Moonachie, New Jersey

Moonachie, New Jersey
Borough
Center of Moonachie along CR 503 (Moonachie Road); the municipal building is in the background on the right
Center of Moonachie along CR 503 (Moonachie Road); the municipal building is in the background on the right
Official seal of Moonachie, New Jersey
Seal
Location of Moonachie in Bergen County highlighted in red (left). Inset map: Location of Bergen County in New Jersey highlighted in orange (right).
Location of Moonachie in Bergen County highlighted in red (left). Inset map: Location of Bergen County in New Jersey highlighted in orange (right).
Census Bureau map of Moonachie, New Jersey
Census Bureau map of Moonachie, New Jersey
Moonachie is located in Bergen County, New Jersey
Moonachie
Moonachie
Location in Bergen County
Moonachie is located in New Jersey
Moonachie
Moonachie
Location in New Jersey
Moonachie is located in the United States
Moonachie
Moonachie
Location in the United States
Coordinates: 40°50′29″N 74°03′28″W / 40.841334°N 74.057671°W / 40.841334; -74.057671[1][2]
Country United States
State New Jersey
CountyBergen
IncorporatedMay 3, 1910
Government
[7]
 • TypeBorough
 • BodyBorough Council
 • MayorDennis Vaccaro (D, term ends December 31, 2026)[3][4]
 • AdministratorAnthony Ciannamea[5]
 • Municipal clerkSupriya Sanyal[6]
Area
[8]
 • Total1.74 sq mi (4.51 km2)
 • Land1.73 sq mi (4.48 km2)
 • Water0.01 sq mi (0.03 km2)  0.69%
 • Rank427th of 565 in state
54th of 70 in county[1]
Elevation
[9]
3 ft (0.9 m)
Population
 (2020)[10]
 • Total3,133
 • Estimate 
(2023)[11]
3,108
 • Rank444th of 565 in state
66th of 70 in county[12]
 • Density1,810.9/sq mi (699.2/km2)
  • Rank308th of 565 in state
59th of 70 in county[12]
Time zoneUTC−05:00 (Eastern (EST))
 • Summer (DST)UTC−04:00 (Eastern (EDT))
ZIP Code
07074[13][14]
Area code(s)201[15]
FIPS code3400347700[1][16][17]
GNIS feature ID0885307[1][18]
Websitewww.moonachie.us

Moonachie (/muːˈnɑːki/; moo-NAH-kee) is a borough in Bergen County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey, in the Hackensack River watershed. As of the 2020 United States census, the borough's population was 3,133,[10] an increase of 425 (+15.7%) from the 2010 census count of 2,708,[19][20] which in turn reflected a decline of 46 (−1.7%) from the 2,754 counted in the 2000 census.[21]

Tradition is that the borough was named after Monaghie, an Iroquois chief who inhabited the local cedar forests in the 1600s.[22][23] Moonachie was incorporated as a borough by an act of the New Jersey Legislature on April 11, 1910, from portions of Lodi Township, based on the results of a referendum held on May 3, 1910. On March 26, 1917, portions of Moonachie were taken to form Teterboro.[24]

The name of the borough is pronounced "moo-NAH-kee";[25][26] however, in January 1987, then-mayor of New York City Ed Koch pronounced it "mah-NOO-chee" when he made his now-famous quip that the New York Giants should hold their victory parade in the borough after the team had just won Super Bowl XXI. Koch had refused to grant the Giants permission to hold a parade within the city limits because the team plays its home games in New Jersey, not in New York City.[27]

  1. ^ a b c d 2019 Census Gazetteer Files: New Jersey Places, United States Census Bureau. Accessed July 1, 2020.
  2. ^ US Gazetteer files: 2010, 2000, and 1990, United States Census Bureau. Accessed September 4, 2014.
  3. ^ Cite error: The named reference Government was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  4. ^ 2023 New Jersey Mayors Directory, New Jersey Department of Community Affairs, updated February 8, 2023. Accessed February 10, 2023.
  5. ^ Anthony Ciannamea, Borough of Moonachie. Accessed March 14, 2023.
  6. ^ Borough Clerk/Registrar, Borough of Moonachie. Accessed March 14, 2023.
  7. ^ Cite error: The named reference DataBook was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  8. ^ "ArcGIS REST Services Directory". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved October 11, 2022.
  9. ^ U.S. Geological Survey Geographic Names Information System: Borough of Moonachie, Geographic Names Information System. Accessed March 8, 2013.
  10. ^ a b Cite error: The named reference LWD2020 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  11. ^ Cite error: The named reference PopEst was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  12. ^ a b Population Density by County and Municipality: New Jersey, 2020 and 2021, New Jersey Department of Labor and Workforce Development. Accessed March 1, 2023.
  13. ^ Look Up a ZIP Code for Moonachie, NJ, United States Postal Service. Accessed December 20, 2011.
  14. ^ Zip Codes, State of New Jersey. Accessed August 28, 2013.
  15. ^ Area Code Lookup - NPA NXX for Moonachie, NJ, Area-Codes.com. Accessed August 28, 2013.
  16. ^ U.S. Census website, United States Census Bureau. Accessed September 4, 2014.
  17. ^ Geographic Codes Lookup for New Jersey, Missouri Census Data Center. Accessed April 1, 2022.
  18. ^ US Board on Geographic Names, United States Geological Survey. Accessed September 4, 2014.
  19. ^ Cite error: The named reference Census2010 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  20. ^ Cite error: The named reference LWD2010 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  21. ^ 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.
  22. ^ History, Borough of Moonachie. Accessed September 8, 2015. "Indians of the Six Nations Branch inhabited the rich cedar forests. Rumors say that Indian Chief Monaghie gave the town its name."
  23. ^ Hutchinson, Viola L. The Origin of New Jersey Place Names, New Jersey Public Library Commission, May 1945. Accessed September 8, 2015.
  24. ^ Snyder, John P. The Story of New Jersey's Civil Boundaries: 1606-1968, Bureau of Geology and Topography; Trenton, New Jersey; 1969. p. 81. Accessed May 30, 2024.
  25. ^ Melisurgo, Len. "Here's the right way to pronounce 25 N.J. town names everyone botches", NJ Advance Media for NJ.com, June 23, 2017. Accessed June 24, 2017. "Moonachie (Bergen County) - People unfamiliar with this small blue-collar borough near MetLife Stadium sometimes say MOO-nah-chee, and legendary New York City Mayor Ed Koch once drew heat for calling it moo-NAH-chee. Some local officials say the correct pronunciation is moo-NAH-key, but others say it's MOO-nah-key."
  26. ^ Di Ionno, Mark. "Super Bowl guide: How we talk in Jersey", NJ Advance Media for NJ.com, January 28, 2014. Accessed October 28, 2024. "Moonachie is pronounced Moo-NOCK-y. There is no 'ache' in it, unless you consider the damage left by Hurricane Sandy"
  27. ^ Vescey, George. "Sports of the Times; How'm I Doing? Terrific", The New York Times, January 7, 1987. Accessed October 3, 2019. "He said he thought they made a very nice cheesesteak sandwich in Moonachie, which he pronounced mah-NOO-chee instead of moo-NAH-key."