Passaic County, New Jersey

File:Bergen Passaic 1872.jpg

Bergen and Passaic counties, 1872

Passaic County (Template:IPAc-en Template:Respell or Template:IPAc-en Template:Respell) is a county in the U.S. state of New Jersey that is part of the New York metropolitan area. As of the 2020 United States census, the county was the state's eighth-most-populous county,<ref name=Largest2020>Table 1. New Jersey Counties and Most Populous Cities and Townships: 2020 and 2010 Censuses, New Jersey Department of Labor and Workforce Development. Accessed December 1, 2022.</ref> with a population of 524,118,<ref name=Census2020/><ref name=LWD2020/> its highest decennial count ever and an increase of 22,892 (+4.6%) from the 2010 census count of 501,226,<ref name=Census2010/> which in turn reflected an increase of 12,177 (+2.5%) from the 489,049 counted in the 2000 census.<ref name=Census2020/>

The most populous place in Passaic County is Paterson, the county seat, with 159,732 residents at the 2020 Census, more than 30% of the county's population,<ref name=LWD2020/> while West Milford covered Template:Convert, the largest total area of any municipality and more than 40% of the county's area.<ref name=CPH232/> The county is part of the North Jersey region of the state.<ref>Willis, David P. "'This is how wars start': Does Central Jersey include both Ocean and Union counties?", Asbury Park Press, February 20, 2023. Accessed March 31, 2024. "North Jersey is defined as Sussex, Warren, Morris, Passaic, Bergen, Essex and Hudson counties; South Jersey would be Burlington, Camden, Gloucester, Atlantic, Salem, Cumberland and Cape May counties. But for Central, things get a little tricky. It would include Hunterdon, Somerset, Union, Middlesex, Mercer, Monmouth, and Ocean counties."</ref><ref>"Regions: North, Central, South, Shore - Best of NJ", Best of NJ, Accessed May 30, 2024. "Northern Jersey consists of Bergen, Essex, Hudson, Morris, Passaic, Sussex, and Warren County."</ref>

History

Etymology

Passaic County was created on February 7, 1837, from portions of Bergen and Essex counties.<ref name=Story>Snyder, John P. The Story of New Jersey's Civil Boundaries: 1606-1968, Bureau of Geology and Topography; Trenton, New Jersey; 1969. p. 209. Accessed December 2, 2012.</ref> The county derives its name from "Pasaeck", which is a native Lenape word meaning "valley".<ref>Ruttenber, E. M. "Indian Geographical Names", New York State Historical Association, 1906, via Fenimore Art Museum. Accessed October 3, 2022. "Passaic is a modern orthography of Pasaeck (Unami-Lenape), German notation, signifying 'Vale or valley.'"</ref>

Geography and climate

In recent years, average temperatures in the county seat of Paterson have ranged from a low of Template:Convert in January to a high of Template:Convert in July, although a record low of Template:Convert was recorded in January 1961 and a record high of Template:Convert was recorded in September 1953. Average monthly precipitation ranged from Template:Convert in February to Template:Convert in September.<ref name="weather"/> The county has a humid continental climate which is hot-summer (Dfa) except in higher areas to the north where it is warm-summer (Dfb).

The landscape of Passaic County, near the north edge of New Jersey, spans some hilly areas and has dozens of lakes. The county covers a region about Template:Convert. The region is split by major roads, including portions of Interstate 287 and Interstate 80, near Paterson. The Garden State Parkway cuts across the southern end, near Clifton. The Passaic River winds northeast past Totowa into Paterson, where the river then turns south to Passaic, on the way to Newark, further south.

The highest point is any one of six areas on Bearfort Ridge in West Milford at approximately Template:Convert above sea level.<ref>New Jersey County High Points, Peakbagger.com. Accessed October 5, 2013.</ref> The lowest elevation is approximately Template:Convert along the Passaic River in Clifton. The southeastern, more populous half of the county is either flat, along the Passaic and Pompton Rivers, or mildly hilly, among the Watchung Mountains. The northwestern section is rugged and mountainous, part of the New Jersey Highlands.

