Westfield, New Jersey facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Westfield, New Jersey
Town
Downtown Westfield
Seal
Map of Westfield in Union County. Inset: Location of Union County highlighted in the State of New Jersey.
Census Bureau map of Westfield, New Jersey
Westfield, New Jersey Location in Union County, New Jersey Show map of Union County, New Jersey Westfield, New Jersey Location in New Jersey Show map of New Jersey Westfield, New Jersey Location in the United States Show map of the United States
Country	United States
State	New Jersey
County	Union
Formed	January 27, 1794
Incorporated	February 21, 1798 (as township)
Reincorporated	March 4, 1903 (as town)
Government
• Type	Special charter
• Body	Town Council
Area
• Total	6.74 sq mi (17.46 km2)
• Land	6.72 sq mi (17.42 km2)
• Water	0.02 sq mi (0.05 km2)  0.28%
Area rank	246th of 565 in state 5th of 21 in county
Elevation	118 ft (36 m)
Population  (2020)
• Total	31,032
• Estimate  (2023)	30,559
• Rank	77th of 565 in state 5th of 21 in county
• Density	4,615.1/sq mi (1,781.9/km2)
• Density rank	126th of 565 in state 12th of 21 in county
Time zone	UTC−05:00 (Eastern (EST))
• Summer (DST)	UTC−04:00 (Eastern (EDT))
ZIP Codes	07090–07091
Area code(s)	908
FIPS code	3403979040
GNIS feature ID	0885436

Westfield is a town in Union County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey, located 16 miles (26 km) southwest of Manhattan. As of the 2020 United States census, the town's population was 31,032, an increase of 716 (+2.4%) from the 2010 census count of 30,316, which in turn reflected an increase of 672 (+2.3%) from the 29,644 counted in the 2000 census.

In March 2018, Bloomberg ranked Westfield as the 99th highest-income place in the United States, and the 18th highest-income location in New Jersey. According to a 2014 nationwide survey, Westfield was ranked as the 30th-safest city to live in the United States.

The town has been one of the state's highest-income communities. Based on data from the American Community Survey for 2013–2017, Westfield residents had a median household income of $159,923, ranked 8th in the state among municipalities with more than 10,000 residents, more than double the statewide median of $76,475.

History

Panoramic map of Westfield with inset images and listings of landmarks (1929)

History says that Westfield took its name from the rich "fields west of Elizabeth Town, and hence for over one hundred years went by the name of West Fields." Town records say that "the settlement of Westfield dates back to the last year (1699) of the seventeenth century. It was the result of the 'Clinker Lot Division.' Almost immediately after the division emigration from the older parts of the town of Elizabeth began to set towards the interior,—especially to the territory lying between the Rahway river, on the east, and the mountains, on the west. It was not, however, until 1720 that the settlers became numerous enough to constitute a distinct community." The old village area, now the downtown district, was settled in 1720 as part of the Elizabethtown Tract.

Miller-Cory House Museum

Westfield was originally formed as a township on January 27, 1794, from portions of Elizabeth Township, while the area was still part of Essex County, and was incorporated on February 21, 1798, as one of New Jersey's initial group of 104 townships by an act of the New Jersey Legislature. It became part of the newly formed Union County on March 19, 1857. Portions of the township have been taken to form Rahway Township (February 27, 1804), Plainfield Township (April 5, 1847), Cranford Township (March 14, 1871), Fanwood Township (March 6, 1878; now known as Scotch Plains) and Mountainside (September 25, 1895). The Town of Westfield was incorporated on March 4, 1903, replacing Westfield Township. The name of the town is derived from its location in the western, undeveloped fields of the Elizabethtown tract.

Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau, the town had a total area of 6.74 square miles (17.46 km²), including 6.72 square miles (17.42 km²) of land and 0.02 square miles (0.05 km²) of water (0.28%).

Unincorporated communities, localities and place names located partially or completely within the township include Germantown and Tamaques Reservation Mill.

Six municipalities border the town of Westfield: Mountainside to the north, Springfield Township to the northeast, Garwood and Cranford to the east, Clark to the southeast, and Scotch Plains to the west and southwest.

The upper reaches of the Rahway River Parkway run through the township along tributaries of the Rahway River.

The Robinson's Branch of the Rahway River additionally flows through the southern portion of Westfield en route to the Robinson's Branch Reservoir, also known as the Clark Reservoir.

It is located about one hour from Manhattan.

Community

Library

The Westfield Memorial Library was founded in 1873 as the "Every Saturday Book Club" and has evolved over the past century into the Westfield Memorial Library of today. The Library is located in a large, modern, Williamsburg-style building at 550 East Broad Street. The library's collection consists of over 250,000 books, two dozen public computers, a wide array of multimedia options, a large youth services area with a vivid mural depicting Westfield history, and multiple tables and carrels for studying. The library offers classes for adults and children, storytimes for children, and computer instruction.

