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Trenton is the capital of New Jersey, a state of the United States of America. As of the United States 2000 Census, the City of Trenton had a population of 85,403. Trenton is also the county seat of Mercer County. Trenton is the home of the Trenton Thunder Eastern League AA minor league baseball team, which is affiliated with the New York Yankees and plays in Mercer County Waterfront Park, and the Trenton Titans (an ECHL minor league hockey affiliate of the Philadelphia Flyers) which plays in the Sovereign Bank Arena. The New Jersey State Prison, which has two maximum security units and houses the state's most dangerous criminals, is also located in Trenton. Trenton is an anchor city for the Delaware Valley metropolitan area. Trenton and its immediate suburbs are often lumped together and referred to as "Greater Trenton" by locals.
History
Geography
Climate Trenton enjoys a humid continental temperate climate with some marine influence due to the nearby Atlantic Ocean. The four seaons are of approximately equal length, with precipitation fairly evenly distributed through the year. The temperature is rarely below zero or above 100 °F. During the winter months, temperatures routinely fall below freezing, but rarely fall below 0 °F. The coldest temperature ever recorded in Trenton was -14 °F (-25.6 °C) on February 9, 1934. The average January low is 24 °F (-4.4 °C) and the average January high is 38 °F (3.3 °C). The summers are usually very warm, with temperatures often reaching into the 90 °F's, but rarely reaching into the 100 °F's. The average July low is 67 °F (19.4 °C) and the average July high is 85 °F (29.4 °C). The temperature reaches or exceeds 90 °F on 18 days each year, on average. The hottest temperature ever recorded in Trenton was 106 °F (41.1 °C) on July 9, 1936. The average precipitation is 44.05 inches (1,118.9 mm) per year, which is fairly evenly distributed through the year. The driest month on average is February, with only 2.82 inches (71.6 mm) of rainfall on average, while the wettest month is July, with 4.64 inches (117.8 mm) of rainfall on average. Rainfall extremes can occur, however. The all-time single-day rainfall record is 7.25 inches (184.1 mm) on September 16, 1999, during the passage of Hurricane Floyd. The all-time monthly rainfall record is 14.55 inches (369.6 mm) in August 1955, due to the passage of Hurricane Connie and Hurricane Diane. The wettest year on record was 1996, when 67.90 inches (1,720 mm) of rain fell. On the flip side, the driest month on record was October 1963, when only 0.05 inches (1.27 mm) of rain was recorded. The driest year on record was 1957, when only 28.79 inches (731.27 mm) of rain was recorded. Snowfall can vary even more year-to-year. The average snowfall is about 27 inches (685.8 mm), but has ranged from as low as 2 inches (50.8 mm) (in the winter of 1918-19) to as high as 76.5 inches (1,943.1 mm) (in 1995-96). The heaviest snowstorm on record was the Blizzard of 1996 on January 7-8, 1996, when 24.2 inches (614.7 mm) buried the city. Snowstorms with accumulations of 12 inches (305 mm) or greater occur on average about once every 3-4 years. Demographics As of the census of 2000, there were 85,403 people, 29,437 households, and 18,692 families residing in the city. The population density was 11,153.6 people per square mile (4,304.7/km² ). There were 33,843 housing units at an average density of 4,419.9 per square mile (1,705.9/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 52.06% African American, 32.55% White, 0.35% Native American, 0.84% Asian, 0.23% Pacific Islander, 10.76% from other races, and 3.20% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 21.53% of the population. (Note: Most of the Hispanics in Trenton have been traditionally Puerto Rican. However, recently, that has changed as many immigrants from Guatemala, Ecuador, and various Latin American countries have settled in the city). There were 29,437 households out of which 32.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 29.0% were married couples living together, 27.1% had a female householder with no husband present, and 36.5% were non-families. 