Watchung, New Jersey
Watchung is a borough of 6,485 people in Somerset County, New Jersey, founded in 1926.
Why visit Watchung
Townapedia lists 33 museums and landmarks, 6 parks and trails, 35 places to eat, 2 places to stay and 3 attractions in and around town.
Highlights include Cinemark Watchung and XD, Bowcraft Amusement Park, Littel-Lord Farmstead and Baker-Duderstadt Farm.
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 Watchung
Forecast from the National Weather Service. Full forecast
About Watchung
Watchung () is a borough in Somerset County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey, located approximately 29 miles (47 km) west of New York City. As of the 2020 United States census, the borough's population was 6,449, an increase of 648 (+11.2%) from the 2010 census count of 5,801, which in turn reflected an increase of 188 (+3.3%) from the 5,613 counted in the 2000 census. It is located within the Raritan Valley region.
From the Wikipedia article Watchung, New Jersey (this version), under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Things to do3
Bowcraft Amusement Park
Monument and historic site · 3.0 mi
Amusement park in New Jersey, United States
Museums and landmarks33
Littel-Lord Farmstead
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 1.8 mi
Building in New Jersey, United States
Baker-Duderstadt Farm
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 3.3 mi
Historic farm in Warren Township, New Jersey
Crescent Area Historic District
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 2.2 mi
Historic district in Plainfield, New Jersey
Dr. John Vermeule House
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 2.8 mi
Historic house in Green Brook, New Jersey
Elizabeth and Gershom Frazee House
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 4.0 mi
Historic house in Union County, New Jersey
Fanwood
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 3.9 mi
NJ Transit rail station
Feltville Historic District
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 3.7 mi
Human settlement in New Jersey, United States of America
Firehouse No. 4
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 2.0 mi
Fire station in New Jersey, United States of America
George A. Strong House
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 2.8 mi
Historic house in Plainfield, New Jersey
Hillside Avenue Historic District
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 2.5 mi
Historic district in Plainfield, New Jersey
Kirch-Ford House
Museum · National Register of Historic Places · 3.6 mi
Historic house in Warren Township, New Jersey
Murray Hill
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 4.0 mi
NJ Transit rail station
21 more on the map.
Parks, trails and playgrounds6
.jpg){kind=link}
_at_Spencer_Lane_in_Watchung,_Somerset_County,_New_Jersey.jpg){kind=link}
_at_Somerset_County_Route_527_(Valley_Road)_in_Watchung,_Somerset_County,_New_Jersey.jpg){kind=link}
_between_Somerset_County_Route_527_(Mountain_Boulevard)_and_Watchung_Avenue_in_Watchung,_Somerset_County,_New_Jersey.jpg){kind=link}
_between_Jennings_Lane_and_Johnston_Drive_in_Watchung,_Somerset_County,_New_Jersey.jpg){kind=link}
Green Brook Park
Park · National Register of Historic Places · 2.4 mi
Park in Plainfield and North Plainfield, New Jersey
Cedar Brook Park
Park · National Register of Historic Places · 3.3 mi
Historic park in New Jersey
Restaurants and cafes35
Brisas Bakery & Restaurant
Restaurant · Latin American, Colombian, Bakery, Coffee Shop · 1.6 mi
The Official Empanada of the New York Red Bulls
214 Somerset Street, North Plainfield
Mo-Su 05:00-21:00
Black Drop Coffee
Cafe · Cake, Coffee Shop, Tea · 2.1 mi
431 Park Avenue
Mo-Fr 07:00-17:00; Sa-Su 07:30-16:00
IHOP
Restaurant · Breakfast, Pancake · 2.1 mi
1120 Route 22, North Plainfield
Mo-Th,Su 07:00-22:00; Fr,Sa 07:00-23:00
Texas Roadhouse
Restaurant · Steak House · 2.2 mi
1258 Route 22, North Plainfield
Mo-Th 16:00-22:00; Fr 15:00-23:00; Sa 12:00-23:00; Su 12:00-22:00
Red Tower II
Restaurant · Breakfast, Burger, Fries · 1.4 mi
Restaurant
864 US- 22, North Plainfield
Stone House at Stirling Ridge
Diner · American · 1.8 mi
50 Stirling Road, Warren
The Brook
Restaurant · Burger · 1.4 mi
Burgers, Fries, Shakes
58 Greenbrook Road, North Plainfield
23 more on the map.
History
George Washington surveyed the British troops in Perth Amboy, 20 miles away, from the first ridge of the Watchung Mountains. The eastern edge of these ridges reaches to the Oranges in the direction of Newark. The name "Washingtonville" was used in early times, but was rejected as the name for the area by the United States Postal Service, which felt that the state already had too many places named Washington.
