Rutherford, New Jersey | |
|---|---|
.jpg) The ‘Welcome to Rutherford’ sign | |
 Seal | |
| Nicknames: | |
 Location of Rutherford inBergen County highlighted in red (left). Inset map: Location of Bergen County inNew Jersey highlighted in orange (right). | |
 Census Bureau map of Rutherford, New Jersey | |
  Rutherford Location in the United States Show map of the United States | |
| Coordinates:40°49′13″N74°06′22″W / 40.820314°N 74.106041°W /40.820314; -74.106041[4][5] | |
| Country |  United States |
| State |  New Jersey |
| County | Bergen |
| Incorporated | September 21, 1881 |
| Named after | John Rutherfurd |
| Government | |
| • Type | Borough |
| • Body | Mayor and Council |
| • Mayor | Frank Nunziato (D, term ends December 31, 2023)[6][7] |
| • Administrator | Robert J. Kakoleski[8][9] |
| • Municipal clerk | Margaret "Missy" Scanlon[10] |
| Area | |
• Total | 2.89 sq mi (7.49 km2) |
| • Land | 2.78 sq mi (7.20 km2) |
| • Water | 0.11 sq mi (0.29 km2) 3.88% |
| • Rank | 342nd of 565 in state 29th of 70 in county[4] |
| Elevation | 66 ft (20 m) |
| Population | |
• Total | 18,834 |
| 18,852 | |
| • Rank | 146th of 565 in state 16th of 70 in county[17] |
| • Density | 6,772.4/sq mi (2,614.8/km2) |
| • Rank | 72nd of 565 in state 22nd of 70 in county[17] |
| Time zone | UTC−05:00 (Eastern (EST)) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC−04:00 (Eastern (EDT)) |
| ZIP Code | |
| Area code | 201[20] |
| FIPS code | 3400365280[4][21][22] |
| GNIS feature ID | 0885383[4][23] |
| Website | www |
Rutherford is aborough inBergen County, in theU.S. state ofNew Jersey. As of the2020 United States census, the borough's population was 18,834,[14][15] an increase of 773 (+4.3%) from the2010 census count of 18,061,[24][25] which in turn reflected a decline of 49 (−0.3%) from the 18,110 counted in the2000 census.[26]
Rutherford was formed as a borough by an act of theNew Jersey Legislature on September 21, 1881, from portions ofUnion Township, based on the results of areferendum held on the previous day.[27] The borough was named forJohn Rutherfurd, a U.S. Senator who owned land in the area.[28][29]
Rutherford has been called the "Borough of Trees"[30] and "The First Borough of Bergen County",[31] and is known as well for itspedestrian-focused downtown area adjacent to the borough'sBergen County Line (New Jersey Transit) railway station.
The ridge above theNew Jersey Meadowlands upon which Rutherford sits was settled byLenapeNative Americans long before the arrival ofWalling Van Winkle in 1687. Union Avenue, which runs from the Meadowlands to thePassaic River, may have been an Indian trail, but was more likely a property boundary line; it was referenced in the 1668 grant of land by proprietaryGovernorPhilip Carteret toJohn Berry.
During the early days of settlement, the land that is now Rutherford was part ofNew Barbadoes Township, as Berry had lived inBarbados, another English colony, before claiming his grant in New Jersey. New Barbadoes was part ofEssex County from 1693 to 1710, when Bergen County was formed. In 1826, the land became part ofLodi Township (of which today's remaining portion is nowSouth Hackensack). WhenHudson County was formed in 1840, the area that is todayNorth Arlington,Lyndhurst, Rutherford andEast Rutherford became part ofHarrison Township (of which today's remaining portion isHarrison town). However, the area reverted to Bergen County in 1852 and became known asUnion Township.[27]
Part of the region was known as Boiling Springs for a powerful and ceaseless spring located in the vicinity. Despite its name, the spring actually consisted of cold groundwater seeps rather than hot springs.[32]
TheErie Railroad built its Main Line fromJersey City across the Meadowlands in the 1840s.Daniel Van Winkle, a descendant of Walling, donated land in 1866 for a train station at Boiling Springs. Several resorts were built along the Passaic, with guests disembarking atBoiling Springs station and taking Union Avenue to the river. Later, the railroad opened a station closer to the river, atCarlton Hill, and a horsecar line (briefly on rails) along Jackson Ave took travelers to the resort area.
