Millburn, New Jersey facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Millburn, New Jersey
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Township
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The Paper Mill Playhouse in Millburn is one of the oldest and most prominent regional theaters in New Jersey.
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Location of Millburn in Essex County highlighted in red (right). Inset map: Location of Essex County in New Jersey highlighted in orange (left).
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Census Bureau map of Millburn, New Jersey
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 Millburn, New Jersey
Location in Essex County, New Jersey
Millburn, New Jersey
Location in New Jersey
Millburn, 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 | Essex | ||
| Incorporated | March 20, 1857 | ||
| Government | |||
| • Type | Township | ||
| • Body | Township Committee | ||
| Area | |||
| • Total | 9.89 sq mi (25.62 km2) | ||
| • Land | 9.33 sq mi (24.17 km2) | ||
| • Water | 0.56 sq mi (1.45 km2) 5.64% | ||
| Area rank | 211th of 565 in state 5th of 22 in county |
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| Elevation | 394 ft (120 m) | ||
| Population
(2020)
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| • Total | 21,710 | ||
| • Estimate
(2023)
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21,859 | ||
| • Rank | 128th of 565 in state 12th of 22 in county |
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| • Density | 2,326.2/sq mi (898.2/km2) | ||
| • Density rank | 267th of 565 in state 16th of 22 in county |
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| Time zone | UTC−05:00 (Eastern (EST)) | ||
| • Summer (DST) | UTC−04:00 (Eastern (EDT)) | ||
| ZIP Codes |
07041 – Millburn
07078 – Short Hills |
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| Area code(s) | 973 | ||
| FIPS code | 3401346380 | ||
| GNIS feature ID | 0882221 | ||
Millburn is a town in Essex County, New Jersey. It is a township and part of the larger New York metropolitan area. This means it's a suburban community close to New York City.
In 2020, about 21,710 people lived in Millburn. This was the highest number of people ever recorded there. A large part of the township is an area called Short Hills, which had about 14,422 residents in 2020.
Millburn became a township on March 20, 1857. It was created from parts of Springfield Township. Before being called Millburn, it had other names like Milltown and Rum Brook. The name "Millburn" comes from the word "burn," which is a Scottish word for a stream. This stream powered mills in the area long ago.
The township is home to the South Mountain Reservation, a large nature area. It also has The Mall at Short Hills, a popular shopping center. The famous Paper Mill Playhouse, a regional theater, is also located here. The West Branch of the Rahway River flows through downtown Millburn. The Paper Mill Playhouse is right on the banks of this river.
New Jersey Monthly magazine once ranked Millburn as one of the best places to live in New Jersey. It was ranked 53rd in 2008.
Millburn is known for having high property values. This means homes and land there are quite expensive. In 2018, the average property tax bill was $24,308, which was higher than the state average. However, the actual tax rate was low compared to other towns in Essex County. Millburn is also one of New Jersey's wealthiest communities. In 2017, the average household income was $202,862, which was the highest in the state for towns with over 10,000 people.
Contents
A Look Back: Millburn's Past
Millburn started as a farming area. Later, it grew into a residential community with many Victorian-style homes. It was part of the Newark settlements in New Jersey.
Millburn's Role in the Revolutionary War
Millburn was important during the Revolutionary War. George Washington's army camped nearby in Morristown. The British tried to attack through the Hobart Gap, bringing Millburn into the war. It is said that Washington watched his soldiers from a key spot in the South Mountain Reservation, then known as Washington Rock.
The Battle of Springfield in 1780 was the last time the British tried to push into New Jersey. A soldier named Nicholas Parsil was buried in the Parsil family graveyard after being killed in a fight with the British.
Early Mills and Growth
After the Revolution, people built dams on the Rahway River. This created lakes for mills. Samuel Campbell built the first paper mill in 1790. This mill made banknotes. Many early factories in Millburn were paper mills. The Diamond Mill, for example, is now where the Paper Mill Playhouse stands.
