Editing Bethlehem Township, New Jersey (section)

==Geography==
According to the [[United States Census Bureau]], the township had a total area of 20.80 square miles (53.87&nbsp;km<sup>2</sup>), including 20.68 square miles (53.57&nbsp;km<sup>2</sup>) of land and 0.12 square miles (0.30&nbsp;km<sup>2</sup>) of water (0.56%).<ref name=CensusArea/><ref name=GR1 /> The township is an [[exurb]] of [[New York City]], lying on the western fringe of the [[New York metropolitan area]], as part of the Newark-Union, NJ-PA Metropolitan Division, which is in turn a part of the New York City Metropolitan Area.<ref name=MSAs/>

The [[Musconetcong River]] forms the township's northern border with [[Warren County, New Jersey|Warren County]]. The northern half of the Township consists of the Musconetcong Valley while the southern half is covered by the [[Musconetcong Mountain]]s.<ref name=HunterdonPage/> The southwest corner of the township lies on what is known as the [[Hunterdon Plateau]]. The landscape is mainly rural in nature, featuring farms and forests, scattered with newer housing developments and older farm homes.

[[Local government in New Jersey#Unincorporated communities|Unincorporated communities]], localities and place names located partially or completely within the township include [[Charlestown, New Jersey|Charlestown]], Jugtown, Ludlow, Polktown, Swinesburg, Valley and [[West Portal, New Jersey|West Portal]].<ref>[http://www.state.nj.us/infobank/localnames.txt Locality Search], State of [[New Jersey]]. Accessed January 1, 2015.</ref>

The township borders the municipalities of [[Alexandria Township, New Jersey|Alexandria Township]], [[Bloomsbury, New Jersey|Bloomsbury]], [[Glen Gardner, New Jersey|Glen Gardner]], [[Hampton, New Jersey|Hampton]], [[Holland Township, New Jersey|Holland Township]], [[Lebanon Township, New Jersey|Lebanon Township]], [[Union Township, Hunterdon County, New Jersey|Union Township]] in Hunterdon County; and [[Franklin Township, Warren County, New Jersey|Franklin Township]], [[Pohatcong Township, New Jersey|Pohatcong Township]] and [[Washington Township, Warren County, New Jersey|Washington Township]] in [[Warren County, New Jersey|Warren County]].<ref>[https://global.mapit.mysociety.org/area/1085186/touches.html Areas touching Bethlehem Township], MapIt. Accessed November 15, 2019.</ref><ref>[https://www.co.hunterdon.nj.us/880/Municipalities Map of County Municipalities], [[Hunterdon County, New Jersey]]. Accessed July 30, 2023.</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>

===Mailing addresses===
Residents and businesses in Bethlehem Township have mailing addresses to nearby towns including [[Bloomsbury, New Jersey|Bloomsbury]], [[Clinton, New Jersey|Clinton]], [[Glen Gardner, New Jersey|Glen Gardner]], [[Hampton, New Jersey|Hampton]], and even [[Asbury, New Jersey|Asbury]] (which is located in neighboring [[Warren County, New Jersey|Warren County]]), as "Bethlehem Township" itself is not a mailing address.<ref>[https://bethlehemnj.org/overview/ Get to Know Bethlehem Township], Bethlehem Township. Accessed November 15, 2019.</ref>

