Ridgewood, New Jersey

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Ridgewood is a village in Bergen County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey. Ridgewood is a suburban bedroom community of New York City, located approximately Template:Convert northwest of Midtown Manhattan.<ref>Capuzzo, Jill P."Living In Ridgewood, N.J.: A Historic Suburb With a View of the City", The New York Times, June 30, 2022. Accessed August 1, 2022.</ref> As of the 2020 United States census, the village's population was 25,979,<ref name=Census2020/><ref name=LWD2020/> an increase of 1,021 (+4.1%) from the 2010 census count of 24,958,<ref name=Census2010/><ref name=LWD2010/> which in turn reflected an increase of 22 (+0.1%) from 24,936 in the 2000 census.<ref>Table 7. Population for the Counties and Municipalities in New Jersey: 1990, 2000 and 2010, New Jersey Department of Labor and Workforce Development, February 2011. Accessed May 1, 2023.</ref>

It has been one of the state's highest-income communities. In 2000, its per capita income of $51,658 was ranked the 35th-highest in the state.<ref>"Money Income (1989 and 1999) and Poverty (1999) New Jersey, Counties and Municipalities", New Jersey Department of Labor Division of Labor Market and Demographic Research, New Jersey State Data Center. April 2003. Accessed May 15, 2020.</ref> Based on data from the 2006–2010 American Community Survey, it had a per-capita income of $67,560, 31st in the state.<ref>Median Household, Family, Per-Capita Income: State, County, Municipality and Census Designated Place (CDP) With Municipalities Ranked by Per Capita Income; 2010 5-year ACS estimates (Excel Format) Template:Webarchive, New Jersey Department of Labor and Workforce Development. Accessed May 15, 2020.</ref> Based on data from the American Community Survey for 2013–2017, it had a median household income of $162,011, ranked 7th in the state among municipalities with more than 10,000 residents, more than double the statewide median of $76,475.<ref>Raychaudhuri, Disha. "The wealthiest towns in N.J., ranked", NJ Advance Media for NJ.com, June 7, 2019. Accessed November 4, 2019. "The median household income in N.J. is $76,475, recent Census data shows.... A note about the data: The data comes from 2013-2017 American Community Survey conducted by U.S. Census Bureau. Smaller towns with less than 10,000 residents were excluded from the list.... 7. Ridgewood, Bergen County Median income: $162,011"</ref>

Ridgewood was ranked 26th in Money magazine's "Best Places to Live" in 2011.<ref>Staff. "Best Places to Live 2011: #26 Ridgewood, NJ", CNNMoney, backed up by the Internet Archive as of September 28, 2011. Accessed April 3, 2017.</ref>

History

In 1700, Johannes Van Emburgh built the first home in Ridgewood, having purchased a Template:Convert property in 1698.<ref>History of the Village of Ridgewood, Ridgewood Public Library. Accessed July 27, 2011.</ref>

The Village of Ridgewood was created on November 20, 1894, with the same boundaries as Ridgewood Township, also in Bergen County. The Village became the municipal government while the Township remained a school district.<ref name=Story>Snyder, John P. The Story of New Jersey's Civil Boundaries: 1606-1968, Bureau of Geology and Topography; Trenton, New Jersey; 1969. p. 85. Accessed May 30, 2024.</ref> In 1902, the village added portions of Orvil Township,<ref>Honeyman, Abraham Van Doren. Index-analysis of the Statutes of New Jersey, 1896-1909: Together with References to All Acts, and Parts of Acts, in the 'General Statutes' and Pamphlet Laws Expressly Repealed: and the Statutory Crimes of New Jersey During the Same Period, p. 210. New Jersey Law Journal Publishing Company, 1910. Accessed September 22, 2015.</ref> which were returned to Orvil Township in 1915. In 1925, Ridgewood Village acquired area from Franklin Township (remainder now dissolved as Wyckoff). On February 9, 1971, Ridgewood acquired area from Washington Township. On May 28, 1974, it acquired area from Ho-Ho-Kus.<ref>Bergen County New Jersey Municipalities, Dutch Door Genealogy. Accessed March 14, 2006.</ref> The name of the village derives from the characteristics of its terrain.<ref>Hutchinson, Viola L. The Origin of New Jersey Place Names, New Jersey Public Library Commission, May 1945. Accessed September 22, 2015.</ref>

In 2014, former Ridgewood Public Works Inspector Thomas Rica was convicted of stealing over $460,000 in coins collected from the village's parking meters. Rica was ordered to pay the entire amount back to the village and was permanently barred from seeking public employment in the state of New Jersey.<ref>Kleimann, James; and Ma, Myles. "Ex-Ridgewood worker who stole $460,000 in quarters avoids jail time", NJ Advance Media for NJ.com, March 19, 2014. Accessed March 23, 2023. "A former Ridgewood employee admitted Wednesday that he stole hundreds of thousands of dollars in parking meter quarters. Thomas Rica, the former Ridgewood Public Works Inspector, pleaded guilty to four counts of theft in Bergen Superior Court. He will avoid jail time as part of his plea agreement, but must pay a total of $460,600 to the Village of Ridgewood and serve five years probation."</ref>

