Chatham Borough, New Jersey
Borough
Main Street in Downtown Chatham
Coat of arms
Location of Chatham (borough) inMorris County highlighted in red (right). Inset map: Location of Morris County inNew Jersey highlighted in orange (left).
Census Bureau map of Chatham (borough), New Jersey
Chatham Location inMorris County Show map of Morris County, New Jersey Chatham Location inNew Jersey Show map of New Jersey Chatham Location in the United States Show map of the United States
Coordinates:40°44′26″N74°23′04″W / 40.740686°N 74.38448°W /40.740686; -74.38448[1][2]
Country	United States
State	New Jersey
County	Morris
European settlement	1710 (as a colonial village)
Incorporated	August 19, 1892 (as village)
Reincorporated	March 1, 1897 (as borough)
Named after	William Pitt, 1st Earl of Chatham
Government [6]
• Type	Borough
• Body	Borough Council
• Mayor	Carolyn Dempsey (D, term ends December 31, 2027)[3]
• Administrator	Steven W. Williams[4]
• Municipal clerk	Vanessa Nienhouse[5]
Area [7]
• Total	2.38 sq mi (6.16 km2)
• Land	2.34 sq mi (6.07 km2)
• Water	0.035 sq mi (0.09 km2)  1.51%
• Rank	382nd of 565 in state 32nd of 39 in county[1]
Elevation [8]	233 ft (71 m)
Population  (2020)[9][10]
• Total	9,212
• Estimate  (2024)[9][11]	10,062
• Rank	257th of 565 in state 21st of 39 in county[12]
• Density	3,925/sq mi (1,515/km2)
• Rank	167th of 565 in state 7th of 39 in county[12]
Time zone	UTC−05:00 (Eastern (EST))
• Summer (DST)	UTC−04:00 (Eastern (EDT))
ZIP Code	07928[13][14]
Area code	973[15]
FIPS code	34-12100[1][16][17]
GNIS feature ID	0885182[1][18]
Website	www.chathamborough.org

Chatham Borough is a suburbanborough inMorris County, in theU.S. state ofNew Jersey. As of the2020 United States census, the borough's population was 9,212,^[9][10] an increase of 250 (+2.8%) from the2010 census count of 8,962,^[19][20] which in turn reflected an increase of 502 (+5.9%) from the 8,460 counted in the2000 census.^[21]

The area that is nowChatham has been inhabited by humans for thousands of years. During historic times, Europeans began trading with theNative Americans who farmed, fished, and hunted in the area when it was claimed as part ofNew Netherlands. The community that now is Chatham was first settled by Europeans in 1710 withinMorris Township, in what was then the EnglishProvince of New Jersey. The community was settled because the site already was on the path of a well-worn Native American trail, the location of an important crossing of thePassaic River, and being close to a gap in theWatchung Mountains. The residents of the English community changed its name from John Day's Bridge to Chatham, New Jersey in 1773.^[22]

Chatham's residents were active participants in theAmerican Revolutionary War, which ended in 1783.Chatham Township was formed as a local government in the new state of New Jersey on February 12, 1806, taking its name from this pre-revolutionary village. Initial local government forms were limited while the new state government evolved. The new township governed the village of Chatham that lay within the present-day borough boundaries, along with several other pre-revolutionary, colonial villages and large areas of unsettled lands connecting or adjacent to them. On August 19, 1892, Chatham adopted a newvillage form of government when it became allowed within townships in the state after the revolution. Shortly thereafter, once it was allowed, the village of Chatham reincorporated for governance as aborough by an act of theNew Jersey Legislature on March 1, 1897, returning to complete independence from the surrounding Chatham Township.^[23][24]

An early railroad located along theMorris and Essex Lines that had become well established by the start of the Civil War as one of America's first commuter railroads, had a stop at Chatham, which attracted many from nearbyManhattan, 20 miles to the east.^[25] It remains acommuter town for residents who work in New York City. Today, Chatham is apedestrian-friendly community that covers less than 2.5 square miles (6.5 km²), including acentral business district and railroad station within approximately 1 mile (1.6 km) from its farthest boundary. The borough is situated in southeastern Morris County bordering bothEssex andUnion counties along thePassaic River. Northeast of the borough is the upscaleMall at Short Hills located in theShort Hills section ofMillburn.

