Tribes of the Navesink lived along the South River where Jernee Mill Road is located today.

Attempting to buy land from the Native Americans, European settlers travelled up the Raritan River in 1663.

During the 20th century, amateur archaeologists found thousands of Indian artifacts at the location shown on the map.

The Inn was destroyed by fire in 1976, but its ruins remain on the National Register of Historic Places.

[31][32] It was one of the many companies that took advantage of the extensive clay deposits that supported the brick industry from the early 19th century until 1970.

At one time the Raritan River Railroad passed through Sayreville and had several spurs to service Sayre & Fisher and other local industries.

A train running on the line was featured in "The Juggernaut," a 1914 episode of the silent movie serial The Perils of Pauline.

[35] The episode was staged on the line, including the construction of a bridge over Ducks Nest Pond in Sayreville.

In 1918 during World War I, Sayreville was heavily damaged by TNT explosions at the Gillespie Shell Loading Plant.

The disaster killed dozens and injured hundreds of local victims, damaged hundreds of buildings, required an emergency declaration of martial law, and scattered wide areas of ammunition remnants that continue to surface occasionally.

This prehistoric tree resin managed to encase over a hundred species of insects and plants from approximately 90 million years ago, when Sayreville had a tropical climate.

The fossils have been extensively researched and published by David Grimaldi, curator of invertebrate zoology at the American Museum of Natural History.

Sayreville uses four ZIP Codes; 08871 and 08872 are post offices located in the borough itself, while 08879 is the South Amboy ZIP Code serving the Morgan and Melrose sections of Sayreville, South Amboy, and the Laurence Harbor neighborhood of Old Bridge Township.

ZIP Code 08859 is the Parlin post office, which serves adjoining portions of Sayreville and Old Bridge Township.

[46] Unincorporated communities, localities and place names within the borough include: Crossmans, Ernston, Gillespie, Laurel Park, MacArthur Manor, Melrose, Morgan, Morgan Heights, Phoenix, Runyon, Sayre Woods, Sayreville Junction, and Sayreville Station.

[48] Sayreville usually has hot and humid summers, cool to cold winters, and precipitation is spread through the year.

[3] Members of the Borough Council are Daniel Balka (R, 2025), Michael Colaci (R, 2026), Christian Onuoha (R, 2024), Donna Roberts (R, 2025), Stanley "Stash" Synarski (R, 2024; elected to serve an unexpired term) and John Zebrowski (R, 2026).

[60][61][62][63][64] Starting in January 2024, the Mayor's seat and the Borough Council are all held by Republicans, following a clean sweep in the November 2023 elections, marking the first time in the Borough's history that all seats on the local governing body are held by Republicans.

[65] Republican Eunice Dwumfour, who had taken office in January 2021 for a three-year term, was found dead in her car in February 2023, the victim of a shooting.

[67] In December 2018, the borough council selected former councilmember Dave McGill from a list of three candidates nominated by the Democratic municipal committee to fill the seat expiring in December 2019 that had been held by Ricci Melendez until he resigned from office to focus his time on his business.

Coverage is split between Hackensack Meridian Health JFK EMS and an all-volunteer township membership.

As one of the few completely volunteer first aid squads remaining in central New Jersey, they provide these services free to the citizens of Sayreville.

They are also called into action in the event of large-scale borough emergencies where the police department is stressed for manpower.

[73][74][75] For the 119th United States Congress, New Jersey's 6th congressional district is represented by Frank Pallone (D, Long Branch).

[78] For the 2024-2025 session, the 19th legislative district of the New Jersey Legislature is represented in the State Senate by Joe F. Vitale (D, Woodbridge Township) and in the General Assembly by Craig Coughlin (D, Woodbridge Township) and Yvonne Lopez (D, Perth Amboy).

Kamala Harris lost while carrying the smallest percentage of the vote, 45.1%, that any Democrat had earned since at least 2004.

[134] Although the borough remains an industrial community, the addition of many technology companies and a growing residential population has changed the landscape of this central New Jersey town.

Randy Corman, Executive Director of the Sayreville Economic and Redevelopment Agency, has been heading up the development of the parcel of land commonly referred to as the National Lead Site / Amboy Cinemas lot since about 2000.

This new development would clear woods, trees, and wetlands and install an entire city complete with commercial, industrial, residential, and recreational facilities, all near the Middlesex County Utilities Authority (Sewerage Authority) and the Middlesex County Fire Academy.

[138] Following extensive flooding near the river during Hurricane Sandy in 2012, many residents accepted an offer funded by the federal government in 2013 to buy out 250 houses in the floodplain.