New Providence, New Jersey
New Providence is a borough of 13,727 people in Union County, New Jersey.
Why visit New Providence
Townapedia lists 32 museums and landmarks, 19 parks and trails, 33 places to eat, 1 place to stay and 2 attractions in and around town.
Highlights include Bowcraft Amusement Park, Long Hill, Deacon Andrew Hetfield House and Dusenberry House.
July is the warmest month, with average highs of 86°F; January lows average 22°F, and about 24 inches of snow fall in a normal year.
Weather in New Providence
Forecast from the National Weather Service. Full forecast
About New Providence
New Providence is a borough on the northwestern edge of Union County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey. It is located on the Passaic River, which forms the county boundary with Morris County bordering Chatham Township. As of the 2020 United States census, the borough's population was 13,650, an increase of 1,479 (+12.2%) from the 2010 census count of 12,171, which in turn reflected increase of 264 (+2.2%) from the 11,907 counted in the 2000 census.
From the Wikipedia article New Providence, New Jersey (this version), under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Things to do2
Bowcraft Amusement Park
Monument and historic site · 2.5 mi
Amusement park in New Jersey, United States
Museums and landmarks32
Deacon Andrew Hetfield House
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 3.2 mi
Historic house in New Jersey, United States
Dusenberry House
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 3.2 mi
Historic house in New Jersey, United States
Feltville Historic District
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 1.6 mi
Human settlement in New Jersey, United States of America
Littel-Lord Farmstead
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 2.4 mi
Building in New Jersey, United States
Miller-Cory House
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 3.9 mi
Historic house in New Jersey, United States
Mount Vernon School
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 1.6 mi
Historic building in Morris County, New Jersey
Murray Hill
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places
NJ Transit rail station
Nathaniel Smith House
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 1.2 mi
Union County, New Jersey, United States
Reeves-Reed Arboretum
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 3.6 mi
Arboretum and garden in Summit, New Jersey, United States
Shady Rest Golf and Country Club
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 3.5 mi
Historic building in Union County, New Jersey
Stage House Inn
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 3.3 mi
Hotel in New Jersey, United States of America
Summit Downtown Historic District
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 2.4 mi
Historic district in New Jersey, United States
20 more on the map.
Parks, trails and playgrounds19
7 more on the map.
Restaurants and cafes33
Coffee Culture Roastery
Cafe · Coffee Shop · 2.0 mi
462 Springfield Avenue, Berkeley Heights
Mo off; Tu-Su 07:00-11:00
Old Glory Restaurant
Restaurant · American, Polish · 0.6 mi
1259 Springfield Avenue, New Providence
Mo-Fr 06:00-21:00; Sa 08:00-21:00; Su 08:00-14:00
The Cafe Luna
Cafe · Coffee Shop
43 Floral Avenue, New Providence
Mo-Th 06:30-16:30; Fr-Sa 07:30-15:30; Su 08:30-14:30
Coppola Restaurant and Pizzeria
Restaurant · Pizza, Italian, Italian Pizza
590 Central Avenue, New Providence
21 more on the map.
History
The written history of New Providence begins in 1664 when James, Duke of York and brother to King Charles II, purchased the land that became known as the Elizabethtown Tract from the Lenape Native Americans. Its first European settlers were members of a Puritan colony established in 1720, which was the first permanent settlement of its type. The settlement was originally called "Turkey" or "Turkey Town", due to the presence of wild turkeys in the area.
The Presbyterian Church established in 1737 was a focal point for the community, and the lack of serious injuries when the church's balcony collapsed in 1759 was deemed to be an example of divine intervention, leading residents to change the area's name to New Providence.
According to local tradition, George Washington spent the night in a local home, which still stands to this day. Supposedly, the local stream, Salt Brook, is named for an incident when the salt supply of the colonial village was dumped into the brook to prevent passing British soldiers from taking it. Ironically, the British Army never crossed the Watchung Mountains into this region. Salt Brook winds through town, starting near the eponymous Salt Brook Elementary School.
From the History section of New Providence, New Jersey on Wikipedia, under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Where to stay1
Best Western Plus Murray Hill Inn and Suites
Motel and hotel
535 Central Avenue, New Providence
Churches and places of worship12
Old Baptist Parsonage
Church · National Register of Historic Places · 3.3 mi
Scotch Plains Baptist Church
Church · National Register of Historic Places · 3.2 mi
Wallace Chapel AME Zion Church
Church · National Register of Historic Places · 3.5 mi
Shopping7
Gas and EV charging2
Schools, colleges and libraries52
College Achieve Central Charter School
School · 4.5 mi
365 Emerson Ave, Plainfield
Healthcare5
Summit Medical Group
Clinic and pharmacy · 1.5 mi
1 Diamond Hill Road, Berkeley Heights
Map of New Providence
165 places. The map loads OpenStreetMap tiles when you open it.
