Rockaway, New Jersey facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Rockaway, New Jersey
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Borough
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Joseph Jackson House, the Rockaway Borough Public Library
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Location of Rockaway in Morris County circled and highlighted in red (right). Inset map: Location of Morris County in New Jersey highlighted in orange (left).
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Census Bureau map of Rockaway, New Jersey
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 Rockaway, New Jersey
Location in Morris County, New Jersey
Rockaway, New Jersey
Location in New Jersey
Rockaway, New Jersey
Location in the United States
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| Country |  United States |
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| State |  New Jersey |
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| County |  Morris |
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| Incorporated | June 19, 1894 | |
| Government | ||
| • Type | Borough | |
| • Body | Borough Council | |
| Area | ||
| • Total | 2.12 sq mi (5.50 km2) | |
| • Land | 2.08 sq mi (5.38 km2) | |
| • Water | 0.05 sq mi (0.12 km2) 2.22% | |
| Area rank | 400th of 565 in state 34th of 39 in county |
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| Elevation | 538 ft (164 m) | |
| Population
(2020)
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| • Total | 6,598 | |
| • Estimate
(2023)
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6,596 | |
| • Rank | 326th of 565 in state 27th of 39 in county |
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| • Density | 3,181.3/sq mi (1,228.3/km2) | |
| • Density rank | 210th of 565 in state 10th of 39 in county |
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| Time zone | UTC−05:00 (Eastern (EST)) | |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC−04:00 (Eastern (EDT)) | |
| ZIP Code |
07866
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| Area code(s) | 973 | |
| FIPS code | 3402764050 | |
| GNIS feature ID | 0885374 | |
| Website | ||
Rockaway is a borough in Morris County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey. As of the 2020 United States census, the borough's population was 6,598, an increase of 160 (+2.5%) from the 2010 census count of 6,438, which in turn reflected a decline of 35 (−0.5%) from the 6,473 counted in the 2000 census.
Contents
History
Rockaway was formed as a borough on June 19, 1894, from portions of Rockaway Township, based on the results of a referendum held the previous day. Additional portions of Rockaway Township were annexed by the borough in 1908.
The borough shares its name with the Rockaway River and the neighboring township. The name is derived from a Native American term, variously said to mean "place of sands", "creek between two hills" or "bushy" / "difficult to cross".
The First Presbyterian Church of Rockaway was founded in 1758. Many veterans of the American Revolutionary War are buried in its cemetery. The current brick church was built in 1832.
Geography
According to the United States Census Bureau, the borough had a total area of 2.12 square miles (5.49 km2), including 2.07 square miles (5.37 km2) of land and 0.05 square miles (0.12 km2) of water (2.22%).
Rockaway borders the Morris County municipalities of Denville Township and Rockaway Township.
Climate
The climate in this area is characterized by hot, humid summers and moderately cold winters. According to the Köppen climate classification system, Rockaway has a hot-summer humid continental climate, abbreviated "Dfa" on climate maps.
Demographics
| Historical population | |||
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| Census | Pop. | %± | |
| 1900 | 1,483 | — | |
| 1910 | 1,902 | 28.3% | |
| 1920 | 2,655 | 39.6% | |
| 1930 | 3,132 | 18.0% | |
| 1940 | 3,514 | 12.2% | |
| 1950 | 3,812 | 8.5% | |
| 1960 | 5,413 | 42.0% | |
| 1970 | 6,383 | 17.9% | |
| 1980 | 6,852 | 7.3% | |
| 1990 | 6,243 | −8.9% | |
| 2000 | 6,473 | 3.7% | |
| 2010 | 6,438 | −0.5% | |
| 2020 | 6,598 | 2.5% | |
| 2023 (est.) | 6,596 | 2.5% | |
| Population sources: 1900–1920 1900–1910 1910–1930 1940–2000 2000 2010 2020 |
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2010 census
The 2010 United States census counted 6,438 people, 2,443 households, and 1,656 families in the borough. The population density was 3,106.7 per square mile (1,199.5/km2). There were 2,521 housing units at an average density of 1,216.5 per square mile (469.7/km2). The racial makeup was 82.79% (5,330) White, 3.22% (207) Black or African American, 0.14% (9) Native American, 7.66% (493) Asian, 0.06% (4) Pacific Islander, 4.05% (261) from other races, and 2.08% (134) from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 15.07% (970) of the population.
Of the 2,443 households, 31.2% had children under the age of 18; 51.7% were married couples living together; 11.7% had a female householder with no husband present and 32.2% were non-families. Of all households, 24.6% were made up of individuals and 7.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.63 and the average family size was 3.20.