In July 2005, CNN/Money andMoney magazine ranked Chatham ninth on its annual list of the 100 Best Places to Live in the United States.^[26]New Jersey Monthly magazine ranked Chatham as its 25th best place to live in its 2008 rankings of the "Best Places To Live" in New Jersey.^[27] In 2012,Forbes.com listed Chatham as 375th in its listing of "America's Most Expensive ZIP Codes", with a median home price of $776,703.^[28]

The borough has been ranked as one of the state's highest-income communities. In March 2018,Bloomberg ranked Chatham as the 64th highest-income place in the United States and as having the 8th-highest income inNew Jersey.^[29] In the 2013–2017American Community Survey (ACS) the borough had a median household income of $163,026, ranking 16th in the state.^[30][31] The 2014–2018 ACS showed a median household income of $169,524 in the borough versus $111,316 in the county and $79,363 statewide.^[32][33][34] The most-recent (2021) ACS places the median household income of Chatham Borough at $209,283.^[35]

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Occupied for thousands of years byNative Americans, this land was overseen by clans of theMinsi and Lenni Lenape, who farmed, fished, and hunted upon it. They were organized into amatrilineal, agricultural, and mobile hunting society sustained with fixed, but not permanent,settlements in their clan territories. Villages were established and relocated as the clans farmed new sections of the land when soil fertility lessened and moved among their fishing and hunting grounds.^{[citation needed]}

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In 1498,John Cabot explored this portion of theNew World. The area was claimed as a part of the DutchNew Netherland province, where active trading in furs took advantage of the natural pass west, but, the Lenape prevented permanent settlement beyond what is now Jersey City. Although rapid exhaustion of the localbeaver population soon turned the Dutch interests much farther north, contention existed between the Dutch and the British over the rights to this land and battles ensued. Passing to the rule of the British as theProvince of New Jersey upon the fall ofNew Amsterdam in 1664, and becoming one of itsoriginal thirteen colonies, marks the beginning of permanent European settlements on this land.^{[citation needed]}

The land that would become Chatham was part of the Province ofEast Jersey; the Indian rights to Chatham were purchased in 1680 from members of the Minsi and Lenni Lenape tribes. They spoke anAlgonquian language. They hunted and fished in the area and farmed on the lands of their settlements. The area was well connected with established paths among their settlements, to and from bountiful resources, and to neighboring settlements. Safe passageways through the valleys, marshes, swamps, and mountains of this portion of theWatchung Mountains connected the area that would become Chatham with other settlements in the area. Except for highways built since the 1970s and ashunpike built to avoid tolls on the roads connecting the colonial settlements of Chatham and Bottle Hill, the roads of the area follow those time proven, long trodden trails made by the native tribes. Main Street rises from a shallow crossing of thePassaic River and, after traveling through what became the settlements of Chatham and Bottle Hill (which becameMadison), the road follows a westward path that leads to the top of the plateau on whichMorristown was founded.^{[citation needed]}

In 1680, the British first purchased this Lenape land upon which John Day made the first European settlement in 1710. He chose to settle upon the western bank of the Fishawack Crossing (of thePassaic River) on the traditional LenapeMinisink Trail. Chatham was in the area delineated as Morris Township by the English. The landing at that location was the best place to ford the river and always had been used by the Lenape on their route to the Hudson River and south from their hunting grounds in what is nowSussex County. That traditional part of theGreat Trail would become today’sRoute 124, leading toMadison,Morristown,Mendham, andChester. It became known as Main Street in Chatham.^{[citation needed]}

Before long, the village became known asJohn Day's Bridge because of a bridge he built across the river at the shallow landing. By 1750, the village had ablacksmith shop as well as a flourmill, agrist mill, and a lumbermill.^{[citation needed]}

In 1773, the village was renamed to"Chatham" to honor a member of the British Parliament,William Pitt, the firstEarl of Chatham, who was an outspoken advocate of the rights of the colonists in America.^[22][36][37]

