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Paramus, New Jersey

Paramus is a borough in the central portion of Bergen County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey. A suburban bedroom community of New York City, Paramus is located 15 to 20 mi northwest of Midtown Manhattan and approximately 8 mi west of Upper Manhattan. The Wall Street Journal characterized Paramus as "quintessentially suburban". The borough is also a major commercial hub for North Jersey (home to Garden State Plaza and various corporate headquarters).

As of the 2020 United States census, the borough's population was 26,698, an increase of 356 (+1.4%) from the 2010 census count of 26,342,  which in turn reflected an increase of 605 (+2.4%) from the 25,737 counted in the 2000 census.

Paramus was incorporated as a borough by an act of the New Jersey Legislature on March 2, 1922, and ratified by a referendum held on April 4, 1922, that passed by a vote of 238 to 10. Paramus was created from portions of Midland Township, which now exists as Rochelle Park. The borough's name is thought to have originated from the Unami language spoken by the Lenape Native Americans, derived from words meaning "land of the turkeys" or "pleasant stream."

Paramus has some of the most restrictive blue laws in the United States, dating back to the 17th century, banning nearly all white-collar and retail businesses from opening on Sundays except for gas stations, restaurants and grocery stores, and a limited number of other businesses. Despite this, the borough is one of the largest shopping destinations in the country, generating over $6 billion in annual retail sales, more than any other ZIP Code in the United States.

Pre-settlement
The area that ultimately became the present-day North Jersey had been occupied for thousands of years by prehistoric indigenous peoples. At the time of European encounter, it was settled by the Lenape Native Americans. The Lenape language word for the area, Peremessing, which meant that it had an abundant population of wild turkey, was anglicized to become the word "Paramus". A large metal statue of a wild turkey in the Paramus Park mall commemorates this history. Another alternative derivation is that the word means "pleasant stream".

18th century
Albrycht Zaborowski, whose descendants became known by the family name "Zabriskie", immigrated from Poland via the Dutch ship Deb Ves in 1662. He settled in the Dutch West Indies Company town of Ackensack, site of the present-day Hackensack. A son, Jacob, was captured by the Lenape and held for 15 years. When he was returned to his family, the Lenape explained to Saboroweski that they had taken the child in order to teach him their language so that he could serve as a translator. They granted Saboroweski approximately 2,000 acre of land which became known as the "Paramus Patent".

During the American Revolutionary War, the county included both Loyalists and Patriots, with Patriots "greatly outnumbering" Tories. Although no major battles were fought in Bergen County, Paramus was part of the military activity, as colonial troops were stationed in Ramapo under the command of Aaron Burr. In 1777, the British raided the Hackensack area and Burr marched troops to Paramus, where he attacked the British, forcing them to withdraw. General George Washington was in Paramus several times during the War: December 1778; July 1780; and, December 1780. Following the Battle of Monmouth, Washington established his headquarters in Paramus in July 1778. Over the advice of his staff, Washington moved his headquarters to Westchester County, New York.

A section of Paramus known as Dunkerhook, meaning dark corner in Dutch, was a free African-American community dating to the early 18th century. Although historical markers on the current site and local oral tradition maintain that this was a slave community, contemporary records document that it was a community of free blacks, not slaves. A group of houses built on Dunkerhook Road by the Zabriskies in the late 18th to early 19th centuries was the center of a community of black farmers, who had been slaves held by the Zabriskie family.

20th century
In 1909, the Arcola Country Club and golf course was created in 1909 and the neighborhood by that name grew around it. Farview Avenue, located at the highest elevation in Paramus, has a clear view of the Manhattan skyline.

Paramus became one of the truck farming areas that helped New Jersey earn its nickname as the "Garden State". By 1940, Paramus' population was just 4,000, with no town center and 94 retail establishments. Although the opening of the George Washington Bridge in 1931 and the widening of Route 17 and Route 4 (which intersect in southern Paramus), made the area accessible to millions, "it was not until the 1950s that massive development hit this section of northern New Jersey".

During the 1950s and 1960s, Paramus, lacking any master plan until 1969, was redeveloped into two shopping corridors when its farmers and outside developers saw that shopping malls were more lucrative than produce farming. "It was a developer's dream: flat cleared land adjacent to major arterials and accessible to a growing suburban population and the country's largest city – with no planning restrictions". New York had a state sales tax, but New Jersey had none, so with the opening of Manhattan department stores in the Bergen Mall (1957), the Garden State Plaza (1957) and Alexander's (1961), Paramus became the "first stop outside New York City for shopping".

From 1948 to 1958, the population of Paramus nearly quadrupled, from 6,000 to 23,000, while the number of retail establishments tripled from 111 to 319, and annual retail sales increased twenty-fold in nominal dollars, from $5.5 million (equivalent to $ million in ) to $112 million (equal to $ billion in ). By the 1980s, when the population had increased slightly over 1960s levels, retail sales had climbed to $1 billion.

21st century
Paramus was the scene of one of the worst COVID-19 outbreaks in the U.S. when an outbreak at the New Jersey Veterans Home resulted in 74 deaths, all former soldiers through May 2020, with some 60% of the home's 314 residents being infected.

Geography
According to the United States Census Bureau, the borough had a total area of 10.51 square miles (27.21 km2), including 10.45 square miles (27.05 km2) of land and 0.06 square miles (0.16 km2) of water (0.60%).

The borough borders the Bergen County municipalities of Emerson, Fair Lawn, Glen Rock, Hackensack, Maywood, Oradell, Ridgewood, River Edge, Rochelle Park, Saddle Brook and Washington Township.

Named neighborhoods within the borough include Arcola, Bergen Place, Dunkerhook, Fairway Oaks, and Spring Valley.

2010 census
The 2010 United States census counted 26,342 people, 8,630 households, and 6,939 families in the borough. The population density was 2516.0 /sqmi. There were 8,915 housing units at an average density of 851.5 /sqmi. The racial makeup was 72.29% (19,042) White, 1.42% (374) Black or African American, 0.11% (28) Native American, 22.28% (5,869) Asian, 0.05% (13) Pacific Islander, 1.39% (366) from other races, and 2.47% (650) from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino residents of any race were 7.26% (1,913) of the population. 6.9% of residents self-identified as being Korean American, which makes it the largest ethnic minority group in the borough.

Of the 8,630 households, 33.8% had children under the age of 18; 68.4% were married couples living together; 9.1% had a female householder with no husband present and 19.6% were non-families. Of all households, 17.8% were made up of individuals and 13.3% 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 3.32.

21.5% of the population were under the age of 18, 7.1% from 18 to 24, 19.2% from 25 to 44, 30.2% from 45 to 64, and 21.9% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 46.3 years. For every 100 females, the population had 94.9 males. For every 100 females ages 18 and older there were 91.7 males.

The Census Bureau's 2006–2010 American Community Survey showed that (in 2010 inflation-adjusted dollars) median household income was $104,986 (with a margin of error of +/− $9,111) and the median family income was $123,848 (+/− $7,952). Males had a median income of $77,325 (+/− $5,222) versus $52,702 (+/− $4,983) for females. The per capita income for the borough was $40,024. About 1.6% of families and 2.8% of the population were below the poverty line, including 3.0% of those under age 18 and 4.1% of those age 65 or over.

Same-sex couples headed 35 households in 2010, more than double the 17 counted in the 2000 census.

2000 census
As of the 2000 United States census there were 25,737 people, 8,082 households, and 6,780 families residing in the borough. The population density was 2,457.7 PD/sqmi. There were 8,209 housing units at an average density of 783.9 /sqmi. The racial makeup of the borough was 79.19% White, 1.13% African American, 0.05% Native American, 17.23% Asian, 0.01% Pacific Islander, 0.89% from other races, and 1.51% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino residents of any race were 4.87% of the population.

There were 8,082 households, out of which 37.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 73.3% were married couples living together, 8.0% had a female householder with no husband present, and 16.1% were non-families. 14.4% of all households 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 3.00 and the average family size was 3.32.

In the borough 23.2% of the population was under the age of 18, 5.5% was from 18 to 24, 24.7% from 25 to 44, 25.0% from 45 to 64, and 21.5% was 65 years of age or older. The median age was 43 years. For every 100 females, there were 94.4 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 90.4 males.

The median income for a household in the borough was $76,918, and the median income for a family was $84,406. Males had a median income of $56,635 versus $37,450 for females. The per capita income for the borough was $29,295. About 1.4% of families and 3.3% of the population were below the poverty line, including 3.4% of those under age 18 and 5.0% of those age 65 or over.

Corporate headquarters
Paramus was home to the America regional headquarters of Hanjin Shipping, located on the eastbound side of Route 4 before it declared bankruptcy in 2017. Hudson City Bancorp had its headquarters located at West 80 Century Road until its acquisition by M&T Bank, which was completed in 2015. Movado Group Inc. is a watchmaker with its headquarters on From Road. Suez North America, founded as Hackensack Water Company in 1869 and later named United Water, is an American water service company headquartered in Paramus. Coach USA is a large tour operator with its headquarters in Paramus, at the offices of its Community Coach subsidiary. Kristian Regale is a non-alcoholic beverage company based in Paramus.

Paramus was the former headquarters location for Toys "R" Us before the company relocated to Wayne, New Jersey, in 2002 and went bankrupt. Paramus was also the headquarters of Magic Solutions, a defunct computer software company that specialized in help desk automation and asset management software.

Malls
Paramus is known for its multitude of stores and malls. It has five major indoor shopping centers, serving residents in the areas of Bergen County and Passaic County in New Jersey and Rockland County in New York. New Jersey does not levy a sales tax on clothes and shoes, which makes it an attractive shopping destination for people even further away in New York City, who pay sales tax on clothing items above $110 in price, in addition to the lower standard rate of 6.625% in New Jersey, compared to 8.875% in New York City. The borough is one of the largest shopping destinations in the country, generating over $6 billion in annual retail sales, more than any other ZIP Code in the United States despite the county's blue laws. At the intersection of Routes 4 and 17 is Garden State Plaza, the largest and best-known mall in the borough. Westfield Garden State Plaza is the largest mall in the Westfield Group's global portfolio and the largest in New Jersey, with a gross leasable area of 2128402 sqft. On Route 4, are Bergen Town Center (known as the Bergen Mall until 2006), Paramus Place and The Shoppes on IV. On Route 17, are Paramus Park, Paramus Towne Square, Paramus Design Center, and the Fashion Center.

