Fanwood, New Jersey
Fanwood is a borough of 7,799 people in Union County, New Jersey, founded in October 2, 1895.
Why visit Fanwood
Townapedia lists 28 museums and landmarks, 21 parks and trails, 27 places to eat and 2 attractions in and around town.
Highlights include Cinemark Watchung and XD, Bowcraft Amusement Park, Crescent Area Historic District and Deacon Andrew Hetfield House.
July is the warmest month, with average highs of 88°F; January lows average 24°F, and about 21 inches of snow fall in a normal year.
Weather in Fanwood
Forecast from the National Weather Service. Full forecast
About Fanwood
Fanwood is a borough in Union County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey. Located on a ridge in northern-central New Jersey, the borough is a commuter town of New York City in the New York metropolitan area. Fanwood is located in the Raritan Valley and Rahway Valley regions. As of the 2020 United States census, the borough's population was 7,774, an increase of 456 (+6.2%) from the 2010 census count of 7,318, which in turn reflected an increase of 144 (+2.0%) from the 7,174 counted in the 2000 census.
From the Wikipedia article Fanwood, New Jersey (this version), under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Things to do2
Bowcraft Amusement Park
Monument and historic site · 1.6 mi
Amusement park in New Jersey, United States
Museums and landmarks28
Crescent Area Historic District
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 2.3 mi
Historic district in Plainfield, New Jersey
Deacon Andrew Hetfield House
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 2.5 mi
Historic house in New Jersey, United States
Elizabeth and Gershom Frazee House
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 2.0 mi
Historic house in Union County, New Jersey
Fanwood
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 1.3 mi
NJ Transit rail station
Feltville Historic District
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 2.7 mi
Human settlement in New Jersey, United States of America
Firehouse No. 4
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 1.3 mi
Fire station in New Jersey, United States of America
George A. Strong House
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 3.0 mi
Historic house in Plainfield, New Jersey
Hillside Avenue Historic District
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 2.1 mi
Historic district in Plainfield, New Jersey
Homestead Farm at Oak Ridge
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 3.3 mi
Historic house at Oak Ridge Park, New Jersey
John De Camp House
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 2.6 mi
Historic house in New Jersey, United States
Littel-Lord Farmstead
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 2.9 mi
Building in New Jersey, United States
Miller-Cory House
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 2.3 mi
Historic house in New Jersey, United States
16 more on the map.
Parks, trails and playgrounds21
Cedar Brook Park
Park · National Register of Historic Places · 3.0 mi
Historic park in New Jersey
Shady Rest Country Club
Golf course · 1.2 mi
Historic Shady Rest Golf and Country Club.
820 Jerusalem Road
9 more on the map.
Restaurants and cafes27
Black Drop Coffee
Cafe · Cake, Coffee Shop, Tea · 0.8 mi
431 Park Avenue
Mo-Fr 07:00-17:00; Sa-Su 07:30-16:00
15 more on the map.
History
In 1831, the Elizabethtown and Somerville Railroad received a legislative charter to construct a railroad through the area. The line reached here in 1837 and a station, known as the Scotch Plains station, was built in 1839. The company became the Central Railroad of New Jersey in 1849. The line was later moved to reduce the grade and a new station, known as the Fanwood station, was built in 1874. At the same time, the Central New Jersey Land Improvement Company began development of Fanwood Park, a residential community around the station. The development featured curvilinear streets. John Taylor Johnston, then president of CNJ, named the community after his wife, Frances, also known as Fanny, according to his daughter, Emily. In 1878, Fanwood Township was created from Plainfield and Westfield Townships.
From the History section of Fanwood, New Jersey on Wikipedia, under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Churches and places of worship16
Scotch Plains Baptist Church
Church · Baptist · National Register of Historic Places · 1.1 mi
All Souls Church
Church · National Register of Historic Places · 2.5 mi
Grace Episcopal Church
Church · National Register of Historic Places · 2.3 mi
Old Baptist Parsonage
Church · National Register of Historic Places · 1.0 mi
Saint Mary's Catholic Church Complex
Church · National Register of Historic Places · 2.9 mi
Terrill Road Bible Chapel
Church · Evangelical · 0.6 mi
535 Terrill Road, Fanwood
Evangel Church
Church · Assemblies Of God · 1.0 mi
1251 Terrill Road, Scotch Plains
Shopping7
Gas and EV charging8
Schools, colleges and libraries61
College Achieve Central Charter School
School · 1.1 mi
365 Emerson Ave, Plainfield
Healthcare2
Map of Fanwood
172 places. The map loads OpenStreetMap tiles when you open it.
