[22] The borough, along with Edison (which completely surrounds Metuchen), is a regional commercial hub for Central New Jersey.

[29] Metuchen was incorporated as a borough by an act of the New Jersey Legislature on March 20, 1900, from portions of Raritan Township (now known as Edison).

The settlers in the western part of the township developed their own separate identity, because they were so far removed from the main settlement of Woodbridge.

A business section soon began to appear between Middlesex Avenue and the railroad tracks, and commercial and service establishments gradually began to assume a more modern aspect (the typical 18th century tavern, for example, was replaced by the equally typical 19th century hotel).

The second half of the 19th century was a period of social, cultural and religious diversification in Metuchen.

In 1870 both the Building and Loan Association and the library opened, the same year that Raritan Township was incorporated.

As the largest village in the new township, Metuchen naturally became its commercial and cultural center and acquired substantial political control.

In 1873, the town hosted Howard Newton Fuller and the Rutgers College Glee Club in the first-ever performance of their alma mater.

At about the same time a bicycling organization was formed, the Metuchen Wheelmen, which lobbied for improved roads.

Metuchen attracted an influx of artists, literary figures and noted intellectuals during this time, acquiring the nickname "the Brainy Boro".

[38] Metuchen Borough Hall, dedicated in 2005, replaced a structure built in 1924 during the City Beautiful movement.

[48] Unincorporated communities, localities and place names located partially or completely within the township include Jefferson Park[citation needed] and Robinvale.

[57][58] Metuchen includes a variety of public spaces, parks, historical sites, a war memorial, and a greenway.

The Middlesex Greenway is a 3.5-mile (5.6 km) mixed-use bicycle and pedestrian paved trail between Metuchen and Woodbridge Township.

For 90 years, the park has been the planned destination of the borough's annual Memorial Day Parade.

[9] The borough form of government used by Metuchen 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.

[72][73] As of 2024[update], the mayor of Metuchen is Democrat Jonathan Busch, whose term of office ends December 31, 2027; Busch took office as mayor when he was appointed in December 2017 to fill the balance of the four-year term that had been held by Peter Cammarano ending December 31, 2019, and was elected in November 2018 to serve the balance of the term of office.

[74][75][76][77][78] In January 2019, the borough council unanimously selected Daniel Hirsch from a list of three candidates nominated by the Democratic municipal committee to fill the seat expiring in December 2020 that became vacant following the resignation of Reed Leibfried.

[80] In December 2017, Jonathan Busch was selected from three names submitted by the Democratic municipal committee to fill the seat expiring in December 2019 that had been held by Peter Cammarano until he resigned from office to become the chief of staff for Governor of New Jersey Phil Murphy.

[83][84][85] For the 119th United States Congress, New Jersey's 6th congressional district is represented by Frank Pallone (D, Long Branch).

[88] For the 2024-2025 session, the 18th legislative district of the New Jersey Legislature is represented in the State Senate by Patrick J. Diegnan (D, South Plainfield) and in the General Assembly by Robert Karabinchak (D, Edison) and Sterley Stanley (D, East Brunswick).

[90] As of 2025[update], Middlesex County's Commissioners (with party affiliation, term-end year, and residence listed in parentheses) are: Director Ronald G. Rios (D, Carteret, 2027),[91] Deputy Director Shanti Narra (D, North Brunswick, 2027),[92] Claribel A.

The Old Franklin Schoolhouse is a one-room school on Route 27 (Middlesex Avenue) near Main Street built in 1807[134] and used until 1870.

In 2017, the Schoolhouse was listed in the New Jersey and National Registers as a Key Contributing Site in the Middlesex Avenue-Woodwild Park Historic District.

[135] A larger Franklin School, built in 1909, once stood at the intersection of Middlesex and Lake Avenues but fell into disrepair in the mid-1980s.

[136][137] The borough is home to St. Joseph High School, a private all-boys Catholic prep school, notable for its academics and sports awards, that is conducted by the Brothers of the Sacred Heart and operated under the supervision of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Metuchen.

Accessibility to New York City and New Brunswick enhanced the borough's reputation as a place to live, and the modern suburban ideal of small-town life where tired businessmen could escape the pace of the city grew in popularity.

In the 1920s, service stations were built, and the construction of U.S. Route 1 just south of Metuchen in 1930 diverted traffic away from Middlesex Avenue, helping the borough retain its residential character.

Both Route 27[145] and CR 531[146] pass through and intersect at the heart of the borough, while Interstate 287 runs along the southern border.