Many national chain stores have at least one location in Paramus. Nordstrom's Paramus location was its first New York area store when it opened in September 1990, with strong sales volume. There are 25 retailers that occupy multiple stores in Paramus, including Macy's, which had outlets in three malls for a period of time. Some retail analysts view Paramus as being two distinct markets, centered on the two major highways. Lord & Taylor had locations at both Westfield Garden State Plaza and Fashion Center, giving Paramus the distinction of being the only town with more than one Lord & Taylor location. However, by 2021, both locations closed, due to the company's bankruptcy from the COVID-19 pandemic. Toys "R" Us had two locations: at the Fashion Center, and at a location on the eastbound side of Route 4 near Forest Avenue. Paramus also housed a Babies "R" Us on the northbound side of Route 17, but it closed in 2018. Later that year, the Fashion Center and Route 4 Toys "R" Us locations both closed due to the company's bankruptcy. In 1983, Paramus was the location of one of the first Kids "R" Us stores. When Toys "R" Us was revived in 2019 after emerging from bankruptcy, the first new Toys "R" Us store opened at Garden State Plaza on November 27, 2019. However, it closed again on January 26, 2021, as a result of financial losses caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. H&M has two locations in Paramus: Westfield Garden State Plaza, and The Outlets at Bergen Town Center.

Blue laws
In addition to the state blue laws that apply to all of Bergen County,  Paramus has even stricter restrictions, preventing stores selling non-food items from opening at all on Sundays. These laws were enacted shortly after Garden State Plaza opened, out of fear that the mall would cause high levels of congestion in the borough. It is one of the last places in the United States to have such an extensive blue law. This law was called into question when a BJ's Wholesale Club opened at the junction between Routes 4/17. BJ's was allowed to open on Sundays, but is only allowed to sell food and basic necessities. The store has been structured to restrict access to items that cannot be purchased on Sunday.

Local blue laws in Paramus were first proposed in 1957, while the Bergen Mall and Garden State Plaza were both under construction. The legislation was motivated by fears that the two new malls would increase the already-severe highway congestion caused by local retail operations along the borough's highways.

The Paramus Borough Code forbids the performance of any "worldly employment" on Sunday, with exceptions for charity, and the sale of newspapers, medicinal drugs, meals, prepared food and cigarettes, among a limited numbers of exceptions. Even work performed inside one's own home is prohibited on Sundays. In spite of its six-day shopping week, Paramus consistently has the most retail sales of any ZIP Code in the United States.

More than 63% of Bergen County voters rejected a referendum on the ballot in 1993 that would have repealed the county's blue laws, though the Paramus restrictions would have remained in place. An unsuccessful 2010 proposal by Governor of New Jersey Chris Christie would have ended the state's blue laws, now only enforced in Bergen County, with the governor citing industry estimates that the $1.1 billion in added retail revenue on Sundays would generate an additional $65 million in sales taxes for the state.

In November 2012, Governor Chris Christie issued an executive order temporarily suspending the blue laws in both Bergen County and Paramus due to the effects of Hurricane Sandy, a decision that was upheld despite a court challenge by the Borough of Paramus. The blue law suspension was in effect on Sunday, November 11, but was back in effect the following Sunday.

Timeline of malls and shopping centers

 * 1957 – Garden State Plaza was built by Muscarelli Construction Company on 198 acre at the intersection of Routes 4 and 17.
 * 1957 – The Bergen Mall was built on 101 acres on an area east of the Plaza on Route 4.
 * 1963 – Paramus Place was built on the north side of Route 4 across from Bergen Mall.
 * 1967 – The Fashion Center was built on a 33 acre site of old celery farms, aimed at quality-oriented shoppers by developer Associated Dry Goods, with a 135000 sqft Lord & Taylor and a 176000 sqft B. Altman as anchors and 25 other retailers sandwiched in between The owners originally referred to its location as being in Ridgewood/Paramus to appeal to the Ridgewood population.
 * 1972 – The 35 Plaza Shopping Center is built on Route 4, just located 2 minutes away from Paramus Place.
 * 1974 – Paramus Park was built by the Rouse Company, offering a gross leasable area of 755000 sqft. The most recent of the large centers was built on 66 acre in the middle of an area where the old farms were located.
 * 1986 – The Shoppes on IV opened up and was built on 236 acre in the westbound area of Route 4.
 * 1998 – The Paramus Towne Square opened up and was built on the north side of Route 17.
 * 2003 – IKEA opens a 370000 sqft store, its second-largest location in North America, at the intersection of Routes 4 and 17 on the site of the old Alexander's department store. It was joined the next year by three other retailers, Bed Bath and Beyond, Christmas Tree Shops, and Sports Authority to form a shopping center with a combined gross leasable area of 719,226 sqft. However, when Sports Authority went out of business in 2016, the store was closed.
 * 2015 – The Paramus Design Center opens up on the northbound side of Route 17.
 * 2018 – The Paramus Crossroads shopping center, located on the southbound side of Route 17, officially opened in summer 2018.

Due to the stricter version of the blue laws in Paramus, malls (and almost all retail establishments) in the borough are closed on Sunday except for restaurants and other exempted establishments. Stores may not open before 7:00 am or remain open after 11:00 pm.

Arts and culture
One of the earliest drive-in theaters opened in Paramus, featuring what was said to be the world's largest and brightest screen, located behind what is now Westfield Garden State Plaza. The Paramus Drive-In closed in 1987 after the last movie presentation, a double-feature of "Crocodile" Dundee and The Untouchables.

Currently, Paramus' lone movie theater complex is a 16-screen AMC Theatres located in an area of new construction at Westfield Garden State Plaza. Prior to the opening of the AMC complex, a number of theatres were closed in the borough, including the Route 4 Tenplex and the Cineplex Odeon Route 17 Triplex, once located next to Westfield Garden State Plaza on Route 17. The Triplex and Tenplex theatres was opened on October 12, 1965, by Century Theatres and was closed on May 24, 2007, by Loews Cineplex Entertainment. On May 25, 2007, the new AMC Theatres opened at Westfield Garden State Plaza. The Paramus Picture Show, known as Cinema 35 until 1997, closed in December 2004 in the wake of declining attendance. A 12-screen Regal Cinemas was planned to open at Paramus Park as part of renovations that would have replaced the Sears store with a Stew Leonard's location. However, the plans were cancelled after Stew Leonard's took up more space than expected.

The Bergen Town Center had a performing arts theater called "Playhouse on the Mall". It had a seating capacity of 635 seats and was opened in 1960. From 1960 to 1970, author Robert Ludlum was the manager of the theater. The theater closed in 1982 due to rising costs and low attendance and was converted into retail space in 1986.

In 2016, the Garden State Plaza added a Bergen Performing Arts Center performance area for shows and performances located near Macy's, which took up the former space of the Venetian carousel. There was also a Bergen PAC ticket center located near the performance area. The Bergen PAC performance area, however, was short lived as it was replaced by a video game theater, then it became a lounge area in 2017.

The glam metal band, Trixter, formed in Paramus. The hardcore/punk rock band The Escape Engine formed in the borough from 2002 to 2006.

Parks and recreation
Paramus is the home to two county parks. On the eastern side of the borough is Van Saun County Park, a 146 acres park that features Bergen County's only zoo, home to a wide variety of wild and domestic animals living in recreated habitats natural to each species. Van Saun Park also has a playground, train ride, carousel, athletic fields, and pony rides. The Washington Spring site in the park takes its name from reports that General Washington drank water from the spring here while his troops were encamped nearby, west of the Hackensack River. The Continental Army is reported to have utilized the old spring at the base of these slopes during the September encampment west of the Hackensack River.

On the western side of the borough is Saddle River County Park which features a 6 mi bike path reaching from Ridgewood to Rochelle Park.

The borough has four golf courses. Two are open to the public, with the Paramus Golf Course operated by the borough and Orchard Hills County Golf Course operated by the county. The two private golf course located in Paramus are the Ridgewood Country Club and Arcola Country Club. Ridgewood Country Club was ranked as the #6 Center Ranked Among Top 500 Holes in the World Golf Magazine – 2000 and Ranked # 84 on the list of Most Prestigious Clubs in America Golf Connoisseur – 2006.

In 2008, the Paramus Golf Course opened a miniature golf course that is themed after the borough of Paramus as well as the state of New Jersey. Turkey statues are scattered around the course to celebrate Paramus as the "land of the wild turkeys."

Paramus has an outdoor municipal swimming pool complex on Van Binsberger Boulevard. It has three pools: a main pool, a pool for younger swimmers, and a baby pool. Paramus Little League were the 2011 New Jersey State Little League Baseball Champions.

Arcola Park was an outdoor amusement park built in 1926. It had a huge swimming pool, a convention hall, a dance pavilion, an auditorium, and rides. A fire in 1929 destroyed the entire park, with the exception of the pool. The pool was destroyed by another fire in 1970 and closed down for good. The park site was replaced by a Ramada Inn, the hotel extending into a small portion of Rochelle Park.

Annual events
During the week of the 4th of July, Paramus holds its own Independence Day celebration. First, there is the performance of the Paramus Community Orchestra at the Paramus Bandshell which takes place on July 2. Next, on the 3rd, there is a softball game between the Paramus Fire Department and the Paramus Police Department, held annually since 2011. On the 4th, there is a parade. The parade route starts at the intersection of Century Road and Farview Avenue and ends at Memorial Elementary School. On the 5th, there is a fireworks display at the Cliff Gennarelli Paramus Sportsplex.

