Town guide · Union County
Living in Cranford, NJ
Cranford is known for its walkable downtown, the Rahway River winding through town, and Nomahegan Park, all with a Raritan Valley Line station in the center.
Cranford is a township of just under five square miles in Union County, with 23,847 residents at the 2020 Census. The Rahway River winds through town, which is why it is nicknamed the Venice of New Jersey.
Incorporated in 1871, Cranford is known for a walkable downtown around its train station, riverside parks and a busy community calendar. It created what is considered New Jersey's first special improvement district downtown in the 1980s.
Neighborhoods and areas
Why people choose Cranford
Downtown
Shops and restaurants around the Cranford train station.
River town
The Rahway River and Nomahegan Park give the town its character.
Sunny Acres
A neighborhood of 172 homes built by Sears Modern Homes in the early 1940s.
Living in Cranford
Getting around
Cranford station is on NJ Transit's Raritan Valley Line, about 20 minutes to Newark Penn Station and about 49 minutes to New York Penn Station. The 113X express bus reaches the Port Authority Bus Terminal in about 40 minutes. The Garden State Parkway runs along the east side of town with exits 136 and 137.
Parks and outdoors
The Rahway River Parkway, designed in the 1920s by the Olmsted Brothers, runs through town. Union County's Nomahegan Park has a lake, fields and paved river paths, and Lenape Park adds about 450 acres of parkland and wildlife reserve. The Cranford Canoe Club, built in 1908, rents canoes and kayaks on the river, and township parks include Hanson Park, Unami Park and the Riverwalk.
Downtown and everyday life
Downtown Cranford centers on North Avenue, North Union Avenue, South Avenue and Walnut Avenue around the station, with more than 50 places to eat, Eastman Plaza and its clock, and new riverfront development. Events include the Fourth of July canoe races, PorchFest, the Cranford Film Festival, summer concerts, a weekly farmers market and the Rubber Ducky Race.
Schools
Cranford Township Public Schools run pre-K through 12th grade, with six elementary and K-8 schools and Cranford High School. Union College of Union County has its main campus in Cranford.
History and landmarks
The town is said to take its name from the Crane family, whose mill on the Rahway River dates to 1720. Droescher's Mill was built in 1737, and the Crane-Phillips House, about 1845, is a museum run by the Cranford Historical Society.
Homes in Cranford
Sunny Acres is a neighborhood of 172 homes built from 1940 to 1943 by the Sears Modern Homes division, mostly Cape Cods and Colonial Revivals, and it became Cranford's first local historic district in 2018.
Cranford market snapshot
All residential sales in ZIP 07016, March 1 to May 31, 2026. Source: Redfin. Ask me for this month's numbers.
Cranford questions buyers ask
How long is the train ride from Cranford to New York City?
About 49 minutes to New York Penn Station on NJ Transit's Raritan Valley Line, and about 20 minutes to Newark Penn Station. The 113X express bus reaches Port Authority in about 40 minutes.
Why is Cranford called the Venice of New Jersey?
The Rahway River winds through town. Residents canoe and kayak from the Cranford Canoe Club, and the Fourth of July canoe races are an annual tradition.
Are there Sears homes in Cranford?
Yes. Sunny Acres has 172 homes built from 1940 to 1943 by the Sears Modern Homes division, and it became Cranford's first local historic district in 2018.
Which school district serves Cranford?
Cranford Township Public Schools, pre-K through 12th grade, including Cranford High School.
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Top photo: Nomahegan Park by Tomwsulcer, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons.