South Orange, New Jersey

For the municipality known as South Orange Township until 1922, see Maplewood, New Jersey.

South Orange, New Jersey
Village
South Orange Village (until April 25, 2024)[1]
South Orange village hall
South Orange village hall
Official seal of South Orange, New Jersey
Seal
Map
Interactive map of South Orange
South Orange is located in Essex County, New Jersey
South Orange
South Orange
Location in Essex County
South Orange is located in New Jersey
South Orange
South Orange
Location in New Jersey
South Orange is located in the United States
South Orange
South Orange
Location in the United States
Coordinates: 40°44′56″N 74°15′41″W / 40.748811°N 74.261512°W / 40.748811; -74.261512[2][3]
Country United States
State New Jersey
CountyEssex
IncorporatedMay 4, 1869
Government
[8]
 • TypeSpecial charter
 • BodyBoard of Trustees
 • MayorSheena C. Collum[4][5]
 • AdministratorJulie Doran[6]
 • Village ClerkOjetti E. Davis[7]
Area
[2]
 • Total
2.85 sq mi (7.38 km2)
 • Land2.85 sq mi (7.37 km2)
 • Water<0.01 sq mi (<0.01 km2)  0.07%
 • Rank349th of 565 in state
17th of 22 in county[2]
Elevation
[9]
138 ft (42 m)
Population
 (2020)[10][11]
 • Total
18,484
 • Estimate 
(2023)[10][12]
18,208
 • Rank147th of 565 in state
13th of 22 in county[13]
 • Density6,494.7/sq mi (2,507.6/km2)
  • Rank81st of 565 in state
11th of 22 in county[13]
Time zoneUTC−05:00 (Eastern (EST))
 • Summer (DST)UTC−04:00 (Eastern (EDT))
ZIP Code
07079[14][15]
Area code(s)973 and 862[16]
FIPS code3401369274[2][17][18]
GNIS feature ID1867376[9]
Websitewww.southorange.org

South Orange is a historic suburban village adjacent to Newark in Essex County, New Jersey. It was known as the Township of South Orange Village from October 1978 until April 25, 2024. As of the 2020 United States census, the village population was 18,484,[10][11] an increase of 2,286 (+14.1%) from the 2010 census count of 16,198,[19][20] which in turn reflected a decline of 766 (−4.5%) from the 16,964 counted in the 2000 census.[21] Seton Hall University is located in the township.

"The time and circumstances under which the name South Orange originated will probably never be known," wrote historian William H. Shaw in 1884, "and we are obliged to fall back on a tradition, that Mr. Nathan Squier first used the name in an advertisement offering wood for sale" in 1795.[22] Other sources attribute the derivation for all of the Oranges to King William III, Prince of Orange.[23]

Of the 564 municipalities in New Jersey, South Orange Village is one of only four with a village type of government; the others are Loch Arbour, Ridgefield Park and Ridgewood.[24]

On March 11, 2024, the governing body adopted a change to its charter under which "township" will be dropped from the municipality's name, the name of the governing body and its leader will be the council and mayor (rather than board of trustees and president of the board of trustees) and municipal elections will be shifted from May to November (which will shift term-end dates for all current elected officials from May to December 31); these changes will take full effect on April 25, 2024, after 45 days have passed from the adoption of the ordinance.[25]

  1. ^ Municipal Code, Township of South Orange Village. Accessed May 17, 2023.
  2. ^ a b c d 2019 Census Gazetteer Files: New Jersey Places, United States Census Bureau. Accessed July 1, 2020.
  3. ^ US Gazetteer files: 2010, 2000, and 1990, United States Census Bureau. Accessed September 4, 2014.
  4. ^ Cite error: The named reference Mayor was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  5. ^ 2023 New Jersey Mayors Directory, New Jersey Department of Community Affairs, updated February 8, 2023. Accessed February 10, 2023.
  6. ^ Administration, South Orange Village. Accessed March 22, 2024.
  7. ^ Clerk's Office, South Orange Village. Accessed March 22, 2024.
  8. ^ Cite error: The named reference DataBook was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  9. ^ a b South Orange, Geographic Names Information System. Accessed April 25, 2021.
  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, New Jersey Department of Labor and Workforce Development. Accessed March 1, 2023.
  14. ^ Look Up a ZIP Code for South Orange, NJ, United States Postal Service. Accessed March 25, 2012.
  15. ^ Zip Codes, State of New Jersey. Accessed August 22, 2013.
  16. ^ Area Codes for ORANGE, NJ, Area-Codes.com. Accessed April 25, 2021.
  17. ^ U.S. Census website, United States Census Bureau. Accessed September 1, 2019.
  18. ^ Geographic Codes Lookup for New Jersey, Missouri Census Data Center. Accessed April 1, 2022.
  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. ^ Shaw, William H. History of Essex and Hudson Counties, Philadelphia: Everts and Peck, 1884.
  23. ^ Hutchinson, Viola L. The Origin of New Jersey Place Names, New Jersey Public Library Commission, May 1945. Accessed August 24, 2015.
  24. ^ Cerra, Michael F. "Forms of Government" Archived September 24, 2014, at the Wayback Machine, New Jersey Municipalities (publication of the New Jersey State League of Municipalities), March 2007. Accessed July 21, 2013.
  25. ^ "The quirky, bureaucratic reason this N.J. town just changed its official name", NJ Adbance Media for NJ.com, March 24, 2024. Accessed March 24, 2024. "Since 1977, what most people know as quaint South Orange Village has been officially known by the clunky name of The Township of South Orange Village. Blame it on bureaucracy, which enticed the village Board of Trustees to change South Orange to a township 46 years ago so that it could qualify for federal grants.... The village no longer has to call itself a township in order to qualify for federal money, so on March 11, the village Board of Trustees adopted a charter change that lops off ‘township” and restores the town’s original name, South Orange Village, adopted in 1869.... But the new charter abolishes the office of president and the Board of Trustees and replaces them with a mayor and council. It also moves elections from May to November. 'People are already calling me mayor,' Collum said, although she believes the charter change doesn’t take effect until 45 days after the March 11 adoption."