Pohatcong offers a small-town atmosphere outside of Phillipsburg
Family-friendly Pohatcong is one of New Jersey’s so-called doughnut towns. The enclave, resting along the banks of the Delaware River southeast of Phillipsburg, surrounds the smaller industrial community of Alpha. Home to about 3,200 people, Pohatcong is mostly hilly farmland and forest, with a majority of residents living in its more suburban northern end. “It has a great school district, and there’s a lot of shopping,” says Susan DiLeo, the owner of Melchor Realty, who lives nearby in Lopatcong. She adds that residents are outdoorsy and often enjoy fishing along the Delaware River. Highway access is a benefit for commuters who sometimes travel across the state for work.
A variety of home styles on gridded streets, riverbanks and farmland
Mature trees shade many of the single-family homes in Pohatcong that rest along gridded streets in the community’s northern end. Architecture is diverse. Some blocks feature bungalows and Cape Cods, while others have rows of ranch-style homes sitting across from split-levels. Along the Delaware River, custom homes rest steps from the water. Meanwhile, properties in Pohatcong’s countryside have views of rolling pastures and often rest on lots of over an acre. The median price for a single-family home is around $355,000, close to the national median. Prices typically range from as low as $290,000 up to $550,000. According to FEMA flood maps, properties along rivers and creeks rest in flood hazard areas.
Public and private schools in Pohatcong and Phillipsburg
Pohatcong has one public school, Pohatcong Township School, which receives a C-plus overall rating from Niche and serves around 300 pre-kindergarten through eighth-grade students. The school feeds into the B-plus-rated Phillipsburg High, which is part of the B-rated Phillipsburg School District. “They have great athletics. They’re very competitive,” says DiLeo, referencing the school’s varsity football team, which had a nine-game winning streak during the 2024-2025 season. “We hate going against them in Lopat.” Saints Philip & James School is a nearby private option. The A-rated Catholic school offers pre-kindergarten through eighth grade.
National retailers and a few local restaurants along U.S. Highway 22
Shopping centers line U.S. Highway 22, north of Interstate 78, and serve not only Pohatcong, but also nearby communities like Belvidere and Franklin Township. National retailers like Walmart Supercenter and Target join name-brand stores like Old Navy and Ulta Beauty. Pohatcong Plaza features a Regal movie theater, and across the highway, ShopRite offers groceries. Local restaurants range from Frank’s Trattoria Pizzeria & Italian Restaurant, a longtime staple for pizzas, pasta and sandwiches, to Stone Tavern, which offers a sports-bar-like atmosphere for American fare. Two wineries dot Riegelsville Warren Glen Road along Pohatcong’s southeastern edge. More shopping, dining and nightlife are available nearby in Easton, about 5 miles away. “Easton is great. There’s so much going on down there — great restaurants, Garlic Fest and Clam Fest,” DiLeo says. “On the river every Saturday morning, they do a farmers market.”
Redeveloping the Phillipsburg Mall site
What was once a bustling spot for department store shopping is now a pile of rubble. The former Phillipsburg Mall, which opened in 1989, used to stand on the border of Pohatcong and Lopatcong along Highway 22. After a series of store closings and lease terminations, the mall shuttered in 2020 and was demolished by the summer of 2024. Developers plan to build warehouses on the site, pending approval.
The New Jersey Highlands offers parks, nature preserves and golf courses
Pohatcong has one park, a few ballfields and a nature preserve, and the surrounding area offers a variety of places to enjoy the outdoors. Crestwood Park is open to residents only and features a playground, baseball fields, which require a permit to use, and a street hockey court. South of Interstate 78, the historic farmlands of Alpha Grasslands Preserve stretch more than 2,700 acres and offer birdwatchers a chance to see nesting and wintering birds like the endangered Vesper Sparrow. More parks and green spaces are nearby, including the Musconetcong Gorge Nature Preserve, where hiking trails lead to a waterfall and scenic overlooks. The northern terminus of the Delaware Canal Trail, which runs along Pennsylvania’s side of the Delaware River, is about 4 miles away. “When the fishing season starts. Everybody gets on the river,” DiLeo says. Boat ramps are available in Riegelsville and Phillipsburg. Merrill Creek Reservoir offers more boating, less than 10 miles from town. The region offers golfers several places to play, such as the public 18-hole course at Architects Golf Club, where each hole honors well-known course architects like Donald Ross.
There are multiple ways to get around northern New Jersey
Interstate 78, a major route used to cross New Jersey, curves through Pohatcong, connecting commuters to large cities like Newark, less than 60 miles away. U.S. Highway 22 heads into Phillipsburg before crossing the Delaware River into Easton. New Jersey Transit buses stop along Highway 22 and can take riders to destinations like Saint Luke’s Hospital – Warren Campus. Residents can catch flights out of Newark Liberty International Airport or Lehigh Valley International Airport, which is only about 18 miles away outside Allentown.
