest/tables/2020-2021/mcds/totals/SUB-MCD-EST2021-POP-34.xlsx Annual Estimates of the Resident Population for Minor Civil Divisions in New Jersey: April 1, 2020 to July 1, 2021], [[United States Census Bureau]]. Accessed December 1, 2022.</ref>
|footnote=Population sources: 2010-2020<ref name=Census2020>[https://www.census.gov/quickfacts/princetonnewjersey QuickFacts Princeton, New Jersey], [[United States Census Bureau]]. Accessed December 26, 2022.</ref><ref name=LWD2020>[https://www.nj.gov/labor/labormarketinformation/assets/PDFs/census/2020/2020%20pl94%20Tables/2020_Mun/MCD%200_All.pdf Total Population: Census 2010 - Census 2020 New Jersey Municipalities], [[New Jersey Department of Labor and Workforce Development]]. Accessed December 1, 2022.</ref>
}}
===2010 census===
As of the [[2010 United States census]], the borough and township had a combined population of 28,572.<ref name="Census2010Township">[http://factfinder.census.gov/bkmk/table/1.0/en/DEC/10_DP/DPDP1/0600000US3402160915 DP-1 - Profile of General Population and Housing Characteristics: 2010 for Princeton township, Mercer County, New Jersey] {{Webarchive|url=https://archive.today/20200212101957/http://factfinder.census.gov/bkmk/table/1.0/en/DEC/10_DP/DPDP1/0600000US3402160915|date=February 12, 2020}}, [[United States Census Bureau]]. Accessed August 20, 2012.</ref><ref name="Census2010Borough">[http://factfinder.census.gov/bkmk/table/1.0/en/DEC/10_DP/DPDP1/0600000US3402160900 DP-1 - Profile of General Population and Housing Characteristics: 2010 for Princeton borough, Mercer County, New Jersey] {{Webarchive|url=https://archive.today/20200212113254/http://factfinder.census.gov/bkmk/table/1.0/en/DEC/10_DP/DPDP1/0600000US3402160900|date=February 12, 2020}}, [[United States Census Bureau]]. Accessed November 20, 2012.</ref>

According to the website Data USA, Princeton has a population of 30,168 people, of which 85% are US citizens. The ethnic composition of the population is 20,393 White residents (67.6%), 4,636 Asian residents (15.4%), 2,533 Hispanic residents (8.4%), 1,819 Black residents (6.03%), and 618 Two+ residents (2.05%). The most common foreign languages are Chinese (1,800 speakers), Spanish (1,429 speakers), and French (618 speakers), but compared to other places, Princeton has a relatively high number of speakers of Scandinavian languages (425 speakers), Italian (465 speakers), and German (1,000 speakers).{{citation needed|date=September 2020}}

==Government and politics==

===Local government===
Princeton is governed under the [[Borough (New Jersey)|borough]] form of New Jersey municipal government, which is used in 218 municipalities (of the 564) statewide, making it the most common form of government in New Jersey.<ref>[https://cgs.rutgers.edu/sites/cgs.rutgers.edu/files/documents/resources/rc_munichart_inventory_2011.pdf ''Inventory of Municipal Forms of Government in New Jersey''] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220406185018/https://cgs.rutgers.edu/sites/cgs.rutgers.edu/files/documents/resources/rc_munichart_inventory_2011.pdf |date=April 6, 2022 }}, [[Rutgers University]] Center for Government Studies, July 1, 2011. Accessed November 18, 2019.</ref> The governing body is comprised of the Mayor and the Borough Council, with all positions elected [[at-large]] on a partisan basis as part of the November general election. The Mayor is elected directly by the voters to a four-year term of office. The Borough Council is comprised of six members elected to serve three-year terms on a staggered basis, with two seats coming up for election each year in a three-year cycle. The Borough form of government used by Princeton is a "[[weak mayor]] / strong council" government in which council members act as the legislative body with the mayor presiding at meetings and voting only in the event of a tie. The mayor can [[veto]] ordinances subject to an [[veto override|override]] by a two-thirds majority vote of the council. The mayor makes committee and liaison assignments for council members, and most appointments are made by the mayor with the advice and consent of the council.<ref>Cerra, Michael F. [http://www.njslom.org/magart0307_p14.html "Forms of Government: Everything You've Always Wanted to Know, But Were Afraid to Ask"] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140924045019/http://www.njslom.org/magart0307_p14.html |date=September 24, 2014 }}, [[New Jersey State League of Municipalities]]. Accessed November 30, 2014.</ref><ref>[http://cgs.rutgers.edu/sites/cgs.rutgers.edu/files/documents/resources/rc_munichart_formsgovt_2011.pdf#page=6 "Forms of Municipal Government in New Jersey"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190421025351/http://cgs.rutgers.edu/sites/cgs.rutgers.edu/files/documents/resources/rc_munichart_formsgovt_2011.pdf#page=6 |date=April 21, 2019 }}, p. 6. [[Rutgers University]] Center for Government Studies. Accessed June 3, 2015.</ref><ref name=Government>[http://www.princetonnj.gov/govbody.html Governing Body] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130327074814/http://www.princetonnj.gov/govbody.html |date=March 27, 2013 }}, Princeton, New Jersey. Accessed January 1, 2013.</ref>

