West Caldwell, New Jersey

West Caldwell, New Jersey
Township
Neighborhood reflecting the residential nature of West Caldwell
Neighborhood reflecting the residential nature of West Caldwell
Official seal of West Caldwell, New Jersey
Seal
Location in Essex County and the state of New Jersey.
Location in Essex County and the state of New Jersey.
Census Bureau map of West Caldwell, New Jersey
Census Bureau map of West Caldwell, New Jersey
West Caldwell is located in Essex County, New Jersey
West Caldwell
West Caldwell
Location in Essex County
West Caldwell is located in New Jersey
West Caldwell
West Caldwell
Location in New Jersey
West Caldwell is located in the United States
West Caldwell
West Caldwell
Location in the United States
Coordinates: 40°50′50″N 74°17′40″W / 40.847234°N 74.294428°W / 40.847234; -74.294428[1][2]
Country United States
State New Jersey
CountyEssex
IncorporatedFebruary 24, 1904
Government
[6]
 • TypeBorough
 • BodyTownship Council
 • MayorJoseph Tempesta Jr. (R, term ends December 31, 2026)[3][4]
 • Municipal clerkJoann DeBlasis (acting)[5]
Area
[1]
 • Total5.11 sq mi (13.24 km2)
 • Land5.10 sq mi (13.20 km2)
 • Water0.02 sq mi (0.04 km2)  0.31%
 • Rank274th of 565 in state
8th of 22 in county[1]
Elevation
[7]
177 ft (54 m)
Population
 (2020)[8][9]
 • Total11,012
 • Estimate 
(2023)[8][10]
10,799
 • Rank227th of 565 in state
16th of 22 in county[11]
 • Density2,160.5/sq mi (834.2/km2)
  • Rank283rd of 565 in state
19th of 22 in county[11]
Time zoneUTC−05:00 (Eastern (EST))
 • Summer (DST)UTC−04:00 (Eastern (EDT))
ZIP Codes
07006–07007[12][13]
Area code(s)201 (cell) and 862/973[14]
FIPS code3401378510[1][15][16]
GNIS feature ID1729717[1][17]
Websitewww.westcaldwell.com

West Caldwell is a township located in the West Essex area in northwestern Essex County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey. It is located approximately 16 miles (26 km) west of Manhattan and 6 miles (9.7 km) northwest of Newark. As of the 2020 United States census, the township's population was 11,012,[8][9] an increase of 253 (+2.4%) from the 2010 census count of 10,759,[18][19] which in turn reflected a decline of 474 (−4.2%) from the 11,233 counted in the 2000 census.[20]

West Caldwell was originally incorporated as a borough by an act of the New Jersey Legislature on February 24, 1904, from portions of Caldwell Township (now known as Fairfield Township).[21] In 1981, the borough was one of seven Essex County municipalities to pass a referendum to become a township, joining four municipalities that had already made the change, of what would ultimately be more than a dozen Essex County municipalities to reclassify themselves as townships in order take advantage of federal revenue sharing policies that allocated townships a greater share of government aid to municipalities on a per capita basis.[22][23][24][25] The borough was named for Caldwell Township, which in turn was named for Presbyterian minister James Caldwell.[26][27]

New Jersey Monthly magazine ranked West Caldwell as its 60th best place to live in its 2010 rankings of the "Best Places To Live" in New Jersey.[28]

  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 MayorCouncil 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. ^ Clerk's Office, Township of West Caldwell. Accessed April 21, 2023.
  6. ^ Cite error: The named reference DataBook was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  7. ^ U.S. Geological Survey Geographic Names Information System: Township of West Caldwell, Geographic Names Information System. Accessed March 14, 2013.
  8. ^ a b c Cite error: The named reference Census2020 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  9. ^ a b Cite error: The named reference LWD2020 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  10. ^ Cite error: The named reference PopEst was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  11. ^ 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.
  12. ^ Look Up a ZIP Code for West Caldwell, NJ, United States Postal Service. Accessed June 20, 2012.
  13. ^ Zip Codes, State of New Jersey. Accessed September 1, 2013.
  14. ^ Area Code Lookup - NPA NXX for West Caldwell, NJ, Area-Codes.com. Accessed September 1, 2013.
  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. ^ Snyder, John P. The Story of New Jersey's Civil Boundaries: 1606-1968, Bureau of Geology and Topography; Trenton, New Jersey; 1969. p. 130. Accessed May 30, 2024.
  22. ^ "Chapter VI: Municipal Names and Municipal Classification" Archived September 25, 2015, at the Wayback Machine, p. 73. New Jersey State Commission on County and Municipal Government, 1992. Accessed September 24, 2015.
  23. ^ "Removing Tiering From The Revenue Sharing Formula Would Eliminate Payment Inequities To Local Governments", Government Accountability Office, April 15, 1982. Accessed September 24, 2015. "In 1978, South Orange Village was the first municipality to change its name to the 'township' of South Orange Village effective beginning in entitlement period 10 (October 1978 to September 1979). The Borough of Fairfield in 1978 changed its designation by a majority vote of the electorate and became the 'Township of Fairfield' effective beginning entitlement period 11 (October 1979 to September 1980).... However, the Revenue Sharing Act was not changed and the actions taken by South Orange and Fairfield prompted the Town of Montclair and West Orange to change their designation by referendum in the November 4, 1980, election. The municipalities of Belleville, Verona, Bloomfield, Nutley, Essex Fells, Caldwell, and West Caldwell have since changed their classification from municipality to a township."
  24. ^ Narvaez, Alfonso A. "New Jersey Journal", The New York Times, December 27, 1981. Accessed September 24, 2015. "Under the Federal system, New Jersey's portion of the revenue sharing funds is disbursed among the 21 counties to create three 'money pools.' One is for county governments, one for 'places' and a third for townships. By making the change, a community can use the 'township advantage' to get away from the category containing areas with low per capita incomes."
  25. ^ Karcher, Alan J. New Jersey's Multiple Municipal Madness, pp. 119-120. Rutgers University Press, 1998. ISBN 9780813525662. Accessed September 24, 2015.
  26. ^ Hutchinson, Viola L. The Origin of New Jersey Place Names, New Jersey Public Library Commission, May 1945. Accessed October 25, 2015.
  27. ^ Gannett, Henry. The Origin of Certain Place Names in the United States, p. 63. United States Government Printing Office, 1905. Accessed October 25, 2015.
  28. ^ Staff. "Best Places To Live 2010", New Jersey Monthly, February 9, 2010. Accessed October 27, 2010.