Mahwah, New Jersey facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Mahwah, New Jersey
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Township
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Ramapo College arch
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Location of Mahwah in Bergen County highlighted in red (right). Inset map: Location of Bergen County in New Jersey highlighted in red (left).
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 Mahwah, New Jersey
Location in Bergen County, New Jersey
Mahwah, New Jersey
Location in New Jersey
Mahwah, New Jersey
Location in the United States
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| Country |  United States |
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| State |  New Jersey |
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| County | Bergen | |
| Incorporated | April 9, 1849 (as Hohokus Township) | |
| Reincorporated | November 7, 1944 (as Mahwah) | |
| Government | ||
| • Type | Faulkner Act (mayor–council) | |
| • Body | Township Council | |
| Area | ||
| • Total | 25.88 sq mi (67.04 km2) | |
| • Land | 25.39 sq mi (65.76 km2) | |
| • Water | 0.49 sq mi (1.27 km2) 1.90% | |
| Area rank | 102nd of 565 in state 1st of 70 in county |
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| Elevation | 246 ft (75 m) | |
| Population
(2020)
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| • Total | 25,487 | |
| • Estimate
(2023)
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25,344 | |
| • Rank | 102nd of 565 in state 12th of 70 in county |
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| • Density | 1,003.7/sq mi (387.5/km2) | |
| • Density rank | 385th of 565 in state 66th of 70 in county |
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| Time zone | UTC−05:00 (Eastern (EST)) | |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC−04:00 (Eastern (EDT)) | |
| ZIP Code |
07430, 07495
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| Area code(s) | 201 | |
| FIPS code | 3400342750 | |
| GNIS feature ID | 0882312 | |
Mahwah is a large township in Bergen County, New Jersey. It is the northernmost and largest town in the county by land area. In 2020, about 25,487 people lived here.
The name "Mahwah" comes from the Lenape language word "mawewi". This word means "Meeting Place" or "Place Where Paths Meet." The area was first called Hohokus Township in 1849. It was formed from parts of Franklin Township. Over the years, parts of Hohokus Township became other towns like Allendale and Ramsey. In 1944, the remaining area officially became Mahwah Township. New Jersey Monthly magazine once called Mahwah one of the best places to live in New Jersey.
Contents
Mahwah's Past: A Look at Its History
Early Inhabitants: The Lenape People
The Lenape people were the first to live in the Mahwah area. They called it "the meeting place."
How Mahwah Township Was Formed
In 1849, the area became Hohokus Township. It covered a large part of northern Bergen County. This included land from the Saddle River to the New York border.
Over time, several new towns were created from Hohokus Township. These included Orvil Township in 1886. Later, Allendale and Upper Saddle River were formed in 1894. Finally, Ramsey was created in 1908. On November 7, 1944, the rest of Hohokus Township officially became Mahwah Township.
Sports and Landmarks in Mahwah
From 1976 for 25 years, Mahwah hosted a big tennis event. It was called the A&P Tennis Classic. This tournament was a warm-up for the U.S. Open.
The Crocker-McMillin Mansion, also known as Darlington, is a historic building. It has 75 rooms and was built in 1901. It was built for George Crocker, whose father was a famous railroad magnate.
Ford Motor Company's Impact
The Mahwah Assembly plant was a large Ford factory in Mahwah. It operated from 1955 to 1980. This plant made 6 million cars during its 25 years. It was once the biggest car assembly plant in the United States.
The Ford plant and other businesses helped Mahwah grow. They also helped keep home property taxes low. Mahwah's sports teams are still called the Thunderbirds. This name honors the Ford plant.
Environmental Concerns and Community Action
There was a problem with hazardous waste dumping at the Ringwood Mines landfill site. This site is now a Superfund site and needs a lot of environmental cleanup. In 2006, some Ramapough Indians filed a lawsuit against Ford. They sought damages related to the pollution.
In 2017, there was a discussion about park rules in Mahwah. The Bergen County prosecutor at the time, Gurbir Grewal, stepped in. He said that a ban on non-New Jersey residents using parks could be unfair. He was worried it might lead to anti-Semitic religious profiling against Orthodox Jews. The Mahwah council later removed the ban.
Mahwah's Natural and Man-Made Landscape
Where is Mahwah Located?
Mahwah covers about 25.88 square miles (67.04 km2). Most of this is land, with a small amount of water. It is the largest town in Bergen County by area. It is more than two and a half times bigger than Paramus, the next largest town.
Mahwah is close to the Ramapo Mountains and the Ramapo River. Interstate 287 goes through Mahwah. U.S. Route 202 also runs through the town.