The Mayor is elected directly by the voters to a four-year term of office, serves as Princeton's chief executive officer and nominates appointees to various boards and commissions subject to approval of the council. The Mayor presides at Council meetings and votes in the case of a tie or a few other specific cases.<ref name=Government/> The Council consists of six members elected to serve three-year terms on a staggered basis, with two seats coming up for election each year in a three-year cycle. The council has administrative powers and is the policy-making body for Princeton. The Council approves appointments made by the Mayor. Council Members serve on various boards and committees and act as liaisons to certain Departments, Committees or Boards.<ref name=Government/>

{{As of|2022}}, the [[Mayor of Princeton, New Jersey|mayor of Princeton]] is [[Democratic Party (United States)|Democrat]] Mark Freda, who is serving a four-year term expiring on December 31, 2023.<ref name=Mayor>[https://www.princetonnj.gov/939/Mayor-Mark-Freda Mayor Mark Freda], Princeton, New Jersey. Accessed April 28, 2022.</ref> Members of the Princeton Council are Council President Leticia Fraga (D, 2023), David F. Cohen (D, 2023), Eve Niedergang (D, 2024), Michelle Pirone Lambros (D, 2022), Leighton Newlin (D, 2024) and Mia Sacks (D, 2022).<ref name=Council>[https://www.princetonnj.gov/872/Mayor-Council Council], Municipality of Princeton. Accessed April 28, 2022.</ref><ref>[https://www.princetonnj.gov/DocumentCenter/View/10557/2022-Introduced-Budget-PDF#page=10 2022 Municipal Data Sheet], Municipality of Princeton. Accessed April 28, 2022.</ref><ref name=MercerOfficials>[https://www.mercercounty.org/home/showpublisheddocument/19807/637462972595470000 Mercer County Elected Officials], [[Mercer County, New Jersey]], as of January 6, 2021. Accessed April 28, 2022.</ref><ref name=Mercer2021>[https://results.enr.clarityelections.com/NJ/Mercer/111513/web.278093/#/summary General Election November 2, 2021 Official Results], [[Mercer County, New Jersey]], updated November 20, 2021. Accessed January 1, 2022.</ref><ref name=Mercer2020>[https://results.enr.clarityelections.com/NJ/Mercer/107134/web.264614/#/summary General Election November 3, 2020 Official Results], [[Mercer County, New Jersey]], updated November 20, 2020. Accessed January 1, 2021.</ref><ref name=Mercer2019>[https://results.enr.clarityelections.com/NJ/Mercer/98876/Web02.236009/#/ General Election November 2019 Official Results (Amended November 25, 2019)], [[Mercer County, New Jersey]], updated December 9, 2019. Accessed January 1, 2020.</ref>

In 2018, Princeton had an average property tax bill of $19,388, the highest in the county, compared to an average bill of $8,767 statewide.<ref>Marcus, Samantha. [https://www.nj.com/politics/2019/04/these-are-the-towns-with-the-highest-property-taxes-in-each-of-njs-21-counties.html "These are the towns with the highest property taxes in each of N.J.’s 21 counties"], NJ Advance Media for [[NJ.com]], April 22, 2019. Accessed November 5, 2019. "The average property tax bill in New Jersey was $8,767 last year. But there can be big swings from town to town and county to county.... The average property tax bill in Princeton was $19,388 in 2018, the highest in Mercer County."</ref>

===Merger of borough and township (2011)===
People in the township tried unsuccessfully to merge borough and township in a struggle that lasted nearly fifty years. The first failed attempt to consolidate borough and township was made in 1953, with 63% of township voters in favor of a merger and 57% of borough voters opposed.<ref>[https://www.nytimes.com/1953/11/04/archives/bingo-for-charity-is-voted-in-jersey-margin-exceeds-21-newark.html "Bingo For Charity Is Voted In Jersey; Margin Exceeds 2-1 -- Newark Approves Shift to a Mayor and Nine Councilmen"], ''[[The New York Times]]'', November 4, 1953. Accessed March 8, 2023. "In Princeton, a heated battle over a proposal to consolidate Princeton Borough and Princeton Township into a municipality ended in the plan's defeat. The final vote was 3,463 to 2,312. The borough, a heavily populated area of 1.76 square miles in the center of the 16.25 square-mile township, voted 1,965 to 1,450 against the consolidation. The township registered 1,498 votes against it. and 862 in favor."</ref> Subsequent attempts were voted down by borough residents, in large part due to different zoning needs of the densely populated borough versus the more widely-spaced properties of the township (surrounding the borough). An attempt to consolidate in 1979 passed with 70% support in the township but failed in the borough by 33 votes, a result that was upheld after a recount.<ref>via [[Associated Press]]. [https://www.newspapers.com/clip/120465568/1979-princeton-merger-referendum-results/ "Princeton merger dead"], ''The Daily Register'', November 7, 1979. Accessed March 8, 2023, via [[Newspapers.com]]. "Although voters in Princeton Township endorsed a proposal to consolidate the township with Princeton Borough nearly 2-to-l, the measure was defeated in the borough by a mere 33 votes. The proposal needed majority approval in both municipalities to be instituted. Borough results showed 1,508 votes opposed to the merger with 1,475 in favor. Township voters overwhelmingly approved consolidation, with 3,432 yes votes and 1,444 against."</ref><ref>Fisher, Marc. [https://www.newspapers.com/clip/120464936/princeton-merger-attempt-fails/ "Princetons: No again on merger"], ''[[The Philadelphia Inquirer]]'', November 8, 1979. Accessed March 8, 2023, via [[Newspapers.com]]. "The fourth attempt in 30 years to consolidate Princeton Borough and Princeton Township failed Tuesday, this time by 33 votes. A proposal to merge was overwhelmingly approved in the township and defeated by 33 votes in the borough."</ref><ref>"Recount Upholds Consolidation's Defeat By 33 Votes as First Reported on Nov. 6", ''[[Town Topics (newspaper)|Town Topics]]'', November 21, 1979, p. 3.</ref> Although township voters again supported a 1996 merger referendum by an almost 3-1 margin, about 57% of borough voters rejected the consolidation proposal, marking the sixth such failure.<ref>Pristin, Terry. [https://www.nytimes.com/1996/11/06/nyregion/princeton-will-stay-split.html "Princeton Will Stay Split"], ''[[The New York Times]]'', November 6, 1996. Accessed March 8, 2023. "Since 1952, Princeton Borough has voted six times against a proposal to merge with Princeton Township. Yesterday, despite speculation that a heavy voter turnout among Princeton University students might reverse that trend, the borough rejected the measure by a vote of 1,878 to 1,418. As it has in the past, the township voted in favor of the proposal; the vote was 4,354 to 1,522. But to be approved, the measure had to be accepted by both municipalities."</ref>

