Bayonne, New Jersey facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Bayonne
City
The Bayonne Bridge in May 2019
Flag Seal
Bayonne Location in Hudson County, New Jersey Show map of Hudson County, New Jersey Bayonne Location in New Jersey Show map of New Jersey Bayonne Location in the United States Show map of the United States
Country	United States
State	New Jersey
County	Hudson
Incorporated	April 1, 1861 (as township)
Incorporated	March 10, 1869 (as city)
Named for	Bayonne, France, or location on two bays
Government
• Type	Faulkner Act Mayor-Council
• Body	City Council
Area
• Total	11.22 sq mi (29.06 km2)
• Land	5.82 sq mi (15.08 km2)
• Water	5.40 sq mi (13.98 km2)  47.50%
Area rank	201st of 565 in state 2nd of 12 in county
Elevation	7 ft (2 m)
Population  (2020)
• Total	71,686
• Estimate  (2023)	70,300
• Rank	541st in country (as of 2023) 15th of 565 in state 2nd of 12 in county
• Density	12,315.1/sq mi (4,754.9/km2)
• Density rank	24th of 565 in state 10th of 12 in county
Time zone	UTC−05:00 (Eastern (EST))
• Summer (DST)	UTC−04:00 (Eastern (EDT))
ZIP Code	07002
Area codes	201
FIPS code	3401703580
GNIS feature ID	0885151

Bayonne is a city in Hudson County, New Jersey. It's located on a piece of land called Bergen Neck, which is like a finger of land between Newark Bay to the west, the Kill Van Kull to the south, and New York Bay to the east.

In 2020, Bayonne had a population of 71,686 people. This made it the 15th most populated city in New Jersey.

Bayonne started as a township in 1861. It became a city in 1869. Back then, it included smaller areas like Bergen Point, Constable Hook, Centreville, Pamrapo, and Saltersville.

Even today, jobs in manufacturing, shipping, and port activities are very important for Bayonne's economy. A part of the big Port of New York and New Jersey is in Bayonne, as well as the Cape Liberty Cruise Port, where cruise ships leave from.

History of Bayonne

The area where Bayonne is now was first home to Native Americans. Later, the Netherlands claimed the land after Henry Hudson explored the Hudson River.

One idea about the name "Bayonne" is that it came from Bayonne, France. Another idea is that it was named by land buyers because the area is located on two bays: Newark Bay and New York Bay.

In 1915 and 1916, workers in Bayonne went on strike. They wanted better pay and working conditions from companies like Standard Oil of New Jersey. During these strikes, some workers were killed.

Geography and Climate

Bayonne's Location

An 1837 map of Bayonne, oriented with north pointing to the right

Bayonne is on a peninsula called Bergen Neck. It's surrounded by water: Upper New York Bay to the east, Newark Bay to the west, and Kill Van Kull to the south.

The city covers about 11 square miles, with almost half of that being water. Bayonne is east of Newark and west of Brooklyn. It shares a land border with Jersey City to the north. The Bayonne Bridge connects Bayonne to Staten Island.

Some smaller areas within Bayonne include Bergen Point, Constable Hook, and Port Johnson.

Bayonne's Weather

Bayonne has a humid subtropical climate. This means it has hot, humid summers and mild winters. The average temperature in January is about 32 degrees Fahrenheit, and in July, it's about 77 degrees Fahrenheit.

People of Bayonne

Bayonne is a very diverse city. Many different groups of people live here, including Italian Americans, Irish Americans, Polish Americans, Indian Americans, Egyptian Americans, Dominican Americans, Puerto Ricans, Mexican Americans, Salvadoran Americans, and Pakistani Americans.

Economy and Jobs

Bayonne has a long history of industry, especially in shipbuilding and manufacturing. The city was once home to a large Standard Oil Refinery.

Some parts of Bayonne are in an Urban Enterprise Zone (UEZ). This program helps businesses by offering benefits like a lower sales tax rate. Shoppers in these zones pay half the normal state sales tax. This encourages people to shop and businesses to open in Bayonne.

The Bayonne Town Center, located on Broadway, has many stores, restaurants, and banks. The Bayonne Medical Center is a hospital and the city's largest employer, with over 1,200 workers.

Large stores like Lowe's and Wal-Mart are located at Bayonne Crossing on Route 440.

The former Military Ocean Terminal at Bayonne is now a new area called the Peninsula at Bayonne Harbor. It has new homes and businesses, including the Cape Liberty Cruise Port. There is also a special memorial park called "Tear of Grief" here. It's a 100-foot tall monument remembering the victims of the September 11 terrorist attacks and the 1993 World Trade Center bombing.

The company Henry Repeating Arms, which makes firearms, moved to Bayonne in 2009.

Parks and Fun Activities

The Hackensack RiverWalk starts at Collins Park in Bergen Point. You can also find 16th Street Park along the bay. Rutowski Park is a wetlands preserve and part of the RiverWalk. It's located next to the Stephen R. Gregg Hudson County Park.

The Hudson River Waterfront Walkway is a path planned to go for over 18 miles from the Bayonne Bridge to the George Washington Bridge.

In 2015, the Bayonne Hometown Fair was brought back. It's a popular event for the community and visitors.