Parks and Natural Areas
Several county parks are located in Mahwah. These include Campgaw Mountain Reservation, Darlington County Park, and Ramapo Valley County Reservation. These parks are managed by Bergen County. The Ramapo River flows through the western part of Mahwah.
Neighboring Towns and Communities
Mahwah shares borders with many other towns. In Bergen County, it borders Allendale, Franklin Lakes, Oakland, Ramsey, Upper Saddle River, and Wyckoff. It also borders Ringwood in Passaic County. In New York, it borders Airmont, Hillburn, Ramapo, and Suffern in Rockland County.
Mahwah also has several smaller communities and neighborhoods. These include Ackermans Mills, Darlington, Fardale, and West Mahwah.
Mahwah's Climate
Mahwah has a humid continental climate. This means it has warm, humid summers and cold winters.
| Climate data for Mahwah | |||||||||||||
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| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Mean daily maximum °F (°C) | 36 (2) |
39 (4) |
49 (9) |
60 (16) |
71 (22) |
79 (26) |
84 (29) |
82 (28) |
75 (24) |
64 (18) |
53 (12) |
41 (5) |
61 (16) |
| Mean daily minimum °F (°C) | 18 (−8) |
20 (−7) |
29 (−2) |
39 (4) |
48 (9) |
57 (14) |
62 (17) |
61 (16) |
53 (12) |
41 (5) |
33 (1) |
24 (−4) |
40 (5) |
| Average precipitation inches (mm) | 3.11 (79) |
2.99 (76) |
3.85 (98) |
4.21 (107) |
4.09 (104) |
4.64 (118) |
4.42 (112) |
4.41 (112) |
4.42 (112) |
4.49 (114) |
4.06 (103) |
3.92 (100) |
48.61 (1,235) |
Mahwah's Economy and Businesses
Major Companies in Mahwah
Many companies have offices or headquarters in Mahwah. These include:
- Nuance Communications, a company known for voice and language technology.
- DialAmerica Marketing, a large marketing company.
- Inserra Supermarkets, which runs many ShopRite stores.
- Jaguar Cars and Land Rover North American Headquarters.
- Maquet Datascope Corporation, which makes medical devices.
- Mindray Medical North America, another medical device company.
- New York Stock Exchange Data Center, a very secure data center.
- Radware Inc. and Radwin, both technology companies.
- Stryker Corporation's orthopedic business.
- UPS world technology headquarters.
- Volvo Cars North America headquarters.
Future Developments: Mahwah Mall
A new shopping center called Mahwah Mall is planned. It will be built where the Sheraton Crossroads Hotel is now. This mall will have about 600,000 square feet of shopping space. Some local citizens were concerned about the mall. They worried it might cause more traffic and pollution. However, the plan was approved in 2014.
Fun and Recreation in Mahwah
Campgaw Mountain Reservation
Campgaw Mountain Reservation is a large park in Mahwah. It covers 1,351 acres. This park has campgrounds and ski slopes. It's a great place for outdoor activities like skiing.
Who Lives in Mahwah?
| Historical population | |||
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| Census | Pop. | %± | |
| 1850 | 2,274 | * | — |
| 1860 | 2,352 | 3.4% | |
| 1870 | 2,632 | 11.9% | |
| 1880 | 2,920 | 10.9% | |
| 1890 | 2,373 | * | −18.7% |
| 1900 | 2,610 | * | 10.0% |
| 1910 | 1,881 | * | −27.9% |
| 1920 | 2,081 | 10.6% | |
| 1930 | 3,536 | 69.9% | |
| 1940 | 3,908 | 10.5% | |
| 1950 | 4,880 | 24.9% | |
| 1960 | 7,376 | 51.1% | |
| 1970 | 10,800 | 46.4% | |
| 1980 | 12,127 | 12.3% | |
| 1990 | 17,905 | 47.6% | |
| 2000 | 24,062 | 34.4% | |
| 2010 | 25,890 | 7.6% | |
| 2020 | 25,487 | −1.6% | |
| 2023 (est.) | 25,344 | −2.1% | |
| Population sources: 1850–1920 1850–1870 1850 1870 1880–1890 1890–1910 1910–1930 1900–2020 2000 2010 2020 * = Lost territory in previous decade. |
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Population Changes in Mahwah
In 2020, Mahwah had 25,487 residents. This was a small decrease from 25,890 people in 2010. However, the population had grown quite a bit from 24,062 people in 2000.
Diversity in Mahwah
Mahwah is home to people from many different backgrounds. In 2020, about 73.92% of residents were White. About 2.69% were Black or African American. Asian residents made up 11.10% of the population. People of Hispanic or Latino background made up 8.65% of the population.
