Fortescue is a community in Downe Township, Cumberland County, New Jersey, United States.[4] The community is located on the state's southern coast, on Delaware Bay, surrounded on three sides by marshland. It has a population of about 400. The area was named for John Fortescue, a local property owner at the time of American independence.[5][6]
Fortescue, New Jersey | |
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Unincorporated community | |
![]() Fortescue Beach | |
![]() ![]() Fortescue Location in Cumberland County (Inset: Cumberland County in New Jersey) Show map of Cumberland County, New Jersey![]() ![]() Fortescue Fortescue (New Jersey) Show map of New Jersey![]() ![]() Fortescue Fortescue (the United States) Show map of the United States | |
Coordinates: 39°14′15″N 75°10′18″W | |
Country | ![]() |
State | ![]() |
County | Cumberland |
Township | Downe |
Area | |
• Total | 0.32 sq mi (0.81 km2) |
• Land | 0.29 sq mi (0.75 km2) |
• Water | 0.03 sq mi (0.06 km2) |
Elevation | 7 ft (2 m) |
Population (2020)[2] | |
• Total | 189 |
• Density | 651.72/sq mi (251.64/km2) |
ZIP code | 08321 |
GNIS feature ID | 0876423[3] |
During the late 1970s and mid 1980s, Fortescue experienced the best fishing it had ever seen. Anglers were catching enormous numbers of weakfish every summer. Fortescue was the self-proclaimed "weakfish capital of the world".[7] Overfishing led federal authorities to establish limits in the mid-1970s on the weakfish catch, though by 1990 the fish population had crashed, severely impacting the commercial fishing economy in the area.[5]
Fortescue is part of the Fortescue State Wildlife Management Area which covers 1,311.92 acres (530.92 ha).[8]
Historical population | |||
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Census | Pop. | %± | |
2020 | 189 | — | |
U.S. Decennial Census[9] |
The climate in this area is characterized by hot, humid summers and generally mild to cool winters. According to the Köppen Climate Classification system, Fortescue has a humid subtropical climate, abbreviated "Cfa" on climate maps.[10]
Municipalities and communities of Cumberland County, New Jersey, United States | ||
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County seat: Bridgeton | ||
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Footnotes | ‡This populated place also has portions in an adjacent county or counties | |
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