New Jersey was one of theThirteen Colonies that revolted against British rule in theAmerican Revolutionary War. TheNew Jersey Constitution of 1776 was passed on July 2, 1776, two days before theSecond Continental Congress declared American Independence fromGreat Britain. It was an act of the New Jersey Provincial Congress, which made itself into the state legislature. To reassure neutrals, it provided that it would become void if the state of New Jersey reached reconciliation with Great Britain.^{[citation needed]}

The citizens of Chatham were active participants in the Revolutionary War and nearbyMorristown became the military center of the revolution.George Washington twice established his winter headquarters in Morristown and revolutionary troops were active regularly in the entire area. The Lenape assisted the colonists, supplying the revolutionary army with warriors and scouts in exchange for food supplies and the promise of a role at the head of a future Native American state. TheTreaty of Easton signed by the Lenape and the British in 1766 had required that the Lenape move to Pennsylvania. Wanting to recoup rights lost thereby to the British, the Lenape were the first tribe to enter into a treaty with the emerging government of the United States.^[38] In 1781, General Rochambeau built a large bakery operation at Chatham as a subterfuge that could be interpreted as his plan to stay in Chatham for an extended amount of time, in order to distract from the fact that his troops were marching south toward Yorktown.^[39]

TheWatchung mountain range was a strategic asset in the war, acting as a natural barrier to the British troops and providing a vantage point for Washington to monitor their troop movements. The Minisink Trail and the village bridge provided a route for essential supplies across the river and through the mountain range. TheHobart Gap was vital as the only pass through the Watchung Mountains.^[40]

Washington wrote 17 letters while he stayed at a homestead in Chatham. The community was the site of several skirmishes, as residents and the rebel army held off British advances, preventing them from attacking Washington's supplies at Morristown.^{[citation needed]}

In 1779, aprinting press was established in the village of Chatham byShepard Kollock. From his workshop, he publishedbooks,^[41]pamphlets, and theNew Jersey Journal (the thirdnewspaper published in New Jersey)^[42] conducting lively debates about the efforts for independence and boosting the morale of the troops and their families with information derived directly from Washington's headquarters in nearby Morristown. Kollock's newspaper was published until 1992 as theElizabeth Daily Journal (having relocated to there in 1787) and was the fourth oldest newspaper published continuously in the United States.^[43]

After the Revolutionary War was over in 1783, establishment of new forms of government began. On February 12, 1806, the village of Chatham became part of Chatham Township with a township form of government that shared the village's name and included several other area communities and a large amount of unsettled land. However, "[i]n 1892 Chatham Village found itself at odds with the rest of the township. Although village residents paid 40 percent of the township taxes, they got only 7 percent of the receipts in services. The village had to raise its own money to install kerosene street lamps and its roads were in poor repair. As a result, the village voted on August 9, 1892, to secede from governance by the township."^[22]

Ten days later, on August 19, 1892, the citizens of Chatham reincorporated with another type of village government then offered as an alternative within townships by the new state. The evolving state regulations regarding governance structure soon began to offer a borough form for governance. Chatham adopted that new government form and the village reincorporated for governance as aborough by an act of theNew Jersey Legislature on March 1, 1897, with complete independence from Chatham Township.^[23]

Most of the colonial settlements that had been part of Chatham Township abandoned its governance as soon as new forms of government became available to them during this evolution of new state regulations. Green Village being the exception, each of the settlements withdrew from governance by the township and Chatham Township was left to govern mostly unsettled lands.^{[citation needed]}

In 1910, the borough boundaries expanded when Chatham acquired a slice of Florham Park.^[23] The local form of government and the boundaries of the borough have remained the same since that acquisition, encompassing about 2.4 square miles (6.2 km²).