Historic sites

Ridgewood is home to the following locations on the National Register of Historic Places:<ref>New Jersey and National Registers of Historic Places, New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection Historic Preservation Office, updated December 20, 2022. Accessed March 23, 2023.</ref>

• Ackerman House – 222 Doremus Avenue (added 1983) was constructed by Johannes and Jemima Ackerman Template:Circa on their Template:Convert property and remained in the Ackerman family until the 1920s.<ref name=ArcadiaRidgewood>Parrillo, Vincent; Parrillo, Beth; and Vrubel, Arthur. Ridgewood, p. 18. Arcadia Publishing, 1999. Template:ISBN. Accessed June 18, 2015.</ref>
• Ackerman House – 252 Lincoln Avenue (added 1983) is a stone house constructed Template:Circa and named for either David or John Ackerman.<ref name=ArcadiaRidgewood/>
• David Ackerman House – 415 East Saddle River Road (added 1983).
• Ackerman–Van Emburgh House – 789 East Glen Avenue (added 1983) was built Template:Circa by John Ackerman and purchased by the Van Embergh family in 1816.<ref name=ArcadiaRidgewood/>
• Archibald–Vroom House – 160 East Ridgewood Avenue (added 1984).<ref>What is the Archibald Vroom House?, Archibald Vroom House, May 29, 2012. Accessed September 22, 2015.</ref><ref>Fusco, Mary Ann Castronovo. "Our Favorite Downtowns: Ridgewood; With elegant architecture and high-end restaurants all within walking distance, Ridgewood is both urbane and sophisticated.", New Jersey Monthly, September 1, 2015. Accessed September 22, 2015. "Here you'll find architectural treasures like the late-18th century Archibald-Vroom House (160 E. Ridgewood). The oldest building in the district, it houses the Tea Tree Spa and Tina's Nails, among other establishments."</ref>
• Beech Street School – 49 Cottage Place (added 1998).
• Paramus Reformed Church Historic District – Bounded by Franklin Turnpike, Route 17, Saddle River, south side of cemetery and Glen Avenue (added 1975). The Old Paramus Reformed Church was established in 1725, though the current building dates to 1800. During the Revolutionary War, the church was used for several years by the Continental Army, and in 1778 it was the site of the court-martial of General Charles Lee.<ref>History, Old Paramus Reformed Church. Accessed September 22, 2015. "The congregation was formed in the year 1725. During the American Revolution, the Paramus Church was the site of a Continental Army military post for four years during which clashes between American and British forces took place. It was also in the original church building that General George Washington held a session of the court-martial of General Charles Lee who disobeyed orders at the Battle of Monmouth in 1778."</ref>
• Rathbone–Zabriskie House – 570 North Maple Avenue (added 1983).
• Ridgewood Station – Garber Square (added 1984).
• Van Dien House – 627 Grove Street (added 1983).
• Vanderbeck House – 249 Prospect Street (added 1983).
• Westervelt–Cameron House – 26 East Glen Avenue (added 1983), constructed Template:Circa by John R. Westervelt.<ref>Durie, Howard I. "History of the Westervelt-Cameron House At 26 East Glen Avenue Ridgewood, New Jersey", Westervelt-CameronHome.com, 1967. Accessed June 16, 2015. "John R. Westervelt is believed to have built his homestead on the Kingsland tract in or about the year 1767."</ref>

Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau, the village had a total area of 5.80 square miles (15.03 km²), including 5.74 square miles (14.87 km²) of land and 0.06 square miles (0.16 km²) of water (1.07%).<ref name=CensusArea/><ref name=GR1 />

Ridgewood is adjacent to nine municipalities, eight in Bergen County − Fair Lawn, Glen Rock, Ho-Ho-Kus, Midland Park, Wyckoff, Paramus, Waldwick and Washington Township − and Hawthorne in Passaic County.<ref>Areas touching Ridgewood, MapIt. Accessed March 3, 2020.</ref><ref>Bergen County Map of Municipalities, Bergen County, New Jersey. Accessed March 3, 2020.</ref><ref>New Jersey Municipal Boundaries, New Jersey Department of Transportation. Accessed November 15, 2019.</ref>

Neighborhoods

Ridgewood's neighborhoods include:<ref>Ridgewood Neighborhoods Template:Webarchive, Bolger Heritage Center for Genealogy and Local History at Ridgewood Public Library. Accessed November 1, 2017.</ref>

