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Waldwick, New Jersey
Borough
Borough of Waldwick
Waldwick station in April 2018
Waldwick station in April 2018
Nickname(s): 
"The Light in the Woods"
Map highlighting Waldwick's location within Bergen County. Inset: Bergen County's location within New Jersey
Map highlighting Waldwick's location within Bergen County. Inset: Bergen County's location within New Jersey
Census Bureau map of Waldwick, New Jerseyx
Census Bureau map of Waldwick, New Jerseyx
Waldwick, New Jersey is located in Bergen County, New Jersey
Waldwick, New Jersey
Waldwick, New Jersey
Location in Bergen County, New Jersey
Waldwick, New Jersey is located in New Jersey
Waldwick, New Jersey
Waldwick, New Jersey
Location in New Jersey
Waldwick, New Jersey is located in the United States
Waldwick, New Jersey
Waldwick, New Jersey
Location in the United States
Country  United States
State  New Jersey
County Bergen
Incorporated April 1, 1919
Government
 • Type Borough
 • Body Borough Council
Area
 • Total 2.07 sq mi (5.35 km2)
 • Land 2.05 sq mi (5.30 km2)
 • Water 0.02 sq mi (0.05 km2)  0.97%
Area rank 408th of 565 in state
48th of 70 in county
Elevation
223 ft (68 m)
Population
 • Total 9,625
 • Estimate 
(2019)
10,108
 • Rank 248th of 566 in state
38th of 70 in county
 • Density 4,656.8/sq mi (1,798.0/km2)
 • Density rank 120th of 566 in state
30th of 70 in county
Time zone UTC−05:00 (EST)
 • Summer (DST) UTC−04:00 (Eastern (EDT))
ZIP Code
07463
Area code(s) 201
FIPS code 3400376400
GNIS feature ID 0885429

Waldwick is a borough in Bergen County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, the borough's population was 9,625, reflecting an increase of 3 (+0.0%) from the 9,622 counted in the 2000 Census, which had in turn declined by 135 (-1.4%) from the 9,757 counted in the 1990 Census.

History

Inhabited during the pre-Columbian era by the Lenape Native American tribe, the region surrounding Waldwick was first explored by Europeans when a Dutch trading expedition landed near there in 1610. With the creation of the Nieuw Amsterdam colony in 1624, the present site of the borough became a Dutch possession along with the rest of northeastern New Jersey. During the period from 1624-1664 it was sparsely developed by Dutch settlers, mainly for agricultural purposes. With the annexation of Nieuw Amsterdam by the English in 1664 came a nearly instant increase in immigration to the region and the development of several settlements in and around the present borders of the borough.

In the mid-19th century, Waldwick and the surrounding area constituted a small settlement within Franklin Township, an area that encompassed much of northwestern Bergen County. The area's population grew significantly after the Erie Railroad established a train station. On January 1, 1886, Orvil Township was formed from portions of Hohokus Township and Washington Township. The "Boroughitis" phenomenon that swept through Bergen County, in which 26 boroughs were formed in the county in 1894 alone, hit Orvil Township particularly hard, resulting in the formation of five new boroughs created from the nascent township, including Montvale and Woodcliff (now Woodcliff Lake) on August 31, 1894, Allendale on November 10, 1894, Saddle River on November 20, 1894, and Upper Saddle River formed on November 22, 1894. On April 7, 1919, a council of citizens voted to incorporate as the borough of "Waldwick", from the remaining portions of Orvil Township. With the creation of the borough of Waldwick, Orvil Township was dissolved.

Various derivations of the borough's name have been offered, including one that "Waldwick" is Old English, from "wald" (forest) and "wick" (settlement or place). According to The History Of Bergen County written in 1900 by James M. Van Valen, the name Waldwick comes from a Saxon language word meaning "beautiful grove" though other sources show a related meaning of "village in a grove".

Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau, the borough had a total area of 2.087 square miles (5.404 km2), including 2.067 square miles (5.353 km2) of land and 0.025 square miles (0.051 km2) of water (0.95%).

The borough is surrounded by the boroughs of Allendale, Saddle River, Midland Park, and Ho-Ho-Kus, by the village of Ridgewood and by the township of Wyckoff.

The Ho-Ho-Kus Brook flows through the center of town in a roughly southward direction.

Demographics

Historical population
Census Pop.
1900 1,207
1910 970 −19.6%
1920 1,296 33.6%
1930 1,728 33.3%
1940 2,475 43.2%
1950 3,963 60.1%
1960 10,495 164.8%
1970 12,313 17.3%
1980 10,802 −12.3%
1990 9,757 −9.7%
2000 9,622 −1.4%
2010 9,625 0.0%
2019 (est.) 10,108 5.0%
Population sources:
1900-1920 1900-1910
1910-1930 1900-2010
2000 2010
* = Lost territory in previous decade.

Census 2010

As of the census of 2010, there were 9,625 people, 3,420 households, and 2,681 families residing in the borough. The population density was 4,656.8 per square mile (1,798.0/km2). There were 3,537 housing units at an average density of 1,711.3 per square mile (660.7/km2)*. The racial makeup of the borough was 90.63% (8,723) White, 1.08% (104) Black or African American, 0.11% (11) Native American, 4.99% (480) Asian, 0.00% (0) Pacific Islander, 1.76% (169) from other races, and 1.43% (138) from two or more races. [[Hispanic (U.S. Census)|Hispanic or Latino of any race were 8.62% (830) of the population.

There were 3,420 households out of which 37.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 66.1% were married couples living together, 9.1% had a female householder with no husband present, and 21.6% were non-families. 18.5% of all households were made up of individuals, and 10.0% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.81 and the average family size was 3.20.

In the borough, the population was spread out with 25.2% under the age of 18, 6.2% from 18 to 24, 25.3% from 25 to 44, 28.7% from 45 to 64, and 14.5% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 41.2 years. For every 100 females there were 97.8 males. For every 100 females ages 18 and old there were 93.9 males.

The Census Bureau's 2006-2010 American Community Survey showed that (in 2010 inflation-adjusted dollars) median household income was $95,774 (with a margin of error of +/- $7,836) and the median family income was $104,335 (+/- $12,466). Males had a median income of $66,838 (+/- $8,541) versus $57,137 (+/- $6,800) for females. The per capita income for the borough was $41,689 (+/- $3,047). About 2.8% of families and 3.5% of the population were below the poverty line, including 5.2% of those under age 18 and 5.1% of those age 65 or over.

Same-sex couples headed 16 households in 2010, an increase from the 10 counted in 2000.

Census 2000

As of the 2000 United States Census there were 9,622 people, 3,428 households, and 2,677 families residing in the borough. The population density was 4,616.2 people per square mile (1,786.1/km2). There were 3,495 housing units at an average density of 1,676.8 per square mile (648.8/km2). The racial makeup of the borough was 92.68% White, 0.59% African American, 0.04% Native American, 4.52% Asian, 1.31% from other races, and 0.85% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 5.31% of the population.

There were 3,428 households, out of which 36.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 67.5% were married couples living together, 7.8% had a female householder with no husband present, and 21.9% were non-families. 18.7% of all households were made up of individuals, and 10.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.81 and the average family size was 3.22.

In the borough the population was spread out, with 25.5% under the age of 18, 5.3% from 18 to 24, 31.5% from 25 to 44, 22.5% from 45 to 64, and 15.2% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females, there were 94.8 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 92.0 males.

The median income for a household in the borough was $75,532, and the median income for a family was $82,208. Males had a median income of $60,671 versus $37,145 for females. The per capita income for the borough was $30,733. About 1.3% of families and 2.1% of the population were below the poverty line, including 1.7% of those under age 18 and 3.0% of those age 65 or over.

