Union County · Arts District · Rahway River · NJ Transit
Rahway, New Jersey
Rahway blends a busy commuter rail hub and a walkable downtown arts district with historic neighborhoods, major employers, riverfront parkland and a dining scene that reaches well beyond the city center.
The city sits roughly 15 miles southwest of Manhattan and is served by NJ Transit’s Northeast Corridor and North Jersey Coast lines, making Rahway a practical base for both commuters and visitors.
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A deep directory of Rahway retailers, services, healthcare, professional offices and major employers.
Food & DrinkRestaurants, cafés, pizza, Latin American and Caribbean dining, bars, markets and GF/DF filters.
Arts & VisitingUCPAC, historic sites, Rahway River Park, downtown, rail access and in-city lodging.
Rahway at a Glance
Rahway City Hall
1 City Hall Plaza
Rahway, NJ 07065
732-827-2000
Municipal offices are generally open Monday through Friday, 8:30 a.m.–4:30 p.m.
Official City WebsiteRahway Station serves NJ Transit’s Northeast Corridor and North Jersey Coast lines. Downtown is centered around the station, Irving Street and Main Street.
Routes 1 & 9 run along the city’s eastern side, while the Garden State Parkway and New Jersey Turnpike are nearby.
Rahway is bordered principally by Clark, Linden and Woodbridge Township. Municipal lines are especially important along the Routes 1 & 9 and St. Georges Avenue corridors, where nearby business search results can easily fall outside Rahway.
History & Identity
Rahway’s official history traces the community to early settlements connected with Elizabethtown and Woodbridge. By the 18th century, the area included Upper Rahway, Bridge Town/Lower Rahway, Leesville and Milton. The city was incorporated on March 12, 1858 and was placed entirely within Union County in 1860.
Rail service arrived in 1835 and helped transform Rahway into an important manufacturing and transportation center. The city later became home to nationally known industrial employers, including Merck.
- Merchants & Drovers Tavern Museum — 1632 St. Georges Avenue; a 1790s structure adapted to tavern use in 1798.
- African American History & Heritage Learning Center — 261 Central Avenue.
- Rahway Cemetery — associated with local Revolutionary-era history and the burial of Declaration signer Abraham Clark.
Arts & Culture
1601 Irving Street. The restored 1928 theater is a downtown landmark and a major regional performing-arts venue.
360 Hamilton Street. A modern performance space operated within the UCPAC arts campus.
1670 Irving Street. A city-supported gallery showcasing exhibitions and cultural programming.
Parks & Recreation
A major Union County park with baseball, basketball, multi-purpose turf, tennis, track and field, picnic areas, restrooms and riverfront green space.
Other county-managed parklandMadison Avenue Park, Milton Lake Park and the Rahway River Parkway are also managed by Union County.
Rahway maintains more than 70 acres of municipal parkland, including multiple ballfields, basketball courts, tennis courts, a soccer field, football fields and 11 municipal playgrounds.
Parks & Recreation: 275 East Milton Avenue · 732-669-3600.
Schools & Learning
District Office: 1157 Kline Place · 732-396-1000
- Rahway High School
- Rahway 7th & 8th Grade Academy
- Cleveland Elementary School
- Franklin Elementary School
- Madison Elementary School
- Roosevelt Elementary School
- Rahway Preschool
2 City Hall Plaza · 732-340-1551
The library serves as a central downtown resource for reading, research, programs, technology and community events.
Community Resources
For emergencies call 911. Rahway Fire Department non-emergency administration: 732-827-2155.
732-827-2060. Handles streets, sewers, municipal fleet, buildings, shade trees, snow and related services.
732-827-2085. Local public-health services, inspections and community-health functions.
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