Morris County, New Jersey
Chester Township
Chester Township is the rural, open-space side of the Chester community: about 29 square miles of farms, estates, wooded neighborhoods, preserved land, trout streams, trail networks and recreation surrounding the compact Chester Borough village.
The Township is home to major Chester-area destinations including Cooper Gristmill, Chubb Park, Black River Fields, Tiger Brook Park, MacGregor Preserve, Evans Family Forest Preserve, Highlands Ridge Park and thousands of acres of state and municipal open space.
Chester Township · Source image retained from the township guide
Chester Township and Chester Borough are separate municipalities. Chester Borough is the compact historic shopping village entirely surrounded by the Township. NJTGO maintains a separate full guide for each municipality so parks, taxes, government, housing and businesses are not mixed together.
Chester Township at a Glance
CountyMorris County
ZIP Code07930
Land Area29.13 square miles
2020 Census7,713 residents
2025 Estimate7,795 residents
EstablishedApril 1, 1799
GovernmentMayor & Town Council
Town Hall1 Parker Road
Rural residential character: The Chester School District describes Chester Township as a 29.3-square-mile residential community of farms, estates and housing developments surrounding the Borough. U.S. Census data places current population density at only about 265 people per square mile.
What Defines Chester Township?
Preserved Open SpaceThe Township owns nine park facilities and has built a large preserved-land network using local open-space funds, Morris County grants and New Jersey Green Acres funding.
Trails & ForestsHiking, fishing, cross-country skiing, trail connections and passive recreation run through municipal preserves and the broader Black River landscape.
Farms & EstatesAgricultural land, horse properties, larger residential lots and wooded neighborhoods distinguish the Township from the Borough's compact village streets.
Outdoor RecreationChubb Park, Black River Fields and other facilities support soccer, baseball, softball, tennis, pickleball, sledding, walking and community events.
Historic ResourcesCooper Gristmill preserves the Township's 19th-century industrial story along the Black River.
Environmental StewardshipOpen-space preservation, water resources, well-water protection and forest management remain central Township issues.
Parks, Preserves & Trails
Chester Township's park system is one of its defining assets. Municipal parks range from heavily used athletic complexes to quiet forest preserves connected by hiking trails.
Chubb Park
Route 24
85-acre Township recreation hub with athletic fields, tennis, playground, pond, sledding hill, walking path, veterans memorial, 9/11 memorial and Patriots' Path access.
Black River Fields Park
North Road / Route 513
Two tournament-quality multipurpose fields with concession/restroom facilities, adjacent to the Chester Area Pool and Black River Wildlife Management Area.
Tiger Brook Park
Cooper Lane
270-acre preserve with a 10-acre reservoir, fishing, hiking trails, forest-management land and Scout camping area.
MacGregor Preserve
Old Chester-Gladstone Road
159.5 wooded acres connected to Tiger Brook Park, creating roughly 430 acres of contiguous open space with Peapack Brook flowing through the preserve.
Evans Family Forest Preserve
Willow Drive / South Road
110-acre wooded preserve with about seven miles of marked trails, Ayers Brook and catch-and-release trout fishing under special restrictions.
Highlands Ridge Park
Near North Road / Route 513
113-acre former Bell Labs/Telcordia test tract—locally remembered as the “Telephone Pole Farm”—connected to Evans Preserve.
Parker Road Preserve
Parker Road
Wooded preserved land and trail access near the Township municipal complex.
Tannersbrook Preserve
Township preserve
Passive open-space resource included in Chester Township's park and deer-management network.
Black River WMA
Northern Chester Township
State-managed 3,020-acre wildlife-management area supporting fishing, hunting, canoeing, hiking and cross-country skiing, with Patriots' Path crossing the property.
Park-use reminder: Township park rules currently close parks from dusk to dawn, prohibit alcohol, motor vehicles and off-leash dogs, and allow hunting or camping only under applicable permits. Hunting seasons vary among Township, County and State lands.
Township Parks
Hunting Information
Cooper Gristmill
Cooper Gristmill at 66 Route 24 is one of Chester Township's signature historic destinations. Morris County Park Commission describes it as the only restored water-powered mill in New Jersey and lists it on both the State and National Registers of Historic Places.
Current visitor season: Morris County currently lists the Gristmill as open April through October, with Friday and Sunday public hours generally 10:00 a.m.–3:00 p.m., subject to holiday closures and program changes.
Water-Powered MillingVisitors can learn how water power drove the mill's shafts, gears and millstones during the 19th century.
Black River SettingThe historic site occupies 14 acres along the river and connects Chester's industrial history with its present-day park landscape.
Trails & ProgramsThe site is part of the wider Morris County park and historic-site network with seasonal educational programming.
Cooper Gristmill
Recreation & Community Programs
Chester Township Recreation currently offers year-round programming for children, teens, adults and families.
Pickleball at Chubb ParkThe Recreation Department currently runs open-play pickleball with reserved morning and afternoon/evening court times and resident-priority registration.
Summer CampsSeasonal camp and teen travel programs are part of the Township recreation calendar.
Community EventsAnnual activities include an egg hunt, concerts, town-wide yard sale, trunk-or-treat and holiday programming.
Youth & Family ProgramsSTEM activities, clinics, demonstrations and family events rotate through the recreation schedule.
