South Brunswick, New Jersey Real Estate
South Brunswick: Tranquil, Yet Vibrant

View Community Knowledge Bank | View South Brunswick Area MLS Properties

South Brunswick Township, Middlesex County, New Jersey, was incorporated by an act of the State Legislature in 1798. The 18th century character of South Brunswick was that of a rural agricultural township with small clustered settlements located on major transportation routes. Early Middlesex region settlers took advantage of fertile soils and favorable growing conditions. The rural nature of the Township continued throughout the 19th century, with increases in commercial and residential growth and development coinciding with the introduction of new transportation routes. The Straight Turnpike, (now Route 1 - Middlesex County's primary thoroughfare), was constructed in 1804.

Twentieth century South Brunswick, as with all of Middlesex County, has seen extensive transformation with the impact of American industrial technology. The New Brunswick and Trenton Fast Line began operation in 1900, a trolley line running parallel to the Old Straight Turnpike of 1804 (Route 1), intersecting George's Road just north of the Five Corners intersection in Dayton. This trolley provided daily passenger and freight service, stopping at a local crossroads. The New Jersey Turnpike opened in 1951, again roughly parallel to Route 1, on the eastern edge of the Township. One typical effect of the Turnpike was the transformation of the agricultural area on the southeast corner of South Brunswick to that of a burgeoning industrial development.

With increased mobility and a growing population, the suburban style residential development was born after the Second World War and Middlesex County, New Jersey, was no exception to that trend. Largely as a result of that outgrowth, South Brunswick population has doubled in the past two decades and today the township has over 33,400 residents. Over the past century, the town has matured from a tranquil and rustic farming community to a vibrant, diverse and active suburban town. Still, while South Brunswick has grown rapidly, much of the town's 42 square miles remain undeveloped and there are still significant amounts of wetlands, woodlands and open space within the community.