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, as of the 2020 Census, the county had a total area of Template:Convert, of which Template:Convert was land (93.8%) and Template:Convert was water (6.2%).<ref name=CensusArea>2020 Census Gazetteer File for Counties in New Jersey, United States Census Bureau. Accessed April 1, 2023.</ref>

Demographics

2020 census

As of the 2020 United States census, the county had 524,118 people, 168,059 households, and 120,593 families. The population density was Template:Convert. There were 185,367 housing units at an average density of Template:Convert. The county's racial makeup was 38.8% White, 9.9% African American, 5.76% Asian, 0.13% Native American, and 1.95% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 42.74% of the population.<ref name=Census2020/>

Of the 168,059 households, of which 30.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 48.6% were married couples living together, 30.0% had a female householder with no husband present, 15.2% had a male householder with no wife present and 28.2% were non-families. 47.5% of all households were made up of individuals, and 11.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.93 and the average family size was 3.49.<ref name=Census2020/>

About 23.7% of the county's population was under age 18, 9.6% was from age 18 to 24, 39.6% was from age 15 to 44, and 15.0% was age 65 or older. The median age was 37.7 years. The gender makeup of the city was 48.8% male and 51.2% female. For every 100 females, there were 95.3 males.<ref name=Census2020/>

The county's median household income was $77,040, and the median family income was $81,873. About 13.4% of the population were below the poverty line, including 24.7% of those under age 18 and 11.6% of those age 65 or over.<ref name=Census2020/>

2010 census

The 2010 United States census counted 501,226 people, 166,785 households, and 120,919 families in the county. The population density was 2,715.3 per square mile (1,048.4/km²). There were 175,966 housing units at an average density of 953.3 per square mile (368.1/km²). The racial makeup was 62.65% (314,001) White, 12.83% (64,295) Black or African American, 0.67% (3,348) Native American, 5.01% (25,092) Asian, 0.03% (156) Pacific Islander, 15.11% (75,735) from other races, and 3.71% (18,599) from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 37.04% (185,677) of the population.<ref name=Census2010/>

Of the 166,785 households, 34.5% had children under the age of 18; 48.7% were married couples living together; 17.5% had a female householder with no husband present and 27.5% were non-families. Of all households, 22.6% were made up of individuals and 9.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.94 and the average family size was 3.45.<ref name=Census2010/>

24.9% of the population were under the age of 18, 10.3% from 18 to 24, 27.1% from 25 to 44, 25.7% from 45 to 64, and 12% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36.1 years. For every 100 females, the population had 94.2 males. For every 100 females ages 18 and older there were 91.1 males.<ref name=Census2010/>

Same-sex couples headed one in 149 households in 2010.<ref>Lipman, Harvy; and Sheingold, Dave. "North Jersey sees 30% growth in same-sex couples", The Record, August 14, 2011, backed up by the Internet Archive as of February 3, 2013. Accessed August 31, 2014.</ref>

2000 census

As of the 2000 United States census<ref name="GR2">U.S. Census website, United States Census Bureau. Accessed September 4, 2014.</ref> there were 489,049 people, 163,856 households, and 119,614 families residing in the county. The population density was Template:Convert. There were 170,048 housing units at an average density of Template:Convert. The racial makeup of the county was 62.32% White, 13.22% Black or African American, 0.44% Native American, 3.69% Asian, 0.04% Pacific Islander, 16.24% from other races, and 4.05% from two or more races. 29.95% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.<ref name=Census2000>DP-1 - Profile of General Demographic Characteristics: 2000; Census 2000 Summary File 1 (SF 1) 100-Percent Data for Passaic County, New Jersey, United States Census Bureau. Accessed January 23, 2013.</ref><ref name=Census2000DP1to4>Tables DP-1 to DP-4 from Census 2000 for Passaic County, New Jersey, United States Census Bureau, backed up by the Internet Archive as of July 6, 2008. Accessed October 1, 2013.</ref> Among those who reported their ancestry, 16.6% were of Italian, 9.5% Irish, 8.1% German and 6.2% Polish ancestry according to Census 2000.<ref name=Census2000DP1to4/><ref>DP-2 - Profile of Selected Social Characteristics: 2000 from the Census 2000 Summary File 3 (SF 3) - Sample Data for Passaic County, New Jersey, United States Census Bureau. Accessed September 30, 2013.</ref>

There were 163,856 households, out of which 35.60% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 51.50% were married couples living together, 16.00% had a female householder with no husband present, and 27.00% were non-families. 22.20% of all households were made up of individuals, and 9.50% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.92 and the average family size was 3.42.<ref name=Census2000/>

In the county, the population was spread out, with 26.10% under the age of 18, 9.30% from 18 to 24, 31.30% from 25 to 44, 21.30% from 45 to 64, and 12.10% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 35 years. For every 100 females, there were 94.00 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 90.80 males.<ref name=Census2000/>

