Passaic County, New Jersey facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Passaic County
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Location within the U.S. state of New Jersey
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 New Jersey's location within the U.S. |
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| Country |  United States |
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| State |  New Jersey |
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| Founded | February 7, 1837 | ||
| Named for | "Pasaeck", a Lenape word meaning "valley" | ||
| Seat | Paterson | ||
| Largest municipality | Paterson (population) West Milford (area) |
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| Area | |||
| • Total | 198.39 sq mi (513.8 km2) | ||
| • Land | 186.01 sq mi (481.8 km2) | ||
| • Water | 12.38 sq mi (32.1 km2) 6.2% | ||
| Population
(2020)
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| • Total | 524,118 | ||
| • Estimate
(2023)
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513,395  |
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| • Density | 2,641.86/sq mi (1,020.027/km2) | ||
| Time zone | UTC−5 (Eastern) | ||
| • Summer (DST) | UTC−4 (EDT) | ||
| Congressional districts | 5th, 9th, 11th | ||
Passaic County is a county located in the state of New Jersey, USA. It is part of the larger New York metropolitan area. In 2020, it was the eighth-most-populated county in New Jersey.
The county's population reached 524,118 people in 2020. This was the highest number of residents ever recorded for Passaic County. It showed an increase of over 22,000 people since the 2010 census.
The largest city in Passaic County is Paterson, which is also the county seat. More than 30% of the county's population lives in Paterson. West Milford is the largest municipality by land area, covering over 40% of the county.
Contents
History of Passaic County
How Passaic County Got Its Name
Passaic County was officially created on February 7, 1837. It was formed from parts of Bergen and Essex counties.
The name "Passaic" comes from the word "Pasaeck." This is a word from the native Lenape language. It means "valley," which describes some of the county's landscape.
Geography and Climate
What is the Weather Like in Passaic County?
The county seat, Paterson, has average temperatures that range from about 19°F (around -7°C) in January to 86°F (around 30°C) in July. The coldest temperature ever recorded was -11°F (-24°C) in January 1961. The hottest was 105°F (41°C) in September 1953.
On average, the county gets about 2.86 inches (7.3 cm) of rain in February. This goes up to 4.78 inches (12.1 cm) in September. Passaic County has a humid continental climate. This means it has hot summers, especially in the lower areas. Higher areas to the north have warm summers.
| Weather chart for Paterson, New Jersey | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| temperatures in °F precipitation totals in inches source: The Weather Channel |
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Metric conversion
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Exploring Passaic County's Landscape
Passaic County is located in the northern part of New Jersey. It has many hilly areas and dozens of lakes. The county stretches about 30 miles (48 km) long and 20 miles (32 km) wide.
Major roads like Interstate 287 and Interstate 80 cross through the county, especially near Paterson. The Garden State Parkway runs through the southern part, near Clifton. The Passaic River flows northeast past Totowa into Paterson. From there, it turns south towards Passaic and then Newark.
The highest point in Passaic County is on Bearfort Ridge in West Milford. It is about 1,480 feet (451 meters) above sea level. The lowest point is about 20 feet (6 meters) above sea level along the Passaic River in Clifton.
The southeastern part of the county, where most people live, is either flat near the Passaic and Pompton Rivers or has gentle hills. The northwestern part is rugged and mountainous, forming part of the New Jersey Highlands.
The U.S. Census Bureau reported that in 2020, the county covered 198.39 square miles (513.8 km²). Of this, 186.01 square miles (481.8 km²) was land, and 12.38 square miles (32.1 km²) was water.