• Downtown – The central business district of Ridgewood, "Town" is centered on East Ridgewood Avenue. This area is home to the most iconic buildings in Ridgewood, such as the Wilsey building and the Moore Building.
• Scrabbletown – Located between East Glen Avenue, Franklin Turnpike, and the Ho-Ho-Kus Brook.
• The Old Country Club – Located between Goffle Road, Rock Road, Lincoln Avenue and Godwin Avenue. It is near the border with Midland Park.
• The View – Area on and to the west of Ridgewood's highest point, an unnamed ridge on Crest Road known for its skyline views of New York City.
• Upper Ridgewood – Located north of West Glen Avenue and west of the NJ Transit Main Line tracks.
• Salem Ridge – Located East of Route 17.
• Floral Park – Located between Grove Street, South Pleasant, East Ridgewood Avenue and South Van Dien Street.
• Brookside
• The Lawns – A loosely defined area in southern Ridgewood surrounding Hawes Elementary School.

Climate

Ridgewood has a hot-summer humid continental climate (Dfa) and the hardiness zone is 7a bordering on 6b.

Demographics

File:Ridgewood NJ Downtown.JPG

Downtown Ridgewood

2020 census

In the 2020 United States census, the population of Ridgewood was reported at 25,979, an increase of 1,121 people since the 2010 Census. Based on data from the 2015-2019 American Community Survey, it was reported that there were 8,300 households in the village. The average number of persons per household was 3.01. 96.8% of the households owned a computer. 96.5% of the population (age 25+) graduated high school and 76.0% have a bachelor's degree. 78.8% of the population was White, 15.5% were Asian, 7.9% were Hispanic or Latino, and 1.2% were Black or African American.<ref name=Census2020/>

2010 census

The 2010 United States census counted 24,958 people, 8,456 households, and 6,756 families in the village. The population density was Template:Convert. There were 8,743 housing units at an average density of Template:Convert. The racial makeup was 82.21% (20,518) White, 1.59% (398) Black or African American, 0.06% (16) Native American, 12.99% (3,242) Asian, 0.02% (4) Pacific Islander, 1.06% (265) from other races, and 2.06% (515) from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 5.27% (1,316) of the population.<ref name=Census2010/>

Of the 8,456 households, 45.4% had children under the age of 18; 69.1% were married couples living together; 8.3% had a female householder with no husband present and 20.1% were non-families. Of all households, 17.4% were made up of individuals and 8.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.93 and the average family size was 3.34.<ref name=Census2010/>

30.7% of the population were under the age of 18, 5.2% from 18 to 24, 21.1% from 25 to 44, 30.6% from 45 to 64, and 12.5% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 41.0 years. For every 100 females, the population had 93.3 males. For every 100 females ages 18 and older there were 90.1 males.<ref name=Census2010/>

The Census Bureau's 2006–2010 American Community Survey showed that (in 2010 inflation-adjusted dollars) median household income was $143,229 (with a margin of error of +/− $10,530) and the median family income was $172,825 (+/− $9,197). Males had a median income of $111,510 (+/− $12,513) versus $77,651 (+/− $9,008) for females. The per capita income for the village was $67,560 (+/− $3,740). About 2.2% of families and 3.3% of the population were below the poverty line, including 2.4% of those under age 18 and 4.3% of those age 65 or over.<ref>DP03: Selected Economic Characteristics from the 2006-2010 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates for Ridgewood village, Bergen County, New Jersey Template:Webarchive, United States Census Bureau. Accessed January 30, 2012.</ref>

Same-sex couples headed 38 households in 2010, an increase from the 22 counted in 2000.<ref>Lipman, Harvy; and Sheingold, Dave. "North Jersey sees 30% growth in same-sex couples", The Record, August 14, 2011, backed up by the Internet Archive as of February 3, 2013. Accessed October 4, 2014.</ref>

2000 census

As of the 2000 United States census<ref name="GR2" /> there were 24,936 people, 8,603 households, and 6,779 families residing in the village. The population density was Template:Convert. There were 8,802 housing units at an average density of Template:Convert. The racial makeup of the village was 87.82% White, 1.64% African American, 0.04% Native American, 8.67% Asian, 0.59% from other races, and 1.23% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 3.78% of the population.<ref name=Census2000>Census 2000 Profiles of Demographic / Social / Economic / Housing Characteristics for Ridgewood village, New Jersey Template:Webarchive, United States Census Bureau. Accessed September 27, 2012.</ref><ref name=Census2000SF1>DP-1: Profile of General Demographic Characteristics: 2000 - Census 2000 Summary File 1 (SF 1) 100-Percent Data for Ridgewood village, Bergen County, New Jersey Template:Webarchive, United States Census Bureau. Accessed September 27, 2012.</ref>

There were 8,603 households, out of which 44.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 69.4% were married couples living together, 7.2% had a female householder with no husband present, and 21.2% were non-families. 18.5% of all households were made up of individuals, and 8.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.87 and the average family size was 3.30.<ref name=Census2000/><ref name=Census2000SF1/>

