Editing Hunterdon County, New Jersey (section)

== Geography and geology ==
===Geography===
According to the [[United States Census Bureau|U.S. Census Bureau]], as of the 2020 Census, the county had a total area of {{convert|437.4|sqmi}}, of which {{convert|427.84|sqmi}} was land (97.8%) and {{convert|9.56|sqmi}} was water (2.2%).<ref name=CensusArea>[https://www2.census.gov/geo/docs/maps-data/data/gazetteer/2020_Gazetteer/2020_gaz_counties_34.txt 2020 Census Gazetteer File for Counties in New Jersey], [[United States Census Bureau]]. Accessed April 1, 2023.</ref>

Much of the county is hilly, with several hills rising to {{Convert|1000|ft}} in elevation. The highest points are two areas in [[Lebanon Township, New Jersey|Lebanon Township]], one on the [[Morris County, New Jersey|Morris County]] line, both reaching approximately {{convert|1060|ft}} above sea level.<ref>[http://www.peakbagger.com/list.aspx?lid=13320 New Jersey County High Points] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150518173742/http://www.peakbagger.com/list.aspx?lid=13320 |date=May 18, 2015 }}, Peakbagger.com. Accessed October 5, 2013.</ref> The first is at Smith on the [[Morris County, New Jersey|Morris County]] line and the second is north of the area called Little Brook. This area is known as the Highlands of New Jersey. The lowest elevation is where the [[Mercer County, New Jersey|Mercer County]] line reaches the [[Delaware River]], approximately 50 feet (15 m) above sea level. The county is drained by the Musconetcong River in the north. The river flows in a southwest direction. The Lamington River drains the county in the east. The central portion of the county is drained by the South Branch of the Raritan River. The [[Delaware River]] drains the western side of the county.

=== Geology ===
{{unreferenced section|date=June 2017}}Around 500 million years ago, a chain of volcanic islands shaped like an arch collided with proto North America and rode over the top of the North American plate. The rock from the islands created the highlands of Hunterdon County as there was a shallow sea where Hunterdon County is now located. Then around four hundred million years ago, a small continent that was long and thin, collided with proto North America. This collision created compression, which caused heat. The Paleozoic sediment of shale and sandstone folded and faulted. The heat allowed the igneous rock to bend, thus Hunterdon County was born.

The African plate which later collided with North America created more folding and faulting, especially in the southern Appalachians. Then the African and North America plates tore and drifted away from each other.

The Wisconsin glacier that entered into New Jersey around 21,000 [[Common Era|BCE]] and then melted around 13,000 BCE did not reach Hunterdon County. However, there are glacial outwash deposits from streams and rivers that flowed from the glacier southward depositing rock and sediment.

Hunterdon County has two geophysical provinces. The first is the Highlands which is the western section of the county. The other is the Piedmont which is the eastern and southern section of the county. The Highlands account for one-third of the area and Piedmont accounts for two-thirds of the county. The Highlands are part of the Reading Prong. Limestone and shale over igneous rock comprise the Highlands. Piedmont includes the Hunterdon Plateau and the Raritan Valley Lowlands which are {{convert|150|to|300|ft}} above sea level. Piedmont is made up of shale and sandstone.<ref>https://nj.gov/dep/njgs/enviroed/county-series/Hunterdon_County.pdf Geology of Hunterdon County In Brief</ref>

===Climate===
Hunterdon has a [[humid continental climate]] which is hot-summer (''Dfa'') except in some higher northern areas where it is warm-summer (''Dfb''). The [[hardiness zone]] is mainly 6b except for some 6a in higher northern areas and 7a along the Delaware River in West Amwell Township. Average monthly temperatures in Clinton range from 29.0&nbsp;°F in January to 74.0&nbsp;°F in July, while in Flemington they range from 30.0&nbsp;°F in January to 74.8&nbsp;°F in July and in Lambertville they range from 31.1&nbsp;°F in January to 75.7&nbsp;°F in July. [http://prism.oregonstate.edu/explorer/]

{{climate chart
|[[Flemington, New Jersey]]
|19|37|3.78
|22|41|3.16
|28|50|4.27
|38|62|4.30
|47|72|4.62
|57|81|4.64
|62|85|5.16
|61|83|3.67
|53|77|4.31
|41|65|4.48
|33|54|3.82
|25|42|4.29
|float=right
|units=imperial
|clear=both
|source=The Weather Channel<ref name="weather">{{cite web
 |url         = http://www.weather.com/weather/wxclimatology/monthly/graph/USNJ0155
 |title       = Monthly Averages for Flemington, New Jersey
 |access-date  = October 13, 2012
|publisher   = The Weather Channel
 |url-status     = live
 |archive-url  = https://web.archive.org/web/20091207223950/http://www.weather.com/weather/wxclimatology/monthly/graph/USNJ0155
 |archive-date = December 7, 2009
|df          = mdy-all
}}</ref>}}
In recent years, average temperatures in the county seat of Flemington have ranged from a low of {{convert|19|°F}} in January to a high of {{convert|85|°F}} in July, although a record low of {{convert|-18|°F}} was recorded in January 1984 and a record high of {{convert|106|°F}} was recorded in July 1936. Average monthly precipitation ranged from {{convert|3.16|in}} in February to {{convert|5.16|in}} in July.<ref name="weather"/>

[[File:Canal in Lambertville.JPG|thumb|The [[Delaware and Raritan Canal]] in [[Lambertville, New Jersey|Lambertville]]]]
[[File:Oldwick General Store.JPG|thumb|Oldwick General Store]]