Camden, New Jersey

Camden, New Jersey
Flag of Camden, New Jersey
Official seal of Camden, New Jersey
Motto(s): 
In a Dream, I Saw a City Invincible[1]
Location of Camden in Camden County highlighted in red (right). Inset map: Location of Camden County in New Jersey highlighted in orange (left).
Location of Camden in Camden County highlighted in red (right). Inset map: Location of Camden County in New Jersey highlighted in orange (left).
Camden is located in Camden County, New Jersey
Camden
Camden
Location in Camden County
Camden is located in New Jersey
Camden
Camden
Location in New Jersey
Camden is located in the United States
Camden
Camden
Location in the United States
Coordinates: 39°56′24″N 75°06′18″W / 39.94°N 75.105°W / 39.94; -75.105
Country United States
State New Jersey
CountyCamden
Settled1626
IncorporatedFebruary 13, 1828
Named forCharles Pratt, 1st Earl Camden
Government
 • TypeFaulkner Act (mayor–council)
 • BodyCity Council
 • MayorVictor Carstarphen (D, term ends December 31, 2025)[2][3]
 • AdministratorTimothy J. Cunningham[4]
 • Municipal clerkLuis Pastoriza[5]
Area
 • Total10.34 sq mi (26.78 km2)
 • Land8.92 sq mi (23.10 km2)
 • Water1.42 sq mi (3.68 km2)  13.75%
 • Rank208th of 565 in state
7th of 37 in county[8]
Elevation16 ft (5 m)
Population
 • Total71,791
 • Estimate 70,996
 • Rank528th in country (as of 2022)[12]
14th of 565 in state
2nd of 37 in county[14]
 • Density8,047.4/sq mi (3,107.1/km2)
  • Rank50th of 565 in state
2nd of 37 in county[14]
Time zoneUTC−05:00 (Eastern (EST))
 • Summer (DST)UTC−04:00 (Eastern (EDT))
ZIP Codes
08100–08105[15][16]
Area code856[17]
FIPS code3400710000[8][18][19]
GNIS feature ID0885177[8][20]
Websitewww.ci.camden.nj.us

Camden is a city in and the county seat of Camden County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey. Camden is part of the Delaware Valley (Philadelphia metropolitan area)[21] and is located directly across the Delaware River from Philadelphia, the nation's sixth most populous city. At the 2020 United States census, Camden was the 14th-most populous municipality in the state,[22] with a population of 71,791,[10][11] a decrease of 5,553 (−7.2%) from the 2010 census count of 77,344, when it was the 12th-largest in the state by population, falling behind both Brick Township and nearby Cherry Hill,[23][24] which in turn reflected a decline of 1,984 (-2.5%) from the 79,318 counted in the 2000 census.[25][26] The Census Bureau's Population Estimates Program calculated that the population was 70,996 in 2022,[10] making it the 528th-most-populous in the country.[12]

The city was incorporated on February 13, 1828.[27] Camden has been the county seat of Camden County[28] since the county was formed on March 13, 1844.[27] The city derives its name from Charles Pratt, 1st Earl Camden.[29][30] Camden is made up of over 20 neighborhoods.[31][32][33][34] The city is part of the South Jersey region of the state.

Beginning in the early 1900s, Camden was a prosperous industrial city, and remained so throughout the Great Depression and World War II. During the 1950s, Camden manufacturers began gradually closing their factories and moving out of the city. With the loss of manufacturing jobs came a sharp population decline. The growth of the interstate highway system also played a large role in suburbanization, which resulted in white flight. Civil unrest and crime became common in Camden. In 1971, civil unrest reached its peak, with riots breaking out in response to the death of Horacio Jimenez, a Puerto Rican motorist who was killed by two police officers.[35]

The Camden waterfront holds three tourist attractions: the USS New Jersey, the Freedom Mortgage Pavilion, and the Adventure Aquarium.[36] The city is the home of Rutgers University–Camden, which was founded as the South Jersey Law School in 1926,[37] and Cooper Medical School of Rowan University, which opened in 2012. Camden also houses both Cooper University Hospital and Virtua Our Lady of Lourdes Medical Center. Camden County College and Rowan University also have campuses in downtown Camden. The "eds and meds" institutions account for roughly 45% of Camden's total employment.[38]

Camden had once been known for its high crime rate, though there has been a substantial decrease in crime in recent decades, especially since 2012, when the city disbanded its municipal police department and replaced it with a county-level police department. As of January 2021, violent crime was down 46% from its high in the 1990s and at the lowest level since the 1960s. Overall crime reports in 2020 were down 74% compared to 1974, the first year of uniform crime-reporting in the city.[39]

