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Battle of Nördlingen (1634)

The Battle of Nördlingen took place on 6 September 1634 during the Thirty Years' War. A combined Imperial-Spanish force inflicted a crushing defeat on the Swedish-German army.

By 1634, the Swedes and their German allies occupied much of southern Germany. This allowed them to block the Spanish Road, an overland supply route running from Italy to Flanders, used by the Spanish to support their war against the Dutch Republic. Seeking to re-open this, a Spanish army under Cardinal-Infante Ferdinand linked up with an Imperial force led by Ferdinand of Hungary near the town of Nördlingen, which was held by a Swedish garrison.

A Swedish-German army commanded by Gustav Horn and Bernhard of Saxe-Weimar marched to its relief but they significantly underestimated the number and calibre of the Imperial-Spanish troops facing them. On 6 September, Horn launched a series of assaults against earthworks constructed on the hills to the south of Nördlingen, all of which were repulsed. Superior numbers meant the Spanish-Imperial commanders could continually reinforce their positions and Horn eventually began to retreat. As they did so, they were outflanked by Imperial cavalry and the Protestant army collapsed.

Defeat had far-reaching territorial and strategic consequences. The Swedes withdrew from Bavaria, and in the May 1635 Peace of Prague, their German allies made peace with Emperor Ferdinand II. France now intervened on behalf of Sweden and the Dutch Republic, and responded by declaring war on Spain, and entering the Thirty Years War as an active belligerent.

Background
Swedish intervention in the Thirty Years' War began in June 1630 when nearly 18,000 troops under Gustavus Adolphus landed in the Duchy of Pomerania. Provided with subsidies as part of a French policy of opposition to the Habsburgs, and supported by Saxony and Brandenburg-Prussia, Gustavus won a series of victories over Imperial forces, including Breitenfeld in September 1631, then Rain in April 1632.

Despite the death of Gustavus at Lützen in November, Sweden and its German Protestant allies formed the Heilbronn League in April 1633, once again financed by France. In July, the coalition defeated an Imperial army at Oldendorf in Lower Saxony; a few months later, Emperor Ferdinand II dismissed his leading general Albrecht von Wallenstein, who was assassinated by Imperial agents in February 1634.

The removal of Wallenstein made Emperor Ferdinand more reliant on the Spanish, Since their primary objective was re-opening the Spanish Road to support their campaign against the Dutch Republic, the focus now shifted to the Rhineland and Bavaria. Cardinal-Infante Ferdinand, newly appointed Governor of the Spanish Netherlands, recruited an army of 11,700 in Italy, which in May crossed the Alps through the Stelvio Pass. At Rheinfelden, he linked up with forces previously commanded by the Duke of Feria, who died in January 1634. This brought his numbers up to 18,000 infantry and 4,000 cavalry.

The Swedish army and their German allies largely operated as separate units, each with their own objectives. While Johan Banér and Hans von Arnim invaded Bohemia, Gustav Horn tried to block the Spanish by investing Überlingen, and Bernhard of Saxe-Weimar sought to consolidate his position in Franconia by taking Kronach. Neither attempt was successful and left Regensburg isolated, which was besieged on 23 May by an Imperial army of 25,000 under Ferdinand of Hungary. Horn and Bernhard met at Augsburg on 12 July and marched towards the Bohemian border, hoping the threat of them combining with Arnim would force Ferdinand to abandon the siege.

Although they defeated an Imperial blocking force under Johann von Aldringen at Landshut on 22 July, the siege continued and Regensburg surrendered on 26 July. With 15,000 men, Ferdinand marched down the Danube (see Map) and reached Donauwörth on 26 August, where he turned aside to besiege the Swedish-held town of Nördlingen, which had to be taken before continuing his advance. Horn and Bernhard marched to Bopfingen but delayed their attack; with both sides short of supplies and suffering from plague, they were confident the outnumbered Imperials would have to withdraw.

However, on 2 September the Imperial and Spanish armies linked up, and Nördlingen nearly fell to an assault two days later. The Protestant commanders agreed the political impact of losing the town outweighed the military risk of accepting battle. Although they had just been joined by 3,400 men under Scharffenstein, Horn wanted to wait for additional troops, which were a week's march away. Bernhard argued they could not wait and urged an immediate attack, while he estimated the Spanish reinforcements as less than 7,000. The true figure was over 18,000, which meant the Habsburg army totalled over 33,000, compared to the Protestant figure of around 26,000. This included 8,000 poorly trained Württemberg militia, many of whom had previously served in the Imperial army.

Battle
Early on 5 September, the Protestant army broke camp and first feinted west as if retreating to Ulm, then moved across country to seize a line of hills two kilometres south of Nördlingen. Around 16:00, the advance guard under Bernhard came into contact with Spanish and Imperial pickets holding the western edge of the hills. Although their experienced subordinates, Matthias Gallas and Count Leganés, advised retreat, the two Ferdinands made the decision to stand their ground and fighting continued until after midnight. The Habsburg forces were driven off some of the hills but retained the Albuch, which was key to the position as it prevented them being outflanked. This was occupied by 6,600 Spanish and 1,500 Bavarian infantry under Ottavio Piccolomini, who spent the night digging trenches and positions for a battery of 14 guns. A detachment of 2,800 Bavarian cavalry was stationed directly behind, with the rest of their army holding a line running north to Nördlingen (see Phase 1 map above).