At the time, much of the property in Rutherford was farmland owned by the estate ofJohn Rutherfurd, a former New Jersey legislator andU.S. Senator, whose homestead was along the Passaic River, near present-day Rutherford Avenue.[33] Van Winkle opened a real estate office at Depot Square (nowStation Square) to sell the land of theRutherfurd Park Association, and began to lay out the area's street grid. The main roads were Orient Way, a wide boulevard heading south-southwest from Station Square, and Park Avenue, which headed west-southwest from Station Square to bring traffic to the new Valley Brook Race Course in what is now Lyndhurst.
In the 1870s, the area began to be called "Rutherford". The definitive reason for the change in spelling of the final syllable from "furd" to "ford" is unknown, though the change may have been the result of name recognition of theOhio politicianRutherford B. Hayes, who was electedPresident in 1876, or could have been because of a clerical error by theUnited States Postal Service.[34] The Post Office opened a facility called "Rutherford" in 1876. On September 21, 1881, the Borough of Rutherford was formed by formal vote of secession from Union Township.[27] By then, the community had about 1,000 residents.
In August 2025, a fire destroyed the Victorian building ofCongregation Beth-El, an Orthodox Jewish synagogue dating back to its founding in 1919. In 2012, a Molotov cocktail had been thrown the synagogue.[35]
Rutherford is home to the following locations on theNational Register of Historic Places:
According to theUnited States Census Bureau, the borough had a total area of 2.89 square miles (7.49 km2), including 2.78 square miles (7.20 km2) of land and 0.11 square miles (0.29 km2) of water (3.88%).[4][5]
Rutherford is aninner-ring suburb ofNew York City, located 8 miles (13 km) west ofMidtown Manhattan.[41]
The borough is bounded by thePassaic River borderingClifton andPassaic inPassaic County to the west, theErie Railroad borderingEast Rutherford to the north and east, theHackensack River borderingSecaucus to the southeast, andBerrys Creek, Wall Street West and Rutherford Avenue borderingLyndhurst to the south and southwest.[42][43][44]
| Census | Pop. | Note | %± |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1880 | 2,299 | — | |
| 1890 | 2,293 | −0.3% | |
| 1900 | 4,411 | 92.4% | |
| 1910 | 7,045 | 59.7% | |
| 1920 | 9,497 | 34.8% | |
| 1930 | 14,915 | 57.0% | |
| 1940 | 15,466 | 3.7% | |
| 1950 | 17,411 | 12.6% | |
| 1960 | 20,473 | 17.6% | |
| 1970 | 20,802 | 1.6% | |
| 1980 | 19,068 | −8.3% | |
| 1990 | 17,790 | −6.7% | |
| 2000 | 18,110 | 1.8% | |
| 2010 | 18,061 | −0.3% | |
| 2020 | 18,834 | 4.3% | |
| 2023 (est.) | 18,852 | [14][16] | 0.1% |
| Population sources: 1880–1920[45] 1880–1890[46] 1890–1910[47] 1890–1930[48] 1900–2020[49][50] 2000[51][52] 2010[24][25] 2020[14][15] | |||
As of the 2020 Census,[53] Rutherford had a total population of 18,834, 6,955 Total Households, a median household income of $136,069, and 7,370 Total Housing Units.
