Established in 1857 as the last county created in New Jersey, it was named after the Union threatened by slavery dispute during this period, which would erupt into civil war in 1861.
All of present-day Union County was part of the Elizabethtown Tract, which was purchased in 1664, by English colonists from the LenapeNative Americans that lived in the area of present-day Elizabeth, New Jersey. Union County was formed on March 19, 1857, from portions of Essex County; it was the last of New Jersey's 21 counties to be established.<ref name=Story>Snyder, John P. The Story of New Jersey's Civil Boundaries: 1606–1968, Bureau of Geology and Topography; Trenton, New Jersey; 1969. p. 237. Accessed January 21, 2013.</ref>
Much of Union County is relatively flat and low-lying. Only in the northwestern corner does any significant relief appear as the Watchung Mountains cross the county. It is there that highest elevations, two areas approximately Template:Convert above sea level, are found in Berkeley Heights.<ref>New Jersey County High Points, Peakbagger.com. Accessed October 5, 2013.</ref> The lowest elevation is sea level along the eastern shore at the Arthur Kill.
Template:Climate chart
In recent years,Template:When average temperatures in the county seat of Elizabeth have ranged from a low of Template:Convert in January to a high of Template:Convert in July, although a record low of Template:Convert was recorded in February 1934 and a record high of Template:Convert was recorded in July 1993. Average monthly precipitation ranged from Template:Convert in February to Template:Convert in July.<ref name="weather"/> In Berkeley Heights average monthly temperatures range from 29.4 °F in January to 74.7 °F in July. The climate in the county is hot-summer humid continental (Dfa) in the west and humid subtropical (Cfa) in the east. The hardiness zone is 7a west of the Garden State Parkway and 7b to the east. [1]
The county's Jewish population was 35,000 as of 2004, with notable communities located in Cranford, Elizabeth, Hillside, Linden, Scotch Plains, Springfield, Union, and Westfield.<ref>Union County, Jewish Virtual Library. Accessed November 24, 2014. "Union County, county in N.E. New Jersey. Of Union County's 532,000 residents (2004 census), about 35,000 were Jews. Major Jewish communities are in Elizabeth-Hillside, Westfield, Scotch Plains, Springfield, Union, Cranford, and Linden."</ref>
Of the 188,118 households, 34.4% had children under the age of 18; 50.1% were married couples living together; 15.6% had a female householder with no husband present and 28.4% were non-families. Of all households, 23.6% were made up of individuals and 9.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.82 and the average family size was 3.32.<ref name=Census2010/>
24.5% of the population were under the age of 18, 8.6% from 18 to 24, 27.5% from 25 to 44, 26.8% from 45 to 64, and 12.6% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females, the population had 94 males. For every 100 females ages 18 and older there were 90.7 males.<ref name=Census2010/>
Union County is governed by a nine-member Board of County Commissioners. The members are elected at-large in partisan elections to serve three-year terms on a staggered basis, with three seats coming up for election each year. The board sets policies for the operation of the county. The Commissioners perform the county's legislative and executive functions. In their legislative role, they formulate and adopt a budget and set county policies and procedures. In their executive role, they oversee county spending and functioning. Many of the administrative duties are delegated by the Board of County Commissioners to the County Manager. Each of the commissioners serves on various committees and boards as a part of their duties. These include committees on Economic Development, Parks and Recreation, and Public Works and Policy. In addition, the board oversees the county's Open Space Trust Fund. Day-to-day operation of the county and its departments is supervised by an appointed County Manager, Edward Oatman.<ref>Office of the County Manager, Union County, New Jersey. Accessed October 21, 2018.</ref> In 2016, freeholders were paid $30,692, while the Freeholder vice chairman received $31,732 and the Freeholder chairman had an annual salary of $32,773.<ref>Gallo Jr., Bill. "Which N.J. county freeholders are paid the most?", NJ.com, March 11, 2016. Accessed October 25, 2017. "Commussioner chairman: $32,773; the vice chair: $31,732; Others: $30,692"</ref> The County Manager is Edward Oatman.<ref>County Manager, Union County, New Jersey. Accessed May 20, 2022.</ref> No Republican has been elected to countywide office since 1995.