Leaving the Württemberg militia to guard the baggage train, the bulk of the infantry under Horn and 4,000 cavalry led by Scharffenstein was tasked with taking the Albuch, whose loss would force the Spanish-Imperial forces to retreat and abandon the siege of Nördlingen. At the same time, Bernhard's troops would distract the Imperial right, although it soon became clear he was badly outnumbered and thus restricted to limited skirmishing. At 5:00 am on 6 September, the Swedish artillery opened fire on the Albuch, followed by a general assault; although the first wave was repulsed with heavy losses, the second composed of veteran units overran the Bavarian infantry and for a short period it appeared Horn had won a great victory. However, a powder wagon exploded, causing confusion among the Swedish troops, and the Spanish infantry took advantage of this to drive them back to their starting positions.

Horn rallied his men and made a series of assaults over the next few hours, all of which were beaten back by the veteran Spanish units (see Phase 2 map above). Despite Bernhard's skilful use of artillery on the left, which forced the Imperials to hold their positions, their superior numbers allowed Leganés and Gallas to feed in a constant stream of fresh troops to support their comrades on the Albuch. Two brigades of Bernhard's infantry joined the assault but were attacked by Bavarian cavalry before reaching the hill, while an attack against the Imperial left by his own under von Taupadel was soon forced back upon their lines. By midday, Horn's men were exhausted after making up to 15 separate attempts to capture the Albuch and began to retreat.

Their withdrawal exposed Bernhard's infantry on the other hills, while Croat light cavalry simultaneously outflanked him on the left. Under this pressure, the Protestant army disintegrated, despite attempts to rally them and suffered heavy losses during the pursuit (see Phase 3 map above). Two thousand of the militia guarding the baggage were killed and another 4,000 taken prisoner, most of whom then enrolled in the Imperial army. Scharffenstein, previously a senior commander in the Bavarian army, was captured and later executed for treason; Horn was also taken and held in custody until 1642. In addition to prisoners, the Protestants suffered a total of 8,000 casualties, compared to 3,500 for their opponents; Bernhard and von Taupadel reached Heilbronn with the remaining 12,000 men a few days later.

Aftermath

Nördlingen effectively destroyed Swedish power in southern Germany, and has been described by some commentators as "arguably the most important battle of the war". The Imperial army retook most of Württemberg and moved into the Rhineland, while Swedish Chancellor Axel Oxenstierna faced pressure from his domestic opponents to end the war. In December, two of their main allies, Saxony and Hesse-Darmstadt, negotiated a peace agreement with Emperor Ferdinand, later formalised in the May 1635 Treaty of Prague. Its terms included the dissolution of the Heilbronn and Catholic Leagues and the treaty is generally seen as the point when the Thirty Years' War ceased to be primarily a German religious conflict.

However, the collapse of the anti-Habsburg alliance in Germany now prompted direct French intervention. In February 1635, Cardinal Richelieu signed a treaty agreeing a joint Franco-Dutch offensive in the Spanish Netherlands, while a French army under Henri, Duke of Rohan, cut the Spanish Road by invading the Valtellina in March. This was followed in April by a new alliance with Sweden, as well as financing an army of 12,000 under Bernard of Saxe-Weimar in the Rhineland. In May, France formally declared war on Spain, starting the 1635 to 1659 Franco-Spanish War.

title: Battle of Nördlingen (1634)


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North Haledon, New Jersey

North Haledon (pronounced North HAIL-don ) is a borough in Passaic County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey. As of the 2020 United States census, the borough's population was 8,927, an increase of 510 (+6.1%) from the 2010 census count of 8,417,  which in turn reflected an increase of 497 (+6.3%) from the 7,920 counted in the 2000 census.

North Haledon was formed as a borough by an act of the New Jersey Legislature on March 20, 1901, from portions of the now-defunct Manchester Township.

Geography
According to the United States Census Bureau, the borough had a total area of 3.53 square miles (9.14 km2), including 3.46 square miles (8.97 km2) of land and 0.06 square miles (0.17 km2) of water (1.81%).

The borough borders the municipalities of Haledon, Hawthorne, Prospect Park and Wayne in Passaic County; and Franklin Lakes and Wyckoff in Bergen County.

2010 census
The 2010 United States census counted 8,417 people, 3,123 households, and 2,386 families in the borough. The population density was 2,436.8 per square mile (940.9/km2). There were 3,213 housing units at an average density of 930.2 per square mile (359.2/km2). The racial makeup was 91.53% (7,704) White, 1.76% (148) Black or African American, 0.02% (2) Native American, 3.78% (318) Asian, 0.00% (0) Pacific Islander, 1.27% (107) from other races, and 1.64% (138) from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 7.46% (628) of the population.

Of the 3,123 households, 27.7% had children under the age of 18; 64.9% were married couples living together; 8.3% had a female householder with no husband present and 23.6% were non-families. Of all households, 20.1% were made up of individuals and 11.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.67 and the average family size was 3.10.

20.4% of the population were under the age of 18, 6.0% from 18 to 24, 23.6% from 25 to 44, 29.7% from 45 to 64, and 20.3% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 45.0 years. For every 100 females, the population had 89.8 males. For every 100 females ages 18 and older there were 87.8 males.