Transportation

2021-07-31 12 42 47 View north along New Jersey State Route 17 from the pedestrian overpass at East Prospect Street in Waldwick, Bergen County, New Jersey
Route 17 northbound in Waldwick

Roads and highways

As of May 2010, the borough had a total of 36.30 miles (58.42 km) of roadways, of which 31.86 miles (51.27 km) were maintained by the municipality, 3.77 miles (6.07 km) by Bergen County and 0.67 miles (1.08 km) by the New Jersey Department of Transportation.

State Route 17, County Route 502, and County Route 507 travel through Waldwick.

Public transportation

Waldwick, NJ, train station from pedestrian bridge
Waldwick Station

Waldwick is served by NJ Transit at the Waldwick train station, located at the intersection of West Prospect Street, Lafayette Place and Hewson Avenue. The station is served by both the Bergen County Line and Main Line, which run north–south to Hoboken Terminal with connections via the Secaucus Junction transfer station to New York Penn Station and to other NJ Transit rail service. Connections are available at the Hoboken Terminal to other NJ Transit rail lines, the PATH train at the Hoboken PATH station, New York Waterways ferry service to the World Financial Center and other destinations along with Hudson-Bergen Light Rail service.

Bus service between Waldwick and the Port Authority Bus Terminal in Midtown Manhattan is available via Short Line.

Education

Students in pre-kindergarten through twelfth grade are educated in the Waldwick Public School District. As of the 2017–18 school year, the district, comprised of four schools, had an enrollment of 1,619 students and 147.0 classroom teachers (on an FTE basis), for a student–teacher ratio of 11.0:1. Schools in the district (with 2017-18 enrollment data from the National Center for Education Statistics) are Crescent School (353 students; in grades K-5), Julia A. Traphagen School (419; PreK-5), Waldwick Middle School (367; 6–8) and Waldwick High School (440; 9-12).

During the 2009–10 school year, Julia A. Traphagen School was awarded the Blue Ribbon School Award of Excellence by the United States Department of Education, the highest award an American school can receive. It was the only school in Bergen County that year out of ten schools honored statewide and the first Bergen County elementary school to receive the honor in six years.

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.

In addition, Waldwick is home of the Waldwick Seventh-day Adventist School; The Village School, a Montessori school for children though 8th grade; and The Forum School, which is an alternative school established in 1954 for students who are developmentally disabled. Pre-school programs are also offered at Rainbow Corners day school, at the Methodist Church, Building Blocks Child Center at Christ Community Church (across from the high school), Building Blocks and at Saddle Acres School.

Notable people

See also (related category): People from Waldwick, New Jersey

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

  • Jim Alexander (born 1935), documentary photographer, photojournalist and activist.
  • Enzo Amore (born 1986), professional wrestler formerly under contract with WWE.
  • Martha Byrne (born 1969), actress who performed on Broadway as a child in Annie and as an adult in the role of Lily Walsh in As the World Turns.
  • Jay Dittamo (born 1959), drummer, percussionist and music producer.
  • Warren Farrell (born 1943), educator, gender equality activist and author.
  • Dave Fiore (born 1974), former pro football player.
  • Joe Harasymiak (born 1986), head coach for the Maine Black Bears football team.
  • Frank Herbert (born 1931), former member of the New Jersey Senate and the Bergen County Board of Chosen Freeholders whose first elective race was a loss running for the Waldwick Borough Council.
  • Jack Hewson (1924–2012), professional basketball player who played for the Boston Celtics during the 1947–48 season.
  • Charles Kinsey (1773–1849), Congressman.
  • Jerry Palmieri (born 1958), football strength and conditioning coach, most recently on Tom Coughlin's staff for the New York Giants.
  • Brunilda Ruiz (1936–2019), ballet dancer with the Joffrey Ballet.
  • Allison Smith (born 1969), actress.

See also

Kids robot.svg In Spanish: Waldwick (Nueva Jersey) para niños

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