In the village, the population was spread out, with 30.0% under the age of 18, 4.4% from 18 to 24, 27.5% from 25 to 44, 25.9% from 45 to 64, and 12.2% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 39 years. For every 100 females, there were 92.8 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 88.5 males.<ref name=Census2000/><ref name=Census2000SF1/>

The median income for a household in the village was $104,286, and the median income for a family was $121,848. Males had a median income of $90,422 versus $50,248 for females. The per capita income for the village was $51,658. 3.0% of the population and 1.8% of families were below the poverty line, including 2.5% of those under age 18 and 4.3% of those age 65 or over.<ref name=Census2000/><ref name=Census2000SF1/>

Arts and culture

The indie rock band Real Estate was described by The Record as "Ridgewood's best-known musical export".<ref name=RE>McCall, Tris. "Ridgewood rocks: A slew of hot indie bands have roots in Bergen town", The Star-Ledger, August 1, 2010. Accessed July 27, 2011. "Al-Rawi turned the attic of his mother's house into a studio, and there he recorded the debut album by Real Estate, Ridgewood's best-known musical export."</ref> Rock band Senses Fail was founded in Ridgewood in 2002.<ref>Aberback, Brian. "Ridgewood's Senses Fail Forge New Path on Latest Album", Ridgewood-Glen Rock, NJ Patch, May 6, 2013. Accessed September 14, 2023. "Senses Fail formed in 2002 when Nielsen met like-minded Bergen County musicians through Internet message boards."</ref>

Parks and recreation

Park facilities in Ridgewood include:<ref>Athletics and Facilities - Athletic Fields, Village of Ridgewood. Accessed September 22, 2015.</ref>

• Graydon Park, located between Linwood and North Maple Avenues, includes a beach park pool, baseball field, soccer field, and roller rink.<ref>Parks & Recreation Department - Graydon Pool, Village of Ridgewood. Accessed February 17, 2025.</ref>
• Veterans Field, located next to the library and police station, includes four baseball and softball fields, as well as a bandshell offering free concerts. The Ridgewood High School baseball team plays its home games here.
• Citizens Park, located across the street from George Washington Middle School, includes two baseball fields and a soccer field. The hill is often used in the winter for sledding.
• Ridgewood Wild Duck Pond, part of Bergen's Saddle River County Park, is located on East Ridgewood Avenue between Paramus Road and Pershing Avenue. Amenities include circular path with bench seating around duck pond, picnic pavilion, additional picnic areas, children's playground, fenced-in dog park, restroom facilities and entrance to a Template:Convert, multi-use bike and pedestrian pathway.<ref>[1], Bergen County, New Jersey. Accessed February 17, 2025.</ref> This pathway connects Ridgewood Duck Pond with five other areas along the Saddle River County Park: Glen Rock, Fair Lawn, Paramus, Rochelle Park and Saddle Brook. Fishing (NJ state license required) and ice skating are allowed at pond when conditions permit. The water is treated with certain chemicals, however, and swimming is strictly prohibited.<ref>Saddle River County Park, Bergen County, New Jersey. Accessed February 17, 2025.</ref>

Government

Local government

Ridgewood is governed within the Faulkner Act (formally known as the Optional Municipal Charter Law) under Council-Manager plan B, as implemented on July 1, 1970, by direct petition.<ref>"The Faulkner Act: New Jersey's Optional Municipal Charter Law" Template:Webarchive, New Jersey State League of Municipalities, July 2007. Accessed October 2, 2013.</ref> The village is one of 42 municipalities (of the 564) statewide governed under this form.<ref>Inventory of Municipal Forms of Government in New Jersey, Rutgers University Center for Government Studies, July 1, 2011. Accessed June 1, 2023.</ref> The governing body is comprised of five council members who are responsible to hire and oversee a professional village manager who has full executive power for all departments. The government consists of five council members, with all positions elected at-large in nonpartisan elections to serve four-year terms on a staggered basis, with either two or three seats coming up for election in even-numbered years on the second Tuesday in November. At a reorganization meeting held in January after newly elected council members take office, the council chooses a mayor and deputy mayor from among its members for two-year terms, with the mayor presiding over council meetings, but without any executive authority.<ref name=DataBook>2012 New Jersey Legislative District Data Book, Rutgers University Edward J. Bloustein School of Planning and Public Policy, March 2013, p. 169.</ref><ref>"Forms of Municipal Government in New Jersey", p. 12. Rutgers University Center for Government Studies. Accessed June 1, 2023.</ref> The village council appoints a village manager to oversee the day-to-day operations of the village, to handle personnel, citizen inquiries and complaints, and to handle the administrative duties of the village. The village council passes local laws, makes appointments to various boards and committees, and awards various contracts for purchases of goods and services used by the village. They also review, amend, and adopt the annual budget for the Village prepared by the Village Manager and Chief Financial Officer.

Template:As of, members of the Ridgewood Village Council are Mayor Paul Vagianos (term on council ends December 31, 2026; term as mayor ends 2024), Deputy Mayor Pamela Perron (2024), Lorraine Reynolds (2024), Evan Weitz (2026) and Siobhan Winograd (2026).<ref name=VillageCouncil>Village Council, Village of Ridgewood. Accessed February 27, 2024. "The Village Council is the governing body of the Village of Ridgewood. There are five Council members who are elected at large, on a non-partisan basis. The Municipal Election for Village Council takes place on the second Tuesday in May, in even numbered years. The term of a Council member is four years. The Mayor is chosen by the Village Council every two years, after a Municipal Election."</ref><ref>2023 Municipal Data Sheet, Village of Ridgewood. Accessed February 27, 2024.</ref><ref name=BergenCountyDirectory>2024 County and Municipal Directory, Bergen County, New Jersey, April 2024. Accessed April 15, 2024.</ref><ref name=Bergen2022>Bergen County November 8, 2022 General Election Statement of Vote, Bergen County, New Jersey Clerk, updated November 21, 2022. Accessed January 1, 2023.</ref><ref name=Bergen2021>Bergen County Statement of Vote November 2, 2021 Official results, Bergen County, New Jersey, updated November 17, 2021. Accessed January 1, 2022.</ref><ref name=Bergen2020>Precinct Summary Results Report - Combined 2020 Bergen County General Election - November 3, 2020 Official Results, Bergen County, New Jersey, December 3, 2020. Accessed January 1, 2021.</ref><ref name=Bergen2020Municipal>May 2020 Special Election Official results, Bergen County, New Jersey, update May 22, 2020. Accessed July 1, 2022.</ref>

In August 2021, councilmember Bernadette Walsh resigned from the seat expiring in December 2024, which was left temporarily vacant.<ref>Lazarus, Violet. "Village Council Member Bernadette Walsh Resigns", TAP into Ridgewood, August 12, 2021. Accessed July 7, 2022. "Council Member Bernadette Walsh resigned effective immediately during last night's Council Meeting. Walsh cited her husband's transfer out of state as the reason for her resignation. There will be a special election in November for a resident to fill Walsh's unexpired term and applications to be on the ballot are due by August 30."</ref> In the November 2021 general election, Paul Vagianos was elected to serve the balance of the term of office.<ref name=Bergen2021/><ref>Lazarus, Violet. "Vagianos Says he Wants to Prioritize Positivity, Transparency", TAP into Ridgewood, November 4, 2021. Accessed July 7, 2022. "Paul Vagianos will be the Village of Ridgewood's newest council member, to fill the vacated seat of Bernadette Walsh for the next three years."</ref>

In the November 2020 general election, voters approved by a 59%-41% margin a referendum that would move school and municipal elections (which had been held in April and May respectively) so that they were included as part of the November general election. The supporters of the initiative argued that the shift would "save money, improve turnout and improve security at schools where elections are held".<ref>Stoltz, Marsha A. "Ridgewood voters OK moving all village elections to November", The Record, November 4, 2020. Accessed July 7, 2022. "Election results Tuesday showed wide voter approval for moving all the village's elections to November, but not everyone is convinced the vote is binding. Supporters of One Village, One Vote were celebrating their victory Wednesday after winning the OK to move what were once separate spring municipal and school board elections to the November general election, by a vote of 6,521 to 4,450. The figures are incomplete because Bergen County is still tabulating votes, but results point to approval by a comfortable margin."</ref> The village council challenged the results of the referendum, but the village lost in Superior Court and had the ruling affirmed on appeal in March 2021, with the judge ruling that the village clerk had acted "improperly and unlawfully" in seeking to block the referendum.<ref>Stoltz, Marsha A. "Judge affirms 'clear choice' of Ridgewood voters to shift to November elections", The Record, March 10, 2021. Accessed July 7, 2022. "An appellate judge has sided with residents who sought to move the election dates for the Village Council and Board of Education to November. Judge Richard Geiger on Tuesday affirmed a September ruling by Superior Court Judge Estela De La Cruz that Village Clerk Heather Mailander had acted 'improperly and unlawfully' in attempting to block a petition by the group One Village One Vote to place the question of fall elections for both bodies on the November ballot.... Voters supported the changes 7,582 to 5,315. School board elections were previously held in April, and council elections in May."</ref>

Ridgewood is one of only four municipalities in New Jersey with the village type of government, joining Loch Arbour, Ridgefield Park and South Orange.<ref>Karcher, Alan J. New Jersey's Multiple Municipal Madness, p. 119. Rutgers University Press, 1998. Template:ISBN. Accessed July 27, 2011.</ref>

