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The Amboys are a pair of municipalities in Middlesex County, New Jersey, both of which have the word Amboy in their name. The two municipalities are the City of Perth Amboy and the City of South Amboy, located across from each other on the Raritan Bay.

While each community has its own independent government, and the two municipalities have no shared governance (other than Middlesex County), the term is often used to refer to the area, including on highway exit signs. Signage for Exit 11 on the New Jersey Turnpike, exit 129 on the Garden State Parkway southbound, and exit 30 on Route 18 northbound refer to "The Amboys" as a destination.

Source for Amboy

Perth Amboy's history dates back to 1651 when August Herman bought a point of land from the Lenni Lenape Native Americans. The land, which was called "Ompoge" by the indigenous people, gradually changed its name to "Emboyle", then "Amboyle". When the city was incorporated in 1683, settlers began to call the land "Ambo" or "Amboy Point", and finally "Amboy." The name means "place resembling a bowl."

In 1686, when the settlement became the capital of East Jersey, Perth was added to the name in honor of one of the Proprietors under the Royal grant, the James Drummond, 1st Duke of Perth.

See also

For other groups of similarly named municipalities in New Jersey, see:

• The Brunswicks
• The Caldwells
• The Chathams
• The Oranges
• The Plainfields
• The Ridgefields
• The Wildwoods

References

1. History of the Indian tribes of Hudson's River: their origin, manners and customs..., By Edward Manning Ruttenberg, page 376
2. Perth Amboy City History, accessed Feb. 25, 2014

v t e Raritan Valley
Geography Raritan River North Branch Raritan River South Branch Raritan River Millstone River Green Brook Lawrence Brook South River Raritan Bay Raritan Bayshore
Central communities The Amboys Perth Amboy South Amboy The Brunswicks East Brunswick New Brunswick North Brunswick South Brunswick Bedminster Branchburg Clinton Flemington Green Brook Matawan Middletown Millstone Borough Millstone Township The Plainfields Plainfield North Plainfield South Plainfield Raritan Borough Raritan Township South River
Larger-sized communities (over 25,000 in 2020) Bernardsville Bridgewater East Windsor Edison Franklin Township Freehold Township Hillsborough Lawrenceville Manalapan Marlboro Monroe Mount Olive Old Bridge Piscataway Princeton Sayreville West Windsor Woodbridge
Smaller-sized communities (10,000 to 25,000 in 2020) Aberdeen Berkeley Heights Bound Brook Clinton Township Freehold Borough Hazlet Highland Park Holmdel Hopewell Township Manville Metuchen Middlesex Montgomery Plainsboro Readington Scotch Plains Somerville Springfield Summit Warren
Counties Hunterdon Mercer Middlesex Monmouth Morris Somerset Union History Lenape Raritans Navesinks Colonial history of New Jersey Elizabethtown Tract Monmouth Tract King's Highway Nassau Hall Queen's College American Revolution Battle of Princeton Battle of Millstone Battle of Monmouth Village Inn Middlebrook encampment Jockey Hollow Rockingham Washington Rock Ross Hall Delaware and Raritan Canal Knox–Porter Resolution Gateway National Recreation Area Fort Hancock Sandy Hook Naval Weapons Station Earle Donald Trump's 'Summer White House' in Bedminster

• The Amboys, New Jersey