  1. ^ DePalma, Anthony. "The Talk of Camden; A City in Pain Hopes for Relief Under Florio", The New York Times, February 7, 1990. Accessed August 22, 2018. "The gray stone of City Hall still bears the inscription 'In a dream I saw a city invincible.' It is from Leaves of Grass, which Walt Whitman finished in Camden. It is a phrase used frequently here, a mantra for a whole city."
  2. ^ Cite error: The named reference Mayor was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  3. ^ 2023 New Jersey Mayors Directory, New Jersey Department of Community Affairs, updated February 8, 2023. Accessed February 10, 2023.
  4. ^ Administration, City of Camden. Accessed March 11, 2023.
  5. ^ City Clerk, City of Camden. Accessed March 11, 2023.
  6. ^ Cite error: The named reference DataBook was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  7. ^ "ArcGIS REST Services Directory". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved October 11, 2022.
  8. ^ a b c 2019 Census Gazetteer Files: New Jersey Places, United States Census Bureau. Accessed July 1, 2020.
  9. ^ "City of Camden". Geographic Names Information System. United States Geological Survey, United States Department of the Interior. Retrieved March 5, 2013.
  10. ^ a b c d Cite error: The named reference Census2020 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  11. ^ a b Cite error: The named reference LWD2020 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  12. ^ a b c Annual Estimates of the Resident Population for Incorporated Places of 50,000 or More, Ranked by July 1, 2022 Population: April 1, 2020 to July 1, 2022, United States Census Bureau, released May 2023. Accessed May 18, 2023.
  13. ^ Cite error: The named reference PopEst was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  14. ^ a b Population Density by County and Municipality: New Jersey, 2020 and 2021, New Jersey Department of Labor and Workforce Development. Accessed March 1, 2023.
  15. ^ Look Up a ZIP Code, United States Postal Service. Accessed November 15, 2013.
  16. ^ ZIP Codes, State of New Jersey. Accessed October 21, 2013.
  17. ^ Area Code Lookup – NPA NXX for Camden, NJ, Area-Codes.com. Accessed October 22, 2013.
  18. ^ U.S. Census website, United States Census Bureau. Accessed July 29, 2014.
  19. ^ Geographic Codes Lookup for New Jersey, Missouri Census Data Center. Accessed April 1, 2022.
  20. ^ US Board on Geographic Names, United States Geological Survey. Accessed July 29, 2014.
  21. ^ New Jersey: 2020 Core Based Statistical Areas and Counties, United States Census Bureau. Accessed December 1, 2022.
  22. ^ Table1. New Jersey Counties and Most Populous Cities and Townships: 2020 and 2010 Censuses, New Jersey Department of Labor and Workforce Development. Accessed December 1, 2022.
  23. ^ Cite error: The named reference Census2010 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  24. ^ Cite error: The named reference LWD2010 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  25. ^ Cite error: The named reference Quick2000 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  26. ^ 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.
  27. ^ a b Snyder, John P. The Story of New Jersey's Civil Boundaries: 1606–1968, Bureau of Geology and Topography; Trenton, New Jersey; 1969. p. 104. Accessed January 17, 2012.
  28. ^ New Jersey County Map, New Jersey Department of State. Accessed April 26, 2022.
  29. ^ Hutchinson, Viola L. The Origin of New Jersey Place Names, New Jersey Public Library Commission, May 1945. Accessed August 28, 2015.
  30. ^ Gannett, Henry. The Origin of Certain Place Names in the United States, p. 65. United States Government Printing Office, 1905. Accessed August 28, 2015.
  31. ^ How Will Camden Be Counted in the 2010 Census?, CamConnect.org. Accessed July 3, 2011.
  32. ^ Camden Facts, Camconnect.org. Accessed May 27, 2012.
  33. ^ Camden, New Jersey Neighborhood Map, City-Data. Accessed May 27, 2012.
  34. ^ Locality Search, State of New Jersey. Accessed May 21, 2015.
  35. ^ Gillette, Howard Jr. (2006). Camden After the Fall: Decline and Renewal in a Post-Industrial City. Philadelphia, Pennsylvania: University of Pennsylvania Press. ISBN 978-0-8122-1968-5.
  36. ^ Attractions Archived July 26, 2018, at the Wayback Machine, Camden Waterfront. Accessed July 26, 2018.
  37. ^ History, Rutgers University–Camden. Accessed April 5, 2016.
  38. ^ The Camden Higher Education and Healthcare Task Force: A Winning Investment for the City of Camden Archived June 28, 2014, at the Wayback Machine, Rutgers University–Camden, Fall 2012. Accessed July 26, 2018.
  39. ^ Burns, P. Kenneth. "Camden sees lowest crime level in more than 50 years", WHYY-FM, January 9, 2021. Accessed December 15, 2021. "Crime is down in Camden, New Jersey, to a level not seen in more than 50 years. Camden County officials said there were 2,796 criminal activity reports logged in the city during 2020, compared to 3,298 in 2019. Homicides and shootings were down while robberies and sexual assault cases fell by double digits, 26% and 18% respectively."