Federal, state and county representation

Ridgewood is located in the 5th Congressional District<ref name=PCR2012>Plan Components Report, New Jersey Redistricting Commission, December 23, 2011. Accessed February 1, 2020.</ref> and is part of New Jersey's 40th state legislative district.<ref name=Districts2011>Municipalities Sorted by 2011-2020 Legislative District, New Jersey Department of State. Accessed February 1, 2020.</ref><ref name=LWV2019>2019 New Jersey Citizen's Guide to Government, New Jersey League of Women Voters. Accessed October 30, 2019.</ref><ref>Districts by Number for 2011-2020, New Jersey Legislature. Accessed January 6, 2013.</ref>

Politics

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As of March 2011, there were a total of 15,983 registered voters in Ridgewood, of which 4,727 (29.6% vs. 31.7% countywide) were registered as Democrats, 4,125 (25.8% vs. 21.1%) were registered as Republicans and 7,118 (44.5% vs. 47.1%) were registered as Unaffiliated. There were 13 voters registered as Libertarians or Greens.<ref name=VoterRegistration>Voter Registration Summary - Bergen, New Jersey Department of State Division of Elections, March 23, 2011. Accessed December 15, 2013.</ref> Among the village's 2010 Census population, 64.0% (vs. 57.1% in Bergen County) were registered to vote, including 92.4% of those ages 18 and over (vs. 73.7% countywide).<ref name=VoterRegistration/><ref>GCT-P7: Selected Age Groups: 2010 - State—County Subdivision; 2010 Census Summary File 1 for New Jersey Template:Webarchive, United States Census Bureau. Accessed December 15, 2013.</ref>

In the 2016 presidential election, Democrat Hillary Clinton received 8,000 votes (60.4% vs. 54.2% countywide), ahead of Republican Donald Trump with 4,576 votes (34.6% vs. 41.1%) and other candidates with 665 votes (5.0% vs. 4.6%), among the 13,308 ballots cast by the village's 17,892 registered voters, for a turnout of 74.4% (vs. 72.5% in Bergen County).<ref>Presidential November 8, 2016 General Election Results - Bergen County, New Jersey Department of State Division of Elections, November 8, 2016. Accessed May 24, 2020</ref> In the 2012 presidential election, Democrat Barack Obama received 6,181 votes here (50.5% vs. 54.8% countywide), ahead of Republican Mitt Romney with 5,852 votes (47.8% vs. 43.5%) and other candidates with 130 votes (1.1% vs. 0.9%), among the 12,232 ballots cast by the village's 17,124 registered voters, for a turnout of 71.4% (vs. 70.4% in Bergen County).<ref>Presidential November 6, 2012 General Election Results - Bergen County Template:Webarchive, New Jersey Department of State Division of Elections, March 15, 2013. Accessed December 15, 2013.</ref><ref>Number of Registered Voters and Ballots Cast November 6, 2012 General Election Results - Bergen County Template:Webarchive, New Jersey Department of State Division of Elections, March 15, 2013. Accessed December 15, 2013.</ref> In the 2008 presidential election, Democrat Barack Obama received 7,387 votes here (55.5% vs. 53.9% countywide), ahead of Republican John McCain with 5,743 votes (43.2% vs. 44.5%) and other candidates with 80 votes (0.6% vs. 0.8%), among the 13,306 ballots cast by the village's 16,867 registered voters, for a turnout of 78.9% (vs. 76.8% in Bergen County).<ref>2008 Presidential General Election Results: Bergen County, New Jersey Department of State Division of Elections, December 23, 2008. Accessed December 15, 2013.</ref><ref name=Results2008>2008 General Election Results for Ridgewood, The Record. Accessed July 27, 2011.</ref> In the 2004 presidential election, Democrat John Kerry received 6,656 votes here (50.7% vs. 51.7% countywide), ahead of Republican George W. Bush with 6,357 votes (48.4% vs. 47.2%) and other candidates with 94 votes (0.7% vs. 0.7%), among the 13,141 ballots cast by the village's 16,325 registered voters, for a turnout of 80.5% (vs. 76.9% in the whole county).<ref>2004 Presidential Election: Bergen County, New Jersey Department of State Division of Elections, December 13, 2004. Accessed December 15, 2013.</ref>

In the 2013 gubernatorial election, Republican Chris Christie received 62.9% of the vote (4,259 cast), ahead of Democrat Barbara Buono with 36.2% (2,453 votes), and other candidates with 0.9% (59 votes), among the 6,864 ballots cast by the village's 16,103 registered voters (93 ballots were spoiled), for a turnout of 42.6%.<ref name=2013Elections>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref name=2013VoterReg>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> In the 2009 gubernatorial election, Republican Chris Christie received 4,192 votes here (48.8% vs. 45.8% countywide), ahead of Democrat Jon Corzine with 3,885 votes (45.3% vs. 48.0%), Independent Chris Daggett with 423 votes (4.9% vs. 4.7%) and other candidates with 44 votes (0.5% vs. 0.5%), among the 8,582 ballots cast by the village's 16,509 registered voters, yielding a 52.0% turnout (vs. 50.0% in the county).<ref>2009 Governor: Bergen County Template:Webarchive, New Jersey Department of State Division of Elections, December 31, 2009. Accessed December 15, 2013.</ref>