$136,069 Median Household Income
4.8% Poverty
Population 25 Years and Older
The2010 United States census counted 18,061 people, 6,949 households, and 4,663 families in the borough. Thepopulation density was 6,437.4 per square mile (2,485.5/km2). There were 7,278 housing units at an average density of 2,594.1 per square mile (1,001.6/km2). The racial makeup was 77.57% (14,010)White, 2.92% (527)Black or African American, 0.07% (13)Native American, 13.08% (2,362)Asian, 0.01% (1)Pacific Islander, 3.68% (664) fromother races, and 2.68% (484) from two or more races.Hispanic or Latino residents of any race were 14.08% (2,543) of the population.[24]
Of the 6,949 households, 29.8% had children under the age of 18; 52.8% were married couples living together; 10.4% had a female householder with no husband present and 32.9% were non-families. Of all households, 27.4% were made up of individuals and 9.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.56 and the average family size was 3.17.[24]
21.0% of the population was under the age of 18, 8.7% was from 18 to 24, 27.6% from 25 to 44, 29.3% from 45 to 64, and 13.5% was 65 years of age or older. The median age was 40.3 years. For every 100 females, the population had 92.7 males. For every 100 females ages 18 and older there were 90.2 males.[24]
The Census Bureau's 2006–2010American Community Survey showed that (in 2010inflation-adjusted dollars)median household income was $85,783 (with a margin of error of +/− $4,632) and the median family income was $104,293 (+/− $6,102). Males had a median income of $70,071 (+/− $8,275) versus $55,080 (+/− $4,045) for females. Theper capita income for the borough was $41,662 (+/− $3,383). About 3.6% of families and 4.6% of the population were below thepoverty line, including 4.5% of those under age 18 and 5.3% of those age 65 or over.[54]
Same-sex couples headed 65 households in 2010, an increase from the 48 counted in 2000.[55]
As of the2000 United States census[21] there were 18,110 people, 7,055 households, and 4,670 families residing in the borough. The population density was 6,451.7 inhabitants per square mile (2,491.0/km2). There were 7,214 housing units at an average density of 2,570.0 per square mile (992.3/km2). The racial makeup of the borough was 81.99%White, 2.70%African American, 0.04%Native American, 11.34%Asian, 0.03%Pacific Islander, 1.86% fromother races, and 2.03% from two or more races.Hispanic orLatino residents of any race were 8.59% of the population.[51][52]
There were 7,055 households, out of which 28.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 53.5% weremarried couples living together, 9.2% had a female householder with no husband present, and 33.8% were non-families. 28.3% of all households were made up of individuals, and 10.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.52 and the average family size was 3.16.[51][52]
In the borough 20.8% of the population was under the age of 18, 7.4% was from 18 to 24, 32.6% from 25 to 44, 24.6% from 45 to 64, and 14.6% was 65 years of age or older. The median age was 39 years. For every 100 females, there were 92.4 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 90.3 males.[51][52]
The median income for a household in the borough was $63,820, and the median income for a family was $78,120. Males had a median income of $51,376 versus $39,950 for females. Theper capita income for the borough was $30,495. About 2.3% of families and 3.7% of the population were below thepoverty line, including 3.1% of those under age 18 and 6.9% of those age 65 or over.[51][52]
Rutherford is the site of Architectural Window Manufacturing Corporation's plant[56] and Blue Foundry Bank's (formerly Boiling Springs Savings Bank) corporate headquarters.[57]
Rutherford, together withLyndhurst andNorth Arlington, was the site of theEnCap project, an effort to remediate landfills on the 785-acre (3.18 km2) site and construct homes and golf courses on top of the remediated site. On May 27, 2008, theNew Jersey Meadowlands Commission terminated its agreement with EnCap Golf Holdings, the company that had the contract to redevelop the site, after the company had missed targets to clean up the landfills as part of the project.[58]
The Highland Cross Development is a proposed project to consist of 800 units of housing, including 160affordable units, two hotels, and a large retail component. Rutherford officials have worked to get approval for the plan, in the face of opposition from the 14 mayors of the Hackensack Meadowlands Municipal Committee.[59]
William Carlos Williams, thePulitzer Prize–winningpoet who died in 1963, was born in Rutherford in 1883. For most of his adult life, he maintained aphysician's office in the house in which he lived, at 9 Ridge Road, at the corner of Park Avenue, even as he continued his artistic endeavors.[60]
The Rivoli Theatre was opened in 1922 as avaudeville house but was quickly converted into a movie palace. It was known for a large crystal chandelier suspended from the center of the auditorium. On January 9, 1977, the Rivoli was severely damaged in a fire.[61] Soon afterward, a plan was developed to restore the Rivoli and turn it into a performing arts center. TheWilliam Carlos Williams Center for the Performing Arts opened in 1981 and contains three movie screens as well as two performance halls.[62] Since 1995, the Williams Center's primary focus has been on concerts, ballet, opera, and theater for children.
TheMeadowlands Museum, which focuses on local history and began as a project of parents of children in the public schools in 1961 and was originally based in a room at Sylvan School,[63] moved to theYereance-Berry House at 91 Crane Avenue in 1974.
