Port Norris, NJ News
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Around Port Norris
Local government: Port Norris is part of Commercial Township, so its town hall, taxes and local services are the township's. Source
Town hall: Commercial Township Hall, 1768 Main Street, Port Norris, NJ 08349 · 856-785-3100. Source
Property taxes: the average homeowner's bill in Commercial Township was $3,010 in 2025. Property taxes by town
Top-rated public schools here (see all Cumberland County rankings):
Commercial Township SchoolNo. 9 middle schools in Cumberland County · Grade C · Niche 2027
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About Port Norris
At a glance. Port Norris is a community in Commercial Township, Cumberland County. Township Hall is here, at 1768 Main Street. It had 1,111 people in the 2020 census and sits near the mouth of the Maurice River.
History. Port Norris was first known as Dallas' Ferry. It is named for Norris Jones, whose father bought the land in 1810. By 1870 a thriving oyster industry had grown up. Bivalve and Shellpile grew up nearby around the shucking houses. The oyster industry peaked in 1955 and collapsed after the oyster disease MSX killed most of the oysters in 1957. Bivalve and Shellpile are now mostly empty.
Neighborhoods. Other places in the township include Mauricetown, Haleyville and Buckshutem.
Places to know. The Delaware Bay Museum, at 2800 High Street in the old oyster shipping sheds at Bivalve, has artifacts, oral histories and hands-on activities. Call 856-785-2060 for hours.
Schools. Students go to the Commercial Township School District.
Selling a home. New Jersey requires a certificate for working smoke alarms, carbon monoxide alarms and a portable fire extinguisher before a one- or two-family home gets a new owner or tenant. Ask the Commercial Township construction office whether anything else is checked before a sale. Rules change, so check with the town before listing.
Sources: Cumberland County: County's towns are what makes the region tick · NJ Department of Labor: 2020 census population by municipality · Commercial Township · Bayshore Center at Bivalve · Wikipedia: Port Norris, New Jersey · N.J.A.C. 5:70-2.3: smoke alarm, carbon monoxide alarm and fire extinguisher certificate. Last reviewed October 13, 2026.