Town guide · Middlesex County
Living in South Amboy, NJ
South Amboy is a small city of under three square miles on Raritan Bay, with a train station on the North Jersey Coast Line and a weekday ferry to Manhattan. It grew up as a rail and shipping port, and its waterfront is now parkland and new development.
- County
- Middlesex
- Population
- About 9,400 (2020 census)
- Size
- About 2.7 square miles, more than 40 percent of it water
- Setting
- Small bayfront city with a downtown, older neighborhoods and a redeveloping waterfront
- Main roads
- U.S. Route 9, Route 35, with Garden State Parkway Exits 123 to 125 just west in Sayreville
First things first
A South Amboy address is not always South Amboy
The City of South Amboy uses the 08879 ZIP code, but so do the Melrose and Morgan sections of Sayreville and the Laurence Harbor section of Old Bridge Township. Those homes have a South Amboy mailing address while sitting in a different municipality with its own government and its own tax rate.
South Amboy also is not the same place as Perth Amboy, the separate city across the Raritan River. Together they are often called the Amboys. We confirm the actual municipality and block and lot on every home we price.
Neighborhoods
A port city that kept its downtown
South Amboy was long a port on the route between New York and Philadelphia, first by stagecoach and ferry and then by rail. In 1831 the Camden and Amboy Railroad brought the famous John Bull steam locomotive here. The town was once the much larger South Amboy Township, which over the years gave up land to form Monroe, Old Bridge and Sayreville. What remained became a borough in 1888 and a city in 1908.
Downtown runs along Broadway, and the city joined the New Jersey Main Street Program in 2004. Older neighborhood names still in use include Mechanicsville and White's Dock.
- Downtown and Broadway: The city's main business street, part of the New Jersey Main Street Program since 2004.
- The waterfront: Former industrial land along Raritan Bay, now home to Raritan Bay Waterfront Park and the ferry landing.
- Mechanicsville and White's Dock: Older named neighborhoods of the city.
Homes
What you will find
- Older homes on a city grid: Houses on small lots in the established neighborhoods around downtown, built over more than a century of the city's history as a port and rail town.
- A compact housing stock: The whole city has roughly 3,900 homes and apartments, so the number of homes for sale at any one time is small.
Worth knowing: South Amboy has Raritan Bay on one side and the Raritan River on another, and parts of the city near the water sit low. We check the flood zone and flood insurance cost on every home. For any condominium or townhouse we also read the association documents early, so the fees and rules are clear before a buyer commits.
Property taxes
What taxes look like in South Amboy
- 2.056%2025 effective tax rate, as a share of market value
- $8,8592025 average residential tax bill
A home worth $450,000 on today's market would pay roughly $9,252 a year at South Amboy'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
South Amboy station is on NJ Transit's North Jersey Coast Line, with trains north to Newark, Secaucus and New York Penn Station and south toward Bay Head. NY Waterway runs a weekday ferry from the South Amboy waterfront to Manhattan, with stops at Brookfield Place, Pier 11 at Wall Street and West 39th Street. U.S. Route 9 and Route 35 run through the city and continue north over the Raritan River. Garden State Parkway Exits 123, 124 and 125 are just beyond the city's western line in Sayreville, and New Jersey Turnpike Exit 11 is signed for the Amboys. NJ Transit bus routes 815 and 817 also serve the city.
Places worth knowing
Parks, landmarks and open space
- Raritan Bay Waterfront Park: A 114 acre Middlesex County park opened in 1998, the first county park on Raritan Bay, with a pavilion overlook, a nature study area and views of the New York skyline.
- Victims of Terrorism Memorial: A memorial inside the waterfront park with a granite base, white columns and a bronze eagle, dedicated to all victims of terrorist acts.
- Great Beds Light: An 1880 lighthouse in Raritan Bay about a mile off South Amboy, listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
Common questions
Questions people ask us about South Amboy
What are property taxes in South Amboy, NJ?
South Amboy City's 2025 effective tax rate is 2.056 percent of market value, and the average residential tax bill is $8,859, according to the New Jersey Division of Taxation. Actual bills depend on each home's assessment.
Is there a train from South Amboy to New York?
Yes. South Amboy station is on NJ Transit's North Jersey Coast Line. Most northbound trains run to Newark, Secaucus Junction and New York Penn Station, with some to Hoboken.
Is there a ferry from South Amboy to New York City?
Yes. NY Waterway began ferry service from South Amboy in October 2023. It runs on weekdays to Brookfield Place, Pier 11 at Wall Street and West 39th Street in Manhattan, and a permanent terminal has been planned to replace the temporary one.
Are South Amboy and Perth Amboy the same town?
No. They are separate cities on opposite sides of the Raritan River, often called the Amboys together. South Amboy is on the south side, bordered by Sayreville.
Is Laurence Harbor in South Amboy?
No. Laurence Harbor is part of Old Bridge Township, even though it shares South Amboy's 08879 ZIP code. The Melrose and Morgan sections of Sayreville share that ZIP code too.
Nearby towns
Towns that border South Amboy
Buying or selling in South Amboy?
Train, ferry and flood map
Near the bay, the flood map shapes a South Amboy sale as much as the train and the ferry do. We confirm the municipality and the flood zone first, then walk you through each option.
Call or text either of us directly.