Rio Grande, New Jersey
Rio Grande is a community of 3,485 people in Cape May County, New Jersey.
Why visit Rio Grande
Townapedia lists 8 museums and landmarks, 8 places to eat, 2 places to stay and 2 attractions in and around town.
Highlights include Frank's Rio Stadium Theater, Cold Spring Grange Hall and Fishing Creek Schoolhouse.
July is the warmest month, with average highs of 86°F; January lows average 28°F.
Weather in Rio Grande
Forecast from the National Weather Service. Full forecast
About Rio Grande
Rio Grande () is an unincorporated community and census-designated place (CDP) located within Middle Township and Lower Township in Cape May County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey.
From the Wikipedia article Rio Grande, New Jersey (this version), under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Things to do2
Museums and landmarks8
Cold Spring Grange Hall
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 3.5 mi
Building in New Jersey, United States
Fishing Creek Schoolhouse
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 3.3 mi
School building in New Jersey, United States of America
George Hildreth House
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 3.4 mi
Historic house in Lower Township, New Jersey
Judge Nathaniel Foster House
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 3.1 mi
Historic house in Cape May County, New Jersey
Rio Grande Station
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 3.6 mi
Railway station in Lower Township, the United States of America
TBM-3E Avenger Torpedo Bomber
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 2.1 mi
Historic World War II aircraft
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Octagonal Poultry House
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 3.4 mi
Historic Cold Spring Village
Museum · 3.5 mi
Open-air living history museum in Cold Spring, New Jersey
Restaurants and cafes8
Behr Brewing
Brewery and winery · 1.7 mi
513 Seashore Road, Cape May
Mo-Th 14:00-20:00; Fr-Sa 12:00-21:00; Su 12:00-19:00
George’s Place West
Restaurant · 0.6 mi
1050 Route 47 South, Rio Grande
Mo-Su 08:00-14:00
7 Mile Brewery
Brewery and winery · 0.4 mi
3156 Shore Road, Rio Grande
Mo-Sa 12:00-22:00, Su 12:00-18:00
Where to stay2
Prime Inn
Motel and hotel · 0.8 mi
1031 South Delsea Drive
Mo-Su 10:00-15:00
History
According to Jeffrey M. Dorwart, Rio Grande was founded in the mid-nineteenth century around a country store owned by the Hildreth family. The community was originally called Hildreth for that reason.
George F. Boyer and J. Pearson Cunningham explain that, during the colonial period, Aaron Leaming, the Hildreths and the Cresses had plantations in that area. Where the King's Highway crossed the road coming from Dennisville and Goshen a stage coach terminal was set up, and the spot became the center for trade for the local farming families. Boyer and Cunningham say that the area was known as "Leamings," for the prominent landholders, or as "Hildreth," the family who ran the local store. (p. 121-122) They continue, "The name, Rio Grande, was suggested by the seventh Aaron Leaming who thought this southern United States river had an attractive sound."
From the History section of Rio Grande, New Jersey on Wikipedia, under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Churches and places of worship2
Cold Spring Presbyterian Church
Church · National Register of Historic Places · 3.7 mi
Shopping5
Gas and EV charging1
Schools, colleges and libraries15
Glenwood Avenue Elementary School
School · 3.8 mi
Glenwood & New York Ave, Wildwood
Margaret Mace Elementary School
School · 4.5 mi
1201 Atlantic Avenue, North Wildwood
Middle Township Elementary #1
School · 4.9 mi
215 Eldredge Road, Cape May Court House
Middle Township Elementary #2
School · 4.6 mi
101 West Pacific Ave, Cape May Court House
Middle Township Elementary #4
School · 4.9 mi
300 E Pacific Ave, Cape May Court House
Middle Township High School
School · 4.9 mi
300 East Atlantic Avenue, Cape May Court House
Healthcare2
Map of Rio Grande
45 places. The map loads OpenStreetMap tiles when you open it.