In 2009, in the wake of thegreat recession, Chatham Borough seriously considered merging with Chatham Township to save costs on services such as garbage collection, police, and fire-fighting, with the Chatham Township Committee being in favor of a merger, while the mayor of Chatham Borough was opposed.^[44] In 2011 the issue would heat up again asPrinceton Township andPrinceton Borough merged with members of the Chatham Township Committee stating the merger had set a precedent and a timetable for the Chathams to merge.^[45]

At 2.4 square miles (6.2 km²) in area, Chatham was mostly built out well beforeWorld War II, retaining homes that sometimes display the dates of their construction during the colonial and revolutionary times. Two houses, now privately owned, survive from colonial times; the Paul Day House, at 24 Kings Road, and the Nathaniel Bonnell House, at 34 Watchung Avenue.^[22]

According to theUnited States Census Bureau, the borough had a total area of 2.38 square miles (6.17 km²), including 2.35 square miles (6.08 km²) of land and 0.04 square miles (0.09 km²) of water (1.51%).^[1][2][1][2]

Unincorporated communities, localities and place names located partially or completely within the borough include Stanley.^[46]

The borough is located 20 miles (32 km) west ofNew York City on the eastern edge of Morris County. Chatham's neighboring communities areSummit to the southeast located inUnion County,Millburn (and itsShort Hills neighborhood) inEssex County to the northeast, while communities also located inMorris County includeChatham Township to the west, andMadison andFlorham Park to the north.^[47][48][49]

ThePassaic River, which rises at Millington Gorge inLong Hill Township and defines theGreat Swamp, flows north along the eastern boundary of Chatham.^[50] A good crossing location, identified byNative Americans to earlyEuropean settlers, figured significantly in the colonial history of the community. Fairmount Avenue ascends Long Hill perpendicularly from Main Street in the contemporary center of town to the highest elevation of the town among theWatchung Mountains. From there, one may see the lights ofNew York beyond the crest of the ridge hills ofSummit andShort Hills. Water fromartesian wells is stored at its crest to provide the drinking water for the community.

A portion of the Great Swamp extends to the southern boundary of Chatham and othermarshes surround the community to the north and northwest. The marshes and brooks in the area contain water draining from theplateau ofMorristown and many points to the north and west. All are remnants of a massive lake that covered the area following the retreat of theWisconsin glacier of the lastIce age. Residents of Chatham were among those in late 1959 who formed the Jersey Jetport Site Association and instigated preservation of the Great Swamp when theNew York Port Authority sought to turn it into a massive regional airport.^[51][52][53] They later were joined by the North American Wildlife Foundation that completed acquisition of enough of the Great Swamp to protect the massive natural resource as a federal park.

The Great Swamp is a majorwatershed and a significant resting point formigratory birds. The core of the swamp was purchased with the help ofGeraldine R. Dodge andMarcellus Hartley Dodge Sr. Several other members of the Jersey Jetport Site Association, including two residents of Chatham,Kafi Benz and Esty Weiss, who were students at the nearby campus ofFairleigh Dickinson University, began to infiltrate meetings of the administration ofAustin Joseph Tobin, the executive director of the Port Authority. They attended meetings scheduled quietly to garner the support of union workers. Once inside the meetings, they provided pamphlets in opposition to the project, which infuriated the Port Authority administration. Eventually, other organizations formed to join the opposition to the plans for the airport and finally, a majority of the swamp was assembled to be donated to the federal government to become aNational Wildlife Refuge.Stewart Udall,Secretary of the Interior underPresidentJohn F. Kennedy, lent his support to the local efforts to save the swamp while he served asU.S. Representative fromArizona, making recommendations to theDwight D. Eisenhower administration to also lend their support. On November 3, 1960, the legislation creating theGreat Swamp National Wildlife Refuge was passed by an act of theUnited States Congress.^[54][55]

Just northeast of the borough is the upscaleMall at Short Hills located in theShort Hills section ofMillburn.

Chatham has ahumid continental climate and is slightly more variant (lows are colder, highs are warmer) than its neighbor 20 miles (32 km) east:New York City.