===Climate===
{{Weather box |metric first = 
|location = Bethlehem Township, NJ
|single line = Y
|Jan record high F = 71.0
|Feb record high F = 76.0
|Mar record high F = 85.0
|Apr record high F = 93.0
|May record high F = 96.0
|Jun record high F = 98.0
|Jul record high F = 100.0
|Aug record high F = 100.0
|Sep record high F = 102.0
|Oct record high F = 91.0
|Nov record high F = 82.0
|Dec record high F = 73.0
|Jan high F = 35.8
|Feb high F = 39.1
|Mar high F = 48.5
|Apr high F = 59.4
|May high F = 70.6
|Jun high F = 78.6
|Jul high F = 83.5
|Aug high F = 82.0
|Sep high F = 74.8
|Oct high F = 64.1
|Nov high F = 51.9
|Dec high F = 40.5
|year high F= 60.7
|Jan record low F = -23.0
|Feb record low F = -24.0
|Mar record low F = -6.0
|Apr record low F = 9.0
|May record low F = 25.0
|Jun record low F = 33.0
|Jul record low F = 38.0
|Aug record low F = 35.0
|Sep record low F = 25.0
|Oct record low F = 18.0
|Nov record low F = 2.0
|Dec record low F = -14.0
|Jan low F = 17.5
|Feb low F = 19.0
|Mar low F = 27.2
|Apr low F = 36.4
|May low F = 46.5
|Jun low F = 55.4
|Jul low F = 60.9
|Aug low F = 59.5
|Sep low F = 51.7
|Oct low F = 39.7
|Nov low F = 31.5
|Dec low F = 23.3
|year low F= 39.1
|Jan precipitation inch = 4.30
|Feb precipitation inch = 3.35
|Mar precipitation inch = 4.18
|Apr precipitation inch = 4.54
|May precipitation inch = 4.93
|Jun precipitation inch = 4.78
|Jul precipitation inch = 5.03
|Aug precipitation inch = 4.78
|Sep precipitation inch = 4.31
|Oct precipitation inch = 5.09
|Nov precipitation inch = 4.05
|Dec precipitation inch = 4.32
|year precipitation inch = 53.66 
|source 1 = <ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.idcide.com/weather/nj/bloomsbury.htm |title=Bloomsbury, NJ Weather |author=BELVIDERE BRIDGE Weather station |publisher=Open Publishing |year=2009 |work=Bloomsbury, NJ Weather Data |access-date=December 1, 2009}}
|date=August 2010</ref>
}}

Bethlehem Township falls under the "Northern [[New Jersey]]" climate zone. According to the Office of the New Jersey State Climatologist at [[Rutgers University]], the Northern climate zone covers about one-quarter of New Jersey and consists mainly of elevated highlands and valleys which are part of the [[Appalachian Mountains|Appalachian]] Uplands. Surrounded by land, this region can be characterized as having a [[continental climate]] with minimal influence from the [[Atlantic Ocean]], except when the winds contain an easterly component. Prevailing winds are from the southwest in summer and from the northwest in winter. Being in the northernmost portion of the state, and with small mountains up to {{convert|1800|ft}} in elevation, the Northern Zone normally exhibits a colder temperature regime than other climate regions of the State of New Jersey. This difference is most dramatic in winter when average temperatures in the Northern Zone can be more than ten degrees Fahrenheit cooler than in the Coastal Zone. Annual snowfall averages {{convert|40|to|50|in}} in the northern zone as compared with an average of {{convert|10|to|15|in}} in the extreme south.<ref>[http://climate.rutgers.edu/stateclim/?section=uscp&target=NJCoverview ONJSC], Rutgers University. Accessed December 1, 2009.</ref>

Bethlehem Township falls under the [[USDA]] 6a Plant [[Hardiness zone]].<ref>[http://planthardiness.ars.usda.gov/PHZMWeb/# USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map], [[United States Department of Agriculture]] / Agricultural Research Center, PRISM Climate Group Oregon State University. Accessed January 10, 2015.</ref>

===Wildlife and ecosystem===
Various animals are native to central-western New Jersey, including [[red fox]] (vulpes vulpes),<ref>[http://www.state.nj.us/dep/fgw/speciesinfo_fox.htm Foxes in New Jersey], [[New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection]] Division of Fish & Wildlife. Accessed November 14, 2012.</ref> [[American black bear|black bear]], [[groundhog]]s, [[wild turkey]]s, [[deer]], [[squirrel]]s, [[chipmunk]]s, a variety of birds, and a wide variety of insects and vegetation.{{citation needed|date=January 2015}} There are also some fish in the streams of the county.

Trees include [[deciduous]] varieties and [[evergreen]] varieties.

Black bears are the largest land mammals in New Jersey and are known to be most abundant in the northern-western regions of the state, including Bethlehem Township.