The election which resulted in a merger occurred in 2011.  During the campaign, proponents of the merger asserted that when the merger is completed the new municipality of Princeton would save $3.2 million as a result of some scaled down services including layoffs of 15 government workers including 9 police officers (however the measure itself does not mandate such layoffs). Opponents of the measure challenged the findings of a report citing a cost savings as unsubstantiated, expressed concerns about differing zoning needs between borough and township, and noted that voter representation would be reduced in a smaller government structure. 
Nevertheless, the election held on November 8, 2011 led to the merger and was heavily pro-merger for the first time.  The success of this last merger attempt was a result college-age students being allowed to vote locally in Princeton during their period of study there.  Township proponents of the merger harnessed the energy and interest of college students, who mostly did not own property locally and were uninvolved with zoning concerns but whose imagination was ignited at the thought of cost savings, to push the measure through.  This time in borough, 1,385 voted for and 902 voted against, and in the township. 3,542 voted for and 604 voted against. 

The merger was the first in the state since 1997, when [[Pahaquarry Township, New Jersey|Pahaquarry Township]] voted to consolidate with [[Hardwick Township, New Jersey|Hardwick Township]]<ref>Clerkin, Bridget. [https://www.nj.com/mercer/2011/11/princeton_voters_approve_conso.html "Princeton voters approve consolidation of borough, township into one municipality"], ''[[The Times (Trenton)|The Times]]'', November 9, 2011, updated March 30, 2019. Accessed November 29, 2019. "Voters in Princeton Borough and Princeton Township approved today a consolidation of the two towns into a single municipality to be known as Princeton.... The referendum passed by a landslide in the township with 3,542 in favor and 604 against. In the borough, 1,385 voted for consolidation and 802 voted against.... This is the fifth time residents of both Princetons have been presented with the question of consolidation at the ballot. If approved by a majority in both municipalities, the merger will be the first in 14 years for New Jersey, since Pahaquarry’s seven residents merged into adjacent Hardwick Township in Warren County in 1997.
"</ref> The consolidation took effect on January 1, 2013.<ref name=app>{{cite news |date= November 8, 2011 |title= 2 Princetons vote to merge into 1 town |url= http://www.app.com/article/20111108/NJNEWS1002/311080107/2-Princetons-vote-to-merge-into-1-town |agency= [[Associated Press]] |work= [[Asbury Park Press]] |location= Asbury Park, NJ |access-date= November 10, 2011 }}{{Dead link|date=April 2020 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref>

===Federal, state and county representation===
Princeton is located in the 12th Congressional District<ref name=PCR2012>[https://www.nj.gov/state/elections/assets/pdf/2012-congressional-districts/njcd-2011-plan-components-county-mcd.pdf Plan Components Report], [[New Jersey Redistricting Commission]], December 23, 2011. Accessed February 1, 2020.</ref> and is part of New Jersey's 16th state legislative district.<ref name=Districts2011>[https://www.nj.gov/state/elections/assets/pdf/2011-legislative-districts/towns-districts.pdf Municipalities Sorted by 2011-2020 Legislative District], [[New Jersey Department of State]]. Accessed February 1, 2020.</ref><ref name=LWV2019>[https://uploads-ssl.webflow.com/5bae63366fd2b2e5b9f87e5e/5d30f0a94a82c66427e564d2_2019_CitizensGuide.pdf ''2019 New Jersey Citizen's Guide to Government''], New Jersey [[League of Women Voters]]. Accessed October 30, 2019.</ref><ref>[https://www.njleg.state.nj.us/districts/districtnumbers.asp#16 Districts by Number for 2011-2020], [[New Jersey Legislature]]. Accessed January 9, 2013.</ref> Prior to the [[New Jersey Legislative Districts, 2011 apportionment|2011 reapportionment]] following the [[2010 United States Census|2010 Census]], the former Princeton Borough and Princeton Township had both been in the [[New Jersey's 15th legislative district|15th state legislative district]].<ref name=LWV2011>[http://www.lwvnj.org/images/cg_2011.pdf#page=63 ''2011 New Jersey Citizen's Guide to Government''] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130604153059/http://www.lwvnj.org/images/cg_2011.pdf#page=63 |date=June 4, 2013 }}, p. 63, New Jersey [[League of Women Voters]]. Accessed January 9, 2013.</ref>

