Passaic County ( ) is a

county A county is a geographic region of a country used for administrative or other purposes Chambers Dictionary, L. Brookes (ed.), 2005, Chambers Harrap Publishers Ltd, Edinburgh in certain modern nations. The term is derived from the Old French ...

in the U.S. state of

New Jersey New Jersey is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern regions of the United States. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York; on the east, southeast, and south by the Atlantic Ocean; on the west by the Delawa ...

that is part of the

New York metropolitan area The New York metropolitan area, also commonly referred to as the Tri-State area, is the largest metropolitan area in the world by urban area, urban landmass, at , and one of the list of most populous metropolitan areas, most populous urban agg ...

. As of the

2020 United States census The United States census of 2020 was the twenty-fourth decennial United States census. Census Day, the reference day used for the census, was April 1, 2020. Other than a pilot study during the 2000 census, this was the first U.S. census to off ...

, the population of Passaic County was enumerated at 524,118, an increase of 22,892 (4.6%) from the 501,226 counted at the 2010 U.S. census,DP-1: Profile of General Population and Housing Characteristics: 2010; 2010 Demographic Profile Data for Passaic County, New Jersey

United States Census Bureau The United States Census Bureau (USCB), officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the U.S. Federal Statistical System, responsible for producing data about the American people and economy. The Census Bureau is part of th ...

. Accessed January 13, 2013. in turn an increase of 12,177 (+2.5%) from the 489,049 counted in the 2000 census. The most populous place in Passaic County is Paterson, with 159,732 residents at the 2020 Census, more than 29% of the county's population, while West Milford covered , the largest total area of any municipality and more than 40% of the county's area. Passaic County was created on February 7, 1837, from portions of

Bergen Bergen (), historically Bjørgvin, is a city and municipalities of Norway, municipality in Vestland county on the Western Norway, west coast of Norway. , its population is roughly 285,900. Bergen is the list of towns and cities in Norway, secon ...

and

Essex Essex () is a Ceremonial counties of England, county in the East of England. One of the home counties, it borders Suffolk and Cambridgeshire to the north, the North Sea to the east, Hertfordshire to the west, Kent across the estuary of the Riv ...

counties.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. The county derives its name from "Pasaeck", which is a native Lenape word meaning "valley." The county is part of the North Jersey region.

Geography and climate

In recent years, average temperatures in the county seat of Paterson have ranged from a low of in January to a high of in July, although a record low of was recorded in January 1961 and a record high of was recorded in September 1953. Average monthly precipitation ranged from in February to in September. The county has a

humid continental climate A humid continental climate is a climatic region defined by Russo-German climatologist Wladimir Köppen in 1900, typified by four distinct seasons and large seasonal temperature differences, with warm to hot (and often humid) summers and freez ...

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 . The region is split by major roads, including portions of Interstate 287 and

Interstate 80 Interstate 80 (I-80) is an east–west transcontinental freeway that crosses the United States from downtown San Francisco, California, to Teaneck, New Jersey, in the New York metropolitan area. The highway was designated in 1956 as one ...

, near Paterson. The Garden State Parkway cuts across the southern end, near

Clifton Clifton may refer to: People * Clifton (surname) * Clifton (given name) Places Australia *Clifton, Queensland, a town ** Shire of Clifton *Clifton, New South Wales, a suburb of Wollongong * Clifton, Western Australia Canada * Clifton, Nova Sc ...

. The

Passaic River Passaic River ( ) is a river, approximately long, in Northern New Jersey. The river in its upper course flows in a highly circuitous route, meandering through the swamp lowlands between the ridge hills of rural and suburban northern New Jersey, ...

winds northeast past Totowa into Paterson, where the river then turns south to

Passaic Passaic ( or ) is a city in Passaic County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey. As of the 2020 U.S. census, the city had a total population of 70,537, ranking as the 16th largest municipality in New Jersey and an increase of 656 from the 69, ...

