Ridgefield Park, New Jersey

Ridgefield Park is a village in Bergen County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey. As of the 2020 United States census, the village's population was 13,224, Of the 564 municipalities in the state, Ridgefield Park is one of only four with a village type of government, though it operates a Walsh Act (city commission) form of government. Of the four New Jersey villages, Loch Arbour also uses the commission form of government, while Ridgewood operates under the council-manager form, and the Township of South Orange Village operates under a special charter form with many characteristics of village government.

Ridgefield Park was formed as a village on June 15, 1892, within Ridgefield Township, based on the results of a referendum passed on June 6, 1892. Overpeck Township was formed on March 23, 1897, to be coextensive with Ridgefield Park village, and was created within Ridgefield Township for the purpose of administering a Board of Education. Portions of the village gained in both 1921 and 1926 were taken from Bogota and Teaneck. On May 31, 1938, Overpeck Township became Ridgefield Park Township. The village was named for the area's terrain.

The village's Fourth of July Parade, first established in 1894, is said to be the longest continuously celebrated such event in New Jersey and one of the oldest in the country. The village eliminated its July 4 fireworks in 2009, citing the $50,000 cost amid a difficult economy, but has restored the tradition since then.

Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau, the village had a total area of , including of land and of water (10.84%).

Unincorporated communities, localities and place names located partially or completely within the village include Overpeck and West View.

Demographics

Racial and ethnic composition

{| class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align:center;"

|+Ridgefield Park village, New Jersey – Racial and ethnic composition

!Race / Ethnicity (NH = Non-Hispanic)

!Pop 2000

!Pop 2010

!style="background-color: #ffffb3;" |Pop 2020

!% 2000

!% 2010

!style="background-color: #ffffb3;" |% 2020

|White alone (NH)

|8,338

|5,882

|style='background: #ffffe6; |4,477

|64.77%

|46.21%

|style='background: #ffffe6; |33.86%

|Black or African American alone (NH)

|446

|581

|style='background: #ffffe6; |649

|3.46%

|4.56%

|style='background: #ffffe6; |4.91%

|Native American or Alaska Native alone (NH)

|15

|style='background: #ffffe6; |8

|0.12%

|style='background: #ffffe6; |0.06%

|Asian alone (NH)

|1,007

|1,447

|style='background: #ffffe6; |1,460

|7.82%

|11.37%

|style='background: #ffffe6; |11.04%

|Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander alone (NH)

|style='background: #ffffe6; |1

|0.01%

|style='background: #ffffe6; |0.01%

|Other race alone (NH)

|18

|41

|style='background: #ffffe6; |93

|0.14%

|0.32%

|style='background: #ffffe6; |0.70%

|Mixed race or Multiracial (NH)

|185

|157

|style='background: #ffffe6; |347

|1.44%

|1.23%

|style='background: #ffffe6; |2.62%

|Hispanic or Latino (any race)

|2,863

|4,605

|style='background: #ffffe6; |6,189

|22.24%

|36.18%

|style='background: #ffffe6; |46.80%

|Total

|12,873

|12,729

|style='background: #ffffe6; |13,224

|100.00%

|style='background: #ffffe6; |100.00%

2020 census

As of the 2020 census, Ridgefield Park had a population of 13,224. The population density was .

There were 4,986 households in Ridgefield Park, of which 30.9% had children under the age of 18 living in them. Of all households, 45.6% were married-couple households, 18.5% were households with a male householder and no spouse or partner present, and 30.9% were households with a female householder and no spouse or partner present. About 28.0% of all households were made up of individuals and 10.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. There were 5,269 housing units, of which 5.4% were vacant. The homeowner vacancy rate was 1.5% and the rental vacancy rate was 4.3%.

Same-sex couples headed 34 households in 2010, an increase from the 21 counted in 2000.

2000 census

As of the 2000 United States census

There were 5,012 households, out of which 29.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 49.7% were married couples living together, 11.2% had a female householder with no husband present, and 35.3% were non-families. 29.6% of all households were made up of individuals, and 9.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.56 and the average family size was 3.24.

Government

Local government

thumb|right|Municipal building in Ridgefield Park on Main Street

Ridgefield Park has been governed under the Walsh Act since 1912. The village is one of 30 municipalities (of the 564) statewide to use the commission form of government, down from a peak of 60 early in the 20th century; Ridgefield Park is one of six Walsh Act municipalities in North Jersey and most are in shore communities. The Board of Commissioners is comprised of five members, who are elected at-large on a non-partisan basis to serve four-year terms on a concurrent basis. The commissioners elect one commissioner as mayor, however the mayor is only responsible for his or her departments and serves as the chair of the commission.

