Hackettstown is a town in Warren County, New Jersey, located in a valley along the Musconetcong River in the northwestern corner of the state. Founded in 1853, the town grew around its position on early turnpikes and, later, rail lines that connected the rural northwest to the New York and Newark markets. As of the 2020 census, Hackettstown had a population of about 10,200, making it one of the more substantial communities in largely rural Warren County. Two institutions have long shaped the town's identity. Centenary University, a private university founded in 1867, anchors the community with its campus, NCAA Division III athletics, and a calendar of performances and public events. The Mars Chocolate North America plant, built in 1958 and now operating as Mars Wrigley, is a major regional employer and gives Hackettstown a distinctive industrial link to one of the world's best-known confectionery brands. The town's commercial center is a classic Victorian main street, where restored buildings house antique shops, specialty stores, and an independent restaurant scene. Alongside that small-town retail core, Hackettstown functions as a practical commuter community, with NJ Transit rail service terminating at Hackettstown Station and direct highway access to Interstate 80. Hackettstown offers a blend that is uncommon in the region: a walkable historic downtown, a four-year university, a major employer, and a commuter rail connection, all set within the wooded hills and river valleys of northwest New Jersey. For buyers weighing a move to the Skylands region, it stands out as a town with both small-town character and genuine regional connectivity.