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New Jersey
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Bergen_County_Sealpng
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Map of New Jersey highlighting Bergen Countysvg
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100
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1683
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Hackensack
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Hackensack
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639
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247
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606
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234
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33
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13
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512%
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2000
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884,118
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1,459
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3,778
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wwwcobergennjus
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Eastern
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-5
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is the most populous
County of the
State of
New Jersey ,
United States . As of the
2000 Census , the population was 884,118, growing to 904,037 as of the Census Bureau's 2006 estimate. It is part of the
New York Metropolitan Area . Its
County Seat is
Hackensack 6 . Bergen County ranks as the 21st among the
Highest-income Counties In The United States , with a per capita income of $33,638.
In 1675, Bergen was included in a judicial district with ,
2006 At the time of its creation, Bergen County's territory also included the current territory of
Hudson County (formed in 1840), and portions of
Passaic County (formed in 1837).
Bergen saw several battles and troop movements during the
American Revolutionary War .
Fort Lee 's location atop the
New Jersey Palisades , opposite
Fort Washington in
Manhattan , made it a strategic position during the war. In November, 1776 the
Battle Of Fort Lee took place as part of the
Continental Army 's attempts to keep British forces from sailing up the
Hudson River . After these defensive positions were hastily abandoned, the American forces staged a retreat through present-day
Englewood and
Teaneck , and across the
Hackensack River at
New Bridge Landing , one of the few sites where the river was crossed by a bridge. With the British in pursuit, this retreat allowed American forces to escape capture and regroup for subsequent successes against the British elsewhere in New Jersey later that winter.
1 The
Baylor Massacre took place in 1778 in
River Vale , resulting in severe losses for the Continentals.
2
In 1852, the
Erie Railroad began operating major rail services from
Jersey City on the
Hudson River to points north and west via leased right-of-way in the county. This became known as the
Erie Main Line , and is still in use for passenger service today.
3
In the late 19th century, state law was changed to allow easy formation of municipalities with the
Borough form of government. This led to the
Boroughitis phenomenon where many new municipalities were created in a span of a few years.
4
Camp Merritt was created in eastern Bergen County for troop staging in
World War I .
In 1931, the
George Washington Bridge was completed, linking
Fort Lee to
Manhattan . This connection would spur development in the post-World War II era, developing much of the county to
Suburban levels. A second deck of traffic on the bridge was completed in 1962, expanding its capacity to 14 lanes.
5
In 1955, the
U.S. Army created a
Nike Missile station at
Campgaw Mountain (in the west of the county) for the defense of the
New York Metropolitan Area from
Strategic Bomber s. In 1959, the site was upgraded to house
Nike-Hercules Missile s with increased range, speed and payload characteristics. The missile site closed in June 1971.
6
Bergen County is one of the last remaining areas of the country in which
Blue Law s are still in effect. This means that nearly all businesses in the county are closed on Sundays.
In 2005, Bergen County, along with neighboring
Passaic County , was listed by
Forbes.com as the sixth most overpriced place in the nation. In 2004, the two counties were ranked second.
As of 2005, Bergen had the fourth-highest median property tax of any county in the nation at $6,846, the second highest in New Jersey behind , accessed
October 4 ,
2006
According to the
U.S. Census Bureau , the county has a total area of 639
Km&2 (247
Mi&2 ). 606 km&
2 (234 mi&
2) of it is land and 33 km&
2 (13 mi&
2) of it (5.12%) is water.
The highest elevation is
Bald Mountain near the
New York state line in
Mahwah , at 1,164 feet (355 m) above sea level. The lowest point is sea level, along the
Hudson River , which in this region is more of a
Tidal Estuary than a river.
The sharp cliffs of the
New Jersey Palisades lift much the county up from the river along the eastern boundary with the Hudson River, but then relief remains relatively minimal across the county as much of it is in the
Hackensack River valley. Only in the northwestern portion of the county are any serious hills found, leading to the
Ramapo Mountains
The damming of the Hackensack River and a tributary, the
Pascack Brook , produced three
Reservoir s in the county,
Woodcliff Lake Reservoir ,
Lake Tappan and
Oradell Reservoir , which provide drinking water to much of northern New Jersey. The Hackensack River drains the eastern portion of the county through the
New Jersey Meadowlands , a
Wetlands area in the southern portion of the county. The central portion is drained by the
Saddle River and the western portion is drained by the
Ramapo River . Both of these are tributaries of the
Passaic River , which forms a section the southwestern border of the county.
Bergen County is bordered by
Rockland County, New York to the north, by
Westchester County ,
The Bronx , and
Manhattan in New York, across the
Hudson River to the east,
Hudson County to the south, a small border with
Essex County also to the south and
Passaic County to the west.
Bergen has had a ''
December 27 ,
2006
Bergen also elects three countywide officials, separately from the County Executive and Freeholder Board, who are (as of January 2007) Sheriff Leo McGuire (D), Surrogate Court Judge Michael Dressler (D-Cresskill), and County Clerk
Kathleen Donovan (R-Rutherford).
