Rockaway is a borough in Morris County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey. In the 2020 United States census, the borough's population was 6,598,

History

thumb|First Presbyterian Church of Rockaway, built 1832

Rockaway was formed as a borough on June 19, 1894, from portions of Rockaway Township, based on the results of a referendum held the previous day. Additional portions of Rockaway Township were annexed by the borough in 1908.

The borough shares its name with the Rockaway River and the neighboring township. The name is derived from a Native American term, variously said to mean "place of sands", "creek between two hills" or "bushy" / "difficult to cross".

The First Presbyterian Church of Rockaway was founded in 1758. Many veterans of the American Revolutionary War are buried in its cemetery. The current brick church was built in 1832.

Geography

The borough has a total area of 2.12 square miles (5.49&nbsp;km<sup>2</sup>), including 2.07 square miles (5.37&nbsp;km<sup>2</sup>) of land and 0.05 square miles (0.12&nbsp;km<sup>2</sup>) of water (2.22%).

Climate

The climate in this area is characterized by hot, humid summers and moderately cold winters. In the Köppen climate classification system, Rockaway has a hot-summer humid continental climate, abbreviated "Dfa" on climate maps.

Demographics

2020 census

In the 2020 census, Rockaway had a population of 6,598. The median age was 42.2 years. 19.3% of residents were under the age of 18 and 16.0% of residents were 65 years of age or older. For every 100 females there were 97.8 males, and for every 100 females age 18 and over there were 96.1 males age 18 and over.

100.0% of residents lived in urban areas, while 0.0% lived in rural areas.

There were 2,561 households in Rockaway, of which 30.3% had children under the age of 18 living in them. Of all households, 49.5% were married-couple households, 18.7% were households with a male householder and no spouse or partner present, and 25.1% were households with a female householder and no spouse or partner present. About 25.9% of all households were made up of individuals and 11.0% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older.

2000 census

In the 2000 United States census

There were 2,445 households, out of which 33.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 56.3% were married couples living together, 10.4% had a female householder with no husband present, and 30.1% were non-families. 23.8% of all households were made up of individuals, and 8.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.64 and the average family size was 3.16. The governing body is composed of the mayor and the borough council. All positions are elected at-large on a partisan basis as part of the November general election. The mayor is elected directly by the voters to a four-year term of office. The borough council includes six members elected to serve three-year terms on a staggered basis, with two seats coming up for election each year in a three-year cycle.

The borough form of government used by Rockaway is a "weak mayor / strong council" government. 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. Most appointments are made by the mayor with the advice and consent of the council.

, the mayor of Rockaway is Republican Thomas Mulligan, whose term of office ends December 31, 2027. Members of the Rockaway Borough Council are Council President Melissa Burnside (R, 2026), Robert DeVito (R, 2028), Thomas J. Haynes III (R, 2027), James R. Hurley (R, 2027), Patrick McDonald (R, 2026), and Thomas Slockbower (R, 2028).

In October 2019, the borough council appointed Patrick McDonald to fill the term expiring in December 2020 that became vacant following the death of Joyce Kanigel the previous month. In January 2020, the borough council selected Melissa Burnside from a list of three candidates nominated by the Republican municipal committee to fill the seat expiring in December 2020 that became vacant when Thomas Mulligan resigned to take office as mayor.

Federal, state, and county representation

Rockaway Borough is located in the 11th Congressional District and is part of New Jersey's 25th state legislative district.

Politics

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In March 2011, there were 3,911 registered voters in Rockaway, of which 838 (21.4%) were registered as Democrats, 1,359 (34.7%) were registered as Republicans and 1,710 (43.7%) were registered as Unaffiliated. There were 4 voters registered as Libertarians or Greens.

In the 2012 presidential election, Republican Mitt Romney received 51.4% of the vote (1,464 cast), ahead of Democrat Barack Obama with 47.8% (1,362 votes), and other candidates with 0.8% (22 votes), among the 2,872 ballots cast by the borough's 4,103 registered voters (24 ballots were spoiled), for a turnout of 70.0%.

In the 2008 presidential election, Republican John McCain received 53.0% of the vote (1,625 cast), ahead of Democrat Barack Obama with 45.3% (1,388 votes) and other candidates with 0.9% (28 votes), among the 3,067 ballots cast by the borough's 4,007 registered voters, for a turnout of 76.5%.

In the 2004 presidential election, Republican George W. Bush received 58.6% of the vote (1,715 ballots cast), outpolling Democrat John Kerry with 40.3% (1,180 votes) and other candidates with 0.6% (24 votes), among the 2,926 ballots cast by the borough's 3,938 registered voters, for a turnout percentage of 74.3%.

