The most populous place in Passaic County is Paterson, the county seat, with 159,732 residents at the 2020 Census, more than 30% of the county's population,[2] while West Milford covered 80.32 square miles (208.0 km2), the largest total area of any municipality and more than 40% of the county's area.[9] The county is part of the North Jersey region of the state.[10][11]
History
Etymology
Passaic County was created on February 7, 1837, from portions of Bergen and Essex counties.[3] The county derives its name from "Pasaeck", which is a native Lenape word meaning "valley".[12]
Geography and climate
In recent years, average temperatures in the county seat of Paterson have ranged from a low of 19 °F (−7 °C) in January to a high of 86 °F (30 °C) in July, although a record low of −11 °F (−24 °C) was recorded in January 1961 and a record high of 105 °F (41 °C) was recorded in September 1953. Average monthly precipitation ranged from 2.86 inches (73 mm) in February to 4.78 inches (121 mm) in September.[13] The county has a humid continental climate which is hot-summer (Dfa) except in higher areas to the north where it is warm-summer (Dfb).
The landscape of Passaic County, near the north edge of New Jersey, spans some hilly areas and has dozens of lakes. The county covers a region about 30 × 20 miles wide (48 × 32 km). The region is split by major roads, including portions of Interstate 287 and Interstate 80, near Paterson. The Garden State Parkway cuts across the southern end, near Clifton. The Passaic River winds northeast past Totowa into Paterson, where the river then turns south to Passaic, on the way to Newark, further south.
The highest point is any one of six areas on Bearfort Ridge in West Milford at approximately 1,480 feet (450 m) above sea level.[14] The lowest elevation is approximately 20 feet (6.1 m) along the Passaic River in Clifton. The southeastern, more populous half of the county is either flat, along the Passaic and Pompton Rivers, or mildly hilly, among the Watchung Mountains. The northwestern section is rugged and mountainous, part of the New Jersey Highlands.
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, as of the 2020 Census, the county had a total area of 198.39 square miles (513.8 km2), of which 186.01 square miles (481.8 km2) was land (93.8%) and 12.38 square miles (32.1 km2) was water (6.2%).[5]
As of the 2020 United States census, the county had 524,118 people, 168,059 households, and 120,593 families. The population density was 2,817.8 inhabitants per square mile (1,088.0/km2). There were 185,367 housing units at an average density of 996.59 per square mile (384.8/km2). The county's racial makeup was 38.8% White, 9.9% African American, 5.76% Asian, 0.13% Native American, and 1.95% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 42.74% of the population.[1]
Of the 168,059 households, of which 30.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 48.6% were married couples living together, 30.0% had a female householder with no husband present, 15.2% had a male householder with no wife present and 28.2% were non-families. 47.5% of all households were made up of individuals, and 11.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.93 and the average family size was 3.49.[1]
About 23.7% of the county's population was under age 18, 9.6% was from age 18 to 24, 39.6% was from age 15 to 44, and 15.0% was age 65 or older. The median age was 37.7 years. The gender makeup of the city was 48.8% male and 51.2% female. For every 100 females, there were 95.3 males.[1]
The county's median household income was $77,040, and the median family income was $81,873. About 13.4% of the population were below the poverty line, including 24.7% of those under age 18 and 11.6% of those age 65 or over.[1]
2010 census
The 2010 United States census counted 501,226 people, 166,785 households, and 120,919 families in the county. The population density was 2,715.3 per square mile (1,048.4/km2). There were 175,966 housing units at an average density of 953.3 per square mile (368.1/km2). The racial makeup was 62.65% (314,001) White, 12.83% (64,295) Black or African American, 0.67% (3,348) Native American, 5.01% (25,092) Asian, 0.03% (156) Pacific Islander, 15.11% (75,735) from other races, and 3.71% (18,599) from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 37.04% (185,677) of the population.[8]
Of the 166,785 households, 34.5% had children under the age of 18; 48.7% were married couples living together; 17.5% had a female householder with no husband present and 27.5% were non-families. Of all households, 22.6% were made up of individuals and 9.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.94 and the average family size was 3.45.[8]
24.9% of the population were under the age of 18, 10.3% from 18 to 24, 27.1% from 25 to 44, 25.7% from 45 to 64, and 12% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36.1 years. For every 100 females, the population had 94.2 males. For every 100 females ages 18 and older there were 91.1 males.[8]
