Town guide · Middlesex County
Living in Spotswood, NJ
Spotswood is a small borough of about two and a half square miles where Manalapan Brook and Matchaponix Brook come together to form the South River. It has DeVoe Lake, a string of borough parks and a railroad history that goes back to the John Bull locomotive.
- County
- Middlesex
- Population
- About 8,200 (2020 census)
- Size
- About 2.4 square miles
- Setting
- Small residential borough with a lake, brooks and neighborhood parks
- Main roads
- County Route 613 (Devoe Avenue and Main Street) and County Route 615, with Route 18 and County Route 527 less than a mile away
Neighborhoods
A small borough with a long history
Spotswood's first settler, James Johnston, named the place Spottiswoode after his former home in Scotland. A stagecoach turnpike between Bordentown and South Amboy came through in 1816, and the Camden and Amboy Railroad reached Spotswood in 1832, where the famous John Bull locomotive ran. The borough separated from East Brunswick Township in 1908.
Spotswood borders East Brunswick, Helmetta, Monroe Township and Old Bridge Township, and uses the 08884 ZIP code.
- East Spotswood: The eastern section, which once had its own railroad passenger and freight station. A rail line still runs through it, crossing Main Street, and East Spotswood Park is here.
- Outcalt: A section along the border with Monroe Township.
- Around DeVoe Lake: The lake made by damming Manalapan Brook, where the brook passes under Devoe Avenue.
Homes
What you will find
- Single family homes on borough streets: Spotswood is largely residential, with homes on local streets near borough parks on Rieder Road, Mundy Avenue and Michael Road and in East Spotswood.
- Homes near the water: Streets near DeVoe Lake, Manalapan Brook and the head of the South River.
- Homes near open land: Spotswood touches the large Jamesburg Park Conservation Area, county preserved woodland shared with East Brunswick, Helmetta and Monroe.
Worth knowing: With two brooks, a lake and the start of the South River inside its borders, some Spotswood homes sit close to water. We check the flood zone on every home near the lake and the brooks, and we look at flood insurance cost early so it is part of the decision, not a surprise at closing. Water and sewer come from the borough itself. Spotswood runs its own self supporting Water and Sewer Utility, maintained by public works and billed by the borough.
Property taxes
What taxes look like in Spotswood
- 2.276%2025 effective tax rate, as a share of market value
- $9,8282025 average residential tax bill
A home worth $450,000 on today's market would pay roughly $10,242 a year at Spotswood'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
County Route 613 runs through the borough as Devoe Avenue, Main Street and Summerhill Road, between Monroe and East Brunswick, and County Route 615 comes in from Helmetta as Manalapan Road. Route 18 and County Route 527 both pass less than a mile away. The New Jersey Turnpike is reached at Exit 9 in East Brunswick or Exit 8A in Monroe. There is no passenger train in Spotswood. NJ Transit bus route 138 runs to the Port Authority Bus Terminal in Midtown Manhattan.
Places worth knowing
Parks, landmarks and open space
- DeVoe Lake: A dammed lake on Manalapan Brook where it passes under Devoe Avenue (County Route 613).
- East Spotswood Park: A borough park with a World War II memorial and a trackside memorial to the Camden and Amboy Railroad.
- Mundy Avenue Park: One of the borough parks along the Manalapan Brook corridor. Spotswood also has parks on Rieder Road and Michael Road and tennis courts on Summerhill Road.
- Jamesburg Park Conservation Area: A 1,436 acre Middlesex County preserve of woods and wetlands that reaches into Spotswood, East Brunswick, Helmetta and Monroe.
- Duhernal Lake: A lake on the South River at the border of Spotswood and Old Bridge Township, where the river splits just below the point where Manalapan and Matchaponix Brooks meet.
Common questions
Questions people ask us about Spotswood
What are property taxes in Spotswood, NJ?
Spotswood Borough's 2025 effective tax rate is 2.276 percent of market value, and the average residential tax bill is $9,828, according to the New Jersey Division of Taxation. Actual bills depend on each home's assessment.
Is Spotswood part of East Brunswick?
No. Spotswood separated from East Brunswick Township in 1908 and has run its own government ever since, with its own property tax rate. It also borders Helmetta, Monroe Township and Old Bridge Township.
Where does the South River begin?
In Spotswood. Manalapan Brook and Matchaponix Brook meet along the Spotswood and Old Bridge border to form the South River, a tributary of the Raritan River.
Is there a bus from Spotswood to New York City?
Yes. NJ Transit bus route 138 runs from Spotswood to the Port Authority Bus Terminal in Midtown Manhattan. There is no passenger train station in the borough.
What was the Camden and Amboy Railroad?
It was one of New Jersey's first railroads, chartered in 1830, and it reached Spotswood in 1832. The John Bull locomotive ran on it, and a trackside memorial in East Spotswood Park remembers it today.
Nearby towns
Towns that border Spotswood
Buying or selling in Spotswood?
Lake, brooks and borough streets
Near DeVoe Lake or Manalapan Brook, flood insurance can shape a Spotswood sale. We check the street and the water first, then go over what your home could sell for and how.
Call or text either of us directly.