Union County is governed by a Board of County Commissioners, whose nine members are elected at-large to three-year terms of office on a staggered basis with three seats coming up for election each year, with an appointed County Manager overseeing the day-to-day operations of the county. At an annual reorganization meeting held in the beginning of January, the board selects a Chair and Vice Chair from among its members.<ref>Home Page, Union County, New Jersey. Accessed May 20, 2022.</ref> Template:As of, Union County's County Commissioners are (with terms for Chair and Vice-Chair ending every December 31):<ref name="Commissioners">[2], Union County, New Jersey. Accessed December 7, 2022.</ref><ref>2022 County Data Sheet, Union County, New Jersey. Accessed May 20, 2022.</ref>
Constitutional officers elected on a countywide basis are:
Office
Party, residence, term
County Clerk Joanne Rajoppi
D, Westfield, 2025<ref>County Clerk Joanne Rajoppi, Union County Votes. Accessed May 20, 2022.</ref><ref>Clerks, Constitutional Officers Association of New Jersey. Accessed May 20, 2022.</ref>
Sheriff Peter Corvelli
D, Kenilworth, 2026<ref>Sheriff Peter Corvelli, Union County Sheriff's Office. Accessed May 20, 2022.</ref><ref>Sheriffs, Constitutional Officers Association of New Jersey. Accessed May 20, 2022.</ref>
Surrogate Christopher E. Hudak
D, Clark, 2027<ref>Office of the Union County Surrogate, Union County, New Jersey. Accessed December 7, 2022.</ref><ref>Surrogates, Constitutional Officers Association of New Jersey. Accessed December 7, 2022.</ref>
Union County constitutes Vicinage 12 of the New Jersey Superior Court and is seated at the Union County Courthouse in Elizabeth, with additional facilities also located in Elizabeth; the Assignment Judge for Vicinage 12 is Karen M. Cassidy.<ref>Union Vicinage, New Jersey Courts. Accessed October 23, 2017.</ref> Law enforcement at the county level includes the Union County Police Department, the Union County Sheriff's Office, and the Union County Prosecutor's Office. Union County's Acting Prosecutor is Michael A. Monahan.<ref>Meet the Acting Prosecutor Michael A. MonahanTemplate:Webarchive, Office of the Union County Prosecutor. Accessed October 21, 2018. "Michael A. Monahan was sworn in as Acting Prosecutor of Union County on January 31, 2018."</ref>
In 2023, Union County agreed to honor the site in North Jersey of what local activists described as the public execution by burning at the stake of three enslaved New Jerseyans in 1741.<ref>Crowley-Hughes, Andrea. "Activist Asks Union County to Memorialize Black People Burned at Stake in 1741", TAPinto Westfield, March 29, 2023. Accessed June 24, 2023. "'In 1741, as the antislavery movement gained momentum and slave rebellion increased, white hysteria over rumors of a slave uprising led to the 'burning at the stake' of three blacks at the site of the present Union County Courthouse,' Washington writes."</ref> In 2023, the county worked to revise its logo, which has had what has been described as the only county seal in the nation that depicts a woman being killed. The logo depicted Hannah Caldwell being shot by a British light infantryman during the Battle of Connecticut Farms.<ref>Hutchins, Ryan. "Union County officials battle activist over use of controversial county seal", The Star-Ledger, July 10, 2011. Accessed March 29, 2023. "The seal depicts the shooting death of Elizabethtown’s Hannah Caldwell during the Revolutionary War, said to be an assassination carried out by a British soldier. Her death was a flashpoint that turned many wavering Jerseyans against their occupiers and ignited fury across the colonies.... One thing that is clear, according to Shallcross, is that it’s one of a kind. 'Out of thousands and thousands of county seals, it’s the only one that portrays a murder,' he said."</ref><ref>Seal of Union County, NJ</ref> In 2023, Union County moved to revise its county seal, asking residents to participate in an online poll to choose between two alternatives, both of which eliminate the depiction of Caldwell's death.<ref>Kudisch, Brianna. "County seal depicting woman’s murder is out as N.J. officials unveil 2 options for redesign", NJ Advance Media for NJ.com, March 28, 2023. Accessed March 29, 2023. "Union County officials are changing the county’s seal — which currently depicts a murder of a woman during the Revolutionary War — and asking the public for input on the redesign. Two options for the new seal were unveiled on the county website on Monday. Residents are encouraged to vote in an online poll before April 24 to help select the new seal."</ref> In 2022, controversy erupted over the county's deletion of negative social media comments made about the opening of Tëmike Park, an LGBTQ-inclusive playground, in Cedar Brook Park.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> In 2022, a state court found the county illegally circumvented the public bidding process in awarding contracts for the construction of a proposed Union County government building in Elizabeth.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