The median income for a household in the county was $49,210, and the median income for a family was $56,054. Males had a median income of $38,740 versus $29,954 for females. The per capita income for the county was $21,370. About 9.40% of families and 12.30% of the population were below the poverty line, including 17.30% of those under age 18 and 9.20% of those age 65 or over.<ref name=Census2000DP1to4/><ref>DP-3 - Profile of Selected Economic Characteristics: 2000 from Census 2000 Summary File 3 (SF 3) - Sample Data for Passaic County, New Jersey, United States Census Bureau. Accessed September 30, 2013.</ref>

Government

County government

File:City of Paterson, NJ from Garret Mountain.JPG

The Passaic County Court House and Administration Building complex (center) is located in Downtown Paterson.

The Passaic County Court House and Administration Building complex is located at the county seat in Paterson.<ref>Template:Usurped, Emporis. Accessed July 9, 2015.</ref> In Passaic County's commission form of government, the Board of County Commissioners discharges both executive and legislative responsibilities. Seven Commissioners are elected at-large for three-year terms on a staggered basis. A Director and Deputy Director are elected from among the seven Commissioners, at an annual reorganization meeting in January.<ref name=PassaicCommissioners/> Passaic County operates through six standing committees of the Board of County Commissioners. They are: Administration & Finance; Health, Education and Community Affairs; Public Works and Buildings & Grounds; Law & Public Safety; Human Services and Planning and Economic Development. The Commissioners also appoint individuals to departments, agencies, boards, and commissions for the effective administration of the county government. In 2016, commissioners were paid $28,500, and the director was paid an annual salary of $29,500.<ref>Gallo Jr., Bill. "Which N.J. county freeholders are paid the most?", NJ.com, March 11, 2016. Accessed October 25, 2017. "Freeholder director: $29,500; Other freeholders: $28,500"</ref> The Commissioners select a County Administrator, who, in the role of chief administrative officer, supervises the day-to-day operation of the county government and its departments; County counsel Matthew Jordan took office as administrator in 2022, succeeding Anthony J. DeNova III, who had served as administrator for 19 years.<ref>Administration, Passaic County, New Jersey. Accessed June 21, 2022.</ref><ref>"Anthony 'Tony' DeNova Says Goodbye as Head of Passaic County Government", MSN.com, December 20, 2022. Accessed April 13, 2023. "Passaic County Business Administrator Anthony 'Tony' DeNova was 'clapped out' on Friday as he ended his 19-year tenure at the head of Passaic County's government. Earlier this month, DeNova announced that he would be stepping down at the end of the year and will be replaced by County Counsel Matthew Jordan."</ref>

Template:As of, Passaic County's Commissioners are (with terms for Chair and Vice-Chair ending every December 31):<ref name=PassaicCommissioners>Board of County Commissioners, Passaic County, New Jersey. Accessed June 21, 2022. "Passaic County is governed by a seven-member Board of County Commissioners. Each County Commissioner is elected at large for a three-year term. The board is headed by a director, who is selected for a one-year term at the board's annual reorganization meeting (at the first meeting of the year in January)."</ref><ref>2022 County Data Sheet, Passaic County, New Jersey. Accessed June 21, 2022.</ref><ref name=PassaicDirectory>Passaic County 2021 Directory, Passaic County, New Jersey, updated as of April 2021. Accessed April 29, 2022.</ref><ref name=Passaic2021>2021 General Election November 2, 2021 Official Results, Passaic County, New Jersey, updated November 18, 2021. Accessed January 1, 2022.</ref><ref name=Passaic2020>November 3, 2020 Summary Report Official Results, Passaic County, New Jersey, updated November 20, 2020. Accessed January 1, 2021.</ref><ref name=Passaic2019>2019 General Election November 5, 2019 Summary Report Passaic County Official Results, Passaic County, New Jersey, updated November 18, 2019. Accessed January 1, 2020.</ref>

