Mountain Lakes, New Jersey facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Mountain Lakes, New Jersey
|
||
|---|---|---|
|
Borough
|
||
The Mountain Lakes train station, owned by New Jersey Transit, is located in the Mountain Lakes Historic District.
|
||
|
||
Location of Mountain Lakes in Morris County highlighted in red (right). Inset map: Location of Morris County in New Jersey highlighted in orange (left).
|
||
Census Bureau map of Mountain Lakes, New Jersey
|
||
 Mountain Lakes, New Jersey
Location in Morris County, New Jersey
Mountain Lakes, New Jersey
Location in New Jersey
Mountain Lakes, New Jersey
Location in the United States
|
||
| Country |  United States |
|
| State |  New Jersey |
|
| County |  Morris |
|
| Incorporated | April 29, 1924 | |
| Government | ||
| • Type | Faulkner Act (council–manager) | |
| • Body | Borough Council | |
| Area | ||
| • Total | 2.91 sq mi (7.53 km2) | |
| • Land | 2.64 sq mi (6.85 km2) | |
| • Water | 0.27 sq mi (0.69 km2) 9.11% | |
| Area rank | 340th of 565 in state 27th of 39 in county |
|
| Elevation | 489 ft (149 m) | |
| Population
(2020)
|
||
| • Total | 4,472 | |
| • Estimate
(2023)
|
4,608 | |
| • Rank | 396th of 565 in state<27th of 39 in county | |
| • Density | 1,693.2/sq mi (653.7/km2) | |
| • Density rank | 321st of 565 in state 18th of 39 in county |
|
| Time zone | UTC−05:00 (Eastern (EST)) | |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC−04:00 (Eastern (EDT)) | |
| ZIP Code |
07046
|
|
| Area code(s) | 973 | |
| FIPS code | 3402748480 | |
| GNIS feature ID | 0885310 | |
|
Mountain Lakes Historic District
|
||
| Lua error in Module:Location_map at line 420: attempt to index field 'wikibase' (a nil value). | ||
| Location | Roughly bounded by Pocono Road, Denville Township line, Fanny Road, and RR Tracks, Mountain Lakes, New Jersey | |
| Area | 1,397 acres (565 ha) | |
| Built | 1908 | |
| Architect | Hapgood, Herbert J.; Holton, Arthur T. | |
| Architectural style | Late 19th And Early 20th Century American Movements, Late 19th And 20th Century Revivals | |
| NRHP reference No. | 05000963 | |
| Added to NRHP | September 7, 2005 | |
Mountain Lakes is a small town, called a borough, in Morris County, New Jersey. It's a suburb of New York City, meaning it's a residential area close to a big city. In 2020, about 4,472 people lived there.
Mountain Lakes was planned from the start. It was named for its beautiful lakes, which made it special as the first year-round lake community in northwestern New Jersey. The town officially became a borough on April 29, 1924. It is known for being one of the more expensive places to live in New Jersey. In 2010, Forbes.com said it was one of "America's Most Expensive ZIP Codes." New Jersey Monthly magazine also ranked Mountain Lakes as one of the best places to live in New Jersey.
The town has its own train station, the Mountain Lakes station, which offers train service through NJ Transit.
Contents
History of Mountain Lakes
Mountain Lakes was created as a planned community in 1910 by a man named Herbert Hapgood. He transformed the area from a wild space into a suburban town with many large stucco houses. These homes are now lovingly called "Hapgoods." Hapgood was inspired by the Arts and Crafts movement, which was popular at the time.
The first person to move into Mountain Lakes was Lawrence W. Luellen in March 1911. He was famous for inventing the Dixie Cup.
Hapgood's homes were like early versions of modern housing developments. Each house was changed a bit to fit what people liked. He added different styles, like colonial and craftsman features. By the end of 1912, 200 Hapgood homes were sold. By 1923, about 600 of these stucco houses had been built. Mountain Lakes became its own town in 1924.
For many years, until the 1960s, Mountain Lakes had rules that made it difficult for certain groups of people to live there. These rules were unfair and meant the town was not very diverse. However, these rules were later stopped, and the town has become more welcoming to people from all backgrounds.
Mountain Lakes is also home to the historic Grimes Homestead. This 18th-century house was a stop on the Underground Railroad, a secret network that helped enslaved people find freedom.
Geography of Mountain Lakes
Mountain Lakes covers about 2.91 square miles (7.53 square kilometers). Most of this area is land, but about 9% is water, thanks to its many lakes.
Part of The Tourne county park is located within Mountain Lakes.
The borough shares its borders with several other towns in Morris County. These include Parsippany-Troy Hills to the east and south, the town of Boonton to the northeast, Boonton Township to the northwest, and Denville to the west.