{{NJ Congress 12}} {{NJ Senate}}

{{NJ Legislative 16}}

{{NJ Mercer County Freeholders}}

===Politics===
As of March 2011, there were a total of 18,049 registered voters in Princeton (a sum of the former borough and township's voters), of which 9,184 (50.9%) were registered as [[Democratic Party (United States)|Democrats]], 2,140 (11.9%) were registered as [[Republican Party (United States)|Republicans]] and 6,703 (37.1%) were registered as [[Unaffiliated (New Jersey)|unaffiliated]]. There were 22 voters registered as [[Libertarian Party (United States)|Libertarians]] or [[Green Party (United States)|Greens]].<ref>[http://www.state.nj.us/state/elections/election-results/2011-mercer-co-summary-report.pdf Voter Registration Summary - Mercer], [[New Jersey Department of State]] Division of Elections, March 23, 2011. Accessed November 21, 2012.</ref>

{| class="wikitable"  style="margin:auto; float:right; font-size:95%;"
|+ '''Presidential Elections Results*'''
|- style="background:lightgrey;"
! Year
![[Republican Party (United States)|Republican]]
![[Democratic Party (United States)|Democratic]]
![[Third Party (United States)|Third Parties]]
|-
| style="text-align:center; {{Party shading/Democratic}}|'''[[United States presidential election in New Jersey, 2020|2020]]<ref name="2020Elections">{{cite web|url=https://www.state.nj.us/state/elections/assets/pdf/election-results/2020/2020-official-general-results-president-mercer.pdf}}</ref>'''
| style="text-align:center; {{Party shading/Republican}}|14.1% ''1,981''
| style="text-align:center; {{Party shading/Democratic}}|'''84.3%'''  ''11,858''
| style="text-align:center; background:honeyDew;" |1.6% ''235''
|-
| style="text-align:center; {{Party shading/Democratic}}|'''[[United States presidential election in New Jersey, 2016|2016]]<ref name="2016Elections">{{cite web|url=http://nj.gov/state/elections/2016-results/2016-gen-elect-presidential-results-mercer.pdf|title=Presidential General Election Results - November 8, 2016 - Mercer County|publisher=New Jersey Department of Elections|access-date=December 31, 2017}}{{Dead link|date=August 2019 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref>'''
| style="text-align:center; {{Party shading/Republican}}|14.1% ''1,817''
| style="text-align:center; {{Party shading/Democratic}}|'''81.8%'''  ''10,548''
| style="text-align:center; background:honeyDew;" |4.1% ''527''
|-
| style="text-align:center; {{Party shading/Democratic}}|'''[[United States presidential election in New Jersey, 2012|2012]]<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.state.nj.us/state/elections/2012-results/2012-presidential-mercer.pdf|title=Presidential General Election Results - November 6, 2012 - Mercer County|date=March 15, 2013|publisher=New Jersey Department of Elections|access-date=December 23, 2014}}</ref>'''
| style="text-align:center; {{Party shading/Republican}}|23.0% ''2,882''
| style="text-align:center; {{Party shading/Democratic}}|'''75.4%'''  ''9,461''
| style="text-align:center; background:honeyDew;" |1.6% ''205''
|}

In both the [[United States presidential election in New Jersey, 2016|2016]] and [[United States presidential election in New Jersey, 2020|2020]] presidential elections, the Democratic nommiee received over 80% of the vote. In the [[United States presidential election in New Jersey, 2012|2012 presidential election]], Democrat [[Barack Obama]] received 75.4% of the vote (9,461 cast), ahead of Republican [[Mitt Romney]] with 23.0% (2,882 votes), and other candidates with 1.6% (205 votes), among the 14,752 ballots cast by the municipality's 20,328 registered voters (2,204 ballots were [[Spoilt vote|spoiled]]), for a turnout of 72.6%.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.state.nj.us/state/elections/2012-results/2012-presidential-mercer.pdf |title=Presidential General Election Results - November 6, 2012 - Mercer County |date=March 15, 2013 |publisher=New Jersey Department of Elections |access-date=December 23, 2014}}</ref><ref name=2012VoterReg>{{cite web |url=http://www.state.nj.us/state/elections/2012-results/2012-ballotscast-mercer.pdf |title=Number of Registered Voters and Ballots Cast - November 6, 2012 - General Election Results - Mercer County|date=March 15, 2013 |publisher=New Jersey Department of Elections |access-date=December 23, 2014}}</ref>

