Bloomfield, New Jersey facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Bloomfield, New Jersey
Township
Frank M. Leo Associates Building in downtown Bloomfield
Seal
Bloomfield, New Jersey Location in Essex County, New Jersey Show map of Essex County, New Jersey Bloomfield, New Jersey Location in New Jersey Show map of New Jersey Bloomfield, New Jersey Location in the United States Show map of the United States
Country	United States
State	New Jersey
County	Essex
Incorporated	March 23, 1812
Named for	Joseph Bloomfield
Government
• Type	Special charter
• Body	Township Council
Area
• Total	5.36 sq mi (13.88 km2)
• Land	5.34 sq mi (13.82 km2)
• Water	0.02 sq mi (0.06 km2)  0.45%
Area rank	268th of 565 in state 7th of 22 in county
Elevation	174 ft (53 m)
Population  (2020)
• Total	53,105
• Estimate  (2023)	53,702
• Rank	36th of 565 in state 4th of 22 in county
• Density	9,950.3/sq mi (3,841.8/km2)
• Density rank	38th of 565 in state 6th of 22 in county
Time zone	UTC−05:00 (Eastern (EST))
• Summer (DST)	UTC−04:00 (Eastern (EDT))
ZIP Code	07003
Area code(s)	862/973
FIPS code	3401306260
GNIS feature ID	1729714

Bloomfield is a township in Essex County, New Jersey. It's a town located close to Newark. In 2020, about 53,105 people lived there. Bloomfield is home to the Bloomfield Green Historic District, which became a special historic place in 1978.

History of Bloomfield

Early Settlers and European Arrival

The first people to live in the Bloomfield area were the Lenape Native Americans. Later, in the late 1600s, English settlers from Newark began to move into the area. Over time, Dutch families also bought land and settled here. This led to different neighborhoods with English and Dutch speakers.

Bloomfield During the Revolutionary War

Many people from Bloomfield fought in the American Revolutionary War. While no major battles happened here, the area was part of the Continental Army's path after the Battle of Long Island. It's believed that General George Washington himself visited some homes in Bloomfield. The area known as The Green was set aside for training local soldiers.

How Bloomfield Got Its Name

Presbyterian Church, for which the township was named

The Presbyterian Church in Bloomfield was formed in 1794. It was named after Joseph Bloomfield, who was a general leading New Jersey troops at the time. He later became the governor of New Jersey. On March 23, 1812, Bloomfield officially became a township.

Growth and Changes Over Time

When Bloomfield first became a township, it was much larger. Over the years, several other towns like Belleville, Montclair, and Glen Ridge were formed from parts of Bloomfield.

In its early years, the northern part of Bloomfield had many farms, while the southern part became more industrial. Factories like the Oakes woollen mill, which supplied the Union Army, became very important. The Morris Canal also passed through Bloomfield, helping with transportation.

In the 20th century, big companies like GE, Westinghouse, and Schering built large facilities here. The Charms Candy Company also started in Bloomfield. After World War I, many farms became neighborhoods, and the town grew a lot until the 1950s. During World War II, Bloomfield's factories and farms helped the war effort, with many women working to support the country.

Later in the 20th century, many factories closed due to new rules and competition. This, along with the building of the Garden State Parkway, changed the town. In recent years, Bloomfield has been focusing on becoming more of a residential town, with new homes and services.

Geography and Location

Bloomfield covers about 5.36 square miles (13.9 km²) (13.88 km²) of land. A very small part is water.

Neighborhoods in Bloomfield

Bloomfield has several neighborhoods. Some of these are called census-designated places (CDPs), which means they are recognized for counting purposes by the U.S. Census Bureau. These include:

• Silver Lake (shared with Belleville)
• Brookdale
• Watsessing
• Ampere North

Bloomfield is part of the larger New York metropolitan area. It shares borders with several other towns in Essex County, including Belleville, East Orange, Glen Ridge, Montclair, Newark, and Nutley. It also borders Clifton in Passaic County.

