Somerville is a borough in Somerset County, New Jersey, and the county seat, located in the Raritan Valley about thirty-three miles from Manhattan. The 2020 census recorded a population of about 12,350 within a compact area of roughly 2.2 square miles, giving the borough a density and walkability that distinguish it from the surrounding suburban townships. The borough's history runs deep. Settled by Dutch farmers in the 1680s, Somerville took its present name in 1801 and became the Somerset County seat in 1783. During the American Revolution, the Wallace House served as George Washington's headquarters in the winter of 1778–79, and it survives today as a state historic site. The completion of the railroad in the 1840s and the development of water power along the Raritan River spurred the borough's growth into a commercial center. Education is provided by the Somerville Public School District, a three-school system enrolling roughly 2,200 students from Pre-K through high school. The district is a central institution in the community. Somerville's defining modern asset is its rail connection. The borough's station on NJ Transit's Raritan Valley Line anchors a designated Transit Village, and direct service reaches New York Penn Station in under an hour. This access has driven downtown revitalization and a wave of mixed-use, transit-oriented development, adding apartments and townhomes alongside the borough's older housing stock. For homebuyers, Somerville offers a walkable, historic county seat with a lively dining scene, direct New York rail access, and a blend of established neighborhoods and new transit-oriented housing — a rare combination in central New Jersey.