Camden is a city in and the county seat of Camden County, New Jersey, United States. Located across the Delaware River from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, it is part of the Philadelphia metropolitan area. The population was 71,791 at the 2020 census.New Jersey: 2020 Core Based Statistical Areas and Counties, United States Census Bureau. Accessed December 1, 2022. The city was incorporated on February 13, 1828.Snyder, John P. The Story of New Jersey's Civil Boundaries: 1606–1968, Bureau of Geology and Topography; Trenton, New Jersey; 1969. Accessed May 1, 2026. Camden has been the county seat of Camden CountyNew Jersey County Map, New Jersey Department of State. Accessed April 26, 2022. since the county's formation on March 13, 1844. The city derives its name from Charles Pratt, 1st Earl Camden.Hutchinson, Viola L. The Origin of New Jersey Place Names, New Jersey Public Library Commission, May 1945. Accessed August 28, 2015.Gannett, Henry. The Origin of Certain Place Names in the United States, p. 65. United States Government Printing Office, 1905. Accessed August 28, 2015. Camden is made up of over 20 neighborhoods,How Will Camden Be Counted in the 2010 Census?, CamConnect.org. Accessed July 3, 2011.Camden Facts, Camconnect.org. Accessed May 27, 2012.Locality Search, State of New Jersey. Accessed May 21, 2015. and is part of the South Jersey region of the state.
The initial growth of Camden industrially is often credited to the "big three" employers: RCA Victor, Campbell's Soup Company and New York Shipbuilding Corporation. The "big three" felt compelled to move away from Camden in the mid-to-late-20th century as they could find cheaper workers elsewhere. Though the city has declined in recent decades since the decline of heavy industry in the area and white flight to the suburbs, the city has made efforts to revitalize itself through various infrastructure and community projects.
Projects such as the redevelopment of the waterfront area brought three tourist attractions to the area: the Battleship New Jersey Museum and Memorial, the Freedom Mortgage Pavilion and the Adventure Aquarium.Attractions , Camden Waterfront. Accessed July 26, 2018. The city is the home of Rutgers University–Camden, which was founded as the South Jersey Law School in 1926,History, Rutgers University–Camden. Accessed April 5, 2016. and Cooper Medical School of Rowan University, which opened in 2012. Camden also houses both Cooper University Hospital and Virtua Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital. Camden County College and Rowan University also have campuses in downtown Camden. The "eds and meds" institutions account for roughly 45% of Camden's total employment.The Camden Higher Education and Healthcare Task Force: A Winning Investment for the City of Camden , Rutgers University–Camden, Fall 2012. Accessed July 26, 2018.
Once known for violent crime, the restructuring of the police force in 2013 has been credited for its decline. As of January 2021, violent crime was down 46% from its high in the 1990s and at the lowest level since the 1960s. Overall crime reports in 2020 were down 74% compared to 1974, the first year of uniform crime-reporting in the city.
History
Prehistory The city traces back to local indigenous Lenape, who are believed to have inhabited this area 13–15,000 years prior to the first European settlers.
Settlement years (1623–1701) Between 1623 and 1627, Captain Cornelius Jacobsen May, an officer with the Dutch West India Company and first director of New Netherland, established Fort Nassau, where the Delaware River meets Big Timber Creek, which is today known as Brooklawn. In 1633, David Pietersen De Vries, a Dutch commander, was sailing up the Delaware River when he came across Natives in control of the fort. The settlers that had been left at the fort had decided to return to New Amsterdam (Today Manhattan, New York). Wouter van Twiller, Governor of New Netherland, restored Fort Nassau. He was accused of extravagant spending in the fort's reconstruction. The settlement subsequently sparked competition from European Settlers over control of the fur trade in the area.Early Settlement, City of Camden. Accessed January 26, 2026. "Following the restoration of the monarchy in 1660, King Charles II granted all the lands between the Delaware and Connecticut Rivers to his brother, the Duke of York. In turn, the Duke of York gave a portion of these lands between the Hudson and Delaware River (New Jersey) to two loyal courtiers, Sir George Carteret and Lord John Berkeley. Soon after, Berkeley was beset by financial problems and in 1673 sold his half of New Jersey to Quakers John Fenwick and Edward Byllynge." The fort was used by the Dutch until around 1650 or 1651 when it was decided that it was too far up the river to be of any value. The buildings and stockades were demolished and Wouter van Twiller assigned Arent Corssen to find a place for another fort.
The British first had a presence in the area in 1634. On June 21, 1634, Sir Edmund Ployden was given a charter from King Charles I of England for all territory that lies between New England and Maryland. After the Restoration in 1660, previous claims were largely overwritten, the land around Camden was then controlled by different nobles serving under King Charles II that those associated with Sir Edmund Ployden.