Population and People

In 2014, the cost of living in Bloomfield was about 20% higher than the average for the United States.

Population in 2020

The 2020 United States census showed that Bloomfield had a population of 53,105 people. This was a good increase from the 2010 census.

The town is very diverse, with people from many different backgrounds. The table below shows the racial and ethnic makeup of Bloomfield:

Parks and Recreation in Bloomfield

Bloomfield has several great parks for outdoor activities.

• Brookdale Park is a large park that covers over 121 acres (49 ha). Most of it is in Bloomfield, and it's the third-largest park in Essex County.
• Watsessing Park is another big park, covering about 69.67 acres (28.19 ha). It's shared with East Orange and has parts of the Second River flowing through it. It's the fourth-largest park in the county.

Both Brookdale and Watsessing Parks are managed by the Essex County Department of Parks, Recreation, and Cultural Affairs. Besides these, the Bloomfield Parks and Recreation Department manages eight other parks in the town.

Education in Bloomfield

Public Schools

The Bloomfield Public Schools serve students from pre-kindergarten all the way through twelfth grade. The district has 11 schools, including:

• Early Childhood Center at Forest Glen (PreK)
• Berkeley Elementary School (K-6)
• Brookdale Elementary School (K-6)
• Carteret Elementary School (K-6)
• Demarest Elementary School (K-6)
• Fairview Elementary School (PreK-6)
• Franklin Elementary School (K-6)
• Oak View Elementary School (PreK-6)
• Watsessing Elementary School (K-6)
• Bloomfield Middle School (7-8)
• Bloomfield High School / Bridges Academy (9-12)

There is also Bloomfield Tech High School, which is a special public high school for students across Essex County. It offers job-focused and academic classes.

Catholic Schools

Saint Thomas the Apostle Parish School is a Catholic school in Bloomfield that serves students from kindergarten to 8th grade.

Colleges and Universities

Bloomfield College is a liberal arts college located in downtown Bloomfield. It was founded in 1868 and has about 2,000 students.

Transportation in Bloomfield

Roads and Highways

View north along the Garden State Parkway in Bloomfield

Bloomfield has many miles of roads. The main highway that goes through Bloomfield is the Garden State Parkway. This is the longest road in New Jersey. It has several exits in Bloomfield, and the Essex toll plaza is also located here. There are also rest stops on the Parkway in Bloomfield.

Other important county roads like County Road 506 and 509 also serve the town.

Train Service

Bloomfield has two train stations on the NJ Transit Montclair-Boonton Line:

• The Bloomfield train station is in the downtown area.
• The Watsessing Avenue station is located underground.

These trains can take you to Hoboken Terminal or to Penn Station in Midtown Manhattan.

Light Rail Service

The Grove Street station is part of the Newark Light Rail system. It connects Bloomfield to Newark Penn Station. This light rail line was extended to Bloomfield in 2002.

Bus Service

NJ Transit offers many bus routes in Bloomfield. You can take buses to and from Newark and also to the Port Authority Bus Terminal in New York City. There's even a Go Bus route that goes from the Bloomfield Train Station to Newark Liberty International Airport.

Airports

Bloomfield is conveniently located near two major airports:

• Newark Liberty International Airport is about 7.5 miles (12.1 km) away.
• LaGuardia Airport in Queens, New York, is about 28.8 miles (46.3 km) away.

Places to Visit

• Glendale Cemetery is a historic cemetery.
• Holsten's Brookdale Confectionery is a famous ice cream parlor. It was used as a filming location for the final scene of the TV show The Sopranos.
• The Oakes Estate is a beautiful historic home built in 1895. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1981.

Notable Events

In 1942, the Westinghouse Lamp Plant in Bloomfield played a big role in the Manhattan Project. They produced most of the uranium metal used in the Chicago Pile-1, which was the world's first self-sustaining nuclear chain reaction. This was an important step in creating the first atomic bomb.

Famous People from Bloomfield

Many interesting people have been born in, lived in, or are connected to Bloomfield. Here are a few: