Town guide · Mercer County
Living in Lawrence, NJ
Lawrence sits between Trenton and Princeton, about 22 square miles crossed by Route 1, Route 206 and Interstate 295. At its heart is Lawrenceville, a historic village along Main Street. Around it are neighborhoods, the Route 1 commercial corridor and the trails and grasslands of Mercer Meadows.
- County
- Mercer
- Population
- About 33,000 (2020 census)
- Size
- About 22 square miles
- Setting
- Historic village center, suburban neighborhoods, a busy Route 1 corridor and large county parkland
- Main roads
- Interstate 295, U.S. Route 1, U.S. Route 206 (Lawrence Road and Main Street) and County Routes 533, 546 and 569
First things first
Lawrence or Lawrenceville?
Lawrence Township is the municipality. Lawrenceville is a village and census designated place inside it, about a square mile along Main Street (Route 206). Most homes in the township use a Lawrenceville mailing address with the 08648 ZIP code, and in 2007 the Postal Service approved Lawrence Township as the preferred name for that ZIP code. Some homes carry a Princeton or Trenton address instead.
There is also a Lawrence Township in Cumberland County in South Jersey. This guide covers the one in Mercer County. With Lawrenceville, Princeton and Trenton addresses all in play, we check the block and lot on every listing.
Neighborhoods
A village and its surroundings
Lawrence is one of the oldest townships in the region. It was formed in 1697 as Maidenhead Township, named by early Quaker settlers for a village west of London, and renamed in 1816 for Captain James Lawrence of the Navy.
- Lawrenceville: The historic village roughly halfway between Princeton and Trenton. Its Main Street Historic District was listed on the State and National Registers in 1972, one of the first registered historic districts in New Jersey.
- Colonial Lake: A 25 acre lake at the center of Colonial Lake Park, with the Colonial Lakelands section nearby.
- Other named places: Older names still in use include Bakersville, Clarksville, Coxs Corner, Eldridge Park, Franklin Corner, Lawrence Station, Lewisville, Port Mercer, Princessville, Quaker Bridge, Rosedale, Slackwood and Sturwood Hamlet.
Homes
What you will find
- Historic homes: In and around Lawrenceville village along Main Street, some of them inside the historic district.
- Suburban single family homes: In neighborhoods across the township, away from the village center and the Route 1 corridor.
- Townhouses, condominiums and apartments: In association communities in several parts of the township.
Worth knowing: Homes inside the Lawrenceville historic district may face extra review for exterior changes, so buyers planning work should ask early. The township also has the Delaware and Raritan Canal, several creeks and some low ground, so we check current FEMA flood maps on every listing. In association communities, the rules and fees can differ a lot from one community to the next.
Property taxes
What taxes look like in Lawrence
- 2.376%2025 effective tax rate, as a share of market value
- $9,1022025 average residential tax bill
A home worth $400,000 on today's market would pay roughly $9,504 a year at Lawrence's 2025 effective rate. Your actual bill depends on your assessment, so we pull the real tax record for any home you are considering.
Source: New Jersey Division of Taxation, 2025 general and effective tax rates. Rates are set each year.
Getting around
Roads and commuting
Interstate 295 loops through Lawrence in a semicircle, with interchanges at U.S. Route 1, Princeton Pike, Franklin Corner Road, Route 206 and Federal City Road. U.S. Route 1 cuts across the township as the Trenton Freeway and as a busy commercial road, and Route 206 runs north and south as Lawrence Road and Main Street, part of the old Lincoln Highway between Trenton and Princeton. The Northeast Corridor rail line runs along the township's eastern edge, and the closest stations are Hamilton, Trenton, Princeton Junction and Princeton. NJ Transit buses run to Trenton, with a local route as well. Much of the daily shopping is along Route 1, including the Quaker Bridge Mall area.
Places worth knowing
Parks, landmarks and open space
- Mercer Meadows: A large Mercer County park on Cold Soil Road with Rosedale Lake for fishing and paddling, trails, observation towers and the grasslands of the old AT&T Pole Farm.
- Lawrence Hopewell Trail: A multiuse trail loop through Lawrence and Hopewell townships, with about 18.7 miles open and more planned.
- Delaware and Raritan Canal towpath: The canal crosses the township with an intact towpath for walking and biking, and the historic Port Mercer Canal House on Quakerbridge Road.
- Colonial Lake Park: A township park built around a 25 acre lake.
Common questions
Questions people ask us about Lawrence
What are property taxes in Lawrence, NJ?
Lawrence Township's 2025 effective tax rate is 2.376 percent of market value, and the average residential tax bill is $9,102, according to the New Jersey Division of Taxation. Actual bills depend on each home's assessment.
Is Lawrenceville the same as Lawrence Township?
No. Lawrenceville is a village inside Lawrence Township, not a separate town. Most homes in the township use a Lawrenceville mailing address and the 08648 ZIP code, and all of them pay Lawrence Township property taxes.
What was the Pole Farm?
From 1929 to 1975, AT&T ran a large shortwave radio station on farmland in Lawrence, with antenna arrays aimed at cities around the world. Mercer County bought the property in 1998, and it is now the Pole Farm section of Mercer Meadows, managed as grassland habitat.
Is there a train station in Lawrence?
No. The Northeast Corridor runs along the township's eastern edge, and the nearest stations are Hamilton, Trenton, Princeton Junction and Princeton. NJ Transit buses run to Trenton, with a local route as well.
Why was Lawrence once called Maidenhead?
The township was formed in 1697 as Maidenhead, named by early Quaker settlers for a village west of London. It was renamed Lawrence in 1816 for Captain James Lawrence.
Nearby towns
Towns that border Lawrence
Buying or selling in Lawrence?
From the village to Route 1
A historic house on Main Street in Lawrenceville and a townhouse off Route 1 are two different markets. We look at each Lawrence home on its own terms, including the historic district and flood maps where they apply, and lay out your options plainly.
Call or text either of us directly.