Climate by month
Monthly table
| Month | High | Low | Rain | Snow |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 41°F | 24°F | 3.8 in | 5.1 in |
| Feb | 44°F | 26°F | 3.1 in | 8.3 in |
| Mar | 53°F | 32°F | 4.3 in | 5.3 in |
| Apr | 66°F | 42°F | 3.6 in | 0.1 in |
| May | 75°F | 51°F | 4.0 in | 0.0 in |
| Jun | 84°F | 60°F | 4.3 in | 0.0 in |
| Jul | 88°F | 66°F | 5.3 in | 0.0 in |
| Aug | 86°F | 64°F | 4.0 in | 0.0 in |
| Sep | 79°F | 58°F | 4.3 in | 0.0 in |
| Oct | 66°F | 46°F | 4.3 in | 0.0 in |
| Nov | 56°F | 36°F | 3.5 in | 0.2 in |
| Dec | 46°F | 29°F | 4.2 in | 2.4 in |
U.S. Climate Normals 1991-2020 for Plainfield Hcn (3 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
Union 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)
- 2016-03-14: Severe Winter Storm And Snowstorm (Severe Storm)
- 2012-10-30: Hurricane Sandy (Hurricane)
OpenFEMA disaster declarations summaries.
Getting there and nearby towns
Linden Airport (LDJ) is the nearest airport with scheduled flights listed in OpenStreetMap, 7 miles away.
- Westfield 2 mi east, about 4 min by car
- Plainfield 2 mi southwest, about 4 min by car
- North Plainfield 3 mi southwest, about 5 min by car
- New Providence 4 mi north, about 7 min by car
- Cranford 4 mi east, about 7 min by car
- South Plainfield 5 mi south, about 8 min by car
- Summit 5 mi north, about 8 min by car
- Colonia 5 mi southeast, about 9 min by car
- Dunellen 5 mi southwest, about 9 min by car
- Rahway 6 mi southeast, about 10 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
- Fanwood Station NJ, Jared Kofsky/PlaceNJ.com, CC BY-SA 4.0
- SCOTCH PLAINS BAPTIST CHURCH, PARSONAGE, AND CEMETERY; UNION COUNTY, JERRYE & ROY KLOTZ MD, CC BY-SA 4.0
- 935 Central Avenue, Plainfield, NJ, Dreamyunicorn123, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Shady Rest Clubhouse, Scotch Plains, NJ, Zeete, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Scotch Plains Baptist Parsonage NJ, Josconklin, CC BY-SA 3.0
- 76 and 78 Washington Avenue, North Plainfield, NJ, Zeete, CC BY-SA 4.0
- YWCA of Plainfield and North Plainfield, New Jersey, Dreamyunicorn123, CC BY-SA 3.0
- ELIZABETH AND GERSHOM FRAZEE HOUSE, UNION COUNTY, NJ, JERRYE & ROY KLOTZ MD, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Plainfield Firehouse No 4, Josconklin, CC BY-SA 3.0
- 724 Park Avenue, Plainfield, NJ, Zeete, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Plainfield, New Jersey Fire Department Headquarters, Dreamyunicorn123, CC BY-SA 3.0
- NETHERWOOD STATION, UNION COUNTY, NJ, JERRYE & ROY KLOTZ MD, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Feltville NJ, Jared Kofsky/PlaceNJ.com, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Deacon Andrew Hetfield House, Mountainside, NJ, Josconklin, CC BY-SA 3.0
- 171-185 North Avenue, Plainfield, NJ, Zeete, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Shakespeare Garden, Cedar Brook Park, NJ, Zeete, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Scotch Plains Stage House Inn NJ, Josconklin, CC BY-SA 3.0
- HOMESTEAD FARM AT OAK RIDGE, MIDDLESEX COUNTY, NJ, Jerrye & Roy Klotz, MD, CC BY-SA 4.0
- 1030 Central Avenue, Plainfield, NJ, Zeete, CC BY-SA 4.0
- 999 Hillside Avenue, Plainfield, NJ, KLOTZ, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Jrb fanwood station new jersey, Jesper Rautell Balle, CC BY 3.0
- Berkeley Heights Littel-Lord Farmhouse, Josconklin, CC BY-SA 3.0
- NathanielDrakeHouse, KForce, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Antique Castle (WT Orville House); Plainfield, NJ, Dreamyunicorn123, CC BY-SA 3.0
- City Hall, Plainfield, NJ, Zeete, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Miller Cory NJ, Jared Kofsky/PlaceNJ.com, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Swains Galleries; Crescent Area HD; Plainfield, NJ, Dreamyunicorn123, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Plainfield Station from North Avenue, Adam E. Moreira, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Saint Mary's Catholic Church; Plainfield, New Jersey, Dreamyunicorn123, CC BY-SA 3.0
- JOHN DeCAMP HOUSE, UNION COUNTY, NJ, JERRYE & ROY KLOTZ MD, CC BY-SA 4.0
- WestfieldFireHeadquarters, KForce at English Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Plainfield Masonic Temple, Plainfield, NJ, Zeete, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Grace Episcopal Church, Plainfield, NJ - 7th Street view, Zeete, CC BY-SA 4.0
- WestfieldPresbyterianChurch, KForce at English Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 3.0
;_Plainfield,_NJ.jpg){kind=link}
Page built October 30, 2026. Spotted a mistake? Tell us or suggest a place.