The2010 United States census counted 8,962 people, 3,073 households, and 2,397 families in the borough. Thepopulation density was 3,776.1 per square mile (1,458.0/km²). There were 3,210 housing units at an average density of 1,352.5 per square mile (522.2/km²). The racial makeup was 91.13% (8,167)White, 0.99% (89)Black or African American, 0.20% (18)Native American, 4.85% (435)Asian, 0.00% (0)Pacific Islander, 1.00% (90) fromother races, and 1.82% (163) from two or more races.Hispanic or Latino of any race were 5.10% (457) of the population.^[19]

Of the 3,073 households, 48.1% had children under the age of 18; 68.9% were married couples living together; 7.0% had a female householder with no husband present and 22.0% were non-families. Of all households, 18.6% were made up of individuals and 7.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.91 and the average family size was 3.37.^[19]

33.5% of the population were under the age of 18, 3.9% from 18 to 24, 25.8% from 25 to 44, 26.7% from 45 to 64, and 10.2% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38.0 years. For every 100 females, the population had 94.1 males. For every 100 females ages 18 and older there were 89.9 males.^[19]

The Census Bureau's 2006–2010American Community Survey showed that (in 2010inflation-adjusted dollars)median household income was $143,281 (with a margin of error of +/− $14,294) and the median family income was $164,805 (+/− $12,245). Males had a median income of $127,906 (+/− $13,208) versus $59,271 (+/− $14,990) for females. Theper capita income for the borough was $64,950 (+/− $5,936). About 0.4% of families and 1.1% of the population were below thepoverty line, including 0.3% of those under age 18 and 7.5% of those age 65 or over.^[64]

Based on data from the 2006–2010American Community Survey, the borough had a per capita income of $64,950 (ranked 37th in the state), compared to per capita income in Morris County of $47,342 and statewide of $34,858.^[65]

As of the2000 United States census^[16] there were 8,460 people, 3,159 households, and 2,385 families. The population density was 3,505.9 inhabitants per square mile (1,353.6/km²). There were 3,232 housing units at an average density of 1,339.4 per square mile (517.1/km²). The racial makeup of was 95.79%White, 0.14%African American, 0.06%Native American, 2.81%Asian, 0.01%Pacific Islander, 0.50% fromother races, and 0.69% from two or more races.Hispanic orLatino of any race were 2.64% of the population.^[62][63]

There were 3,159 households, out of which 39.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 67.6% weremarried couples living together, 6.4% had a female householder with no husband present, and 24.5% were non-families. 21.3% of all households were made up of individuals, and 9.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.67 and the average family size was 3.14.^[62][63]

The population was spread out, with 28.3% under the age of 18, 3.8% from 18 to 24, 33.5% from 25 to 44, 21.4% from 45 to 64, and 13.0% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 37 years. For every 100 females, there were 91.3 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 87.0 males.^[62][63]

The median income for a household was $101,991, and the median income for a family was $119,635. Males had a median income of $81,543 versus $59,063 for females. Theper capita income was $53,027. About 1.7% of families and 2.2% of the population were below thepoverty line, including 1.0% of those under age 18 and 3.3% of those age 65 or over.^[62][63]

Now headquartered inMorris Plains,Weichert, Realtors was established by Jim Weichert in 1969 with an office in Chatham Borough.^[66] The borough is home toChatham Asset Management, ahedge fund holding acontrolling interest in several large media companies.

From 1614, the area was governed by the Dutch as part ofNew Netherland. In 1664, it came under governance by the British within theProvince of New Jersey, during which a permanent European settlement was established in 1710 that changed its name to Chatham in 1773.

Chatham has adopted different forms of local government throughout its existence. Under British colonial rule, a village form of government was adopted. After theAmerican Revolutionary War, the community became part of Chatham Township, which was founded by new state of New Jersey in 1806 as it was beginning to determine governmental forms. That township also included several other settlements and a great deal of unsettled lands. Unhappy with that governance, Chatham seceded from the township in 1892 and returned to a village government. When the borough form of government was offered by the state, Chatham adopted that form of government by a reincorporation in 1897, and that governmental form has been used ever since.^[23]

Having adopted several different forms of government since its settlement in 1710, Chatham adopted the newly allowedborough form of New Jersey municipal government during a reincorporation in 1897. The borough form of government is now used in 218 municipalities (of the 564) statewide, making it the most common form of government in New Jersey.^[67] The governing body is comprised of the mayor and the 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.^[6] The borough form of government used by Chatham 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.^[68][69]

