Hackensack, New Jersey facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Hackensack, New Jersey
City
The Bergen County Court House, designed in the American Renaissance style
Seal
Motto(s):  A City in Motion
Location of Hackensack in Bergen County highlighted in red (left). Inset map: Location of Bergen County in New Jersey highlighted in orange (right). <mapframe text="Interactive map of Hackensack, New Jersey" zoom="8" width="250" height="250"> { "type": "ExternalData", "service": "geoshape", "ids": "Q138458" } </mapframe>
Hackensack, New Jersey Location in Bergen County, New Jersey Show map of Bergen County, New Jersey Hackensack, New Jersey Location in New Jersey Show map of New Jersey Hackensack, New Jersey Location in the United States Show map of the United States
Country	United States
State	New Jersey
County	Bergen
Settled	1665 (as New Barbadoes)
Incorporated	October 31, 1693 (as New Barbadoes Township)
Reincorporated	November 21, 1921 (as a city under current name)
Government
• Type	1923 Municipal Manager Law
• Body	City Council
Area
• Total	4.35 sq mi (11.27 km2)
• Land	4.19 sq mi (10.86 km2)
• Water	0.16 sq mi (0.41 km2)  3.63%
Area rank	287th of 565 in state 16th of 70 in county
Elevation	20 ft (6 m)
Population  (2020)
• Total	46,030
• Estimate  (2023)	45,736
• Rank	45th of 565 in state 1st of 70 in county
• Density	10,983.1/sq mi (4,240.6/km2)
• Density rank	33rd of 565 in state 10th of 70 in county
Time zone	UTC−05:00 (Eastern (EST))
• Summer (DST)	UTC−04:00 (Eastern (EDT))
ZIP Code	07601
Area code(s)	201
FIPS code	3400328680
GNIS feature ID	885236

Hackensack is a city in New Jersey, USA. It's the biggest city in Bergen County and also where the county government is located. For a long time, it was called New Barbadoes Township, but people started calling it Hackensack way back in the 1700s.

In 2020, about 46,030 people lived in Hackensack. This was the highest number of people ever counted in the city!

Hackensack is a close neighbor to New York City. It's about 12 miles (19 km) northwest of Midtown Manhattan. You can even see the New York City skyline from some parts of Hackensack.

The Fairleigh Dickinson University has a campus here, right by the Hackensack River. Hackensack was also home to the New Jersey Naval Museum and the World War II submarine USS Ling. A famous astronaut, Wally Schirra, grew up in Hackensack.

The city has many different kinds of areas. You'll find a big hospital, tall apartment buildings, quiet neighborhoods with single-family homes, and older homes on large lots. There are also industrial areas, parks, and a busy downtown shopping district.

Hackensack's Story: A Look at Its Past

Map of Hackensack around 1896

The first people known to live in this area were the Lenape (Lenni Lenape) tribe. They were an Algonquian group, and settlers later called them 'the Delaware Indians.' They lived along a river they called Achinigeu-hach, which meant "stony ground." Today, we know this river as the Hackensack River. The city's name, Hackensack, likely comes from this Native American tribe.

In 1665, a Lenape leader named Chief Oratam gave land along the Hackensack River to the Dutch West India Company. The English took over the area in 1667 but kept the Dutch name. Philip Cartaret, the governor, named a part of the area "New Barbadoes."

In 1683, Bergen County was officially recognized as an independent county. The county's seal shows an agreement between the European settlers and the Native Americans.

New Barbadoes Township was officially created in 1693.

By 1700, the village of Hackensack was a small area around Main Street. The larger New Barbadoes Township included what are now other towns like Maywood and Paramus. These areas were mostly farms, woods, and swamps.

In 1710, Hackensack village was chosen as the main town, or county seat, for Bergen County because it was easy for most people to reach. The first courthouse and jail were finished in 1716.

During the American Revolutionary War, George Washington stayed in Hackensack in November 1776. British forces attacked Hackensack in 1780, burning down the original courthouse.

Over the years, parts of New Barbadoes Township became separate towns. Finally, on November 21, 1921, New Barbadoes Township officially became the City of Hackensack. It took its name from the original Lenape people.

In 1933, Hackensack started using a "Manager" form of government. This means a professional city manager helps run the city, working with the mayor and city council.

Hackensack's Location and Surroundings

Aerial view of Hackensack

Hackensack covers about 4.35 square miles (11.27 square kilometers). Most of this is land, with a small amount of water.

The city shares borders with many other towns in Bergen County. These include Bogota, Maywood, Paramus, and Teaneck.

Hackensack has many homes with historical value. About one-third of the city is made up of suburban neighborhoods with single-family houses, mostly on the western side.

Who Lives in Hackensack?

Hackensack is a very diverse city, with people from all over the world. In 2013, almost 39% of the people living there were born in other countries.

Many different languages are spoken in homes across Hackensack. While over half of the people speak only English, about 32.5% speak Spanish at home. The number of people from South Asia and East Asia has grown a lot since 2000. This includes many Indian Americans, Filipino Americans, and Korean Americans.

The Hispanic population has also increased quickly. The top Hispanic groups in northern Hackensack are from Ecuador, the Dominican Republic, and Colombia. The city's population of White residents has remained large, with many people from Eastern Europe, Eurasia, Central Asia, and Arabic countries moving in.

Fun and Green Spaces in Hackensack

Borg's Woods Nature Preserve is a beautiful wooded park that covers about 15 acres (6 hectares). It's a great place to enjoy nature.

