Orange, New Jersey facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Orange, New Jersey
Township
City of Orange Township
The former First Presbyterian Church
Seal
Orange, New Jersey Location in Essex County, New Jersey Show map of Essex County, New Jersey Orange, New Jersey Location in New Jersey Show map of New Jersey Orange, New Jersey Location in the United States Show map of the United States
Country	United States
State	New Jersey
County	Essex
Incorporated	November 27, 1806 (as township)
Reincorporated	April 3, 1872 (as city)
Government
• Type	Faulkner Act Mayor-Council
• Body	City Council
Area
• Total	2.22 sq mi (5.74 km2)
• Land	2.21 sq mi (5.73 km2)
• Water	<0.01 sq mi (0.01 km2)  0.09%
Area rank	392nd of 565 in state 19th of 22 in county
Elevation	197 ft (60 m)
Population  (2020)
• Total	34,447
• Estimate  (2023)	33,787
• Rank	69th of 565 in state 8th of 22 in county
• Density	15,565.7/sq mi (6,010.0/km2)
• Density rank	17th of 565 in state 3rd of 22 in county
Time zone	UTC−05:00 (Eastern (EST))
• Summer (DST)	UTC−04:00 (Eastern (EDT))
ZIP Codes	07050–07051
Area code(s)	973
FIPS code	{{{1}}}-{{{2}}}
GNIS feature ID	1729742

The City of Orange (also called Orange) is a township in Essex County, New Jersey. In 2020, about 34,447 people lived there. This was an increase of over 4,300 people since 2010.

Orange was first set up as a township on November 27, 1806. It was formed from parts of Newark Township. Later, on April 3, 1872, Orange became a city. In 1982, it changed back to a township. This was done to get more government help for the city. The name Orange comes from William III of England or William IV, Prince of Orange.

Orange, East Orange, South Orange, and West Orange are often called "The Oranges" together.

Discovering Orange, New Jersey

A Look Back in Time

Orange started with families from Connecticut's New Haven Colony. In 1666, 30 families traveled to start a town near the Passayak River. This area included what is now Orange and other nearby towns. The land was given by King Charles II of England to his brother, James, Duke of York. James then gave the land to Lord John Berkeley and Sir George Carteret. Since Carteret was the governor of the Isle of Jersey, the land became known as "New Jersey."

Orange was first part of Newark and was called "Newark Mountains." On June 7, 1780, the people voted to call it Orange. They wanted to be separate from Newark. This finally happened on November 27, 1806.

On April 13, 1807, Orange elected its first government. It officially became a city on March 13, 1860. Soon after, the city started to split into smaller towns. This happened because of disagreements over how to pay for police, fire, and street services. South Orange formed in 1861, East Orange in 1863, and West Orange in 1863.

Early Transportation and Industry

F. Berg & Co. hat factory building, built in 1907. The company left in the 1920s.

Orange was an important stop for travelers. It was on the main road from Newark to Morristown. Many hotels were built there. At first, people traveled by stagecoach. Later, omnibuses (like early buses) also served Orange.

The Morris and Essex Railroad came to Orange in 1836. At first, horses pulled the train cars. But in 1837, the first steam locomotive arrived. This railroad is now part of NJ Transit's Morristown Line.

Trolley cars came later, in 1862. The first electric trolley in New Jersey ran on a line in Orange. Eventually, all trolleys and buses became part of a larger public transport system.

Orange became an industrial city early on. The tanning industry grew quickly because of many hemlock trees. These trees provided what was needed to make leather. This led to many factories making shoes and boots.

Orange was once known as the hat-making capital of the United States. This industry started there in 1792. By 1892, 21 companies made hats, employing over 3,700 people. They produced about 4.8 million hats each year! The famous "Stetson" hat company was started by brothers from Orange. By 1960, all hat factories had left the city.

Beer was also a big industry in Orange in the early 1900s. The first brewery was built in 1901. Beer production stopped during Prohibition (when alcohol was illegal). After Prohibition ended, the brewery was sold and made Rheingold Beer. It closed permanently in 1977.

Other important companies in Orange included the Monroe Calculating Company, which made adding machines. The Bates Manufacturing Company made office items like staplers. The United States Radium Corporation also had a factory here. They refined radium to make glowing paint for watch dials.

Famous People and Visitors

Orange has been home to many famous people. These include baseball player Monte Irvin and boxer Tony Galento. Actor William Bendix also lived and worked here. Presidents and governors have visited Orange. The city has held big celebrations for its 100th and 150th anniversaries.

Geography and Location

Orange covers about 2.22 square miles (5.74 square kilometers). Most of this is land, with a small amount of water.

The East Branch of the Rahway River flows through Orange.

Orange shares borders with several other towns in Essex County. These include East Orange, Glen Ridge, Montclair, South Orange, and West Orange.

Population and People

In 2020, Orange had 34,447 people. The population was made up of different groups. About 62.78% were Black or African American. About 28.98% were Hispanic or Latino (who can be of any race). White people made up about 3.11% of the population.

In 2010, there were 30,134 people living in Orange. About 25% of the people were under 18 years old. The average age was 34.4 years.

Emergency Services

Fire Department

Central fire station

The City of Orange has its own professional fire department. It was started in 1872. The department has two fire stations. They use fire engines, quints, and a ladder truck to fight fires and help people.

Education in Orange

Orange Middle School

The Orange Board of Education runs the public schools. Students from pre-kindergarten through 12th grade attend these schools. The district has 12 schools. The state helps pay for school building projects in these districts.

Lincoln Avenue School

In the 2020–21 school year, about 5,629 students were enrolled. There were 507.5 teachers. This means there were about 11 students for every teacher. Some of the schools include:

• Orange Early Childhood Center (Pre-K)
• Central Elementary School (K–2)
• Lincoln Avenue School (K–7)
• Rosa Parks Central Community School (Grades 3–7)
• Orange Preparatory Academy (Grades 8–9)
• Orange High School (Grades 10–12)
• STEM Innovation Academy of the Oranges (Grades 9–12)

The Orange Public Library has 200,000 books and other items. It lends out about 43,000 items each year. The library building opened in 1901.

Economy and Business

Parts of Orange are in an Urban Enterprise Zone (UEZ). This is a special area that helps businesses grow. Orange was one of the first cities chosen for this program in 1983. Businesses in this zone can offer a lower sales tax rate. This helps encourage people to shop and businesses to invest in the area. Orange's special zone status is set to end in November 2023.

Getting Around Orange

Interstate 280 westbound in Orange

Orange has about 44.64 miles of roads. Most of these roads are managed by the city.

Interstate 280 is the main highway in Orange. It runs east to west through the city. Another important road is County Route 508, which follows Central Avenue.

Public Transportation

Orange has two train stations: Orange and Highland Avenue. These stations offer NJ Transit train service. You can travel to Secaucus Junction and Penn Station in Midtown Manhattan. You can also go to Hoboken Terminal.

NJ Transit also has several bus routes in Orange. These buses connect to Newark and other local areas.

Notable People from Orange

Many interesting people have lived in or are connected to Orange:

Places to Visit in Orange

• Orange Reservoir
• Rosedale Cemetery
• St. Johns Catholic Cemetery
• St. Johns Church
• Columbus Hall

See also

In Spanish: Orange (Nueva Jersey) para niños