Washington Township, Bergen County, New Jersey

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Washington Township (officially the Township of Washington) is a township in Bergen County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey. As of the 2020 United States census, the township's population was 9,285,<ref name=Census2020/><ref name=LWD2020/> an increase of 183 (+2.0%) of the 2010 census count of 9,102,<ref name=Census2010/><ref name=LWD2010/> reflecting an increase of 164 (+1.8%) from the 8,938 counted 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>

History

Seven Chimneys, built 1745–1750, is the oldest house in Washington Township and third oldest in Bergen County. Seven Chimneys was used as a stop for the Underground Railroad.

The Lenape Native Americans first inhabited the township and many names throughout the general area were passed down from the Lenape. Pascack and Kinderkamack are just two of these names. However, after Dutch and other European settlers began arriving in the 16th and 17th centuries, the Lenape population was decimated. It is estimated that by 1750, 90% of the Lenape population in and around present-day New Jersey was killed by European settlement through war and European diseases.<ref name=Settlement>About the Lenape - 1600-1750: Fur Traders, Disease, Settlers (see reference material linked therein)</ref>

Washington Township was created by an act of the New Jersey Legislature on April 13, 1840, from the territories between the Hackensack River and Saddle River that had been part of Harrington Township.<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. 88. Accessed May 30, 2024.</ref> At the time of its creation, the township encompassed an area of 19,525 acre, more than Template:Convert.<ref name=History>Our History, Township of Washington. Accessed December 22, 2013. "We have a number of interesting places in our town, one of which is Seven Chimneys, a large 18th century stone house that stands high on a grassy knoll in the southern portion of the Township. Legend has it; George Washington stayed there a short period of time, which gives our community special history and pride."</ref> The township was named for George Washington, one of more than ten communities statewide named for the first president.<ref>Hutchinson, Viola L. The Origin of New Jersey Place Names, New Jersey Public Library Commission, May 1945. Accessed October 21, 2015.</ref><ref>Rondinaro, Gene. "Washington Slept Here And There And...", The New York Times, February 17, 1985. Accessed October 21, 2015. "First in war, first in peace and, come tomorrow, first in the hearts of his countrymen, George Washington may be nowhere more fondly remembered than in New Jersey, where 12 communities are named for him. The profusion of such names - six Washington Townships, one each in Bergen, Burlington, Gloucester, Mercer, Morris and Warren Counties; Washington in Warren, Washington Crossing in Mercer, Washington Heights and Washington Park in Middlesex, Washingtonville in Sussex and Washington Valley in Morris - causes problems."</ref> It is one of five municipalities in the state of New Jersey with the name "Washington Township".<ref>Wilk, Tom. "Awash in Washingtons: New Jersey has six towns named for the father of our country.", New Jersey Monthly, January 17, 2011. Accessed October 22, 2015. "In New Jersey, Washington can lay claim to another first. He's number one in names selected for the state's 566 municipalities. Bergen, Burlington, Gloucester, Morris and Warren counties all have a Washington Township. Warren also has a Washington Borough surrounded—naturally—by Washington Township. The largest is Gloucester County's Washington, with 52,096 people; the smallest is the Washington in Burlington, with a population of 649. New Jersey had a sixth Washington Township in Mercer County until 2008, when voters there approved a name change to Robbinsville."</ref> Another municipality, Washington Borough, is completely surrounded by Washington Township, Warren County.

Growth in the area exploded after the Civil War with the completion of the New Jersey and New York Railway through the Pascack Valley, as communities were established near the railroad's stations.<ref name=History/>

Orvil Township was created on January 1, 1886, from the western portion of The Township of Washington and the southern portion of Hohokus Township.<ref name=Story/>