In 1835, the Morris and Essex Railroad was finished. This connected Millburn to big cities in the east. It also linked it to coal mining areas in the northwest.
Developing New Communities
Two new areas were created within Millburn's borders. Wyoming was a 100-acre piece of land bought by a company. Short Hills was founded by Stewart Hartshorn. He bought 1,550 acres of land to create it. Hartshorn Elementary School is named after him.
In June 2007, Millburn celebrated its 150th birthday. It was one of the biggest celebrations in the town's history.
Where is Millburn Located?
Millburn covers about 9.89 square miles (25.62 square kilometers). Most of this is land, with a small amount of water.
Several smaller communities are part of Millburn. These include Brantwood, Canoe Brook, Short Hills, Washington Rock, White Oak Ridge, and Wyoming. Short Hills itself includes areas like Brookhaven and Glenwood.
Millburn is about 15 miles west of Midtown Manhattan. It shares borders with several other towns. These include Livingston and West Orange to the north. To the east is Maplewood. To the west are Chatham Borough and Florham Park. To the south are Summit, Springfield, and Union townships.
Millburn's Economy
The Mall at Short Hills is a large, fancy shopping mall. It has major stores like Neiman Marcus, Nordstrom, Bloomingdale's, and Macy's. The mall has a total shopping area of 1,400,000 square feet.
Arts and Culture in Millburn
- Paper Mill Playhouse: This theater has 1,200 seats. It opened in 1938 and is known as the "State Theatre of New Jersey."
- B'nai Israel synagogue: This religious building was designed by architect Percival Goodman. It features art by famous artists like Herbert Ferber and Robert Motherwell.
Parks and Outdoor Fun
- Cora Hartshorn Arboretum and Bird Sanctuary: This 16-acre park has 3 miles of trails. It was given to the township in 1958.
- Greenwood Gardens: This is one of 16 special garden projects in the United States. It is cared for by the Garden Conservancy.
- South Mountain Reservation: This is a large nature reserve. It covers over 2,000 acres in Millburn and nearby towns.
- Other Parks: Old Short Hills Park, Gero Park, Taylor Park, and Slayton Field Park are also great places to visit.
You can go fishing and kayaking on the Rahway River.
Millburn's Population Changes
| Historical population | |||
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| Census | Pop. | %± | |
| 1860 | 1,630 | — | |
| 1870 | 1,675 | 2.8% | |
| 1880 | 1,743 | 4.1% | |
| 1890 | 2,437 | 39.8% | |
| 1900 | 2,837 | 16.4% | |
| 1910 | 3,720 | 31.1% | |
| 1920 | 4,633 | 24.5% | |
| 1930 | 8,602 | 85.7% | |
| 1940 | 11,652 | 35.5% | |
| 1950 | 14,560 | 25.0% | |
| 1960 | 18,799 | 29.1% | |
| 1970 | 21,089 | 12.2% | |
| 1980 | 19,543 | −7.3% | |
| 1990 | 18,630 | −4.7% | |
| 2000 | 19,765 | 6.1% | |
| 2010 | 20,149 | 1.9% | |
| 2020 | 21,710 | 7.7% | |
| 2023 (est.) | 21,859 | 8.5% | |
| Population sources: 1860–1920 1860–1870 1870 1880–1890 1890–1910 1910–1930 1940–2000 2000 2010 2020 |
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Millburn has one of the largest Jewish communities in Essex County. This is similar to nearby towns like Livingston.
Many professionals who work in Manhattan choose to live in Millburn. This is because there is direct train service to Penn Station in New York City.
A study in 2012 showed that about 11% of households in Millburn faced financial challenges. These families struggled with basic needs like housing and food. This number was lower than the state average.
