South Amboy is a city in Middlesex County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey, located on Raritan Bay. As of the 2020 United States census, the city's population was 9,411, an increase of 780 (+9.0%) from the 2010 census count of 8,631, which in turn reflected an increase of 718 (+9.1%) from the 7,913 counted in the 2000 census.Table 7. Population for the Counties and Municipalities in New Jersey: 1990, 2000 and 2010, New Jersey Department of Labor and Workforce Development, February 2011. Accessed May 1, 2023.
South Amboy and Perth Amboy, across the Raritan River, are collectively referred to as The Amboys. Signage for exit 11 on the New Jersey Turnpike refers to "The Amboys" as a destination.Ingraham, Joseph C. "Jersey Pike to Be Widened; Carrying 1981's Load Now; Jersey Turnpike Will Be Widened", The New York Times December 21, 1954. Accessed October 30, 2016. "A twenty-two mile stretch of the route--between Secaucus, the connection for the Lincoln Tunnel, and Woodbridge-The Amboys, the interchange for Jersey Shore points--originally was designed for six lanes."EZ Pass Codes, State of New Jersey. Accessed October 30, 2016. "11 - GSP/Woodbridge/The Amboys"
History First settled by the Lenape Native Americans, who called the area around Perth Amboy by the name "Ompoge" (meaning "level ground"), the settlement ultimately became a key port for commerce between Lower New York Bay and Philadelphia, connected first by stagecoach and eventually by railroad.City History, City of South Amboy. Accessed June 1, 2014.Cheslow, Jerry. "If You're Thinking of Living In: Perth Amboy; A Waterfront City Planning a Comeback", The New York Times, December 2, 2001. Accessed July 31, 2011. "The name Perth Amboy comes from the Earl of Perth, one of the proprietors of New Jersey under the royal grant, and the Leni Lenape Indian word ompage, meaning level ground." The city was initially founded as a village by Dutch fishermen known as Radford's Ferry, but later become a key city to safeguard New Amsterdam from the British. When settled by Europeans in 1684, the city was named New Perth in honor of James Drummond, Earl of Perth, one of the associates of a company of Scottish proprietaries. The Algonquian language name was corrupted to Ambo, or Point Amboy, and eventually a combination of the native and colonial names was used.Compiled by the Federal Writers' Project of the Works Project Administration Project for the State of New Jersey New Jersey A Guide to Its Past and Present, p. 362. Works Project Administration, reprinted by US History Publishers, 2007. . Accessed October 6, 2015.Hutchinson, Viola L. The Origin of New Jersey Place Names, New Jersey Public Library Commission, May 1945. Accessed October 6, 2015.Gannett, Henry. The Origin of Certain Place Names in the United States, p. 243. United States Government Printing Office, 1905. Accessed October 6, 2015. South Amboy is mentioned during the Revolutionary War in letters to and from George Washington referring to an "officer stationed on the South Amboy shore" and by General Washington himself writing that he was "now in Jersey" and suggesting the enemy "may proceed to South Amboy". Once known as Radford's Ferry, as well as the South Ward of Perth Amboy, South Amboy became one of the earliest townships around 1685 as well as one of the largest at 18 miles long and six miles wide.
In 1808, the first store was opened by Samuel Gordon. In 1831, Robert L. Stevens brought the steam engine "John Bull" to the Camden & Amboy Railroad. In 1832, Charles Moore became the town's first lawyer. In 1844, the first post office was established in the town. In 1852, the Swan Hill Pottery was established. Most of the town's churches were established between the 1850s-1880s. In 1880, the Great Beds Lighthouse is built offshore. In 1882, local newspaper "The Citizen" was established. In 1888, Amboy National Bank was established. In 1889, the oldest active fraternal organization, the Knights of Pythias Lodge was established. In 1890, a huge fire destroyed an entire city block of wooden houses on the east side of Broadway, which led to the establishment of the city's first fire station that same year. In 1912, the Woman's Club was formed. In 1912, New Jersey's first air mail flight was made between South Amboy and Perth Amboy. In 1914, the South Amboy Public Library was established. In 1919, the first public high school was established. In 1924, the South Amboy Hospital was built. In 1927, the Victory Bridge was built, connecting South Amboy to Perth Amboy. In 1931, the South Amboy First Aid Squad was established. In 1972, the library was rededicated as Sadie Pope Dowdell Public Library. In 1984, scenes for The Purple Rose of Cairo (1985) were filmed in South Amboy at the Raritan Diner.Burkard, Tom. "Movies/Films In South Amboy/Sayreville", South Amboy-Sayreville Times, January 26, 2022. Accessed May 27, 2024. "In 1985, Director/Actor Woody Allen brought his movie Purple Rose of Cairo to South Amboy, and shooting took place at the legendary Raritan Diner on Bordentown Ave.... Back in September 1999, Coyote Ugly had scenes shot in South Amboy, and on July 12, 2000, the movie crew returned to town to shoot final scenes for the movie, at the South Amboy Knights of Columbus Council #426 on Fourth St. and North Stevens Ave." In 1991, the South Amboy-Sayreville Times newspaper was established. In 1993, the Amboy Beacon newspaper was established. Raritan Bay Waterfront Park opened in 1998. In 1999, filming for Coyote Ugly (2000) took place in South Amboy, where the film partially is set. In 2002, the South Amboy Neighborhood Preservation Program started. In 2002, the Seastreak Ferry service began. In 2004, South Amboy joined the New Jersey Main Street Program. In 2010, the YMCA and senior center opened.
