[21] Before European settlement began, Oaklyn was dense forest land which was inhabited by Lenape Native Americans.

In 1681, a group of Quakers seeking religious freedom sailed from Ireland to Fenwick's Colony at Salem, New Jersey, where they spent the winter.

[22] William Bates, their leader, purchased 250 acres (1.0 km2) on the south side of Newton Creek from the local Native Americans.

The original Quaker settlement, known as Newton Colony, was located in The Manor section of today's Oaklyn.

One, from the Delaware River to Egg Harbor, followed an old Native American trail, which is today the Black Horse Pike.

After the American Revolutionary War, a group of Virginia sportsmen built a racetrack on the east side of the White Horse Pike.

Future president Ulysses S. Grant visited this track as a young man before it closed in 1846.

[23] As the years passed, the farms along Newton Creek were divided into lots and the development called "Oakland the Beautiful", for the many trees in the area.

[23][24] Oaklyn was incorporated as a borough by an act of the New Jersey Legislature on March 13, 1905, from portions of Haddon Township.

[6] The borough form of government used by Oaklyn 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.

[39][40] As of 2023[update], Oaklyn's Mayor is Democrat Greg Brandley, whose term of office ends December 31, 2023.

[3][41][42][43][44][45] In January 2020, the borough council appointed Nancy MacGregor to fill the seat expiring in December 2021 that had been held by Greg Brandley until he resigned to take office as mayor.

[44] In April 2018, Sarah McCleery Cairns was sworn in to fill the seat expiring in December 2019 that had been held by Robert Skowronek.

1 of the Oaklyn section of Haddon Township provided fire protection to the whole area, as it was and still is a continuous land mass.

The company was formed by Oaklyn residents who had been volunteering their services at the nearby Defender Fire Company (Station 1-2), which was located in the community of Orston (then another section of Haddon Township, now part of Audubon borough).

The Welcome Fire Company (Station 18-2) was established in 1906 and was located at the corner of the White Horse Pike and West Clinton Avenue.

Today, the building houses the Oaklyn Police Department and Borough Hall and stands next to the current fire station.

[50][51][52] For the 119th United States Congress, New Jersey's 1st congressional district is represented by Donald Norcross (D, Camden).

[55] For the 2024-2025 session, the 6th legislative district of the New Jersey Legislature is represented in the State Senate by James Beach (D, Voorhees Township) and in the General Assembly by Louis Greenwald (D, Voorhees Township) and Pamela Rosen Lampitt (D, Cherry Hill).

[76][77] In the 2008 presidential election, Democrat Barack Obama received 60.2% of the vote (1,311 cast), ahead of Republican John McCain, who received around 37.0% (806 votes), with 2,176 ballots cast among the borough's 2,799 registered voters, for a turnout of 77.7%.

[78] In the 2004 presidential election, Democrat John Kerry received 57.8% of the vote (1,229 ballots cast), outpolling Republican George W. Bush, who received around 41.1% (874 votes), with 2,125 ballots cast among the borough's 2,752 registered voters, for a turnout percentage of 77.2.