Commissioner	Party, Residence, Term End
Director John W. Bartlett	D, Wayne, 2027<ref>John W. Bartlett Esq., Passaic County, New Jersey. Accessed June 21, 2022.</ref>
Deputy Director Cassandra "Sandi" Lazzara	D, Little Falls, 2027<ref>Cassandra "Sandi" Lazzara, Passaic County, New Jersey. Accessed June 21, 2022.</ref>
Orlando Cruz	D, Paterson, 2026<ref>Orlando Cruz, Passaic County, New Jersey. Accessed April 9, 2023.</ref>
Terry Duffy	D, West Milford, 2025<ref>Terry Duffy, Passaic County, New Jersey. Accessed June 21, 2022.</ref>
Rodney DeVore	D, Paterson, 2027<ref>Nicolino Gallo, Passaic County, New Jersey. Accessed June 21, 2022.</ref>
Bruce James	D, Clifton, 2026<ref>Bruce James, Passaic County, New Jersey. Accessed June 21, 2022.</ref>
Pasquale "Pat" Lepore	D, Woodland Park, 2025<ref>Pasquale "Pat" Lepore, Passaic County, New Jersey. Accessed June 21, 2022.</ref>

Republicans have not won countywide office since 2021. Nicolino Gallo's 2021 third-place finish for the three Board seats at stake then represents the first time any Republicans have been in the county government since now-State Senator Kristin Corrado left her position as County Clerk to win that seat in 2017, as well as the first time the Board has had any Republican members at all since 2012, when then-Freeholders Deborah E. Ciambrone, Michael Marrotta, and Edward O'Connell were defeated.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> In March 2023, the commission swore Orlando Cruz, the president of the Greater Paterson Chamber of Commerce (as well as its counterpart in neighboring Wayne), into office to replace retiring commissioner T.J. Best, who resigned at the beginning of the month to spend time with family members down in Georgia.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

Constitutional officers, elected on a countywide basis, are:

County Office	Party, Residence, Term End
County Clerk Danielle Ireland-Imhof	D, Hawthorne, 2028<ref>County Clerk, Passaic County, New Jersey. Accessed June 21, 2022.</ref><ref>Clerks, Constitutional Officers Association of New Jersey. Accessed June 21, 2022.</ref>
Sheriff Thomas Adamo	D, Wayne, 2027<ref>Sheriff Richard H. Berdnik, Passaic County Sheriff's Office. Accessed June 21, 2022.</ref><ref>Sheriffs, Constitutional Officers Association of New Jersey. Accessed June 21, 2022.</ref>
Surrogate Zoila S. Cassanova	D, Wayne, 2026<ref>Our Surrogate, Passaic County, New Jersey. Accessed June 21, 2022.</ref><ref>Surrogates, Constitutional Officers Association of New Jersey. Accessed June 21, 2022.</ref>

The Passaic County Prosecutor is Camelia M. Valdes of Bloomingdale, who was appointed by Governor of New Jersey Jon S. Corzine in May 2009, and renominated by Governor Chris Christie in June 2015.<ref>Prosecutor Camelia M. Valdes, Passaic County, New Jersey. Accessed October 18, 2019.</ref><ref>"Governor Chris Christie Files Nominations", Governor of New Jersey Chris Christie, press release dated June 15, 2015. Accessed October 29, 2017. "PASSAIC COUNTY PROSECUTOR - Nominate for reappointment Camelia M. Valdes (Bloomingdale, Passaic))"</ref> Passaic County constitutes Vicinage 11 of the New Jersey Superior Court and is seated at the Passaic County Court House in Paterson; the Assignment Judge for Vicinage 11 is Ernest M. Caposela.<ref>Passaic Vicinage, New Jersey Courts. Accessed October 24, 2017.</ref> Law enforcement at the county level is provided by the Passaic County Sheriff's Office and the Passaic County Prosecutor's Office, which occasionally assist local police forces with investigations and patrol efforts.

Federal representatives

Three Congressional Districts cover the county, with most of the northern portion of the county in the 5th District, most of the southern portion of the county in the 9th District, and the central portion of the county in the 11th District.<ref>2012 Congressional Districts by County, New Jersey Department of State Division of Elections. Accessed October 6, 2013.</ref><ref>Plan Components Report, New Jersey Department of State Division of Elections, December 23, 2011. Accessed October 6, 2013.</ref> Template:NJ Congress 05 Template:NJ Congress 09 Template:NJ Congress 11

State representatives

The 16 municipalities of Passaic County are represented by seven separate legislative districts.