{| class="wikitable"  style="margin:auto; float:right; font-size:95%;"
|+ '''Gubernatorial Elections Results'''
|- style="background:lightgrey;"
! Year
![[Republican Party (United States)|Republican]]
![[Democratic Party (United States)|Democratic]]
![[Third Party (United States)|Third Parties]]
|-
| style="text-align:center; {{Party shading/Democratic}}|'''[[New Jersey gubernatorial election, 2021|2021]]<ref name="2021Elections">{{cite web|url=https://www.state.nj.us/state/elections/assets/pdf/election-results/2021/2021-general-election-results-governor-mercer.pdf}}</ref>'''
| style="text-align:center; {{Party shading/Republican}}|18.6% ''1,553''
| style="text-align:center; {{Party shading/Democratic}}|'''80.5%'''  ''6,721''
| style="text-align:center; background:honeyDew;" |1.0% ''79''
|-
| style="text-align:center; {{Party shading/Democratic}}|'''[[New Jersey gubernatorial election, 2017|2017]]<ref name="2017Elections">{{cite web|url=http://www.njelections.org/2017-results/2017-general-election-results-governor-mercer.pdf|title=Governor - Mercer County|publisher=New Jersey Department of Elections|access-date=December 31, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180101135257/http://www.njelections.org/2017-results/2017-general-election-results-governor-mercer.pdf|archive-date=January 1, 2018|url-status=dead}}</ref>'''
| style="text-align:center; {{Party shading/Republican}}|17.9% ''1,491''
| style="text-align:center; {{Party shading/Democratic}}|'''80.0%'''  ''6,648''
| style="text-align:center; background:honeyDew;" |2.0% ''169''
|-
| style="text-align:center; {{Party shading/Democratic}}|'''[[New Jersey gubernatorial election, 2013|2013]]<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.state.nj.us/state/elections/2013-results/2013-general-election-results-governor-mercer.pdf|title=Governor - Mercer County|date=January 29, 2014|publisher=New Jersey Department of Elections|access-date=December 24, 2014}}</ref>'''
| style="text-align:center; {{Party shading/Republican}}|39.2% ''2,780''
| style="text-align:center; {{Party shading/Democratic}}|'''58.8%'''  ''4,172''
| style="text-align:center; background:honeyDew;" |2.7% ''145''
|}

In the [[New Jersey gubernatorial election, 2013|2013 gubernatorial election]], Democrat [[Barbara Buono]] received 58.8% of the vote (4,172 cast), ahead of Republican [[Chris Christie]] with 39.2% (2,780 votes), and other candidates with 2.0% (145 votes), among the 7,279 ballots cast by the municipality's 18,374 registered voters (182 ballots were spoiled), for a turnout of 39.6%.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.state.nj.us/state/elections/2013-results/2013-general-election-results-governor-mercer-0131.pdf |title=Governor - Mercer County |date=January 31, 2014 |publisher=New Jersey Department of Elections |access-date=December 23, 2014}}</ref><ref name=2013VoterReg>{{cite web |url=http://www.state.nj.us/state/elections/2013-results/2013-general-election-ballotscast-mercer.pdf |title=Number of Registered Voters and Ballots Cast - November 5, 2013 - General Election Results - Mercer County|date=January 31, 2014 |publisher=New Jersey Department of Elections |access-date=December 23, 2014}}</ref>

==Education==
===Colleges and universities===
[[File:Walker-1903-cuyler.jpg|thumb|upright=1.1|Princeton University's Cuyler and Walker Halls are dormitories with [[Collegiate Gothic]] architecture]]
[[File:Fine-hall-princeton.jpeg|thumb|upright=1.1|Princeton University's Fine Hall, home of its [[Princeton University Department of Mathematics|Department of Mathematics]]]]
[[File:IAS Princeton.jpg|thumb|upright=1.1|Fuld Hall, home of the Institute for Advanced Study]]
[[File:Princeton II.jpg|thumb|upright=1.1|Princeton University's campus. The university is one of eight [[Ivy League]] universities and once had [[Albert Einstein]] as a lecturer.]]
[[Princeton University]], one of the world's most prominent [[research]] universities, is a dominant feature of the community. Established in 1746 as the College of New Jersey and relocated to Princeton ten years later, Princeton University's main campus has its historic center on Nassau Street and stretches south from there. Its James Forrestal satellite campus is located in [[Plainsboro Township, New Jersey|Plainsboro Township]], and some playing fields lie within adjacent [[West Windsor Township, New Jersey|West Windsor Township]].<ref>[https://www.princeton.edu/meet-princeton/visit-us#campus-maps Campus Maps], [[Princeton University]]. Accessed January 30, 2018.</ref> Princeton University is often featured at or near the top of various national and global university rankings, topping the 2019 list of ''[[U.S. News & World Report]]''.<ref name=PrincetonUSNews>[https://www.usnews.com/best-colleges/rankings/national-universities "National University Rankings"], ''[[U.S. News & World Report]]''. Accessed November 29, 2019.</ref>

[[Westminster Choir College]], a school of music presently owned by [[Rider University]], was established in Princeton in 1932. Before relocating to Princeton, the school resided in [[Dayton, Ohio]], and then briefly in [[Ithaca, New York]].<ref>[http://www.rider.edu/wcc/about-us/historic-westminster Historic Westminster] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140910044343/http://www.rider.edu/wcc/about-us/historic-westminster |date=September 10, 2014 }}, [[Westminster Choir College]]. Accessed August 29, 2014. "Relocated in Princeton, N.J., in 1932, it added a master's program in 1934 and became known as Westminster Choir College in 1939."</ref>

[[Princeton Theological Seminary]], the first and oldest seminary in America of the Presbyterian Church (USA), has its main academic campus in Princeton, with residential housing located just outside of Princeton in West Windsor Township.<ref>[http://s3.amazonaws.com/ptsem/pdfs/PTS-Main-Campus-Map-2017.pdf Princeton Seminary Main Campus Map], [[Princeton Theological Seminary]]. Accessed January 30, 2018.</ref>

