Атлантик округының Хэмилтон қаласы

Township in Atlantic County, New Jersey, US

Hamilton Township is a township in Atlantic County, in the U. S. state of New Jersey. As of the 2020 United States census, the township's population was 27,484, The Township of Hamilton was incorporated by the New Jersey Legislature on February 5, 1813. Geographically, the township, and all of Atlantic County, is part of the South Jersey region of the state and of the Atlantic City Hammonton metropolitan statistical area, which in turn is included in the Philadelphia Reading Camden combined statistical area and the Delaware Valley.

Hamilton Township's origins are directly tied to the Great Egg Harbor River and its tributaries which run through it. George May, after whom the village of Mays Landing was named, built a shipyard and trading post near Babcock Creek in 1756. By the mid 19th century, Mays Landing reached the height of its shipbuilding. From 1830 to 1880, more than 200 vessels were built along the Great Egg Harbor River with lumber from native forests and iron from Weymouth foundries. Half of them were produced at Mays Landing. But by the end of century, wood shipbuilding began to disappear due to the lack of suitable timber. Iron was then substituted for hull construction. Hamilton was incorporated as a township by an act of the New Jersey Legislature on February 5, 1813, from portions of Egg Harbor Township and Weymouth Township, while the area was still part of Gloucester County. Hamilton became part of the newly created Atlantic County in 1837. Portions of the township were taken to form Hammonton on March 5, 1866, and to form Buena Vista Township on March 5, 1867. The township was named for Alexander Hamilton.

According to the U. S. Census Bureau, the township had a total area of 112.94 square miles (292.52 km2), including 110.90 square miles (287.22 km2) of land and 2.05 square miles (5.31 km2) of water (1.81%). is a census designated place located within Hamilton Township that has been the county seat of Atlantic County since it was formed in 1837. Other unincorporated communities, localities, and places located partially or completely within the township include Mays Landing, the county seat of Atlantic County, and Bears Head, Carmantown, Catawba, Clarktown, Cologne, Dacosta, Emmelsville, Gravelly Run, Lake Lenape, Laureldale, McKee City, Mizpah, Reega, Thompsontown, Weymouth, and Wilsons Landing. The township borders the Atlantic County municipalities of Buena Vista Township, Egg Harbor Township, Estell Manor, Folsom, Galloway Township, Hammonton, Mullica Township and Weymouth Township.

The township is one of 56 South Jersey municipalities that are included within the New Jersey Pinelands National Reserve, a protected natural area of unique ecology covering , that has been classified as a United States Biosphere Reserve and established by Congress in 1978 as the nation's first National Reserve. Part of the township is included in the state designated Pinelands Area, which includes portions of Atlantic County, along with areas in Burlington, Camden, Cape May, Cumberland, Gloucester and Ocean counties. The western three quarters of the township is governed by regulation by the New Jersey Pinelands Commission, which places major limitations on development in that portion of the township, which remains as pine forest with a distinctly rural character, with other portions designated as a Rural Development Area. Significant portions of the eastern quarter of the township are designated by the Pinelands Commission as part of the Regional Growth Area (RGA), in which development is "allowed and encouraged" in the area surrounding Atlantic City, New Jersey. The majority of the township's residents live in the area covered by the RGA, which has been developed in suburban fashion and includes shopping areas such as the Hamilton Mall, part of the township's of first class commercial retail properties.

The Great Egg Harbor River and Lake Lenape are recreational resources used by local residents and visitors alike. The Lake Lenape Parks cover more than .

Hamilton Township is governed under the Township form of New Jersey municipal government, one of 141 municipalities (of the 564) statewide that use this form. The Township Committee is composed of five members, who are elected directly by the voters at large in partisan elections to serve three year terms of office on a staggered basis, with either one or two seats coming up for election each year as part of the November general election in a three year cycle. At an annual reorganization meeting each January, the Council selects one of its members to serve as Mayor and another as Deputy Mayor. In January 2023, former mayor Art Schanker was appointed to fill the seat expiring in December 2024 that had been held by Susan K. Hopkins until she resigned from office earlier that month.

Hamilton Township is located in the 2nd Congressional District and is part of New Jersey's 2nd state legislative district.

As of March 2011, there were a total of 15,486 registered voters in Hamilton Township, of which 4,305 (27.8% vs. 30.5% countywide) were registered as Democrats, 3,541 (22.9% vs. 25.2%) were registered as Republicans and 7,635 (49.3% vs. 44.3%) were registered as Unaffiliated. There were 5 voters registered as Libertarians or Greens. Among the township's 2010 Census population, 58.4% (vs. 58.8% in Atlantic County) were registered to vote, including 76.9% of those ages 18 and over (vs. 76.6% countywide). In the 2012 presidential election, Democrat Barack Obama received 6,748 votes here (59.9% vs. 57.9% countywide), ahead of Republican Mitt Romney with 4,334 votes (38.5% vs. 41.1%) and other candidates with 130 votes (1.2% vs. 0.9%), among the 11,268 ballots cast by the township's 16,710 registered voters, for a turnout of 67.4% (vs. 65.8% in Atlantic County). In the 2008 presidential election, Democrat Barack Obama received 6,619 votes here (57.7% vs. 56.5% countywide), ahead of Republican John McCain with 4,612 votes (40.2% vs. 41.6%) and other candidates with 148 votes (1.3% vs. 1.1%), among the 11,481 ballots cast by the township's 16,199 registered voters, for a turnout of 70.9% (vs. 68.1% in Atlantic County). In the 2004 presidential election, Democrat John Kerry received 5,055 votes here (51.9% vs. 52.0% countywide), ahead of Republican George W. Bush with 4,507 votes (46.2% vs. 46.2%) and other candidates with 83 votes (0.9% vs. 0.8%), among the 9,747 ballots cast by the township's 13,128 registered voters, for a turnout of 74.2% (vs. 69.8% in the whole county). In the 2013 gubernatorial election, Republican Chris Christie received 4,086 votes here (59.0% vs. 60.0% countywide), ahead of Democrat Barbara Buono with 2,526 votes (36.5% vs. 34.9%) and other candidates with 127 votes (1.8% vs. 1.3%), among the 6,924 ballots cast by the township's 17,080 registered voters, yielding a 40.5% turnout (vs. 41.5% in the county). In the 2009 gubernatorial election, Republican Chris Christie received 3,346 votes here (47.9% vs. 47.7% countywide), ahead of Democrat Jon Corzine with 3,102 votes (44.4% vs. 44.5%), Independent Chris Daggett with 386 votes (5.5% vs. 4.8%) and other candidates with 93 votes (1.3% vs. 1.2%), among the 6,983 ballots cast by the township's 15,764 registered voters, yielding a 44.3% turnout (vs. 44.9% in the county).

as of 2010, the township had a total of 258.55 mile (416 km) of roadways, of which 171.15 mile (275 km) were maintained by the municipality, 40.49 mile (65 km) by Atlantic County, 32.91 mile (53 km) by the New Jersey Department of Transportation and 14.00 mile (23 km) by the South Jersey Transportation Authority. A variety of roads pass through the township. Hamilton hosts a 14 mile (23 km) stretch of the Atlantic City Expressway with three interchanges and the Egg Harbor Tolls. U. S. Route 40, U. S. Route 322, and Route 50 pass through the township. The major county roads include County Route 552, County Route 559, County Route 563, and County Route 575.

NJ Transit provides bus service in the township between Cape May and Philadelphia on the 315 route and to Atlantic City on routes 502 from Atlantic Cape Community College and 553 from Upper Deerfield Township.