District	citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>	Assembly<ref name=":0" />	Municipalities
25th	Anthony Bucco (R)	Christian Barranco (R) Aura Dunn (R)	West Milford. The remainder of this district covers portions of Morris County.
26th	Joseph Pennacchio (R)	Brian Bergen (R) Jay Webber (R)	Bloomingdale, Pompton Lakes, Ringwood, and Wanaque. The remainder of this district covers portions of Morris County.
27th	John McKeon (D)	Rosaura Bagoile (D) Alixon Collazos-Gill (D)	Clifton. The remainder of this district covers portions of Essex County.
35th	Benjie E. Wimberly (D)	Shavonda E. Sumter (D) Al Abdelaziz (D)	Haledon, North Haledon, Paterson, and Prospect Park. The remainder of this district covers portions of Bergen County.
36th	Paul Sarlo (D)	Gary Schaer (D) Clinton Calabrese (D)	Passaic. The remainder of this district covers portions of Bergen County.
40th	Kristin Corrado (R)	Al Barlas (R) Christopher DePhillips (R)	Hawthorne, Little Falls, Totowa, Wayne, and Woodland Park. The remainder of this district includes portions of Bergen and Essex counties.

Law enforcement

The Passaic County Sheriff's Office provides law enforcement functions throughout the entirety of the county, plus unincorporated county area police patrol, detective, crime scene investigation, SWAT, K-9 function, operation of the Passaic County Jail, and the security of all county-owned facilities, including the Passaic County Court House and Administration Building. All of the incorporated municipalities within the county also have separate local police departments, almost always exclusively providing law enforcement operations within their physical boundaries.

In January 2024, Sheriff Richard Berdnik committed suicide inside a Turkish restaurant.<ref>Malinconico, Joe; Balcerzak, Ashley; and Fagan, Matt. "Passaic County Sheriff Richard Berdnik fatally shoots himself inside Clifton restaurant", The Record, January 23, 2024. Accessed January 24, 2024. "Passaic County Sheriff Richard Berdnik, a longtime law enforcement officer with deep ties to North Jersey, fatally shot himself Tuesday afternoon at a well-known Turkish restaurant in Clifton, multiple sources said."</ref>

Transportation

Public transportation

Passaic County has a number of NJ Transit stations, including Montclair State University, Little Falls, Wayne/Route 23, and Mountain View on the Montclair-Boonton Line. The “Main Line” corridor also runs through the county and includes the following stations: Hawthorne, Paterson, Clifton, Passaic, and Delawanna.

Roads and highways

Passaic County has numerous important roads that travel within its borders:<ref>Passaic County Highway Map, New Jersey Department of Transportation. Accessed December 12, 2022.</ref>

Major county roads that pass through include: CR 502 (only in Wayne), CR 504, CR 509 CR 511 and CR 513.

Route 19 runs entirely through the county, connecting the Garden State Parkway with Interstate 80 and Paterson. Both Route 20 and Route 21 run along the eastern border alongside the Passaic River. Route 23 runs through the western section of the county, while both Route 3 and Route 161 go through Clifton. Route 62 also runs passes through entirely in Totowa. U.S. Route 202 runs roughly north-south only in Wayne Township while U.S. Route 46 traverses east-west.

Interstate 80 (Bergen-Passaic Expressway) runs east-west through the county, while Interstate 287 passes through the mountainous sections of Passaic. The Garden State Parkway also runs through the county solely in Clifton.

Politics

Passaic County was historically a swing county, as it voted for the national winner all but twice (in 1976 and 1992) between 1920 and 1992. Since 1996, the county has leaned Democratic until recently, as Republicans have made significant gains in the country, especially in the more urban parts. In the 2016 presidential election, Democratic support declined to 59.5%, although nominee Hillary Clinton still won the county comfortably overall, and the 2020 presidential election saw Democratic support decline to 57.5% - a margin of 16.5% for former Vice President Joe Biden over Republican President Donald Trump, which was a slightly wider margin than the state as a whole. Passaic County's namesake municipality, the small city of Passaic, saw the biggest overall drop for Biden compared to Clinton among its municipalities, which helped Trump narrow the gap in the county overall in 2020 compared to 2016:

2016: Clinton 12,275 (75%) - Trump 3,743 (22.8%) (all other candidates with 347 combined votes in the city - 2.2%)<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

2020: Biden 11,638 (62.5%) - Trump 6,835 (36.7%) (all other candidates with 162 combined votes in the city - 0.8%)<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

