Discovering Florence, New Jersey's Neighborhoods for 2025

Florence Township sits on the Delaware River in northern Burlington County, across the water from Bristol, Falls and Tullytown in Pennsylvania. It covers about 10.2 square miles and holds two census-designated places, Florence and Roebling, plus smaller named localities such as Bustleton, Dobbins, Florence Station and Hoffner's Tract. This guide from Dennis Mark Interdonato of Keller Williams Realty Ocean Living walks through its main areas one at a time, with the street patterns and housing eras that set each apart.

Notable Neighborhoods in Florence Township

The township's own planning vision (a 2022 draft) describes four areas that shape Florence Township's character: the Town of Florence, the Village of Roebling, the rural and suburban land it calls "the Country," and the Route 130 corridor.

The Town of Florence

The Town of Florence is the northwestern part of the township, running along the Delaware River. It grew from Front Street, then eastward along Delaware Avenue and southward along Broad Street. In 1849 the Florence City Company bought 600 acres and laid out a grid, with Front Street built first. The Florence Iron Works opened on the riverbank in 1857, and after Richard D. Wood bought the foundry in 1867, his company built 125 homes for employees, along with the original water and sewer lines, several commercial buildings and a library.

What that means for buyers: the older core has a traditional grid with homes close to the sidewalk, and commercial buildings along Broad Street and parts of Delaware Avenue and Front Street. Homes built after World War II in the eastern sections of town follow a looser, modified grid with some curving streets. The foundry later operated as Griffin Pipe and closed in 2009, and the township's plan notes that industrial development is taking place on that former site along Front Street.

Florence Station

Florence Station anchors the southeastern end of the Town of Florence. It started as a stop on the Camden and Amboy Railroad and grew along Delaware Avenue, north along Station Road, and south of the tracks toward the old Burlington Pike, which later became U.S. Route 130. Today the River Line's Florence station sits off Route 130 on John Galt Way.

The Village of Roebling

Roebling occupies the northeastern corner of the township, bounded by the Delaware River, Crafts Creek and the old Camden and Amboy rail line, and split by Hornberger Avenue (originally Knickerbocker Avenue). John A. Roebling's Sons Company bought riverfront farmland in 1904 and built the Kinkora Works steel mill along with a company town for its workers. The township plan describes the village as a planned development of 750 homes begun in 1905. Rowhomes made up most of the housing. Semi-detached twins went to skilled workers, and larger detached single-family homes went to managers, some of them along Riverside Avenue with views of the river. More rowhomes followed south of Hornberger Avenue in the 1920s and 1930s as the mill expanded.

That original housing is still standing, on its grid of mature streets. The Roebling Historic District, 76 acres with 94 contributing buildings, was listed on the New Jersey Register of Historic Places in 1976 and the National Register of Historic Places in 1978. If you are looking at a home inside the district, ask about any exterior guidelines before planning changes to a facade, windows or porch. The township construction and zoning offices are the place to confirm what applies to a specific address.

The steel mill site became a federal Superfund site in 1983, and most mill buildings have been razed as part of the cleanup. The main gatehouse was saved and opened in 2010 as the Roebling Museum at 100 2nd Avenue, which tells the story of the company town and what its mill produced. After World War II, detached single-family homes on grid and modified-grid streets filled in southward along Hornberger Avenue until they met the housing extending from the Town of Florence.

The Country: Mallard Creek, The Preserve and beyond

South and east of Route 130 the township changes character. The township plan calls this area "the Country," with farmland, wetlands and stream floodplains mixed with suburban subdivisions. North of the New Jersey Turnpike Extension, most of the housing follows post-war curving-street subdivision patterns. The larger developments named in the plan include:

• Mallard Creek and The Preserve: several hundred detached single-family homes built in the late 1990s and early 2000s, reaching from Route 130 (Mallard Creek) to Old York Road (The Preserve) between Crafts Creek and one of its tributaries.
• Greenbriar Horizons: an age-restricted (55+) community of detached single-family homes built in the mid-2000s, entered from Old York Road and lying partly in Florence Township and partly in Bordentown Township. The township plan counts 240 homes on its curving streets, which back up to the Turnpike Extension.
• The Manors at Crossroads: mostly detached single-family homes built between 2008 and 2010, northeast of Florence-Columbus Road (County Route 656).
• Birch Hollow: a townhouse subdivision on the southwest side of Florence-Columbus Road, built from 1991 to 2000.

Older detached homes on larger lots, many on private septic systems, line parts of Potts Mill Road. Sewer or septic is worth confirming on any home out here, since it changes both inspections and upkeep.