Climate by month
Monthly table
| Month | High | Low | Rain | Snow |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 43°F | 28°F | 3.2 in | 4.5 in |
| Feb | 45°F | 29°F | 3.0 in | 5.7 in |
| Mar | 52°F | 35°F | 4.1 in | 2.5 in |
| Apr | 62°F | 44°F | 3.3 in | 0.1 in |
| May | 71°F | 54°F | 3.5 in | 0.0 in |
| Jun | 80°F | 63°F | 3.5 in | 0.0 in |
| Jul | 86°F | 68°F | 3.9 in | 0.0 in |
| Aug | 84°F | 67°F | 4.0 in | 0.0 in |
| Sep | 79°F | 62°F | 3.8 in | 0.0 in |
| Oct | 68°F | 51°F | 4.2 in | 0.0 in |
| Nov | 57°F | 41°F | 3.3 in | 0.0 in |
| Dec | 48°F | 33°F | 4.0 in | 2.0 in |
U.S. Climate Normals 1991-2020 for Cape May 2 Nw (6 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
Cape May County has had 20 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)
- 2021-04-28: Severe Winter Storm And Snowstorm (Snowstorm)
- 2020-12-11: Tropical Storm Isaias (Hurricane)
- 2020-03-25: Covid-19 Pandemic (Biological)
- 2020-03-13: Covid-19 (Biological)
OpenFEMA disaster declarations summaries.
Getting there and nearby towns
Cape May County Airport (WWD) is the nearest airport with scheduled flights listed in OpenStreetMap, 2 miles away.
- Erma 2 mi southwest, about 3 min by car
- North Wildwood 4 mi east, about 7 min by car
- North Cape May 5 mi southwest, about 8 min by car
- Cape May Court House 5 mi northeast, about 8 min by car
- Cape May 6 mi south, about 9 min by car
- West Cape May 6 mi southwest, about 10 min by car
- Avalon 9 mi northeast, about 14 min by car
- Palermo 18 mi northeast, about 29 min by car
- Port Norris 19 mi northwest, about 31 min by car
- Marmora 20 mi northeast, about 33 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
- Rio Grande NJ putt putt, Smallbones, CC0
- Atlantic City Electric Rio Grande Substation (25110870697), Tonyglen14, CC BY 2.0
- Atlantic City Electric Rio Grande Substation (25110854657), Tonyglen14, CC BY 2.0
- Atlantic City Electric Rio Grande Substation (39083441405), Tonyglen14, CC BY 2.0
- Atlantic City Electric Rio Grande Substation (25110863037), Tonyglen14, CC BY 2.0
- Atlantic City Electric Rio Grande Substation (39981223351), Tonyglen14, CC BY 2.0
- Rio grande NJ Fire station, WhisperToMe, CC0
- Rio Grande Fire Station NJ, WhisperToMe, CC0
- Rio Grande Fire Station, WhisperToMe, CC0
- Rio Grande Fire Station A, WhisperToMe, CC0
- Rio Grande Fire Department A, WhisperToMe, CC0
- Rio Grande Fire Department, WhisperToMe, CC0
- Rio Grande NJ post office, WhisperToMe, CC0
- NJ Department of Children and Families Rio Grande, WhisperToMe, CC0
- Shoprite Rio Grande, NJ, WhisperToMe, CC0
- 2020-07-16 15 00 34 View south along New Jersey State Route 444 (Garden State Parkway) at Exit 4B (New Jersey State Route 47 NORTH, Rio Grande) in Middle Township, Cape May County, New Jersey, Famartin, CC BY-SA 4.0
- 2020-07-11 12 24 47 View north along New Jersey State Route 444 (Garden State Parkway) at Exit 4 (New Jersey State Route 47, The Wildwoods, Rio Grande) on the border of Lower Township and Middle..., Famartin, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Cold Spring Presby from SE, Smallbones, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Fishing Creek School from NW, Smallbones, CC0