In the 2024 presidential election, Donald Trump flipped the county Republican, and most notably, its cities of Passaic and Clifton. This outcome was in correspondence with the rightward trend of the county in recent years, which was also seen in the 2021 gubernatorial election, and the nation in this election. Donald Trump became the first Republican to win a presidential election in the county since George H.W. Bush in the 1992 presidential election. As of August 1, 2020, there were a total of 318,029 registered voters in Passaic County, of which 128,114 (40.3%) were registered as Democrats, 64,389 (20.3%) were registered as Republicans and 120,282 (37.8%) were registered as Unaffiliated. There were 5,244 (1.7%) voters registered to other parties.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> Among the county's 2010 Census population, 53.2% were registered to vote, including 70.8% of those ages 18 and over.<ref name="VoterRegistration">Voter Registration Summary - Passaic, New Jersey Department of State Division of Elections, March 23, 2011. Accessed January 13, 2013.</ref><ref>GCT-P7: Selected Age Groups: 2010 - State -- County Subdivision; 2010 Census Summary File 1 for New Jersey, United States Census Bureau. Accessed January 13, 2013.</ref>

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Year	Republican	Democratic
style="text-align:center;" Template:Party shading/Democratic|2021	style="text-align:center;" Template:Party shading/Republican|47.7% 53,551	style="text-align:center;" Template:Party shading/Democratic|51.5% 57,812
style="text-align:center;" Template:Party shading/Democratic|2017	style="text-align:center;" Template:Party shading/Republican|38.0% 36,230	style="text-align:center;" Template:Party shading/Democratic|60.1% 57,514
style="text-align:center;" Template:Party shading/Republican|2013	style="text-align:center;" Template:Party shading/Republican|52.9% 53,858	style="text-align:center;" Template:Party shading/Democratic|45.9% 46,825
style="text-align:center;" Template:Party shading/Democratic|2009	style="text-align:center;" Template:Party shading/Republican|43.8% 48,500	style="text-align:center;" Template:Party shading/Democratic|51.5% 57,010
style="text-align:center;" Template:Party shading/Democratic|2005	style="text-align:center;" Template:Party shading/Republican|38.9% 41,532	style="text-align:center;" Template:Party shading/Democratic|57.9% 61,803
style="text-align:center;" Template:Party shading/Democratic|2001	style="text-align:center;" Template:Party shading/Republican|40.8% 43,806	style="text-align:center;" Template:Party shading/Democratic|58.1% 62,390
style="text-align:center;" Template:Party shading/Democratic|1997	style="text-align:center;" Template:Party shading/Republican|45.2% 55,541	style="text-align:center;" Template:Party shading/Democratic|49.1% 60,255
style="text-align:center;" Template:Party shading/Republican|1993	style="text-align:center;" Template:Party shading/Republican|52.9% 65,220	style="text-align:center;" Template:Party shading/Democratic|44.6% 55,086
style="text-align:center;" Template:Party shading/Democratic|1989	style="text-align:center;" Template:Party shading/Republican|37.5% 42,106	style="text-align:center;" Template:Party shading/Democratic|60.5% 67,934
style="text-align:center;" Template:Party shading/Republican|1985	style="text-align:center;" Template:Party shading/Republican|69.8% 70,896	style="text-align:center;" Template:Party shading/Democratic|28.8% 29,263
style="text-align:center;" Template:Party shading/Republican|1981	style="text-align:center;" Template:Party shading/Republican|50.8% 62,273	style="text-align:center;" Template:Party shading/Democratic|47.8% 58,573
style="text-align:center;" Template:Party shading/Republican|1977	style="text-align:center;" Template:Party shading/Republican|52.3% 57,545	style="text-align:center;" Template:Party shading/Democratic|44.8% 49,223
style="text-align:center;" Template:Party shading/Democratic|1973	style="text-align:center;" Template:Party shading/Republican|37.8% 44,844	style="text-align:center;" Template:Party shading/Democratic|60.4% 71,673

Municipalities

The 16 municipalities in Passaic County (with 2010 Census data for population, housing units and area in square miles) are:<ref>GCT-PH1: Population, Housing Units, Area, and Density: 2010 - County -- County Subdivision and Place from the 2010 Census Summary File 1 for Passaic County, New Jersey, United States Census Bureau. Accessed January 19, 2014.</ref> Other, unincorporated communities in the county are listed next to their parent municipality. Most of these areas are census-designated places (CDPs) that have been created by the United States Census Bureau for enumeration purposes within a Township. Other communities and enclaves that exist within a municipality are also listed next to the name.