The Borough Act resulted in a flurry of new boroughs created from portions of the township in 1894 as the "Boroughitis" phenomenon swept through the Township of Washington, with Westwood (May 8, 1894), Park Ridge (May 14, 1894), Eastwood (part; created June 6, 1894, borough lasted until 1896), Montvale (part; created August 31, 1894) and Woodcliff (part; created August 31, 1894, name changed to Woodcliff Lake in 1910) formed among the 26 boroughs created that year in the county.<ref>Harvey, Cornelius Burnham. Genealogical History of Hudson and Bergen Counties, New Jersey, p. 11, New Jersey Genealogical Publishing Company, 1900. Accessed December 22, 2013. "For a period of sixteen years following the passage of this act few boroughs were organized in the State, only three of them being in Bergen County.... As it was twenty-six boroughs were created in the county from January 23, 1894, to December 18, of the same year."</ref> Hillsdale Township (now a borough) was created on March 25, 1898. Etna Borough, which ultimately became Emerson, was formed on April 8, 1903. River Vale (part) was the last to leave when it was created on April 30, 1906.<ref name=Story/><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. 312. New Jersey Law Journal Publishing Company, 1910. Accessed October 21, 2015.</ref> The departures have taken the township from over Template:Convert to its current Template:Convert size.<ref name=History/>

Seven Chimneys is a house with the described seven chimneys, located on Ridgewood Road atop a small hill. George Washington is said to have stayed at the house during the Revolutionary War. Seven Chimneys, the oldest house in the township, is an impressive example of eighteenth-century, regional, domestic architecture and is an important remnant of the community's early settlement period. The house is listed on the State Register and National Register of Historic Places. Notable visitors include Theodore Roosevelt. The house was used as a stop on the Underground Railroad during the Civil War. On November 3, 1968, the Bergen County Historical Society placed a historic-site marker on the property and was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1971.<ref name=History/>

During the mid-1950s, the completion of the Template:Convert Garden State Parkway split the township in two. The Parkway created two access routes with Exit 166 on the southern border closest to Paramus and Exit 168 on Washington Avenue. The northernmost toll plaza was built off of East Glen. During the decade after the Parkway was completed, the township dramatically increased in population.

Efforts to gain a ZIP Code for the township back to the mid-1970s, when efforts were made to have the unused 07676 code allocated to the Township of Washington. Previously, the township had been served by the Westwood post office as ZIP Code 07675, which also served Old Tappan, River Vale and Woodcliff Lake.<ref>"Add Bicentennial zip -07676-to township?", The Record, October 31, 1975. Accessed July 25, 2022, via Newspapers.com. "Some residents here would like to celebrate the Bicentennial with a new zip code 07676. The township shares Westwood's post office and zip code, 07675, with Old Tappan, River Vale and Woodcliff Lake.... He said Rep. Andrew Maguire, D-N.J., has written the postmaster general to ask for the currently unused zip code."</ref> ZIP Code 07676 for Township of Washington was established effective July 2000.<ref>"Post Office Changes" in Postal Bulletin, United States Postal Service, April 6, 2000. Accessed November 26, 2020. "Establish a new ZIP Code for a delivery area. Use Woodcliff Lake NJ 07677 as last line of address for a portion of the deliveries previously in ZIP Code 07675."</ref>

Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau, the township had a total area of Template:Convert, including Template:Convert of land and Template:Convert of water (1.67%).<ref name=CensusArea/><ref name=GR1 />

The township is located in the northern portion of Bergen County, which in turn is in the far northeastern corner of New Jersey, Template:Convert northwest of New York City. It is within the Hackensack River watershed, which comprises Musquapsink Brook, Schlegel Lake, Pascack Brook, Oradell Reservoir, Woodcliff Lake Reservoir, and Lake Tappan. The township borders the Bergen County municipalities of Emerson, Hillsdale, Ho-Ho-Kus, Paramus, Ridgewood, Saddle River and Westwood.<ref>Areas touching Washington Township, MapIt. Accessed March 26, 2020.</ref><ref>Bergen County Map of Municipalities, Bergen County, New Jersey. Accessed March 26, 2020.</ref><ref>New Jersey Municipal Boundaries, New Jersey Department of Transportation. Accessed November 15, 2019.</ref>

Located within the Pascack Valley of north-central Bergen County, elevations rise gradually in an east to west/south to north trajectory, and range anywhere from Template:Convert or less in the wooded swamplands behind Westwood Regional High School to approximately Template:Convert just west of Van Emburgh Avenue. Three hills are in the township: at the border of Westwood, west of Pascack Road, and another located west of Van Emburgh Avenue. Being higher in elevation, it is slightly cooler and less prone to flooding than the rest of the valley and other parts of northwestern Bergen County.

The southern end of the township bordering Emerson and Paramus is wooded wetlands at the convergence of Musquapsink Brook and three cemeteries, and has consistently the densest overnight and morning fog in the area.Template:Citation needed

Demographics

Template:US Census population

2020 Census

Washington township, Bergen County, New Jersey – Racial and Ethnic Composition
(NH = Non-Hispanic)
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% 2010 % 2020
White alone (NH) 7,839 7,585 86.12% 81.69%
Black or African American alone (NH) 93 87 1.02% 0.94%
Native American or Alaska Native alone (NH) 0 8 0.00% 0.09%
Asian alone (NH) 581 566 6.38% 6.10%
Pacific Islander alone (NH) 1 0 0.01% 0.00%
Some Other Race alone (NH) 9 27 0.10% 0.29%
Mixed Race/Multi-Racial (NH) 84 212 0.92% 2.28%
Hispanic or Latino (any race) 495 800 5.44% 8.62%
Total 9,102 9,285 100.00% 100.00%

2010 Census

The 2010 United States census counted 9,102 people, 3,261 households, and 2,632 families in the township. The population density was Template:Convert. There were 3,341 housing units at an average density of Template:Convert. The racial makeup was 90.50% (8,237) White, 1.08% (98) Black or African American, 0.01% (1) Native American, 6.47% (589) Asian, 0.02% (2) Pacific Islander, 0.62% (56) from other races, and 1.31% (119) from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 5.44% (495) of the population.<ref name=Census2010/>

Of the 3,261 households, 33.1% had children under the age of 18; 71.0% were married couples living together; 7.3% had a female householder with no husband present and 19.3% were non-families. Of all households, 16.9% were made up of individuals and 11.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.79 and the average family size was 3.15.<ref name=Census2010/>

22.9% of the population were under the age of 18, 5.8% from 18 to 24, 21.2% from 25 to 44, 30.1% from 45 to 64, and 19.9% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 45.1 years. For every 100 females, the population had 91.7 males. For every 100 females ages 18 and older there were 90.7 males.<ref name=Census2010/>

The Census Bureau's 2006–2010 American Community Survey showed that (in 2010 inflation-adjusted dollars) median household income was $117,394 (with a margin of error of +/− $14,960) and the median family income was $133,191 (+/− $10,285). Males had a median income of $91,038 (+/− $11,435) versus $56,599 (+/− $4,609) for females. The per capita income for the township was $48,415 (+/− $4,855). About 1.6% of families and 2.0% of the population were below the poverty line, including 1.8% of those under age 18 and 0.6% of those age 65 or over.<ref>DP03: Selected Economic Characteristics from the 2006-2010 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates for Washington township, Bergen County, New Jersey Template:Webarchive, United States Census Bureau. Accessed March 24, 2012.</ref>

Same-sex couples headed 27 households in 2010, an increase from the 10 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 July 24, 2013.</ref>

2000 Census

As of the 2000 United States census<ref name="GR2" /> there were 8,938 people, 3,219 households, and 2,687 families residing in the township. The population density was Template:Convert. There were 3,245 housing units at an average density of Template:Convert. The racial makeup of the township was 92.07% White, 0.98% African American, 0.04% Native American, 5.57% Asian, 0.44% from other races, and 0.90% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 3.35% of the population.<ref name=Census2000>Census 2000 Profiles of Demographic / Social / Economic / Housing Characteristics for Washington township, Bergen County, New JerseyTemplate:Dead link, United States Census Bureau. Accessed March 4, 2013.</ref><ref name=Census2000SF1>DP-1: Profile of General Demographic Characteristics: 2000 - Census 2000 Summary File 1 (SF 1) 100-Percent Data for Washington township, Bergen County, New Jersey Template:Webarchive, United States Census Bureau. Accessed March 4, 2013.</ref>

There were 3,219 households, out of which 33.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 74.2% were married couples living together, 7.0% had a female householder with no husband present, and 16.5% were non-families. 14.5% of all households were made up of individuals, and 7.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.77 and the average family size was 3.07.<ref name=Census2000/><ref name=Census2000SF1/>

