Why is the New Jersey Turnpike called a turnpike?

The New Jersey Turnpike is not actually a turnpike in the traditional sense. Its name comes from the Pennsylvania Turnpike, which was one of the first modern limited-access highways in the United States. When the New Jersey Turnpike was built, it was planned as an extension of the Pennsylvania Turnpike, and so it took on the same name.

A true turnpike is a privately-owned road on which a fee is charged for passage. The New Jersey Turnpike is owned by the New Jersey Turnpike Authority, a public agency of the state of New Jersey. However, the name "turnpike" has come to be used generically to refer to any type of limited-access highway, regardless of ownership or funding.