Population and People
How Many People Live in Passaic County?
| Historical population | |||
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| Census | Pop. | %± | |
| 1840 | 16,734 | — | |
| 1850 | 22,569 | 34.9% | |
| 1860 | 29,013 | 28.6% | |
| 1870 | 46,416 | 60.0% | |
| 1880 | 68,860 | 48.4% | |
| 1890 | 105,046 | 52.6% | |
| 1900 | 155,202 | 47.7% | |
| 1910 | 215,902 | 39.1% | |
| 1920 | 259,174 | 20.0% | |
| 1930 | 302,129 | 16.6% | |
| 1940 | 309,353 | 2.4% | |
| 1950 | 337,093 | 9.0% | |
| 1960 | 406,618 | 20.6% | |
| 1970 | 460,782 | 13.3% | |
| 1980 | 447,585 | −2.9% | |
| 1990 | 453,060 | 1.2% | |
| 2000 | 489,049 | 7.9% | |
| 2010 | 501,226 | 2.5% | |
| 2020 | 524,118 | 4.6% | |
| 2023 (est.) | 513,395 | 2.4% | |
| Historical sources: 1790-1990 1970-2010 2000 2010 2000-2010 2020 |
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In 2020, Passaic County had 524,118 people. There were 168,059 households and 120,593 families. The population density was about 2,818 people per square mile (1,088 people per km²).
About 38.8% of the people were White, 9.9% were African American, and 5.76% were Asian. About 42.74% of the population identified as Hispanic or Latino.
About 23.7% of the county's population was under 18 years old. The median age was 37.7 years. This means half the population was younger than 37.7 and half was older.
Transportation
How Do People Get Around Passaic County?
Passaic County has several NJ Transit train stations. These include Montclair State University, Little Falls, Wayne/Route 23, and Mountain View. These stations are on the Montclair-Boonton Line.
The "Main Line" train corridor also goes through the county. Its stations include Hawthorne, Paterson, Clifton, Passaic, and Delawanna.
Major Roads and Highways
Many important roads run through Passaic County. These include major county routes like CR 504 and CR 511.
State routes like Route 19 connect the Garden State Parkway with Interstate 80 and Paterson. Route 20 and Route 21 run along the eastern border by the Passaic River. Route 23 goes through the western part of the county.
Major highways like Interstate 80 (also called the Bergen-Passaic Expressway) run east-west. Interstate 287 passes through the mountainous areas. The Garden State Parkway also goes through Clifton.
Towns and Cities
Passaic County has 16 different towns and cities, called municipalities. Some of these municipalities also contain smaller, unincorporated communities. These are often called census-designated places (CDPs) by the U.S. Census Bureau.
| Municipality | Mun. type |
Pop. | Housing units |
Total area |
Water area |
Land Area |
Pop. density |
Housing density |
School district | Unincorporated communities / notes |
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| Bloomingdale | borough | 7,777 | 3,089 | 9.17 | 0.45 | 8.71 | 878.6 | 354.5 | Butler (9-12) (S/R) Bloomingdale (K-8) |
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| Clifton | city | 90,296 | 31,946 | 11.40 | 0.14 | 11.26 | 7,472.0 | 2,837.1 | Clifton | |
| Haledon | borough | 9,052 | 2,932 | 1.16 | 0.00 | 1.15 | 7,203.9 | 2,539.3 | Manchester (9-12) Haledon (PK-8) |
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| Hawthorne | borough | 19,637 | 7,756 | 3.36 | 0.03 | 3.33 | 5,635.3 | 2,326.0 | Hawthorne | |
| Little Falls | township | 13,360 | 4,925 | 2.81 | 0.07 | 2.74 | 5,276.2 | 1,800.5 | Passaic Valley (9-12) Little Falls (K-8) |
Great Notch CDP (3,289) Singac CDP (3,602) |
| North Haledon | borough | 8,927 | 3,213 | 3.50 | 0.04 | 3.45 | 2,436.8 | 930.2 | Manchester (9-12) North Haledon (PK-8) |
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| Passaic | city | 70,537 | 20,432 | 3.24 | 0.10 | 3.15 | 22,179.6 | 6,494.2 | Passaic | |
| Paterson | city | 159,732 | 47,946 | 8.70 | 0.28 | 8.43 | 18,948.0 | 5,688.7 | Paterson | |
| Pompton Lakes | borough | 11,127 | 4,341 | 3.19 | 0.28 | 2.91 | 3,809.1 | 1,490.1 | Pompton Lakes | |
| Prospect Park | borough | 6,372 | 1,931 | 0.48 | 0.00 | 0.48 | 12,347.2 | 4,065.2 | Manchester (9-12) Prospect Park (PK-8) |