The Census Bureau's 2006–2010 American Community Survey showed that (in 2010 inflation-adjusted dollars) median household income was $103,562 (with a margin of error of +/− $5,006) and the median family income was $107,623 (+/− $8,363). Males had a median income of $71,850 (+/− $10,067) versus $49,038 (+/− $4,709) for females. The per capita income for the borough was $41,694 (+/− $4,002). About 0.7% of families and 2.2% of the population were below the poverty line, including 1.1% of those under age 18 and none of those age 65 or over.

Same-sex couples headed 24 households in 2010, more than double the 10 counted in 2000.

2000 census
As of the 2000 United States census there were 7,920 people, 2,626 households, and 2,077 families residing in the borough. The population density was 2,300.6 PD/sqmi. There were 2,675 housing units at an average density of 777.0 /sqmi. The racial makeup of the borough was 95.03% White, 1.44% African American, 0.06% Native American, 1.00% Asian, 0.95% from other races, and 1.53% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 3.89% of the population.

There were 2,626 households, out of which 27.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 68.2% were married couples living together, 8.1% had a female householder with no husband present, and 20.9% were non-families. 17.7% of all households were made up of individuals, and 9.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.79 and the average family size was 3.18.

In the borough the population was spread out, with 19.7% under the age of 18, 10.6% from 18 to 24, 25.9% from 25 to 44, 24.2% from 45 to 64, and 19.6% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 40 years. For every 100 females, there were 89.3 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 87.4 males.

The median income for a household in the borough was $74,700, and the median income for a family was $80,936. Males had a median income of $52,006 versus $34,854 for females. The per capita income for the borough was $30,322. About 2.4% of families and 4.0% of the population were below the poverty line, including 0.3% of those under age 18 and 4.4% of those age 65 or over.

Local government
North Haledon is governed under the borough form of New Jersey municipal government, which is used in 218 municipalities (of the 564) statewide, making it the most common form of government in New Jersey. The governing body is comprised of the mayor and the borough council, with all positions elected at-large on a partisan basis as part of the November general election. The mayor is elected directly by the voters to a four-year term of office. The borough council includes six members elected to serve three-year terms on a staggered basis, with two seats coming up for election each year in a three-year cycle. The borough form of government used by North Haledon is a "weak mayor / strong council" government in which council members act as the legislative body with the mayor presiding at meetings and voting only in the event of a tie. The mayor can veto ordinances subject to an override by a two-thirds majority vote of the council. The mayor makes committee and liaison assignments for council members, and most appointments are made by the mayor with the advice and consent of the council.

, the mayor of North Haledon is Republican Randolph J. "Randy" George, whose term of office ends on December 31, 2026. Members of the North Haledon Borough Council are Council President Bruce O. Iacobelli (R, 2025), Rocco Luisi (R, 2023), Vince Parmese (R, 2025), George Pomianek (R, 2024), Donna Puglisi (R, 2024), and Jacqueline Roscio (R, 2023).

In December 2019, Sandra Salviano was selected from a list of three candidates nominated by the municipal committee to fill the term expiring in December 2022 that had been become vacant following the death earlier that month of her husband, Keith Salviano. Sandra Salviano served on an interim basis until the November 2020 general election, when she was elected to serve the balance of the term of office, though she stepped down from office in February 2021 and was replaced by Vince Parmese, who was elected in November 2021 to serve the remainder of the term.

In 2013, Mayor Randy George was criticized by residents for his use of two borough-owned generators in the persistent electric outages during the days following the devastation of Hurricane Sandy to provide power to the refrigerators in his ice cream store, while Police Chief Robert Bracco had used another municipal-owned generator to provide power at his home. A special committee formed of borough council members found that the actions were justifiable in light of the circumstances and enabled them to serve the borough during the emergency, but recommended that rules be established to govern personal use of borough property by municipal employees and officials.

Federal, state, and county representation
North Haledon is located in the 9th Congressional District and is part of New Jersey's 35th state legislative district.

Prior to the 2010 Census, North Haledon had been part of the NJ's 8th congressional district, a change made by the New Jersey Redistricting Commission that took effect in January 2013, based on the results of the November 2012 general elections.

Politics
As of March 2011, there were a total of 6,156 registered voters in North Haledon, of which 1,180 (19.2% vs. 31.0% countywide) were registered as Democrats, 2,051 (33.3% vs. 18.7%) were registered as Republicans and 2,923 (47.5% vs. 50.3%) were registered as Unaffiliated. There were 2 voters registered to other parties. Among the borough's 2010 Census population, 73.1% (vs. 53.2% in Passaic County) were registered to vote, including 91.9% of those ages 18 and over (vs. 70.8% countywide).

In the 2012 presidential election, Republican Mitt Romney received 64.1% of the vote (2,916 cast), ahead of Democrat Barack Obama with 35.0% (1,593 votes), and other candidates with 0.9% (40 votes), among the 4,584 ballots cast by the borough's 6,364 registered voters (35 ballots were spoiled), for a turnout of 72.0%. In the 2008 presidential election, Republican John McCain received 3,016 votes (62.0% vs. 37.7% countywide), ahead of Democrat Barack Obama with 1,678 votes (34.5% vs. 58.8%) and other candidates with 46 votes (0.9% vs. 0.8%), among the 4,864 ballots cast by the borough's 6,241 registered voters, for a turnout of 77.9% (vs. 70.4% in Passaic County). In the 2004 presidential election, Republican George W. Bush received 2,951 votes (62.9% vs. 42.7% countywide), ahead of Democrat John Kerry with 1,567 votes (33.4% vs. 53.9%) and other candidates with 32 votes (0.7% vs. 0.7%), among the 4,692 ballots cast by the borough's 5,831 registered voters, for a turnout of 80.5% (vs. 69.3% in the whole county).

