Bergen County, New Jersey
| Bergen County, New Jersey | |
 | |
| Map | |
 Location in the state of New Jersey | |
| Statistics | |
| Formed | 1683 |
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| Seat | Hackensack |
| Area - Total - Land - Water | 639 km² (247 mi²) 606 km² (234 mi²) 33 km² (13 mi²), 5.12% |
| Population - (2000) - Density | 884,118 1,458/km² |
| Website: www.co.bergen.nj.us | |
Bergen County is the most populous county of the state of New Jersey, United States. As of the 2000 Census, the population is 884,118. It is part of the New York Metropolitan Area. Its county seat is Hackensack6. Bergen County ranks as the 21st among the highest-income counties in the United States with a per capita income of $33,638.
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History
In 1675, Bergen was included in a judicial district with Essex, Monmouth and Middlesex counties, while the territory was called East Jersey, a proprietary colony (as opposed to a royal colony). In 1683, Bergen (along with the three other counties) was officially recognized as an independent county by the Provincial Assembly[1]. 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 the November 1776 Battle of Fort Lee, 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. The Baylor Massacre took place in 1778 in River Vale, resulting in severe losses for the Americans.
Camp Merritt was created in eastern Bergen County for troop staging in World War I.
Bergen County is one of the last remaining areas of the country in which blue laws 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 Hunterdon[2][3].
Geography
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 639 km² (247 mi²). 606 km² (234 mi²) of it is land and 33 km² (13 mi²) 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.
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 tributaries) produced three reservoirs in the county, Woodcliff Lake Reservoir, Lake Tappan and Oradell Reservoir, which provide drinking water to much of northern New Jersey.
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.
Law and government
County Government
Bergen has had a County Executive form of government since 1986. The current County Executive is Democrat Dennis McNerney. The executive, along with the Board of Chosen Freeholders administer all county business. Bergen County's Freeholders (reflecting the results of the 2006 Reorganization meeting on January 4, 2006) are:
- Freeholder Chairwoman Bernadette P. McPherson of Rutherford
- Freeholder Vice-Chairman David L. Ganz of Fair Lawn
- Elizabeth Calabrese of Wallington
- James M. Carroll of Demarest
- Tomas J. Padilla of Park Ridge
- Elizabeth Randall of Westwood
- Valerie Vainieri Huttle of Englewood
State representatives
The seventy municipalities of Bergen County are represented by seven separate legislative districts. Three of these districts (the 37th, 38th and 39th) are situated entirely within the county, the others cross county boundaries.
Congressional representatives
Two federal Congressional Districts 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).
Blue laws
One of the last remaining blue laws in the United States that covers virtually all selling is found in Bergen County. It has produced the ironic situation that one of the largest and most popular commercial shopping cores of the New York metropolitan area is almost completely closed on Sunday (grocery stores are allowed to operate). Furthermore, Bergen County has significant Jewish and Muslim populations whose observant members would not be celebrating their Sabbath on Sunday with most of their Christian neighbors. The substantial Orthodox Jewish minority is placed in the position of being unable to shop either on Sunday (due to the blue laws) or on Saturday (due to religious observance).
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.
This desire for relative peace is most apparent in Paramus, where most of the county's largest shopping malls are located, along the intersecting highways of Route 4 and Route 17, which are jam-packed on many Saturdays. Paramus has enacted blue laws of its own that are even more restrictive than those enforced by Bergen County.
Transportation
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 New York City is primarily available for motorists through the George Washington Bridge in Fort Lee and the Lincoln Tunnel in Hudson County. Train service is available on three lines from New Jersey Transit: the Bergen County Line, 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 New York Waterways ferry service to the World Financial Center and other destinations. The Hudson-Bergen Light Rail is planned to connect the county with Hudson County in the near 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.
