Morris Township, New Jersey

Morris Township, New Jersey
Alnwick Hall
Official seal of Morris Township, New Jersey
Motto: 
A community rich in history with a constant striving for a better tomorrow.
Location of Morris Township in Morris County highlighted in red (right). Inset map: Location of Morris County in New Jersey highlighted in orange (left).
Location of Morris Township in Morris County highlighted in red (right). Inset map: Location of Morris County in New Jersey highlighted in orange (left).
Census Bureau map of Morris Township, New Jersey
Census Bureau map of Morris Township, New Jersey
Morris Township is located in Morris County, New Jersey
Morris Township
Morris Township
Location in Morris County
Morris Township is located in New Jersey
Morris Township
Morris Township
Location in New Jersey
Morris Township is located in the United States
Morris Township
Morris Township
Location in the United States
Coordinates: 40°47′46″N 74°29′40″W / 40.796095°N 74.494556°W / 40.796095; -74.494556[1][2]
Country United States
State New Jersey
County Morris
FormedMarch 25, 1740
IncorporatedFebruary 21, 1798
Named forLewis Morris
Government
 • TypeTownship
 • BodyTownship Committee
 • MayorMark J. Gyorfy (D, term ends December 31, 2023)[3][4]
 • AdministratorTimothy Quinn[5]
 • Municipal clerkSuzanne Walsh[6]
Area
 • Total15.81 sq mi (40.96 km2)
 • Land15.68 sq mi (40.62 km2)
 • Water0.13 sq mi (0.34 km2)  0.83%
 • Rank171st of 565 in state
13th of 39 in county[1]
Elevation433 ft (132 m)
Population
 • Total22,974
 • Estimate 
(2023)[9][11]
23,507
 • Rank116th of 565 in state
5th of 39 in county[12]
 • Density1,465.0/sq mi (565.6/km2)
  • Rank338th of 565 in state
19th of 39 in county[12]
Time zoneUTC−05:00 (Eastern (EST))
 • Summer (DST)UTC−04:00 (Eastern (EDT))
ZIP Code
07960 – Morristown
07961 – Convent Station[13]
Area code(s)973[14]
FIPS code3402748090[1][15][16]
GNIS feature ID0882193[1][17]
Websitewww.morristwp.com

Morris Township is a township in Morris County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey. As of the 2020 United States census, the township's population was 22,974,[9][10] an increase of 668 (+3.0%) from the 2010 census count of 22,306,[18][19] which in turn reflected an increase of 510 (+2.3%) from the 21,796 counted in the 2000 census.[20] The township was named for Lewis Morris, colonial governor of New Jersey.[21][22]

Located along the Morris and Essex Lines, the township is a wealthy bedroom community, with many residents traveling to work in nearby New York City on NJ Transit which provides commuters with direct access to New York Penn Station and to Hoboken Terminal.[23][24]

The township is the "doughnut" around Morristown and completely surrounds it, with at least five times the area, though near Morris Plains the width of Morris Township is less than a mile. For 115 years, Morristown was part of Morris Township. The initial separation of Morristown from Morris Township occurred on April 6, 1865.[25] A confusing state of affairs followed for nearly thirty years. On February 18, 1895, the separation was officiated.[26]

Morris Township is home to the Morris County Golf Club and the Morris Museum, which is the second largest museum in New Jersey and has been in operation since 1913. The township is also home to the Morristown National Historical Park which in 1933 became the country's first National Historical Park.[27]

  1. ^ a b c d e 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 Committee 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. ^ Administration, Township of Morris. Accessed March 12, 2023.
  6. ^ Township Clerk, Township of Morris. Accessed March 12, 2023.
  7. ^ Cite error: The named reference DataBook was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  8. ^ U.S. Geological Survey Geographic Names Information System: Township of Morris, Geographic Names Information System. Accessed March 8, 2013.
  9. ^ a b c Cite error: The named reference Census2020 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  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 Convent Station, NJ, United States Postal Service. Accessed December 19, 2012.
  14. ^ Area Code Lookup - NPA NXX for Convent Station, NJ, Area-Codes.com. Accessed September 4, 2014.
  15. ^ U.S. Census website, United States Census Bureau. Accessed September 4, 2014.
  16. ^ Geographic Codes Lookup for New Jersey, Missouri Census Data Center. Accessed April 1, 2022.
  17. ^ US Board on Geographic Names, United States Geological Survey. Accessed September 4, 2014.
  18. ^ Cite error: The named reference Census2010 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  19. ^ Cite error: The named reference LWD2010 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  20. ^ 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.
  21. ^ Hutchinson, Viola L. The Origin of New Jersey Place Names, New Jersey Public Library Commission, May 1945. Accessed September 8, 2015.
  22. ^ Gannett, Henry. The Origin of Certain Place Names in the United States, p. 215. United States Government Printing Office, 1905. Accessed September 8, 2015.
  23. ^ Making School Integration Work, p.32. Teachers College Press, 2020. ISBN 9780807763636. Accessed January 16, 2023.
  24. ^ Dissertation Abstracts International: The humanities and social sciences. A. University Microfilms. 1976.
  25. ^ Cite error: The named reference Story was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  26. ^ Barbara, Hoskins (1987). Morris Township, New Jersey : a glimpse into the past. Joint Free Public Library of Morristown and Morris Township. p. 2. ISBN 0-940631-03-2. OCLC 17997583.
  27. ^ National Park Service Cultural Landscapes Inventory Jockey Hollow Morristown National Historical Park 1999, National Park Service. Accessed September 5, 2020. "This culminated in the establishment of the Morristown National Historical Park in 1933, the first national historical park in the United States."