In 2015, the county was forced to pay legal fees after losing a trademark claim it brought against a frequent county government critic who used the County of Union seal on her blog.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> In 2011, an investigation found mismanagement of county funds in association with MusicFest, a free annual concert.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> In 2009, following a First Amendment challenge by the American Civil Liberties Union, the county commissioners agreed to issue a public apology for cutting off speech by a resident who was addressing the board about possible nepotism on the county payroll.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
The Union County Sheriff's Office is located in Elizabeth, New Jersey. It is currently headed by Peter Corvelli. It was headed by Ralph Froehlich, a Union resident who was first elected in 1977 and served in office for 37 years, making him the longest-serving Sheriff in New Jersey history.<ref>Haydon, Tom. "Ralph Froehlich, longest-serving sheriff in NJ history, was told in 1970s he'd never win re-election", NJ Advance Media for NJ.com, July 22, 2014. Accessed March 22, 2017. "For 13 terms and 37 years, Froehlich presided over the Union County Sheriff's Office, developing programs that helped protect children and victims of domestic violence, fighting for tougher gun-control laws and working to save money by consolidating services. ... Froehlich, the longest-serving sheriff in New Jersey history, died Sunday night at Trinitas Hospital in Elizabeth after a battle with cancer, county officials said."</ref> There are two top deputies, known as undersheriffs, and they are Dennis Burke and Amilcar Colon. A 1981 investigation of the Union County Jail reviewed issues relating to overcrowding, escapes, escape attempts and suicides in the detention facility.<ref>Parisi, Albert J. "Suicide Sparks Union County Jail Inquiry", The New York Times, August 23, 1981. Accessed October 2, 2013.</ref>
On July 1, 2021, the Sheriff's Office regained control of the Union County Jail and made it a division within the organization; the Division of Corrections. The New Jersey State Policemen's Benevolent Association Local 108 is the official labor union and the collective bargaining agent for the Sheriff's Officers of Union County. This body is subdivided into Local 108 for the line officers and Local 108A for the supervisors (sergeants, lieutenants, and captains).
The Union County Police Department operates independently of the Sheriff's office. The Union County Police Department originally began as the Union County Park Police. The Union County Police are tasked with patrolling Union County's properties. They also supplement the local municipalities with police presence and patrol when requested.<ref name=Police>Division of Police, Union County, New Jersey. Accessed July 3, 2023. Martin H. Mogensen, Chief of Police"</ref> Martin Mogensen has been the Chief of Police since February 2023.<ref>Crowley-Hughes, Andrea. "Union County Police Chief Retires With Pension Amid Internal Affairs Probe", TAPinto Westfield, February 10, 2023. Accessed July 3, 2023. "Following Debbie's retirement, patrol division Capt. Martin Mogensen is the designated officer in charge of the Union County Police Department, a spokesperson for the county said."</ref>
The Union County Police have several divisions and are relied upon for their multiple services. Currently assigned are Patrol, Detective Bureau, Emergency Services Unit, and the Marine Unit. Union County Regional 911 and Dispatch is one of the many services that the County Police provide. They are the primary PSAP for multiple municipalities, provide police/fire/EMS dispatch, dispatch medics, and Union County Fire Mutual Aid. The PD belongs to the New Jersey State Policemen's Benevolent Association, Local 73.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
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Kean University, a co-educational, public research university dating back to 1855 is located in Union and Hillside, serving nearly 13,000 undergraduates. Kean University educates its students in the liberal arts, the sciences and the professions; it is best known for its programs in the humanities and social sciences and in education, graduating the most teachers in the state of New Jersey annually, along with a physical therapy program which it holds in conjunction with the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey.<ref>Kean UniversityTemplate:Webarchive, U.S. News & World Report. Accessed October 2, 2013.</ref>
Most municipalities have their own public high schools, exceptions being Garwood, whose students attend Arthur L. Johnson High School in Clark; Winfield, whose students attend David Brearley High School in Kenilworth; and Mountainside, whose students attend Governor Livingston High School in Berkeley Heights. Fanwood is mostly merged with Scotch Plains educationally and the two towns have one high school.
