Kinnelon, New Jersey facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Kinnelon, New Jersey
Borough
Tripod Rock in Pyramid Mountain County Park
Seal
Location of Kinnelon in Morris County highlighted in red (right). Inset map: Location of Morris County in New Jersey highlighted in orange (left).
Census Bureau map of Kinnelon, New Jersey
Kinnelon, New Jersey Location in Morris County, New Jersey Show map of Morris County, New Jersey Kinnelon, New Jersey Location in New Jersey Show map of New Jersey Kinnelon, New Jersey Location in the United States Show map of the United States
Country	United States
State	New Jersey
County	Morris
Incorporated	March 21, 1922
Named for	Francis S. Kinney
Government
• Type	Borough
• Body	Borough Council
Area
• Total	19.25 sq mi (49.86 km2)
• Land	18.04 sq mi (46.73 km2)
• Water	1.21 sq mi (3.13 km2)  6.27%
Area rank	146th of 565 in state 10th of 39 in county
Elevation	699 ft (213 m)
Population  (2020)
• Total	9,966
• Estimate  (2023)	10,009
• Rank	246th of 565 in state 20th of 39 in county
• Density	552.8/sq mi (213.4/km2)
• Density rank	437th of 565 in state 33rd of 39 in county
Time zone	UTC−05:00 (Eastern (EST))
• Summer (DST)	UTC−04:00 (Eastern (EDT))
ZIP Code	07405
Area code(s)	201 and 973
FIPS code	3402737110
GNIS feature ID	0885269

Kinnelon (/ˈkɪnəlɒn/) is a borough in Morris County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey, located approximately 33 miles (53 km) west of New York City. As of the 2020 United States census, the borough's population was 9,966, a decrease of 282 (−2.8%) from the 2010 census count of 10,248, which in turn reflected an increase of 883 (+9.4%) from the 9,365 counted in the 2000 census. It is a low-density, suburban community, with many parks and trails.

Once known as Charlotteburg, Kinnelon was formed as a borough by an act of the New Jersey Legislature on February 20, 1922, from portions of Pequannock Township, based on the results of a referendum passed on March 21, 1922. The borough's name comes from Francis S. Kinney, who purchased 5,000 acres (20 km²) of land in the 1880s for an estate that included Lake Kinnelon, and built St. Hubert's Chapel in 1886 on an island in the lake.

Kinnelon is home to Smoke Rise, a private gated community that describes itself as one of the oldest gated communities in the United States. It includes more than 900 unique homes located on 3,500 acres (1,400 ha) in addition to Lake Kinnelon and Kitty Ann Mountain.

In 2012, Forbes.com listed Kinnelon as 462nd in its listing of "America's Most Expensive ZIP Codes", with a median home price of $630,414.

The borough is one of the state's highest-income communities. Based on data from the American Community Survey (ACS) for 2014–2018, Kinnelon residents had a median household income of $156,048, almost double the statewide median of $79,363.

History

Once known as Charlotteburg (named after Charlotte, wife of King George III of Great Britain), Kinnelon was formed as a borough by an act of the New Jersey Legislature on February 20, 1922, from portions of Pequannock Township, based on the results of a referendum passed on March 21, 1922.

By the 1880s Francis Kinney, a 19th-century industrialist who founded Kinney Brothers Tobacco Company built an estate that dates back to 1884. Kinney purchased upwards of 5,000 acres (20 km²) of land and built a colossal "summer cottage" known as Smoke Rise, which is a translation of the Pequannock Native American name for the mountainous area, where a heavy mist often rises at sunset. His son, Morris Kinney, for whom the borough of Kinnelon was named 41 years later, lived most of his life on the estate.

Upon Morris Kinney's death in 1945, he left the estate to longtime friend John Talbot Sr., former mayor of the borough, and a founder of the Chilton Memorial Hospital, Pompton Plains (John Talbot Sr. was a real estate developer in New York City and a patron of the arts and was credited with the revival of ballet as a major art form in the United States in the 1930s), as a tribute to their lifetime friendship and mutually shared love of Smoke Rise.

Following the Second World War, the need for suburban housing became evident, John Talbot Sr. went on to create The Smoke Rise Club, one of the earliest community club plans in the United States. Unlike so many developers, he insisted that the land be kept in its natural state as far as possible. When friends asked to purchase land on the estate to build homes, Talbot decided to develop a planned community designed primarily to serve New York corporation executives. The Smoke Rise Club was the result in November 1946.