In the 2013 gubernatorial election, Republican Chris Christie received 73.0% of the vote (2,304 cast), ahead of Democrat Barbara Buono with 26.3% (831 votes), and other candidates with 0.7% (22 votes), among the 3,230 ballots cast by the borough's 6,439 registered voters (73 ballots were spoiled), for a turnout of 50.2%. In the 2009 gubernatorial election, Republican Chris Christie received 2,169 votes (67.2% vs. 43.2% countywide), ahead of Democrat Jon Corzine with 932 votes (28.9% vs. 50.8%), Independent Chris Daggett with 79 votes (2.4% vs. 3.8%) and other candidates with 20 votes (0.6% vs. 0.9%), among the 3,226 ballots cast by the borough's 6,117 registered voters, yielding a 52.7% turnout (vs. 42.7% in the county).

Education
The North Haledon School District serves students in public school for kindergarten through eighth grade. As of the 2018–19 school year, the district, comprised of two schools, had an enrollment of 624 students and 59.3 classroom teachers (on an FTE basis), for a student–teacher ratio of 10.5:1. Schools in the district (with 2018–19 enrollment data from the National Center for Education Statistics ) are Memorial School with 344 students in grades K–4 and High Mountain School with 275 students in grades 5–8.

For ninth through twelfth grades, public school students attend Manchester Regional High School, which serves students from Haledon, North Haledon, and Prospect Park. The school is located in Haledon. The district participates in the Interdistrict Public School Choice Program, which allows non-resident students to attend the district's schools without cost to their parents, with tuition paid by the state. Available slots are announced annually by grade. North Haledon residents had successfully voted in 2003 to leave the district, choosing to send their high school aged students to Midland Park High School in nearby Bergen County, New Jersey. In August 2004, the New Jersey Supreme Court decided against North Haledon, citing that the town's exit from the district would shift the ethnic and racial balance of the high school. As of the 2018–19 school year, the high school had an enrollment of 833 students and 62.3 classroom teachers (on an FTE basis), for a student–teacher ratio of 13.4:1. Seats on the high school district's nine-member board of education are allocated based on the population of the constituent districts, with four seats assigned to North Haledon.

Founded in 1892, Eastern Christian High School serves over 700 students in four separate school facilities covering preschool through 12th grade.

Roads and highways
, the borough had a total of 36.97 mi of roadways, of which 30.16 mi were maintained by the municipality and 6.81 mi by Passaic County

No Interstate, U.S. or state highways directly serve North Haledon. The most prominent roads within the borough are minor county routes, such as County Route 677 (High Mountain Road).

Public transportation
NJ Transit provides local service on the 703 route.

Notable people
People who were born in, residents of, or otherwise closely associated with North Haledon include:
 * Angela Atwood (1949–1974), founding member of the revolutionary group, the Symbionese Liberation Army
 * Gérard Debaets (1899–1959), Belgian racing cyclist
 * John A. Ferraro (1946–2010), actor, academic, stage director and television director
 * Joseph J. Helble, academic who has been President of Lehigh University since 2021
 * Glenn Mercer, vocalist and guitarist of the rock band The Feelies
 * Nellie Pou (born 1956), politician who represents the 35th Legislative District in the New Jersey General Assembly

license: Creative Commons - Attribution Share-Alike - https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/

title: North Haledon, New Jersey


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Passaic, New Jersey

Passaic ( or     ) is a city in Passaic County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey. As of the 2020 United States census, the city was the state's 16th-most-populous municipality, with a population of 70,537, falling behind Bayonne (ranked 16th in 2010), an increase of 756 (+1.1%) from the 2010 census count of 69,781,  which in turn reflected an increase of 1,920 residents (+2.8%) from the 2000 census population of 67,861. The Census Bureau's Population Estimates Program calculated a population of 68,903 for 2023, making it the 552nd-most populous municipality in the nation. Among cities with more than 50,000 people, Passaic was the fifth-most densely populated municipality in the United States, with more than 22,000 people per square mile.

Located north of Newark on the Passaic River, it was first settled in 1678 by Dutch traders, as Acquackanonk Township. The city and river get their name from the Lenape word "pahsayèk" which has been variously attributed to mean "valley" or "place where the land splits."

History
The city originated from a Dutch settlement on the Passaic River established in 1679 which was called Acquackanonk. Industrial growth began in the 19th century, as Passaic became a textile and metalworking center.

A commercial center formed around a wharf at the foot of present-day Main Avenue. This came to be commonly known as Acquackanonk Landing, and the settlement that grew around it became known as the Village of Acquackanonk Landing or simply Acquackanonk Landing Settlement. In 1854 Alfred Speer (later owner of the city's first newspaper and public hall) and Judge Henry Simmons were the principals in a political battle over the naming of village. Simmons wished to keep the old name while Speer wanted to simplify it to Passaic Village. Speer was losing the battle however he convinced the U.S. Postmaster General to adopt the name, and hung a Passaic sign at the local railroad depot. The de facto name change was effective.