In the township, the population was spread out, with 22.7% under the age of 18, 4.8% from 18 to 24, 27.7% from 25 to 44, 27.8% from 45 to 64, and 16.9% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 42 years. For every 100 females, there were 92.3 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 89.9 males.<ref name=Census2000/><ref name=Census2000SF1/>

The median income for a household in the township was $83,694, and the median income for a family was $88,017. Males had a median income of $67,090 versus $41,699 for females. The per capita income for the township was $39,248. About 1.5% of families and 2.4% of the population were below the poverty line, including 2.5% of those under age 18 and 3.0% of those age 65 or over.<ref name=Census2000/><ref name=Census2000SF1/>

Economy

Washington Town Center is a shopping mall located in the center of the township on Pascack Road. The privately held Washington Town Center is the township's single largest taxpayer. Through a quirk in the town's tax code, the not-for-profit Washington Township Recreation Club remains the township's second-largest taxpayer.

Parks and recreation

Big Rock and Little Rock, two small boulders at a public park
Pine Lake was a popular resort destination in the early to mid 1900s.

The Township of Washington offers various sports activities—baseball, softball, football, cheerleading, and soccer—which are played at the numerous parks and fields throughout the town. Clark Field includes a little league baseball field with two large dugouts and electronic scoreboard, a basketball court, a playground, sandbox, and a concession stand. The playground has many slides, monkey bars, games, gliders, fire poles, regular swings, baby swings, and a tire swing. Memorial Field is in the major recreation site in the township and provides facilities for multiple uses: baseball, softball, soccer and youth football. Adjacent to the Washington Elementary School, it also includes a recreation building with concession stand and a covered picnic pavilion. Other fields include Sherry Field which is close to the border of Westwood and township and offers a baseball field with two playing areas. The other field is Gardener Field which is a baseball field and also a playground. Both of these fields include a concession stand.<ref>Recreation, Township of Washington. Accessed July 25, 2022.</ref>

As the township does not provide for any recreational pool service, the Washington Township Recreation Club (WTRC) fills this void. Membership at the Washington Township Recreation Club, more commonly known as the 'swim club' or 'pool', is not limited to township residents and is open to any individual or family who wishes to join. In addition to the Olympic sized outdoor pool, the WTRC also offers a game room and picnic area.<ref>Home page, Washington Township NJ Swim Club. Accessed March 24, 2012.</ref> Additional recreational facilities include the Bergen County YJCC, offering fitness programs, indoor swimming and a variety of classes for all denominations.<ref>About us, Bergen County Y, a Jewish Community Center. Accessed March 24, 2012.</ref> The town also has a privately owned Racquet and Health Club.

Clark Field

Schlegel Lake,<ref>Schlegel Lake, Geographic Names Information System. Accessed August 5, 2014.</ref> once referred to as Schlegel's Pond and commonly referred to as Washington Lake, is a Template:Convert artificial body of water privately owned and managed by the Washington Lake Association (WLA) since 1947, whose members have exclusive rights to use of the pond and surrounding property. WLA members may enjoy fishing, boating, picnicking, nature observation and other outdoor activities.<ref>Staff. "Vintage homes in lake communities", North Jersey Homes, June 11, 2011. Accessed August 20, 2013.</ref>

Government

Local government

The Township of Washington is governed within the Faulkner Act (formally known as the Optional Municipal Charter Law) under the Mayor-Council system of municipal government (Plan E), implemented based on the recommendations of a Charter Study Commission as of January 1, 1970.<ref>"The Faulkner Act: New Jersey's Optional Municipal Charter Law", New Jersey State League of Municipalities, July 2007. Accessed December 22, 2013.</ref> The township is one of 71 municipalities (of the 564) statewide that use this form of government.<ref>Inventory of Municipal Forms of Government in New Jersey Template:Webarchive, Rutgers University Center for Government Studies, July 1, 2011. Accessed June 1, 2023.</ref> The governing body is comprised of a mayor and a five-member Township Council, all of whom are elected at-large on a partisan basis to four-year terms of office, as part of the November general election. Members of the Township Council are elected to serve four-year terms of office on a staggered basis, with three seats up for election together and the other two seats (along with the mayor) up for election two years later in odd-numbered years.<ref name=DataBook>2012 New Jersey Legislative District Data Book, Rutgers University Edward J. Bloustein School of Planning and Public Policy, March 2013, p. 165.</ref><ref>"Forms of Municipal Government in New Jersey" Template:Webarchive, p. 10. Rutgers University Center for Government Studies. Accessed June 1, 2023.</ref>