As of the 2000 United States census[19] there were 489,049 people, 163,856 households, and 119,614 families residing in the county. The population density was 2,639 inhabitants per square mile (1,019/km2). There were 170,048 housing units at an average density of 918 per square mile (354/km2). The racial makeup of the county was 62.32% White, 13.22% Black or African American, 0.44% Native American, 3.69% Asian, 0.04% Pacific Islander, 16.24% from other races, and 4.05% from two or more races. 29.95% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.[16][20] Among those who reported their ancestry, 16.6% were of Italian, 9.5% Irish, 8.1% German and 6.2% Polish ancestry according to Census 2000.[20][21]
There were 163,856 households, out of which 35.60% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 51.50% were married couples living together, 16.00% had a female householder with no husband present, and 27.00% were non-families. 22.20% of all households were made up of individuals, and 9.50% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.92 and the average family size was 3.42.[16]
In the county, the population was spread out, with 26.10% under the age of 18, 9.30% from 18 to 24, 31.30% from 25 to 44, 21.30% from 45 to 64, and 12.10% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 35 years. For every 100 females, there were 94.00 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 90.80 males.[16]
The median income for a household in the county was $49,210, and the median income for a family was $56,054. Males had a median income of $38,740 versus $29,954 for females. The per capita income for the county was $21,370. About 9.40% of families and 12.30% of the population were below the poverty line, including 17.30% of those under age 18 and 9.20% of those age 65 or over.[20][22]
The Passaic County Court House and Administration Building complex is located at the county seat in Paterson.[23] In Passaic County's commission form of government, the Board of County Commissioners discharges both executive and legislative responsibilities. Seven Commissioners are elected at-large for three-year terms on a staggered basis. A Director and Deputy Director are elected from among the seven Commissioners, at an annual reorganization meeting in January.[24] Passaic County operates through six standing committees of the Board of County Commissioners. They are: Administration & Finance; Health, Education and Community Affairs; Public Works and Buildings & Grounds; Law & Public Safety; Human Services and Planning and Economic Development. The Commissioners also appoint individuals to departments, agencies, boards, and commissions for the effective administration of the county government. In 2016, commissioners were paid $28,500, and the director was paid an annual salary of $29,500.[25] The Commissioners select a County Administrator, who, in the role of chief administrative officer, supervises the day-to-day operation of the county government and its departments; County counsel Matthew Jordan took office as administrator in 2022, succeeding Anthony J. DeNova III, who had served as administrator for 19 years.[26][27]
As of 2025[update], Passaic County's Commissioners are (with terms for Chair and Vice-Chair ending every December 31):[24][28][29][30][31][32]
Republicans have not won countywide office since 2021. Nicolino Gallo's 2021 third-place finish for the three Board seats at stake then represents the first time any Republicans have been in the county government since now-State Senator Kristin Corrado left her position as County Clerk to win that seat in 2017, as well as the first time the Board has had any Republican members at all since 2012, when then-Freeholders Deborah E. Ciambrone, Michael Marrotta, and Edward O'Connell were defeated.[40] In March 2023, the commission swore Orlando Cruz, the president of the Greater Paterson Chamber of Commerce (as well as its counterpart in neighboring Wayne), into office to replace retiring commissioner T.J. Best, who resigned at the beginning of the month to spend time with family members down in Georgia.[41][42]
Constitutional officers, elected on a countywide basis, are:
The Passaic County Prosecutor is Camelia M. Valdes of Bloomingdale, who was appointed by Governor of New Jersey Jon S. Corzine in May 2009, and renominated by Governor Chris Christie in June 2015.[49][50] Passaic County constitutes Vicinage 11 of the New Jersey Superior Court and is seated at the Passaic County Court House in Paterson; the Assignment Judge for Vicinage 11 is Ernest M. Caposela.[51] Law enforcement at the county level is provided by the Passaic County Sheriff's Office and the Passaic County Prosecutor's Office, which occasionally assist local police forces with investigations and patrol efforts.
