The Unique, Diverse Third Congressional District of New Jersey
The links below are NOT affiliated with the United States House of Representatives or Congressman Saxton.
The Third Congressional District (NJ-03) extends from the Delaware River in Burlington County to the Atlantic seashore in Ocean County, and includes Cherry Hill in Camden County. Cherry Hill and Toms River (Dover Twp.) are the largest towns in the district and in all South Jersey.
A Treasure of Natural Resources…
The Third District includes nearly half the 1.1 million-acre National Pineland Reserves, known locally as the "Jersey Pine Barrens" and notable for its large pine forests, remoteness and sparse population. NJ-03 also has more than 100,000 acres of farmlands of corn, soybeans, berries, potatoes and other crops.
The District is home to the Holgate Wilderness Area, the Forsythe National Wildlife Refuge, the Jacques Cousteau National Estuarine Research Reserve along the pristine Mullica River, Barnegat Bay, Great Bay, Little Egg Harbor, and a series of islands and brackish estuary habitat, including over 30 miles of barrier islands, including Long Beach Island.
Numerous commercial and recreational fishing, crabbing and clamming resources are located in the district. Scallop, oyster and lobster fisheries, plus seal colonies, off-shore shipwrecks, migratory bird stop-over sites and other wildlife resources are also within the district. Other local sites of cultural or wildlife interest include the Tuckerton Seaport and the Marine Mammal Standing Center, which recovers sea turtles, seals and other larger marine animals.
The District is also home to a Native American reservation operated by the Powhatan Renape Nation, the Rankokus Indian Reservation. The tribe holds fall and spring events open to the public that celebrate Native American culture and craftsmanship.
A century of Army, Air Force & Navy military traditions…
NJ-03 includes a 50-square mile Army post, Fort Dix, and a 3,700-acre Air Force installation, McGuire AFB. McGuire and Dix are contiguous with the largest U.S. Navy base on the eastern seaboard, the seven-square mile Lakehurst Naval Air Engineering Station (Lakehurst, site of the infamous Hindenburg dirigible disaster, was taken out of NJ-03 in the 1990s). The tri-base, 60-square joint installation, entirely located in the protected National Pineland Reserve, is the only Army-Navy-Air Force mega-base in the United States.
Additionally, Warren Grove, a National Guard bombing range over seven square miles in size, is located in the district. The facility serves both the 177th F-16 Fighter Wing dubbed “Jersey Devils” in Atlantic City, and other fighter/bomber pilot training on the East Coast that provides “CAP” or combat air patrol over New York, Philadelphia and Washington, D.C.
Profile of the Third District…
NJ-03 includes a large percentage of persons over 65 and veterans. (Rutgers Univ. profile of NJ-03) Profile It has the highest proportion of homeowners in New Jersey and the third highest number of new residential building permits. Municipal budgets are the lowest in the state, and county tax rates also are low. A large proportion of the population is registered to vote (second highest in state), and turnouts have generally been above state averages.
In 2001, a new Congressional map was approved based on the 2000 census, effective in 2003.
Do you live in NJ-03?
In Burlington County, the following towns are in the district:
- Bass River,
- Beverly
- Burlington Twp. (part, 469 residences),
- Cinnaminson,
- Delanco,
- Delran,
- Eastampton,
- Edgewater Park,
- Evesham (Marlton),
- Hainesport,
- Lumberton,
- Medford,
- Medford Lakes,
- Moorestown,
- Mount Holly,
- Mount Laurel,
- New Hanover,
- North Hanover,
- Pemberton Borough,
- Pemberton Township,
- Riverside,
- Shamong (part, 737 residences),
- Southampton,
- Tabernacle,
- Westampton,
- Willingboro,
- Woodland, and
- Wrightstown.
In Camden County, only one town, Cherry Hill, is in the district.
In Ocean County, the following towns are in the Third District:
- Barnegat,
- Barnegat Light,
- Beach Haven,
- Beachwood,
- Berkeley,
- Dover (Toms River),
- Eagles wood,
- Harvey Cedars,
- Island Heights,
- Lacey,
- Lavallette,
- Little Egg Harbor,
- Long Beach,
- Ocean Township,
- Ocean Gate,
- Pine Beach,
- Seaside Heights,
- Seaside Park,
- Ship Bottom,
- South Toms River,
- Stafford,
- Surf City, and
- Tuckerton.
Other New Jersey municipalities >>