Template:As of, the Mayor of the Township of Washington is Republican Peter Calamari, whose term of office ends December 31, 2025. Members of the Township Council are Council President Desserie Morgan (R, 2023), Council Vice President Steven Cascio (R, 2023), Stacey Feeney (R, 2023), Tom Sears (R, 2025) and Daisy Velez (R, 2025).<ref name=MayorCouncil>Mayor & Council, Township of Washington. Accessed March 17, 2023.</ref><ref>2022 Municipal Data Sheet, Township of Washington. Accessed July 25, 2022.</ref><ref name=BergenCountyDirectory>2024 County and Municipal Directory, Bergen County, New Jersey, April 2024. Accessed April 15, 2024.</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=Bergen2019>Bergen County November 5, 2019 General Election Statement of Vote, Bergen County, New Jersey Clerk, updated December 10, 2019. Accessed January 1, 2020.</ref>

Federal, state and county representation

The Township of Washington 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 39th 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>

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Politics

As of March 2011, there were a total of 6,381 registered voters in the Township of Washington, of which 1,364 (21.4% vs. 31.7% countywide) were registered as Democrats, 2,412 (37.8% vs. 21.1%) were registered as Republicans and 2,601 (40.8% vs. 47.1%) were registered as Unaffiliated. There were 4 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 22, 2013.</ref> Among the township's 2010 Census population, 70.1% (vs. 57.1% in Bergen County) were registered to vote, including 91.0% 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 22, 2013.</ref>

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In the 2016 presidential election, Republican Donald Trump received 3,036 votes (56.1% vs. 41.1% countywide), ahead of Democrat Hillary Clinton with 2,184 votes (40.3% vs. 54.2%) and other candidates with 196 votes (3.6% vs. 4.6%), among the 5,484 ballots cast by the township's 7,010 registered voters, for a turnout of 78.2% (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, 2018.</ref> In the 2012 presidential election, Republican Mitt Romney received 2,883 votes (58.3% vs. 43.5% countywide), ahead of Democrat Barack Obama with 2,000 votes (40.5% vs. 54.8%) and other candidates with 33 votes (0.7% vs. 0.9%), among the 4,941 ballots cast by the township's 6,619 registered voters, for a turnout of 74.6% (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 22, 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 22, 2013.</ref> In the 2008 presidential election, Republican John McCain received 3,146 votes (58.1% vs. 44.5% countywide), ahead of Democrat Barack Obama with 2,159 votes (39.8% vs. 53.9%) and other candidates with 42 votes (0.8% vs. 0.8%), among the 5,418 ballots cast by the township's 6,735 registered voters, for a turnout of 80.4% (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 22, 2013.</ref><ref name=Results2008>2008 General Election Results for Washington Township, The Record. Accessed December 22, 2013.</ref> In the 2004 presidential election, Republican George W. Bush received 3,207 votes (59.6% vs. 47.2% countywide), ahead of Democrat John Kerry with 2,137 votes (39.7% vs. 51.7%) and other candidates with 27 votes (0.5% vs. 0.7%), among the 5,379 ballots cast by the township's 6,582 registered voters, for a turnout of 81.7% (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 22, 2013.</ref>

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In the 2013 gubernatorial election, Republican Chris Christie received 69.3% of the vote (2,079 cast), ahead of Democrat Barbara Buono with 29.6% (889 votes), and other candidates with 1.0% (31 votes), among the 3,067 ballots cast by the township's 6,527 registered voters (68 ballots were spoiled), for a turnout of 47.0%.<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 2,329 votes (56.7% vs. 45.8% countywide), ahead of Democrat Jon Corzine with 1,475 votes (35.9% vs. 48.0%), Independent Chris Daggett with 200 votes (4.9% vs. 4.7%) and other candidates with 20 votes (0.5% vs. 0.5%), among the 4,110 ballots cast by the township's 6,623 registered voters, yielding a 62.1% 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 22, 2013.</ref>

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Education

Aerial view of Westwood Regional High School.