The GFWCWoman's Club of Rutherford is a non-profit volunteer organization that was organized in 1889. The club is located in the former Iviswold carriage house.[64]
The Rutherford Community Band was founded in 1941 and performs free concerts at venues throughout the borough, including the Hutzel Memorial Band Shell in Lincoln Park.[65][66]
Rutherford holds an annualstreet fair onLabor Day, which is the longest running street fair in New Jersey, and usually attracts 20,000 people.[67][68]
The first annual Rutherford West End Festival was held October 3, 2009, in the West End section of town.[69]
The Rutherford Multicultural Festival is an annual event that provides traditional entertainment and food from around the world.[70]
In 2017, the first annual Rutherford Downhill Derby provided kids and adults with the opportunity to build, design, and race gravity powered race carts.[71]
In 2018, the Rutherford Pride Alliance was founded.[72] In June 2019, there was a public raising of theLGBTQRainbow flag, to mark the 50th anniversary of theStonewall riots; the Rutherford council unanimously approved the flag raising, despite opposition from residents who argued that the move was divisive, and special preferences were being granted.[73]
Rutherford Memorial Park, in the northwest corner of town along the Passaic, was set aside as parkland by the voters in 1951. Its 30 acres (120,000 m2) include twobaseball diamonds, fivesoftball diamonds, aLittle League Baseball field, afootball stadium, sixtennis courts, twobasketball courts, and threeplaygrounds. Other active recreation parks include Tamblyn Field, near Route 3.[74]
The borough also has several smaller passive parks, including Lincoln Park across from borough hall, which was renovated in 2004. It includes a band shell and several monuments, including a cannon dating to theSpanish–American War, and is home to the borough's9/11 memorial, containing a piece of steel debris recovered from the site of the attacks.[75] Sunset Park is located just north of the intersection of Union and Jackson Avenues and is on the western-facing side of a rather steep hill. A plan to redesign the park is currently being developed.[76] Firefighters' Memorial Park is apocket park located at the intersection of Park and Mortimer Avenues.[77]
Lincoln Park has been host to town events, concerts, and memorials for decades. The Rutherford Community Band plays concerts during the summer. Other summer concerts are sponsored by the borough, as well as several movie nights in the park. In the fall, it has hosted the Bergen County Cultural Festival, which is funded and run by the Civil Rights Commission.
The Nereid Boat Club occupies a former boat sales building on the Passaic, at the foot of Newell Avenue. Therowing club, established inNutley in 1875, relocated to Rutherford in 1996.[78]
Rutherford is governed under theborough form of New Jersey municipal government, which is used in 218 municipalities (of the 564) statewide, making it the most common form of government in New Jersey.[79] The governing body is comprised of a mayor and a borough council, with all positions electedat-large on a partisan basis as part of the November general election. A mayor is elected directly by the voters to a four-year term of office. The borough council includes six members elected to serve three-year terms on a staggered basis, with two seats coming up for election each year in a three-year cycle.[11] The borough form of government used by Rutherford is a "weak mayor / strong council" government in which council members act as the legislative body with the mayor presiding at meetings and voting only in the event of a tie. The mayor canveto ordinances subject to anoverride by a two-thirds majority vote of the council. The mayor makes committee and liaison assignments for council members, and most appointments are made by the mayor with the advice and consent of the council.[80][81] The borough operates with numerous committees to assist the government in carrying out its responsibilities. In addition to statutory bodies such as the planning board and zoning board of adjustment, dozens of volunteers staff other committees appointed annually, providing recommendations to the council.