How Hackensack is Governed

Hackensack uses a special type of local government called the 1923 Municipal Manager Law. This means the city has a City Council with five members who are elected every four years. The mayor is chosen by the council members.

This system separates who makes the rules (the mayor and council) from who carries out those rules (the city manager). This helps keep the city running smoothly with professional management. Hackensack has had only nine City Managers in many decades.

As of 2024, the mayor of Hackensack is John P. Labrosse Jr. The other members of the City Council are Deputy Mayor Kathleen Canestrino, Leonardo "Leo" Battaglia, Gerard Carroll, and Stephanie Von Rudenborg.

Hackensack is part of the 5th Congressional District for the U.S. government. For New Jersey's state government, it's in the 37th legislative district.

Education in Hackensack

Public Schools for All Ages

Main Entrance, Hackensack Middle School

The Hackensack Public Schools serve students from pre-kindergarten all the way through twelfth grade. In the 2021–22 school year, the district had about 5,483 students across six schools.

The schools include:

• Early Childhood Development Center (for preschool)
• Fairmount Elementary School (PreK-4)
• Fanny Meyer Hillers School (PreK-4)
• Jackson Avenue School (PreK-4)
• Nellie K. Parker School (PreK-4)
• Hackensack Middle School (grades 5-8)
• Hackensack High School (grades 9-12)

Hackensack High School also welcomes high school students from nearby towns like Maywood, Rochelle Park, and South Hackensack.

Students from Hackensack can also attend special programs at the Bergen County Technical Schools. These include the Bergen County Academies in Hackensack and the Bergen Tech campus in Teterboro.

Private Schools and Colleges

The First Baptist Church runs Bergen County Christian Academy, a school for students from kindergarten to 12th grade.

The YCS George Washington School is a private school for students aged 5–14 who need extra support with behavior or emotions.

Hackensack also has several colleges:

• The Metropolitan Campus of Fairleigh Dickinson University is located here.
• Bergen Community College has a learning center on Main Street.
• Eastwick College is also in the city.

Healthcare in Hackensack

Hackensack University Medical Center, which is part of Hackensack Meridian Health, is the main hospital and healthcare provider for the city. It has a children's hospital, a women's hospital, and a Heart and Vascular Hospital.

Getting Around Hackensack: Transportation

Interstate 80 eastbound at Route 17 in Hackensack

Hackensack has many main roads, including Interstate 80, Route 17, and Route 4. Several bridges cross the Hackensack River, like the Court Street Bridge.

Public Transportation Options

The city has three train stations on NJ Transit's Pascack Valley Line. Two are in Hackensack: Anderson Street station and Essex Street station. These trains go to Hoboken Terminal, where you can connect to other trains to Penn Station New York. The New Bridge Landing station is also nearby and serves the northern parts of Hackensack.

Many NJ Transit buses serve Hackensack. Some go to the Port Authority Bus Terminal in Midtown Manhattan, while others go to the George Washington Bridge Bus Station, Newark, or Jersey City. There are also local bus routes. Many buses stop at the Hackensack Bus Terminal, which is a major transit hub.

Emergency Services

Hackensack Fire Department

Hackensack Fire Department responding to a house fire

The Hackensack Fire Department (HFD) has 100 professional firefighters. It was started on April 1, 1871. The department responds to about 7,500 emergency calls each year.

The HFD operates out of four fire stations across the city. They have four engines, one ladder truck, two rescue units, and other special vehicles.

Ambulance Services

The Hackensack Volunteer Ambulance Corps provides emergency medical services. They work at night and all day on weekends. During the day on weekdays, the Hackensack University Medical Center's ambulance service provides care.

Places to Visit in Hackensack

Hackensack's Church on The Green (First Reformed Dutch Church, Hackensack)

The First Dutch Reformed Church (also called "Church on The Green") was built in 1696. It's the oldest church in Bergen County and the second oldest in New Jersey. Famous people like Enoch Poor (one of George Washington's officers) and Richard Varick (a former mayor of New York City) are buried in its cemetery.

The Record, Bergen County's largest newspaper, used to be based in Hackensack.

The New Jersey Naval Museum used to be home to the World War II submarine USS Ling. Sadly, the submarine was badly damaged in 2018.

The Hackensack Cultural Arts Center is a leading place for theater arts in the city. It hosts local arts groups and even outdoor Shakespeare plays in the summer.

The Shops at Riverside is a fancy shopping center located at the northern edge of the city. It has many high-end stores and restaurants, and even a dine-in movie theater. It's known for its marble floors.

Hackensack's Main Street is a popular shopping area. It used to have a Sears store, which was the last freestanding Sears in New Jersey, but it closed in 2020.

The Bergen County Jail is a detention center located on South River Street.

The Johnson Public Library at 274 Main Street is part of the Bergen County Cooperative Library System. It opened in 1901.

The Ice House is a large complex with four skating rinks that opened in 1996. Many hockey teams and famous figure skaters train here.

Other interesting places in Hackensack include the Hackensack University Medical Center, Hackensack River County Park, and the Bergen County Court House.

Local Media

Radio station WNYM at 970 AM is licensed to Hackensack. It plays conservative talk radio. The station used to play country music and then Top 40 hits before switching to religious broadcasting in 1974.

Famous People from Hackensack

Many notable people have lived in or are connected to Hackensack:

See also

In Spanish: Hackensack (Nueva Jersey) para niños