The [[Institute for Advanced Study]] maintains extensive land holdings (the "Institute Woods") there covering 800 acres.<ref>[https://www.ias.edu/about/maps-directions Directions to IAS], [[Institute for Advanced Study]]. Accessed January 30, 2018. "The Institute for Advanced Study is located at 1 Einstein Drive in Princeton Township in central New Jersey. The Institute and its 800-acre grounds are approximately one mile from the center of the town of Princeton and are easily accessible by car, train, or taxi from major cities along the Eastern seaboard."</ref>

[[Mercer County Community College]] in West Windsor is a two-year public college serving Princeton residents and all those from Mercer County.<ref>[http://www.mccc.edu/welcome_overview.shtml Overview & Facts], [[Mercer County Community College]]. Accessed January 30, 2018.</ref>

===Primary and secondary schools===
====Public schools====
[[File:PrincetonHighSchool Front.jpg|thumb|upright=1.1|[[Princeton High School (New Jersey)|Princeton High School]]]]
The [[Princeton Public Schools]] serve students in [[pre-kindergarten]] through [[twelfth grade]].<ref name=Policy9110>[https://www.boarddocs.com/nj/pps/Board.nsf/files/AW7Q2L63D8DA/$file/9110%20Number%20of%20Members%20and%20Term%20of%20Office%202-1-18.pdf District Policy 9110 - Number of Members and Term of Office], Princeton Public Schools. Accessed September 3, 2020. "The Princeton Public Schools District is comprised of all the area within the municipal boundaries of the Municipality of Princeton and receives high school students from the Cranbury Public School District.... The Princeton Board of Education shall consist of ten members, nine of which are elected for three year terms and one from the Cranbury Board of Education."</ref> Students from [[Cranbury, New Jersey|Cranbury Township]] attend the district's high school as part of a [[sending/receiving relationship]].<ref>[https://rc.doe.state.nj.us/1516/21/4255/000.html Princeton Public Schools 2016 Report Card Narrative] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170803050129/https://rc.doe.state.nj.us/1516/21/4255/000.html |date=August 3, 2017 }}, [[New Jersey Department of Education]]. Accessed August 2, 2017. "As we strive to serve the more than 3700 students from the Princeton and Cranbury communities, we do so knowing that our work with them in the classroom, on the athletic field, and on the stage matters deeply to each one and to the larger society into which they will graduate."</ref> As of the 2020–21 school year, the district, comprised of six schools, had an enrollment of 3,740 students and 341.0 classroom teachers (on an [[full-time equivalent|FTE]] basis), for a [[student–teacher ratio]] of 11.0:1.<ref name=NCES>[https://nces.ed.gov/ccd/districtsearch/district_detail.asp?Search=2&details=1&ID2=3413410&DistrictID=3413410 District information for Princeton Public Schools], [[National Center for Education Statistics]]. Accessed February 15, 2022.</ref> Schools in the district (with 2020–21 enrollment data from the [[National Center for Education Statistics]]<ref>[https://nces.ed.gov/ccd/schoolsearch/school_list.asp?Search=1&DistrictID=3413410 School Data for the Princeton Public Schools], [[National Center for Education Statistics]]. Accessed November 1, 2019.</ref>) are 
Community Park School<ref>[https://www.princetonk12.org/community-park-elementary Community Park Elementary School], Princeton Public Schools. Accessed December 17, 2022.</ref> with 332 students in grades K-5, 
Johnson Park School<ref>[https://www.princetonk12.org/johnson-park-elementary-home Johnson Park Elementary School], Princeton Public Schools. Accessed December 17, 2022.</ref> with 329 students in grades PreK-5, 
Littlebrook School<ref>[https://www.princetonk12.org/littlebrook-elementary-home Littlebrook Elementary School], Princeton Public Schools. Accessed December 17, 2022.</ref> with 342 students in grades K-5, 
Riverside School<ref>[https://www.princetonk12.org/riverside-elementary-home Riverside Elementary School], Princeton Public Schools. Accessed December 17, 2022.</ref> with 289 students in grades PreK-5, 
Princeton Middle School <ref>[https://www.princetonk12.org/princeton-middle-school Princeton Middle School], Princeton Public Schools. Accessed December 17, 2022.</ref> with 803 students in grades 6-8 and 
[[Princeton High School (New Jersey)|Princeton High School]]<ref>[https://www.princetonk12.org/princeton-high-school Princeton High School], Princeton Public Schools. Accessed December 17, 2022.</ref> with 1,555 students in grades 9-12.<ref>[https://www.princetonk12.org/schools Schools Menu], Princeton Public Schools. Accessed November 29, 2019.</ref><ref>[https://www.princetonk12.org/district/about-us Who We Are], Princeton Public Schools. Accessed December 17, 2022. "Elementary Schools (Grades K-5): Community Park, Johnson Park, Littlebrook, and Riverside.... Middle School (Grades 6-8): Princeton Middle School... High School (Grades 9-12): Princeton High School"</ref><ref name=MercerSchools>[https://www.mercercounty.org/home/showpublisheddocument/19752/637756867571870000#page=26 ''2021-2022 Mercer County Charter and Public Schools Directory''], [[Mercer County, New Jersey]]. Accessed December 17, 2022.</ref><ref>[https://rc.doe.state.nj.us/selectreport/2020-2021/21/4255 School Performance Reports for the Princeton Public School District]{{Dead link|date=January 2023 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}, [[New Jersey Department of Education]]. Accessed December 1, 2022.</ref><ref>[https://homeroom5.doe.state.nj.us/directory/school.php?district=4255&source=01 New Jersey School Directory for the Princeton Public Schools], [[New Jersey Department of Education]]. Accessed December 29, 2016.</ref>

