Paramus, New Jersey

Paramus, New Jersey
Borough
A wide road with many shops on both sides on a sunny day in Paramus
Route 17 from the overpass ramp to Route 4; both are heavily trafficked American corridors in Bergen County.
Official seal of Paramus, New Jersey
Seal
Location of Paramus in Bergen County highlighted in red (left). Inset map: Location of Bergen County in New Jersey highlighted in orange (right). Interactive map of Paramus, New Jersey
Location of Paramus in Bergen County highlighted in red (left). Inset map: Location of Bergen County in New Jersey highlighted in orange (right).
Map
Interactive map of Paramus, New Jersey
Paramus is located in Bergen County, New Jersey
Paramus
Paramus
Location in Bergen County
Paramus is located in New Jersey
Paramus
Paramus
Location in New Jersey
Paramus is located in the United States
Paramus
Paramus
Location in the United States
Coordinates: 40°56′50″N 74°04′13″W / 40.947299°N 74.070169°W / 40.947299; -74.070169[1][2]
Country United States
State New Jersey
CountyBergen
IncorporatedApril 4, 1922
Government
[7]
 • TypeBorough
 • BodyBorough Council
 • MayorChristopher DiPiazza (R, term ends December 31, 2026)[3][4]
 • AdministratorHector Olmo[5]
 • Municipal clerkAnnemarie Krusznis[6]
Area
[8]
 • Total10.51 sq mi (27.21 km2)
 • Land10.45 sq mi (27.05 km2)
 • Water0.06 sq mi (0.16 km2)  0.60%
 • Rank206th of 565 in state
2nd of 70 in county[1]
Elevation
[9]
49 ft (15 m)
Population
 (2020)[10][11]
 • Total26,698
 • Estimate 
(2023)[10][12]
26,282
 • Rank95th of 565 in state
8th of 70 in county[13]
 • Density2,556.1/sq mi (986.9/km2)
  • Rank247th of 565 in state
49th of 70 in county[13]
Time zoneUTC−05:00 (Eastern (EST))
 • Summer (DST)UTC−04:00 (Eastern (EDT))
ZIP Codes
07652–07653[14][15]
Area code(s)201 and 551[16]
FIPS code3400355950[1][17][18]
GNIS feature ID0885340[1][19]
Websitewww.paramusborough.org

Paramus (/pəˈræməs/ pə-RAM-əs[20]) is a borough in the central portion of Bergen County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey. A suburban bedroom community of New York City, Paramus is located 15 to 20 miles (24 to 32 km) northwest of Midtown Manhattan and approximately 8 miles (13 km) west of Upper Manhattan. The Wall Street Journal characterized Paramus as "quintessentially suburban".[21] The borough is also a major commercial hub for North Jersey (home to Garden State Plaza and various corporate headquarters).[22]

As of the 2020 United States census, the borough's population was 26,698,[10][11] an increase of 356 (+1.4%) from the 2010 census count of 26,342,[23][24] which in turn reflected an increase of 605 (+2.4%) from the 25,737 counted in the 2000 census.[25]

Paramus was incorporated as a borough by an act of the New Jersey Legislature on March 2, 1922, and ratified by a referendum held on April 4, 1922, that passed by a vote of 238 to 10.[26][27] Paramus was created from portions of Midland Township, which now exists as Rochelle Park.[26][28] The borough's name is thought to have originated from the Unami language spoken by the Lenape Native Americans, derived from words meaning "land of the turkeys"[20] or "pleasant stream."[29]

Paramus has some of the most restrictive blue laws in the United States, dating back to the 17th century, banning nearly all white-collar and retail businesses from opening on Sundays except for gas stations, restaurants and grocery stores, and a limited number of other businesses.[30][31] Despite this, the borough is one of the largest shopping destinations in the country, generating over $6 billion in annual retail sales, more than any other ZIP Code in the United States.[32]

