East Hanover Township, New Jersey facts for kids

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East Hanover Township, New Jersey

Township

Ellis Cook House

Seal

Location of Hanover Township in Morris County highlighted in red (right). Inset map: Location of Morris County in New Jersey highlighted in orange (left).

Census Bureau map of East Hanover, New Jersey

East Hanover Township, New Jersey

Location in Morris County, New Jersey

East Hanover Township, New Jersey

Location in New Jersey

East Hanover Township, New Jersey

Location in the United States

May 9, 1928

Government

• Type

Faulkner Act (small municipality)

• Body

Township Council

Area

• Total

8.10 sq mi (20.98 km²)

• Land

7.88 sq mi (20.40 km²)

• Water

0.23 sq mi (0.58 km²) 2.79%

Area rank

231st of 565 in state
19th of 39 in county

Elevation

226 ft (69 m)

Population

(2020)

• Total

11,105

• Estimate

(2023)

11,137

• Rank

224th of 565 in state
17th of 39 in county

• Density

1,410.2/sq mi (544.5/km²)

• Density rank

344th of 565 in state
21st of 39 in county

Time zone

UTC−05:00 (Eastern (EST))

• Summer (DST)

UTC−04:00 (Eastern (EDT))

ZIP Code

07936

Area code(s)

973

FIPS code

3402719210

GNIS feature ID

0882192

Website

East Hanover Township is a community in Morris County, New Jersey. It's a small town with about 11,105 people, according to the 2020 census.

The township is located between the Passaic and Whippany rivers. It shares borders with four towns in Essex County. You can drive to nearby Livingston and Roseland from East Hanover.

East Hanover is also home to some big companies. The North American headquarters for Mondelez International (which owns Nabisco) and the pharmaceutical company Novartis are both located here.

History of East Hanover

How East Hanover Got Its Name

The area was first established as the Township of Hanover on December 7, 1720. It was named after the British King George I, who was from the German House of Hanover.

The rivers, the Whippany River and the Passaic River, surround East Hanover. Because of this, the area was once called "Hanover Neck."

Growing and Changing Over Time

Hanover Township used to be much larger, covering big parts of Morris County and even some of Sussex and Warren County. As more people moved in, it became too big for one local government to manage. So, over time, smaller towns split off from the original township.

East Hanover officially became its own township on March 12, 1928. This happened after people voted on May 9, 1928, to split East Hanover Township and Parsippany–Troy Hills from the larger Hanover Township.

Geography of East Hanover

Where is East Hanover Located?

East Hanover Township covers about 8.10 square miles (20.98 square kilometers). Most of this area is land, with a small part being water.

Nearby Towns and Communities

Within East Hanover, you'll find smaller areas like Cooks Bridge, Hanover, Hanover Neck, and Swinefield Bridge.

The township borders several other towns. In Morris County, it's next to Florham Park, Hanover Township, Montville, and Parsippany–Troy Hills. It also borders towns in Essex County, including Fairfield Township, Livingston, Roseland, and West Caldwell.

Population and People

Historical population
Census	Pop.	%±
1930	946	—
1940	1,579	66.9%
1950	2,151	36.2%
1960	4,379	103.6%
1970	7,734	76.6%
1980	9,319	20.5%
1990	9,926	6.5%
2000	11,393	14.8%
2010	11,157	−2.1%
2020	11,105	−0.5%
2023 (est.)	11,137	−0.2%
Population sources:1930 1940–2000 2000 2010 2020

What the Numbers Show

In 2010, there were 11,157 people living in East Hanover. There were 3,893 households, which are groups of people living together.

Most people in East Hanover were White (85.11%). About 11.92% were Asian, and 0.83% were Black or African American. About 5.38% of the population was Hispanic or Latino.

Age and Families

About 21.5% of the people were under 18 years old. The average age in East Hanover was 45.6 years.

Many households (69.4%) were married couples living together. About 31.2% of households had children under 18. The average household had 2.86 people.

Education in East Hanover

Local Schools for Younger Students

The East Hanover School District serves students from pre-kindergarten through eighth grade. In the 2018–19 school year, about 908 students attended the three schools in the district. This means there was about one teacher for every 9.6 students.

The schools are:

Frank J. Smith Elementary School (Pre-K–2nd grade)
Central Elementary School (3rd–5th grade)
East Hanover Middle School (6th–8th grade)

High School Education

Students in ninth through twelfth grade attend Hanover Park High School in East Hanover. This high school is part of the Hanover Park Regional High School District. Students from Florham Park also attend this school.

Another high school in the district, Whippany Park High School, serves students from Hanover Township.

Former Catholic School

Saint Rose of Lima Academy was a Catholic school that taught students from preschool to eighth grade. It closed at the end of the 2015–2016 school year.

Transportation in East Hanover

Major Roads

Interstate 280 eastbound in East Hanover

East Hanover Township has about 58.58 miles of roads. Most of these roads are maintained by the township itself.

Interstate 280 is a major highway that goes through East Hanover. While there are no exits directly in the township, nearby exits connect to it. Route 10 is another important highway that helps people get around East Hanover.

Ridgedale Avenue (County Road 632) also runs through the township. It connects to Route 10 and Interstate 280 and is a central road in town.

Public Transport and Freight

NJ Transit offers bus service to Newark on the 73 route. There's also local bus service on the 872 route.

The Whippany Line of the Morristown and Erie Railway is a small freight train line that goes through the township. It was started in 1895 and runs from Morristown through East Hanover to Roseland.

Since 2016, the airline EVA Air has provided a private bus service for its customers. This bus travels to and from John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York City, with a stop in East Hanover.

The closest major airport is Newark Liberty International Airport. It is about 20 miles (32.2 km) east of East Hanover.

Media and News

Local Newspapers

East Hanover/Florham Park Life publishes a monthly newspaper, also available online. It covers news for East Hanover and nearby Florham Park.
The Hanover Eagle, run by the New Jersey Hills Media Group, publishes weekly local news for East Hanover and Hanover. It also has online versions.

Online News

You can find news about the township online from TAPInto East Hanover/Florham Park and the East Hanover-Florham Park Patch. Both also cover news for Florham Park. The official township website also shares news.

Places to Visit

Gate of Heaven Cemetery: This cemetery is operated by the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Newark and was established in 1937.

Notable People from East Hanover

Many interesting people have lived in or are connected to East Hanover:

Melanie Adams (born 1969), an educator and museum leader. She is the director of the Anacostia Community Museum in Washington, D.C.
Jerry Della Salla (born 1969), a soldier who fought in the Battle of Abu Ghraib. He later appeared in the movie Green Zone.
Jedd Fisch (born 1976), a football coach.
Mary Jane Marcasiano (born 1955), a fashion and costume designer, film producer, and social entrepreneur.
Nicole "Snooki" Polizzi (born 1987), a reality TV star from Jersey Shore.
Stephanie Pollack, an engineer and lawyer. She has been the Massachusetts Secretary of Transportation since 2015.
Frank Saul (1924–2019), a former National Basketball Association player.
Frank Sowinski, a former professional basketball player.
Buddy Valastro (born 1977), the owner of Carlo's Bakery, known from the TV show Cake Boss.