Local Services

City Utilities

The Bayonne Municipal Utilities Authority (BMUA) uses wind power in New Jersey. They built the first wind turbine in the New York City area in 2012.

Fire Department

Fire Station # 3

The Bayonne Fire Department (BFD) has about 161 full-time firefighters. They work out of five fire stations around the city. The department has many fire engines, ladder trucks, and special rescue vehicles, including a fireboat. They are also part of a special team that helps with major rescue situations in North Jersey.

Education in Bayonne

Public Schools

Bayonne Free Public Library and Cultural Center

The Bayonne School District serves students from pre-kindergarten all the way through high school. There are 13 schools in the district, with over 10,000 students.

Some of the schools include:

• John M. Bailey School No. 12
• Mary J. Donohoe No. 4
• Henry E. Harris No. 1
• Lincoln Community School No. 5
• Horace Mann No. 6
• Nicholas Oresko School No. 14
• Dr. Walter F. Robinson No. 3
• William Shemin Midtown Community School No. 8
• Phillip G. Vroom No. 2
• George Washington Community School No. 9
• Woodrow Wilson School No. 10
• Bayonne High School
• Bayonne Alternative High School

Bayonne High School is special because it has its own ice rink for its hockey team. Several schools in Bayonne have received the National Blue Ribbon School Award of Excellence for being excellent schools.

Private Schools

Bayonne also has private schools. All Saints Catholic Academy serves students from Pre-K through 8th grade. It was recognized as an "Exemplary High Performing School" in 2017.

Marist High School, a Catholic high school, closed in 2020 due to financial problems and fewer students. Holy Family Academy, a girls' high school, also closed in 2013 for similar reasons.

The Yeshiva Gedolah of Bayonne is a Jewish high school and religious study center.

Libraries and Museums

Bayonne has several places for learning and culture:

• The Bayonne Public Library
• The Bayonne Community Museum
• The Bayonne Firefighters Museum
• The Joyce-Herbert VFW Post 226 Veterans Museum

Media and Culture

Bayonne is part of the New York media market, so you can find most major newspapers there. Local news is covered by the Jersey Journal and the Bayonne Community News.

The city hosts an Annual Outdoor Art Show where local artists show their work.

Bayonne has been mentioned in books and TV shows. For example, the novel Winter's Tale talks about "The Bayonne Marsh." Jackie Gleason, a famous entertainer, often mentioned Bayonne in his TV show The Honeymooners.

Many films have been set or filmed in Bayonne, including:

• Mortal Thoughts (1991)
• Men of Honor (2000)
• Hysterical Blindness (2002)
• War of the Worlds (2005), which shows the Bayonne Bridge being destroyed.
• A Beautiful Mind (2001)
• The Wrestler (2008)

The comic strip Piranha Club is also set in Bayonne.

Religion in Bayonne

The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Newark oversees Catholic churches in Bayonne. There are also Jewish synagogues, including Temple Beth Am, Temple Emanu-El, Ohav Zedek, and Chabad.

Getting Around Bayonne

Roads and Bridges

View west along Interstate 78 (New Jersey Turnpike Newark Bay Extension) in Bayonne

Bayonne has over 76 miles of roads. The Bayonne Bridge is a very important bridge that connects Bayonne to Staten Island. It's one of the longest steel arch bridges in the world. It was made even taller in 2017 so that larger cargo ships could pass underneath it.

Major roads like Interstate 78 (part of the New Jersey Turnpike) pass through Bayonne. This highway connects to Jersey City, Manhattan (through the Holland Tunnel), and Newark.

Other important roads include Kennedy Boulevard (County Route 501) and Route 440.

Public Transportation

8th Street station

The Hudson-Bergen Light Rail has four stops in Bayonne:

• 45th Street
• 34th Street
• 22nd Street
• 8th Street (the last stop to the south)

Bus service is also available on main streets like Broadway, Kennedy Boulevard, and Avenue C. NJ Transit and other private bus lines provide these services. Some buses go to Jersey City, and one bus route (S89) even connects Bayonne to Staten Island.

Cool Places to See

Kill Van Kull meets Newark Bay

Rutkowski Park

• The Bayonne Bridge is a huge and famous bridge.
• Bergen Point is a neighborhood at the southern tip of Bayonne.
• Constable Hook has old burial grounds and the Bayonne Golf Club.
• Shooters Island is a small island that is a bird sanctuary. Part of it is in Bayonne.
• To the Struggle Against World Terrorism is a 100-foot tall sculpture given to the U.S. by Russia. It's a memorial to the victims of the September 11 attacks and the 1993 World Trade Center bombing.

Historic Places and Museums

Many places in Bayonne are listed on the National Register of Historic Places:

• Bayonne Truck House No. 1, which is now the Bayonne Firefighters Museum.
• Bayonne Trust Company, which is now the Bayonne Community Museum.
• First Reformed Dutch Church of Bergen Neck, built in 1866.
• Robbins Reef Light – a lighthouse built in 1883.
• St. Vincent de Paul R.C. Church, built between 1927 and 1930.
• Hale-Whitney Mansion

Famous People from Bayonne

See also

In Spanish: Bayonne (Nueva Jersey) para niños