Downtown

Downtown Westfield in 2018

Westfield's downtown features many local and national stores and several landmarks that were shown and used in the NBC network television show Ed such as the Rialto Theater. There are over 40 restaurants and casual dining establishments throughout the downtown. Downtown is located mostly north of the Westfield train station. The downtown area has a mix of independent stores and boutiques as well as national stores. Over one-third of the retailers and restaurants have existed for 25 years or more.

Downtown Westfield, with over 200 retail establishments and 400 commercial enterprises, is a regional destination in New Jersey. The Downtown Westfield Corporation (DWC) manages the Special Improvement District (SID) area's growth and enhancement. The DWC participates in the National Main Street program associated with the National Trust for Historic Preservation. It is funded by a SID assessment on downtown properties and operates as the district's management agency. The DWC sponsors marketing efforts and promotions, special event planning, urban design and building improvement projects. The DWC works closely with the town government and volunteer groups to improve the downtown area. In 2004, Westfield won the Great American Main Street Award from the National Trust. In 2010, Westfield was the winner of the America in Bloom contest for communities with a population of 25,001–50,000 against the other two towns entered in their category. Shopping and dining in Westfield attracts citizens from other communities across the state.

Several war memorials (including ones dedicated to the Korean War, World War II, Spanish–American War, and the Vietnam War) are located in a plaza near the downtown. The plaza is also home to the September 11 Memorial Park, which pays special tribute to the residents of Westfield who died in the September 11 terrorist attacks.

Downtown Westfield hosts events and festivals throughout the year. Throughout the summer, jazz groups perform live, outdoors, every Tuesday night. October 2018 saw the first annual AddamsFest, honoring Westfield resident Charles Addams. The festival featured exhibits, lectures, film screenings, and a masquerade ball, among other things. Other festivals include the Spring Fling and FestiFall.

In August 2020, Le Tote announced that Lord & Taylor, the town's only department store and the chain's only freestanding location in New Jersey, would close as part of a plan to shut down 38 Lord & Taylor store nationwide. Efforts are being made to redevelop the site.

Parks and recreation

View of the pond in Mindowaskin Park in summer evening

Parks in the town include:

• Brightwood Park
• Gumbert Park
• Lenape Park, is a 450-acre (180 ha) wildlife reserve and park that is part of Union County's Rahway River Parkway. The park also includes portions of Cranford, Kenilworth and Springfield Township. An approximately 4.5-mile off-road paved pedestrian path stretches eastbound from Mountainside Police Headquarters in Mountainside, through Echo Lake Park in Westfield, Lenape Park in Westfield and Cranford, Black Brook Park in Kenilworth, and ending near 505 North Michigan Avenue in Kenilworth.
• Mindowaskin Park
• Tamaques Park
• Gary Kehler Stadium is named in honor of Gary Kehler (1931–2007), the former Westfield High School football coach and long-time town resident.

Demographics

2010 census

The 2010 United States census counted 30,316 people, 10,566 households, and 8,199 families in the town. The population density was 4,512.2 per square mile (1,742.2/km²). There were 10,950 housing units at an average density of 1,629.8 per square mile (629.3/km²). The racial makeup was 88.17% (26,729) White, 3.25% (984) Black or African American, 0.12% (36) Native American, 5.67% (1,718) Asian, 0.03% (10) Pacific Islander, 0.79% (241) from other races, and 1.97% (598) from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 4.92% (1,492) of the population.

Of the 10,566 households, 43.1% had children under the age of 18; 68.0% were married couples living together; 7.5% had a female householder with no husband present and 22.4% were non-families. Of all households, 19.2% were made up of individuals and 9.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.85 and the average family size was 3.31.

30.0% of the population were under the age of 18, 4.7% from 18 to 24, 22.5% from 25 to 44, 29.7% from 45 to 64, and 13.1% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 41.0 years. For every 100 females, the population had 92.7 males. For every 100 females ages 18 and older there were 87.2 males.

The Census Bureau's 2006–2010 American Community Survey showed that (in 2010 inflation-adjusted dollars) median household income was $127,799 (with a margin of error of +/− $10,580) and the median family income was $150,797 (+/− $11,480). Males had a median income of $111,762 (+/− $7,767) versus $71,217 (+/− $5,624) for females. The per capita income for the town was $63,498 (+/− $4,577). About 0.9% of families and 2.3% of the population were below the poverty line, including 2.4% of those under age 18 and 2.0% of those age 65 or over.

Education

Public school students in pre-kindergarten through twelfth grades attend the Westfield Public Schools. As of the 2018–19 school year, the district, comprised of 10 schools, had an enrollment of 6,304 students and 500.4 classroom teachers (on an FTE basis), for a student–teacher ratio of 12.6:1. The district has a central kindergarten, six neighborhood elementary schools (grades 1–5), two middle schools (grades 6–8) divided by a "North Side / South Side" boundary, and one high school (grades 9–12). The schools in the district (with 2018–19 enrollment data from the National Center for Education Statistics) are Lincoln Early Childhood Center (with 310 students; in grades Pre-K–K), Franklin Elementary School (580; 1–5 – North), Jefferson Elementary School (442; 1–5 – South), McKinley Elementary School (341; 1–5 – South), Tamaques Elementary School (401; 1–5 – South), Washington Elementary School (309; 1–5 – North), Wilson Elementary School (355; 1–5 – North), Roosevelt Intermediate School (777; 6–8 – North), Thomas Alva Edison Intermediate School (844; 6–8 – South) and Westfield High School (1,865; 9–12).