In 1925, Frank Fay, Jr., a real estate developer, along with his son Frank Fay III, purchased 240 acres of farmland that boasted a small pond, later known as West Lake, to create a summer lake community called Fayson Lakes. The Fays advertised Fayson Lakes widely with ads being placed in The New York Times and New Jersey newspapers; heavily promoting its accessibility and proximity to New York City.

In 1931, an adjoining property featuring a small lake, later known as East Lake, was incorporated into the community. By 1938, an additional parcel of land was purchased where the area was eventually dammed to create a third lake, known as South Lake, in the 1950s. Most homes in the community remained summer residences until the Second World War. Fayson Lakes remains the borough's highest density area.

Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau, the borough had a total area of 19.24 square miles (49.82 km²), including 18.03 square miles (46.70 km²) of land and 1.21 square miles (3.13 km²) of water (6.27%).

The borough is home to Silas Condict County Park, which covers 1,000 acres (400 ha) and was dedicated in 1964. Tripod Rock is located in Kinnelon's Pyramid Mountain Natural Historical Area, portions of which are located in the borough. Its largest lake is Lake Kinnelon, which is within Smoke Rise, a private gated community of 900 homes located on 3,500 acres (1,400 ha).

Unincorporated communities, localities and place names located partially or completely within the township include Bald Hill, Brook Valley, Charlottesburg, Fayson Lakes, Ideal Lake, Jacksonville, Saw Mill Pond, Smoke Rise, Stickle Pond, Sun Tan Lake, Surprise Lake and Untermeyer Lake.

Splitrock Reservoir is 625 acres (2.53 km²) of wilderness, located on the borders of Kinnelon and Rockaway Township.

The highest mountain in Kinnelon is Kitty Ann Mountain. Located in Smoke Rise, the mountain offers views of northern New Jersey at an elevation of 1,140 feet (350 m) from the Smoke Rise Tower.

Portions of the borough are owned by the City of Newark, Essex County, for their Pequannock River Watershed, which provides water to the city from an area of 35,000 acres (14,000 ha) that also includes portions of Hardyston Township, Jefferson Township, Rockaway Township, Vernon Township and West Milford.

Kinnelon borders the municipalities of Boonton Township, Butler, Lincoln Park, Montville, Pequannock Township, Riverdale and Rockaway Township in Morris County; and West Milford in Passaic County.

Demographics

2010 census

The 2010 United States census counted 10,248 people, 3,472 households, and 2,927 families in the borough. The population density was 569.7 per square mile (220.0/km²). There were 3,600 housing units at an average density of 200.1 per square mile (77.3/km²). The racial makeup was 93.05% (9,536) White, 0.91% (93) Black or African American, 0.05% (5) Native American, 4.26% (437) Asian, 0.00% (0) Pacific Islander, 0.51% (52) from other races, and 1.22% (125) from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 4.08% (418) of the population.

Of the 3,472 households, 41.8% had children under the age of 18; 74.4% were married couples living together; 7.4% had a female householder with no husband present and 15.7% were non-families. Of all households, 12.8% were made up of individuals and 5.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.95 and the average family size was 3.24.

27.2% of the population were under the age of 18, 6.6% from 18 to 24, 19.0% from 25 to 44, 35.1% from 45 to 64, and 12.2% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 43.5 years. For every 100 females, the population had 99.7 males. For every 100 females ages 18 and older there were 95.8 males.

The Census Bureau's 2006–2010 American Community Survey showed that (in 2010 inflation-adjusted dollars) median household income was $129,664 (with a margin of error of +/− $11,416) and the median family income was $144,318 (+/− $7,698). Males had a median income of $98,094 (+/− $7,382) versus $71,886 (+/− $9,897) for females. The per capita income for the borough was $56,826 (+/− $3,939). About 1.4% of families and 1.5% of the population were below the poverty line, including 1.4% of those under age 18 and 0.8% of those age 65 or over.

Club communities

Smoke Rise East Gate Entrance

Kinnelon is home to two club communities: Smoke Rise and Fayson Lakes. In 2005, about 42% of the borough's total households resided between these two communities.

Smoke Rise

Smoke Rise is a private gated residential community established in 1946. It is one of the oldest gated communities in the United States, boasting over 900 unique homes located on 3,500 acres (1,400 ha) in addition to Lake Kinnelon and Kitty Ann Mountain.