Bustleton and the southern township

South of the Turnpike Extension the land opens up into farmland and woods, with detached homes on large lots along Old York Road and Burlington-Columbus Road. Bustleton, a crossroads settlement that was once a stagecoach stop, has a mix of mid-to-late 1800s houses and mid-to-late 1900s houses on large lots along Old York Road, Bustleton Road and Florence-Bustleton Road.

Parks and the riverfront

The Delaware River is the township's main outdoor draw. In Roebling, the former slag area along the river was cleaned up and turned into a waterfront park, and a section of the Delaware River Heritage Trail runs from Ninth Avenue along the top of the riverbank and across Crafts Creek. John A. Roebling Park on Riverside Avenue has a gazebo, basketball court, playground and walking paths, and residents can apply to reserve it for events.

In Florence, the township boat ramp on Front Street has a ramp, dock and trailer lot, and permits are required year-round. The township recreation department also lists Veteran's Park, the Ezra "Bud" Marter Recreation Complex, Riverbank Park, H. Kenneth Wilkie Memorial Rivers Edge Park, Railroad Park and the FAAD Park among its parks and playgrounds.

Downtown and everyday errands

Florence's traditional shopping streets are Broad Street and segments of Delaware Avenue and Front Street, where the original commercial buildings stand. In Roebling, early commercial life centered on Main Street near the mill's main gate, and the southern part of the village has a short commercial stretch on Hornberger Avenue. Along Route 130, small-scale commercial and industrial sites cluster near the intersections with Florence-Columbus Road and Cedar Lane/Florence-Bustleton Road. Dennis Mark Interdonato can point you to current shops and restaurants when you visit, since storefronts change often.

Getting around

• River Line light rail: NJ Transit's River Line has two stations in the township. Florence station (2021 U.S. Route 130, on John Galt Way) has 589 parking spaces, and Roebling station (1499 Hornberger Avenue) has 215. Trains run north to Trenton and south to Camden.
• NJ Transit bus: route 409 runs between Trenton and Philadelphia through the township.
• New Jersey Turnpike: the Pennsylvania Extension (I-95) crosses the township with one interchange, Exit 6A at Route 130.
• Route 130: the main north-south road through the township, linking to Mansfield Township to the northeast and Burlington Township to the southwest.
• I-295: crosses the southern end of the township. It has no interchange inside Florence Township, and the township plan points to Interchange 52 as the nearby access.

Around Exit 6A and along the southwestern stretch of Route 130, large warehouse and distribution buildings have gone up over the past 25 years, including the Haines Industrial Center, about 800 acres split roughly evenly with Burlington Township. If a home backs toward the Turnpike or these industrial areas, drive past at different times of day to get a feel for truck traffic.

Practical notes for buyers

• Property taxes: the New Jersey Division of Taxation lists Florence Township's 2025 general tax rate as 2.790 per $100 of assessed value, with an effective tax rate of 2.381. Your bill depends on the assessed value of the specific home, so ask for the current tax figure on any listing.
• Flood zones: the township's riverfront and creek corridors include floodplains. Look up any address on FEMA's Flood Map Service Center at msc.fema.gov and ask your insurance agent for a quote before you commit.
• Historic district: for homes inside the Roebling Historic District, confirm with the township which exterior rules apply.
• HOAs: newer subdivisions, townhouse communities and the 55+ community may have homeowners association fees and rules. Ask for the documents early.
• Septic versus sewer: some rural homes use private septic systems. Budget for a septic inspection when that applies.
• Schools: the Florence Township School District runs Roebling Elementary School (early grades through 3), Riverfront School (grades 4 to 8) and Florence Township Memorial High School (grades 9 to 12).

Frequently asked questions

What River Line stations are in Florence Township?

Two: Florence station off Route 130 on John Galt Way, and Roebling station on Hornberger Avenue. Both opened in 2004 and connect north to Trenton and south to Camden.

When was the Roebling Historic District listed?

It was added to the New Jersey Register of Historic Places in 1976 and the National Register of Historic Places on May 22, 1978. It covers 76 acres with 94 contributing buildings.

What was Florence Township's 2025 general tax rate?

The New Jersey Division of Taxation lists 2.790 per $100 of assessed value for 2025, with an effective rate of 2.381.

Explore Florence Township with Dennis Mark Interdonato

From a Roebling twin on a century-old grid to a newer home off Old York Road, Florence Township offers a wide range of housing in a compact area. Dennis Mark Interdonato of Keller Williams Realty Ocean Living can help you compare streets, check flood maps and tax figures, and tour the homes that fit your plans. Get in touch or call (732) 598-2672 to start your search.