For high school, public school students from Westfield and all of Union County are eligible to apply to attend the Union County Vocational Technical Schools, which include Union County Magnet High School, Union County Academy for Information Technology, Union County Academy for Allied Health Sciences, Union County Vocational Technical High School and Union County Academy for Performing Arts.

Holy Trinity School is a Middle States-accredited Catholic school run by the three parishes of Holy Trinity and St. Helen's in Westfield along with Our Lady of Lourdes in Mountainside, which offers education from pre-kindergarten to 8th grade and operates under the auspices of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Newark.

Transportation

Roads and highways

Route 28 eastbound, County Route 509 northbound and CR 610 westbound through Westfield

As of May 2010^[update], the town had a total of 108.63 miles (174.82 km) of roadways, of which 96.69 miles (155.61 km) were maintained by the municipality, 9.94 miles (16.00 km) by Union County and 2.00 miles (3.22 km) by the New Jersey Department of Transportation.

The main road serving Westfield is Route 28, which runs for about two miles alongside the commuter railroad that marks the boundary between the town's North and South Sides. Westfield can also be accessed by Exits 135 and 137 of the nearby Garden State Parkway, or by the Lawrence, Mountain, or Springfield Avenue exits of U.S. Route 22.

Public transportation

Westfield Station

NJ Transit (NJT) provides passenger rail service from the Westfield train station. Commuter rail service is offered on the Raritan Valley Line to Newark Penn Station with connecting service to New York Penn Station. Westfield riders are able to make a one-seat ride (no transfer necessary) into NY Penn Station during weekday off-peak hours, which was made possible by upgrades of the NJT train equipment to operate into New York City. Westfield's position and schedule on the Raritan Valley Line make it desirable for commuters, as several times in the morning and evening rush hours a non-stop service operates to/from Newark Penn Station. On these non-stop services, the one-way journey time to/from NY Penn Station is 50 minutes, or 20 minutes to/from Newark Penn Station.

The NJ Transit 113 bus route provides one-seat service to New York City's Port Authority Bus Terminal seven days per week from the town center, taking approximately one hour to NYC, with additional service available along Route 22 on the northern edge of the town (NJT bus routes 114 and 117), taking approximately 45 minutes. The 59 route provides local bus service between Plainfield and Newark.

Newark Liberty International Airport is approximately 20 minutes away, most conveniently reached via Route 22 or NJT trains. Linden Airport, a general aviation facility, is in nearby Linden, New Jersey.

Services

Residential telephone service is provided by Verizon Communications. Westfield cable television is supplied by Comcast [1], which also delivers Westfield Community Television (channel 36), News 12 New Jersey (channel 62), and Scotch Plains Local Access Channel (channel 34) Verizon FiOS is also offered in Westfield, which gives the option of digital cable, high-speed internet and telephone service. Power is supplied through the Public Service Electric and Gas Company. Gas is supplied by Elizabethtown Gas and water by American Water of New Jersey. Recycling is collected curbside by private haulers contracted by the Department of Public Works on a biweekly basis, while trash is collected by private haulers hired by residents.

Media

Westfield is served by the locally published weekly newspaper, The Westfield Leader. The Record-Press had served the community until it ended publication in 2008. Westfield is also served by multi-community newspapers including the Courier News, a daily newspaper based in Bridgewater Township, and The Star-Ledger based in Newark. Westfield Patch is an online news source dedicated strictly to local Westfield news that is updated around the clock by a small staff of paid editors and volunteer contributors. Likewise, TAPInto Westfield is an online news source dedicated to local Westfield news.

Westfield + Cranford Local is a monthly magazine covering the two towns that launched in the early 2020s.

Westfield Community Television (WCT)

The local community access channel 36 operates out of the Municipal Building on Broad Street in Westfield on Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays and half of every Sunday. WCT provides limited community-related programming, coverage of town council meetings, and operates the WCT Bulletin Board. WCT shares time on channel 36 with Blue Devil Television, which originates from Westfield High School and produces nearly 200 original productions each academic year.

Culture

The Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America Metropolis of New Jersey is headquartered in Westfield.

Notable people

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

Trivia

As recently as 2017, the Broaddus family living in Westfield received letters from a supposed stalker who referred to himself as "The Watcher," causing a national sensation. The Broaddus family's experience, along with the 1971 John List family murders that also occurred in Westfield, were later adapted into the 2022 Netflix series The Watcher.

See also

In Spanish: Westfield (Nueva Jersey) para niños