''[[New Jersey Monthly]]'' magazine ranked [[Princeton High School (New Jersey)|Princeton High School]] as the 20th best high school in New Jersey in its 2018 rankings of the "Top Public High Schools" in New Jersey.<ref>{{cite web|date=2018-09-04|title=The Top New Jersey Public High Schools 2018|url=https://njmonthly.com/articles/towns-schools/the-top-new-jersey-public-high-schools-2018/|access-date=2021-02-21|website=New Jersey Monthly}}</ref> The school was also ranked as the 10th best school in New Jersey by ''[[U.S. News & World Report]].'' <ref>[https://www.usnews.com/education/best-high-schools/new-jersey/districts/princeton-regional/princeton-high-school-12735 "Princeton High School Overview"], ''[[U.S. News & World Report]]''. Accessed March 28, 2015.</ref> [[Niche (company)|Niche]] ranked [[Princeton High School (New Jersey)|Princeton High School]] as the 47th best public high school in America in its "2021 Best Public High Schools in America" rankings.<ref>{{cite web|title=2021 Best Public High Schools in America|url=https://www.niche.com/k12/search/best-public-high-schools/|access-date=2021-02-21|website=Niche|language=en}}</ref>

In the early 1990s, redistricting occurred between the Community Park and Johnson Park School districts, as the population within both districts had increased due to residential development. Concerns were also raised about the largely white, wealthy student population attending Johnson Park (JP) and the more racially and economically diverse population at Community Park (CP). As a result of the redistricting, portions of the affluent Western Section neighborhood were redistricted to CP, and portions of the racially and economically diverse John Witherspoon neighborhood were redistricted to JP.

The [[Princeton Charter School]] (grades K–8) operates under a [[charter school|charter]] granted by the Commissioner of the [[New Jersey Department of Education]]. The school is a public school that operates independently of the Princeton Regional Schools, and is funded on a per student basis by locally raised tax revenues.<ref>[http://www.pcs.k12.nj.us/schoolhighlights.cfm School Highlights], [[Princeton Charter School]]. Accessed August 21, 2013.</ref>

Eighth grade students from all of Mercer County are eligible to apply to attend the high school programs offered by the [[Mercer County Technical Schools]], a county-wide vocational school district that offers full-time career and technical education at its Health Sciences Academy, STEM Academy and Academy of Culinary Arts, with no tuition charged to students for attendance.<ref>Heyboer, Kelly. [https://www.nj.com/education/2017/05/how_to_get_your_kid_into_one_of_njs_elite_high_sch.html "How to get your kid a seat in one of N.J.'s hardest-to-get-into high schools"], NJ Advance Media for [[NJ.com]], May 2017. Accessed November 18, 2019. "Mercer County has a stand-alone specialized high school for top students: a Health Sciences Academy at the district's Assunpink Center campus. The district also offers a STEM Academy at Mercer County Community College. How to apply: Students can apply online in the fall of their 8th grade year."</ref><ref>[https://www.mcts.edu/high-school-programs/ High School Programs], [[Mercer County Technical Schools]]. Accessed November 18, 2019.</ref>

====Private schools====
Private schools located in Princeton include [[The Lewis School of Princeton]], [[Princeton Day School]], [[Princeton Friends School]], [[Hun School of Princeton]], and [[Princeton International School of Mathematics and Science]] (PRISMS).

[[St. Paul's School (Princeton, New Jersey)|St. Paul's Catholic School]] (pre-school to 8th grade) founded in 1878, is the oldest and only coeducational Catholic school, joining [[Princeton Academy of the Sacred Heart]] (K–8, all male) and [[Stuart Country Day School|Stuart Country Day School of the Sacred Heart]] (coed for Pre-K, and all-female K–12), which operate under the supervision of the [[Roman Catholic Diocese of Trenton]].<ref>[https://dioceseoftrenton.org/schoolfinder School Finder], [[Roman Catholic Diocese of Trenton]]. Accessed November 29, 2019.</ref>

Schools that are outside of Princeton but have Princeton addresses include the [[Wilberforce School]], [[Chapin School (New Jersey)|Chapin School]] in [[Lawrence Township, Mercer County, New Jersey|Lawrence Township]], [[Lawrence Township, Mercer County, New Jersey#Education|Princeton Junior School]] in Lawrence Township, the French-American School of Princeton, the Laurel School of Princeton, the Waldorf School of Princeton, YingHua International School, Princeton Latin Academy in [[Hopewell, New Jersey|Hopewell]], Princeton Montessori School in [[Montgomery Township, New Jersey|Montgomery Township]], Eden Institute in [[West Windsor Township, New Jersey|West Windsor Township]], and the now-defunct [[American Boychoir School]] in [[Plainsboro Township, New Jersey|Plainsboro Township]].

