Cream Ridge, New Jersey

This article is about a community in Monmouth County, New Jersey. For the winery in that community, see Cream Ridge Winery. For the ghost town in Missouri, see Cream Ridge, Missouri.

Cream Ridge, New Jersey
Census-designated place
Center of Cream Ridge at County Route 539 and Burlington Path Road
Cream Ridge Location in Monmouth County Show map of Monmouth County, New Jersey Cream Ridge Location in New Jersey Show map of New Jersey Cream Ridge Location in the United States Show map of the United States
Coordinates: 40°08′06″N74°31′27″W / 40.13500°N 74.52417°W / 40.13500; -74.52417
Country	United States
State	New Jersey
County	Monmouth
Township	Upper Freehold
Area [1]
• Total	3.04 sq mi (7.88 km2)
• Land	3.02 sq mi (7.82 km2)
• Water	0.02 sq mi (0.06 km2)
Elevation [2]	131 ft (40 m)
Population  (2020) [3]
• Total	630
• Density	208.54/sq mi (80.52/km2)
ZIP Code	08514
FIPS code	34-15730 [4]
GNIS feature ID	875715 [2]

Cream Ridge is an unincorporated community and census-designated place (CDP) ^[5] in Upper Freehold Township, Monmouth County, New Jersey, United States. ^[6] As of the 2020 census, the first one for which Cream Ridge was listed, the population was 630. ^[3]

History

The soil in Cream Ridge is Freehold sandy loam, some of the richest in the state of New Jersey. Many of the early residents became relatively wealthy gentleman farmers, with the actual farm work done by tenant farmers. Most of the early families were Presbyterians, Quakers, or Northern Baptists. Some of the surnames associated with the area are Holmes, Meirs, Rue, Cox, Wright, Lawrence, and Ridgway. The gentleman farmer lifestyle was dramatically curtailed during the Great Depression and after World War II, although remnants of this bygone lifestyle existed into the 1980s.

Geography

Cream Ridge is close to the southwesternmost extent of Monmouth County and occupies the south-central part of Upper Freehold Township. The community is 16 miles (26 km) southeast of Trenton, the state capital, and 18 miles (29 km) southwest of Freehold, the Monmouth county seat.

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the Cream Ridge CDP has a total area of 3.04 square miles (7.87 km²), of which 0.02 square miles (0.05 km²), or 0.69%, are water. ^[1] Miry Run flows westward through the community, joining Crosswicks Creek, which forms the western edge of the CDP. Via Crosswicks Creek, the community is part of the Delaware River watershed.

Demographics

Cream Ridge first appeared as a census designated place in the 2020 U.S. Census. ^[7] As of the 2020 United States census, the population was 630. ^[3]

Historical population

Census	Pop.	Note	%±
2020	630		—
U.S. Decennial Census [8] 2020 [3]

Notable people

See also: Category:People from Upper Freehold Township, New Jersey

People who were born in, residents of, or otherwise closely associated with Cream Ridge include:

• Linda K. Meirs (1884–1972), American Red Cross and Army nurse during World War I who was one of the first six American recipients of the Florence Nightingale Medal ^[9]
• Ross Scheuerman (born 1993), running back for the Hamilton Tiger-Cats of the Canadian Football League ^[10]

References

1. "2023 U.S. Gazetteer Files: New Jersey". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved August 29, 2024.
2. "Cream Ridge". Geographic Names Information System . United States Geological Survey, United States Department of the Interior.
3. Census Data Explorer: Cream Ridge CDP, New Jersey, United States Census Bureau. Accessed June 15, 2023.
4. Geographic Codes Lookup for New Jersey, Missouri Census Data Center. Accessed June 9, 2023.
5. State of New Jersey Census Designated Places - BVP20 - Data as of January 1, 2020, United States Census Bureau. Accessed December 1, 2022.
6. Locality Search, State of New Jersey. Accessed February 21, 2015.
7. "2020 Geography Changes". United States Census Bureau.
8. "Census of Population and Housing". Census.gov. Retrieved June 4, 2016.
9. "Historically Speaking: Linda Konover Meirs 1884-1972 Part Five", Messenger-Press, March 28, 2002. Accessed July 9, 2019. "Melinda Konover Meirs was born in Cream Ridge on June 5, 1884.... She lived in Cream Ridge during World War II, and would use her sugar ration to make cookies for the GIs, whom she considered 'her boys.'"
10. O'Gorman, George. "Eagles sign former Allentown High star Ross Scheuerman", The Trentonian , January 21, 2016. Accessed October 1, 2017. "The Eagles signed former Allentown High and Lafayette College running back Ross Scheuerman on Thursday.... A Cream Ridge resident who was twice an All-CVC selection and Mercer County Player of the Year and All-State, Scheuerman was also the Delaware Valley Scholar Athlete in 2012."