, on the way to Newark, further south. The highest point is any one of six areas on Bearfort Ridge in West Milford at approximately above sea level. The lowest elevation is approximately along the

. The southeastern, more populous half of the county is either flat near the river or mildly hilly. The northwestern section is rugged and mountainous. According to the 2010 Census, the county had a total area of , including of land (93.7%) and of water (6.35%).Census 2010 U.S. Gazetteer Files: New Jersey Counties

, Backed up by the

Internet Archive The Internet Archive is an American digital library with the stated mission of "universal access to all knowledge". It provides free public access to collections of digitized materials, including websites, software applications/games, music, ...

as of June 11, 2012. Accessed October 6, 2013.

Demographics

2020 Census

As of the Census of 2020, the county's had 524,118 people, 168,059 households, and 120,593 families. The

population density Population density (in agriculture: standing stock or plant density) is a measurement of population per unit land area. It is mostly applied to humans, but sometimes to other living organisms too. It is a key geographical term.Matt RosenberPopu ...

was . There were 185,367 housing units at an average density of . The county's racial makeup was 38.8%

White White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no hue). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully reflect and scatter all the visible wavelengths of light. White ...

, 9.9%

African American African Americans (also referred to as Black Americans and Afro-Americans) are an ethnic group consisting of Americans with partial or total ancestry from sub-Saharan Africa. The term "African American" generally denotes descendants of ens ...

, 0.13% Native American, 5.76% Asian, and 1.95% from two or more races.

Hispanic The term ''Hispanic'' ( es, hispano) refers to people, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or Hispanidad. The term commonly applies to countries with a cultural and historical link to Spain and to viceroyalties for ...

or Latino of any race were 42.74% of the population. Of the 168,059 households, of which 30.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 48.6% were

married couples Marriage, also called matrimony or wedlock, is a culturally and often legally recognized union between people called spouses. It establishes rights and obligations between them, as well as between them and their children, and between ...

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. 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. 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 The poverty threshold, poverty limit, poverty line or breadline is the minimum level of income deemed adequate in a particular country. The poverty line is usually calculated by estimating the total cost of one year's worth of necessities for ...

, including 24.7% of those under age 18 and 11.6% of those age 65 or over.

2010 Census

Same-sex couples headed one in 149 households in 2010.

2000 Census

As of the

2000 United States census The United States census of 2000, conducted by the Census Bureau, determined the resident population of the United States on April 1, 2000, to be 281,421,906, an increase of 13.2 percent over the 248,709,873 people enumerated during the 1990 c ...

U.S. Census website
,

. Accessed September 4, 2014. there were 489,049 people, 163,856 households, and 119,614 families residing in the county. The population density was . There were 170,048 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the county was 62.32%

, 13.22%

Black Black is a color which results from the absence or complete absorption of visible light. It is an achromatic color, without hue, like white and grey. It is often used symbolically or figuratively to represent darkness. Black and white ha ...

, 0.44% Native American, 3.69% Asian, 0.04%

Pacific Islander Pacific Islanders, Pasifika, Pasefika, or rarely Pacificers are the peoples of the Pacific Islands. As an ethnic/ racial term, it is used to describe the original peoples—inhabitants and diasporas—of any of the three major subregions of O ...

, 16.24% from other races, and 4.05% from two or more races. 29.95% of the population were

or Latino of any race.DP-1 - Profile of General Demographic Characteristics: 2000; Census 2000 Summary File 1 (SF 1) 100-Percent Data for Passaic County, New Jersey

. Accessed January 23, 2013.Tables DP-1 to DP-4 from Census 2000 for Passaic County, New Jersey

, backed up by the

as of July 6, 2008. Accessed October 1, 2013. Among those who reported their ancestry, 16.6% were of Italian, 9.5% Irish, 8.1%

German German(s) may refer to: * Germany (of or related to) **Germania (historical use) * Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language ** For citizens of Germany, see also German nationality law **Ge ...

and 6.2% Polish ancestry according to Census 2000. There were 163,856 households, out of which 35.60% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 51.50% were

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. 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. 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 Per capita income (PCI) or total income measures the average income earned per person in a given area (city, region, country, etc.) in a specified year. It is calculated by dividing the area's total income by its total population. Per capita i ...

for the county was $21,370. About 9.40% of families and 12.30% of the population were below the

, including 17.30% of those under age 18 and 9.20% of those age 65 or over.

