Belle Mead, New Jersey
Belle Mead is a community of 6,394 people in Somerset County, New Jersey.
Why visit Belle Mead
Townapedia lists 5 museums and landmarks, 9 parks and trails, 6 places to eat and 2 attractions in and around town.
Highlights include Hillsborough Cinema, Bridgepoint Historic District, Dirck Gulick House and Mattawang Golf Club.
July is the warmest month, with average highs of 85°F; January lows average 22°F, and about 24 inches of snow fall in a normal year.
Weather in Belle Mead
Forecast from the National Weather Service. Full forecast
About Belle Mead
Belle Mead is an unincorporated community and census-designated place (CDP) located within Montgomery Township, in Somerset County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey. As of the 2020 United States census, the CDP's population was 5,569, reflecting an expansion of the CDP from 0.74 square miles (1.9 km2) in 2010 to 4.03 square miles (10.4 km2) in 2020.
From the Wikipedia article Belle Mead, New Jersey (this version), under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Things to do2
Hillsborough Cinema
Cinema and theater · 1.8 mi
111 Raider Boulevard, Hillsborough
Museums and landmarks5
Bridgepoint Historic District
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 2.7 mi
Historic district in Montgomery Township, New Jersey
Dirck Gulick House
Museum · National Register of Historic Places · 2.2 mi
Historic house in Somerset County, New Jersey
River Road Historic Rural District
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 2.9 mi
Historic district in New Jersey, United States
Allegra School of Music and Arts
Monument and historic site · 1.4 mi
2152 Van Horne Road, Montgomery
Parks, trails and playgrounds9
Sourland Mountain Hiking Trail
Hiking and trails · 2.0 mi
415 East Mountain Road, Hillsborough Township
Restaurants and cafes6
Star Diner
Restaurant · 0.9 mi
842 US Highway 206, Hillsborough
Mo,Tu 08:00-21:00; We-Su 07:00-21:00
Moe's Southwest Grill
Fast food · Mexican · 0.9 mi
838 US Highway 206, Hillsborough
Mo-Th 10:30-21:00; Fr-Sa 10:30-21:30; Su 10:30-21:00
History
Up until about 1875, Belle Mead, then named Plainville, was considered to be part of the community of Harlingen. It was a quiet farming region when about that time a New York City contractor named Van Aken bought up all the local farms and set out to develop a city. He had the farms laid out into lots, some streets put through and named after the style of New York. He donated land for the railroad station that had a dining room underneath (the station was torn down in February, 1940). There is an abandoned train station in Belle Mead. When Van Aken went broke, the property was sold to a U.S. Senator, John R. McPherson, who changed the name from Vanaken to Belle Mead in honor of his daughter, Edna Belle Mead McPherson, according to one popular story.
Woods Tavern in Belle Mead was a popular stop for travelers for more than 100 years and played an important social and political role. Horace Greeley spoke there in 1872 as part of his campaign for President of the United States. The tavern burned down in 1932.
The Belle Mead Army Depot was the nation's largest military supply facility during WWII. The depot operated until 1991, and no buildings remain. Now a Superfund site, it is undergoing remediation and part is a county park. James Baldwin, the author and civil rights advocate, lived in Belle Mead in the early 1940s while working at the depot.
From the History section of Belle Mead, New Jersey on Wikipedia, under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Churches and places of worship3
Kehilat Shalom
Place of worship · Reconstructionist · 1.5 mi
253 Belle Mead-Griggstown Road, Montgomery
Montgomery Evangelical Church
Church · Evangelical · 1.4 mi
246 Belle Mead-Griggstown Road, Montgomery
Shopping1
Gas and EV charging2
Schools, colleges and libraries21
Central Jersey College Prep Charter School
School · 5.7 mi
101 Mettlers Road, Somerset
Hillsborough Township Elementary School
School · 2.5 mi
435 Route 206, Hillsborough
Hillsborough Township Middle School
School · 3.4 mi
260 Triangle Road, Hillsborough
Healthcare3
Map of Belle Mead
52 places. The map loads OpenStreetMap tiles when you open it.
Climate by month
Monthly table
| Month | High | Low | Rain | Snow |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 38°F | 22°F | 3.8 in | 5.9 in |
| Feb | 41°F | 23°F | 3.0 in | 8.3 in |
| Mar | 50°F | 30°F | 4.3 in | 3.9 in |
| Apr | 62°F | 40°F | 4.0 in | 0.9 in |
| May | 71°F | 50°F | 4.3 in | 0.0 in |
| Jun | 80°F | 59°F | 4.7 in | 0.0 in |
| Jul | 85°F | 64°F | 5.5 in | 0.0 in |
| Aug | 83°F | 62°F | 4.3 in | 0.0 in |
| Sep | 77°F | 55°F | 4.5 in | 0.0 in |
| Oct | 65°F | 44°F | 4.4 in | 0.0 in |
| Nov | 54°F | 34°F | 3.5 in | 0.3 in |
| Dec | 43°F | 28°F | 4.6 in | 4.6 in |
U.S. Climate Normals 1991-2020 for Wertsville 4 Ne (7 mi away), NOAA NCEI.
People and cost of living
American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2020-2024, U.S. Census Bureau. Estimates have margins of error, larger for small towns.
Disaster history
Somerset County has had 18 federal disaster declarations since 2000, most often for hurricanes.
- 2021-09-05: Remnants Of Hurricane Ida (Hurricane)
- 2021-09-02: Remnants Of Hurricane Ida (Hurricane)
- 2020-03-25: Covid-19 Pandemic (Biological)
- 2020-03-13: Covid-19 (Biological)
- 2018-06-08: Severe Winter Storm And Snowstorm (Severe Storm)
- 2016-03-14: Severe Winter Storm And Snowstorm (Severe Storm)
OpenFEMA disaster declarations summaries.
Getting there and nearby towns
Princeton Airport (PCT) is the nearest airport with scheduled flights listed in OpenStreetMap, 5 miles away.
- Hillsborough 3 mi north, about 4 min by car
- Blackwells Mills 3 mi east, about 5 min by car
- Manville 6 mi northeast, about 10 min by car
- Franklin Park 6 mi east, about 10 min by car
- Kendall Park 6 mi southeast, about 10 min by car
- Bradley Gardens 7 mi north, about 12 min by car
- Somerville 7 mi north, about 12 min by car
- Princeton 8 mi south, about 12 min by car
- Somerset 9 mi east, about 14 min by car
- Bound Brook 9 mi northeast, about 15 min by car
Drive times are estimates from straight-line distance, not routes.
Local news
Headlines from INDB, the NEMICO news database.
Reviews, tips and questions
Loading what members have shared...
Sources and licences
- NCES EDGE (Public domain): public schools
- NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991-2020 (Public domain): climate by month
- OpenFEMA (Public domain): disaster declarations
- OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL 1.0): places, airports, map data
- U.S. Census Bureau (Public domain): population, income, housing, education, commute
- Wikidata (CC0 1.0): elevation, founding date, time zone, website, landmarks and historic places
- Wikimedia Commons (see each image): photos
- Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0): overview and history text
Photo credits
- Belle Mead, NJ, Mr. Matté (if there is an issue with this image, contact me using this image's Commons talk page , my Commons user talk page , or my English Wikipedia user talk page ; I'll know about it a lot faster), CC BY-SA 3.0
- Bridgepoint Histrict District Montgomery NJ, Jess Aggabao, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Dirck Gulick House, NJ, Zeete, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Laurence Van Derveer House, Millstone River Road, NJ, Zeete, CC BY-SA 4.0
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