Paramus also holds its own Memorial Day parade every year.

Paramus hosts an annual National Night Out. The event typically includes games and activities as well as a concert. The borough's fire, rescue, police, and ambulance vehicles are also displayed.

The Paramus Rescue Squad and Fire Department Companies 2 & 3 host a Halloween party every October called, "Safe Halloween" to ensure every child has a safe and fun Halloween.

The Paramus Fire Department also has its annual "Santa Detail" every December. The fire department drives throughout the borough on the Sunday before Christmas with Santa riding atop the fire apparatus. Members of the department accompany Santa and give out lollipops to residents who come outside during the tour.

Local government
Paramus 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 a mayor and a borough council, with all positions elected at-large on a partisan basis as part of the November general election. A 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 Paramus 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 is Republican Christopher DiPiazza, whose term of office ends December 31, 2026. Borough Council members are Ace A. Antonio (R, 2024), Robert Kaiser (R, 2024), Alfredo U. Nadera (R, 2026), Jorge E. Quintana (R, 2025), Mary Ellen Rizzo (R, 2026) and Jeanne T. Weber (R, 2025).

In February 2023, the borough council appointed Al Nadera to fill the seat expiring in December 2023 that became vacant when Chris DiPiazza took office as mayor.

In October 2015, Moody's Investors Service upgraded general obligation debt of the Borough of Paramus from Aa1 to Aaa, in light of the low levels of debt and the strength of the borough's financial operations, reserve levels, tax base, management practices and levels of wealth.

Federal, state and county representation
Paramus is located in the 5th Congressional District and is part of New Jersey's 38th state legislative district.

Politics
As of March 2011, there were a total of 16,874 registered voters in Paramus, of which 4,454 (26.4% vs. 31.7% countywide) were registered as Democrats, 3,474 (20.6% vs. 21.1%) were registered as Republicans and 8,938 (53.0% vs. 47.1%) were registered as Unaffiliated. There were 8 voters registered as Libertarians or Greens. Among the borough's 2010 Census population, 64.1% (vs. 57.1% in Bergen County) were registered to vote, including 81.6% of those ages 18 and over (vs. 73.7% countywide).

In the 2016 presidential election, Republican Donald Trump received 6,565 votes (49.5% vs. 41.1% countywide), ahead of Democrat Hillary Clinton with 6,312 votes (47.6% vs. 54.2%) and other candidates with 389 votes (2.9% vs. 4.6%), among the 13,434 ballots cast by the borough's 18,526 registered voters, for a turnout of 72.5% (vs. 72.5% in Bergen County). In the 2012 presidential election, Republican Mitt Romney received 6,123 votes here (50.0% vs. 43.5% countywide), ahead of Democrat Barack Obama with 5,907 votes (48.3% vs. 54.8%) and other candidates with 105 votes (0.9% vs. 0.9%), among the 12,234 ballots cast by the borough's 17,617 registered voters, for a turnout of 69.4% (vs. 70.4% in Bergen County). In the 2008 presidential election, Republican John McCain received 6,885 votes here (51.1% vs. 44.5% countywide), ahead of Democrat Barack Obama with 6,386 votes (47.4% vs. 53.9%) and other candidates with 106 votes (0.8% vs. 0.8%), among the 13,470 ballots cast by the borough's 17,747 registered voters, for a turnout of 75.9% (vs. 76.8% in Bergen County). In the 2004 presidential election, Republican George W. Bush received 6,868 votes here (52.3% vs. 47.2% countywide), ahead of Democrat John Kerry with 6,103 votes (46.5% vs. 51.7%) and other candidates with 87 votes (0.7% vs. 0.7%), among the 13,123 ballots cast by the borough's 17,206 registered voters, for a turnout of 76.3% (vs. 76.9% in the whole county).

In the 2013 gubernatorial election, Republican Chris Christie received 64.4% of the vote (4,888 cast), ahead of Democrat Barbara Buono with 34.8% (2,641 votes), and other candidates with 0.8% (60 votes), among the 7,809 ballots cast by the borough's 17,083 registered voters (220 ballots were spoiled), for a turnout of 45.7%. In the 2009 gubernatorial election, Republican Chris Christie received 4,298 votes here (49.7% vs. 45.8% countywide), ahead of Democrat Jon Corzine with 3,857 votes (44.6% vs. 48.0%), Independent Chris Daggett with 376 votes (4.3% vs. 4.7%) and other candidates with 32 votes (0.4% vs. 0.5%), among the 8,656 ballots cast by the borough's 17,354 registered voters, yielding a 49.9% turnout (vs. 50.0% in the county).

Education
The Paramus Public Schools serve students in pre-kindergarten through twelfth grade. As of the 2019–20 school year, the eight-school district had an enrollment of 3,760 students and 332.7 classroom teachers (on an FTE basis), for a student–teacher ratio of 11.3:1. Schools in the district, with 2019–20 enrollment data from the National Center for Education Statistics, are Memorial Elementary School (302 students in grades K–4), Midland Elementary School (177 students in grades K–4), Parkway Elementary School (314 students in grades Pre-K–4), Ridge Ranch Elementary School (337 students in grades K–4), Stony Lane Elementary School (186 students in grades K–4), East Brook Middle School (575 students in grades 5–8), West Brook Middle School (577 students in grades 5–8) and Paramus High School (1,253 students in grades 9–12).

Three of the district's schools have been formally recognized with the National Blue Ribbon School Award of Excellence: Paramus High School in 1988–1989, Parkway Elementary School in 1987–1988 and Ridge Ranch Elementary School in 1998–1999.

Public school students from the borough, and all of Bergen County, are eligible to attend the secondary education programs offered by the Bergen County Technical Schools, which include the Bergen County Academies in Hackensack, and the Bergen Tech campus in Teterboro or Bergen Tech campus in Paramus. The district offers programs on a shared-time or full-time basis, with admission based on a selective application process and tuition covered by the student's home school district.

Paramus is home to many private religious schools. Paramus Catholic High School is a co-educational Roman Catholic high school founded in 1965 and operated by the Archdiocese of Newark. With more than 1,500 students, it has the largest enrollment of any Roman Catholic high school in the state of New Jersey. It is also the location of Visitation Academy, a Pre-K3–8 Catholic school also overseen by the Newark Archdiocese.

K–8 co-ed Jewish day schools in Paramus include Yavneh Academy; Yeshivat Noam, founded in 2001; and Ben Porat Yosef, which was established in 2001 and relocated to Paramus in 2008. Frisch School is a Modern Orthodox Jewish yeshiva serving grades 9–12 that describes itself as the nation's second-largest coed yeshiva high school.

Bergen Community College is based in Paramus, with other satellite centers located around the county. The bulk of the college's 17,000 students working towards degrees are located at the main campus in Paramus. The Bergen campus of Berkeley College is located in Paramus. There is also a DeVry University campus located at the 35 Plaza Shopping Center in Paramus. There is a Lincoln Tech campus at Bergen Town Center.

Paramus is home to five special education schools. New Alliance Academy, located on Midland Ave, provides educational and ancillary therapeutic services for high school teenagers experiencing acute psychological distress. Bleshman Regional Day School, located on East Ridgewood Avenue, serves students ages three through twenty-one years of age with multiple disabilities. The EPIC School (Educational Partnership for Instructing Children) is located on North Farview Avenue, next to the Our Lady of Visitation Church. The Alpine Learning Group is located on County Route 62, close to Linwood Avenue, and P.R.I.D.E. School, which is a part of the ECLC school, which serves three other locations in New Jersey, has a location on Sette Drive. The Bergen County Special Services School District, which provides public special education services on a countywide basis, is headquartered in Paramus.

Public library
The borough's public library maintains two locations—the Main Library on Century Road and the Charles E. Reid Branch library on Midland Avenue, which was originally a four-room schoolhouse built in 1876.

The borough's original public library, known locally as the Howland House, was originally located at the intersection of Spring Valley Road and Howland Avenue. It was demolished sometime in the late 1990s. A September 11, 2001 memorial park now exists at the site known as Howland Memorial Grove.

Healthcare

 * Atlantic Health System Paramus Pavillion – located at Paramus Park in the former Sears Auto Center. This facility offers services such as physical therapy and rehabilitation services.
 * New Bridge Medical Center – located at 230 East Ridgewood Avenue, this medical center is a 1,070-bed hospital that is a clinical affiliate of Rutgers Biomedical and Health Sciences. It was founded in 1916 and is the largest hospital and licensed nursing home in the entire state of New Jersey.
 * Oradell Animal Hospital – located on Winters Avenue, across from Paramus Park, this facility provides medical care and treatments for all animals.
 * Paramus has a St. Joseph's Regional Medical Center campus located on Century Road.
 * The Valley Hospital has a health and fitness center on the southbound side of Route 17 and is specialized in recovery physical therapy. Valley Hospital also has support offices at the Kraft Center, located on 15 Essex Avenue. In addition, the Luckow Pavilion, located at 1 Valley Health Plaza, near the Fashion Center, specializes in cancer treatment, fertility, gamma knife surgery, and pharmacy.

Roads and highways
, the borough had a total of 121.92 mi of roadways, of which 90.93 mi were maintained by the municipality, 18.86 mi by Bergen County, 7.72 mi by the New Jersey Department of Transportation, and 4.41 mi by the New Jersey Turnpike Authority.

Highways in Paramus include Route 17, Route 4 and the Garden State Parkway (including the Paramus Toll Plaza at Interchange 165).

Public transportation
NJ Transit bus routes 144, 145, 148, 155, 157, 162, 163, 164, 165 and 168 serve the Port Authority Bus Terminal in Midtown Manhattan; the 171 and 175 routes provide service to the George Washington Bridge Bus Station; and local service is offered on the 709, 722, 751, 752, 753, 755, 756, 758, 762 and 770 routes. Nine of the 22 NJ Transit buses that serve Paramus do not provide service on Sundays. The 722 does not provide services on Saturdays and Sundays.

