Hampton is a small borough in Hunterdon County, New Jersey, set on the banks of the Musconetcong River in the county's western reaches. The community was first settled in 1800, and by 1880 it had grown into a modest but complete village, with a store, hotel, cabinet manufacturer, blacksmith, wheelwright shop, grist mill, school house, and about 25 dwellings—a snapshot that captures Hampton's identity as a self-contained nineteenth-century rural town. The town's location made it a transportation crossroads in the railroad era. Hampton was once known as "Junction" because the Central Railroad of New Jersey and the Delaware, Lackawanna and Western Railroad both passed through the community, connecting it to the wider region and shaping its early growth. That rail heritage is part of the borough's story, even as Hampton has since settled into a quiet residential character. Today Hampton is home to roughly 1,400 residents and functions as a small, low-density borough within the pastoral landscape of western Hunterdon County. The Musconetcong River, which forms part of the boundary between Hunterdon and Warren counties, runs through the community and provides both a scenic centerpiece and a link to the region's outdoor recreation. Local history is preserved at sites such as the Mill Museum Village, which showcases the area's milling and agricultural heritage. The borough is served by the Hampton school district, and its compact scale keeps schools and services close to home. For residents, Hampton offers the appeal of a quiet, historically rooted river town—small in size, rich in continuity, and set amid the rolling farmland and preserved countryside that define this corner of New Jersey.