Government

County government

City of Paterson, NJ from Garret Mountain

The Passaic County Court House and Administrative Building complex is located at the

county seat A county seat is an administrative center, seat of government, or capital city of a county or civil parish. The term is in use in Canada, China, Hungary, Romania, Taiwan, and the United States. The equivalent term shire town is used in the US ...

in Paterson. In Passaic County's commission form of government, the

Board of County Commissioners A county commission (or a board of county commissioners) is a group of elected officials (county commissioners) collectively charged with administering the county government in some states of the United States; such commissions usually comprise ...

discharges both executive and legislative responsibilities. Seven Commissioners are elected at-large for three-year terms on a staggered basis. A Director and a Deputy Director are elected from among the seven Commissioners at an annual reorganization meeting in January. 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 county government. In 2016, commissioners were paid $28,500 and the director was paid an annual salary of $29,500. The Commissioners select a County Administrator who, in the role of chief administrative officer, supervises the day-to-day operation of county government and its departments; Anthony J. DeNova III is the County Administrator. , Passaic County's Commissioners are Director Bruce James ( D,

, term as commissioner ends December 31, 2023; term as director ends 2022), Deputy Director Cassandra "Sandi" Lazzara (D, Little Falls, term as commissioner ends 2024; term as deputy director ends 2022), John W. Bartlett (D, Wayne, 2024), Theodore O. "T.J." Best Jr. (D, Paterson, 2023), Terry Duffy (D, West Milford, 2022), Nicolino Gallo ( R, Totowa, 2024) and Pasquale "Pat" Lepore (D, Woodland Park, 2022).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)."''Passaic County 2021 Directory''
Passaic County, New Jersey, updated as of April 2021. Accessed April 29, 2022.2021 General Election November 2, 2021 Official Results
Passaic County, New Jersey, updated November 18, 2021. Accessed January 1, 2022.November 3, 2020 Summary Report Official Results
Passaic County, New Jersey, updated November 20, 2020. Accessed January 1, 2021.2019 General Election November 5, 2019 Summary Report Passaic County Official Results
Passaic County, New Jersey, updated November 18, 2019. Accessed January 1, 2020. Constitutional officers, elected on a countywide basis are County Clerk Danielle Ireland-Imhof ( D, Hawthorne, 2023), Sheriff Richard H. Berdnik (D, Clifton, 2022) and Surrogate Zoila S. Cassanova (D, Wayne, 2026). 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 Christopher James Christie (born September 6, 1962) is an American politician, lawyer, political commentator, lobbyist, and former federal prosecutor who served as the 55th governor of New Jersey from 2010 to 2018. Christie, who was born in N ...

in June 2015. Passaic County constitutes Vicinage 11 of the

New Jersey Superior Court The Superior Court is the state court in the U.S. state of New Jersey, with statewide trial and appellate jurisdiction. The New Jersey Constitution of 1947 establishes the power of the New Jersey courts.Jeffrey S. Mandel, New Jersey Appellate Pr ...

and is seated at the Passaic County Courthouse in Paterson; the Assignment Judge for Vicinage 11 is Ernest M. Caposela. Law enforcement at the county level is provided by the Passaic County Sheriff and the Passaic County Prosecutor's Office.

Federal representatives

Three

Congressional District Congressional districts, also known as electoral districts and legislative districts, electorates, or wards in other nations, are divisions of a larger administrative region that represent the population of a region in the larger congressional bod ...

s 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.

State representatives

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

Policing

The Passaic County sheriff's department provides law enforcement functions throughout the entirety of Passaic 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 Courthouse/Administration Complex. The incorporated cities within the county: Paterson, Passaic City, Clifton, Bloomingdale, Pompton Lakes, and Prospect Park have separate municipal police departments.

