CRANFORD

Cranford is a township in Union County, NJ. New Jersey Monthly magazine ranked Cranford as its 34th best place to live in its 2010 rankings of the "Best Places To Live". According to the town's official website, Cranford was known at the turn of the century as the "Venice" of New Jersey. The Union County Township of Cranford grew up around the meandering Rahway River.

In 1720, John Crane of nearby Elizabeth Towne (now Elizabeth) built a grist mill on the north side of a ford in the river and a sawmill on the south side. The mill at Crane's Ford provided grain for Washington's troops during the Revolution. Cranford remained a backwater until 1838, when the Elizabethtown and Somerville Railroad made it accessible to New York City.
General Information
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Websites:

 		1871
22,578
4.8 Sq. Mi.
Union
www.cranford.com
www.unioncountynj.org
School Report Cards
  Cranford High (9-12)
  Hillside Ave (K-8)
  Orange Ave (3-8)
  Livingston Ave (3-5)
  Bookside Place (K-5)
  Bloomingdale Ave (K-2)
  Walnut Ave (Pre K-2)
  Cranford Schools Website
Demographics
Cranford 07016

"The railroad and the river led to Cranford's development, first as a recreation center and later as a commuter suburb of New York City," said Lawrence P. Fuhro, president of the Cranford Historical Society. In 1871 Cranford was incorporated as a township. Conveniently located minutes from the Garden State Parkway and Route 22, Cranford’s downtown area has lots to offer including a variety of restaurants and cafes and many local shoppes and boutiques. New Jersey Transit provides rail service from the Cranford train station to Newark Penn Station in Newark with connecting service to Penn Station - New York. Westfield's position and schedule on the Raritan Valley line make it highly desirable for commuters.