Municipality	Mun. type	Pop.	Housing units	Total area	Water area	Land Area	Pop. density	Housing density	School district	Unincorporated communities / notes
Bloomingdale	borough	7,777	3,089	9.17	0.45	8.71	878.6	354.5	Butler (9-12) (S/R) Bloomingdale (K-8)
Clifton	city	90,296	31,946	11.40	0.14	11.26	7,472.0	2,837.1	Clifton
Haledon	borough	9,052	2,932	1.16	0.00	1.15	7,203.9	2,539.3	Manchester (9-12) Haledon (PK-8)
Hawthorne	borough	19,637	7,756	3.36	0.03	3.33	5,635.3	2,326.0	Hawthorne
Little Falls	township	13,360	4,925	2.81	0.07	2.74	5,276.2	1,800.5	Passaic Valley (9-12) Little Falls (K-8)	Great Notch CDP (3,289) Singac CDP (3,602)
North Haledon	borough	8,927	3,213	3.50	0.04	3.45	2,436.8	930.2	Manchester (9-12) North Haledon (PK-8)
Passaic	city	70,537	20,432	3.24	0.10	3.15	22,179.6	6,494.2	Passaic
Paterson	city	159,732	47,946	8.70	0.28	8.43	18,948.0	5,688.7	Paterson
Pompton Lakes	borough	11,127	4,341	3.19	0.28	2.91	3,809.1	1,490.1	Pompton Lakes
Prospect Park	borough	6,372	1,931	0.48	0.00	0.48	12,347.2	4,065.2	Manchester (9-12) Prospect Park (PK-8)
Ringwood	borough	11,735	4,331	28.17	2.96	25.21	485.0	171.8	Lakeland (9-12) Ringwood (K-8)
Totowa	borough	11,065	3,918	4.07	0.07	3.99	2,704.9	980.9	Passaic Valley (9-12) Totowa (PK-8)
Wanaque	borough	11,317	4,184	9.25	1.26	7.99	1,391.2	523.7	Lakeland (9-12) Wanaque (PK-8)	Haskell
Wayne	township	54,838	19,768	25.17	1.45	23.73	2,306.0	833.1	Wayne	Packanack Lake CDP (6,261) Pines Lake CDP (3,033) Preakness CDP (18,487) William Paterson University of New Jersey CDP (1,417)
West Milford	township	24,862	10,419	80.32	5.23	75.09	344.3	138.8	West Milford	Cooper Hewitt CDP (1,912) Macopin CDP (2,199) Newfoundland CDP (part; 1,145) Oak Ridge CDP (part; 10,996) Upper Greenwood Lake CDP (part; 3,687)
Woodland Park	borough	13,484	4,835	3.11	0.15	2.96	3,987.9	1,631.4	Passaic Valley (9-12) Woodland Park (K-8)	(formerly West Paterson)
Passaic County	county	524,118	175,966	197.11	12.51	184.59	2,715.3	953.3

Other communities

• Montclair State University CDP (part; 2,180)

Economy

The Bureau of Economic Analysis calculated that the county's gross domestic product was $20.5 billion in 2021, which was ranked 13th in the state and was a 4.8% increase from the prior year.<ref>Gross Domestic Product by County, 2021, Bureau of Economic Analysis, released December 8, 2022. Accessed July 17, 2023.</ref>

Corporate residents

• Toys "R" Us' former US corporate headquarters<ref>About Toys "R" Us, Inc., Toys "R" Us, Inc. Accessed August 22, 2014. "Headquartered in Wayne, NJ, Toys"R"Us, Inc. employs approximately 70,000 employees worldwide."</ref> was in Wayne.
• Valley National Bank's corporate headquarters is in Wayne.<ref>Company Information, Valley National Bank. Accessed August 22, 2014. "Valley National Bancorp is a regional bank holding company headquartered in Wayne, New Jersey with $16 billion in assets."</ref>
• Linens ‘n Things's headquarters office was in Clifton and employed 17,500 before closing in 2009.
• JVC has their US office in Wayne and employ approximately 19,040.<ref>http://www.jvc.com › Company</ref>

Education

• Passaic County Community College, founded in 1971, serves students from Passaic County at campuses in Paterson, Wanaque and Wayne.<ref>President's Message, Passaic County Community College. Accessed October 6, 2013.</ref>
• William Paterson University, established in 1855, is a public university located in Wayne.<ref>University Facts, William Paterson University. Accessed October 6, 2013.</ref>
• Montclair State University, founded in 1908, is a public university located in Montclair, as well as portions of Little Falls and Clifton.<ref>At a Glance, Montclair State University. Accessed October 6, 2013.</ref>
• Passaic County Technical Institute, founded in 1975, serves grades 9–12 with a higher level vocational schooling system.

