Salem County, New Jersey
Salem County | |
|---|---|
The Salem Nuclear Power Plant, as seen from Delaware Bay | |
Location within the U.S. state of New Jersey | |
New Jersey's location within the U.S. | |
| Coordinates: 39°35′N 75°22′W / 39.58°N 75.36°W | |
| Country | United States |
| State | New Jersey |
| Founded | 1694 |
| Named after | Hebrew word meaning "peace" |
| Seat | Salem |
| Largest municipalities | Pennsville Township (population) Lower Alloways Creek Township (area) |
| Government | |
| • County Commission Director | Ben H. Laury (R, term ends December 31, 2024) |
| Area | |
• Total | 372.55 sq mi (964.9 km2) |
| • Land | 331.86 sq mi (859.5 km2) |
| • Water | 40.69 sq mi (105.4 km2) 10.9% |
| Population (2020) | |
• Total | 64,837 |
• Estimate (2024) | 65,874 |
| • Density | 170/sq mi (67/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC−5 (Eastern) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC−4 (EDT) |
| Congressional district | 2nd |
| Website | salemcountynj |
Salem County is the westernmost county in the U.S. state of New Jersey. Its western boundary is formed by the Delaware River, and it has the eastern terminus of the Delaware Memorial Bridge, which connects the county with New Castle, Delaware. Its county seat is Salem. The county is part of the South Jersey region of the state.
The county lies within the Philadelphia metropolitan area, also known as the Delaware Valley area. As of the 2020 census, the county retained its position as the state's least-populous county, with a population of 64,837, a decrease of 1,246 (−1.9%) from the 2010 census count of 66,083. The most populous place in Salem County is Pennsville Township with 12,684 residents as of the 2020 Census. Lower Alloways Creek Township covers 72.46 square miles (187.7 km2), the largest total area of any municipality.
Salem County, along with adjacent Gloucester County, also in South Jersey, have become an East Coast epicenter for logistics and warehouse construction.