Public school students in kindergarten through twelfth grade attend the Westwood Regional School District, a comprehensive regional school district serving students from both the Township of Washington and Westwood Borough.<ref>Westwood Regional Board of Education District Policy 0110 - Identification, Westwood Regional School District, adopted December 14, 2006. Accessed February 20, 2025. "Purpose: The Board of Education exists for the purpose of providing a thorough and efficient system of free public education in grades kindergarten through twelve in the Westwood Regional School District. Composition: The Westwood Regional School District is comprised of all the area within the municipal boundaries of the Borough of Westwood and the Township of Washington."</ref><ref>About Our District: Community and District Profiles, Westwood Regional School District. Accessed July 24, 2022. "The Westwood Regional School District serves the Borough of Westwood (population 10,400) and the Township of Washington (population 9,800). These two communities are located approximately fifteen miles northwest of midtown Manhattan."</ref> The district is the county's only regional district serving grades K-12.<ref>Westwood Regional School District 2016 Report Card Narrative, New Jersey Department of Education. Accessed March 26, 2020. "The Westwood Regional School District is the only K-12 regional school district in Bergen County, serving approximately 2,740 students from the Borough of Westwood and the Township of Washington."</ref> As of the 2023–24 school year, the district, comprised of six schools, had an enrollment of 2,828 students and 259.2 classroom teachers (on an FTE basis), for a student–teacher ratio of 10.9:1.<ref name=NCES>District information for Westwood Regional School District, National Center for Education Statistics. Accessed December 15, 2024.</ref> Schools in the district (with 2023–24 enrollment data from the National Center for Education Statistics<ref>School Data for the Westwood Regional School District, National Center for Education Statistics. Accessed December 15, 2024.</ref>) are Berkeley Avenue Elementary School<ref>Berkeley Avenue Elementary School, Westwood Regional School District. Accessed February 20, 2025.</ref> with 282 students in grades K–5, Brookside Elementary School<ref>Brookside Elementary School, Westwood Regional School District. Accessed February 20, 2025.</ref> with 375 students in grades K–5, Jessie F. George Elementary School<ref>Jessie F. George Elementary School, Westwood Regional School District. Accessed February 20, 2025.</ref> with 283 students in grades K–5, Washington Elementary School<ref>Washington Elementary School, Westwood Regional School District. Accessed February 20, 2025.</ref> with 322 students in grades K–5, Westwood Regional Middle School<ref>Westwood Regional Middle School, Westwood Regional School District. Accessed February 20, 2025.</ref> with 683 students in grades 6–8 and Westwood Regional High School<ref>Westwood Regional High School, Westwood Regional School District. Accessed February 20, 2025.</ref> with 839 students in grades 9–12.<ref>School Performance Reports for the Westwood Regional School District, New Jersey Department of Education. Accessed April 3, 2024.</ref><ref>New Jersey School Directory for the Westwood Regional School District, New Jersey Department of Education. Accessed February 1, 2024.</ref> Seats on the nine-member board are allocated based on population of the constituent municipalities, with five allocated to Westwood and four to Washington Township.<ref>Board of Education, Westwood Regional School District. Accessed February 20, 2025.</ref>

Public school students from the township, 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 Bergen Tech campus in 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.<ref>About Us Template:Webarchive, Bergen County Technical Schools. Accessed December 22, 2013.</ref><ref>Admissions Template:Webarchive, Bergen County Technical Schools. Accessed December 29, 2016.</ref>

Immaculate Heart Academy is a parochial, college preparatory, all-girls Catholic high school located on Van Emburgh Avenue, operating under the auspices of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Newark.<ref>Bergen County Catholic High Schools Template:Webarchive, Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Newark. Accessed November 12, 2016.</ref> The school was founded in 1960 as the first all-girls school operated by the Newark Archdiocese.<ref>Overview, Immaculate Heart Academy. Accessed August 20, 2013.</ref>

Emergency services

The Washington Township Volunteer Fire Department was founded in 1934. The station is located at 656 Washington Avenue and is home to Rescue 40, Tower Ladder 41, Engine 43, and Engine 44.<ref>Home Page, Township of Washington Volunteer Fire Department. Accessed April 6, 2015.</ref>