The seventy municipalities of Bergen County are represented by seven separate
State Legislative Districts . Three of these districts (the 37th, 38th and 39th) are situated entirely within the county, the others cross county boundaries.
Two federal
Congressional District s cover the county, with the northern portion of the county in
New Jersey's 5th District , represented by
Scott Garrett (
R ) and the southern portion of the county in
New Jersey's 9th District , represented by
Steve Rothman (
D ).
One of the last remaining '',
August 19 ,
2006
However, repeated attempts to lift the law have failed as voters either see keeping the law on the books as a protest against the growing trend toward increasing hours and days of commercial activity in American society or enjoy the sharply reduced traffic on major roads and highways on Sunday that is normally seen the other days of the week. In fact, a large part of the reason for maintaining the laws has been a desire for relative peace and quiet one day of the week by many Bergen County residents.[http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=950DE0D61339F937A35752C1A962948260 IN NEW JERSEY; PARAMUS BLUE LAWS CRIMP OFFICE LEASING], ''
The New York Times '',
November 4 ,
1984 . "Officials tried to regulate the effects of the tremendous growth on the borough by insisting that at least one day a week, Paramus be allowed to enjoy some of its former peace and quiet. In 1957, a law was passed banning all ''worldly employment'' on Sundays, forcing all the new stores and malls built in the celery fields to close for the day."
This desire for relative peace is most apparent in '',
October 31 ,
2006 . "Both candidates said they would stand strong against any weakening of the blue laws, which keep most stores closed on Sunday, and would work to keep Paramus' laws the most restrictive in the state." banning all forms of "worldly employment" on Sundays, including white collar workers in office buildings. Local Blue laws in Paramus were first proposed in 1957, while the
Bergen Mall and
Garden State Plaza were under construction. The legislation was motivated by fears that the two new malls would aggravate the already severe highway congestion caused by local retail businesses along the borough's highways."SUNDAY SELLING PLAGUING JERSEY; Local Businesses Pushing Fight Against Activities of Stores on Highways - Other Group Active Local Option Opposed",
The New York Times '',
June 2 ,
1957 . p. 165
The Bergen County court system consists of a number of municipal courts handling
Traffic Court and other minor matters, plus the Bergen County Superior Court which handles the more serious offenses.
Bergen County has a well-developed road network, including the northern termini of the
New Jersey Turnpike (a portion of
Interstate 95 ) and the
Garden State Parkway , the eastern terminus of
Interstate 80 and a portion of
Interstate 287 . US Highways
46 ,
202 ,
9 ,
9W , and New Jersey state highways
4 ,
17 ,
3 ,
120 ,
208 , and the
Palisades Interstate Parkway also serve the region.
Access to , the
Erie Main Line and the
Pascack Valley Line . They run north-south to
Hoboken Terminal with connections to the
PATH train. New Jersey Transit also offers connecting one-stop service to
New York Penn Station via the
Secaucus Junction transfer station. Connections are also available at the
Hoboken Terminal to the
Hudson-Bergen Light Rail and
New York Waterways ferry service to the
World Financial Center and other destinations. Although the Hudson-Bergen Light Rail bears the "Bergen" name, it has not yet expanded to run into the county; this is planned for the future. There is also bus service, available from
New Jersey Transit and private companies such as
Red And Tan Lines and DeCamp Bus Lines, offering transport within Bergen County, elsewhere in New Jersey and to the
Port Authority Bus Terminal and
George Washington Bridge Bus Terminal in New York City.
The only airport in the county is
Teterboro Airport in
Teterboro , which is operated by the
Port Authority Of New York And New Jersey . Most commercial air traffic is handled by nearby
Newark Liberty International Airport in
Essex County , which also serves as a major airport for the
City Of New York .
For the main surface-street routes through the county, see
List Of County Routes In Bergen County, New Jersey .
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12601
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15156
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16603
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18178
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22412
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13223 1840n=
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14725
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21618
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30122
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36786
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47226
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78441
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138002
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210703
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364977
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409646
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539139
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780255
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897148
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845385
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825380
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884118
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904037
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2006
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lost territory<br/>
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As of the
Census &2 of 2000, there were 884,118 people, 330,817 households, and 235,210 families residing in the county. The
Population Density was 1,458/km&
2 (3,776/mi&
2). There were 339,820 housing units at an average density of 560/km&
2 (1,451/mi&
2). The racial makeup of the county was 78.41%
White , 5.27%
Black or
African American , 0.15%
Native American , 10.67%
Asian , 0.02%
Pacific Islander , 3.22% from
Other Races , and 2.26% from two or more races. 10.34% of the population were
Hispanic or
Latino of any race.