Millburn's Population in 2020
| Race / Ethnicity (NH = Non-Hispanic) | Pop 2010 | Pop 2020 | % 2010 | % 2020 |
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| White alone (NH) | 15,587 | 12,147 | 77.36% | 55.95% |
| Black or African American alone (NH) | 303 | 458 | 1.50% | 2.11% |
| Native American or Alaska Native alone (NH) | 5 | 15 | 0.02% | 0.07% |
| Asian alone (NH) | 3,149 | 7,123 | 15.63% | 32.81% |
| Pacific Islander alone (NH) | 5 | 2 | 0.02% | 0.01% |
| Some Other Race alone (NH) | 22 | 146 | 0.11% | 0.67% |
| Mixed Race or Multi-Racial (NH) | 375 | 846 | 1.86% | 3.90% |
| Hispanic or Latino (any race) | 703 | 973 | 3.49% | 4.48% |
| Total | 20,149 | 21,710 | 100.00% | 100.00% |
Community Organizations
- Down the Block, Inc.: This group helps Millburn residents who are struggling financially. They pay bills for people in need.
- New Eyes for the Needy: This non-profit group started in 1932. It provides eyeglasses to people in the United States. They also send recycled eyeglasses to people overseas.
- Millburn-Short Hills Volunteer First Aid Squad: Founded in 1958, this all-volunteer group provides emergency medical services. They do not charge for their help. They rely on donations to operate.
- Scouts BSA Troop 19: This is one of the first all-girl Scout troops in New Jersey. It was founded in 2019. In 2019, Troop 19 was the first all-girls troop to march in the New York City Veterans Day Parade.
Schools and Learning in Millburn
The Millburn Township Public Schools serve students from pre-kindergarten through 12th grade. The district has five elementary schools for grades K-4. There is also a school for all fifth graders. It has a middle school and a high school.
Millburn Public Schools
As of the 2020–21 school year, the district had 4,697 students. There were 418.2 teachers, meaning about 11 students per teacher.
- Deerfield Elementary School (Pre-K–4)
- Glenwood Elementary School (K–4)
- Hartshorn Elementary School (K–4)
- South Mountain Elementary School (Pre-K–4)
- Wyoming Elementary School (K–4)
- Washington School (Grade 5)
- Millburn Middle School (Grades 6–8)
- Millburn High School (Grades 9–12)
High School Achievements
In 2015, Newsweek magazine ranked Millburn High School as the #1 open-admission high school in the nation. It was also ranked #4 among non-magnet schools. Overall, it was 13th in the U.S. and 8th in New Jersey among all public high schools.
New Jersey Monthly magazine also ranked Millburn High School highly. It was the fifth-ranked public high school in New Jersey in 2014. It was ranked 8th in 2012 and 1st in 2010. The magazine also named it the top high school in New Jersey in 2008.
More young families have moved to Millburn. This has caused the number of students in public schools to double from 1990 to 2007.
Private Schools in Millburn
- Far Brook School: This is a private school in Short Hills. It teaches students from nursery school through eighth grade.
- Pingry School: The Lower School (K–6) campus of this school is also in Short Hills.
- St. Rose of Lima Academy: This is a Catholic school that opened in 1869. It serves students from Pre-K through 8th grade. In 2013, it was recognized as a National Blue Ribbon School. This is a very high honor in the U.S. education system.
Getting Around Millburn
As of 2010, Millburn had over 100 miles of roads. Most of these roads are maintained by the township.
Major Roads
Several important roads pass through Millburn. These include County Route 510, County Route 527, and County Route 577. Route 24 and Route 124 also go through the area. Interstate 78 briefly passes through the very southern part of the township.
Public Transportation Options
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Millburn has two NJ Transit train stations:
- Millburn station: Located near Essex Street and Lackawanna Place.
- Short Hills station: Located near The Crescent Street. This station also has the Millburn-Short Hills Historical Society's museum.
These stations are on the Morristown Line. They provide train service to Newark Broad Street Station, Secaucus Junction, and New York Penn Station. You can also get to Hoboken Terminal.
NJ Transit also offers bus service in Millburn. The 70 bus route stops at the Millburn train station. It travels between Newark and Livingston. There is also local service on the 873 route.