As of 2023[update], themayor of the Borough of Rutherford isDemocrat Frank Nunziato, whose term of office ends December 31, 2027.[82] Members of the Rutherford Borough Council are Council President Stephanie McGowan (D, 2024), Matthew Cokeley (D, 2024), Christie Del Rey-Cone (D, 2023), Raymond L. Guzmán (D, 2025), Susan E. Quatrone (D, 2023), and John Errico (D, 2025).(.[6][83][84][85][86][87][88]
In November 2019, the borough council selected Raymond Guzman from a list of three candidates nominated by the Democratic municipal committee to complete the term expiring in December 2020 that had been held by Frank Nunziato until he resigned from his council seat to take office as mayor.[89]
Rutherford is located in the 9th Congressional District[90] and is part of New Jersey's 36th state legislative district.[91][92][93]
For the119th United States Congress,New Jersey's 9th congressional district is represented byNellie Pou (D,North Haledon)[94] New Jersey is represented in theUnited States Senate byDemocratsCory Booker (Newark, term ends 2027) andAndy Kim (Moorestown, term ends 2031).[95]
For the2024-2025 session, the36th legislative district of theNew Jersey Legislature is represented in theState Senate byPaul Sarlo (D,Wood-Ridge) and in theGeneral Assembly byClinton Calabrese (D,Cliffside Park) andGary Schaer (D,Passaic).[96]
Bergen County is governed by a directly electedCounty Executive, with legislative functions performed by aBoard of County Commissioners composed of seven members who are electedat-large to three-year terms in partisan elections on a staggered basis, with either two or three seats coming up for election each November; a Chairman and Vice Chairman are selected from among its seven members at a reorganization meeting held every January. As of 2025[update], the county executive is James J. Tedesco III (D,Paramus), whose four-year term of office ends December 31, 2026.[97]
Bergen County's Commissioners are: Thomas J. Sullivan Jr. (D,Montvale, 2025),[98]Chair Germaine M. Ortiz (D,Emerson, 2025),[99]Joan Voss (D,Fort Lee, 2026),[100]Vice Chair Mary J. Amoroso (D,Mahwah, 2025),[101]Rafael Marte (D,Bergenfield, 2026),[102] Steven A. Tanelli (D,North Arlington, 2027)[103] and Tracy Silna Zur (D,Franklin Lakes, 2027).[104][105][106][107][108][109][110][111]
Bergen County's constitutional officials are: Clerk John S. Hogan (D,Northvale, 2026),[112][113]Sheriff Anthony Cureton (D,Englewood, 2027)[114][115] and Surrogate Michael R. Dressler (D,Cresskill, 2026).[116][117][107][118]
| Year | Republican | Democratic | Third party(ies) | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| No. | % | No. | % | No. | % | |
| 2024 | 4,204 | 43.32% | 5,302 | 54.63% | 199 | 2.05% |
| 2020 | 4,176 | 39.85% | 6,182 | 59.00% | 120 | 1.15% |
| 2016 | 3,681 | 41.74% | 4,796 | 54.39% | 341 | 3.87% |
| 2012 | 3,313 | 40.43% | 4,771 | 58.22% | 111 | 1.35% |
| 2008 | 3,973 | 44.57% | 4,824 | 54.12% | 117 | 1.31% |
| 2004 | 4,030 | 46.51% | 4,539 | 52.38% | 96 | 1.11% |
As of March 2011, there were a total of 10,609 registered voters in Rutherford, of which 3,436 (32.4% vs. 31.7% countywide) were registered asDemocrats, 2,287 (21.6% vs. 21.1%) were registered asRepublicans and 4,875 (46.0% vs. 47.1%) were registered asUnaffiliated. There were 11 voters registered asLibertarians orGreens.[125] Among the borough's 2010 Census population, 58.7% (vs. 57.1% in Bergen County) were registered to vote, including 74.3% of those ages 18 and over (vs. 73.7% countywide).[125][126]
In the2016 presidential election, DemocratHillary Clinton received 4.796 votes (54.0% vs. 54.2% countywide), ahead of RepublicanDonald Trump with 3.681 votes (41.4% vs. 41.1%) and other candidates with 405 votes (4.6% vs. 4.6%), among the 8,978 ballots cast by the borough's 11,661 registered voters, for a turnout of 77.0% (vs. 72.5% in Bergen County).[127] In the2012 presidential election, DemocratBarack Obama received 4,771 votes (57.7% vs. 54.8% countywide), ahead of RepublicanMitt Romney with 3,313 votes (40.1% vs. 43.5%) and other candidates with 111 votes (1.3% vs. 0.9%), among the 8,266 ballots cast by the borough's 11,229 registered voters, for a turnout of 73.6% (vs. 70.4% in Bergen County).[128][129] In the2008 presidential election, Democrat Barack Obama received 4,824 votes (53.7% vs. 53.9% countywide), ahead of RepublicanJohn McCain with 3,973 votes (44.2% vs. 44.5%) and other candidates with 117 votes (1.3% vs. 0.8%), among the 8,984 ballots cast by the borough's 11,275 registered voters, for a turnout of 79.7% (vs. 76.8% in Bergen County).[130][131]
