[22] The origins of the borough began in 1941, when the federal government acquired 91 acres (370,000 m2) in Randolph Township as the site of a 300-unit housing project for war industry employees.

The borough's name is derived from the victory gardens planted at homes and parks during World War II to provide additional supplies of fruits and vegetables.

[27] Victory Gardens was incorporated as a borough by an act of the New Jersey Legislature on June 20, 1951, from portions of Randolph Township, based on the results of the referendum passed on September 18, 1951.

[28][29] The small town made news on November 16, 1958, when 262 members of its 297 families participated voluntarily as "refugees" in a civil defense exercise, while other residents of the town — "school boys with Geiger counters, staff men with fancy helmets, girls with typewriters, Explorer Scouts, police and fire crews, medical teams and the dozens who just washed pots and pans and ladled stew" — volunteered to assist.

"Those who remained home," The New York Times wrote, "were restricted in their movements by guards who patrolled the town.

"[30] A project approved in 1973 brought the construction of 184 units of garden apartments on a site covering 12.4 acres (5.0 ha), providing additional rateables and offering permanent housing for an estimated 400 people, that would contrast with the temporary original structures built in the 1940s that had long passed their expected lifespan.

[31] According to the United States Census Bureau, the borough had a total area of 0.15 square miles (0.38 km2), all of which was land.

[36][37] 15.27% of Victory Gardens residents identified themselves as being of Colombian ancestry in the 2000 Census, the highest percentage of the population of any municipality in the United States.

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

[41][42][3] As of 2023[update], the mayor of Victory Gardens is Democrat David L. Holeman Jr., whose term of office ends December 31, 2024.

Members of the Borough Council are Vera C. Cheatham (D, 2025), Ondria Garcia-Montes (D, 2024), James R. Glass (D, 2025), Stuart Hale (D, 2023), Kendyll Hedgepath (D, 2024) and Ismael Lorenzo Sr. (D, 2023).

[49] In December 2010, Councilmember Ondria Garcia-Montes was placed on probation for 12 months after an incident in which she falsely told police that a criminal suspect who was the subject of a search warrant was not in her apartment.

[51] Established in 2009, the joint municipal court was forecast to offer annual savings in excess of $250,000 over the 10-year life of the agreement.

[56][57][58] For the 119th United States Congress, New Jersey's 11th congressional district is represented by Mikie Sherrill (D, Montclair).

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

[90] In the 2013 gubernatorial election, Republican Chris Christie and Democrat Barbara Buono each received 48.4% of the vote (90 cast), ahead of other candidates with 3.2% (6 votes), among the 224 ballots cast by the borough's 556 registered voters (38 ballots were spoiled), for a turnout of 40.3%.

[108] County Route 665 (South Salem Street) runs through the northwest corner of the borough, connecting Randolph on both sides.