Ridgefield Park, New Jersey
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Ridgefield Park, New Jersey | |
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| Coordinates: | |
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| Country | United States |
| State | New Jersey |
| County | Bergen |
| Incorporated | |
| Government | |
| - Type | Walsh Act (New Jersey) |
| - Mayor | George D. Fosdick |
| Area | |
| - Total | 1.9 sq mi (5.0 km²) |
| - Land | 1.7 sq mi (4.5 km²) |
| - Water | 0.2 sq mi (0.5 km²) |
| Elevation [1] | 59 ft (18 m) |
| Population (2006)[2] | |
| - Total | 12,665 |
| - Density | 7,435.7/sq mi (2,871.0/km²) |
| Time zone | Eastern (EST) (UTC-5) |
| - Summer (DST) | EDT (UTC-4) |
| ZIP code | 07660 |
| Area code(s) | 201 |
| FIPS code | 34-62940[3] |
| GNIS feature ID | 0885368[4] |
| Website: http://www.ridgefieldpark.org | |
Ridgefield Park is a village in Bergen County, New Jersey, United States. The population was 12,873 at the 2000 census.
Out of 566 municipalities statewide, Ridgefield Park is only one of four villages in New Jersey, joining Loch Arbour, Ridgewood and South Orange.
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[edit] Geography
Ridgefield Park is located at (40.857119, -74.024272)[5].
According to the United States Census Bureau, the village has a total area of 1.9 square miles (5.0 km²), of which, 1.7 square miles (4.5 km²) of it is land and 0.2 square miles (0.5 km²) of it (9.90%) is water.
[edit] Demographics
| Historical populations | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Census | Pop. | %± | |
| 1900 | 1,987 |
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| 1910 | 4,512 | 127.1% | |
| 1920 | 8,575 | 90% | |
| 1930 | 10,764 | 25.5% | |
| 1940 | 11,277 | 4.8% | |
| 1950 | 11,993 | 6.3% | |
| 1960 | 12,701 | 5.9% | |
| 1970 | 13,990 | 10.1% | |
| 1980 | 12,738 | −8.9% | |
| 1990 | 12,454 | −2.2% | |
| 2000 | 12,873 | 3.4% | |
| Est. 2006 | 12,665 | [2] | −1.6% |
| Population 1930 - 1990.[6][7] | |||
As of the census[3] of 2000, there were 12,873 people, 5,012 households, and 3,242 families residing in the village. The population density was 7,435.7 people per square mile (2,873.0/km²). There were 5,134 housing units at an average density of 1, 145.8/km² (2,965.5/sq mi). The racial makeup of the village was 78.20% White, 4.10% African American, 0.22% Native American, 7.85% Asian, 0.03% Pacific Islander, 6.50% from other races, and 3.09% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 22.24% of the population.
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.
In the village the population was spread out with 22.4% under the age of 18, 7.2% from 18 to 24, 34.4% from 25 to 44, 23.1% from 45 to 64, and 12.9% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 37 years. For every 100 females there were 91.5 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 88.6 males.
The median income for a household in the village was $51,825, and the median income for a family was $62,414. Males had a median income of $44,507 versus $35,217 for females. The per capita income for the village was $24,290. About 4.7% of families and 6.7% of the population were below the poverty line, including 6.9% of those under age 18 and 7.5% of those age 65 or over.
[edit] Government
[edit] Local government
Ridgefield Park has been governed under the Walsh Act since 1912.[8] The Board of Commissioners consists of five members, elected at large in non-partisan elections 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.[9]
The members of the Ridgefield Park Board of Commissioners are:[10]
- George D. Fosdick - Mayor and Commissioner of Public Safety
- John H. Anlian - Commissioner of Public Affairs
- Maggie Boyd - Commissioner of Parks and Public Property
- Hugo R. Poli - Commissioner of Public Works
- Joseph Storer - Commissioner of Revenue and Finance
[edit] Federal, state and county representation
Ridgefield Park is in the Ninth Congressional District and is part of New Jersey's 37th Legislative District.[11]
New Jersey's Ninth Congressional District, covering the southern portion of Bergen County and sections of Hudson County and Passaic County, is represented by Steve Rothman (D, Fair Lawn). New Jersey is represented in the Senate by Frank Lautenberg (D, Cliffside Park) and Bob Menendez (D, Hoboken).