Transportation

Public transportation

Passaic County has a number

NJ Transit New Jersey Transit Corporation, branded as NJ Transit, and often shortened to NJT, is a state-owned public transportation system that serves the U.S. state of New Jersey, along with portions of New York State and Pennsylvania. It operates bu ...

stations, including Montclair State university, Little Falls, Wayne/RT 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,

and Delawanna.

Roads and highways

Passaic County has numerous important roads that travel within its borders: 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

. Route 23 runs through the western section of the county, while both Route 3 and Route 161 go through

. 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

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. Among the county's 2010 Census population, 53.2% (vs. 53.2% in Passaic County) were registered to vote, including 70.8% of those ages 18 and over (vs. 70.8% countywide).Voter Registration Summary - Passaic

New Jersey Department of State The secretary of state of New Jersey oversees the Department of State, which is one of the original state offices. The Secretary is responsible for overseeing artistic, cultural, and historical programs within the U.S. state of New Jersey, as ...

Division of Elections, March 23, 2011. Accessed January 13, 2013. In the

2008 File:2008 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: Lehman Brothers went bankrupt following the Subprime mortgage crisis; Cyclone Nargis killed more than 138,000 in Myanmar; A scene from the opening ceremony of the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing; ...

and 2012 presidential elections, Democrat

Barack Obama Barack Hussein Obama II ( ; born August 4, 1961) is an American politician who served as the 44th president of the United States from 2009 to 2017. A member of the Democratic Party (United States), Democratic Party, Obama was the first Af ...

received over 60% of the vote here in both elections. However, in the 2016 presidential election Democratic support declined to 59.5% and the

2020 presidential election This national electoral calendar for 2020 lists the national/ federal elections held in 2020 in all sovereign states and their dependent territories. By-elections are excluded, though national referendums are included. January *5 January: ** ...

saw Democratic support decline to 57.5% or a margin of 16.5% over Republican President Donald Trump, which is slightly wider than the state as a whole. In the 2009 gubernatorial election, Democrat Jon Corzine received 50.8% of the vote here (57,010 ballots cast), ahead of Republican

with 43.2% (48,500 votes), Independent Chris Daggett with 3.8% (4,288 votes) and other candidates with 0.9% (981 votes), among the 112,278 ballots cast by the county's 262,723 registered voters, yielding a 42.7% turnout. In the 2013 gubernatorial election, Republican Governor Chris Christie received 52.9% of the vote (53,858 votes) to Democrat

Barbara Buono Barbara A. Buono (born July 28, 1953) is an American politician who served in the New Jersey Senate from 2002 to 2014, where she represented the 18th Legislative District. She served from 2010 to 2012 as the Majority Leader in the Senate, succ ...

's 45.9% (46,825 votes), marking the only time in the 21st century the county voted Republican. In the 2017 gubernatorial election, Democrat Phil Murphy received 60.3% of the vote (57,415 votes) to Republican

Kim Guadagno Kimberly Ann Guadagno (; ''née'' McFadden; born April 13, 1959) is an American lawyer and politician who served as the first lieutenant governor and 33rd secretary of state of New Jersey from 2010 to 2018. Guadagno was the Republican nomine ...

's 38.0% (36,230 votes). In the 2021 gubernatorial election, Democratic Governor Phil Murphy received 51.5% of the vote (57,812 votes) to Republican Jack Ciattarelli's 47.7% (53,551 votes).

Municipalities

The 16 municipalities in Passaic County (with 2010 Census data for population, housing units and area in square miles) are: Other, unincorporated communities in the county are listed next to their parent municipality. Most of these areas are

census-designated place A census-designated place (CDP) is a concentration of population defined by the United States Census Bureau for statistical purposes only. CDPs have been used in each decennial census since 1980 as the counterparts of incorporated places, suc ...

s (CDPs) that have been created by the

for enumeration purposes within a

Township A township is a kind of human settlement or administrative subdivision, with its meaning varying in different countries. Although the term is occasionally associated with an urban area, that tends to be an exception to the rule. In Australia, ...

