Town guide · Middlesex County
Living in Sayreville, NJ
Sayreville sits where the Raritan River meets Raritan Bay, a borough built on clay, brickyards and riverfront industry. Today it is a town of named sections tied together by the Garden State Parkway, Route 9 and Route 35, with three big bridges carrying traffic north over the Raritan.
- County
- Middlesex
- Population
- About 45,300 (2020 census)
- Size
- About 18.7 square miles, including nearly 3 square miles of water
- Setting
- Suburban neighborhoods along the Raritan River and Raritan Bay, with former industrial land being redeveloped
- Main roads
- Garden State Parkway (Exits 124 and 125), U.S. Route 9 and Route 35
First things first
Parlin, Morgan and Melrose are all Sayreville
Many Sayreville homes do not carry a Sayreville mailing address. The Parlin section has its own 08859 ZIP code, which also covers adjoining parts of Old Bridge Township. Melrose and Morgan, on the bay side near South Amboy, use the South Amboy ZIP code, 08879.
So a Parlin or South Amboy address can belong to Sayreville, Old Bridge or the City of South Amboy. These are separate municipalities with separate governments and tax rates. We confirm the actual municipality and block and lot on every home before we talk about price or taxes.
Neighborhoods
A borough of named sections
Sayreville was carved out of South Amboy Township in 1876 and became a borough in 1919. It was once called Roundabout, for the bends in the river, and later Wood's Landing. It takes its current name from James R. Sayre Jr., who cofounded the Sayre and Fisher Brick Company in the 1850s. Clay pits and brickyards ran here until 1970, and DuPont and other plants followed. Sayreville still answers to a long list of section names.
- Sayreville Proper: The original village off Main Street, also called Upper Sayreville. Its oldest pocket, Tangletown, has narrow lanes lined with small colonials first built for factory workers.
- Parlin: A large section in the middle of the borough with its own 08859 ZIP code, shared with part of Old Bridge Township.
- Melrose: At the foot of the Victory and Edison bridges, bordering South Amboy on both sides of Route 35.
- Morgan and Morgan Heights: East of Route 35 along Raritan Bay and Cheesequake Creek, toward Laurence Harbor. The ruins of the Old Spye Inn, listed on the National Register of Historic Places, are here.
- Laurel Park and Ernston: Near the Old Bridge line. Laurel Park was the borough's largest housing development when it was built in the 1950s.
- Other named areas: Presidents Park, Sayre Woods, MacArthur Manor, Crossmans, Gillespie, Runyon, Phoenix, Sayreville Junction and Townelake are still in everyday use.
Homes
What you will find
- Older colonials near Main Street: Small, closely spaced homes in Sayreville Proper and Tangletown, some first built for brickyard and factory workers.
- Postwar developments: Neighborhoods like Presidents Park, built just after World War II along Route 9, and Laurel Park, built in the 1950s.
- 1960s and 1970s subdivisions: Sayre Woods along Route 9 and the Parkway dates to the 1960s, and MacArthur Manor at the south end of Sayreville Proper to the 1970s.
- New construction at Riverton: The former National Lead site where the Driscoll and Edison bridges cross the Raritan is being redeveloped as Riverton, a large mixed use project with homes, offices, parks and a planned waterfront boardwalk.
Worth knowing: Low lying parts of Sayreville near the Raritan and the South River flood in storm surges. After Hurricane Sandy in 2012, federal funding paid for buyouts of about 250 homes in the floodplain, including many in MacArthur Manor. We check the flood zone on every Sayreville home, and we ask about flood insurance and any past water damage early so a buyer is not surprised at the end.
Property taxes
What taxes look like in Sayreville
- 2.098%2025 effective tax rate, as a share of market value
- $9,1562025 average residential tax bill
A home worth $450,000 on today's market would pay roughly $9,441 a year at Sayreville'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
The Garden State Parkway runs through Sayreville and crosses the Raritan on the Driscoll Bridge, which carries 15 travel lanes and was once the widest motor vehicle bridge in the world by number of lanes. Exit 124 at Main Street and Exit 125 at Chevalier Avenue serve the borough. U.S. Route 9 crosses the river on the Edison Bridge toward Woodbridge, and Route 35 crosses on the Victory Bridge to Perth Amboy. The New Jersey Turnpike is a short drive north. There is no passenger train in Sayreville today. The nearest rail station is in neighboring South Amboy on NJ Transit's North Jersey Coast Line. NJ Transit buses, including routes 131 and 139, run to the Port Authority Bus Terminal in New York, and routes 815 and 817 serve nearby towns.
Places worth knowing
Parks, landmarks and open space
- Raritan Bay Waterfront Park: A 114 acre Middlesex County park shared with South Amboy, with a pavilion overlook, a nature study area and views of the New York skyline.
- Kennedy Park: One of the borough's main parks, with a lake and a skate park.
- Bailey Park: A park at South Minisink Avenue and Cheesequake Road around a spring fed pond once known as Ducks Nest, now planned for walking trails and an all ability playground.
Common questions
Questions people ask us about Sayreville
What are property taxes in Sayreville, NJ?
Sayreville Borough's 2025 effective tax rate is 2.098 percent of market value, and the average residential tax bill is $9,156, according to the New Jersey Division of Taxation. Actual bills depend on each home's assessment.
Is Parlin part of Sayreville?
Mostly. Parlin is a section of Sayreville with its own 08859 ZIP code, but that ZIP code also covers adjoining parts of Old Bridge Township. A Parlin address alone does not tell you which town a home is in, so we always confirm the municipality.
Is there a train station in Sayreville?
No. Passenger rail service on the old Raritan River Railroad ended in 1938. The closest station today is South Amboy, on NJ Transit's North Jersey Coast Line, right next door.
What is being built on the old National Lead site in Sayreville?
The former National Lead property along the Raritan near the Parkway is being redeveloped as Riverton, a mixed use project of about 400 acres. Plans include homes, offices, hotels, parks, walking trails, a waterfront boardwalk and a marina, built in phases.
Does Sayreville flood?
Some parts can. Low lying areas near the Raritan River and the South River are prone to storm surge flooding, and about 250 homes were bought out after Hurricane Sandy. Many other neighborhoods sit on higher ground, so flood risk depends on the street.
Nearby towns
Towns that border Sayreville
Buying or selling in Sayreville?
We know which section you are in
A Parlin, Morgan or Melrose address can belong to one of three towns, and some low streets near the river carry flood history. We sort out both before we talk price, then lay out every option.
Call or text either of us directly.