| Year | Republican | Democratic | Third party(ies) | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| No. | % | No. | % | No. | % | |
| 2021 | 2,794 | 44.57% | 3,423 | 54.60% | 52 | 0.83% |
| 2017 | 1,901 | 39.60% | 2,814 | 58.61% | 86 | 1.79% |
| 2013 | 2,918 | 56.65% | 2,174 | 42.21% | 59 | 1.15% |
| 2009 | 2,642 | 44.00% | 2,910 | 48.46% | 453 | 7.54% |
| 2005 | 2,497 | 42.02% | 3,259 | 54.84% | 187 | 3.15% |
In the2013 gubernatorial election, RepublicanChris Christie received 56.6% of the vote (2,918 cast), ahead of DemocratBarbara Buono with 42.2% (2,174 votes), and other candidates with 1.1% (59 votes), among the 5,299 ballots cast by the borough's 10,653 registered voters (148 ballots were spoiled), for a turnout of 49.7%.[133][134] In the2009 gubernatorial election, DemocratJon Corzine received 2,910 ballots cast (48.0% vs. 48.0% countywide), ahead of Republican Chris Christie with 2,642 votes (43.6% vs. 45.8%), IndependentChris Daggett with 421 votes (6.9% vs. 4.7%) and other candidates with 32 votes (0.5% vs. 0.5%), among the 6,062 ballots cast by the borough's 10,957 registered voters, yielding a 55.3% turnout (vs. 50.0% in the county).[135]
| Year | Republican | Democratic | Third party(ies) | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| No. | % | No. | % | No. | % | |
| 2024 | 3,819 | 41.62% | 5,132 | 55.93% | 224 | 2.44% |
| 2018 | 2,802 | 41.45% | 3,702 | 54.76% | 256 | 3.79% |
| 2012 | 2,984 | 38.92% | 4,505 | 58.76% | 178 | 2.32% |
| 2006 | 2,659 | 45.12% | 3,124 | 53.01% | 110 | 1.87% |
| Year | Republican | Democratic | Third party(ies) | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| No. | % | No. | % | No. | % | |
| 2020 | 4,008 | 38.86% | 6,073 | 58.88% | 234 | 2.27% |
| 2014 | 1,850 | 40.19% | 2,645 | 57.46% | 108 | 2.35% |
| 2013 | 1,294 | 41.37% | 1,802 | 57.61% | 32 | 1.02% |
| 2008 | 3,630 | 44.48% | 4,426 | 54.23% | 105 | 1.29% |
The RutherfordPolice Department (RPD) provides emergency and protective services to the borough of Rutherford. The RPD consists of 40 officers.The current chief is John Russo who was appointed on March 26, 2013. The RPD responds to approximately 24,000 calls per year and conducts criminal investigations through its detective bureau.[136]
The police department was originally organized in June 1879 as the Rutherford Protective and Detective Association.[137]
The Rutherford Fire Department (RFD) is anall-volunteer fire department. The RFD was organized in May 1871 and consists of oneChief, one deputy chief and three assistant chiefs. There are five fire companies in threefire houses. Each company has aCaptain and a Lieutenant. The department is staffed by 75 fully trainedfirefighters. The RFD utilizes threeEngines, aLadder truck, aHeavy Rescue, a Special Service Unit and two boats.[138]
Two of Rutherford's firefighters—Edwin L. Ward in 1965 and Thomas E. Dunn in 1994—have died in the line of duty.[139]
The Rutherford First Aid-Ambulance Corps is a volunteer service that was organized in 1949. The corp consists of 40 members that operate under the supervision of the Captain, First Lieutenant and Second Lieutenant. The corps providesbasic life support, and is staffed primarily by certifiedEmergency Medical Technicians.CPR-traineddrivers are also sometimes on duty. They operate threeType III ambulances.[140]
TheRutherford School District serves the borough's public school students inpre-kindergarten throughtwelfth grade.[141] As of the 2023–24 school year, the district, comprised of five schools, had an enrollment of 2,544 students and 225.5 classroom teachers (on anFTE basis), for astudent–teacher ratio of 11.3:1.[142] Schools in the district (with 2023–24 enrollment data from theNational Center for Education Statistics[143]) are Lincoln School[144] with 484 students in grades PreK–3, Washington School[145] with 319 students in grades 1–3, Pierrepont School[146] with 568 students in grades 4–6, Union School[147] with 384 students in grades 7–8 andRutherford High School[148] with 736 students in grades 9–12.[149][150]
Public education began in Rutherford prior to 1900, but the oldest permanent school structure was the Park School, built in 1902 on Park Avenue. In 1938, the former Park Junior High School was purchased for $50,000 and converted for use as Rutherford borough hall.[151]
Rutherford formerly had three "neighborhood" schools for grades K–5 (Washington, Lincoln, and Sylvan) which fed into two "magnet" schools for 6–8. The magnet schools also served as elementary schools for their neighborhoods. Sylvan School was closed at the end of the 2004–2005 school year and has become a handicapped preschool, as well as office space for the special services department.