Age and Households
In 2010, about 19.8% of the population was under 18 years old. About 14.2% were 65 or older. The average age in Mahwah was 40.4 years. Most households were married couples living together.
Learning in Mahwah: Schools and Colleges
Public Schools in Mahwah
The Mahwah Township Public Schools system serves students from pre-kindergarten through 12th grade. In the 2019–20 school year, there were 2,913 students across six schools. This means there was about one teacher for every 11 students.
The schools in the district are:
- Lenape Meadows Elementary School (Pre-K–3)
- Betsy Ross Elementary School (K–3)
- George Washington Elementary School (K–3)
- Joyce Kilmer Elementary School (4–5)
- Ramapo Ridge Middle School (6–8)
- Mahwah High School (9–12)
Lenape Meadows is the newest school building, opened in 2002. Its opening helped change how grades were organized in the elementary schools.
Students from Mahwah can also attend special programs. These are offered by the Bergen County Technical Schools. These programs include the Bergen County Academies in Hackensack. They also include the Bergen Tech campus in Teterboro or Paramus.
Private and Higher Education
Young World Day School is a private school in Mahwah. It teaches students from pre-kindergarten to fifth grade. It uses both Montessori and traditional teaching methods.
Ramapo College is a public college located in Mahwah. It was founded in 1969 and has over 6,000 students. It focuses on liberal arts.
Lincoln Technical Institute is also in Mahwah. It offers vocational training.
Getting Around Mahwah: Transportation
Roads and Highways
Mahwah has many miles of roads. These include major highways like Interstate 287 and Route 17. These two highways join together in Mahwah. U.S. Route 202 also runs through the township. Interstate 87 (the New York State Thruway) is just over the state line in New York.
Public Transportation Options
NJ Transit offers train service from the Mahwah station. You can take trains to places like Secaucus Junction and Hoboken Terminal. There are also express train services from nearby stations in Ramsey and Suffern, New York.
Short Line Bus provides bus service from Mahwah. These buses go to the Port Authority Bus Terminal in Midtown Manhattan and other stops along the way.
Local Indigenous Tribe
The Ramapough Mountain Indians are a tribe based in Mahwah. The State of New Jersey recognized them as a tribe in 1980.
Famous People from Mahwah
- Roger Nash Baldwin (1884–1981), a founder of the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU).
- Gilbert Wheeler Beebe (1912–2003), a scientist known for studying health effects of radiation.
- Jill Biden (born 1951), the current First Lady of the United States.
- Stephen Birch (1872–1940), whose large farm became the site of Ramapo College.
- Curt Blefary (1943–2001), a baseball player who won Rookie of the Year in 1965.
- Lawrence Boadt (1942–2010), a Roman Catholic priest and publisher.
- Foxy Brown (born 1978), a rapper.
- Chris Caffery (born 1967), a musician and songwriter.
- Don Cornell (1919-2004), a pop singer.
- Frank Chamberlin (1978–2013), an NFL linebacker.
- Alan Geisler (1931–2009), a food chemist.
- Joe Graf Jr. (born 1998), a race car driver.
- Alice Guy-Blaché (1873–1968), considered the first woman director in movies.
- Kevin Haslam (born 1986), a former NFL offensive tackle.
- Henry Osborne Havemeyer (1847–1907), an art collector and businessman.
- James Hoch, a poet.
- Vlad Holiday (born 1989), a singer and songwriter.
- John Hollinger (born 1971), a basketball analyst for ESPN.
- Joyce Kilmer (1886–1918), a famous poet who lived in Mahwah.
- Bob Kratch (born 1966), a former New York Giants player who won a Super Bowl.
- Ernst Lieb (born 1955), a former CEO of Mercedes-Benz USA.
- Carl "Spider" Lockhart (1943–1986), a safety who played for the New York Giants.
- Leonard Marshall (born 1961), a former New York Giants player.
- Bill McCutcheon (1924–2002), an Emmy and Tony Award-winning actor.
- Krysten Moore (born 1989), an anti-bullying advocate.
- Patrick Murray (born 1991), a placekicker for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
- Ariel Nicholson (born 2001/2002), a fashion model and activist.
- Les Paul (1915–2009), a famous guitarist and inventor.
- Maria Pitillo (born 1966), an actress.
- Randy Reutershan (born 1955), a former football player.
- Al Sima (1921–1993), a pitcher.
- Kyle Teel (born 2002), a college baseball player.
- Evelyn Terhune (1932–1981), a fencer and coach who competed in the Olympics.
- Charley Williams (born 1928), a former professional boxer.
- Maia Wojciechowska (1927–2000), a children's author who won the Newbery Medal.
- Chris Wragge (born 1970), a news anchor for CBS.
- Walt Zembriski (born 1935), a golfer.