There were 330,817 households out of which 32.10% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 57.90% were
Married Couples living together, 9.70% had a female householder with no husband present, and 28.90% were non-families. 24.70% of all households were made up of individuals and 10.20% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.64 and the average family size was 3.17.
In the county the population was spread out with 23.00% under the age of 18, 6.60% from 18 to 24, 30.60% from 25 to 44, 24.50% from 45 to 64, and 15.20% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 39 years. For every 100 females there were 92.80 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 89.40 males.
The median income for a household in the county was $65,241, and the median income for a family was $78,079. Males had a median income of $51,346 versus $37,295 for females. The
Per Capita Income for the county was $33,638. About 3.40% of families and 5.00% of the population were below the
Poverty Line , including 4.90% of those under age 18 and 5.90% of those age 65 or over.
Bergen is the most populous county in New Jersey, with approximately 90,000 more residents than ''. Retrieved on
March 17 ,
2007 . Eight of the nation's top ten municipalities by percentage of Korean population are located in Bergen County, including Palisades Park, Leonia, Fort Lee,
Ridgefield ,
Closter ,
Norwood ,
Edgewater , and
Englewood Cliffs . Overall, sixteen of the top twenty communities on that list are located in Bergen; virtually all are in the eastern third of the county near the Hudson River.
In addition, the commercial districts of several communities — including '',
March 4 ,
2007 There is also an entrenched Korean population in the
Northern Valley , especially in
Tenafly ,
Cresskill ,
Demarest ,
Closter ,
Norwood , and
Old Tappan , as well as in several inland boroughs, including
Paramus ,
Rutherford , and
Little Ferry .
''. Retrieved on
March 17 ,
2007 ., although there are small numbers of Filipinos in many of the county's communities.
The '',
March 26 ,
2007
Meanwhile, .
Woodcliff Lake, NJ Ancestry & Family History. Retrieved on April 6, 2007.
, accessed
April 5 ,
2007 In recent years, the adjacent city of
Garfield has also become a magnet for Polish immigrants, with 22.9% of the population identifying themeselves as being of Polish ancestry, the third highest concentration in the state. And while Polish Americans are the fourth-largest ethnic group in Bergen County,
Poland is also the second most common place of birth (after
South Korea ) for foreign-born county residents.
Bergen County, New Jersey Data Retrieved on April 6, 2007.
Many towns in the county have a significant number of ,
2007 .
'',
April 13 ,
2007
Bergen also has a moderately sized ''. Retrieved on
April 9 ,
2007 .. The overwhelming majority of Bergen's Arab American population (64.3%) is constituted by persons of
''. Retrieved on
April 9 ,
2007 . descent.
The county's '',
February 21 ,
2005
The diverse ,
2007 .
In the '''' magazine,
April 24 ,
2006
Bergen has several colleges and universities:
Bergen has some 45
Public High School s, see
This List . It also has at least 21
Private high schools, see
This List .
In the last decades of the 19th century, Bergen County, to a far greater extent than any other county in the state, began divvying its townships up into incorporated boroughs; this was chiefly due to the
Boroughitis phenomenon, triggered by a number of loopholes in state laws that allowed boroughs to levy lower taxes and send more members to the county's board of freeholders. There was a 10-year period in which many of Bergen County's townships disappeared into the patchwork of boroughs that exist today, before the state laws governing municipal incorporation were changed.
Over the history of the county, there have been various municipality secessions, annexations, and renamings. The following is a partial list of former municipalities, ordered by year of incorporation.
- Giants Stadium , East Rutherford
- Continental Airlines Arena , East Rutherford
- Meadowlands Racetrack , East Rutherford
- Garden State Plaza , shopping mall, Paramus
- The Shops At Riverside , shopping mall, Hackensack
- Paramus Park Mall , shopping mall, Paramus
- Bergen Town Center , shopping mall, Paramus
- Fashion Center , shopping mall, Paramus
- Mitsuwa Marketplace , Japanese shopping plaza and supermarket, Edgewater
]]
- Belmont Hill County Park , Garfield
- Campgaw Mountain Reservation , Mahwah
- Dahnert's Lake County Park , Garfield
- Darlington County Park , Mahwah
- McFaul Environmental Center , Wyckoff
- Ramapo Mountain Reservation , Mahwah
- Overpeck County Park , Leonia, Palisades Park, Ridgefield Park
- Riverside County Park , Lyndhurst, North Arlington
- Pascack Brook County Park , Westwood
- Saddle Ridge Riding Area , Franklin Lakes
- Saddle River County Park , Paramus, Glen Rock, Rochelle Park, Saddle Brook, Ridgewood
- Samuel Nelkin County Park , Wallington
- Van Saun County Park , Paramus
- Wood Dale County Park , Woodcliff Lake
- Bergen County Zoological Park , Paramus9
, the
New Jersey Palisades overlook the
Hudson River ]]
: ''see
List Of Registered Historic Places In Bergen County, New Jersey ''