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| Ringwood | borough | 11,735 | 4,331 | 28.17 | 2.96 | 25.21 | 485.0 | 171.8 | Lakeland (9-12) Ringwood (K-8) |
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| Totowa | borough | 11,065 | 3,918 | 4.07 | 0.07 | 3.99 | 2,704.9 | 980.9 | Passaic Valley (9-12) Totowa (PK-8) |
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| Wanaque | borough | 11,317 | 4,184 | 9.25 | 1.26 | 7.99 | 1,391.2 | 523.7 | Lakeland (9-12) Wanaque (PK-8) |
Haskell |
| Wayne | township | 54,838 | 19,768 | 25.17 | 1.45 | 23.73 | 2,306.0 | 833.1 | Wayne | Packanack Lake CDP (6,261) Pines Lake CDP (3,033) Preakness CDP (18,487) William Paterson University of New Jersey CDP (1,417) |
| West Milford | township | 24,862 | 10,419 | 80.32 | 5.23 | 75.09 | 344.3 | 138.8 | West Milford | Cooper Hewitt CDP (1,912) Macopin CDP (2,199) Newfoundland CDP (part; 1,145) Oak Ridge CDP (part; 10,996) Upper Greenwood Lake CDP (part; 3,687) |
| Woodland Park | borough | 13,484 | 4,835 | 3.11 | 0.15 | 2.96 | 3,987.9 | 1,631.4 | Passaic Valley (9-12) Woodland Park (K-8) |
(formerly West Paterson) |
| Passaic County | county | 524,118 | 175,966 | 197.11 | 12.51 | 184.59 | 2,715.3 | 953.3 |
Economy
What Businesses are in Passaic County?
In 2021, the total value of goods and services produced in Passaic County was $20.5 billion. This amount ranked 13th in the state of New Jersey. It also showed a 4.8% increase from the year before.
Some well-known companies have had offices or headquarters in Passaic County:
- Toys "R" Us used to have its main U.S. office in Wayne.
- Valley National Bank has its main office in Wayne.
- JVC, an electronics company, has its U.S. office in Wayne.
Education
Learning Opportunities in Passaic County
Passaic County offers several options for higher education:
- Passaic County Community College: This college was started in 1971. It serves students from Passaic County. It has campuses in Paterson, Wanaque, and Wayne.
- William Paterson University: This is a public university founded in 1855. It is located in Wayne.
- Montclair State University: Established in 1908, this public university is mainly in Montclair. Parts of it are also in Little Falls and Clifton.
- Passaic County Technical Institute: This school, founded in 1975, provides vocational training for students in grades 9-12.
Points of Interest
Fun Places to Visit in Passaic County
Passaic County has many interesting places to explore:
- Dey Mansion: Located in Preakness, Wayne, this historic house served as George Washington's headquarters during the American Revolutionary War.
- Garret Mountain Reservation: This large park in Paterson and Woodland Park covers 568 acres (2.3 km²). It is recognized as a National Natural Landmark.
- Paterson Great Falls National Historical Park: Found in Paterson, this park features the impressive Great Falls of the Passaic River.
- Hinchliffe Stadium: This stadium in Paterson has 7,000 seats. It was once a venue for Negro league baseball. Since 2023, it is home to the New Jersey Jackals baseball team.
- Lambert Castle: A historic castle located in Paterson.
- Long Pond Ironworks State Park: This park in West Milford preserves the remains of an old iron-making village.
- Paterson Museum: Housed in the former Rogers Locomotive and Machine Works building in Paterson, this museum showcases the city's industrial history.
- Ringwood State Park: A large state park located in Ringwood.
- Skylands, the New Jersey State Botanical Garden: Located in Ringwood, these beautiful gardens are open to the public all year. They include a Lilac Garden, Magnolia Walk, and a Wild Flower Garden.
- Yogi Berra Stadium: Located on the campus of Montclair State University in Little Falls. It is home to Montclair State's baseball team and was previously home to the New Jersey Jackals.
Images for kids
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The Great Falls of the Passaic River in Paterson
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Flag of Passaic County
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Seal of Passaic County
See also
In Spanish: Condado de Passaic para niños
