Cranford is a census-designated place comprising the downtown part of Cranford Township, Union County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey. It was first listed as a CDP prior to the 2020 census with a population of population was 2,032. The CDP is bordered by Lincoln Avenue to the south and southwest, by the borough of Garwood to the west, by an unnamed stream and the Rahway River to the north and northeast, by Centennial Avenue to the east, and by Lincoln Park to the southeast.