===Public libraries===
The [[Princeton Public Library]]'s current facility on Witherspoon Street was opened in April 2004 as part of the ongoing downtown redevelopment project and replaced a building dating from 1966. The library itself was founded in 1909.<ref>Offredo, Tom. [http://www.nj.com/mercer/index.ssf/2013/11/princeton_university_donates_100k_to_public_library.html "Princeton University donates $100K to public library"], ''[[The Times (Trenton)|The Times]]'', November 21, 2013. Accessed August 29, 2014. "The Stewardship Fund, launched with a $1 million challenge grant from library supporter Betty Wold Johnson in 2012, is designed to establish an endowment that would renew and refresh the Sands Library Building, the library's home on Witherspoon Street since 2004.... Newly installed Princeton University President Christopher Eisgruber said in a letter to Burger announcing the gift that the university was pleased to continue its long partnership with the library, which dates back to the library's formation in 1909."</ref>

===Miscellaneous education===
The [[Princeton Community Japanese Language School]] teaches [[Hoshū jugyō kō|weekend Japanese classes for Japanese citizen children abroad]] to the standard of the [[Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology]] (MEXT), and it also has classes for people with Japanese as a second language. The main office of the school is in Princeton although the office used on Sundays is in Memorial Hall at [[Rider University]] in Lawrence Township in [[Mercer County, New Jersey|Mercer County]].<ref name=PCJLS>"[https://sites.google.com/a/pcjls.org/en_site/ Home]" ([https://web.archive.org/web/20140512225858/https://sites.google.com/a/pcjls.org/en_site/ Archive]). Princeton Community Japanese Language School. Accessed May 9, 2014. "PCJLS Office 14 Moore Street, Princeton, NJ 08542" and "Sunday Office Rider University, Memorial Hall, Rm301"</ref> Courses are taught at Memorial Hall at Rider University.<ref>[https://sites.google.com/a/pcjls.org/en_site/home/direction Direction & Map]. Princeton Community Japanese Language School. Accessed May 9, 2014.</ref>

The Princeton Learning Cooperative provides support for student-directed learning as "a hybrid of homeschooling and school" for teens.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://princetonlearningcooperative.org/ |title=An alternative to school for teens |publisher=Princeton Learning Cooperative |date= |accessdate=2022-03-16}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://princetoninfo.com/how-a-newspaper-helped-fuel-an-educational-movement/|title = How a Newspaper Helped Fuel an Educational Movement}}</ref>



==Educational institutions==
* [[Institute for Advanced Study]] and Institute Woods
* [[Princeton Theological Seminary]]
* [[Princeton University]]
*[[Westminster Choir College]]

==Parks==
* The [[Delaware and Raritan Canal|D&R Canal State Park]] including Turning Basin Park
* [[Herrontown Woods Arboretum]]
* [[Lake Carnegie (New Jersey)|Lake Carnegie]]
* [[Marquand Park]]
* [[Princeton Ice Company|Mountain Lakes Preserve]]
* [[Palmer Square]]
* [[Princeton Battlefield State Park]]

==Local media==
* ''[[Princeton Packet]]'' 
* ''[[Town Topics (newspaper)|Princeton Town Topics]]''
* ''Planet Princeton''<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://planetprinceton.com/ |title=''Planet Princeton'' |access-date=March 22, 2015 |archive-date=March 15, 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150315024603/http://planetprinceton.com/ |url-status=dead }}</ref>

==See also==
* [[USS Princeton|USS ''Princeton'']], 6 ships

==References==
{{reflist|colwidth=30em}}

==Sources==
* Clark, Ronald W. (1971). ''Einstein: The Life and Times''. {{ISBN|0-380-44123-3}}.
* Gambee, Robert (1987). ''Princeton''. {{ISBN|0-393-30433-7}}.

==External links==
{{commons category|Princeton, New Jersey}}
{{wikivoyage|Princeton}}
{{EB1911 poster|Princeton (New Jersey)|Princeton, New Jersey}}
* {{Official website|https://www.princetonnj.gov}}
* [http://www.visitprinceton.org/ Princeton Regional Convention and Visitors Bureau]
* {{Cite AmCyc|wstitle=Princeton |short=x}}

{{s-start}}
{{s-bef|before=[[Philadelphia]], [[Pennsylvania (U.S. state)|Pennsylvania]]}}
{{s-ttl|title=Capital of the United States of America|years=1783}}
{{s-aft|after=[[Annapolis, Maryland]]}}
{{s-end}}
{{Geographic Location (8-way)
 | Centre =Princeton
 | North = [[Montgomery Township, New Jersey|Montgomery Township]]
 | Northeast = [[Franklin Township, Somerset County, New Jersey|Franklin Township]]
 | East = [[South Brunswick, New Jersey|South Brunswick Township]] <br />[[Plainsboro Township, New Jersey|Plainsboro Township]]
 | South = 
 | Southeast = [[West Windsor Township, New Jersey|West Windsor Township]]
 | Southwest = [[Lawrence Township, Mercer County, New Jersey|Lawrence Township]]
 | West = [[Hopewell Township, Mercer County, New Jersey|Hopewell Township]]
 | Northwest = 
 | image =
}}
{{Princeton, New Jersey}}
{{Mercer County, New Jersey}}
{{Location of US capital}}

{{Authority control}}

[[Category:Princeton, New Jersey| ]]
[[Category:2013 establishments in New Jersey]]
[[Category:Borough form of New Jersey government]]
[[Category:Boroughs in Mercer County, New Jersey]]
[[Category:Former capitals of the United States]]
[[Category:Former state capitals in the United States|New Jersey]]
[[Category:Populated places established in 2013]]
[[Category:Mergers of administrative divisions in the United States]]