, the members of the Ridgefield Park Board of Commissioners are

Mayor Adam A. MacNeill (Commissioner of Revenue and Finance),

John H. Anlian (Commissioner of Public Safety),

William G. Gerken (Commissioner of Public Affairs),

Wanda C. Portorreal (Commissioner of Public Works) and

Askar H. Mirza (Commissioner of Parks and Public Property), all serving concurrent terms of office ending on May 23, 2028.

In the election held on May 14, 2024, 19-year-old college student Askar Mirza defeated incumbent commissioner Mark Olson by a 2-vote margin, becoming the youngest commissioner ever elected in the village.

In June 2017, Theresa Kohles was appointed to fill the commissioner seat that became vacant following the resignation of Maggie Boyd. In the 2017 November general election, Kohles was elected to serve the balance of the term of office.

Federal, state, and county representation

Ridgefield Park is located in the 5th Congressional District and is part of New Jersey's 37th state legislative district.

Politics

As of March 2011, there were a total of 6,593 registered voters in Ridgefield Park, of which 2,249 (34.1% vs. 31.7% countywide) were registered as Democrats, 957 (14.5% vs. 21.1%) were registered as Republicans and 3,382 (51.3% vs. 47.1%) were registered as Unaffiliated. There were 5 voters registered as Libertarians or Greens. Among the village's 2010 Census population, 51.8% (vs. 57.1% in Bergen County) were registered to vote, including 66.4% of those ages 18 and over (vs. 73.7% countywide).

In the 2012 presidential election, Democrat Barack Obama received 3,162 votes here (66.3% vs. 54.8% countywide), ahead of Republican Mitt Romney with 1,508 votes (31.6% vs. 43.5%) and other candidates with 45 votes (0.9% vs. 0.9%), among the 4,768 ballots cast by the village's 7,035 registered voters, for a turnout of 67.8% (vs. 70.4% in Bergen County). In the 2008 presidential election, Democrat Barack Obama received 3,256 votes here (61.6% vs. 53.9% countywide), ahead of Republican John McCain with 1,932 votes (36.5% vs. 44.5%) and other candidates with 47 votes (0.9% vs. 0.8%), among the 5,288 ballots cast by the village's 6,980 registered voters, for a turnout of 75.8% (vs. 76.8% in Bergen County). In the 2004 presidential election, Democrat John Kerry received 2,681 votes here (55.4% vs. 51.7% countywide), ahead of Republican George W. Bush with 2,104 votes (43.5% vs. 47.2%) and other candidates with 31 votes (0.6% vs. 0.7%), among the 4,835 ballots cast by the village's 6,575 registered voters, for a turnout of 73.5% (vs. 76.9% in the whole county).

In the 2013 gubernatorial election, Republican Chris Christie received 55.6% of the vote (1,473 cast), ahead of Democrat Barbara Buono with 43.0% (1,138 votes), and other candidates with 1.4% (36 votes), among the 2,686 ballots cast by the village's 6,694 registered voters (39 ballots were spoiled), for a turnout of 40.1%. In the 2009 gubernatorial election, Democrat Jon Corzine received 1,657 ballots cast (53.7% vs. 48.0% countywide), ahead of Republican Chris Christie with 1,223 votes (39.6% vs. 45.8%), Independent Chris Daggett with 166 votes (5.4% vs. 4.7%) and other candidates with 11 votes (0.4% vs. 0.5%), among the 3,085 ballots cast by the village's 6,753 registered voters, yielding a 45.7% turnout (vs. 50.0% in the county).

Education

The Ridgefield Park Public Schools serve students in pre-kindergarten through twelfth grade. As of the 2020–21 school year, the district, comprised of four schools, had an enrollment of 2,178 students and 180.0 classroom teachers (on an FTE basis), for a student–teacher ratio of 12.1:1. Schools in the district (with 2020–21 enrollment data from the National Center for Education Statistics) are

Grant Elementary School with 244 students in grades K-6,

Lincoln Elementary School with 374 students in grades PreK-6,

Roosevelt Elementary School with 339 students in grades PreK-6 and

Ridgefield Park High School with 1,189 students in grades 7–12.

Students from Little Ferry attend the high school as part of a sending/receiving relationship with the Little Ferry Public Schools that has been in place since 1953.