  1. ^ a b c d 2019 Census Gazetteer Files: New Jersey Places Archived March 21, 2021, at the Wayback Machine, United States Census Bureau. Accessed July 1, 2020.
  2. ^ US Gazetteer files: 2010, 2000, and 1990 Archived August 24, 2019, at the Wayback Machine, United States Census Bureau. Accessed September 4, 2014.
  3. ^ Cite error: The named reference MayorCouncil was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  4. ^ 2023 New Jersey Mayors Directory Archived March 11, 2023, at the Wayback Machine, New Jersey Department of Community Affairs, updated February 8, 2023. Accessed February 10, 2023.
  5. ^ Administration, Borough of Paramus. Accessed April 21, 2024.
  6. ^ Boro Clerk, Borough of Paramus. Accessed April 21, 2024.
  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. Archived from the original on February 13, 2023. Retrieved October 11, 2022.
  9. ^ "Borough of Paramus". Geographic Names Information System. United States Geological Survey, United States Department of the Interior. Retrieved March 8, 2013.
  10. ^ a b c Cite error: The named reference Census2020 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  11. ^ a b Cite error: The named reference LWD2020 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  12. ^ Cite error: The named reference PopEst was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  13. ^ a b Population Density by County and Municipality: New Jersey, 2020 and 2021 Archived March 7, 2023, at the Wayback Machine, New Jersey Department of Labor and Workforce Development. Accessed March 1, 2023.
  14. ^ Look Up a ZIP Code for Paramus, NJ Archived May 28, 2012, at the Wayback Machine, United States Postal Service. Accessed November 24, 2011.
  15. ^ Zip Codes Archived June 17, 2019, at the Wayback Machine, State of New Jersey. Accessed August 29, 2013.
  16. ^ Area Code Lookup – NPA NXX for Paramus, NJ Archived June 28, 2014, at the Wayback Machine, Area-Codes.com. Accessed August 29, 2013.
  17. ^ U.S. Census website Archived December 18, 2014, at the Wayback Machine, United States Census Bureau. Accessed September 4, 2014.
  18. ^ Geographic Codes Lookup for New Jersey Archived November 19, 2018, at the Wayback Machine, Missouri Census Data Center. Accessed April 1, 2022.
  19. ^ US Board on Geographic Names Archived February 4, 2012, at the Wayback Machine, United States Geological Survey. Accessed September 4, 2014.
  20. ^ a b Waggoner, Walter H. "Paramus Is Honored in Clean-Up Contest; Bergen Town Happy but Not Surprised by National Award" Archived October 16, 2018, at the Wayback Machine, The New York Times, February 16, 1966. Accessed October 16, 2018. "Paramus – pronounced puh-RAHM-us, with the accent on the second syllable – may have taken its name from 'perremus' or 'perymus,' Indian for 'land of the turkey'."
  21. ^ Minaya, Ezequiel. "Paramus, the Quintessential Suburb; Residents say the Bergen County borough has a small-town feel" Archived February 5, 2018, at the Wayback Machine, The Wall Street Journal, April 29, 2016. Accessed May 30, 2018. "Paramus, in New Jersey’s Bergen County, is quintessentially suburban but without a main street downtown lined with stores and restaurants and maybe a theater."
  22. ^ Lynn, Kathleen."Paramus, N.J.: Low Taxes and Lots of Shopping" Archived May 4, 2022, at the Wayback Machine, The New York Times, April 7, 2021. Accessed May 3, 2022.
  23. ^ Cite error: The named reference Census2010 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  24. ^ Cite error: The named reference LWD2010 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  25. ^ Table 7. Population for the Counties and Municipalities in New Jersey: 1990, 2000 and 2010 Archived June 2, 2022, at the Wayback Machine, New Jersey Department of Labor and Workforce Development, February 2011. Accessed May 1, 2023.
  26. ^ a b Snyder, John P. The Story of New Jersey's Civil Boundaries: 1606–1968, Bureau of Geology and Topography; Trenton, New Jersey; 1969. p. 84. Accessed May 30, 2024.
  27. ^ Paramus History, Borough of Paramus. Accessed June 1, 2015.
  28. ^ Staff. Acts of the One Hundred and Forty-Sixth Legislature of the State of New Jersey, pp. 81-83. New Jersey Secretary of State, 1922. Accessed October 17, 2015. "An Act to incorporate the borough of Paramus, in the county of Bergen"
  29. ^ Hutchinson, Viola L. The Origin of New Jersey Place Names Archived November 15, 2015, at the Wayback Machine, New Jersey Public Library Commission, May 1945. Accessed September 8, 2015.
  30. ^ Thomas, Lauren (October 20, 2019). "A law from the 1600s will keep retail shops closed on Sundays at the nation's newest shopping mall". CNBC. Archived from the original on January 28, 2022. Retrieved January 28, 2022.
  31. ^ Tompkins, John. "Sunday Selling Plaguing New Jersey" Archived October 24, 2017, at the Wayback Machine, The New York Times, June 2, 1957. Accessed December 18, 2017. "The battle over whether retailers should be allowed to sell on Sunday is becoming more intense in New Jersey as lobbyists on both sides increase their efforts."
  32. ^ Pries, Allison. "Inside the N.J. town where retail spending beats Hollywood and tourism rivals Disney" Archived October 30, 2019, at the Wayback Machine, NJ Advance Media for NJ.com, March 10, 2019, updated June 19, 2019. Accessed October 6, 2019. "The former farming community already sees more retail sales than any other ZIP Code in the country.... More than $6 billion in retail sales happen in Paramus each year."