Coach USA provides bus service to the Port Authority Bus Terminal via Rockland Coaches route 45 from Pomona, New York, and via Short Line on Route 17.

Spanish Transportation and several other operators provide frequent jitney service along Route 4 between Paterson, New Jersey, and the George Washington Bridge Bus Station.

Historic sites
Paramus is home to the following locations on the National Register of Historic Places:
 * Easton Tower – Intersection of Red Mill Road and Paramus Road (added 2007). The tower was built in 1899 and was originally housed as a water pump that sits alongside the Saddle River. The tower was named after businessman Edward D. Easton.
 * Midland School – 239 W. Midland Avenue (added 1978). The school was constructed in 1876, and was used as a branch of the Paramus Public Library after Midland School was moved.
 * Terhune House – 470 Paramus Road (added 1996). An 18th-century Dutch Colonial home constructed of sandstone, that was later modified to add Victorian features, including a mansard roof.
 * Terhune-Gardner-Lindenmeyr House – 218 Paramus Road (added 1972). A Federal Period home constructed on the last remaining portion of untouched land from Terhune's farm, as taken from the original Zabriskie patent. The oldest known portion that can be reliably dated is from 1807 to 1808, with an older adjoining section of the house dating back as far as 1707.
 * Harmon Van Dien House – 449 Paramus Road (added 1983).
 * Albert J. Zabriskie Farmhouse – 7 East Ridgewood Avenue (added 1977).
 * Zabriskie Tenant House – 273 Dunkerhook Road (added 1984). The house was demolished in July 2012 by a housing developer who owned the property, after efforts to preserve or relocate the house failed.

Other points of interest

 * Buehler Challenger and Science Center, located on the campus of Bergen Community College, is a space museum where children learn about outer space and missions through simulations. The science center is also available to adults and educators.
 * Fritz Behnke Historical Museum, located on Paramus Road. It is open every Sunday and has exhibits about Paramus' past.
 * New Jersey Children's Museum. Opened in 1992, it featured hands-on exhibits for children such as a fire truck, a news studio, a helicopter, and other fun pretend attractions that drew 700,000 visitors per year. It closed in 2014 after Valley Hospital bought the property near its Ridgewood location.

Fire and rescue services
The Paramus Fire Department is a volunteer fire department that has a total of about 130 members who are on call around-the-clock, 365 days a year. Over the last several years, the number of calls for service that the fire department has responded to averages about 1,300 calls per year. The mission of the Paramus Fire Department is to protect the lives and property of the community. The fire department comprises four fire companies:

 * Fire Company 1 (Engine 1 and Ladder Truck 1) is located at East Firehouse Lane, across from the Fashion Center.
 * Fire Company 2 (Engine 2 and Engine 22-a spare) is located on Spring Valley Road, and is nicknamed "Spring Valley Fire Company #2."
 * Fire Company 3 (Engine 3, HazMat 3 – staffed by HazMat Technicians from all four fire companies, Utility 3, and Foam 3 – which carries AFFF firefighting foam) is located at 198 West Midland Avenue.
 * Fire Company 4 (Engine 4, Ladder Truck 4, and Engine 44 – a mini-pumper) is on Farview Avenue, and is nicknamed "Farview Fire Company #4."

Paramus also has a separate volunteer rescue squad (Rescue 7 & Rescue 9) located on West Jockish Square that specializes in motor vehicle extrication, as well as a marine unit for responses involving water rescues.

Ambulance and police
The borough's Emergency Medical Services department is staffed 24 hours a day. A separate volunteer Ambulance Corps exists, largely for stand-by purposes at large events. The Volunteer Ambulance Corps station is located on East Midland Avenue. The Paramus Police Department, which responds to 60,000 calls annually, is located on Carlough Drive right next to borough hall.

Emergency management
The borough of Paramus has an emergency management department that is required by state and law to develop emergency plans to protect people and property in the event of any emergency or disaster. The Emergency Management offices are located on Carlough Drive in the Paramus Life Safety Complex next to borough hall, the police department, and the rescue squad.

In popular culture

 * Rock band Black Sabbath made stops in Paramus during their Paranoid Tour in 1970 and 1971.
 * Rockapella, the a cappella group best known for performing on the children's game show Where in The World Is Carmen Sandiego?, had their first public gig at the former Bamberger's store (currently Macy's) at Garden State Plaza on October 11, 1986, after performing at a private party in Oradell six months earlier.
 * The 1993 Saturday Night Live spin-off movie Coneheads is set in Paramus. Dan Aykroyd and Jane Curtin's characters decide to move to and permanently reside in the borough so daughter Michelle Burke can attend Paramus High School. Aykroyd's character "Beldar Conehead" spends his days in Paramus giving driving lessons and playing golf.
 * Scenes from the 2008 film Burn After Reading by the Coen Brothers were filmed in Paramus at the site of the old Tower Records annex building located on Route 17S that had been transformed into Hardbodies Fitness Center.
 * A scene from the 1996 film Ransom was filmed on Route 4 in Paramus where Mullen is driving to Stone Quarry.
 * Paramus was one of the filming locations in the 1986 film Something Wild.
 * Several episodes of the HBO crime drama The Sopranos used Paramus locations. Throughout the series, Garden State Plaza and the Ramsey Outdoor store on Route 17 were both featured, and a character was "whacked" at the remnants of the Old Mill Bathing Beach on Paramus Road. In the series finale, a scene with Paulie Gualtieri was filmed in Paramus, in which he drove past a gas station.
 * The Real Housewives of New Jersey frequently film in Paramus locations as Jennifer Aydin, a star of the show since 2018, lives in Paramus.
 * Avril Lavigne performed at Westfield Garden State Plaza on March 17, 2004, as part of her Live by Surprise Tour.
 * The 2005 Sesame Street direct-to-video All Star Alphabet, featuring Stephen Colbert and Nicole Sullivan, was filmed on location at Garden State Plaza.
 * The former Paramus Bowling Center was the filming site of the bowling competition shows Make That Spare and Championship Bowling.
 * Hanson's 1997 video "Tulsa, Tokyo & the Middle of Nowhere", features the band travelling to Paramus Park on May 7, 1997, performing in the food court in front of 600 screaming fans. The performance was their first public appearance after the release of "MMMBop".
 * Garden State Plaza is the setting for Tricia Sullivan's science fiction novel Maul (2002). The novel takes its title from the way that the word "mall" is pronounced with the New Jersey accent. In the novel, three teenage girls start a shoot out with a local gang.
 * American ska punk band Less Than Jake has a song entitled 24 Hours in Paramus on their 1995 album Losers, Kings and Things We Don't Understand.
 * The ABC situational hidden camera show, What Would You Do? filmed some episodes in Paramus at the Tom Sawyer Diner.

Notable people
People who were born in, residents of, or otherwise closely associated with Paramus include:

 * John Bancker Aycrigg (1798–1856), member of the United States Congress from New Jersey
 * Joe Benigno (born 1953), sports radio personality on WFAN on Joe & Evan show with Evan Roberts
 * Chase Blackburn (born 1983), linebacker for the New York Giants and a member of the Super Bowl XLII and Super Bowl XLVI champion Giants
 * Juwann Bushell-Beatty (born 1996), offensive lineman for the Ottawa Redblacks of the Canadian Football League
 * Galit Chait (born 1975), ice dancer who represented Israel internationally from 1995 to 2006
 * Lizabeth Cohen (born 1952), historian, college professor and author, whose 2003 work A Consumer's Republic builds on her experience growing up in post-war Paramus
 * Joseph Coniglio (born 1943), former member of the New Jersey Senate
 * Paul Contillo (1929–2024), politician who served in both houses of the New Jersey Legislature after serving on the Paramus Borough Council from 1971 to 1973
 * Howard Cross III, American football nose tackle for the Notre Dame Fighting Irish
 * Stacey Dash (born 1967), film and television actress who appeared in the 1995 film Clueless and its TV spinoff
 * Spero Dedes (born 1979), Los Angeles Lakers radio commentator, NFL Network television host, and CBS NCAA tournament basketball announcer
 * Bill DeMott (born 1966), retired professional wrestler and road agent best known for his appearances with World Championship Wrestling as Hugh Morrus and World Wrestling Federation/Entertainment under his real name
 * Jim Dray (born 1986), tight end who has played for the Arizona Cardinals
 * Warren Farrell (born 1943), educator, gender equality activist and author
 * Fat Joe (born 1970), rapper, actor, CEO of Terror Squad Entertainment, and member of musical groups D.I.T.C. and Terror Squad
 * Mark Fields (born c. 1961), former Ford Motor Company President and Chief Executive Officer
 * Dean Friedman (born 1955), one-hit wonder with the top tune "Ariel" in 1977, which includes lyrics mentioning "the waterfall in Paramus Park"
 * Fred C. Galda (c. 1918–1997), former mayor of Paramus who oversaw the implementation of the borough's blue laws in 1958
 * Peter Gennaro (1919–2000), Tony Award-winning dancer and choreographer
 * Matt Ghaffari (born 1961), Olympic wrestler
 * Jamie Gold (born 1969), winner of the 2006 World Series of Poker
 * Victoria Herrmann, polar geographer and climate change communicator
 * Matt Hunter (born 1998), singer, songwriter and voice actor
 * Charles Samuel Joelson (1916–1999), politician who represented New Jersey's 8th congressional district
 * Louis F. Kosco (born 1932), politician who served in both the New Jersey General Assembly and the New Jersey Senate
 * Joseph Lagana (born 1978), member of the New Jersey Senate since 2018
 * Lloyd Levin (born 1958), film producer whose work includes United 93
 * Tony Lip (1930–2013), actor who appeared on The Sopranos, playing the role of Carmine Lupertazzi, and whose story was dramatized in the Oscar-winning film Green Book
 * Howard Lorber (born 1948), CEO of the Vector Group
 * Herbert F. Maddalene (born 1928), architect best known for his work designing churches with the firm of Genovese & Maddalene
 * Trisha Meili, the "Central Park jogger", a 28-year-old woman who was raped and beaten while jogging in New York City's Central Park in 1989
 * Bob Menendez (born 1954), U.S. Senator
 * Liv Morgan (born 1994), professional wrestler
 * Dean Obeidallah (born 1969), Arab/Italian-American comedian
 * George Olsen (1893–1971), bandleader and proprietor of Olsen's Restaurant in the 1950s and 1960s
 * Ken Oringer (born 1965), chef
 * John Bartow Prevost (1766–1825), first Judge of the Superior Court of the Territory of Orleans
 * Kenneth W. Regan (born 1959), professor, chess player, statistician and computer scientist
 * John Robertson (born 1993), quarterback for the Villanova Wildcats football team who won the 2014 Walter Payton Award
 * Ira Rubin (1930–2013), world champion professional contract bridge player
 * Gary Saul Stein (born 1933), attorney and former Associate Justice on the New Jersey Supreme Court, who served for 17 years where he wrote over 365 published opinions
 * Nick Suriano (born 1997), freestyle and folkstyle wrestler, NCAA wrestling champion at Rutgers and Michigan
 * Kazbek Tambi (born 1961), former professional soccer player
 * Steven H. Temares (born 1958), Chief Executive Officer of Bed, Bath & Beyond
 * Theodore Trautwein (1920–2000), judge who sentenced a reporter from The New York Times to 40 days in jail in the "Dr. X" trial of Mario Jascalevich
 * Connie Wagner (born 1948), member of the New Jersey General Assembly from 2008 to 2013
 * Yoojin Grace Wuertz (born 1980), novelist who wrote the 2017 book Everything Belongs To Us
 * Elaine Zayak (born 1965), one of the world's top figure skaters in the early 1980s