The county also has Union County Vocational Technical Schools, which has both full-time magnet programs that students must apply to, and split-time vocational programs.
Union County Park Line rail trail is a proposed walking and/or biking trail proposed on old railroad tracks. Two abandoned rails exist in the county.<ref>Abandoned right-of-ways Union County, Google Maps. Accessed December 21, 2016.</ref>
The City of Summit and the Summit Park Line Foundation are working on turning the line from Morris Avenue to Briant Park in Summit into a rail trail that will be approximately one mile long. This rail trail, potentially called the Summit Park Line, could provide a greenway to connect several county parks, akin to a Summit High Line.<ref>About, Summit Park Line Foundation. Accessed January 3, 2017.</ref> A path could run directly from Summit to the Arthur Kill in Linden, New Jersey on the Rahway Valley Railroad and the Staten Island Rapid Transit line.
The Summit city council applied for a $1 million grant toward the Summit Park Line project in November 2016.<ref>Faszczewski, Bob. "Summit Council Applies for $1 Million Grant Toward Park Line Project; Parking 'Holidays' for Thanksgiving Weekend, December Approved", TAPintoSummit, November 3, 2016. Accessed January 3, 2017. "The Summit Common Council, at its first meeting of November, authorized application for a maximum $1 million federal grant that the majority of Council members feel will kick start the proposed Summit Park Line project, and bring needed sidewalks to sections of Broad Street and Morris Avenue in East Summit. ... As envisioned by the Summit Park Line Foundation, which is collecting private funding to pay for the project, the Park Line will convert an abandoned rail line right-of-way stretching from Briant Park through the central business district to a public park, walkways and nature areas while offering a view of the Manhattan skyline."</ref> "If Summit is able to complete the project, it might help other parts of the greenway come through," said Union County Public Relations Coordinator, Sebastian Delia.<ref name="unionnewsdaily.com">http://unionnewsdaily.com/news/2465Template:Dead link</ref>
The Rahway Valley Railroad runs from Summit to Roselle Park. Beginning in Hidden Valley Park, the railroad right-of-way continues by connecting Houdaille Quarry, Briant Park, Meisel Park, Rahway River Parkway, Galloping Hill Golf Course and Black Brook Park. The ending of the railway is on Westfield Avenue in Roselle Park. The Staten Island Rapid Transit runs from Cranford to Staten Island, although the project would only include the section that runs from Cranford to Linden.<ref name="unionnewsdaily.com"/> The possible inception in Cranford would be a lot on South Avenue East. The ending of this trail would be in Linden at an empty lot. A boardwalk would run over the existing tracks to ease line reactivation.
County parks are maintained and operated by the Union County Department of Parks and Recreation, the successor agency to the Union County Park Commission.
The privately owned Echo Lake Country Club donated the parkland for this park in the 1920s. The name arises from the echo heard off the high bluff on the far side of the lake. Echo Lake itself was created by damning when mills were established on Nomahegan Brook, a tributary of the Rahway River. The Great Minisink Trail passed by Echo Lake Park.
Named for a Lenape tribal leader, whose name was recorded by colonists as Mattano. In 1664, a group called the Elizabethtown Associates bought land in the Union County area from Mattano and another Lenape leader named Warinanco.