Watchung, in the 1900s was a semi-rural small community of about 3,200 people in comparison with the relatively larger and more urban communities of Plainfield and Somerville. The first mayor of the town was Henry Baldwin Macdonald, who served from 1926 to 1928. The 1967 Plainfield riots, caused an exodus of the large upper-middle class population from the nearby cities to the Watchung Hills area to communities such as Watchung, Warren Township and Bridgewater Township.
Watchung was incorporated as a borough by an act of the New Jersey Legislature on May 23, 1926, from portions of North Plainfield Township (now Green Brook Township) based on the results of a referendum held on April 20, 1926.
In the wake of public fear that ensued after the 1938 radio broadcast of Orson Welles' The War of the Worlds, National Guard troops were stationed around the hills in Watchung, as told on the vinyl record recording of news reports of the day.
From the History section of Watchung, New Jersey on Wikipedia, under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Where to stay2
Churches and places of worship36
Grace Episcopal Church
Church · National Register of Historic Places · 2.0 mi
Scotch Plains Baptist Church
Church · Baptist · National Register of Historic Places · 2.0 mi
All Souls Church
Church · National Register of Historic Places · 2.2 mi
Mount Bethel Baptist Meetinghouse
Church · National Register of Historic Places · 4.1 mi
Old Baptist Parsonage
Church · National Register of Historic Places · 2.0 mi
Saint Mary's Catholic Church Complex
Church · National Register of Historic Places · 2.3 mi
Rahway and Plainfield Friends Meeting
Church · Quaker · 1.8 mi
225 Watchung Avenue, Plainfield
Shopping14
Gas and EV charging19
Schools, colleges and libraries77
College Achieve Central Charter School
School · 1.8 mi
365 Emerson Ave, Plainfield
Cresthaven Academy Charter School
School · 2.4 mi
530 West 7Th Street, Plainfield
Developmental Learning Center New Providence
School · 4.5 mi
330 Central Avenue, New Providence
Healthcare4
Runnells Center for Rehabilitation and Healthcare
Hospital · 1.7 mi
40 Watchung Way, Berkeley Heights
Map of Watchung
229 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
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
Linden Airport (LDJ) is the nearest airport with scheduled flights listed in OpenStreetMap, 10 miles away.
- North Plainfield 2 mi south, about 2 min by car
- Plainfield 2 mi southeast, about 4 min by car
- Fanwood 3 mi east, about 4 min by car
- Dunellen 4 mi southwest, about 6 min by car
- New Providence 4 mi north, about 7 min by car
- Gillette 4 mi north, about 6 min by car
- Stirling 4 mi northwest, about 6 min by car
- Westfield 5 mi east, about 8 min by car
- South Plainfield 5 mi south, about 8 min by car
- Mountainside 5 mi northeast, about 8 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
- Texier House Museum, Watchung, NJ, Zeete, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Somerset Street Through Watchung Mountain to Plainfield, New Jersey (7235322304), Ken Lund from Reno, Nevada, USA, CC BY-SA 2.0
- 2018-05-30 09 53 12 View south along Somerset County Route 531 (Hillcrest Road) at Spencer Lane in Watchung, Somerset County, New Jersey, Famartin, CC BY-SA 4.0
- 2018-05-30 09 26 44 View north along Somerset County Route 531 (Hillcrest Road) at Somerset County Route 527 (Valley Road) in Watchung, Somerset County, New Jersey, Famartin, CC BY-SA 4.0
- 2018-05-30 10 00 08 View south along Somerset County Route 531 (Somerset Street) between Somerset County Route 527 (Mountain Boulevard) and Watchung Avenue in Watchung, Somerset County, New Jersey, Famartin, CC BY-SA 4.0
- 2018-05-30 10 19 58 View north along Somerset County Route 531 (Watchung Avenue) between Jennings Lane and Johnston Drive in Watchung, Somerset County, New Jersey, Famartin, CC BY-SA 4.0
- 2018-05-30 09 57 42 View south along Somerset County Route 531 at Somerset County Route 527 (Mountain Boulevard) in Watchung, Somerset County, New Jersey, Famartin, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Watchung, NJ Municipal Building, Nov. 2025, 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
- 2018-05-29 10 46 34 View east along Interstate 78 (Phillipsburg-Newark Expressway) between Exit 40 and Exit 41 in Watchung, Somerset County, New Jersey, Famartin, CC BY-SA 4.0