For the 2008-2009 Legislative Session, the 37th District of the New Jersey Legislature is represented in the State Senate by Loretta Weinberg (D, Teaneck) and in the Assembly by Valerie Huttle (D, Englewood) and Gordon M. Johnson (D, Englewood).[12] The Governor of New Jersey is Jon Corzine (D, Hoboken).[13]
Bergen County's County Executive is Dennis McNerney (D).[14] The executive, along with the seven-member Board of Chosen Freeholders administer all county business. As of 2008, Bergen County's Freeholders are Chairman Tomas J. Padilla (D, Park Ridge), Vice-Chairman Elizabeth Calabrese (D, Wallington), James M. Carroll (D, Demarest), David L. Ganz (D, Fair Lawn), Bernadette P. McPherson (D, Rutherford), Julie O'Brien (D, Ramsey) and Vernon Walton (D, Englewood).[15]
Other countywide elected officials are Sheriff Leo McGuire (D), Surrogate Court Judge Mike Dressler (D, Cresskill) County Clerk Kathleen Donovan (R, Rutherford).[16]
[edit] Politics
Out of a 2004 Census estimated population of 11,005 in Ridgefield Park, there were 5,434 registered voters (49.4% of the population, vs. 55.4% in all of Bergen County). Of registered voters, 1,364 (25.1% vs. 20.7% countywide) were registered as Democrats, 1,142 (21.0% vs. 19.2% countywide) were registered as Republicans and 2,927 (53.9% vs. 60.1% countywide) were registered as Undeclared. There was one voter registered to another party.[17]
On the national level, Ridgefield Park leans toward the Democratic Party. In the 2004 presidential election, Democrat John Kerry received 55% of the vote here, defeating Republican George W. Bush, who received around 44%.[18]
[edit] Education
The Ridgefield Park Public Schools serve students in kindergarten through twelfth grade. Schools in the district (with 2005-06 enrollment data from the National Center for Education Statistics[19]) are three K-6 elementary schools — Grant School (223 students), Lincoln School (363) and Roosevelt School (362) — and Ridgefield Park High School for grades 7-12 (1,063). 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.[20]
[edit] Transportation
New Jersey 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.[21]
Interstate 80, Interstate 95, and U.S. Route 46 pass through Ridgefield Park.
[edit] Notable residents
Notable current and former residents of Ridgefield Park include:
- Capt. Robert A. Lewis (c. 1918-1983), co-pilot of the Enola Gay.[22]
- Ozzie Nelson (1906-1975), actor.[23]
- George Warrington (1952-2007), served as executive director of New Jersey Transit.[24]
[edit] References
- ^ USGS GNIS: Village of Ridgefield Park, Geographic Names Information System, accessed December 26, 2007.
- ^ a b Census data for Ridgefield Park, United States Census Bureau. Accessed August 11, 2007.
- ^ a b American FactFinder. United States Census Bureau. Retrieved on 2008-01-31.
- ^ US Board on Geographic Names. United States Geological Survey (2007-10-25). Retrieved on 2008-01-31.
- ^ US Gazetteer files: 2000 and 1990. United States Census Bureau (2005-05-03). Retrieved on 2008-01-31.
- ^ Jersey Resident Population by Municipality: 1930 - 1990, Workforce New Jersey Public Information Network. Accessed March 1, 2007.
- ^ Historical Population Trends in Bergen County (1900 - 2000), Bergen County, New Jersey. Accessed December 23, 2007.
- ^ The Commission Form of Municipal Government, p. 53. Accessed August 11, 2007.
- ^ 2005 New Jersey Legislative District Data Book, Rutgers University Edward J. Bloustein School of Planning and Public Policy, April 2005, p. 157.
- ^ The Board of Commissioners, Village of Ridgefield Park. Accessed August 11, 2007.
- ^ 2006 New Jersey Citizen's Guide to Government, New Jersey League of Women Voters, p. 63. Accessed August 30, 2006.
- ^ Legislative Roster: 2008-2009 Session, New Jersey Legislature. Accessed June 6, 2008.
- ^ About the Governor, New Jersey. Accessed June 6, 2008.
- ^ Bergen County Executive, Bergen County, New Jersey. Accessed March 25, 2008.
- ^ Freeholder Home Page, Bergen County, New Jersey. Accessed March 25, 2008.
- ^ Constitutional Officers, Bergen County, New Jersey. Accessed March 25, 2008.
- ^ "County of Bergen: Voter Statistics by Municipality, Ward & District," dated April 1, 2006.
- ^ 2004 Presidential Election results: Bergen County, New Jersey Department of Law and Public Safety, Division of Elections, dated December 13, 2004.
- ^ Data for the Ridgefield Park Public Schools, National Center for Education Statistics. Accessed May 26, 2008.
- ^ James, George. "School Districts' Battle On Tuition Goes to Court", The New York Times, December 16, 1989. Accessed May 27, 2008. "Little Ferry, a borough of 1.5 square miles and 9,900 people, has sent its high school students to this neighboring 1.92-square mile village of 12,000 people, since 1953."
- ^ New Jersey Transit Bus Schedules, New Jersey Transit. Accessed August 30, 2007.
- ^ Fosdick, George. History of Ridgefield Park High School, Ridgefield Park Jr. / Sr. High School Alumni Association. Accessed March 21, 2008. "Bud Lewis '37 was the co-pilot of the Enola Gay Aircraft which dropped the atomic bomb on Hiroshima, leading to the end of World War II, a war in which over 1,000 RPHS graduates served."
- ^ Fosdick, George. History of Ridgefield Park High School, Ridgefield Park Jr. / Sr. High School Alumni Association. Accessed March 21, 2008. "Among those who rose to national prominence are Ozzie Nelson ’23, a radio and television performer who often mentioned his RPHS experiences on his radio and television programs."
- ^ Levin, Jay. "Their lives made ours a little richer", The Record (Bergen County), January 1, 2008. Accessed May 27, 2008.
[edit] External links
- Ridgefield Park official website
- Ridgefield Park Public Schools
- Ridgefield Park Public Schools's 2006-07 School Report Card from the New Jersey Department of Education
- Data for the Ridgefield Park Public Schools, National Center for Education Statistics
- Rialto Theater
- Ridgefield Park, New Jersey is at coordinates Coordinates:
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