Media

Passaic County is served by New York City-based commercial television & radio stations and New Jersey Network public television.

• The West Milford Messenger, community newspaper in West Milford area
• The Record, Suburban Trends and AIM West Milford, a weekly community newspaper

Points of interest

• Dey Mansion, in Preakness, Wayne, served as Washington's Headquarters on several occasions during the American Revolutionary War.<ref>Dey Mansion, Passaic County, New Jersey. Accessed October 24, 2017.</ref>
• Garret Mountain Reservation in Paterson and Woodland Park is a National Natural Landmark covering Template:Convert.<ref>Garret Mountain Reservation, Passaic County, New Jersey. Accessed October 24, 2017.</ref>
• Paterson Great Falls National Historical Park in Paterson<ref>Paterson Great Falls National Historical Park, National Park Service. Accessed October 24, 2017.</ref>
• High Mountain Park Preserve in Wayne<ref>High Mountain Park Preserve, New York–New Jersey Trail Conference. Accessed October 27, 2017.</ref>
• Hinchliffe Stadium in Paterson is a stadium with 7,000 seats that was used as a venue for Negro league baseball, and is the home of the New Jersey Jackals of the Frontier League. After 25 years at Yogi Berra Stadium on the campus of Montclair State University, the Jackals relocated to Hinchliffe Stadium for the 2023 season starting in May 2023.<ref>"New Jersey Jackals Baseball Team Secures New Home At Landmark Hinchliffe Stadium In Paterson, NJ", Frontier League, September 14, 2022. Accessed April 19, 2023. "The New Jersey Jackals, a member team of the Frontier League, a Professional Baseball League of 16 teams and Partner League of Major League Baseball (MLB), today announced the team is relocating from Yogi Berra Stadium in Montclair, NJ to its new, larger home at landmark Hinchliffe Stadium in Paterson, NJ. The Jackals will kick-off a 96-game season in May of 2023 at Hinchliffe, a 7,000-seat stadium that sits on a dramatic escarpment above Paterson's National Historic Great Falls and surrounded by the city's national historic district – the first planned industrial settlement in the nation in 1792."</ref>
• Lambert Castle in Paterson<ref>Lambert Castle, Passaic County, New Jersey. Accessed October 24, 2017.</ref>
• Long Pond Ironworks State Park in West Milford<ref>Long Pond Ironworks State Park, New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection Division of Parks and Forestry. Accessed October 24, 2017.</ref>
• Paterson Museum, housed in the Rogers Locomotive and Machine Works in Paterson<ref>Paterson Museum, Passaic, New Jersey. Accessed October 24, 2017.</ref>
• Ringwood State Park in Ringwood<ref>Ringwood State Park, New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection Division of Parks and Forestry. Accessed October 24, 2017.</ref>
• Skylands, the New Jersey State Botanical Garden in Ringwood, are formal gardens that are open to the public year-round. Originally constructed for Clarence MacKenzie Lewis in the 1920s, the entire property was acquired by the State of New Jersey in 1966 to form a State Botanical Garden covering Template:Convert which include a Lilac Garden, Magnolia Walk, the Wild Flower Garden, the Crab Apple Vista, an allée of 166 trees extending almost a half-mile, and the Perennial Garden.<ref>About NJBG, New Jersey State Botanical Garden. Accessed August 31, 2014. "Skylands was sold in 1922 to Clarence McKenzie Lewis (1877-1959), an investment banker and also a trustee of the New York Botanical Garden. When Mr. Lewis purchased the property, he set out to make it a botanical showplace.... In 1966, New Jersey purchased the 1,117 acres of Skylands from Shelton College, which had used it as a campus."</ref>
• Yogi Berra Stadium in Little Falls - Located on the campus of Montclair State University, the stadium was home to the New Jersey Jackals until 2022,<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation

|CitationClass=web }}</ref> as well as Montclair State's baseball team. The stadium has a capacity of 5,000, with permanent seating of 3,784, and lawn seating, which holds an additional 1,500.<ref>Yogi Berra Stadium History, New Jersey Jackals. Accessed August 31, 2014.</ref>

See also

• National Register of Historic Places listings in Passaic County, New Jersey

External links

• Passaic County web site