The Washington Township Volunteer Ambulance Corps was founded in 1957. The station is located at 354 Hudson Avenue and is home to Ambulance 4–6.<ref>About Us, Washington Township Volunteer Ambulance Corps. Accessed April 6, 2015.</ref>

The Washington Township Police Department was founded in 1934. The station is located at 350 Hudson Avenue in the municipal complex.<ref>Home Page, Township of Washington Police Department. Accessed April 6, 2015.</ref>

Transportation

View north along the Garden State Parkway in Washington Township

Roads and highways

Template:As of, the township 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 Turnpike Authority.<ref>Bergen County Mileage by Municipality and Jurisdiction, New Jersey Department of Transportation, May 2010. Accessed December 2, 2013.</ref>

Located within the New York metropolitan area's arterial network, the township is easily accessible by car.<ref>Bergen County Highway Map, New Jersey Department of Transportation. Accessed February 4, 2023.</ref> The Garden State Parkway serves the Township with exits 166 (south) and 168 (north). The Parkway's final tool booth, the Pascack toll, is located in the township.<ref>Garden State Parkway Straight Line Diagram, New Jersey Department of Transportation, updated August 2014. Accessed July 25, 2022.</ref> County Route 502 also travels through the township.<ref>County Route 502 Straight Line Diagram, New Jersey Department of Transportation, updated June 2012. Accessed July 25, 2022.</ref> Route 17 is accessible nearby.

Public transportation

NJ Transit bus route 165 serves nearby Westwood with access to and from the Township of Washington to the Port Authority Bus Terminal in Midtown Manhattan and local service on the 752 route.<ref>Routes by County: Bergen County, NJ Transit, backed up by the Internet Archiveas of January 11, 2010. Accessed March 24, 2012.</ref><ref>Bergen County System Map Template:Webarchive, NJ Transit. Accessed September 14, 2016.</ref> Westwood train station can also be easily accessed from the township.

Rockland Coaches provides express service from Pascack Road and Washington Avenue via Garden State Parkway Exit 168, with weekday rush-hour service provided to the Port Authority Bus Terminal in Midtown Manhattan, heading to New York in the morning and returning to the township weekday evenings on routes 46, 47 and 49.<ref>Commuter Routes Template:Webarchive, Rockland Coaches. Accessed December 22, 2013.</ref><ref>Schedule Details: Washington Township, NJ to New York, NY, Rockland Coaches. Accessed December 22, 2013.</ref>

Entertainment

The Township of Washington had a movie theater in the Washington Township Shopping Center, with three viewing screens. It closed in 2016 as Bowtie Cinemas, but reopened shortly thereafter as an independent cinema. On July 31, 2025, the theater closed down for good.<ref>Washington Township Cinemas. Accessed November 13, 2016.</ref><ref>Local movie theater in Bergen County to close permanently, last day set for July. NorthJersey.com Accessed August 2, 2025.</ref>

Community

The Township of Washington has its own TV station, Washington Community Television (WCTV), run entirely by volunteers. The non-profit, community access group is funded by cable franchise fees and provides a 24/7 electronic bulletin board telecast over several cable systems in surrounding towns. WCTV provides live programming and coverage of high school sports, local events and activities on the Public, educational, and government access (PEG) cable TV channels as well as the Internet. Its volunteers have been honored for their efforts.<ref>Home Page, Washington Community Television. Accessed August 20, 2013.</ref> Town Meetings are broadcast live and are archived on the WCTVNJ YouTube pages.

The Township of Washington Public Library offers a collection of 48,325 volumes with a circulation of over 80,000 items per year. It is a member of the Bergen County Cooperative Library System. In addition to traditional materials, the library offers an online collection and specialty items not typically found in a library setting, including technology, housewares and hobby equipment. Laura Rifkin is the current Library Director.<ref>Home Page, Township of Washington Public Library. Accessed March 15, 2020.</ref>

As the township does not provide residential trash pickup service, residents must pay for trash pickup services through a choice of two private garbage companies.<ref>Household Garbage, Township of Washington. Accessed October 21, 2015. "The Twp. of Washington does not collect your regular household garbage; however you have a choice between two collection companies."</ref>

Seven Chimneys National Historic Site

Notable people

Template:Category see also People who were born in, residents of, or otherwise closely associated with the Township of Washington include:

References

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Sources

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