Fayson Lakes

Fayson Lakes was founded in 1925 around three lakes located in the southeastern corner of the borough. It is named for the developers who started the community, Frank Fay Jr. and his son Frank Fay III. It has a variety of homes of different sizes and styles ranging from rustic winterized cabins to opulent custom-built homes.

Parks and recreation

The Kittatinny Valley on top of frozen Lake Kinnelon, next to Kitty Ann Mountain, which reaches 1,152 feet (351 m) in height

• Silas Condict County Park was established in 1963 and includes picnic areas, athletic fields, hiking trails, and the Casino, an old house that was used as a speakeasy in the Prohibition era. The Casino is used for parties, rentals, and other events. Home to a large lake for fishing and paddle boating, paddle boats are available to rent. The park is operated by the Morris County Park Commission.
• Stony Brook Park features recreational areas and playgrounds surrounded by a lake.

Economy

• Meadtown Shopping Center – a shopping center located on Route 23 in Kinnelon. It features numerous stores and restaurants.

Education

The Kinnelon Public Schools serves students in pre-kindergarten through twelfth grade. As of the 2020–21 school year, the district, comprised of four schools, had an enrollment of 1,670 students and 165.0 classroom teachers (on an FTE basis), for a student–teacher ratio of 10.1:1. Schools in the district (with 2020–21 enrollment data from the National Center for Education Statistics) are Kiel Elementary School with 312 students in grades Pre-K–2, Stonybrook Elementary School with 346 students in grades 3–5, Pearl R. Miller Middle School with 427 students in grades 6–8 and Kinnelon High School with 570 students in grades 9–12. In 2016, Kinnelon High School was named #3 in the state by New Jersey Monthly magazine, the school's highest ranking ever in the magazine's biannual rankings, and was listed as a top 500 high school by Newsweek.

Our Lady of the Magnificat School, a Catholic school that had been operated since 1964 under the auspices of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Paterson, closed after the 2009–10 school year in the face of declining enrollment and increasing deficits that the parish could no longer sustain.

Transportation

I-287 southbound in Kinnelon

Roads and highways

As of May 2010^[update], the borough had a total of 54.41 miles (87.56 km) of roadways, of which 44.94 miles (72.32 km) were maintained by the municipality, 7.42 miles (11.94 km) by Morris County and 2.05 miles (3.30 km) by the New Jersey Department of Transportation.

Route 23 runs along the northern border of the borough. Interstate 287 passes through in the southeastern area, but the closest exit is along Route 23 in neighboring Riverdale.

Public transportation

NJ Transit provides bus service to the Port Authority Bus Terminal in Midtown Manhattan on the 194 route.

Notable people

People who were born in, residents of, or otherwise closely associated with Kinnelon include:

• Juan Agudelo (born 1992), soccer player for the New England Revolution in Major League Soccer
• Kurt Allerman (born 1955), former NFL football player
• Rand Araskog (1931–2021), manufacturing executive, investor, and writer who served as the CEO of ITT Corporation
• Laura Benanti (born 1979), musical theatre actress who has appeared in numerous Broadway theatre productions
• Missy Elliott (born 1971), rapper, singer, songwriter, record producer, dancer, and philanthropist
• DJ Envy (born 1977), DJ who works on the syndicated radio show The Breakfast Club on Power 105.1
• Herbert O. Fisher (1909–1990), test pilot and aviation executive
• Ray Forrest (1916–1999), pioneering TV announcer, host and news broadcaster from the earliest era of television
• Bryan Gallego (born 1993), professional soccer player
• Oz Griebel (1949–2020), banker, lawyer, and political candidate who ran for Governor of Connecticut
• Erik Hanson (born 1965), former Major League baseball pitcher
• Brett Hearn (born 1958), modified stock car driver
• Ian Joyce (born 1985), professional soccer player who played for the Major League Soccer club Colorado Rapids
• Rene Joyeuse (1920-2012), World War II operative, spy and saboteur with the OSS, who was a physician, professor and researcher, co-founder of the American Trauma Society and the first person born in Switzerland to be honored with a burial in Arlington National Cemetery
• Stearns Matthews (born 1984), cabaret singer, recording artist, director, teacher, and pianist
• Roman Oben (born 1972), former NFL football player
• William A. Pailes (born 1952), astronaut who flew as a payload specialist aboard STS-51-J on the Space Shuttle Atlantis
• Elise Testone (born 1983), singer and American Idol contestant
• Harry L. Towe (1898–1977), Congressman who represented New Jersey's 9th congressional district from 1943 to 1951

See also

In Spanish: Kinnelon para niños