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Bergen County is the most populous county of the state of New Jersey, United States. As of the 2000 Census, the population is 884,118. It is part of the New York Metropolitan Area. Its county seat is Hackensack6. Bergen County ranks as the 21st among the highest-income counties in the United States, with a per capita income of $33,638.
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Bergen County Culture
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Educational/Cultural
* New Jersey Naval Museum, Hackensack — There the USS Ling is moored in the Hackensack River and is available for tours as a museum ship.
* Aviation Hall of Fame and Museum of New Jersey, Teterboro Airport
* The Bergen Museum of Art and Science, Paramus
* Meadowlands Environment Center, Lyndhurst
* Tenafly Nature Center, Tenafly
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Bergen County History
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In 1675, Bergen was included in a judicial district with Essex, Monmouth and Middlesex counties, while the territory was called East Jersey, a proprietary colony (as opposed to a royal colony). In 1683, Bergen (along with the three other counties) was officially recognized as an independent county by the Provincial Assembly. At the time of its creation, Bergen County's territory also included the current territory of Hudson County (formed in 1840), and portions of Passaic County (formed in 1837).
Bergen saw several battles and troop movements during the American Revolutionary War. Fort Lee's location atop the New Jersey Palisades, opposite Fort Washington in Manhattan, made it a strategic position during the war. In November, 1776 the Battle of Fort Lee took place as part of the Continental Army's attempts to keep British forces from sailing up the Hudson River. After these defensive positions were hastily abandoned, the American forces staged a retreat through present-day Englewood and Teaneck, and across the Hackensack River at New Bridge Landing, one of the few sites where the river was crossed by a bridge. With the British in pursuit, this retreat allowed American forces to escape capture and regroup for subsequent successes against the British elsewhere in New Jersey later that winter. The Baylor Massacre took place in 1778 in River Vale, resulting in severe losses for the Continentals.
In 1852, the Erie Railroad began operating major rail services from Jersey City on the Hudson River to points north and west via leased right-of-way in the county. This became known as the Erie Main Line, and is still in use for passenger service today.
In the late 19th century, state law was changed to allow easy formation of municipalities with the Borough form of government. This led to the Boroughitis phenomenon where many new municipalities were created in a span of a few years.
Camp Merritt was created in eastern Bergen County for troop staging in World War I.
In 1931, the George Washington Bridge was completed, linking Fort Lee to Manhattan. This connection would spur development in the post-World War II era, developing much of the county to suburban levels. A second deck of traffic on the bridge was completed in 1962, expanding its capacity to 14 lanes.
In 1955, the U.S. Army created a Nike Missile station at Campgaw Mountain (in the west of the county) for the defense of the New York Metropolitan Area from strategic bombers. In 1959, the site was upgraded to house Nike-Hercules Missiles with increased range, speed and payload characteristics. The missile site closed in June 1971.
Bergen County is one of the last remaining areas of the country in which blue laws are still in effect. This means that nearly all businesses in the county are closed on Sundays.
In 2005, Bergen County, along with neighboring Passaic County, was listed by Forbes.com as the sixth most overpriced place in the nation. In 2004, the two counties were ranked second.
As of 2005, Bergen had the fourth-highest median property tax of any county in the nation at $6,846, the second highest in New Jersey behind Hunterdon.
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Bergen County News
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Search for "Hackensack NJ" - Arts & Leisure - The Gateway
| The scene is Oct. 8, 1904, in a bar called the Lapin Agile in Paris. There, two men - Albert Einstein and Pablo Picasso - are on the verge of breakthrough, but meet to discuss the values of genius and talent ... |
- Study will ID Rockland watersheds to address drainage - Journal News
| NEW CITY - The county plans to launch a major new study to determine the location of all watersheds in Rockland, an effort it hopes will lead to addressing drainage and flooding problems. |
- Lighten Up and Live Vibrantly. Dynamic Duo to Host Talk and Tea. - PR.com
| Gayle Gruenberg, Professional Organizer, and Verena Aibel, Professional Coach, will host talk and tea at Montvale, NJ, Public Library on October 23, 2008. |
- Ingredient Manufacturers Turn Powder Into Health Gold - Food Processing
| Fruit and vegetable powders, extracts and super-concentrates are making five-a-day easier. |
- Community Events- NJ - WABC 7
| The Big Walk Alpine Boat Basin, Palisades Park, NJ October 19, 2008 , 9:00am Come walk along the majestic Palisades and raise money for the children of YCS-Youth Consultation Service. |
- Two Apartment Complexes Sell for... - GlobeSt.com
| "The appeal of Jersey shore living year-round, with a reasonable commute to New York and New Jersey businesses, is contributing to strong occupancy rates for the area, topping 97%," Joseph Brecher, SVP of ... |
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Bergen County Recreation
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County parks
* Belmont Hill County Park, Garfield
* Campgaw Mountain Reservation, Mahwah
* Dahnert's Lake County Park, Garfield
* Darlington County Park, Mahwah
* McFaul Environmental Center, Wyckoff
* Ramapo Mountain Reservation, Mahwah
* Overpeck County Park, Leonia, Palisades Park, Ridgefield Park
* Riverside County Park, Lyndhurst, North Arlington
* Pascack Brook County Park, Westwood
* Saddle Ridge Riding Area, Franklin Lakes
* Saddle River County Park, Paramus, Glen Rock, Rochelle Park, Saddle Brook, Ridgewood
* Samuel Nelkin County Park, Wallington
* Van Saun County Park, Paramus
* Wood Dale County Park, Woodcliff Lake
* Bergen County Zoological Park, Paramus
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Bergen County Transportation
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Bergen County has a well-developed road network, including the northern termini of the New Jersey Turnpike (a portion of Interstate 95) and the Garden State Parkway, the eastern terminus of Interstate 80 and a portion of Interstate 287. US Highways 46, 202, 9, 9W, and New Jersey state highways 4, 17, 3, 120, 208, and the Palisades Interstate Parkway also serve the region.
Access to New York City is primarily available for motorists through the George Washington Bridge in Fort Lee and the Lincoln Tunnel in Hudson County. Train service is available on three lines from New Jersey Transit: the Bergen County Line, the Erie Main Line and the Pascack Valley Line. They run north-south to Hoboken Terminal with connections to the PATH train. New Jersey Transit also offers connecting one-stop service to New York Penn Station via the Secaucus Junction transfer station. Connections are also available at the Hoboken Terminal to the Hudson-Bergen Light Rail and New York Waterways ferry service to the World Financial Center and other destinations. Although the Hudson-Bergen Light Rail bears the "Bergen" name, it has not yet expanded to run into the county; this is planned for the future. There is also bus service, available from New Jersey Transit and private companies such as Red and Tan Lines and DeCamp Bus Lines, offering transport within Bergen County, elsewhere in New Jersey and to the Port Authority Bus Terminal and George Washington Bridge Bus Terminal in New York City.
The only airport in the county is Teterboro Airport in Teterboro, which is operated by the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey. Most commercial air traffic is handled by nearby Newark Liberty International Airport in Essex County, which also serves as a major airport for the City of New York.
For the main surface-street routes through the county, see List of county routes in Bergen County, New Jersey.
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