The Passaic County Sheriff's Office provides law enforcement functions throughout the entirety of the county, plus unincorporated county area police patrol, detective, crime scene investigation, SWAT, K-9 function, operation of the Passaic County Jail, and the security of all county-owned facilities, including the Passaic County Court House and Administration Building. All of the incorporated municipalities within the county also have separate local police departments, almost always exclusively providing law enforcement operations within their physical boundaries.
In January 2024, Sheriff Richard Berdnik committed suicide inside a Turkish restaurant.[61]
Route 19 runs entirely through the county, connecting the Garden State Parkway with Interstate 80 and Paterson. Both Route 20 and Route 21 run along the eastern border alongside the Passaic River. Route 23 runs through the western section of the county, while both Route 3 and Route 161 go through Clifton. Route 62 also runs passes through entirely in Totowa. U.S. Route 202 runs roughly north-south only in Wayne Township while U.S. Route 46 traverses east-west.
Passaic County was historically a swing county, as it voted for the national winner all but twice (in 1976 and 1992) between 1920 and 1992. Since 1996, the county has leaned Democratic until recently. In the 2016 presidential election, Democratic support declined to 59.5%, although nominee Hillary Clinton still won the county comfortably overall, and the 2020 presidential election saw Democratic support decline to 57.5% - a margin of 16.5% for former Vice President Joe Biden over Republican President Donald Trump, which was a slightly wider margin than the state as a whole. Passaic County's namesake municipality, the small city of Passaic, saw the biggest overall drop for Biden compared to Clinton among its municipalities, which helped Trump narrow the gap in the county overall in 2020 compared to 2016:
2016: Clinton 12,275 (75%) - Trump 3,743 (22.8%) (all other candidates with 347 combined votes in the city - 2.2%)[63]
2020: Biden 11,638 (62.5%) - Trump 6,835 (36.7%) (all other candidates with 162 combined votes in the city - 0.8%)[64]
In the 2024 presidential election, Donald Trump flipped the county Republican, and most notably, its cities of Passaic and Clifton. This outcome was in correspondence with the rightward trend of the county and the nation in this election. Donald Trump became the first Republican to win a presidential election in the county since George H.W. Bush in the 1992 presidential election. As of August 1, 2020, there were a total of 318,029 registered voters in Passaic County, of which 128,114 (40.3%) were registered as Democrats, 64,389 (20.3%) were registered as Republicans and 120,282 (37.8%) were registered as Unaffiliated. There were 5,244 (1.7%) voters registered to other parties.[65] Among the county's 2010 Census population, 53.2% were registered to vote, including 70.8% of those ages 18 and over.[66][67]
United States presidential election results for Passaic County, New Jersey[68]
The 16 municipalities in Passaic County (with 2010 Census data for population, housing units and area in square miles) are:[70] Other, unincorporated communities in the county are listed next to their parent municipality. Most of these areas are census-designated places (CDPs) that have been created by the United States Census Bureau for enumeration purposes within a Township. Other communities and enclaves that exist within a municipality are also listed next to the name.
Interactive map of municipalities in Passaic County.