General sources

 * Municipal Incorporations of the State of New Jersey (according to Counties) prepared by the Division of Local Government, Department of the Treasury (New Jersey); December 1, 1958.
 * Behnke, Fritz. Paramus: The Way We Were 1922–1960, Destiny Image Publishers, 1997. ISBN 9781560432043.
 * Clayton, W. Woodford; and Nelson, William. History of Bergen and Passaic Counties, New Jersey, with Biographical Sketches of Many of its Pioneers and Prominent Men., Philadelphia: Everts and Peck, 1882.
 * Harvey, Cornelius Burnham (ed.), Genealogical History of Hudson and Bergen Counties, New Jersey. New York: New Jersey Genealogical Publishing Co., 1900.
 * Van Valen, James M. History of Bergen County, New Jersey. New York: New Jersey Publishing and Engraving Co., 1900.
 * Westervelt, Frances A. History of Bergen County, New Jersey, 1630–1923, Lewis Historical Publishing Company, 1923.

title: Paramus, New Jersey


text:
Park Ridge, New Jersey

Park Ridge is a borough in Bergen County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey. As of the 2020 United States census, the borough's population was 8,883, an increase of 238 (+2.8%) from the 2010 census count of 8,645,  which in turn reflected a decline of 63 (−0.7%) from the 8,708 counted in the 2000 census.

History
Park Ridge was created as a borough by an act of the New Jersey Legislature on May 15, 1894, from portions of Washington Township, based on the results of a referendum held the previous day. The borough was formed during the "Boroughitis" phenomenon then sweeping through Bergen County, in which 26 boroughs were formed in the county in 1894 alone. Park Ridge obtained a portion of River Vale (July 15, 1929), exchanged portions with Woodcliff Lake (December 12, 1955), received part of Washington Township (November 26, 1956), exchanged portions with Hillsdale (February 10, 1958) and Woodcliff Lake (June 9, 1958) and received another part of Washington Township (August 11, 1958). The borough's name derives from its location.

Park Ridge's Pascack Historical Society Museum, at 19 Ridge Avenue, houses the world's only wampum drilling machine. This wooden artifact was made in Park Ridge by the Campbell Brothers who invented a way to drill through long pieces of hair pipe shells so that they could be strung and worn as breast plates by the Plains Indians, among others. Needing water for the operation, the industrious brothers leased a woolen mill that stood on the Pascack Brook. When that burned down they built their own mill farther down Pascack Creek on their land and another shop on Pascack Road near their homestead. Both buildings housed drilling machines on their second floors where they were safe from prying eyes, as the two machines had not been patented. In the early 19th century, John Jacob Astor purchased wampum from the Campbells to trade with the Native Americans of the Pacific Northwest whose beaver pelts he turned into men's hats. The best years for the wampum business were between 1835 and 1866. The drilling machine can be seen at the Pascack Historical Society Museum on Wednesdays from 10 a.m. until noon and Sundays from 1–4 p.m. Admission is free.

Historic sites
Park Ridge is home to the following locations on the National Register of Historic Places:

 * John G. Ackerson House – 142 Pascack Road (added 1983)
 * Isaac Debaun House – 124 Rivervale Road (added 1983)
 * Park Ridge Station – Hawthorne and Park Avenue (added 1984)
 * Peter D. Perry House – 107 Rivervale Road (added 1983)
 * Wortendyke Barn – 13 Pascack Road (added 1973)
 * Frederick Wortendyke House – 12 Pascack Road (added 1983)

Geography
According to the United States Census Bureau, the borough had a total area of 2.63 square miles (6.81 km2), including 2.61 square miles (6.75 km2) of land and 0.02 square miles (0.05 km2) of water (0.80%).

The borough is a part of the Pascack Valley region of Bergen County. It is bordered by the Bergen County municipalities of Hillsdale, Montvale, River Vale and Woodcliff Lake. Although no major highways run through the borough, it is serviced by the Garden State Parkway at exits 168, 171 and 172 in Washington Township, Woodcliff Lake and Montvale, respectively.

2010 census
The 2010 United States census counted 8,645 people, 3,283 households, and 2,351 families in the borough. The population density was 3348.6 /sqmi. There were 3,428 housing units at an average density of 1327.8 /sqmi. The racial makeup was 89.14% (7,706) White, 1.04% (90) Black or African American, 0.22% (19) Native American, 6.07% (525) Asian, 0.02% (2) Pacific Islander, 2.58% (223) from other races, and 0.93% (80) from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 7.74% (669) of the population.

Of the 3,283 households, 30.9% had children under the age of 18; 62.0% were married couples living together; 7.2% had a female householder with no husband present and 28.4% were non-families. Of all households, 25.0% were made up of individuals and 12.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.57 and the average family size was 3.08.

22.9% of the population were under the age of 18, 5.0% from 18 to 24, 21.8% from 25 to 44, 31.1% from 45 to 64, and 19.2% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 45.2 years. For every 100 females, the population had 93.3 males. For every 100 females ages 18 and older there were 89.6 males.

The Census Bureau's 2006–2010 American Community Survey showed that (in 2010 inflation-adjusted dollars) median household income was $104,053 (with a margin of error of +/− $7,870) and the median family income was $118,984 (+/− $7,463). Males had a median income of $85,242 (+/− $13,024) versus $65,216 (+/− $12,814) for females. The per capita income for the borough was $46,695 (+/− $3,650). About 1.1% of families and 1.3% of the population were below the poverty line, including none of those under age 18 and 0.5% of those age 65 or over.

Same-sex couples headed 11 households in 2010, an increase from the 7 counted in the 2000 Census.

2000 census
As of the 2000 United States census, there were 8,708 people, 3,161 households, and 2,389 families residing in the borough. The population density was 3,353.3 PD/sqmi. There were 3,258 housing units at an average density of 1,254.6 /sqmi. The racial makeup of the borough was 93.48% White, 0.86% African American, 0.14% Native American, 3.86% Asian, 0.02% Pacific Islander, 0.73% from other races, and 0.91% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino people of any race were 5.32% of the population.

There were 3,161 households, out of which 33.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 65.9% were married couples living together, 7.5% had a female householder with no husband present, and 24.4% were non-families. 21.3% of all households were made up of individuals, and 8.2% 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 3.12.

In the borough the population was spread out, with 23.5% under the age of 18, 5.6% from 18 to 24, 28.6% from 25 to 44, 26.2% from 45 to 64, and 16.2% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 41 years. For every 100 females, there were 92.2 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 90.4 males.

The median income for a household in the borough was $66,632, and the median income for a family was $97,294. Males had a median income of $71,042 versus $40,714 for females. The per capita income for the borough was $40,351. About 1.2% of families and 3.1% of the population were below the poverty line, including 2.3% of those under age 18 and 2.1% of those age 65 or over.

Economy
The Hertz Corporation, a car rental company, had been headquartered in Park Ridge and was the borough's largest single taxpayer. On May 7, 2013, Hertz announced that the firm was moving their corporate HQ to Estero, Florida, and would keep certain operations in Park Ridge.

Sony Corporation of America maintains an R&D and engineering facility in Park Ridge.

Local government
Park Ridge 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 a mayor and a borough council with all positions elected at-large on a partisan basis as part of the November general election. A mayor is elected directly by the voters to a four-year term of office. The borough council includes six members, who are 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 Park Ridge 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 the Borough of Park Ridge is Democrat Keith Misciagna, whose term of office ends December 31, 2023. Members of the Park Ridge Borough Council are Council President William Fenwick (R, 2023), Matthew J. Capilli (D, 2024), John M. Cozzi (R, 2023), John P. Ferguson (D, 2024), Bruce Goldsmith (R, 2025) and Greg C. Hoffman (R, 2025).

In May 2017, the council selected Keith Misciagna to fill the vacant mayoral seat, following the resignation of Terry Maguire the previous month in the face of criticism of the way he had dealt with suits over affordable housing in the borough. In turn, the council selected Michael Mintz from a list of three candidates nominated by the Democratic municipal committee to fill Misciagna's vacant council seat that expired in December 2017.

In February 2016, the borough council selected Donna Szot from a list of three candidates nominated by the Republican municipal committee to fill the seat expiring in December 2016 that had become vacant following the resignation of Ryan Cangialosi the previous month.