Passaic was formed as an unincorporated village within Acquackanonk Township (now Clifton) on March 10, 1869. It was incorporated as an independent village on March 21, 1871. Passaic was chartered as a city on April 2, 1873. The Okonite company owned an industrial site here from 1878 to 1993. It was the company's headquarters and primary manufacturing plant for most of the company's history. Early uses of the company's insulated wires include some of the earliest telegraph cables, and the wiring for Thomas Edison's first generating plant, Pearl Street Station in Lower Manhattan. The property was then turned into a furniture factory, whose owners have been attempting to redevelop the property into an upscale mall since 2015.

The 1926 Passaic Textile Strike led by union organizer Albert Weisbord saw 36,000 mill workers leave their jobs to oppose wage cuts demanded by the textile industry. The workers successfully fought to keep their wages unchanged but did not receive recognition of their union by the mill owners.

Passaic has been called "The Birthplace of Television". In 1931, experimental television station W2XCD began transmitting from DeForest Radio Corporation in Passaic. It has been called the first television station to transmit to the home, and was the first such station to broadcast a feature film. Allen B. DuMont, formerly DeForest's chief engineer, opened pioneering TV manufacturer DuMont Laboratories in Passaic in 1937, and started the DuMont Television Network, the world's first commercial television network, in 1946.

In 1992, the voters of Passaic Township in Morris County voted to change the name of their municipality to Long Hill Township, to avoid confusion between the City of Passaic and the largely rural community 22 mi away, as well as association with the more urban city.

Passaic is served by two regional newspapers, The Record and Herald News which are both owned by the Gannett company and its predecessor North Jersey Media Group.

The city previously had many of its own newspaper companies, among them Speer's The Passaic Item (1870–1904), the Passaic City Herald (1872–1899), the Passaic Daily Times (1882–1887), the Passaic City Record (1890–1907), the Passaic Daily News (1891–1929), the Passaic Daily Herald (1899–1929), and the Passaic Herald News (1932–1987). The Passaic Herald News went through several mergers with other Passaic County newspapers to become the current Herald News.

Geography
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the city had a total area of 3.24 square miles (8.39 km2), including 3.13 square miles (8.11 km2) of land and 0.11 square miles (0.28 km2) of water (3.33%).

Passaic's only land border is with neighboring Clifton, which borders Passaic to the north, south, and west. The namesake Passaic River forms the eastern border of Passaic. Four additional neighboring municipalities in southern Bergen County, immediately across the river from Passaic, are East Rutherford, Garfield, Rutherford, and Wallington.

Passaic and Wallington are connected via the Gregory Avenue, Market Street, and Eighth Street bridges. The city connects with Garfield at both the Monroe and Passaic Street Bridges. The road connection with Rutherford is via the Union Avenue Bridge, which is located on an extension off the northbound lanes of Route 21. One cannot cross from Passaic into East Rutherford by vehicle directly, however, as there is no bridge directly connecting the two municipalities. Drivers wanting to cross from Passaic to East Rutherford must use either the Gregory Avenue Bridge, which is located near Wallington's line with East Rutherford, or the Union Avenue Bridge, where East Rutherford can be accessed via surface streets briefly passing through Rutherford.

Passaic is located 10 mi from New York City, and 12 mi from Newark Airport.

The city
Passaic has several business districts: Main Avenue begins in Passaic Park and follows the curve of the river to downtown. Broadway runs east–west through the center of the city, ending at Main Avenue in downtown. Main Avenue has many shops, restaurants, and businesses reflecting the city's growing Latino, and declining Eastern European populations in the city.

The city is home to several architecturally notable churches, including St. John's Lutheran Church, First Presbyterian of Passaic, and St. John's Episcopal Church.

Passaic Park
Many residents of Southwest Passaic, also known as Passaic Park, or Third Ward Park, are part of various Orthodox Jewish communities. With over 1,300 families, estimated at a total population of 15,000, Passaic is one of the state's fastest-growing Orthodox communities. It is home to over 20 yeshivas and other educational institutions, as well as many kosher food and other shopping establishments.

The Passaic Park section is noted for its large park and large homes of various architectural styles, especially Queen Anne and Tudor. Several condominium and cooperative apartment complexes are also located here including:
 * Carlton Tower, a condominium of 21 stories, the city's tallest structure
 * The Towers, rental across the street from Carlton Towers
 * Barry Gardens, co-operative garden apartments next door to The Towers
 * Presidential Towers, condominium

Climate
The climate in this area is characterized by hot, humid summers and generally mild to cool winters. According to the Köppen Climate Classification system, Passaic has a humid subtropical climate, abbreviated "Cfa" on climate maps.

Demographics
Among the speakers of Polish in Passaic are many Gorals.

With over 1,300 families, estimated at a total population of 15,000, Passaic has one of the state's fastest-growing Orthodox communities. It is home to over 20 yeshivas and other educational institutions, as well as many kosher food and other shopping establishments.

2010 census
The 2010 United States census counted 69,781 people, 19,411 households, and 14,597 families in the city. The population density was 22179.6 /sqmi. There were 20,432 housing units at an average density of 6494.2 /sqmi. The racial makeup was 45.06% (31,440) White, 10.64% (7,425) Black or African American, 1.07% (745) Native American, 4.36% (3,040) Asian, 0.04% (27) Pacific Islander, 33.37% (23,284) from other races, and 5.47% (3,820) from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 71.02% (49,557) of the population. The city's Hispanic population represented the fourth-highest percentage among municipalities in New Jersey as of the 2010 Census.

