Before the advent of freight railroads, New Jersey’s canal system provided the vital means of industrial transportation across the state. The Morris Canal served north New Jersey, ascending nearly 1,000 feet utilizing a succession of locks and water-powered inclined planes to traverse the Highlands mountains, providing an efficient shipping route from Phillipsburg to Jersey City, a distance of 102 miles. The Delaware & Raritan Canal, while not as long, served central New Jersey connecting the Delaware River with the Raritan River. Both canals shipped anthracite from the rich coalfields of Pennsylvania eastward where it would be used in industrial furnaces throughout New Jersey and New York City.

Explore the Morris Canal

The Morris Canal spanned 102 miles connecting Phillipsburg, NJ to Jersey City, NJ.

Explore the Delaware
& Raritan Canal

The Delaware & Raritan Canal spanned 44 miles connecting the Delaware River with the Raritan River in New Jersey.