Demographics
| Census Year | Total Population | Population Change | Percent Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1880 | 36,786 |
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| 1890 | 47,226 | 10,440 | 28.4% |
| 1900 | 78,441 | 31,215 | 66.1% |
| 1910 | 138,002 | 59,561 | 52.6% |
| 1920 | 210,643 | 72,641 | 52.6% |
| 1930 | 364,977 | 154,334 | 73.3% |
| 1940 | 409,646 | 44,669 | 12.2% |
| 1950 | 539,139 | 129,493 | 31.6% |
| 1960 | 780,255 | 241,116 | 44.7% |
| 1970 | 897,148 | 116,893 | 15.0% |
| 1980 | 845,385 | -51,763 | -5.8% |
| 1990 | 825,380 | -20,005 | -2.4% |
| 884,118 | 58,738 | 7.1% |
As of the census² of 2000, there were 884,118 people, 330,817 households, and 235,210 families residing in the county. The population density was 1,458/km² (3,776/mi²). There were 339,820 housing units at an average density of 560/km² (1,451/mi²). 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 of the counties in New Jersey, leading Essex County by approximately 90,000 people. It is also fairly diverse. Fort Lee, Palisades Park, and other communities along the Hudson River have high Korean-American and Chinese-American populations of varying affluence. The southern and central portions have a fast-growing Italian-American community, who are also growing quickly in the more affluent northern portions. Bergenfield has become a center for Filipino-American and Indian-American immigrants, and Filipino-Americans have settled across the suburbs of Bergen County, notably in Englewood where they lead Asian representation with about 2 percent of the population. Hackensack, Fairview, Cliffside Park, and Teaneck have large Hispanic, particularly Colombian and Cuban communities, and Cliffside Park and Teaneck have many Arab-American residents. Fair Lawn, Englewood, Tenafly, Englewood Cliffs, Fort Lee, Woodcliff Lake, and Franklin Lakes have substantial Jewish-American and Russian-American communities. Wallington and Garfield are particularly Polish-American. There are significant African American communities in Englewood, Teaneck and Hackensack. There are also significant Croatian and Indian populations in Westwood and Emerson.
In the Forbes magazine 2006 ranking of the Most Expensive ZIP Codes in the United States, Alpine was ranked as the 15th most expensive in the country, with a median home sale price in 2005 of $1,790,000. In all, twelve Bergen County municipalities were represented on the list, including Englewood Cliffs (ranked #78; median sale price of $1,112,500), Saddle River (107; $997,000), Franklin Lakes (111; $985,000), Woodcliff Lake (266; $786,000), Haworth (342; $747,500), Demarest (350; $742,000), Ho-Ho-Kus (353; $740,000), Wyckoff (405; $700,000), Closter (452; $684,000) and Ridgewood (470; $675,000)[4].
Education
Bergen has several colleges and universities:
- Bergen Community College - Paramus
- Berkeley College - Paramus
- Dover Business College - Paramus
- Fairleigh Dickinson University - Teaneck, and Hackensack
- Felician College - Lodi and Rutherford
- Ramapo College - Mahwah
Bergen has some 45 public high schools, see this list. It also has at least 20 private high schools, see this list.
Municipalities
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.
Historical municipalities
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.
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Points of interest
Educational/Cultural
- New Jersey Naval Museum, Hackensack — There the USS Ling is moored in the Hackensack River and is available for tours as a museum ship.
- Aviation Hall of Fame and Museum of New Jersey, Teterboro Airport [1]
- The Bergen Museum of Art and Science, Paramus [2]
- Meadowlands Environment Center, Lyndhurst
Commercial/Entertainment
- Giants Stadium, East Rutherford
- Continental Airlines Arena, East Rutherford
- Meadowlands Racetrack, East Rutherford
- Garden State Plaza, shopping mall, Paramus
County parks
- 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, Paramus
County-owned historical sites
- Baylor Massacre site, River Vale
- Camp Merritt, Cresskill
- Campbell-Christie House, River Edge
- Easton Tower, Paramus
- Garretson Farm, Fair Lawn
- Gethsemane Cemetery, Little Ferry
- Washington Spring Garden, Paramus
- Wortendyke Barn, Park Ridge
State parks
- Ramapo Mountain State Forest, Mahwah
- Palisades Interstate Park, Fort Lee, Englewood Cliffs, Tenafly, Alpine
State-owned historical sites
- New Bridge Landing, New Milford, River Edge and Teaneck
- Steuben House, River Edge (at New Bridge Landing)
- The Hermitage, Ho-Ho-Kus
Other historical sites
References
External links
- Bergen County official website
- History of Bergen County, NJ
- Meadowlands Liberty Convention & Visitors Bureau
- Meadowlands Regional Chamber of Commerce
- Stay in the Meadowlands
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Bergen County, New Jersey