- 2020-10-14 16 39 30 View north along Somerset County Route 531 (Watchung Avenue) at the exit for U.S. Route 22 WEST (Somerville) in North Plainfield, Somerset County, New Jersey, Famartin, CC BY-SA 4.0
- 2020-07-13 14 15 48 View east along Interstate 78 (Phillipsburg-Newark Expressway) at Exit 41 (Berkeley Heights, Scotch Plains) in Watchung, Somerset County, New Jersey, Famartin, CC BY-SA 4.0
- 2020-08-15 15 44 16 View east along U.S. Route 22 at the exit for Somerset County Route 531 (Plainfield, Watchung) in North Plainfield, Somerset County, New Jersey, Famartin, CC BY-SA 4.0
- 2018-05-29 15 53 52 View west along U.S. Route 22 at Somerset County Route 531 (Watchung Avenue) in North Plainfield, Somerset County, New Jersey, Famartin, CC BY-SA 4.0
- 2020-07-09 09 08 27 View west along Interstate 78 (Phillipsburg-Newark Expressway) at Exit 40 (Somerset County Route 531, The Plainfields, Watchung, Gillette) in Warren Township, Somerset County, New..., Famartin, CC BY-SA 4.0
- 2020-10-14 16 36 17 View north along Somerset County Route 531 (Watchung Avenue) at the exit for U.S. Route 22 EAST (Newark) in North Plainfield, Somerset County, New Jersey, Famartin, CC BY-SA 4.0
- 2021-07-20 13 07 48 View east along U.S. Route 22 from the overpass for Somerset County Route 531 (Somerset Street-Watchung Avenue) in North Plainfield, Somerset County, New Jersey, Famartin, CC BY-SA 4.0
- 2021-07-20 13 06 21 View west along U.S. Route 22 from the overpass for Somerset County Route 531 (Somerset Street-Watchung Avenue) in North Plainfield, Somerset County, New Jersey, Famartin, CC BY-SA 4.0
- 2018-05-29 10 55 16 View west along Interstate 78 (Phillipsburg-Newark Expressway) between Exit 41 and Exit 40 in Watchung, Somerset County, New Jersey, Famartin, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Watchung Lake (3), Tyler de Noche, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Watchung Lake (2), Tyler de Noche, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Watchung Lake (1), Tyler de Noche, CC BY-SA 4.0
- 2018-05-30 09 04 04 View north along Somerset County Route 527 (Mountain Boulevard) between Rock Avenue and Lakeview Terrace in Watchung, Somerset County, New Jersey, Famartin, CC BY-SA 4.0
- 2018-05-30 10 16 53 View north along Somerset County Route 531 (Watchung Avenue) at Somerset County Route 642 (Mountain Avenue) in North Plainfield, Somerset County, New Jersey, Famartin, CC BY-SA 4.0
- SCOTCH PLAINS BAPTIST CHURCH, PARSONAGE, AND CEMETERY; UNION COUNTY, JERRYE & ROY KLOTZ MD, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Berkeley Heights Littel-Lord Farmhouse, Josconklin, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Playground and flowering trees, Green Brook Park, Plainfield, NJ, Zeete, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Grace Episcopal Church, Plainfield, NJ - 7th Street view, Zeete, 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
- JOHN VERMEULE HOUSE, SOMERSET COUNTY, Jerrye & Roy Klotz, MD, CC BY-SA 3.0
- 1 Reinman Road, Warren Township, 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
_in_Watchung,_Somerset_County,_New_Jersey.jpg){kind=link}
_between_Exit_40_and_Exit_41_in_Watchung,_Somerset_County,_New_Jersey.jpg){kind=link}
_at_the_exit_for_U.S._Route_22_WEST_(Somerville)_in_North_Plainfield,_Somerset_County,_New_Jersey.jpg){kind=link}
_at_Exit_41_(Berkeley_Heights,_Scotch_Plains)_in_Watchung,_Somerset_County,_New_Jersey.jpg){kind=link}
_in_North_Plainfield,_Somerset_County,_New_Jersey.jpg){kind=link}
_in_North_Plainfield,_Somerset_County,_New_Jersey.jpg){kind=link}
_at_Exit_40_(Somerset_County_Route_531,_The_Plainfields,_Watchung,_Gillette)_in_Warren_Township,_Somerset_County,_New_Jersey.jpg){kind=link}
_at_the_exit_for_U.S._Route_22_EAST_(Newark)_in_North_Plainfield,_Somerset_County,_New_Jersey.jpg){kind=link}
_in_North_Plainfield,_Somerset_County,_New_Jersey.jpg){kind=link}
_in_North_Plainfield,_Somerset_County,_New_Jersey.jpg){kind=link}
_between_Exit_41_and_Exit_40_in_Watchung,_Somerset_County,_New_Jersey.jpg){kind=link}
.jpg){kind=link}
.jpg){kind=link}
.jpg){kind=link}
_between_Rock_Avenue_and_Lakeview_Terrace_in_Watchung,_Somerset_County,_New_Jersey.jpg){kind=link}
_at_Somerset_County_Route_642_(Mountain_Avenue)_in_North_Plainfield,_Somerset_County,_New_Jersey.jpg){kind=link}
Page built October 30, 2026. Spotted a mistake? Tell us or suggest a place.