New Jersey’s ‘doughnut holes’ reveal quirky town boundaries

There are many quirks when it comes to all 564 municipalities in New Jersey.

There are the hard-to-pronounce names.

Some communities have sections named for neighboring counties.

Maybe the oddest quirk is when a borough is a doughnut hole.

No, it doesn't have anything to do with the number of doughnut shops within a certain radius.

It's when a borough is completely encircled by another township.

Less than 4% of the state's municipalities are doughnut hole boroughs, as we find 20 among 11 counties.

Salem County

Woodstown, with a population of 3,678, is surrounded by Pilesgrove Township, with its population of 4,183.

Gloucester County

Swedesboro, with a population of 2,711, is entirely surrounded by Woolwich Township, with its population of 12,577 residents.

Burlington County

Medford Lakes, with its population of 4,264, is entirely surrounded by Medford Township with its population of 24,497.

Pemberton Borough, with its population of 1,371, is entirely surrounded by Pemberton Township, with its population of 26,903.

Ocean County

Lakehurst, with its population of 2,636,is entirely surrounded by Manchester Township, with its population of 45,115.

Monmouth County

Farmingdale, with its population of 1,504, is entirely surrounded by Howell Township, with its population of 53,537.

Freehold Borough, with its population of 12,538, is completely surrounded by Freehold Township,
with its population of 35,369.

Mercer County

Hopewell Township contains two distinct doughnut holes.

Hopewell Borough, with its population of 1,918, is entirely surrounded by Hopewell Township, with its population of 17,491.

Pennington, with its population of 2,802, is entirely surrounded by Hopewell Township, with its population of 17,491.

Hightstown, with its population of 5,900, is entirely surrounded by East Windsor Township,
with its population of 30,045.

Middlesex County

Metuchen borough, with its population of 15,049, is entirely surrounded by Edison Township, with its population of 107,588.

Jamesburg, with its population of 5,783, is entirely surrounded by by Monroe Township, with its population of 48,594.

Hunterdon County

Flemington Borough, with its population of 4,876, is entirely surrounded by Raritan Township
with its population of 23,447.

Lebanon Borough, with its population of 1,665, is entirely surrounded by Clinton Township, with its population of 13,505.

Morris County

Chester Borough, with its population of 1,681, is entirely surrounded by Chester Township, with its population of 7,713.

Morristown, with its population of 20,180, is entirely surrounded by Morris Township, with its population of 22,974.

Warren County

Washington Borough, with its population of 7,299, is entirely surrounded by Washington Township,
with its population of 6,492.

Alpha borough, with its population of 2,328, is entirely surrounded by Pohatcong Township, with its population of 3,241.

Sussex County

Sussex Borough, with its population of 2,024, is entirely surrounded by Wantage Township, with its population of 10,811.

Branchville Borough, with its population of 791, is entirely surrounded by Frankford Township, with its population of 5,302.

There is also a former doughnut town: Princeton, which merged with the "hole" that was Princeton Borough in 2013.

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