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In the 2013 gubernatorial election, Republican Chris Christie received 69.1% of the vote (1,146 cast), ahead of Democrat Barbara Buono with 28.7% (476 votes), and other candidates with 2.2% (36 votes), among the 1,685 ballots cast by the borough's 4,071 registered voters (27 ballots were spoiled), for a turnout of 41.4%.

In the 2009 gubernatorial election, Republican Chris Christie received 59.9% of the vote (1,188 ballots cast), ahead of Democrat Jon Corzine with 28.9% (573 votes), Independent Chris Daggett with 8.4% (167 votes) and other candidates with 1.3% (26 votes), among the 1,984 ballots cast by the borough's 3,962 registered voters, yielding a 50.1% turnout.

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Education

The Rockaway Borough Public Schools serve students in pre-kindergarten to eighth grade. As of the 2024–25 school year, the district, comprised of two schools, had an enrollment of 574 students and 56.1 classroom teachers (on an FTE basis), for a student–teacher ratio of 10.2:1. Schools in the district (with 2024–25 enrollment data from the National Center for Education Statistics) are

Lincoln Elementary School with 272 students in grades PreK–3 and

Thomas Jefferson Middle School with 299 students in grades 4–8.

Public school students in ninth through twelfth grades attend Morris Hills High School (located in Rockaway Borough), which also serves students from Wharton and some from Rockaway Township (the White Meadow Lake section and other southern portions of the township). Morris Knolls High School serves all students from Denville (where the school is located) and most students from Rockaway Township (with the exception of White Meadow Lake and other areas in the southern part of the township). The two high schools are part of the Morris Hills Regional High School District As of the 2024–25 school year, the high school had an enrollment of 1,140 students and 117.0 classroom teachers (on an FTE basis), for a student–teacher ratio of 9.8:1.

Divine Mercy Academy, operated by the Roman Catholic Diocese of Paterson, is the only private school in Rockaway. It opened in September 2016 with the merger of the two Catholic schools in Rockaway, Sacred Heart of Jesus School and St. Cecilia School.

Transportation

thumb|[[Interstate 80 in New Jersey|Interstate 80 eastbound at Exit 37 in Rockaway]]

Roads and highways

In 2015, the borough had of roadways, of which were maintained by the municipality, by Morris County and by the New Jersey Department of Transportation.

Interstate 80 clips the northeast corner of the borough. Access is provided via Exit 37 (County Route 513). U.S. Route 46 passes through the southern end of the borough.

Public transportation

NJ Transit train service does not stop in the borough, but is accessible in adjacent municipalities at Denville station and Dover station, where commuter trains are available on the Morris & Essex Lines and the Montclair-Boonton Line. The Morris and Essex Railroad and its successor the Delaware, Lackawanna, and Western Railroad formerly provided service to the town, but the Boonton Branch bypass was constructed in 1902 that provided a much shorter path to Dover, so service was cut in 1948.

NJ Transit offers local bus service on the 880 route, which replaced the MCM10 route that operated until 2010.

Lakeland Bus Lines offers bus service along Main Street to the New York City Port Authority Bus Terminal in Midtown Manhattan on its Route 46 and Route 80 lines.

In pop culture

Many scenes (the train tracks, Main Street and The Mill Lane Tavern) from the 2003 movie, The Station Agent, were filmed in Rockaway. The film starred actor Peter Dinklage.

The band Houston Calls had its start here.

Notable people

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

  • Bruce Bannon (born 1951), former NFL linebacker
  • Gerry Gallagher (born 1951), American football coach who was head coach of the William Paterson Pioneers football team
  • Mike Lynn (1936–2012), American football executive who served as the general manager of the National Football League's Minnesota Vikings from 1975 to 1990
  • Clifford Meth (born 1961), author, often refers to places in Rockaway in his stories
  • Sue Naegle, business executive who was President of HBO Entertainment
  • General Raymond T. Odierno (1954–2021), Chief of Staff of the United States Army and former commander of United States Forces – Iraq
  • General Gustave F. Perna (born 1960), commander of United States Army Materiel Command
  • Frank Joseph Rodimer (1927–2018), Roman Catholic bishop
  • Rodrigo Santiago (born 1990), professional soccer player for the New Jersey Alliance
  • Erik Storz (born 1975), American football linebacker who played in the NFL for the Jacksonville Jaguars

<!--Alphabetized as "Wainer Apter, Rachel" -->* Rachel Wainer Apter (born 1980), Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of New Jersey

  • June Walker (1934–2008), Chairperson of the Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations and a member of AIPAC's Executive Committee who was the national president of Hadassah Women's Zionist Organization of America

References

  • Rockaway Borough website
  • Rockaway Borough Public Schools
  • School Data for the Rockaway Borough Public Schools, National Center for Education Statistics
  • Regional area newspaper