Famous People from Millburn
Many interesting people have lived in or are connected to Millburn. Here are a few:
- Jabri Abdur-Rahim (born 2002), a college basketball player.
- Craig Balsam, a successful person in the entertainment industry.
- Lee Bickmore (1908–1986), who was the head of Nabisco.
- Prince Lorenzo Borghese (born 1973), known from the TV show The Bachelor.
- Courtney Brosnan (born 1995), a professional soccer goalkeeper.
- Scott Brunner (born 1957), a former professional quarterback for the New York Giants.
- Andrew Catalon (born 1980), a sportscaster for CBS.
- Bill Chinnock (1947–2007), a singer-songwriter.
- Buzzy Cohen (born 1985), known for his appearances on Jeopardy!.
- Ralph Cicerone (1943–2016), an important scientist who studied the atmosphere.
- Richard Coogan (1914–2014), an actor.
- Leon Cooperman (born 1943), a businessman and investor.
- Joseph P. Day (1874–1944), an early real-estate broker.
- Pablo Eisenberg (1932–2022), a scholar and advocate for social justice.
- Max Eisenbud (born 1972), a sports agent for tennis players.
- Daniel Errico, a children's book author and TV show creator.
- John Ferolito, who founded Arizona Beverage Company.
- James C. Fletcher (1919–1991), who led NASA twice.
- William R. Forstchen (born 1950), an author.
- Martin S. Fox (1924–2020), a publisher.
- Max Greyserman (born 1995), a professional golfer.
- Grace Hartigan (1922–2008), a famous painter.
- Anne Hathaway (born 1982), a well-known actress.
- Herbert G. Hopwood (1898–1966), a high-ranking naval officer.
- Ariel Horn (born c. 1979), a novelist.
- Dara Horn (born 1977), a novelist and professor.
- Mia Sinclair Jenness (born 2005), an actress.
- Elliott Kalan (born 1981), a head writer for The Daily Show.
- Peter Kellogg (born 1943), a director of a Wall Street investment firm.
- Joe Kernen (born 1956), a news anchor for CNBC.
- Igor Larionov (born 1960), a professional hockey player.
- Conor Leslie (born 1991), an actress.
- David Levithan (born 1972), a popular author of young adult fiction.
- Robert D. Lilley (1912–1986), who was the president of AT&T.
- Betty Liu (born 1973), a Bloomberg TV anchor.
- John C. McGinley (born 1959), an actor.
- Robert Mulcahy (1932–2022), an athletic director at Rutgers University.
- Maureen Ogden (1928–2022), a former Mayor of Millburn.
- C. Milford Orben (1898–1975), a politician.
- Julie Parsonnet, an expert in infectious diseases.
- Sondra Perl, a professor of English.
- Belva Plain (1915–2010), an author.
- Mary Reckford (born 1992), a rower who competed in the Olympics.
- Brian Rolston (born 1973), a professional hockey player.
- Alex Rosenberg (born 1991), a basketball player.
- Bess Rous, an actress.
- Annie Russell (1864–1936), a British-American actress.
- Camille Sabie (1902–1998), an athlete who won gold medals.
- Laura Sydell (born 1961), a former technology reporter for NPR.
- Patti Stanger (born 1961), a matchmaker.
- Janet Sorg Stoltzfus, (1931–2004), an educator who started a school in Yemen.
- Carl Van Duyne (1946–1983), a sailor who competed in the Olympics.
- Peter Van Sant (born 1953), a reporter for 48 Hours.
- Arthur T. Vanderbilt (1888–1957), a judge.
- James Wallwork (1930–2024), a politician.
- Wang Yung-ching (1917–2008), a former CEO of Formosa Plastics Group.
- Thomas Watson Jr. (1914–1993), the second President of IBM.
- Joel Weingarten, a former politician.
- Zygi Wilf (born 1950), the owner of the Minnesota Vikings.
- Rachel Zoe (born 1971), a fashion stylist.
- Alan Zweibel (born 1950), a television producer and writer.