Federal, state and county representation
Park Ridge is located in the 5th Congressional District and is part of New Jersey's 39th state legislative district.

Politics
As of March 2011, there were a total of 5,800 registered voters in Park Ridge, of whom 1,462 (25.2% vs. 31.7% countywide) were registered as Democrats, 1,503 (25.9% vs. 21.1%) were registered as Republicans and 2,832 (48.8% vs. 47.1%) were registered as Unaffiliated. There were 3 voters registered as Libertarians or Greens. Among the borough's 2010 Census population, 67.1% (vs. 57.1% in Bergen County) were registered to vote, including 87.0% of those ages 18 and over (vs. 73.7% countywide).

In the 2016 presidential election, Republican Donald Trump received 2,619 votes (53.3% vs. 41.1% countywide), ahead of Democrat Hillary Clinton with 2,108 votes (42.9% vs. 54.2%) and other candidates with 185 votes (3.8% vs. 4.6%), among the 4,977 ballots cast by the borough's 6,395 registered voters, for a turnout of 77.8% (vs. 72.5% in Bergen County). In the 2012 presidential election, Republican Mitt Romney received 2,682 votes here (57.0% vs. 43.5% countywide), ahead of Democrat Barack Obama with 1,957 votes (41.6% vs. 54.8%) and other candidates with 43 votes (0.9% vs. 0.9%), among the 4,708 ballots cast by the borough's 6,080 registered voters, for a turnout of 77.4% (vs. 70.4% in Bergen County). In the 2008 presidential election, Republican John McCain received 2,735 votes here (55.8% vs. 44.5% countywide), ahead of Democrat Barack Obama with 2,093 votes (42.7% vs. 53.9%) and other candidates with 35 votes (0.7% vs. 0.8%), among the 4,901 ballots cast by the borough's 6,049 registered voters, for a turnout of 81.0% (vs. 76.8% in Bergen County). In the 2004 presidential election, Republican George W. Bush received 2,697 votes here (57.4% vs. 47.2% countywide), ahead of Democrat John Kerry with 1,963 votes (41.7% vs. 51.7%) and other candidates with 34 votes (0.7% vs. 0.7%), among the 4,702 ballots cast by the borough's 5,785 registered voters, for a turnout of 81.3% (vs. 76.9% in the whole county).

In the 2013 gubernatorial election, Republican Chris Christie received 70.6% of the vote (2,193 cast), ahead of Democrat Barbara Buono with 28.5% (886 votes), and other candidates with 0.9% (27 votes), among the 3,176 ballots cast by the borough's 5,879 registered voters (70 ballots were spoiled), for a turnout of 54.0%. In the 2009 gubernatorial election, Republican Chris Christie received 1,906 votes here (55.4% vs. 45.8% countywide), ahead of Democrat Jon Corzine with 1,317 votes (38.3% vs. 48.0%), Independent Chris Daggett with 162 votes (4.7% vs. 4.7%) and other candidates with 21 votes (0.6% vs. 0.5%), among the 3,443 ballots cast by the borough's 5,928 registered voters, yielding a 58.1% turnout (vs. 50.0% in the county).

Education
The Park Ridge Public Schools serve students in pre-kindergarten through twelfth grade. As of the 2021–22 school year, the district, comprised of three schools, had an enrollment of 1,223 students and 123.8 classroom teachers (on an FTE basis), for a student–teacher ratio of 9.9:1. Schools in the district (with 2021–22 enrollment data from the National Center for Education Statistics ) are East Brook Elementary School with 318 students in grades K-6, West Ridge Elementary School with 337 students in grades PreK-6 and Park Ridge High School with 548 students in grades 7-12. The high school was the 14th-ranked public high school in New Jersey (third-highest in Bergen County) out of 328 schools statewide in New Jersey Monthly magazine's September 2012 cover story on the state's "Top Public High Schools", after being ranked 18th in 2010 out of 322 schools listed. Athletic programs at the high school include baseball, basketball, football, soccer, softball, track and tennis.

Public school students from the borough, and all of Bergen County, are eligible to attend the secondary education programs offered by the Bergen County Technical Schools, which include the Bergen County Academies in Hackensack, and the Bergen Tech campus in Teterboro or Paramus. The district offers programs on a shared-time or full-time basis, with admission based on a selective application process and tuition covered by the student's home school district.

Our Lady of Mercy Academy is a K–8 Catholic school which operates in Park Ridge under the auspices of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Newark.

Religion
Houses of worship in Park Ridge include:

 * First Congregational Church of Park Ridge (United Church of Christ)
 * Our Lady of Mercy Church
 * Park Ridge United Methodist Church
 * Pascack Reformed Church
 * Temple Beth Sholom of Pascack Valley

Transportation
In July 2015, Park Ridge was designated as one of 30 transit villages statewide, qualifying it for incentives at the borough's train station and commuter lots, which will get additional access for bicycles and pedestrians.

Roads and highways
, the borough had a total of 38.91 mi of roadways, of which 31.94 mi were maintained by the municipality and 6.97 mi by Bergen County.

County Route 503, which runs for 18 mi from New Jersey Route 120 to the New York State border, passes through Park Ridge. It is well known and posted as Kinderkamack Road, which was a trail used by the Lenape Native Americans, whose name signified that it was a place (the suffix "ack") where ceremonial dances or prayers ("kintekaye") were made.

Park Ridge can be accessed via exit 172 on the Garden State Parkway.

Public transportation
Park Ridge is served by NJ Transit on the Pascack Valley Line at the Park Ridge train station. The station is located at Hawthorne and Park Avenues though is also accessible from Broadway. This line runs north–south to Hoboken Terminal with connections via the Secaucus Junction transfer station to New Jersey Transit one-stop service to New York Penn Station and to other NJ Transit rail service. Connections are available at the Hoboken Terminal to other New Jersey Transit rail lines, the PATH train at the Hoboken PATH station, New York Waterways ferry service to the World Financial Center and other destinations and Hudson-Bergen Light Rail service.

Rockland Coaches provides service on the 11T/11AT and the 47 routes to the Port Authority Bus Terminal in Midtown Manhattan.

Media
PKRG-TV, the public-access television cable TV station in Park Ridge, has produced and documented many shows over its history. They continue to produce a weekly live show every Monday night in addition to broadcasting special events in the town such as parades, sporting events, school plays, and charity events. Rolf Wahl, a borough resident, provided most of the guidance, technical knowledge and foresight for the station. The studio also hosted a series of shows entitled Behind The Badge which provided residents with an insight into the way the police department works. It included a tour of the police station and police cruiser and also an overview of programs the department works on to improve the welfare of the community, e.g. anti-drug programs and computer crime awareness.

The Bear's Nest
The Bear's Nest is a luxury gated community in Park Ridge. It has town house-style houses with luxury amenities including (in some houses) elevators. A community clubhouse is available for residents, along with a pool, multiple tennis courts and a floral park. Noted residents of the development have included President Richard M. Nixon and his wife, Pat Nixon; Raymond V. Gilmartin, current Microsoft board member; and Tom Coughlin, former coach of the New York Giants and Joe Valenza, New York Yankees Fantasy Camp Hall of Fame Inductee and Founder of Virtue Risk Partners.

Emergency services
The Tri-Boro Volunteer Ambulance Corps provides EMS service to Park Ridge, Woodcliff Lake and Montvale. Tri-Boro is a non-profit group which provides free emergency service to those in the community who need it at any time. Its headquarters is located in Park Ridge near Mill Pond.

Park Ridge has a paid police department, which has been led by Chief Joseph J. Madden since 2007.

The Park Ridge Volunteer Fire Department dates back to 1898, created by community volunteers after a major fire destroyed a local factory. PRFD is part of Bergen County Fire Battalion 8 and dispatching is contracted to Ridgewood-based Northwest Bergen Central Dispatch.

Notable people
People who were born in, residents of, or otherwise closely associated with Park Ridge include:

 * Jedh Colby Barker (1945–1967), United States Marine Corps Lance Corporal who posthumously received the Medal of Honor for heroism during the Vietnam War
 * Tom Coughlin (born 1946), former coach of the New York Giants and two-time Super Bowl Champion XLII XLVI
 * Brian Cushing (born 1987), former linebacker for the Houston Texans
 * Karen Duffy (born 1961), model and author
 * George Washington Foster (1866–1923), pioneering African-American architect
 * James Gandolfini (1961–2013), actor
 * Raymond Gilmartin (born 1941), professor at Harvard Business School; member of the board of directors at Microsoft and General Mills; President and CEO of Merck & Co., 1994–2005
 * Bill Griffeth (born 1956), financial journalist with CNBC since 1991
 * Kevin Herget (born 1991), professional baseball pitcher for the Tampa Bay Rays
 * Augie Hoffmann (born 1981), football player, guard signed by the New Orleans Saints and Rutgers Scarlet Knights football coach.
 * Stewart Krentzman (born 1951), business executive
 * Ariel Nicholson (born 2001), model and LGBT rights activist
 * Pat Nixon (1912–1993), former First Lady, wife of Richard Nixon
 * Richard Nixon (1913–1994), 37th President of the United States
 * Tomas J. Padilla, former member of the Bergen County Board of Chosen Freeholders
 * Tom Papa (born 1968), comedian, actor, writer and television/radio host
 * The Roches (Maggie, Terre, and Suzzy), singer-songwriters and recording artists
 * Larry Rosen (1940–2015), entrepreneur, musician and recording engineer; best known for his work as a modern jazz producer and label owner
 * Stephanie Ruhle (born 1975), MSNBC Live anchor and former editor-at-large for Bloomberg News
 * Travis Stever (born 1978), lead guitarist of Coheed and Cambria
 * Dyanne Thorne (1936–2020), actress, stage performer and vocalist known for her stage work in Las Vegas and as the lead actress in the Ilsa film franchise which began with Ilsa, She Wolf of the SS
 * Matt Turner (born 1994), goalkeeper for the US National Soccer Team and Arsenal

In popular culture

 * Park Ridge was the filming site for the Nick GAS (Nickelodeon Games and Sports) segment, "Heroes of the Game". Locations included West Ridge Elementary School and Colony Field.