Township Recreation
Chester Area Pool
The Chester Area Pool at 137 North Road sits within the Township landscape adjacent to Black River Fields but is administered by Chester Borough. It serves resident members from both Chester Borough and Chester Township as well as non-resident members.
2026 program: The pool is membership-only and does not offer general-public day passes. The 2026 program included swim lessons, early-bird swim and the Chester Riptides swim team.
Chester Area Pool
Schools
Chester Township and Chester Borough share the Chester School District for Kindergarten through grade 8. All three K–8 schools are physically located in Chester Township.
Dickerson Elementary SchoolGrades K–2
250 Route 24
Bragg Intermediate SchoolGrades 3–5
250 Route 24
Black River Middle SchoolGrades 6–8
North Road / Route 513
West Morris Mendham High SchoolGrades 9–12
65 East Main Street, Mendham
The Chester School District's 2026–27 school year began for students on August 27, 2026.
Chester School District
Chester Library
The Chester Library at 250 West Main Street is a shared community institution serving Chester Township and Chester Borough. Its location is physically within Chester Township.
Books & Digital ResourcesCirculating collections, online resources, research databases and reading services for all ages.
ProgramsChildren's, teen and adult programming, events and community learning opportunities.
Local HistoryThe library's Local History Department maintains extensive Chester-area archival material, photographs, postcards and oral-history resources.
Chester Library
Government & Public Safety
Chester Township is governed by a Mayor and Town Council. The current Mayor is Timothy Drag, whose term runs through December 31, 2028.
Chester Township Municipal Building1 Parker Road
Chester, NJ 07930
908-879-5100
Main offices are generally open Monday–Friday, 9:00 a.m.–4:30 p.m.
Official Township Website
Town CouncilThe Council generally meets on the first and third Tuesdays of the month at 7:00 p.m., with schedule changes posted on the Township calendar.
Town Council
Chester PoliceEmergency: 911
Non-emergency: 908-879-5514
The Township Police Department has provided contracted police services to Chester Borough since January 1, 2017.
Police Department
Legal NoticesCurrent ordinances, budgets, bids, board notices and tax notices are published through the Township website under New Jersey's current legal-notice rules.
Legal Notices
2026 Township Highlights
Fall Town-Wide Yard SaleThe Township's annual fall yard sale is scheduled for September 19, 2026, with map registration due September 11.
Annual Well-Water TestingThe Board of Health's 2026 well-testing event is scheduled for September 12, with test-kit pickup at Town Hall from 9 a.m.–noon.
Bear-Resistant Trash CansChester Township received an additional 370 free 64-gallon bear-resistant cans through a 2026 NJDEP allocation after receiving 166 the prior year.
Sustainable JerseyThe Township earned Bronze-level Sustainable Jersey certification again in 2025—its sixth certification since the program began.
Alert ChesterThe Township and Police use text, phone and email alerts for road closures, emergencies, paving, public-safety incidents and service changes.
Black River FieldsThe improved athletic-field complex continues to anchor recreation on North Road next to the pool and Black River open space.
Environmental & Rural-Living Considerations
Private WellsThe Township's emergency-management guidance states that Township homes rely on well water, making water testing and backup planning during power outages particularly important.
Septic SystemsMuch of the Township's rural housing depends on individual septic systems rather than centralized sewer infrastructure.
WildlifeDeer and black bears are important local considerations. The Township maintains controlled hunting on selected preserves for deer management.
Tree & Forest ManagementThe Environmental Commission and Township parks program address tree health, invasives, forest preservation and open-space management.
Water ResourcesTrout-production streams, wetlands, headwaters and aquifer protection are central to land-use and conservation planning.
Land DevelopmentZoning includes several residential and woodland districts; grading review is required for many projects involving new structures or land disturbance.
Chester Township History
1799Chester Township was established on April 1 from portions of Roxbury Township and Washington Township.
1806–1853Additional territory was acquired from Randolph Township and Washington Township as municipal boundaries evolved.
19th CenturyAgriculture, iron mining, water-powered industry and rural transportation shaped the wider Chester landscape.
1930Chester Borough was incorporated as a separate municipality, leaving the Township completely surrounding the new Borough.
Late 20th CenturyOpen-space acquisition became a major municipal priority as development pressure increased.
TodayThe Township combines residential neighborhoods and farms with a major preserved-land network and shared Chester community institutions.
Chester Borough Is Separate
For historic Main Street shopping, downtown restaurants, Chester Springs Shopping Center, The Streets of Chester and Borough municipal services, use the separate Chester Borough NJTGO guide.
Simple rule: The Borough is the compact village. The Township is the much larger municipality surrounding it, containing most of the area's rural land, schools, parks and major outdoor destinations.
Explore Chester Borough
Explore Chester Township
Business & Shopping
Township businesses, services, farms and commercial areas.
Food & Drink
Restaurants, farm markets and food destinations physically in Chester Township.
Real Estate
Housing, taxes, wells/septic, zoning, farmland and residential resources.
Visiting & Lodging
Parks, trails, Cooper Gristmill, farms and nearby lodging.
Classifieds
Community marketplace, local notices and neighborhood information.
Jobs
Township employment, schools, local employers and career resources.
Surrounding Communities
Promote Your Chester Township Business or Organization
Reach residents and visitors researching Chester Township's parks, neighborhoods, farms, recreation and community resources on NJTGO.com.
View Advertising Information