Environmental groups protested at the building of a stadium here in 2016. The movement gave birth to Friends of Rahway River Parkway.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Parks that are not managed by the county government include:
Hawk Rise Sanctuary. A bird sanctuary was built in 2012 on the banks of Rahway River in Linden. Hawk Rise Sanctuary is a 95-acre ecological preserve and wetland complex in Linden in an area previously concealed by various industrial land uses. Its trails were created adjacent to the former Linden Landfill area by the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection, the city of Linden and the New Jersey Audubon Society.<ref name="njaudubon.org">Template:Cite web</ref> The trails in the Hawk Rise forest are boardwalk, with some continuing as gravel along the edge of the former Linden Landfill. It has an overlook area where hikers can view the Rahway River and nearby marshes. It has been open to the public since 2012. The site includes diverse environments: forested wetlands, vernal pools, grasslands, shrublands, salt marsh, mudflats, a pond, and the tidal Rahway River. 163 bird species have been spotted there.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> It has been reported as vandalized.<ref name="njaudubon.org"/>
The Rahway River Parkway is a greenway of parkland that hugs the Rahway River and its tributaries, such as Nomahegan Brook. It was the inaugural project of the Union County Parks Commission designed in the 1920s by the Olmsted Brothers firm, who were the sons of landscape architect Frederick Law Olmsted. Several county and municipal parks run along the Rahway River.<ref>Rahway River, Union County, New Jersey. Accessed January 3, 2017.</ref><ref>Parks along the Rahway River Parkway, Google Maps. Accessed January 3, 2017.</ref>
The Elizabeth River Parkway is a greenway of parkland alongside the Elizabeth River and its tributaries. It runs through Kean University and Liberty Hall Museum on the river's way to the Arthur Kill. The Elizabeth River Parkway is broken down into separate sections.
Chatfield/Zimmerman - Hillside and Union Township<ref>Zimmerman Park, Union County, New Jersey. Accessed December 22, 2016.</ref>
Lightning Brook - Hillside and Union<ref>Lightning Brook Section, Union County, New Jersey. Accessed December 22, 2016.</ref>
Union County's Division of Golf Operations runs two golf courses, which offer golf lessons and practice areas.<ref>Golf, Union County, New Jersey. Accessed January 3, 2017.</ref>
Shady Rest Country Club <ref name="auto">Template:Cite web</ref> in Scotch Plains is recognized as the first African-American owned and operated golf clubhouse in the United States. As such, Shady Rest is the home course of the first African-American golf professional to play in the U.S. Open, John Matthew Shippen, Jr. (1879-1968), who is considered a pioneer of the sport.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Originally a private club and center for African-American social life, the township acquired and renamed it in the 1930s as the 'Scotch Hills Country Club' and made it open to the public. The history and significance of the course and clubhouse has not always been promoted as a place of national historic interest. Thankfully, the National Park Service has listed the Shady Rest Golf and Country Club (_100007869) in the National Registry of Historic Places, in large part due to the efforts of the Preserve Shady Rest Committee.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> The committee continues working to further solidify Shady Rest as a local, state, and national landmark given its historical significance.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref name="auto"/>
Kean Stage is the professional performing arts arm of Kean University. It is home to Wilkins Theatre on the Kean Main Campus in Union, Enlow Recital Hall directly across the Elizabeth River in East Campus in Hillside, as well as Premiere Stages, the professional equity theater company in residence at Kean University.<ref>AboutTemplate:Webarchive, Kean Stage. Accessed January 3, 2017.</ref><ref>About UsTemplate:Webarchive, Premiere Stages. Accessed January 4, 2017.</ref>
The Cranford Dramatic Club is New Jersey's oldest continually producing theater and has been putting on theatrical productions since its establishment in 1919.<ref>AboutTemplate:Webarchive, Cranford Dramatic Club. Accessed January 3, 2017.</ref>