The district is one of the small number in the state with schools recognized by the National Blue Ribbon Schools Program in consecutive years, with Grant Elementary School earning the designation in 2010 and Lincoln Elementary School being honored in 2011.

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.

Transportation

thumb|right|View north along the [[Interstate 95 in New Jersey|Interstate 95 (the New Jersey Turnpike) in Ridgefield Park]]

Roads and highways

, the village had a total of of roadways, of which were maintained by the municipality, by Bergen County and by the New Jersey Department of Transportation and by the New Jersey Turnpike Authority.

Highways passing through the village include Interstate 80, Interstate 95 (the New Jersey Turnpike) and U.S. Route 46.

The historic Winant Avenue Bridge, also known as the Route 46 Hackensack River Bridge, crosses the river to Little Ferry. The double-leaf bascule bridge was constructed in 1934 and extends for , with the draw bridge at the center of the span.

Public transportation

For much of the 20th century Ridgefield Park was served by the New York, Susquehanna and Western Railroad (NYSW) and the West Shore Railroad, a division of New York Central (NYCRR) at three passenger station in the village: Little Ferry Station, Ridgefield Park station and Westview station.

NJ Transit bus routes 155, 157, 161, 165, 167 and 168 provide service between Ridgefield Park and the Port Authority Bus Terminal in Midtown Manhattan, and the 83 route provides service to Hackensack and the Journal Square Transportation Center in Jersey City.

Popular culture

Scenes in the 1998 movie Rounders, starring Matt Damon and Edward Norton, were filmed in the Elks Lodge.

Notable people

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

Joan M. Clark (born 1922), former United States Ambassador to Malta
Richard Easterlin (1926–2024), professor of economics at the University of Southern California, best known for the economic theory named after him, the Easterlin paradox
Alex Gaston (1893–1979), MLB catcher who played for the New York Giants and Boston Red Sox
Milt Gaston (1896–1996), right-handed pitcher in Major League Baseball from 1924 to 1934
Jimmy Gnecco (born 1973), musician from the band Ours
Leonard W. Hatton Jr. (1956–2001), special agent of the Federal Bureau of Investigation who was killed in the September 11 terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center when he entered one of the towers to help evacuate the occupants and stayed when the towers collapsed
John Huchra (1948–2010), astronomer
James Gordon Irving (1913–2012), commercial illustrator and painter, best known for illustrating the early Golden Guide series of nature books
Jim Keogh (born 1948), author of nearly 100 books sold worldwide introduced PC programming nationally in his Popular Electronics magazine column in 1982
Louis F. Kosco (born 1932), politician who served in both the New Jersey General Assembly and the New Jersey Senate
Robert A. Lewis (1917–1983), co-pilot of the Enola Gay
George Lowe (1895–1981), relief pitcher who appeared in a single game for the Cincinnati Reds during the 1920 season
Bobby Messano (born 1954), artist, guitarist and musician
Dick Messner (1907–1972), band leader who led a sweet-styled dance orchestra bearing his name from about 1938 to about 1942.
Johnny Messner (1909–1986; class of 1928), bandleader, composer, saxophonist and vocalist during the big band/swing heyday
Ozzie Nelson (1906–1975), actor
Lawrence Nuesslein (1895–1971), sports shooter who competed in the 1920 Summer Olympics where he won a total of five medals: two gold medals, one silver and two bronze medals
Gregory Olsen (born 1945), entrepreneur, engineer and scientist who, in October 2005, became the third private citizen to make a self-funded trip to the International Space Station
Amelia Stone Quinton (1833–1926), social activist and advocate for Native American rights, who co-founded the Women's National Indian Association in 1883
Hatch Rosdahl (1941–2004), football player who played for the Buffalo Bills and Kansas City Chiefs
David Rothenberg (born 1933), Broadway producer and prisoners' rights activist
Daniel Ruch (born 1983), assistant soccer coach with Virginia Wesleyan who played professionally for two years for the Virginia Beach Mariners and the Wilmington Hammerheads
Hal Turner (born 1962), conservative talk radio host
George Warrington (1952–2007), served as executive director of NJ Transit
Yoojin Grace Wuertz (born 1980), novelist who wrote the 2017 book Everything Belongs To Us

References

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.
Ridgefield Park 1685–1985
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. (Frances Augusta), 1858–1942, History of Bergen County, New Jersey, 1630–1923, Lewis Historical Publishing Company, 1923.

External links

Ridgefield Park official website