Of the 19,411 households, 42.8% had children under the age of 18; 41.7% were married couples living together; 23.7% had a female householder with no husband present and 24.8% were non-families. Of all households, 19.5% were made up of individuals and 7.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 3.57 and the average family size was 4.02.

31.5% of the population were under the age of 18, 11.4% from 18 to 24, 29.8% from 25 to 44, 19.6% from 45 to 64, and 7.7% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 29.2 years. For every 100 females, the population had 100.9 males. For every 100 females ages 18 and older there were 99.2 males.

The Census Bureau's 2006–2010 American Community Survey showed that (in 2010 inflation-adjusted dollars) median household income was $31,135 (with a margin of error of +/− $1,280) and the median family income was $34,934 (+/− $2,987). Males had a median income of $30,299 (+/− $1,883) versus $25,406 (+/− $2,456) for females. The per capita income for the city was $14,424 (+/− $581). About 25.0% of families and 27.5% of the population were below the poverty line, including 35.9% of those under age 18 and 25.5% of those age 65 or over.

Same-sex couples headed 107 households in 2010, a decline from the 142 counted in 2000.

2000 census
As of the 2000 United States census, there were 67,861 people, 19,458 households, and 14,457 families residing in the city of Passaic, New Jersey. The population density was 21,804.7 PD/sqmi. There were 20,194 housing units at an average density of 6,488.6 /sqmi. The racial makeup of the city was 35.43% White, 13.83% African American, 0.78% Native American, 5.51% Asian, 0.04% Pacific Islander, 39.36% from other races, and 5.04% from two or more races. The cultural groupings for Hispanic or Latino of any race were 62.46% of the population.

As of the 2000 census, 59.3% of residents spoke Spanish at home, while 28.9% of residents identified themselves as speaking only English at home. An additional 2.5% were speakers of Gujarati and 2.4% spoke Polish. There were 31,101 foreign-born residents of Passaic in 2000, of which 79.4% were from Latin America, with 31.3% of foreign-born residents from Mexico and 27.2% from the Dominican Republic.

There were 19,458 households, of which 42.0% had children under the age of 18, 43.7% were married couples living together, 21.7% had a female householder with no husband present, and 25.7% were non-families. 8.2% of Passaic households were same-sex partner households. 20.3% of all households were made up of individuals, and 8.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 3.46 and the average family size was 3.93. The city population comprised 30.8% under the age of 18, 12.5% from 18 to 24, 31.6% from 25 to 44, 16.9% from 45 to 64, and 8.1% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 29 years. For every 100 females, there were 99.5 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 97.4 males. The median income for a household in the city was $33,594, and the median income for a family was $34,935. Males had a median income of $24,568 versus $21,352 for females. The per capita income for the city was $12,874. About 18.4% of families and 21.2% of the population were below the poverty line, including 27.6% of those under age 18 and 16.0% of those age 65 or over.

Economy
Portions of the city are part of an Urban Enterprise Zone (UEZ), one of 32 zones covering 37 municipalities statewide. The city was selected in 1994 as one of a group of 10 zones added to participate in the program. In addition to other benefits to encourage employment within the UEZ, shoppers can take advantage of a reduced 3.3125% sales tax rate (half of the $6 5/8$% rate charged statewide) at eligible merchants. Established in August 1994, the city Urban Enterprise Zone status expires in August 2025. Overseen by the Passaic Enterprise Zone Development Corporation, the program generates $1.2 million annually in tax revenues that are reinvested into the local zone.

Local government
Passaic is governed by the Faulkner Act system of municipal government, formally known as the Optional Municipal Charter Law, under the Mayor-Council (Plan B), enacted by direct petition as of July 1, 1973. The city is one of 71 municipalities (of the 564) statewide governed under this form. Under this form of government, the governing body is comprised of a mayor and a city council. The mayor is elected directly by the voters for a four-year term of office. The seven members of the city council serve four-year terms on a staggered basis, with either three seats (together with the mayoral seat) or four seats up for election in odd-numbered years. Elections are non-partisan, with all positions selected at-large in balloting held in May.

, Passaic's mayor is Hector Carlos Lora, whose term of office ends June 30, 2025. Lora was appointed in 2016 to fill a vacancy that followed the resignation of Democratic mayor Alex Blanco after he was indicted on federal corruption charges; Lora was the Director of the Passaic County Board of Chosen Freeholders at the time and chose to resign his position and accept an appointment to serve as Mayor and finish the remainder of Blanco's unexpired term. Lora was elected to a full term in 2017. Members of the Passaic City Council are Council President Gary Schaer (term ends 2023), Jose R. "Joe" Garcia (2025), Terrence L. Love (2025), Thania Melo (2023), Chaim M. Munk (2023) and Daniel J. Schwartz (2025), with one seat currently declared vacant.

The seat expiring in June 2023 that had been held by Salim Patel was declared vacant in June 2022, after it was determined that he had missed more council meetings than allowed by statute.

