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Moonachie, New Jersey
Borough
Official seal of Moonachie, New Jersey
Seal
Location of Moonachie in Bergen County highlighted in red (left). Inset map: Location of Bergen County in New Jersey highlighted in orange (right).
Location of Moonachie in Bergen County highlighted in red (left). Inset map: Location of Bergen County in New Jersey highlighted in orange (right).
Census Bureau map of Moonachie, New Jersey
Census Bureau map of Moonachie, New Jersey
Moonachie, New Jersey is located in Bergen County, New Jersey
Moonachie, New Jersey
Moonachie, New Jersey
Location in Bergen County, New Jersey
Moonachie, New Jersey is located in New Jersey
Moonachie, New Jersey
Moonachie, New Jersey
Location in New Jersey
Moonachie, New Jersey is located in the United States
Moonachie, New Jersey
Moonachie, New Jersey
Location in the United States
Country  United States
State  New Jersey
County Bergen
Incorporated May 3, 1910
Government
 • Type Borough
 • Body Borough Council
Area
 • Total 1.74 sq mi (4.51 km2)
 • Land 1.73 sq mi (4.48 km2)
 • Water 0.01 sq mi (0.03 km2)  0.69%
Area rank 427th of 565 in state
54th of 70 in county
Elevation
3 ft (0.9 m)
Population
 (2020)
 • Total 3,133
 • Estimate 
(2023)
3,108
 • Rank 444th of 565 in state
66th of 70 in county
 • Density 1,810.9/sq mi (699.2/km2)
 • Density rank 308th of 565 in state
59th of 70 in county
Time zone UTC−05:00 (Eastern (EST))
 • Summer (DST) UTC−04:00 (Eastern (EDT))
ZIP Code
07074
Area code(s) 201
FIPS code 3400347700
GNIS feature ID 0885307

Moonachie (/mˈnɑːki/; moo-NAH-kee) is a borough in Bergen County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey, in the Hackensack River watershed. As of the 2020 United States census, the borough's population was 3,133, an increase of 425 (+15.7%) from the 2010 census count of 2,708, which in turn reflected a decline of 46 (−1.7%) from the 2,754 counted in the 2000 census.

Tradition is that the borough was named after Monaghie, an Iroquois chief who inhabited the local cedar forests in the 1600s. Moonachie was incorporated as a borough by an act of the New Jersey Legislature on April 11, 1910, from portions of Lodi Township, based on the results of a referendum held on May 3, 1910. On March 26, 1917, portions of Moonachie were taken to form Teterboro.

The name of the borough is pronounced "moo-nah-kee"; however, in January 1987, then-mayor of New York City Ed Koch pronounced it "mah-NOO-chee" when he made his now-famous quip that the New York Giants should hold their victory parade in the borough after the team had just won Super Bowl XXI. Koch had refused to grant the Giants permission to hold a parade within the city limits because the team plays its home games in New Jersey, not in New York City.

Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau, the borough had a total area of 1.74 square miles (4.51 km2), including 1.73 square miles (4.48 km2) of land and 0.01 square miles (0.03 km2) of water (0.69%).

The borough is approximately 9 miles (14 km) northwest of downtown Manhattan in New York City. Nearby is East Rutherford, in which can be found the Meadowlands Sports Complex, home to the National Football League's New York Giants and New York Jets, and a racetrack at which both thoroughbred horse racing and harness racing are conducted. Portions of Teterboro Airport are located in Moonachie.

The borough borders the Bergen County municipalities of Carlstadt, Hasbrouck Heights, Little Ferry, South Hackensack, Teterboro and Wood-Ridge.

Demographics

Historical population
Census Pop.
1900 212
1910 638 200.9%
1920 1,194 87.1%
1930 1,465 22.7%
1940 1,554 6.1%
1950 1,775 14.2%
1960 3,052 71.9%
1970 2,951 −3.3%
1980 2,706 −8.3%
1990 2,817 4.1%
2000 2,754 −2.2%
2010 2,708 −1.7%
2020 3,133 15.7%
2023 (est.) 3,108 14.8%
Population sources:
1910–1920 1910
1910–1930 1900–2020
2000 2010 2020

2010 census

The 2010 United States census counted 2,708 people, 1,005 households, and 702 families in the borough. The population density was 1,626.5 per square mile (628.0/km2). There were 1,053 housing units at an average density of 632.5 per square mile (244.2/km2). The racial makeup was 76.59% (2,074) White, 1.40% (38) Black or African American, 0.11% (3) Native American, 10.04% (272) Asian, 0.00% (0) Pacific Islander, 8.57% (232) from other races, and 3.29% (89) from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 24.37% (660) of the population.