Education

File:Ridgewood High School.jpg

Ridgewood High School

The Ridgewood Public Schools serves students in pre-kindergarten through twelfth grade.<ref>Ridgewood Board of Education District Policy 0110 - Identification, Ridgewood Public Schools. Accessed May 15, 2020. "Purpose: The Board of Education exists for the purpose of providing a thorough and efficient system of free public education in grades Pre-Kindergarten through twelve in the Ridgewood School District. Composition: The Ridgewood School District is comprised of all the area within the municipal boundaries of Ridgewood."</ref> As of the 2020–21 school year, the district, comprised of 10 schools, had an enrollment of 5,613 students and 432.6 classroom teachers (on an FTE basis), for a student–teacher ratio of 13.0:1.<ref name=NCES>District information for Ridgewood Public School District, National Center for Education Statistics. Accessed February 15, 2022.</ref> Schools in the district (with 2020–21 enrollment data from the National Center for Education Statistics<ref>School Data for the Ridgewood Public Schools, National Center for Education Statistics. Accessed February 15, 2022.</ref>) are Glen School<ref>Glen School, Ridgewood Public Schools. Accessed July 7, 2022.</ref> with 60 students in PreK and Private Day Care Center, Henrietta Hawes Elementary School<ref>Henrietta Hawes Elementary School, Ridgewood Public Schools. Accessed July 7, 2022.</ref> with 593 students in grades K-5, Orchard Elementary School<ref>Orchard Elementary School, Ridgewood Public Schools. Accessed July 7, 2022.</ref> with 299 students in grades K-5, Ridge Elementary School<ref>Ridge Elementary School, Ridgewood Public Schools. Accessed July 7, 2022.</ref> with 443 students in grades K-5, Irwin B. Somerville Elementary School<ref>Irwin B. Somerville Elementary School, Ridgewood Public Schools. Accessed July 7, 2022.</ref> with 383 students in grades K-5, Ira W. Travell Elementary School<ref>Ira W. Travell Elementary School, Ridgewood Public Schools. Accessed July 7, 2022.</ref> with 377 students in grades K-5, Willard Elementary School<ref>Willard Elementary School, Ridgewood Public Schools. Accessed July 7, 2022.</ref> with 461 students in grades K-5, Benjamin Franklin Middle School<ref>Benjamin Franklin Middle School, Ridgewood Public Schools. Accessed July 7, 2022.</ref> with 698 students in grades 6-8, George Washington Middle School<ref>George Washington Middle School, Ridgewood Public Schools. Accessed July 7, 2022.</ref> with 666 students in grades 6-8 and Ridgewood High School<ref>Ridgewood High School, Ridgewood Public Schools. Accessed July 7, 2022.</ref> with 1,775 students in grades 9-12.<ref>School Performance Reports for the Ridgewood Public School District, New Jersey Department of Education. Accessed April 3, 2024.</ref><ref>New Jersey School Directory for the Ridgewood Public Schools, New Jersey Department of Education. Accessed February 1, 2024.</ref>

The district's high school was the 28th-ranked public high school in New Jersey out of 339 schools statewide in New Jersey Monthly magazine's September 2014 cover story on the state's "Top Public High Schools", using a new ranking methodology.<ref>Staff. "Top Schools Alphabetical List 2014", New Jersey Monthly, September 2, 2014. Accessed September 5, 2014.</ref> The school had been ranked 28th in the state of 328 schools in 2012, after being ranked 20th in 2010 out of 322 schools listed.<ref>Staff. "The Top New Jersey High Schools: Alphabetical", New Jersey Monthly, August 16, 2012. Accessed September 27, 2012.</ref> The school was ranked 606th in U.S. News & World Report national rankings for 2019.<ref>Ridgewood High School, U.S. News & World Report. Accessed May 15, 2020.</ref>

According to the New Jersey Department of Education, Ridgewood is a socioeconomic District Factor Group of J, the highest of eight categories.<ref>NJ Department of Education District Factor Groups (DFG) for School Districts, New Jersey Department of Education, dated August 16, 2004. Accessed December 20, 2013.</ref>

Public school students from the village, 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 an extremely selective and competitive application process and tuition covered by the student's home school district.<ref>About Us Template:Webarchive, Bergen County Technical Schools. Accessed December 15, 2013.</ref><ref>Admissions Template:Webarchive, Bergen County Technical Schools. Accessed December 29, 2016.</ref>