South Amboy has passed through three of the five types of New Jersey municipalities. It was first mentioned on May 28, 1782, in minutes of the Board of Chosen Freeholders as having been formed from Perth Amboy Township. It was formally incorporated as a township by the Township Act of 1798 on February 21, 1798. Over the next 90 years, portions split off to form Monroe Township (April 9, 1838), Madison Township (March 2, 1869; later renamed as Old Bridge Township) and Sayreville Township (April 6, 1876; later Borough of Sayreville). Other modern municipalities included in these splits are Jamesburg, South Brunswick and Cranbury. As of February 25, 1888, South Amboy borough was formed, replacing South Amboy Township. On April 11, 1908, South Amboy was incorporated as a city, replacing South Amboy borough, confirmed by a referendum held on July 21, 1908.Snyder, John P. The Story of New Jersey's Civil Boundaries: 1606-1968, Bureau of Geology and Topography; Trenton, New Jersey; 1969. p. 173. Accessed May 30, 2024.Honeyman, Abraham Van Doren. Index-analysis of the Statutes of New Jersey, 1896-1909: Together with References to All Acts, and Parts of Acts, in the 'General Statutes' and Pamphlet Laws Expressly Repealed: and the Statutory Crimes of New Jersey During the Same Period, p. 262. New Jersey Law Journal Publishing Company, 1910. Accessed October 6, 2015.
Ammunition explosions As a result of South Amboy's strategic location as a transportation hub, the city has been heavily damaged by military explosives in two major incidents. The 1918 explosions occurred during World War I at the Gillespie Shell Loading Plant, just south of the town. The 1950 explosion struck as Healing Lighterage Company dockworkers were transferring ammunition from a freight train onto barges. Both disasters killed dozens and injured hundreds of local victims, damaged hundreds of South Amboy buildings, required emergency declarations of martial law, and scattered wide areas of ammunition remnants that continue to surface occasionally."Great Munition Plant Blown Up; 100 May Be Dead", The New York Times, October 5, 1918. Accessed June 1, 2014."Day of Explosions and Fire Finishes Shell Plant Ruin", The New York Times, October 6, 1918. Accessed June 1, 2014."Martial Law Set; Scene of the Explosion in New Jersey", The New York Times, May 20, 1950. Accessed June 1, 2014."Jersey Blast Toll 4 Dead, 22 Missing; Loss Is in Millions", The New York Times, May 21, 1950. Accessed June 1, 2014.
Geography According to the United States Census Bureau, the city had a total area of 2.68 square miles (6.95 km2), including 1.54 square miles (3.98 km2) of land and 1.15 square miles (2.97 km2) of water (42.76%).US Gazetteer files: 2010, 2000, and 1990, United States Census Bureau. Accessed September 4, 2014. South Amboy is bordered by land with Sayreville to the south and west, by Perth Amboy to the north (across the Raritan River), and Staten Island to the east (across the Raritan Bay in New York City).Areas touching South Amboy, MapIt. Accessed March 8, 2020.Municipalities, Middlesex County, New Jersey. Accessed December 1, 2019.New Jersey Municipal Boundaries, New Jersey Department of Transportation. Accessed November 15, 2019.
Area codes 732 and 848 are used in South Amboy. The city had been in area code 908, until January 1, 1997, when 908 was split forming area code 732. South Amboy has an enclave of apartments near Kohl's in Sayreville, whose residents use a South Amboy mailing address. The Melrose and Morgan sections of Sayreville and the Laurence Harbor section of Old Bridge also use the South Amboy Zip Code of 08879. Mechanicsville, White's Dock, and Thomas J. Dohany Homes are neighborhoods in the city.
Demographics As The New York Times said of South Amboy in 2000: "The population mix has not changed much since the beginning of the 20th century, when Irish and Polish immigrants came to work on the three railroads that crisscrossed the city."Cheslow, Jerry. "If You're Thinking of Living In: South Amboy, N.J.; A Blue-Collar Town Making a Comeback", The New York Times, November 12, 2000. Accessed January 3, 2016. South Amboy remains a strong enclave of Polish ethnicity, including 21% of its population in the 2000 census,"Polish Ancestry Maps" , ePodunk. Accessed January 3, 2016 and the historic Sacred Heart Church and School."A Brief History of the Sacred Heart Parish", Polish-American Liturgical Center, 1957. Accessed January 3, 2016.
2020 census As of the 2020 census, South Amboy had a population of 9,411. The median age was 40.9 years. 19.6% of residents were under the age of 18 and 16.6% of residents were 65 years of age or older. For every 100 females there were 96.2 males, and for every 100 females age 18 and over there were 93.3 males age 18 and over.
100.0% of residents lived in urban areas, while 0.0% lived in rural areas.
There were 3,740 households in South Amboy, of which 27.8% had children under the age of 18 living in them. Of all households, 41.3% were married-couple households, 21.4% were households with a male householder and no spouse or partner present, and 28.4% were households with a female householder and no spouse or partner present. About 29.1% of all households were made up of individuals and 12.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older.
There were 3,906 housing units, of which 4.2% were vacant. The homeowner vacancy rate was 2.0% and the rental vacancy rate was 4.4%.
+ Racial composition as of the 2020 census Race Number Percent White 6,399 68.0% Black or African American 582 6.2% American Indian and Alaska Native 40 0.4% Asian 474 5.0% Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander 2 0.0% Some other race 895 9.5% Two or more races 1,019 10.8% Hispanic or Latino (of any race) 2,093 22.2%
2010 census