As of 2025^[update], theMayor isDemocrat Carolyn Dempsey, whose term of office ends December 31, 2027. Members of the borough council are Council President Jocelyn Mathiasen (D, 2027), Brian Hargrove (D, 2026), Katherine Hay (D, 2027), Karen Koronkiewicz (D, 2025), Justin Strickland (D, 2026) and Irene Treloar (D, 2025).^[3]

The borough is located in the 11th Congressional District^[70] and is part of the 21st state legislative district of New Jersey.^[71][72][73]

For the119th United States Congress,New Jersey's 11th congressional district is represented byMikie Sherrill (D,Montclair).^[74] New Jersey is represented in theUnited States Senate byDemocratsCory Booker (Newark, term ends 2027) andAndy Kim (Moorestown, term ends 2031).^[75]

For the2024-2025 session, the21st legislative district of theNew Jersey Legislature is represented in theState Senate byJon Bramnick (R,Westfield) and in theGeneral Assembly byMichele Matsikoudis (R,New Providence) andNancy Munoz (R,Summit).^[76]

Morris County is governed by aBoard of County Commissioners comprised of seven members who are electedat-large in partisan elections to three-year terms on a staggered basis, with either one or three seats up for election each year as part of the November general election.^[77] Actual day-to-day operation of departments is supervised by County Administrator Deena Leary.^[78]

As of 2025^[update], Morris County's Commissioners (with all terms ending December 31) are Director Tayfun Selen (R,Chatham Township, 2026),^[79] Deputy Director Stephen H. Shaw (R,Mountain Lakes, 2027),^[80]Douglas Cabana (R,Boonton Township, 2025),^[81]John Krickus (R,Washington Township, 2027),^[82] Thomas J. Mastrangelo (R,Montville, 2025),^[83]Christine Myers (R,Harding Township, 2025)^[84] and Deborah Smith (R,Denville Township, 2027).^{[85][86][87][88][89][90][91][92]}

The county's constitutional officers are County Clerk Ann F. Grossi (R,Parsippany–Troy Hills, 2028),^[93][94]Sheriff James M. Gannon (R, Boonton Township, 2025)^[95][96] and Surrogate Heather Darling (R,Roxbury, 2029).^[97][98]

As of March 2011, there were a total of 5,750 registered voters in the borough, of which 1,368 (23.8%) were registered asDemocrats, 1,928 (33.5%) were registered asRepublicans and 2,452 (42.6%) were registered asUnaffiliated. There were two voters registered as eitherLibertarian orGreen.^[105]

In the2012 presidential election, RepublicanMitt Romney received 54.6% of the vote (2,501 cast), ahead of DemocratBarack Obama with 44.7% (2,045 votes), and other candidates with 0.7% (33 votes), among the 4,600 ballots cast by the borough's 6,131 registered voters (21 ballots werespoiled), for a turnout of 75.0%.^[107][108] In the2008 presidential election, RepublicanJohn McCain received 50.2% of the vote (2,413 cast), ahead of Democrat Barack Obama with 48.4% (2,325 votes) and other candidates with 0.9% (44 votes), among the 4,807 ballots cast by the borough's 5,975 registered voters, for a turnout of 80.5%.^[109] In the2004 presidential election, RepublicanGeorge W. Bush received 56.7% of the vote (2,678 ballots cast), outpolling DemocratJohn Kerry with 42.3% (1,995 votes) and other candidates with 0.5% (28 votes), among the 4,721 ballots cast by the borough's 6,084 registered voters, for a turnout percentage of 77.6.^[110]

In the2013 gubernatorial election, RepublicanChris Christie received 71.1% of the vote (1,770 cast), ahead of DemocratBarbara Buono with 27.2% (678 votes), and other candidates with 1.6% (41 votes), among the 2,530 ballots cast by the borough's 6,046 registered voters (41 ballots were spoiled), for a turnout of 41.8%.^[111][112] In the2009 gubernatorial election, Republican Chris Christie received 56.6% of the vote (1,892 ballots cast), ahead of DemocratJon Corzine with 32.7% (1,092 votes), IndependentChris Daggett with 9.7% (325 votes) and other candidates with 0.4% (14 votes), among the 3,344 ballots cast by the borough's 5,831 registered voters, yielding a 57.3% turnout.^[113]

The borough shares variousjoint public services with Chatham Township: the recreation program, the library (since 1974), the school district (created in 1986), and medical emergency squad (since 1936).