In addition to his role as council president, Schaer also holds a seat in the 36th Legislative District of the New Jersey General Assembly. This dual position, often called double dipping, is allowed under a grandfather clause in the state law enacted by the New Jersey Legislature and signed into law by Governor of New Jersey Jon Corzine in September 2007 that prevents dual-office-holding but allows those who had held both positions as of February 1, 2008, to retain both posts.

Corruption charges over the past decades have resulted in the federal convictions of two mayors, seven councilman and other public officials, all members of the Democratic Party. Passaic Business Administrator Anthony Ianoco was terminated in February 2011, after he was charged with cocaine possession, following his arrest in Hoboken, where police arrested him after he was caught driving the wrong way in a Passaic city vehicle.

Alex Blanco became the first Dominican-American elected as mayor in the United States winning a special election in November 2008 to succeed acting mayor Gary Schaer, who as City Council president automatically moved into the position upon the resignation by previous mayor Samuel Rivera, after Rivera pleaded guilty to corruption charges. Blanco was elected to serve the remainder of Rivera's term, and was re-elected to a full term on May 12, 2009, with 53.1% of votes cast. He won running against Passaic Board of Education member Vinny Capuana.

In November 2016, Blanco pled guilty to a single federal count of bribery, agreeing to resign immediately Blanco admitted in court to accepting $110,000 in bribes from two unnamed housing developers in exchange for directing more than $200,000 in HUD funds to a failed low-income housing development. He faced up to 10 years in federal prison upon sentencing, scheduled for February 2017. He was succeeded by Passaic County Freeholder Hector Lora, in an appointment made by the City Council. Blanco is the second consecutive elected mayor of Passaic, and the third in two decades (following Joseph Lipari and Sammy Rivera), to be convicted of or plead guilty to official misconduct charges.

Federal, state, and county representation
Passaic is located in the 9th Congressional District and is part of New Jersey's 36th state legislative district. Prior to the 2010 Census, Passaic had been part of the NJ's 8th congressional district, a change made by the New Jersey Redistricting Commission that took effect in January 2013, based on the results of the November 2012 general elections.

Politics
As of March 2011, there were a total of 24,227 registered voters in Passaic, of which 8,753 (36.1% vs. 31.0% countywide) were registered as Democrats, 2,063 (8.5% vs. 18.7%) were registered as Republicans and 13,408 (55.3% vs. 50.3%) were registered as Unaffiliated. There were 3 voters registered to other parties. Among the city's 2010 Census population, 34.7% (vs. 53.2% in Passaic County) were registered to vote, including 50.7% of those ages 18 and over (vs. 70.8% countywide).

In the 2012 presidential election, Democrat Barack Obama received 77.1% of the vote (12,011 cast), ahead of Republican Mitt Romney with 22.1% (3,447 votes), and other candidates with 0.8% (119 votes), among the 15,755 ballots cast by the city's 27,433 registered voters (178 ballots were spoiled), for a turnout of 57.4%. In the 2008 presidential election, Democrat Barack Obama received 12,386 votes (72.7% vs. 58.8% countywide), ahead of Republican John McCain with 4,012 votes (23.6% vs. 37.7%) and other candidates with 93 votes (0.5% vs. 0.8%), among the 17,033 ballots cast by the city's 25,496 registered voters, for a turnout of 66.8% (vs. 70.4% in Passaic County). In the 2004 presidential election, Democrat John Kerry received 9,539 votes (66.3% vs. 53.9% countywide), ahead of Republican George W. Bush with 4,291 votes (29.8% vs. 42.7%) and other candidates with 62 votes (0.4% vs. 0.7%), among the 14,391 ballots cast by the city's 23,389 registered voters, for a turnout of 61.5% (vs. 69.3% in the whole county).

In the 2013 gubernatorial election, Democrat Barbara Buono received 59.6% of the vote (4,109 cast), ahead of Republican Chris Christie with 39.1% (2,697 votes), and other candidates with 1.3% (88 votes), among the 7,143 ballots cast by the city's 28,209 registered voters (249 ballots were spoiled), for a turnout of 25.3%. In the 2009 gubernatorial election, Democrat Jon Corzine received 5,958 ballots cast (68.7% vs. 50.8% countywide), ahead of Republican Chris Christie with 2,319 votes (26.7% vs. 43.2%), Independent Chris Daggett with 124 votes (1.4% vs. 3.8%) and other candidates with 52 votes (0.6% vs. 0.9%), among the 8,672 ballots cast by the city's 24,219 registered voters, yielding a 35.8% turnout (vs. 42.7% in the county).

Public
The Passaic City School District is a comprehensive community public school district serving students in pre-kindergarten through twelfth grade. The district is one of 31 former Abbott districts statewide that were established pursuant to the decision by the New Jersey Supreme Court in Abbott v. Burke which are now referred to as "SDA Districts" based on the requirement for the state to cover all costs for school building and renovation projects in these districts under the supervision of the New Jersey Schools Development Authority. As of the 2018–19 school year, the district, comprised of 17 schools, had an enrollment of 14,504 students and 839.8 classroom teachers (on an FTE basis), for a student–teacher ratio of 17.3:1.