22.1% of the population were under the age of 18, 7.4% from 18 to 24, 27.9% from 25 to 44, 30.4% from 45 to 64, and 12.3% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 40.7 years. For every 100 females, the population had 95.0 males. For every 100 females ages 18 and older there were 92.0 males.
The Census Bureau's 2006–2010 American Community Survey showed that (in 2010 inflation-adjusted dollars) median household income was $77,861 (with a margin of error of +/− $10,631) and the median family income was $108,776 (+/− $9,129). Males had a median income of $57,770 (+/− $13,090) versus $37,868 (+/− $9,230) for females. The per capita income for the borough was $37,636 (+/− $4,186). About 6.3% of families and 6.5% of the population were below the poverty line, including 12.8% of those under age 18 and 1.6% of those age 65 or over.
Education
The Rockaway Borough Public Schools serve students in pre-kindergarten through eighth grade. As of the 2020–21 school year, the district, comprised of two schools, had an enrollment of 515 students and 52.8 classroom teachers (on an FTE basis), for a student–teacher ratio of 9.8:1. Schools in the district (with 2020–21 enrollment data from the National Center for Education Statistics) are Lincoln Elementary School with 223 students in grades Pre-K–3 and Thomas Jefferson Middle School with 283 students in grades 4–8.
Public school students in ninth through twelfth grades attend Morris Hills High School, in Rockaway Borough, which also serves students from Wharton and some from Rockaway Township (the White Meadow Lake section and other southern portions of the township). The Academy for Mathematics, Science, and Engineering, a magnet high school program that is part of the Morris County Vocational School District is jointly operated on the Morris Hills campus. The two high schools are part of the Morris Hills Regional High School District. As of the 2020–21 school year, the high school had an enrollment of 1,218 students and 119.7 classroom teachers (on an FTE basis), for a student–teacher ratio of 10.2:1.
Divine Mercy Academy, operated by the Roman Catholic Diocese of Paterson, is the only private school in Rockaway. It opened in September 2016 with the merger of the two Catholic schools in Rockaway, Sacred Heart of Jesus School and St. Cecilia School.
Transportation
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Roads and highways
As of May 2010[update], the borough had a total of 25.88 miles (41.65 km) of roadways, of which 20.16 miles (32.44 km) were maintained by the municipality, 3.53 miles (5.68 km) by Morris County and 2.19 miles (3.52 km) by the New Jersey Department of Transportation.
Interstate 80 clips the northeast corner of the borough. Access is provided via Exit 37 (County Route 513). U.S. Route 46 passes through the southern end of the borough.
Public transportation
NJ Transit train service does not stop in the borough, but is accessible in adjacent municipalities at Denville station and Dover station, where commuter trains are available on the Morris & Essex Lines and the Montclair-Boonton Line. The Morris and Essex Railroad and its successor the Delaware, Lackawanna, and Western Railroad formerly provided service to the town, but the Boonton Branch bypass was constructed in 1902 that provided a much shorter path to Dover, so service was cut in 1948.
NJ Transit offers local bus service on the 880 route, which replaced the MCM10 route that operated until 2010.
Lakeland Bus Lines offers bus service along Main Street to the New York City Port Authority Bus Terminal in Midtown Manhattan on its Route 46 and Route 80 lines.
In pop culture
Many scenes (the train tracks, Main Street and The Mill Lane Tavern) from the 2003 movie, The Station Agent, were filmed in Rockaway. The film starred actor Peter Dinklage.
The band Houston Calls had its start here.
Notable people
People who were born in, residents of, or otherwise closely associated with Rockaway include:
- Bruce Bannon (born 1951), former NFL linebacker
- Gerry Gallagher (born 1951), American football coach who was head coach of the William Paterson Pioneers football team
- Mike Lynn (1936–2012),American football executive who served as the general manager of the National Football League's Minnesota Vikings from 1975 to 1990
- Sue Naegle, business executive who was President of HBO Entertainment
- General Raymond T. Odierno (1954–2021), Chief of Staff of the United States Army and former commander of United States Forces – Iraq
- General Gustave F. Perna (born 1960), commander of United States Army Materiel Command
- Frank Joseph Rodimer (1927–2018), American Roman Catholic bishop, was born in Rockaway
- Erik Storz (born 1975), American football linebacker who played in the NFL for the Jacksonville Jaguars
- Rachel Wainer Apter (born 1980), Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of New Jersey
- June Walker (1934–2008), Chairperson of the Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations and a member of AIPAC's Executive Committee who was the national president of Hadassah Women's Zionist Organization of America
See also
In Spanish: Rockaway (Nueva Jersey) para niños