Along with Chatham Township, Harding Township, and Madison, the borough became a member of a joint municipal court that was created in 2010.^[116][117] The court is located in Madison.

First celebrated in 1971, the Fishawack Festival is held in the beginning of summer, on South Passaic Avenue and Fire House Plaza, which are blocked off so up to 20,000 attendees may walk freely in the streets. Local vendors set up booths to sell food, clothing, toys, and various other souvenirs, as well as offering games and rides for children. The festival has been sponsored by the MadisonYMCA, PipeWorks Services, and Klas Electrical. Funds generated from the Fishawack Festival go toward various community groups located in Chatham and Chatham Township.

The word "Fishawack" is derived from the Lenni Lenape name for the Passaic River. In a book about the derivation of the name for the festival,Chatham at the Crossing of the Fishawack by John T. Cunningham, the author noted, "Fishawack was the Lenni Lenape Indian name for the Passaic River and Chatham was located at the narrowest part making it theCrossing of the Fishawack in the Valley of the Great Watchung... In 1971, a Chamber of Commerce sidewalk sale day, called Fishawack Day, was held. Thus began an event, which in time was adopted by Fishawack Inc., the governing body of volunteers who turned it into a big biennial town-wide Festival.".^[118]

TheSchool District of the Chathams is a regionalpublicschool district serving students inpre-kindergarten throughtwelfth grade from Chatham andChatham Township.^[119] The two municipalities held elections in November 1986 to consider joining their separate school districts. This proposal was supported by the voters of both communities and since then, the two municipalities have shared a regionalized school district.^[120][121] Starting with the 1988–1989 school year, Chatham High School was formed by merging the formerChatham Borough High School andChatham Township High School facilities. The Chatham Borough High School building was repurposed as the Chatham Borough Hall.^[122]

As of the 2020–21 school year, the district, comprised of six schools, had an enrollment of 3,930 students and 342.8 classroom teachers (on anFTE basis), for astudent–teacher ratio of 11.5:1.^[123] Schools in the district (with 2020–21 enrollment data from theNational Center for Education Statistics^[124]) are Milton Avenue School^[125] with 284 students in grades Pre-K–3, Southern Boulevard School^[126] with 414 students in grades K–3, Washington Avenue School^[127] with 314 students in grades K–3, Lafayette School^[128] with 592 students in grades 4–5, Chatham Middle School^[129] with 984 students in grades 6–8 andChatham High School^[130] with 1,315 students in grades 9–12.^[131][132] The districtboard of education has nine members who set policy and oversee the fiscal and educational operation of the district through its administration; the seats on the board are allocated to the constituent municipalities based on population, with the borough assigned four seats.^[133]

For the 2004–2005 school year, Chatham High School was recognized with theNational Blue Ribbon School Award of Excellence by theUnited States Department of Education,^[134] the highest award an American school can receive. Milton Avenue School was one of 11 in the state to be recognized in 2014 by the United States Department of Education's National Blue Ribbon Schools Program.^[135][136] The district high school was the first-ranked public high school in New Jersey out of 339 schools statewide inNew Jersey Monthly magazine's September 2014 cover story on the state's "Top Public High Schools", using a new ranking methodology.^[137] The school had been ranked twentieth in the state of 328 schools in 2012, after being ranked eighth in 2010 out of 322 schools listed.^[138]

Saint Patrick School, founded in 1872, serves students inpre-kindergarten througheighth grade, operating under the direction of theRoman Catholic Diocese of Paterson.^[139]