Tomasulo Art Gallery is in the MacKay Library at Union County College's Cranford campus.<ref>Tomasulo Art GalleryTemplate:Webarchive, Union County College. Accessed December 22, 2016. "The Tomasulo Art Gallery is located on the first floor of the Kenneth Campbell MacKay Library on the Cranford, New Jersey campus of Union County College."</ref>
The Wharton Institute for the Performing Arts, located in Berkeley Heights and New Providence, is a center for music training and other training in performing arts, particularly aimed at children. It consists of the Performing Arts School (formerly Wharton Music Center), New Jersey Youth Symphony, and Paterson Music Project.<ref>Staff. "Joel Perry, guitarist and educator, has all the jazz", Courier News, December 3, 2016. Accessed January 3, 2017. "The Wharton Institute for the Performing Arts' mission is to provide the highest quality performing arts education to a range of students in a supportive and inclusive environment, according to the news release. Wharton Institute for the Performing Arts is located in Berkeley Heights, New Providence and Paterson, New Jersey and reaches students from 13 counties."</ref>
The Plainfield Symphony Orchestra was founded in 1919, making it the state's oldest community orchestra.<ref>About, Plainfield Symphony Orchestra. Accessed December 22, 2016. "Plainfield Symphony Orchestra, founded in 1919, is the oldest community symphony in New Jersey."</ref>
The duCret School of Art in Plainfield was founded in 1926.<ref>Sagara, Eric. "Plainfield art school celebrates 85th anniversary", The Star-Ledger, March 26, 2012. Accessed December 22, 2016. "DuCret was founded in 1926 by Marjorie Van Emburgh, a local artist and teacher who wanted to create an art school comparable to what was found in major metropolitan areas such as New York City or Philadelphia."</ref>
The Swain Gallery, in Plainfield, was founded in 1868 and is the oldest privately owned art gallery in the state.<ref>History, Swain Galleries. Accessed January 3, 2017.</ref>
In 1869, the Union County Historical Society of New Jersey was incorporated. The society meets at the Hanson House in Cranford.<ref>Home Page, Union County Historical Society of New Jersey. Accessed November 21, 2016.</ref>
Clark - The Clark Historical Society was founded in 1970. It operates the Dr. William Robinson Plantation House Museum, built in 1690 by a doctor from Scotland.<ref>History, Dr. Wm. Robinson Plantation Museum. Accessed August 8, 2022.</ref>
Hillside - The Hillside Historical Society, founded in 1975, meets at the Woodruff House.<ref>History, Hillside Historical Society. Accessed August 8, 2022.</ref>
Linden - The Linden Society for Historical Preservation is an offshoot of an official cultural board in the city.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Mountainside - The Mountainside Restoration Committee, Inc. is also called the Mountainside Historic Committee, founded in 1984.<ref>About UsTemplate:Webarchive, Mountainside Restoration Committee. Accessed December 21, 2016.</ref>
Scotch Plains and Fanwood - The Scotch Plains-Fanwood Historical Society runs the Osborn Cannonball House.<ref>About, Scotch Plains-Fanwood Historical Society. Accessed December 21, 2016.</ref>
Springfield - The Historic Cannon Ball House serves as the home of the Springfield Historical Society.<ref>Springfield Historical Society. Accessed February 1, 2019.</ref>
Westfield - The Westfield Historical Society is in the Reeve History & Cultural Resource Center, a structure from the 1870s. The Society also runs the Miller-Cory House Museum, in a home that dates back to the 1740s.<ref>Home Page, Westfield Historical Society. Accessed January 3, 2017. "The Westfield Historical Society is based in the Reeve History & Cultural Resource Center, located in an 1870s home at 314 Mountain Avenue. The Society also owns the Miller - Cory House Museum located at 614 Mountain Avenue."</ref>
Union - Union Township Historical Society is located in the 1782 historic Caldwell Parsonage. The Society's mission is to preserve and promote the rich and diverse history of the Township of Union.
Friends of Rahway River Parkway is dedicated to preserving Olmsted design principles and features of county parkland along the Rahway River as it flows to the Arthur Kill.<ref>Welcome, Friends of Rahway River Parkway. Accessed October 25, 2017.</ref>
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