Lakes in Mountain Lakes
Mountain Lakes has several man-made lakes. These include Birchwood Lake, Crystal Lake, Mountain Lake, Shadow Lake, Sunset Lake, Wildwood Lake, and Cove Lake.
There are private swimming beaches at Birchwood Lake and Mountain Lake. The Mountain Lakes Club is also located on the northern side of Mountain Lake. The beaches are open from sunrise to sunset, and facilities are available from 10 AM to 6 PM during June, July, and August. You need a special beach badge to use the facilities, and these badges are only for Mountain Lakes residents.
People in Mountain Lakes
| Historical population | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Census | Pop. | %± | |
| 1930 | 2,132 | — | |
| 1940 | 2,205 | 3.4% | |
| 1950 | 2,806 | 27.3% | |
| 1960 | 4,037 | 43.9% | |
| 1970 | 4,739 | 17.4% | |
| 1980 | 4,153 | −12.4% | |
| 1990 | 3,847 | −7.4% | |
| 2000 | 4,256 | 10.6% | |
| 2010 | 4,160 | −2.3% | |
| 2020 | 4,472 | 7.5% | |
| 2023 (est.) | 4,608 | 10.8% | |
| Population sources:1930 1940–2000 2000 2010 2020 |
|||
Mountain Lakes has a diverse population. People from many different countries have moved to the borough, including those from Germany, China, South Africa, and New Zealand.
In 2010, the town had 4,160 people living there. The population has grown since then, reaching 4,472 people in 2020.
Education in Mountain Lakes
The Mountain Lakes Schools district serves students from pre-kindergarten all the way through twelfth grade. In the 2020–21 school year, the district had four schools and about 1,348 students. This means there was about one teacher for every nine students.
The schools in the district are:
- Wildwood Elementary School (grades K–5)
- Briarcliff Middle School (grades 6–8)
- Mountain Lakes High School (grades 9–12)
- Lake Drive School, which is a special school for deaf and hard of hearing students from many different towns in New Jersey.
Students from Boonton Township also attend Mountain Lakes High School. The high school is very well-regarded; New Jersey Monthly magazine ranked it as one of the top public high schools in New Jersey.
Mountain Lakes is also home to The Craig School, a private school for students in second through twelfth grade. This school helps students who learn differently.
Many adults in Mountain Lakes have a college degree or higher. This makes it one of the most educated towns in New Jersey.
Transportation in Mountain Lakes
Roads and Highways
As of 2010, Mountain Lakes had about 29.38 miles of roads. Most of these roads are maintained by the town itself.
U.S. Route 46 is the main highway that goes through Mountain Lakes. Other major highways like Interstate 80 and Interstate 287 are very close by, just outside the town in Parsippany–Troy Hills.
Public Transportation
NJ Transit provides train service at the Mountain Lakes station. You can take a train from here on the Montclair-Boonton Line to places like Hoboken Terminal or even directly to Pennsylvania Station in Midtown Manhattan, New York City.
Lakeland Bus Lines also offers bus service along Route 46. These buses travel between Dover and the Port Authority Bus Terminal in Midtown Manhattan.
Notable People from Mountain Lakes
Many interesting people have lived in or are connected to Mountain Lakes. Here are a few:
- Frederick Walker Castle (1908–1944), a general in the United States Army Air Forces during World War II who received the Medal of Honor.
- Liz Claiborne (1929–2007), a famous fashion designer and businesswoman. She was the first woman to lead a Fortune 500 company.
- Mark Di Ionno (born 1956), a journalist and writer.
- Frederick Elmes (born 1946), a cinematographer who has won awards for his work on movies like Wild at Heart.
- Richard M. Freeland (born 1941), a former president of Northeastern University.
- Jeff Friesen (born 1976), a professional hockey player who played for the New Jersey Devils.
- Marc Lore (born 1971), a billionaire who founded the e-commerce company Jet.
- Claire McCusker Murray (born 1982), a lawyer who worked in the White House and the United States Department of Justice.
- Mike Michalowicz (born 1970), an author and entrepreneur.
- Lindsey Munday (born 1984), a former college women's lacrosse player and now a coach for the USC Trojans women's lacrosse team.
- Brian Platt, the City manager of Kansas City, Missouri.
- Harry L. Sears (1920–2002), a politician who served in the New Jersey Legislature.
- Matt Taibbi (born 1970), an author, journalist, and podcaster.
- Brittany Underwood (born 1988), an actress and singer known for her role on the soap opera One Life to Live.
- Adam Zucker (born 1976), a sportscaster for CBS Sports.
|
See also
In Spanish: Mountain Lakes para niños
