Chester Township, New Jersey
Chester Township is a township in southwestern Morris County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey. As of the 2020 United States census, the township's population was 7,713, a decrease of 125 (−1.6%) from the 2010 census count of 7,838, which in turn reflected an increase of 556 (+7.6%) from the 7,282 counted in the 2000 census. The township's name is derived from Chestershire in England.
Chester Township, New Jersey | |
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Township | |
A Federal-style Colonial home in Chester | |
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Seal | |
Location of Chester Township in Morris County highlighted in red (right). Inset map: Location of Morris County in New Jersey highlighted in orange (left). | |
Census Bureau map of Chester Township, New Jersey | |
Chester Township Location in Morris County Chester Township Location in New Jersey Chester Township Location in the United States | |
| Coordinates: 40.776758°N 74.686512°W | |
| Country | United States |
| State | New Jersey |
| County | Morris |
| Incorporated | April 1, 1799 |
| Named for | Chestershire, England |
| Government | |
| • Type | Faulkner Act (small municipality) |
| • Body | Township Council |
| • Mayor | Timothy Drag |
| • Administrator / Municipal clerk | Robin Collins |
| Area | |
| • Total | 29.22 sq mi (75.67 km2) |
| • Land | 29.13 sq mi (75.45 km2) |
| • Water | 0.09 sq mi (0.22 km2) 0.29% |
| • Rank | 93rd of 565 in state 5th of 39 in county |
| Elevation | 787 ft (240 m) |
| Population (2020) | |
| • Total | 7,713 |
| • Estimate (2022) | 7,719 |
| • Rank | 303rd of 565 in state 25th of 39 in county |
| • Density | 264.8/sq mi (102.2/km2) |
| • Rank | 487th of 565 in state 38th of 39 in county |
| Time zone | UTC−05:00 (Eastern (EST)) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC−04:00 (Eastern (EDT)) |
| ZIP Code | |
| Area code | 908 |
| FIPS code | 3402712610 |
| GNIS feature ID | 0882199 |
| Website | www |
Periodically recognized as part of the Somerset Hills, Chester Township is located in the Raritan Valley region within the New York Metropolitan area. It is known as the "doughnut" around Chester Borough since it completely surrounds it, making it part of 21 pairs of "doughnut towns" in the state, where one municipality entirely surrounds another.
Located about 40 miles (64 km) west of New York City, Chester Township is a semi-rural residential community known for its agricultural and equestrian farms along with its country estates. The township is characterized by undeveloped, residentially zoned areas that largely contain vast amounts of open space comprised of farmland — much of which is preserved — in addition to public parks.
The township has been one of the state's highest-income communities. Based on data from the 2014–2018 American Community Survey, the township residents had a median household income of $160,625, more than double the statewide median of $79,363. In 2010, Forbes ranked Chester Township at 321st in its listing of "America's Most Expensive ZIP Codes," with a median home price of $823,691.