Stockton, located along the Delaware River north of Lambertville, was first known as Reading Ferry and subsequently Howell's Ferry. With the arrival of the railroad, the name was changed to Centre Bridge Station which corresponded to the post office and hamlet on the Pennsylvania side of the river. With the establishment of its own post office in 1851, the village was renamed Stockton. The Borough was incorporated in 1898, having been separated from Delaware Township.

The tiny town remains today as it was in the eighteenth century. for all its small size and charm, the town is presided over by an old inn. The Stockton Inn (formally known as Colligan's Stockton Inn), established in 1710, is the inn that was immortalized by Richard Rodgers in the song "There's a small hotel with a wishing well", sung in the Broadway play "On Your Toes". The inn was first built as a private residence and it is believed to have been converted in 1832.

The Delaware River Mill Society was formed to preserve and promote the buildings and site known as the Prallsville Mills. John Prall, Jr., became the owner of the site in 1794 and with his settlement the area became known as Prallsville.

Also in Stockton you will find the oldest, established in 1872, three room school house in New Jersey that is still in operation today. The school has been educating students in Stockton in grades kindergarten through the sixth grade for the past 165 plus years. Stockton School is well known for its small classes that give individual attention to each student and is compared frequently with local private schools.