Of the 1,005 households, 26.8% had children under the age of 18; 49.6% were married couples living together; 14.0% had a female householder with no husband present and 30.1% were non-families. Of all households, 24.8% were made up of individuals and 11.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.69 and the average family size was 3.24.

18.5% of the population were under the age of 18, 8.9% from 18 to 24, 23.5% from 25 to 44, 32.9% from 45 to 64, and 16.2% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 44.4 years. For every 100 females, the population had 97.2 males. For every 100 females ages 18 and older there were 95.2 males.

The Census Bureau's 2006–2010 American Community Survey showed that (in 2010 inflation-adjusted dollars) median household income was $53,500 (with a margin of error of +/− $6,570) and the median family income was $67,288 (+/− $10,087). Males had a median income of $52,647 (+/− $4,166) versus $42,670 (+/− $7,039) for females. The per capita income for the borough was $27,918 (+/− $2,593). About 4.0% of families and 6.6% of the population were below the poverty line, including 1.4% of those under age 18 and 12.9% of those age 65 or over.

Same-sex couples headed four households in 2010, the same number as was counted in 2000.

Education

Public school students in pre-kindergarten through eighth grade are served by the Moonachie School District at the Robert L. Craig School. As of the 2018–19 school year, the district, comprised of one school, had an enrollment of 317 students and 30.7 classroom teachers (on an FTE basis), for a student–teacher ratio of 10.3:1.

For ninth through twelfth grades, approximately 100 public school students from the borough attend Wood-Ridge High School in Wood-Ridge, as part of a sending/receiving relationship with the Wood-Ridge School District. As of the 2018–19 school year, the high school had an enrollment of 583 students and 46.9 classroom teachers (on an FTE basis), for a student–teacher ratio of 12.4:1.

Public school students from the borough, and all of Bergen County, are eligible to attend the secondary education programs offered by the Bergen County Technical Schools, which include the Bergen County Academies in Hackensack, and the Bergen Tech campus in Teterboro or Paramus. The district offers programs on a shared-time or full-time basis, with admission based on a selective application process and tuition covered by the student's home school district.

Transportation

2018-09-23 12 48 18 View north along Bergen County Route 503 (Moonachie Road) at Bergen County Route 36 (Moonachie Avenue-Empire Boulevard) in Moonachie, Bergen County, New Jersey
County Route 503 entering Moonachie

Roads and highways

As of May 2010, the borough had a total of 12.83 miles (20.65 km) of roadways, of which 9.83 miles (15.82 km) were maintained by the municipality and 3.00 miles (4.83 km) by Bergen County.

County Route 503 passes through Moonachie as Moonachie Road.

Public transportation

NJ Transit bus routes 161, 163, 164 provide service to the Port Authority Bus Terminal in Midtown Manhattan, service to Newark is offered on the 76 route and local service is available on the 703 (rush hour) and 772 bus routes.

Notable people

See also (related category): People from Moonachie, New Jersey

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

  • Lottie Brunn (1925–2008), German American acrobat who is believed to be the fastest woman juggler
  • Jennifer Velez (born 1965 or 1966), former commissioner of the New Jersey Department of Human Services
  • Nikita Whitlock (born 1991), fullback for the New York Giants

Related reading

  • Municipal Incorporations of the State of New Jersey (according to Counties) prepared by the Division of Local Government, Department of the Treasury (New Jersey); December 1, 1958.
  • Clayton, W. Woodford; and Nelson, William. History of Bergen and Passaic Counties, New Jersey, with Biographical Sketches of Many of its Pioneers and Prominent Men., Philadelphia: Everts and Peck, 1882.
  • Harvey, Cornelius Burnham (ed.), Genealogical History of Hudson and Bergen Counties, New Jersey. New York: New Jersey Genealogical Publishing Co., 1900.
  • Van Valen, James M. History of Bergen County, New Jersey. New York: New Jersey Publishing and Engraving Co., 1900.
  • Westervelt, Frances A. (Frances Augusta), 1858–1942, History of Bergen County, New Jersey, 1630–1923, Lewis Historical Publishing Company, 1923.

See also

Kids robot.svg In Spanish: Moonachie para niños

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