Town guide · Mercer County
Living in Pennington, NJ
Pennington is a small borough of under one square mile, built around a historic Main Street in the Hopewell Valley. It has been a village since colonial days, and it is completely surrounded by Hopewell Township.
- County
- Mercer
- Population
- About 2,800 (2020 census)
- Size
- About 1 square mile
- Setting
- Small walkable borough with older homes around Main Street
- Main roads
- Route 31, with Interstate 295 Exit 72 just outside the borough
First things first
Pennington Borough and Hopewell Township are separate towns
Pennington Borough was formed from part of Hopewell Township in 1890, and Hopewell Township still surrounds it on every side. The two are separate municipalities, with their own governments, budgets and property tax rates.
A home just past the borough line can look and feel like Pennington and still be in Hopewell Township. We check the block and lot before we price or show any home here.
The borough
An old village on a small footprint
The village was first called Queenstown, after Queen Anne. It later became Pennytown, and it was known as Pennington by 1747. The New Jersey Legislature made it a borough on January 31, 1890, after a local referendum that month.
With less than one square mile of land, Pennington is easy to know end to end. Main Street is the center of town, and each May it hosts Pennington Day, a street fair with music and a parade. Most homes sit on the residential streets that branch off Main Street and Route 31.
- Main Street: The center of the borough and the site of Pennington Day each May, a street fair held since 1980.
- The station area: Around the 1882 Pennington Railroad Station at Franklin Street and Green Avenue.
- Curlis Avenue: Home to two houses on the National Register of Historic Places, the John Welling House at Birch Street and the John D. Hart House at 54 East Curlis Avenue.
Homes
What you will find
- Older village homes: Houses from the borough's long history line Main Street and the streets nearest the center. Two Curlis Avenue houses, the John Welling House and the John D. Hart House, are on the National Register of Historic Places.
- Single family homes on residential streets: Most of the borough is single family homes on established streets within walking distance of Main Street.
- A small, fixed supply: Because the borough is so small and fully surrounded by Hopewell Township, there is little room for new building and relatively few homes for sale at any one time.
Worth knowing: Many Pennington homes are decades or more than a century old. Inspections here can turn up original systems, older wiring or a heating oil tank, and it is better to know about those before a home goes on the market. Homes near the borough line may be in Hopewell Township, with a different tax rate, so we confirm the municipality on every listing.
Property taxes
What taxes look like in Pennington
- 2.420%2025 effective tax rate, as a share of market value
- $16,1712025 average residential tax bill
A home worth $650,000 on today's market would pay roughly $15,730 a year at Pennington'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
Route 31 runs north and south through the borough. Just outside the borough, Interstate 295 meets Route 31 at Exit 72, with Exit 73 at Scotch Road nearby, connecting toward Trenton, Princeton and Pennsylvania. NJ Transit bus route 624 connects Pennington with Trenton. There is no passenger rail station in Pennington. The historic Pennington Railroad Station stands beside the CSX freight line, where passenger service ended in 1982. A long proposed NJ Transit West Trenton Line would use those tracks, but it has not been funded and does not include a Pennington stop. The nearest train service is in Trenton and at West Trenton in Ewing Township. Main Street is the borough's small commercial center.
Places worth knowing
Parks, landmarks and open space
- Main Street: The heart of the borough and home of Pennington Day, the annual street fair held each May.
- Pennington Railroad Station: A Victorian station built by the Reading Railroad in 1882 at Franklin Street and Green Avenue, listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1974. It has no passenger service today.
- Kunkel Park: A borough park off King George Avenue with a picnic area and parking, and the southeastern trailhead of the Pennington Loop Trail.
- Pennington Loop Trail: Just outside the borough in Hopewell Township, a 1.5 mile trail that arcs around Pennington's northeastern edge through preserved land. Walkers can make a loop using borough streets.
Common questions
Questions people ask us about Pennington
What are property taxes in Pennington, NJ?
Pennington Borough's 2025 effective tax rate is 2.420 percent of market value, and the average residential tax bill is $16,171, according to the New Jersey Division of Taxation. Actual bills depend on each home's assessment.
Is Pennington part of Hopewell Township?
No. Pennington became its own borough on January 31, 1890, formed from part of Hopewell Township. The township still surrounds it, but Pennington has its own government, budget and tax rate.
How big is Pennington?
Pennington covers just under one square mile. About 2,800 people lived there as of the 2020 census.
Is there a train station in Pennington?
Not for passengers. The historic Pennington Railroad Station, built in 1882, stands on a freight line where passenger service ended in 1982. NJ Transit bus route 624 connects the borough with Trenton, and the nearest trains are in Trenton and at West Trenton in Ewing Township.
When is Pennington Day?
Pennington Day is held each year in mid May on Main Street. It is a street fair with music and a parade.
Buying or selling in Pennington?
Inside the borough line, or just outside it
In Pennington, the borough line and the age of the house matter as much as the street. We sort out both before we talk price, then walk you through the ways you could sell.
Call or text either of us directly.