- TBM-3E Avenger, Smallbones, Public domain
- Rio Grande Station Cape May NJ, Smallbones, Public domain
- Hildreth House Cape May, NJ, Smallbones, Public domain
- Judge Nathaniel Foster Lower twp NJ 1, Smallbones, CC0
- Old Grange Cold Spring, Smallbones, Public domain
- Octagonal Chicken Coop, Smallbones, Public domain
- Railroad Avenue Park, WhisperToMe, CC0
- WalmartMiddletownshipNJ1, WhisperToMe, CC0
- WalmartMiddleTownshipNJ0, WhisperToMe, CC0
- Wawa Store 946, WhisperToMe, CC0
- 2018-08-09 12 47 43 View north along U.S. Route 9 (Shore Road) at Hirst Avenue in Middle Township, Cape May County, New Jersey, Famartin, CC BY-SA 4.0
- 2020-08-14 16 33 53 View south along U.S. Route 9 (Shore Road) at New Jersey State Route 47 (Delsea Drive) in Middle Township, Cape May County, New Jersey, Famartin, CC BY-SA 4.0
- 2020-09-02 15 21 22 View south along New Jersey State Route 47 (Delsea Drive) at U.S. Route 9 (Shore Road) in Middle Township, Cape May County, New Jersey, Famartin, CC BY-SA 4.0
- 2020-09-02 15 47 12 View north along New Jersey State Route 47 (Wildwood Boulevard) at U.S. Route 9 (Shore Road) in Middle Township, Cape May County, New Jersey, Famartin, CC BY-SA 4.0
- NJ Department Dept of Children and Families office, WhisperToMe, CC0
- 2020-08-14 17 03 15 View north along U.S. Route 9 (Shore Road) at New Jersey State Route 47 (Delsea Drive) in Middle Township, Cape May County, New Jersey, Famartin, CC BY-SA 4.0
- NJ Department Dept of Children and Families office A, WhisperToMe, CC0
- NJ Department Dept of Children and Families office B, WhisperToMe, CC0
- Cape May County Herald HQ, WhisperToMe, CC0
- 2020-09-02 15 25 47 View south along New Jersey State Route 47 (Wildwood Boulevard) at the exit for the Garden State Parkway SOUTH in Middle Township, Cape May County, New Jersey, Famartin, CC BY-SA 4.0
- 2020-09-02 15 43 02 View north along New Jersey State Route 47 (Wildwood Boulevard) at the exit for the Garden State Parkway SOUTH in Middle Township, Cape May County, New Jersey, Famartin, CC BY-SA 4.0
_at_Exit_4B_(New_Jersey_State_Route_47_NORTH,_Rio_Grande)_in_Middle_Township,_Cape_May_County,_New_Jersey.jpg){kind=link}
_at_Exit_4_(New_Jersey_State_Route_47,_The_Wildwoods,_Rio_Grande)_on_the_border_of_Lower_Township_and_Middle_Township_in_Cape_May_County,_New_Jersey.jpg){kind=link}
_at_Hirst_Avenue_in_Middle_Township,_Cape_May_County,_New_Jersey.jpg){kind=link}
_at_New_Jersey_State_Route_47_(Delsea_Drive)_in_Middle_Township,_Cape_May_County,_New_Jersey.jpg){kind=link}
_at_U.S._Route_9_(Shore_Road)_in_Middle_Township,_Cape_May_County,_New_Jersey.jpg){kind=link}
_at_U.S._Route_9_(Shore_Road)_in_Middle_Township,_Cape_May_County,_New_Jersey.jpg){kind=link}
_at_New_Jersey_State_Route_47_(Delsea_Drive)_in_Middle_Township,_Cape_May_County,_New_Jersey.jpg){kind=link}
_at_the_exit_for_the_Garden_State_Parkway_SOUTH_in_Middle_Township,_Cape_May_County,_New_Jersey.jpg){kind=link}
_at_the_exit_for_the_Garden_State_Parkway_SOUTH_in_Middle_Township,_Cape_May_County,_New_Jersey.jpg){kind=link}
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