[22] Chester Borough is located within the Raritan Valley region[23] and is periodically recognized as part of the Somerset Hills.

[27][28][29] making it part of 21 pairs of "doughnut towns" in the state, where one municipality entirely surrounds another.

[26] The 2010 United States census counted 1,649 people, 615 households, and 438 families in the borough.

[38] As of the 2000 United States census[15] there were 1,635 people, 609 households, and 426 families residing in the borough.

These parks serve as quintessential family activities, especially going on hikes and observing the foliage during the fall.

Willowwood Arboretum, operated by the Morris County Park Commission, covers 131 acres (53 ha) of gardens, meadows and walking / hiking trails.

[7] The borough form of government used by Chester is a "weak mayor / strong council" government in which council members act as the legislative body with the mayor presiding at meetings and voting only in the event of a tie.

The mayor can veto ordinances subject to an override by a two-thirds majority vote of the council.

[42][43] As of 2023[update], the mayor of Chester is Republican Janet G. Hoven, whose term of office ends December 31, 2026.

Members of the Chester Borough Council are Karen L. Ferrone (R, 2025), Russell Goodwin (R, 2025), Elizabeth Gugliemini (R, 2023), Christopher K. Heil (R, 2024), Kyle J. Holman (R, 2024) and Gary W. Marshuetz (R, 2023).

[3][44][45][46][47][48][49] In 2007, New Jersey Governor Jon Corzine created incentives for small towns of less than 10,000 inhabitants to combine with other cities.

The residents of the rural portions of the Township did not wish to financially support the construction and maintenance of a public sewer or water utility.

Since that time rural Chester Township has relied upon individual private wells for water and septic systems for wastewater treatment while the borough is primarily, although not entirely, served by public sewer and water.

Concerns over the extension of utilities into the rural Township with the resultant potential for large scale growth served as an impediment to consolidation.

[50] A merger vote planned for November 2010 was delayed for at least a year after Governor Christie's elimination of equalization funds that would ensure some taxpayers do not pay more due to the merger, as an analysis by the New Jersey Department of Community Affairs estimated that township residents would see an annual increase of $128 on their property taxes while those in the borough would see an average decline of $570 in their taxes.

[54] For the 119th United States Congress, New Jersey's 7th congressional district is represented by Thomas Kean Jr. (R, Westfield).

[56] For the 2024-2025 session, the 24th legislative district of the New Jersey Legislature is represented in the State Senate by Parker Space (R, Wantage Township) and in the General Assembly by Dawn Fantasia (R, Franklin) and Mike Inganamort (R, Chester Township).

[58] Actual day-to-day operation of departments is supervised by County Administrator Deena Leary.

Grace Bible Chapel, located at 100 Oakdale Road in Chester, is a non-denominational fellowship of evangelical Christians.

[103][104][105] Dickerson and Bragg Schools are located on County Route 510, east of Chester Borough; Black River Middle School is on County Route 513 (North Road), north of Chester Borough.

[108] The district's board of education is comprised of nine members who are elected directly by voters to serve three-year terms of office on a staggered basis.