Climate by month
Monthly table
| Month | High | Low | Rain | Snow |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 40°F | 22°F | 3.5 in | 5.8 in |
| Feb | 42°F | 23°F | 3.0 in | 8.4 in |
| Mar | 50°F | 31°F | 4.2 in | 4.6 in |
| Apr | 62°F | 40°F | 4.0 in | 0.4 in |
| May | 72°F | 50°F | 4.0 in | 0.0 in |
| Jun | 82°F | 60°F | 4.8 in | 0.0 in |
| Jul | 86°F | 66°F | 4.7 in | 0.0 in |
| Aug | 85°F | 64°F | 4.9 in | 0.0 in |
| Sep | 78°F | 56°F | 4.6 in | 0.0 in |
| Oct | 66°F | 44°F | 4.6 in | 0.0 in |
| Nov | 54°F | 35°F | 3.6 in | 0.7 in |
| Dec | 44°F | 28°F | 4.4 in | 4.1 in |
U.S. Climate Normals 1991-2020 for Canoe Brook (4 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
Morristown Municipal Airport (MMU) is the nearest airport with scheduled flights listed in OpenStreetMap, 7 miles away.
- Florham Park 5 mi north, about 9 min by car
- Middlesex 10 mi southwest, about 16 min by car
- Elizabeth 11 mi east, about 18 min by car
- Metuchen 11 mi south, about 18 min by car
- Martinsville 11 mi southwest, about 18 min by car
- Bound Brook 11 mi southwest, about 18 min by car
- Newark 12 mi east, about 20 min by car
- Fords 12 mi southeast, about 20 min by car
- Lake Hiawatha 13 mi north, about 20 min by car
- Highland Park 14 mi south, about 22 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
- New Providence NJ public park with pergola and benches, Tomwsulcer, CC0
- High Street 2 New Providence, Curlyrnd, CC BY-SA 4.0
- New Providence NJ view of municipal building and streets, Tomwsulcer, CC0
- Union Avenue nb approaching CR 512, New Providence, NJ, Oct. 2026, 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 4.0
- Central Avenue wb at Charnwood Road, New Providence, NJ, Oct. 2026, 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 4.0
- Shady Rest Clubhouse, Scotch Plains, NJ, Zeete, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Scotch Plains Baptist Parsonage NJ, Josconklin, CC BY-SA 3.0
- SCOTCH PLAINS BAPTIST CHURCH, PARSONAGE, AND CEMETERY; UNION COUNTY, JERRYE & ROY KLOTZ MD, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Wallace Chapel AME Zion Church, Daniel Case, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Reeves-Reed Arboretum, Daniel Case, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Feltville NJ, Jared Kofsky/PlaceNJ.com, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Deacon Andrew Hetfield House, Mountainside, NJ, Josconklin, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Downtown Summit, NJ, The original uploader was Daniel Case at English Wikipedia ., CC BY-SA 3.0
- Scotch Plains Stage House Inn NJ, Josconklin, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Berkeley Heights Littel-Lord Farmhouse, Josconklin, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Berkeley Heights, NJ, Nathaniel Smith House, Josconklin, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Murray Hill station, July 2010, Adam Moss, CC BY-SA 2.0
- Miller Cory NJ, Jared Kofsky/PlaceNJ.com, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Summit Playhouse jeh, Jim.henderson, Public domain
- Twin Maples, The original uploader was Daniel Case at English Wikipedia ., CC BY-SA 3.0
- Mount Vernon School, Chatham Township, NJ, Zeete, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Dusenberry House, Chatham, NJ, Daniel Case, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Summit NJ Unitarian Church, Tomwsulcer, CC0
- Calvary Episcopal Church, Summit, New Jersey, Swimdb, CC BY-SA 4.0
- High Street 1, Curlyrnd, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Murray Hill Veterinary Associates, Curlyrnd, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Mi Tea in Edison 08, Curlyrnd, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Boarding board at Murray Hill, Simplificationalizer, CC0
- Murray Hill Train Station 07, Curlyrnd, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Murray Hill Train Station 06, Curlyrnd, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Murray Hill Train Station 12, Curlyrnd, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Murray Hill Train Station 10, Curlyrnd, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Murray Hill Train Station 11, Curlyrnd, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Murray Hill Train Station 13, Curlyrnd, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Murray Hill Train Station 14, Curlyrnd, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Murray Hill Train Station 04, Curlyrnd, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Murray Hill Train Station 05, Curlyrnd, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Murray Hill Train Station 02, Curlyrnd, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Murray Hill Train Station 03, Curlyrnd, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Bottles impaled on fenceposts, Simplificationalizer, CC0
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