Schools in the district (with 2018–19 enrollment data from the National Center for Education Statistics ) are Vincent Capuana School No. 15 (277; Pre-K), Sallie D. Gamble School No. 16 (465; Pre-K), Thomas Jefferson School No. 1 (788; K–8), George Washington School No. 2 (172; K–1), Mario J. Drago School No. 3 (formerly Franklin School) (803; Pre-K–8), Benito Juárez School No. 5 (472; K–8), Martin Luther King Jr. School No. 6 (1,124; Pre-K–8), Ulysses S. Grant School No. 7 (391; Pre-K–1), Casimir Pulaski School No. 8 (%32; Pre-K–8), Etta Gero School No. 9 (690; 2–8), Theodore Roosevelt School No. 10 (905; Pre-K–8), William B. Cruise Veterans Memorial School No. 11 (1,253; K–8), Daniel F. Ryan School No. 19 (874; Pre-K/2–8), Passaic Gifted and Talented Academy School No. 20 (959; 2–8), Sonia Sotomayor School No. 21 (Pre-K–5), Passaic Academy for Science and Engineering (702; 6–11), Passaic Preparatory Academy, (701; 6–11) and Passaic High School (2,618; 9–12).

Passaic County Community College opened a new campus in the city in September 2008, which will allow PCCC to reach the 15% of its students who come from the city of Passaic. The college's nursing program will be relocated and expanded at the new campus to provide a qualified program to help fill the longstanding nursing shortage.

Private / Religious
St. Nicholas Ukrainian Catholic School is an elementary school founded in 1943 that operates under the supervision of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Paterson and the Ukrainian Catholic Archeparchy of Philadelphia.

Established in 1895, the Collegiate School is a private coeducational day school located in Passaic which serves students in pre-kindergarten through twelfth grade.

The Yeshiva Gedola of Passaic is an institute of Talmudic learning for post-high-school-age men. It is led by Rosh Yeshiva Rabbi Meir Stern. Passaic has two primary Orthodox K–8 elementary schools, Yeshiva Ketana and YBH of Passaic, each of them has a boys and girls division.

Noble Leadership Academy is an Islamic school located downtown, serving students 320 students from pre-kindergarten to 12th grade.

Police
In October 2016, Deputy Chief Luis Guzman became the first Dominican-American to be selected to lead the city's police department.

Fire
The Passaic Fire Department (PFD) is a paid fire department with over 100 firefighters. The PFD was organized in November 1869 and became a paid department in 1909. There are two fire houses equipped with four engines and two ladder trucks. Passaic also operates a large foam tanker truck, a Quick Attack Response Vehicle (QRV), a haz-mat decon trailer, a utility unit, a rehab unit, and a Zodiac rescue boat.

Ambulance
In October 2015, the city approved a contract under which ambulance service in the city is covered by Monmouth Ocean Hospital Service Corporation (MONOC), a non-profit consortium which also provides paramedic services to other municipalities in the area. Under the plan Passaic laid off 30 EMS workers who had been employed by the city.

Hatzolah of Passaic/Clifton EMS is a volunteer service that primarily covers the Passaic Park section of town and parts of Clifton, in addition to assisting Passaic Police and EMS when requested in other parts of the city. Hatzolah operates two ambulances strategically parked throughout the community with a third on standby and available to assist neighboring chapters.

Office of Emergency Management
The OEM coordinates emergency response by all of the city's agencies—Police, Fire, Ambulance, health, and public works—to disasters and other emergencies, including large storms. The city OEM is affiliated with the Passaic County and New Jersey State OEM agencies and with the state's Emergency Management Association.

OEM also manages street traffic at all large events in the city, including festivals and parades.

The office is run by representatives of the Police and Fire departments. In addition to city staff, it makes use of volunteers from Passaic's Community Emergency Response Team and other community organizations.

Roads and highways
, the city had a total of 70.14 mi of roadways, of which 53.20 mi were maintained by the municipality, 13.82 mi by Passaic County and 3.12 mi by the New Jersey Department of Transportation.

The main highway directly serving Passaic is Route 21. New Jersey Route 3, the Garden State Parkway and I-80 are nearby. The city has six bridges in use spanning the Passaic River. A seventh bridge serves railroad traffic but is not currently in use.

Public transportation
Local bus transportation, much passing through the Passaic Bus Terminal, is provided by NJ Transit and Community Coach with service to Paterson, Rutherford, Newark, Clifton, Garfield, and Wallington among other locations on the 74, 702, 703, 705, 707, 709, 744, 758, and 780 routes. NJ Transit bus routes 151, 161, and 190 provide local service and interstate service to the Port Authority Bus Terminal in New York City.

NJ Transit's Passaic rail station is located in the Passaic Park section, providing service on the Main Line southbound to Hoboken Terminal, and to Secaucus Junction for NJ Transit connections to New York Penn Station in New York City, Newark Airport and points north and south. Northbound service is provided to Paterson, Ridgewood and New York state stations in Suffern and Port Jervis.

Passaic formerly had four train stations (Passaic Park, Prospect Street, Passaic and Harrison Street) on the Erie Railroad main line. In 1963, these stations were abandoned and the main line was moved to the Boonton Branch.

Commuter jitney buses operate along Main Avenue providing frequent non-scheduled service to Paterson, Union City, the George Washington Bridge Bus Terminal in Washington Heights, Manhattan, the Port Authority Bus Terminal, and points between.

Films shot in Passaic

 * 2009: The NBC series Mercy was set at and filmed in the old St Mary's Hospital.
 * 2006: Be Kind Rewind directed by Michel Gondry.

title: Passaic, New Jersey