The state-recognized Nanticoke Lenni-Lenape Indians of New Jersey maintain a cultural center here, serving a community of 12,000 in Cumberland, Gloucester and Salem counties.

[31] After the American Civil War, Bridgeton's industrial base and commercial centrality in this area of high agricultural production, along with its high profile as an educational center (it was home to the South Jersey Institute, the West Jersey Academy, and two notable academies for women), made it the most prosperous town in the state.

Bridgeton was home to glass factories, sewing factories, metal and machine works and other manufacturers, most notably, the Ferracute Machine Works, which was founded and operated by Oberlin Smith, an inventor and philanthropist credited with inventing the first device for magnetic recording, and now in the New Jersey Inventors Hall of Fame.

These range from the early Federal architecture to the 1920s, including many structures eligible for individual listing and some documented by the Historic American Buildings Survey (HABS) during the 1930s.

[33] Although it is visually dominated by large Victorian homes and a downtown area constructed from the 1880s to the 1920s, the district, besides many neighborhoods of gingerbreaded "doubles" that were essentially working-class housing, includes several notable structures dating from the 18th century and early Federal period.

One of these is Potter's Tavern, said to have been built in the 1750s, but restored to its appearance in 1776 when it was home to The Plain Dealer, considered New Jersey's first newspaper.

[35] There is also the David Sheppard House (1791), recently restored with assistance from the Garden State Historic Trust and home to the Cousteau Coastal Center of Rutgers University since 2008.

[36] Bridgeton straddles the tidal Cohansey River and is located near the center of the Delaware Bay lowlands.

It derives its name from the original movable bridge that offered the option of regular overland travel on the "King's Highway" across the Cohansey watershed region for the first time in 1716.

The name is believed to have been changed from Bridge-towne to Bridgeton in 1816–1817 due to a printing error on documents published by the Cumberland Bank.

The largest of these, consisting of pinelands, wetlands and lakes, as well as the original raceway system that provided waterpower to the mills, was formed out of the property owned and managed by the Cumberland Nail & Iron Works until 1899.

[39] The city suffered an economic downturn in the 1980s with the loss of its remaining manufacturing sector jobs in glass and textiles.

Agricultural employment, however, has continued to attract immigrant workers largely from Mexico but also Guatemala, creating new challenges and opportunities for revitalization.

A significant minority of Bridgeton residents and their children speak Zapoteco, either as their only language or alongside Spanish.

[40] Downtown Bridgeton includes an art gallery, second hand stores, a makerspace, and the headquarters of the Nanticoke Lenni-Lenape Tribal Nation.

[43] In 2008, Rutgers opened the Cousteau Coastal Center of its Institute of Marine & Coastal Sciences in the former David Sheppard House, a base from which it coordinates cutting-edge ecological research and develops modules for environmental learning at all educational levels from elementary school upward.

[1][2] Unincorporated communities, localities and place names located partially or completely within the city include East Lake.

[48][49][50] The climate in this area is characterized by hot, humid summers and generally mild to cool winters.

[citation needed] The 2010 United States census counted 25,349 people, 6,265 households, and 4,304 families in the city.

[66] In May 2018, Governor Phil Murphy signed a law that reinstated the program in these five cities and extended the expiration date in other zones.

[68] In 2016, Ardagh Group, Glass – North America became ISO 14001 certified, which recognizes efforts to minimize their impact on the environment, comply with applicable laws and regulations, and work toward continuous environmental improvement.

[75] The mayor exercises executive power of the municipality and appoints department heads with council approval.

The mayor may remove department heads subject to council disapproval by 2⁄3 of all members, prepares the budget.

A business administrator assists the mayor in budget preparation and administers purchasing and personnel systems.

The City Council exercises legislative power of municipality and approves appointment of department heads.

[82] For the 119th United States Congress, New Jersey's 2nd congressional district is represented by Jeff Van Drew (R, Dennis Township).

[84] For the 2024-2025 session, the 1st legislative district of the New Jersey Legislature is represented in the State Senate by Mike Testa (R, Vineland) and in the General Assembly by Antwan McClellan (R, Ocean City) and Erik K. Simonsen (R, Lower Township).

[144] Bucks Airport is located 3.5 miles (5.6 km) northeast of the central business district of Bridgeton.

[145] Li Calzi Airport, which was located 2.3 miles (3.7 km) south of the central business district of Bridgeton, closed in 2008.

[citation needed] People who were born in, residents of, or otherwise closely associated with Bridgeton include: Official website