29.7% of all households were made up of individuals and 12.0% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.75 and the average family size was 3.38. In the city the population was spread out with 27.7% under the age of 18, 10.1% from 18 to 24, 31.9% from 25 to 44, 18.9% from 45 to 64, and 11.4% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 32 years. For every 100 females there were 97.6 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 96.0 males. The median income for a household in the city was $31,074, and the median income for a family was $36,681. Males had a median income of $29,721 versus $26,943 for females. The per capita income for the city was $14,621. About 17.6% of families and 21.1% of the population were below the poverty line, including 26.8% of those under age 18 and 19.5% of those age 65 or over. Neighborhoods The City of Trenton is home to numerous neighborhoods and sub-neighborhoods. The main neighborhoods are taken from the four cardinal directions (North, South, East, and West) and are often the main identifying points for city residents. North Trenton is an overwhelmingly African American community that houses numerous important sites in this predominantly African American city and its history. South Trenton is the most diverse neighborhood in Trenton and is home to many residents with Latin American, Italian, and Irish ancestry as well as a sizable African American community. The Chambersburg neighborhood is contained within South Trenton, and is noted in the region as a destination for its many Italian restaurants. East Trenton is the smallest neighborhood in Trenton and is home to Trenton's train station as well as Trenton's lone public high school. West Trenton is the home of Trenton's more affluent neighborhoods, including Hiltonia, Berkeley Square, and the area surrounding Cadwalader Park. In addition to these neighborhoods, other notable sections include the "The Island" (a small neighborhood between Rte. 29 and the Delaware River that is prone to flooding) and historic Mill Hill (located next door to downtown Trenton). Kingsbury Towers (a highrise apartment complex technically in South Trenton) is also semi-autonomous or neutral. Local government
Federal, state and county representation Trenton is spread across two congressional districts, the Fourth Congressional District and the Twelfth Congressional District, and is part of New Jersey's 15th Legislative District. Education The Trenton Public Schools serve students in kindergarten through twelfth grade. The Superintendent runs the district and the school board is appointed by the Mayor. The School District has undergone a "construction" renaissance throughout the district. Trenton Central High School is Trenton's only traditional public high school in the city. Trenton also has a host of charter and private schools to choose from. Trenton is the home of two, higher education instutitions, Thomas Edison State College and Mercer County Community College. Crime In 2005, there were 31 homicides in Trenton, the largest number in a single year in the city's history, with 22 of the homicides believed to be gang related. The city was named the 4th "Most Dangerous" in 2005 out of 129 cities with a population of 75,000 to 99,999 ranked nationwide. In the 2006 survey, Trenton was ranked as the 14th most dangerous "city" overall out of 371 cities included nationwide in the 13th annual Morgan Quitno survey, and was again named as the fourth most dangerous "city" of 126 cities in the 75,000-99,999 population range. Transportation City highways include the Trenton Freeway, which is part of U.S. Route 1, and the John Fitch Parkway, which is part of Route 29. Canal Boulevard, more commonly known as Route 129, connects US Route 1 and NJ Route 29 in South Trenton. U.S. Route 206, Route 31, and Route 33 also pass through the city via regular city streets (Broad Street / Brunswick Avenue / Princeton Avenue, Pennington Avenue, and Greenwood Avenue, respectively). Interstate 95 and Interstate 295 pass through the surrounding suburbs of Ewing Township, Lawrence Township, and Hamilton Township, and Interstate 195 connects the city to the New Jersey Turnpike via NJ Routes 29 and 129. The Pennsylvania Turnpike also passes close to the city. Public transportation within and beyond the city is mostly provided by New Jersey Transit, in the form of local bus routes between nearby suburbs and the city, as well as commuter train service northward from the Trenton Rail Station along the Northeast Corridor to Newark and New York. The new River LINE diesel light rail line extends from Trenton southward to Camden. SEPTA provides commuter train service southward from the Trenton Station along the Northeast Corridor to Philadelphia. Long-distance transportation is provided by Amtrak train service along the Northeast Corridor. Limited commercial airline transportation is provided at nearby Trenton-Mercer Airport in Ewing; much more extensive airline service is available at the more distant international airports in Newark (reachable by direct New Jersey Transit or Amtrak rail link) and Philadelphia. Noted residents Some well-known Americans born in Trenton include: | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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