Public school students from the borough, and all of Bergen County, are eligible to attend the secondary education programs offered by theBergen County Technical Schools, which include theBergen County Academies inHackensack, and theBergen Tech campus in Teterboro orParamus. 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.[152][153]
St. Mary'sRoman Catholic Church was established in Rutherford in the 1890s and opened a school shortly thereafter. The parish offers The Academy at Saint Mary for preschool through eighth grade[154] andSt. Mary High School, founded in 1929.[155] Both schools are operated under the auspices of theRoman Catholic Archdiocese of Newark.[156]
In 1942,Fairleigh Dickinson University was founded in Rutherford as a two-year college, anchored by theIviswold Castle on Montross Avenue, which was built in the 1880s as a summer home byDavid B. Ivison. After FDU expanded to a four-year college and then to offering graduate programs, it acquired other, larger campuses, and eventually left Rutherford, offering the campus for sale due to financial difficulties. In the fall of 1997, the Rutherford campus was purchased byFelician College, an independent privateRoman Catholic institution, which often has cultural and community events.[157]
As of May 2010[update], the borough had a total of 46.84 miles (75.38 km) of roadways, of which 36.52 miles (58.77 km) were maintained by the municipality, 6.48 miles (10.43 km) by Bergen County, 3.36 miles (5.41 km) by theNew Jersey Department of Transportation and 0.48 miles (0.77 km) by theNew Jersey Turnpike Authority.[158]
_south_of_Exit_16W_in_Rutherford%2c_Bergen_County%2c_New_Jersey.jpg)
In the 1920s, the original Route 17 came through downtown Rutherford. Following the1927 New Jersey State Highway renumbering, the new New Jersey Route 2 (laterRoute 17) was built in 1928, skirting the southeast edge of the borough, between the residential area and theNew Jersey Meadowlands.
In 1948, a new bypass road along the southwest edge of the borough was built to bring traffic fromClifton and points west to the Lincoln Tunnel. The construction of the highway spur Route S3 (nowRoute 3) caused the demolition or relocation of numerous borough homes. In 2013, the Route 3 bridge over the Passaic River was replaced, and further improvements were made to the Rutherford section of the highway. The swing span of theUnion Avenue Bridge over the Passaic was replaced in June 2002 as part of a $9.5 million project.[159]
A short portion of theNew Jersey Turnpike Western Spur (Interstate 95) passes through the southern section of Rutherford, but the closest interchange is located in neighboringEast Rutherford at exit 16W.[160]
Thanks to its easy access toNew York City by rail, Rutherford became an earlybedroom community. Following the initial wave of settlement in the late 19th century, an additional building boom occurred in the 1920s, when the majority of the borough's current housing stock was constructed.
Public Service Railway broughttrolley lines into Rutherford around the start of the 20th century. The lines extended east to Jersey City, south toNewark, north toHackensack, and west toPassaic. By the late 1940s, the trolleys were replaced by bus service.
After the opening of theLincoln Tunnel in 1937, the Inter-City Bus Company began bus service direct fromPaterson to New York City. The line was taken over byNJ Transit in the early 1980s.
Today, NJ Transit offers service to and from New York City'sPort Authority Bus Terminal inMidtown Manhattan on several routes. The163 offers rush hour service only, as Rutherford is not typically along its route. The190 offers local service along Union Avenue and Orient Way. The191,192 and195 routes all serve the portion of Rutherford that is adjacent toRoute 3, as well as the portion ofRoute 17 that goes through Rutherford. The76 bus provides service betweenHackensack andNewark.[161][162]
Rutherford's train station, which was built by theErie Railroad in 1898, serves passengers on NJ Transit'sBergen County Line.[163] Service is available toSuffern and various stations alongMetro-North Railroad'sPort Jervis Line, as well as all other Bergen County Line stations as Rutherford is the last stop beforeSecaucus Junction.[164] Service is also provided toHoboken Terminal with connections toHudson–Bergen Light Rail,PATH, andNY Waterway service, and customers can connect at Secaucus for trains toNew York Penn Station,Newark Liberty International Airport, and points west and south along theMorris & Essex Lines,North Jersey Coast Line,Northeast Corridor Line, andMontclair-Boonton Line. Access to theRaritan Valley Line is available at either Hoboken or atNewark Penn Station via Secaucus.
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