The Holmstead School serves students of high school age with high intellectual potential who have not succeeded in traditional school settings. Students are placed in the school by referral from their home public school districts, with tuition paid for by the school district.<ref>About Us, The Holmstead School. Accessed June 16, 2008.</ref>

Preschools in Ridgewood include Bethlehem Early Learning Center, West Side Presbyterian, First Presbyterian School, the Cooperative Nursery School of Ridgewood, and the Montessori Learning Center

Local media

The village of Ridgewood is served by two weekly community newspapers, The Ridgewood News and the Ridgewood Suburban News, both of which are published by North Jersey Media Group. The daily newspaper for the region is The Record which is also published by North Jersey Media Group. The company's website, NorthJersey.com, has a Ridgewood town page that includes local coverage from all three of these papers. Patch Media provides Ridgewood with its own daily news website, which offers news, events, announcements and Local Voices.<ref>Ridgewood.patch.com, Patch Media. Accessed October 13, 2013.</ref>

Transportation

File:2021-07-31 12 15 07 View north along New Jersey State Route 17 from the overpass for Bergen County Route 62 (Paramus Road) and Bergen County Route 75 (East Saddle River Road) in Ridgewood, Bergen County, New Jersey.jpg

Route 17 northbound in Ridgewood

Roads and highways

File:Entering Ridgewood, New Jersey along Ackerman Avenue.jpg

Entering Ridgewood along County Route 79

Template:As of, the village had a total of Template:Convert of roadways, of which Template:Convert were maintained by the municipality, Template:Convert by Bergen County, and Template:Convert by the New Jersey Department of Transportation.<ref>Bergen County Mileage by Municipality and Jurisdiction, New Jersey Department of Transportation, May 2010. Accessed December 15, 2013.</ref> Major roads that pass through Ridgewood include New Jersey Route 17, Franklin Turnpike, County Route 84 (commonly known as East and West Ridgewood Avenue) and County Route 507 (Maple Avenue).

Public transportation

The Ridgewood train station<ref>Ridgewood Station, NJ Transit. Accessed July 4, 2025.</ref> is served by the NJ Transit Main Line as well as the Bergen County Line.<ref>Bergen County Line,, NJ Transit. Accessed July 4, 2025.</ref> The station features three platforms. The first is for all trains headed south toward Hoboken Terminal. The second is for Bergen County Line trains headed in the same direction, and the third is for Main Line trains headed toward Suffern and Port Jervis. NJ Transit trains on both the Bergen County and the Main Lines go to Hoboken, stopping at Secaucus Junction, for transfers to trains to New York Penn Station in Midtown Manhattan and other destinations served by the station. Parking is limited near the Ridgewood train station. Taxicabs are available at the train station; the taxi building is on the northbound platform.

NJ Transit buses in Ridgewood include the 148, 163 and 164 to the Port Authority Bus Terminal in Midtown Manhattan, the 175 to the George Washington Bridge Bus Station, and local service offered on the 722 (to Paramus Park and Paterson), 746 (to Paterson, as Ridgewood is its terminus) and 752 (to Hackensack) routes.<ref>Routes by County: Bergen County, NJ Transit, backed up by the Internet Archive as of May 22, 2009. Accessed July 27, 2011.</ref><ref>Bergen County System Map Template:Webarchive, NJ Transit. Accessed September 14, 2016.</ref> Except for the 148 route, all the others stop at NJ Transit's Ridgewood Bus Terminal on Van Neste Square.

Short Line offers service along Route 17 to the Port Authority Bus Terminal, as well as to the George Washington Bridge Bus Station and down the East Side on Manhattan to 23rd Street.<ref>Available Schedules from Ridgewood, NJ to New York, NY, Short Line. Accessed July 4, 2025.</ref>

Notable people

Template:Category see also See List of people from Ridgewood, New Jersey.

Points of interest

Warner Theater was a Bow Tie Cinema located on East Ridgewood Avenue. Opened in 1932, the theater closed in January 2024.<ref>Blancaflor, Saleah. "Historic New Jersey theater to close after 92 years", NJ Advance Media for NJ.com, January 22, 2024. Accessed September 4, 2024. "The Warner Theater, a longstanding movie theater in Ridgewood, will permanently close and cease operations following its evening showtimes on Sunday, its parent company Bow Tie Partners announced in a press release Monday. The theater opened in 1932 as a single-screen cinema, featuring the premiere of The Dark Horse starring Bette Davis."</ref>

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.
• 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.
• Parrillo, Vincent; Parrillo, Beth; and Wrubel, Arthur. Ridgewood, Arcadia Publishing, 1999. Template:ISBN.
• 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

• Village of Ridgewood website
• Template:NJReportCard
• Data for the Ridgewood Public Schools, National Center for Education Statistics