Skylands, the New Jersey State Botanical Garden in Ringwood, are formal gardens that are open to the public year-round. Originally constructed for Clarence MacKenzie Lewis in the 1920s, the entire property was acquired by the State of New Jersey in 1966 to form a State Botanical Garden covering 4,000-acre (16 km2) which include a Lilac Garden, Magnolia Walk, the Wild Flower Garden, the Crab Apple Vista, an allée of 166 trees extending almost a half-mile, and the Perennial Garden.[87]
^Willis, David P. "'This is how wars start': Does Central Jersey include both Ocean and Union counties?", Asbury Park Press, February 20, 2023. Accessed March 31, 2024. "North Jersey is defined as Sussex, Warren, Morris, Passaic, Bergen, Essex and Hudson counties; South Jersey would be Burlington, Camden, Gloucester, Atlantic, Salem, Cumberland and Cape May counties. But for Central, things get a little tricky. It would include Hunterdon, Somerset, Union, Middlesex, Mercer, Monmouth, and Ocean counties."
^ abBoard of County Commissioners, Passaic County, New Jersey. Accessed June 21, 2022. "Passaic County is governed by a seven-member Board of County Commissioners. Each County Commissioner is elected at large for a three-year term. The board is headed by a director, who is selected for a one-year term at the board's annual reorganization meeting (at the first meeting of the year in January)."
^Administration, Passaic County, New Jersey. Accessed June 21, 2022.
^"Anthony 'Tony' DeNova Says Goodbye as Head of Passaic County Government", MSN.com, December 20, 2022. Accessed April 13, 2023. "Passaic County Business Administrator Anthony 'Tony' DeNova was 'clapped out' on Friday as he ended his 19-year tenure at the head of Passaic County's government. Earlier this month, DeNova announced that he would be stepping down at the end of the year and will be replaced by County Counsel Matthew Jordan."
^Biography, Congressman Josh Gottheimer. Accessed January 3, 2019. "Josh now lives in Wyckoff, New Jersey with Marla, his wife who was a federal prosecutor, and their two young children, Ellie and Ben."
^Malinconico, Joe; Balcerzak, Ashley; and Fagan, Matt. "Passaic County Sheriff Richard Berdnik fatally shoots himself inside Clifton restaurant", The Record, January 23, 2024. Accessed January 24, 2024. "Passaic County Sheriff Richard Berdnik, a longtime law enforcement officer with deep ties to North Jersey, fatally shot himself Tuesday afternoon at a well-known Turkish restaurant in Clifton, multiple sources said."
^About Toys "R" Us, Inc., Toys "R" Us, Inc. Accessed August 22, 2014. "Headquartered in Wayne, NJ, Toys"R"Us, Inc. employs approximately 70,000 employees worldwide."
^Company Information, Valley National Bank. Accessed August 22, 2014. "Valley National Bancorp is a regional bank holding company headquartered in Wayne, New Jersey with $16 billion in assets."
^"New Jersey Jackals Baseball Team Secures New Home At Landmark Hinchliffe Stadium In Paterson, NJ", Frontier League, September 14, 2022. Accessed April 19, 2023. "The New Jersey Jackals, a member team of the Frontier League, a Professional Baseball League of 16 teams and Partner League of Major League Baseball (MLB), today announced the team is relocating from Yogi Berra Stadium in Montclair, NJ to its new, larger home at landmark Hinchliffe Stadium in Paterson, NJ. The Jackals will kick-off a 96-game season in May of 2023 at Hinchliffe, a 7,000-seat stadium that sits on a dramatic escarpment above Paterson's National Historic Great Falls and surrounded by the city's national historic district – the first planned industrial settlement in the nation in 1792."
^Lambert Castle, Passaic County, New Jersey. Accessed October 24, 2017.
^About NJBG, New Jersey State Botanical Garden. Accessed August 31, 2014. "Skylands was sold in 1922 to Clarence McKenzie Lewis (1877-1959), an investment banker and also a trustee of the New York Botanical Garden. When Mr. Lewis purchased the property, he set out to make it a botanical showplace.... In 1966, New Jersey purchased the 1,117 acres of Skylands from Shelton College, which had used it as a campus."