In 1664, the Duke of York had the King Charles II create the new colony for Lord John Berkeley and Sir George Carteret. It was named the Province of New Jersey after George Carteret; in 1649, he was Governor of the Isle of Jersey. Lord John Berkeley kept his share of New Jersey from 1664 until 1674, when he sold it to two Quakers, John Fenwick and Edward Byllynge. This due to political difficulties between him, Carteret, and Governor of New York Richard Nicolls, as well as financial difficulties. Governor Richard Nicolls had objected to the Province of New Jersey as he had exercised control over the area prior under the Province of New York. After Edward Byllynge suffered a bankruptcy and having issues with his creditors, William Penn, one of the creditors, was chosen to be arbitrator. They argued that he funded the purchase of Lord John Berkeley's share of the Province of New Jersey with funds that were justly due to them. It was decided that Fenwick was entitled to 10% of the share, while 90% would be controlled by trustees that are chosen for the benefit of the creditors of Edward Byllynge, who were mostly Quakers themselves. The trustees were chosen to be William Penn, Gawen Laurie and Nicholas Lucas. The goal was to have the trustees sell the territory to colonists so that the creditors of Edward Byllynge would be made whole. It was also hoped that Quaker may be motivated to emigrate to this territory. At the time, the Society of Friends were flirting with the idea of "new country", where they could practice their religious beliefs and not be shamelessly persecuted. In 1676, the Quakers decided to form a colony, spittling the previous colony in two, East Jersey and West Jersey for the Quakers. Quakers settled in the area at the end of the 17th century and the start of the 18th century, drawn by promises of religious freedom, fairer taxation and more representation in government.
Colonial (1702–1775) The Quakers expansion, consumption of resources, along with the introduction of alcohol and disease, led to a decline in the Lenape population. The development of a ferry system along the Delaware River bolstered trade between Fort Nassau and Philadelphia. Through ferries, families like Coopers and the Kaighns were able to establish settlements in surrounding areas. In 1773, Jacob Cooper played a significant role in developing the area which is today known as Camden, named after Charles Pratt, the Earl of Camden.
Post-colonial (1776–1827) Throughout the Revolutionary War, there were several skrimishes and other effects of the war felt by locals. Development was impeded for the village due to the revolution, as Camden was held by the British along with Philadelphia across the Delaware River.
Founding and early years (1828–1890) In the 19th century Camden underwent significant changes, transitioning from a hub of transportation to a growing city. Camden was incorporated as a city on February 13, 1828, from portions of Newton Township, while the area was still part of Gloucester County. In 1832, Camden Township was created as a township coextensive with Camden City. The township existed until it was repealed in 1848. Camden Township was established in 1832 which was the same area as Camden City until it was reduced in 1848. In 1830, the Camden and Amboy Railroad Company was chartered in Camden, which connected ferry terminals from New York City to Philadelphia via rail. The railroad ended in Camden's Waterfront, where passengers would be ferried across the Delaware River to arrive in Philadelphia. Similarly to Camden's inception, transportation was a huge catalyst in its growth—the railroads opening in 1834 led to an increase in population and commerce.Greenberg, Gail. "County History" , Camden County, New Jersey. Accessed July 3, 2011.
Industrial growth (1891–1950) At the turn 20th Century, industry grew rapidly at the hands of companies such as the Victor Talking Machine Company (later RCA Victor), Campbell's and the New York Shipbuilding Corporation. These were major employers in Camden, at times employing tens of thousands in and outside of Camden.O'Reilly, David. , The Philadelphia Inquirer, December 27, 2013. Accessed October 13, 2015. " Radio Corp. of America's "contributions to South Jersey were enormous," said Joseph Pane, deputy director of the RCA Heritage Program at Rowan, which he helped create. At its peak in the 1960s, it (RCA) employed 12,000 people; 4,500 were engineers.'"New York Shipbuilding, Camden NJ , Shipbuilding History, March 17, 2014. Accessed October 13, 2015. "At its peak, New York Ship employed 30,000 people. It continued in both naval and merchant shipbuilding after WWII but closed in 1967.""Made in S.J.: Campbell Soup Co.". Portal to gallery of photographs (20) related to The Campbell Soup Company. Courier-Post. Undated. Accessed December 25, 2009. Its location on the Delaware River made it ideal to launch ships.
Camden also experienced dramatic shifts in its population demographic. Immigration from Eastern Europe made them the leading ethnic group by 1920, whereas it had previously been German, British, and Irish immigrants.History, City of Camden. Accessed July 26, 2018. In 1926, a bridge connecting New Jersey and Pennsylvania opened, which was formally named the Benjamin Franklin Bridge in 1956., WHYY-FM, backed up by the Internet Archive as of April 2, 2017. Accessed July 26, 2018. "First official name name: Delaware River Bridge. Officially became the Ben Franklin Bridge at its dedication in 1956. Bridge was opened to traffic at midnight on July 1, 1926." The project cost $37 million (equivalent to $ million in ), split evenly between New Jersey and Pennsylvania.Comegno, Carol. "Ben Franklin Bridge marks 90 years", Courier-Post, July 18, 2016. Accessed November 7, 2025. "Bridge construction cost $37 million." The goal was to reduce ferry traffic between Philadelphia and Camden.