Passaic County, New Jersey

Passaic County
County
The Great Falls of the Passaic River in Paterson
The Great Falls of the Passaic River in Paterson
Flag of Passaic County
Flag
Official seal of Passaic County
Seal
Map of New Jersey highlighting Passaic County
Location within the U.S. state of New Jersey
Map of the United States highlighting New Jersey
New Jersey's location within the U.S.
Coordinates: 41°02′N 74°18′W / 41.03°N 74.30°W / 41.03; -74.30
Country United States
State New Jersey
FoundedFebruary 7, 1837[3]
Named for"Pasaeck", a Lenape word meaning "valley"
SeatPaterson[4]
Largest municipalityPaterson (population)
West Milford (area)
Government
 • Commissioner DirectorPat Lepore (D, term ends December 31, 2025)
Area
[5]
 • Total
198.39 sq mi (513.8 km2)
 • Land186.01 sq mi (481.8 km2)
 • Water12.38 sq mi (32.1 km2)  6.2%
Population
 (2020)
 • Total
524,118[1][2]
 • Estimate 
(2023)[1][6]
513,395 Decrease
Congressional districts5th, 9th, 11th
Websitepassaiccountynj.org
Map
Interactive map of Passaic County, New Jersey
Bergen and Passaic counties, 1872

Passaic County (/pəˈseɪ.ɪk/ pə-SAY-ik) is a county in the U.S. state of New Jersey that is part of the New York metropolitan area. As of the 2020 United States census, the county was the state's eighth-most-populous county,[7] with a population of 524,118,[1][2] its highest decennial count ever and an increase of 22,892 (+4.6%) from the 2010 census count of 501,226,[8] which in turn reflected an increase of 12,177 (+2.5%) from the 489,049 counted in the 2000 census.[1]

The most populous place in Passaic County is Paterson, the county seat, with 159,732 residents at the 2020 Census, more than 30% of the county's population,[2] while West Milford covered 80.32 square miles (208.0 km2), the largest total area of any municipality and more than 40% of the county's area.[9] The county is part of the North Jersey region of the state.[10][11]

  1. ^ a b c d Cite error: The named reference Census2020 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  2. ^ a b c Cite error: The named reference LWD2020 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  3. ^ Cite error: The named reference Story was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  4. ^ New Jersey County Map, New Jersey Department of State. Accessed July 10, 2017.
  5. ^ Cite error: The named reference CensusArea was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  6. ^ Cite error: The named reference PopEst was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  7. ^ Table 1. New Jersey Counties and Most Populous Cities and Townships: 2020 and 2010 Censuses, New Jersey Department of Labor and Workforce Development. Accessed December 1, 2022.
  8. ^ Cite error: The named reference Census2010 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  9. ^ Cite error: The named reference CPH232 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  10. ^ Willis, David P. "'This is how wars start': Does Central Jersey include both Ocean and Union counties?", Asbury Park Press, February 20, 2023. Accessed March 31, 2024. "North Jersey is defined as Sussex, Warren, Morris, Passaic, Bergen, Essex and Hudson counties; South Jersey would be Burlington, Camden, Gloucester, Atlantic, Salem, Cumberland and Cape May counties. But for Central, things get a little tricky. It would include Hunterdon, Somerset, Union, Middlesex, Mercer, Monmouth, and Ocean counties."
  11. ^ "Regions: North, Central, South, Shore - Best of NJ", Best of NJ, Accessed May 30, 2024. "Northern Jersey consists of Bergen, Essex, Hudson, Morris, Passaic, Sussex, and Warren County."