Rockaway, New Jersey facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Rockaway, New Jersey
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Borough
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Joseph Jackson House, the Rockaway Borough Public Library
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Location of Rockaway in Morris County circled and highlighted in red (right). Inset map: Location of Morris County in New Jersey highlighted in orange (left).
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Census Bureau map of Rockaway, New Jersey
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 Rockaway, New Jersey
Location in Morris County, New Jersey
Rockaway, New Jersey
Location in New Jersey
Rockaway, 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 |  Morris |
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| Incorporated | June 19, 1894 | |
| Government | ||
| • Type | Borough | |
| • Body | Borough Council | |
| Area | ||
| • Total | 2.12 sq mi (5.50 km2) | |
| • Land | 2.08 sq mi (5.38 km2) | |
| • Water | 0.05 sq mi (0.12 km2) 2.22% | |
| Area rank | 400th of 565 in state 34th of 39 in county |
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| Elevation | 538 ft (164 m) | |
| Population
(2020)
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| • Total | 6,598 | |
| • Estimate
(2023)
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6,596 | |
| • Rank | 326th of 565 in state 27th of 39 in county |
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| • Density | 3,181.3/sq mi (1,228.3/km2) | |
| • Density rank | 210th of 565 in state 10th of 39 in county |
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| Time zone | UTC−05:00 (Eastern (EST)) | |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC−04:00 (Eastern (EDT)) | |
| ZIP Code |
07866
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| Area code(s) | 973 | |
| FIPS code | 3402764050 | |
| GNIS feature ID | 0885374 | |
| Website | ||
Rockaway is a small town, called a borough, located in Morris County, New Jersey. It's part of the United States. In 2020, about 6,598 people lived here. This was a small increase from 2010.
Contents
History of Rockaway
Rockaway became a borough on June 19, 1894. This happened after people voted for it the day before. Later, in 1908, more parts of Rockaway Township joined the borough.
The town gets its name from the Rockaway River and the nearby township. The name comes from a Native American word. It might mean "place of sands," "creek between two hills," or "bushy" and "hard to cross."
The First Presbyterian Church of Rockaway started in 1758. Many soldiers from the American Revolutionary War are buried in its cemetery. The church building you see today was built in 1832.
Geography and Climate
Rockaway covers about 2.12 square miles (5.49 square kilometers). Most of this area is land. A small part, about 0.05 square miles (0.12 square kilometers), is water.
Rockaway is next to other towns in Morris County. These include Denville Township and Rockaway Township.
Rockaway's Climate
The weather in Rockaway has hot, humid summers. Winters are usually moderately cold. It has a "humid continental climate" with hot summers.
Population and People
| Historical population | |||
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| Census | Pop. | %± | |
| 1900 | 1,483 | — | |
| 1910 | 1,902 | 28.3% | |
| 1920 | 2,655 | 39.6% | |
| 1930 | 3,132 | 18.0% | |
| 1940 | 3,514 | 12.2% | |
| 1950 | 3,812 | 8.5% | |
| 1960 | 5,413 | 42.0% | |
| 1970 | 6,383 | 17.9% | |
| 1980 | 6,852 | 7.3% | |
| 1990 | 6,243 | −8.9% | |
| 2000 | 6,473 | 3.7% | |
| 2010 | 6,438 | −0.5% | |
| 2020 | 6,598 | 2.5% | |
| 2023 (est.) | 6,596 | 2.5% | |
| Population sources: 1900–1920 1900–1910 1910–1930 1940–2000 2000 2010 2020 |
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2010 Census Information
In 2010, there were 6,438 people living in Rockaway. There were 2,443 households, which are groups of people living together. About 1,656 of these were families.
Most people (82.79%) were White. About 7.66% were Asian, and 3.22% were Black or African American. About 15.07% of the population was Hispanic or Latino.
About 31.2% of households had children under 18. Many households (51.7%) were married couples. The average household had 2.63 people.
The population's age varied. About 22.1% were under 18 years old. About 12.3% were 65 or older. The average age was 40.7 years.
Education in Rockaway
Rockaway has its own public schools. They teach students from pre-kindergarten up to eighth grade. The school district has two schools. In the 2020–21 school year, there were 515 students and 52.8 teachers. This means about 9.8 students per teacher.
The schools are:
- Lincoln Elementary School: For students in Pre-K through 3rd grade.
- Thomas Jefferson Middle School: For students in 4th through 8th grade.
For high school, students from Rockaway go to Morris Hills High School. This school is also in Rockaway Borough. It also serves students from Wharton and parts of Rockaway Township. Morris Hills High School had 1,218 students in 2020–21.
There's also a special high school program called The Academy for Mathematics, Science, and Engineering. It's on the Morris Hills campus.
Divine Mercy Academy is the only private school in Rockaway. It's a Catholic school. It opened in 2016 when two other Catholic schools merged.
Getting Around Rockaway
_in_Rockaway,_Morris_County,_New_Jersey.jpg)
As of 2010, Rockaway had about 25.88 miles (41.65 kilometers) of roads. Most roads are kept up by the town.
Major Roads
Interstate 80 goes through a small part of Rockaway. You can get on it at Exit 37. U.S. Route 46 also runs through the southern part of the borough.
Public Transport
While trains don't stop directly in Rockaway, you can find NJ Transit train service nearby. Stations in Denville and Dover offer commuter trains. These trains go on the Morris & Essex Lines and the Montclair-Boonton Line. Train service to Rockaway itself stopped in 1948.
NJ Transit also has a local bus route, the 880. This bus helps people get around the area.
Lakeland Bus Lines offers bus service from Main Street. These buses can take you to the New York City Port Authority Bus Terminal in Midtown Manhattan.
Rockaway in Pop Culture
Rockaway has been featured in movies and music!
- The 2003 movie The Station Agent filmed many scenes here. You can see the train tracks, Main Street, and The Mill Lane Tavern in the film. The movie starred actor Peter Dinklage.
- The band Houston Calls started out in Rockaway.
Famous People from Rockaway
Many interesting people have connections to Rockaway:
- Bruce Bannon (born 1951): A former professional football player.
- Gerry Gallagher (born 1951): An American football coach.
- Mike Lynn (1936–2012): A football executive for the Minnesota Vikings.
- Sue Naegle: A business executive who was President of HBO Entertainment.
- General Raymond T. Odierno (1954–2021): A high-ranking general in the U.S. Army.
- General Gustave F. Perna (born 1960): Another high-ranking general in the U.S. Army.
- Frank Joseph Rodimer (1927–2018): An American Roman Catholic bishop.
- Erik Storz (born 1975): A former professional football player.
- Rachel Wainer Apter (born 1980): A justice on the Supreme Court of New Jersey.
- June Walker (1934–2008): A leader in Jewish organizations.
See also
In Spanish: Rockaway (Nueva Jersey) para niños