Annual events

 * Each Memorial Day, the Tri-Boro area consisting of Park Ridge, Woodcliff Lake, and Montvale participate in the annual Memorial Day Parade. The Park Ridge High School Marching Band participates in the parade and hand out candies as well.
 * Each October, Park Ridge holds its own Ragamuffin parade. Children who are 12 and younger dress up in costumes while walking down from Depot Square on Park Avenue to Davies Field. Following the parade, there is a costume contest. The event also features games and music.
 * Park Ridge has an annual holiday tree lighting in December, with musical performances by the Park Ridge High School choir and marching band. The event also has free refreshments, like popcorn and hot chocolate.

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

title: Park Ridge, New Jersey


text:
Ramsey, New Jersey

Ramsey is a borough in Bergen County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey. It is a suburb of New York City, located 26 mi northwest of Midtown Manhattan. As of the 2020 United States census, the borough's population was 14,798, an increase of 325 (+2.2%) from the 2010 census count of 14,473,  which in turn reflected an increase of 122 (+0.9%) from the 14,351 counted in the 2000 census.

Ramsey was incorporated as a borough by an act of the New Jersey Legislature on March 10, 1908, from portions of Hohokus Township (whose remnants are now Mahwah Township). Additional territory was annexed from Waldwick in 1921, and portions of the borough were ceded to Saddle River in 1925.

History
Before European settlement, the area that became Ramsey was occupied by the Lenape Native Americans in the United States.

The most noteworthy local historical site is the Old Stone House, which is, as its name describes, both old and constructed of stone, though its construction materials in the early 1700s also included hog's hair. It was originally a Dutch farmhouse and served as a tavern during the Revolutionary War. Legend has it that Aaron Burr slaked his thirst at this site, on his way to courting the woman who would become his wife in Ho-Ho-Kus. The structure opened as a historic site in 1960 with a display of antique pitchers.

Ramsey is named after Peter J. Ramsey, a 19th-century landowner who died c. 1854, who had sold the land that in 1848 became the site of a railroad station called "Ramsey's Station".

Geography
According to the United States Census Bureau, the borough had a total area of 5.57 square miles (14.43 km2), including 5.50 square miles (14.25 km2) of land and 0.07 square miles (0.18 km2) of water (1.24%).

The borough is bordered by the Bergen County municipalities of Allendale on the southeast, Mahwah on the north, west, and southwest and by Saddle River and Upper Saddle River on the east.

2010 census
The 2010 United States census counted 14,473 people, 5,363 households, and 3,926 families in the borough. The population density was 2621.9 /sqmi. There were 5,550 housing units at an average density of 1005.4 /sqmi. The racial makeup was 89.45% (12,946) White, 0.65% (94) Black or African American, 0.12% (17) Native American, 6.66% (964) Asian, 0.00% (0) Pacific Islander, 1.89% (274) from other races, and 1.23% (178) from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 5.98% (866) of the population.

Of the 5,363 households, 36.8% had children under the age of 18; 62.2% were married couples living together; 8.1% had a female householder with no husband present and 26.8% were non-families. Of all households, 23.4% were made up of individuals and 9.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.69 and the average family size was 3.21.

26.6% of the population were under the age of 18, 6.0% from 18 to 24, 23.1% from 25 to 44, 31.7% from 45 to 64, and 12.7% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 42.0 years. For every 100 females, the population had 94.7 males. For every 100 females ages 18 and older there were 90.8 males.

The Census Bureau's 2006–2010 American Community Survey showed that (in 2010 inflation-adjusted dollars) median household income was $111,549 (with a margin of error of +/− $8,131) and the median family income was $136,475 (+/− $2,642). Males had a median income of $90,326 (+/− $5,483) versus $63,234 (+/− $6,177) for females. The per capita income for the borough was $52,491 (+/− $36,084). About 1.9% of families and 3.8% of the population were below the poverty line, including 4.4% of those under age 18 and 9.8% of those age 65 or over.

Same-sex couples headed 20 households in 2010, unchanged from 2000.

2000 census
As of the 2000 United States census there were 14,351 people, 5,313 households, and 3,947 families residing in the borough. The population density was 2,583.2 PD/sqmi. There were 5,400 housing units at an average density of 972.0 /sqmi. The racial makeup of the borough was 91.62% White, 0.78% African American, 0.10% Native American, 5.85% Asian, 0.01% Pacific Islander, 0.54% from other races, and 1.10% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 2.93% of the population.

There were 5,313 households, out of which 37.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 64.4% were married couples living together, 7.4% had a female householder with no husband present, and 25.7% were non-families. 22.6% of all households were made up of individuals, and 7.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.68 and the average family size was 3.18.

In the borough, the age distribution of the population shows 27.0% under the age of 18, 4.9% from 18 to 24, 30.5% from 25 to 44, 26.3% from 45 to 64, and 11.2% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 39 years. For every 100 females, there were 93.3 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 88.9 males.

The median income for a household in the borough was $88,187, and the median income for a family was $104,512. Males had a median income of $75,017 versus $43,205 for females. The per capita income for the borough was $41,964. About 1.4% of families and 1.9% of the population were below the poverty line, including 2.2% of those under age 18 and 2.5% of those age 65 or over.

Economy
The Ramsey Farmers Market includes vendors offering locally sourced produce, foods, beverages and flowers at the Ramsey NJ Transit Station on Main Street every Sunday throughout the year.

Corporate residents of Ramsey have included:
 * Flight Centre, parent company of Liberty Travel and GOGO Worldwide Vacations, was located at 69 Spring Street. The company announced in February 2016 that they were relocating to Montvale.
 * Konica Minolta's U.S. offices are in Ramsey.
 * Okonite, based in Ramsey.

The most common industries for females in Ramsey, according to City-data.com, from 2008 to 2012:
 * Health care and social assistance (22%)
 * Educational services (16%)
 * Finance and insurance (11%)
 * Manufacturing (10%)
 * Professional, scientific, and technical services (8%)
 * Retail trade (8%)
 * Other services, except public administration (5%)

The most common industries for males in Ramsey, according to City-Data.com, from 2008 to 2012:
 * Finance and insurance (17%)
 * Manufacturing (13%)
 * Professional, scientific, and technical services (10%)
 * Construction (9%)
 * Retail trade (8%)
 * Wholesale trade (7%)
 * Educational services (7%)

Arts and culture
Ramsey had an old-style downtown cinema with two screens. It closed in 2013, but reopened in 2014 after a successful Kickstarter campaign raised the funds needed for updated projection systems. However, it closed for good in 2020 due to hardships from the COVID-19 pandemic.

Ramsey has six houses of worship. These include: First Presbyterian Church, Lutheran Church of the Redeemer, St. Paul's Roman Catholic Church, St. Paul's Ukrainian Catholic Church, St. John's Episcopal Church, and Grace Baptist Church.

Parks and recreation
Ramsey has about 153 acres of land under Green Acres protection by the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection, which is land that is permanently preserved as open space in the borough. This is one of the reasons that the borough, while about 98.5% developed, has retained a "rural ambience".

Established in 1995, Ramsey Golf and Country Club has an 18-hole golf course, in addition to a restaurant, swimming pool, picnic area, playground, tennis courts and a banquet room.

Finch Park, located on Church Street, Gertzen Plaza, and Island Avenue, has a playground, picnic areas, eight baseball and softball fields, a street hockey rink, and basketball courts. There is a memorial for the attacks on September 11, 2001, with its own parking area located on Gertzen Plaza. The park is headquarters of the Ramsey Recreation Commission, and home fields of the Ramsey Baseball and Softball Association. In the summer months, the Rec Commission has a summer camp in Finch Park for Ramsey students in kindergarten to 7th grade.

The Ramsey Municipal Pool, located on East Oak Street, has a newly renovated pool and waterslides, a recreational field and pavilion, and beach volleyball and basketball courts.

Behind Ramsey High School, there are five tennis courts and a running track that are open to public use. The RHS football field and the newly built Creamer Field are two of the four fields with night lights in Ramsey, the other two are located at the MacFarran Field complex on Williams Drive, overlooking Route 17.

Behind Tisdale Elementary School, there are two softball fields that are open to the community.

Suraci Pond, located on Woodland Avenue, is a small lake with areas to fish, picnic benches, and hiking trails. A similar recreational area exists at Garrison Pond on Lake Street. An Eagle Scout Project from Ramsey's Troop 31 installed picnic tables and restored the flower bed.

Local government
Ramsey 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 a mayor and a borough council, with all positions elected at-large on a partisan basis as part of the November general election. A 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 in Ramsey 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 the Borough of Ramsey is Republican Deirdre A. Dillon, whose term of office ends December 31, 2026. Members of the Ramsey Borough Council are Council President Peter Kilman (R, 2024), Judith Cusick (R, 2023), Michael W. Gutwetter (R, 2023), Glen J. Popolo (R, 2025), Sara Poppe (R, 2024) and Jane M. Woods (R, 2025).

In January 2015, the borough council selected Peter Kilman from a list of three candidates nominated by the Republican municipal committee to fill the seat expiring in 2015 that held by Deirdre A. Dillon vacant since she was sworn in as mayor that month. In November 2015, Kilman was elected to serve a full three-year term.

Joseph Verdone was chosen in August 2012 to fill the vacant seat expiring in December 2014 of Bruce Vozeh following his resignation the previous month to become the municipal administrator.

Federal, state and county representation
Ramsey is located in the 5th Congressional District and is part of New Jersey's 39th state legislative district.