. Other communities and enclaves that exist within a municipality are also listed next to the name.

Economy

Toys "R" Us Toys "R" Us is an American toy, clothing, and baby product retailer owned by Tru Kids (doing business as Tru Kids Brands) and various others. The company was founded in 1957; its first store was built in April 1948, with its headquarters loca ...

' former US

corporate headquarters Corporate headquarters is the part of a corporate structure that deals with important tasks such as strategic planning, corporate communications, taxes, law, books of record, marketing, finance, human resources, and information technology. Corpo ...

was in Wayne. * Valley National Bank's

is in Wayne. * Linens ‘n Things's headquarters office was in Clifton and employed 17,500 before closing in 2009. *

JVC JVC (short for Japan Victor Company) is a Japanese brand owned by JVCKenwood corporation. Founded in 1927 as the Victor Talking Machine Company of Japan and later as , the company is best known for introducing Japan's first televisions and for ...

has their US office in Wayne and employ approximately 19,040.

Education

* Passaic County Community College, founded in 1971, serves students from Passaic County at campuses in Paterson, Wanaque and Wayne. *

William Paterson University William Paterson University, officially William Paterson University of New Jersey (WPUNJ), is a public university in Wayne, New Jersey. It is part of New Jersey's public system of higher education. Founded in 1855 and was named after American j ...

, established in 1855, is a public university located in Wayne. * Montclair State University, founded in 1908, is a public university located in Montclair, as well as portions of Little Falls and

. * 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 areaThe 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 The American Revolutionary War (April 19, 1775 – September 3, 1783), also known as the Revolutionary War or American War of Independence, was a major war of the American Revolution. Widely considered as the war that secured the independence of t ...

. *

Garret Mountain Reservation Garret Mountain Reservation (also spelled Garrett) is a park located on First Watchung Mountain (Garret Mountain) in Paterson and Woodland Park (formerly West Paterson) in southern Passaic County, New Jersey. In 1967, it was designated a Natio ...

in Paterson and Woodland Park is a National Natural Landmark covering . * Paterson Great Falls National Historical Park in Paterson * High Mountain Park Preserve in Wayne * Lambert Castle in Paterson * Long Pond Ironworks State Park in West Milford * Paterson Museum, housed in the Rogers Locomotive and Machine Works in Paterson * Ringwood State Park in Ringwood * 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 which include a

Lilac ''Syringa'' is a genus of 12 currently recognized species of flowering woody plants in the olive family or Oleaceae called lilacs. These lilacs are native to woodland and scrub from southeastern Europe to eastern Asia, and widely and commonl ...

Garden,

Magnolia ''Magnolia'' is a large genus of about 210 to 340The number of species in the genus ''Magnolia'' depends on the taxonomic view that one takes up. Recent molecular and morphological research shows that former genera ''Talauma'', ''Dugandiodendr ...

Walk, the Wild Flower Garden, the Crab Apple Vista, an allée of 166 trees extending almost a half-mile, and the Perennial Garden. * Yogi Berra Stadium in Little Falls - Located on the campus of Montclair State University, the stadium is home to the

New Jersey Jackals The New Jersey Jackals are an American professional baseball team based in Passaic County, New Jersey, United States. The team was founded in 1998 by Floyd Hall and is owned by Al Dorso, a businessman who also owns the Sussex County Miners, Sk ...

of the independent

Can-Am League The Canadian American Association of Professional Baseball, commonly known as the Can-Am League, was a professional, independent baseball league with teams in the Northeast United States and Eastern Canada, founded in 2005 as a reorganization of ...

as well as Montclair State's baseball team. The stadium has a capacity of 5,000 persons with permanent seating of 3,784 people and lawn seating which holds an additional 1,500.Yogi Berra Stadium History

. Accessed August 31, 2014.

References

External links

Passaic County web site
{{authority control 1837 establishments in New Jersey Counties in the New York metropolitan area North Jersey Populated places established in 1837