Politics
As of March 2011, there were a total of 9,705 registered voters in Ramsey, of which 2,133 (22.0% vs. 31.7% countywide) were registered as Democrats, 2,712 (27.9% vs. 21.1%) were registered as Republicans and 4,849 (50.0% vs. 47.1%) were registered as Unaffiliated. There were 11 voters registered as Libertarians or Greens. Among the borough's 2010 Census population, 67.1% (vs. 57.1% in Bergen County) were registered to vote, including 91.3% of those ages 18 and over (vs. 73.7% countywide).

In the 2016 presidential election, Republican Donald Trump received 4,132 votes (49.3% vs. 41.1% countywide), ahead of Democrat Hillary Clinton with 3,872 votes (46.2% vs. 54.2%) and other candidates with 373 votes (4.5% vs. 4.6%), among the 8,426 ballots cast by the borough's 11,000 registered voters, for a turnout of 76.6% (vs. 72.5% in Bergen County). In the 2012 presidential election, Republican Mitt Romney received 4,333 votes (57.0% vs. 43.5% countywide), ahead of Democrat Barack Obama with 3,167 votes (41.7% vs. 54.8%) and other candidates with 62 votes (0.8% vs. 0.9%), among the 7,598 ballots cast by the borough's 10,342 registered voters, for a turnout of 73.5% (vs. 70.4% in Bergen County). In the 2008 presidential election, Republican John McCain received 4,417 votes (54.7% vs. 44.5% countywide), ahead of Democrat Barack Obama with 3,556 votes (44.0% vs. 53.9%) and other candidates with 59 votes (0.7% vs. 0.8%), among the 8,076 ballots cast by the borough's 10,046 registered voters, for a turnout of 80.4% (vs. 76.8% in Bergen County). In the 2004 presidential election, Republican George W. Bush received 4,606 votes (58.4% vs. 47.2% countywide), ahead of Democrat John Kerry with 3,207 votes (40.7% vs. 51.7%) and other candidates with 52 votes (0.7% vs. 0.7%), among the 7,886 ballots cast by the borough's 9,754 registered voters, for a turnout of 80.8% (vs. 76.9% in the whole county).

In the 2013 gubernatorial election, Republican Chris Christie received 69.9% of the vote (3,162 cast), ahead of Democrat Barbara Buono with 29.1% (1,316 votes), and other candidates with 1.1% (48 votes), among the 4,599 ballots cast by the borough's 9,948 registered voters (73 ballots were spoiled), for a turnout of 46.2%. In the 2009 gubernatorial election, Republican Chris Christie received 2,945 votes (55.8% vs. 45.8% countywide), ahead of Democrat Jon Corzine with 1,945 votes (36.8% vs. 48.0%), Independent Chris Daggett with 343 votes (6.5% vs. 4.7%) and other candidates with 24 votes (0.5% vs. 0.5%), among the 5,280 ballots cast by the borough's 9,866 registered voters, yielding a 53.5% turnout (vs. 50.0% in the county).

Education
Ramsey has a highly educated population. Based on data from the American Community Survey, it was ranked as one of the top 15 most educated municipalities in New Jersey with a population of at least 10,000, placing No. 2 on the list. With 40.3% of residents having a bachelor's degree or higher, the borough was second only to Hoboken (with 50.2%).

The Ramsey Public School District serves students in pre-kindergarten through twelfth grade. As of the 2021–22 school year, the district, comprised of five schools, had an enrollment of 2,598 students and 252.2 classroom teachers (on an FTE basis), for a student–teacher ratio of 10.3:1. Schools in the district (with 2021–22 enrollment data from the National Center for Education Statistics ) are Mary A. Hubbard Elementary School with 371 students in grades PreK–3, Wesley D. Tisdale Elementary School with 332 students in grades PreK–3, John Y. Dater Elementary School with 385 students in grades 4–5, Eric S. Smith Middle School with 647 students in grades 6–8 and Ramsey High School with 828 students in grades 9–12.

Students from Saddle River's Wandell School attend the district's middle school and then have the option of attending either Ramsey High School or Northern Highlands Regional High School as part of sending/receiving relationships with the Saddle River School District and each of the respective districts.

Ramsey High School was the 30th-ranked public high school in New Jersey out of 328 schools statewide in New Jersey Monthly magazine's September 2012 cover story on the state's "Top Public High Schools", after being ranked 33rd in 2010 out of 322 schools listed. The magazine ranked the school 13th in 2008 out of 316 schools.

Public school students from the borough, and all of Bergen County, are eligible to attend the secondary education programs offered by the Bergen County Technical Schools, which include the Bergen County Academies in Hackensack, and the Bergen Tech campus in Teterboro or Paramus. The district offers programs on a shared-time or full-time basis, with admission based on a selective application process and tuition covered by the student's home school district.

The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Newark oversees the operation of the Academy of St. Paul, a K–8 school and Don Bosco Preparatory High School, an all-boys Roman Catholic high school for grades 9–12 founded in 1915 and overseen by the Salesians of Don Bosco. In 2015, the Academy of St. Paul was one of 15 schools in New Jersey, and one of six private schools, recognized as a National Blue Ribbon School in the exemplary high performing category by the United States Department of Education.

Roads and highways
, the borough had a total of 65.32 mi of roadways, of which 51.82 mi were maintained by the municipality, 11.45 mi by Bergen County and 2.05 mi by the New Jersey Department of Transportation.

A number of roadways serve Ramsey and its neighboring communities, providing the borough with easy driving access to New York State (including New York City) and other points within New Jersey. Route 17 and County Route 507 intersect the areas east and north of Ramsey's downtown business district, while Interstate 287 and U.S. Route 202 pass through the Darlington section of Mahwah to the west and the New York State Thruway (Interstate 87 / Interstate 287) and NY Route 59 run through Suffern, New York, to the north.

Public transportation
Ramsey has two NJ Transit train stations which provide mass transit access to and from Hoboken Terminal with connections available at Secaucus Junction to Penn Station New York in Midtown Manhattan and other NJ Transit lines. Located on Main Street just east of Central Avenue in the borough's downtown area, the Ramsey Main Street station was constructed in 1868 by the Paterson and Ramapo Railroad and is the oldest operating passenger station in service in New Jersey. The Ramsey Route 17 station, which opened on August 22, 2004, is a park-and-ride facility and regional commuter hub located along Route 17 South in the northern section of town. Both of these stations are stops along NJ Transit's Main Line and Bergen County Line.

Short Line provides bus service along Route 17 (with limited service at other local stops) to the Port Authority Bus Terminal in Midtown Manhattan. Tickets can be easily found on the Couch Bus USA app.

Popular culture

 * Films
 * Some scenes from the movie World Trade Center (2006) were filmed in a house in Ramsey.
 * Television
 * A segment of Rescue 911, Season 1, episode 2 features two young residents from Ramsey who were saved from an oncoming freight train.
 * Scenes from "The Happy Wanderer" episode of the HBO series The Sopranos were shot at the Maple Shade Motel, and scenes from the episode "Bust Out" were filmed at the Ramsey Outdoor store.

Notable people
People who were born in, residents of, or otherwise closely associated with Ramsey include:

 * Danny Aiello (1933–2019), stage and film star lived in Ramsey for many years during the 1980s and 1990s
 * Adrienne Asch (1946–2013), blind bioethicist who was founding director of the Center for Ethics at Yeshiva University
 * Tom Austin, drummer and lyricist for the 1950s / 1960s rock band The Royal Teens, best known for their one hit "Short Shorts"
 * Shawn Batten (born 1971), actress who appeared in Spyder Games and Sunset Beach
 * Chase Bisontis, American football offensive tackle for the Texas A&M Aggies
 * Edd Cartier (1914–2008), pulp magazine illustrator
 * John Colaneri (born 1981), television presenter, reality TV show host and home makeover expert
 * Mike Dietze (born 1989), professional soccer player who played for the Philadelphia Fury of the American Soccer League
 * Louise Eisenhardt (1891–1967), early neuropathologist who was the first woman to serve as president of the American Association of Neurological Surgeons
 * Jeremiah Fraites (born 1986), co-founder and drummer of the musical group the Lumineers
 * Thomas E. Franklin (born 1966), Award-winning photographer for The Record, perhaps best known for his photograph Raising the Flag at Ground Zero
 * Jonathan Halyalkar, child actor who played Billy on the 1980s sitcom Who's the Boss?
 * Henry Herx (1933–2012), film critic whose reviews were intended for Catholic moviegoers
 * Charles Ernest Hosking Jr. (1924–1967), United States Army Master Sergeant and Medal of Honor recipient; Hosking Way, a road off Darlington Avenue, is named in his honor
 * Walter Johnsen (born 1950), Chairman and CEO of Acme United Corporation
 * Bridget Anne Kelly, former Deputy Chief of Staff to Governor of New Jersey Chris Christie
 * Mike Laga (born 1960), former professional baseball player who is the only player to hit a foul ball completely out of Busch Memorial Stadium in St. Louis
 * Maria LaRosa, on-camera meteorologist for The Weather Channel
 * Bob McAdoo (born 1951), former New York Knicks player lived in Ramsey during the 1970s/1980s/1990s
 * Ryan McGinley (born 1977), photographer named Photographer of the Year in 2003 by American Photo Magazine
 * Bill Pellington (1927–1994), linebacker who played 12 seasons in the NFL for the Baltimore Colts
 * Jimmie Rivera (born 1989), professional mixed martial artist who competes in UFC as a bantamweight
 * Ariel A. Rodriguez (1947–2017), judge who served as acting Justice of the New Jersey Supreme Court
 * Pete Rohrman (born 1970), political activist and the New Jersey Libertarian Party nominee in New Jersey's 2017 gubernatorial election
 * Wesley Schultz (born 1982), guitarist and lead vocalist of The Lumineers
 * Tommy Sweeney (born 1995), tight end for the Buffalo Bills
 * Justin Trattou (born 1988), defensive end for the Minnesota Vikings and former player on the New York Giants
 * Buck Williams (born 1960), NBA All-Star who lived in Ramsey during the 1980s while playing for the New Jersey Nets

title: Ramsey, New Jersey