As of May 2010^[update], the borough had a total of 32.16 miles (51.76 km) of roadways, of which 26.56 miles (42.74 km) were maintained by the municipality, 3.33 miles (5.36 km) by Morris County and 2.27 miles (3.65 km) by theNew Jersey Department of Transportation.^[140]

New Jersey Route 24 is a multi-lane state freeway crossing the borough boundaries, though the nearest interchange is just outside the borough along the boundary ofSummit andMillburn.New Jersey Route 124 is the main local road providing access to Chatham along the route that connected the area before the limited access highway was built. This local route wound its way through the area since before colonial times following the course of theGreat Minisink Trail and had been designated as Route 24 until it was renumbered to Route 124 when the limited access highway was built in the late 1900s. The local communities chose to retain their historic character and opted out of plans for the multi-lane, limited access highway. The nearest interchanges with the new Route 24 are in neighboring communities, to the east it is Millburn and to the west it is Hanover Township.

In 1906, the borough received coverage fromThe New York Times andThe Chatham Press for implementation of what may be the world's first recorded use of aspeed bump as a traffic calming device.^[141] A report from the April 24, 1906, issue ofThe Times described how "[t]he 'bumps' installed by the borough officials of the village of Chatham to check the speed of automobiles through the village had their first test yesterday, and proved a decided success."^[142]

NJ Transit stops at theChatham station^[143] to provide commuter service on theMorristown Line, with trains heading to theHoboken Terminal and toPenn Station inMidtown Manhattan.^[144]

Direct bus service from Chatham to Manhattan is not provided by NJ Transit. It provides various route options with bus transfers. Local bus service is provided by NJ Transit on the873 route to theLivingston Mall andParsippany-Troy Hills,^[145][146] which replaced service that had been offered until 2010 on theMCM3 andMCM8 routes.^[147]

Bus lines also connect Chatham with the other towns alongRoute 24 fromNewark toMorristown, mostly running parallel to the train lines. Nowadays, buses transport people along the line, butstagecoaches andtrolleys weremass transit methods once used along the route that followed Main Street.

Chatham Library was founded in 1907 in downtown Chatham after decades of discussion and planning. Growth of the collection brought about expansion and movement to progressively larger facilities until the current building was built on Main Street on the former site of the Fairview Hotel, after it had burned down. The hotel land was bought after a borough-wide solicitation of funds that was proposed by Charles M. Lum, after whose family Lum Avenue is named, and a brick building was constructed to house the library. The new Chatham Library was dedicated and opened to the public in 1924.^[148]

A referendum on the November 1974 ballot regarding jointure was approved by voters, providing that the Chatham Library also would serve Chatham Township residents. The library was renamed as theLibrary of The Chathams, which now is administered by six trustees, who are appointed jointly through the two governments via the mayors of the two municipalities or their representatives, as well as a representative from the newly created joint School District of the Chathams.^[148]

In 1985, the library joined theMorris Automated Information Network (MAIN), an electronic database created to link together all of the public libraries in Morris County. Expansion of the library with an addition costing nearly $4,000,000 was planned with the governments of the two municipalities contributing a combined $2,000,000. The project was completed and the new addition dedicated on January 11, 2004.^[148]

Chatham has one sister city. It isEsternay,France.^[149]

People who were born in, residents of, or otherwise closely associated with Chatham since its founding in 1710 include:

• Ben Bailey (born 1970), comedian and host ofDiscovery Channel'sCash Cab^[150][151]
• Kafi Benz (born 1941), writer, artist, conservationist and community leader^[152]
• Leanna Brown (1935–2016), politician^{[153][154][155]}
• Edward Everett Bruen (1859–1938), firstmayor of East Orange, New Jersey, and a descendant of founders of Chatham^[156][157]
• Bruce Harris (born 1951), attorney and politician who served as the borough mayor^[158]
• Constance Horner (born 1942), businesswoman who served as the third director of theUnited States Office of Personnel Management^[159]
• Shepard Kollock (1750–1839),American Revolutionary War-era editor, author, and printer of theNew Jersey Journal, which became the first newspaper in Chatham and third newspaper in New Jersey in 1779^[160]
• Ann McLaughlin Korologos (1941-2023, née Lauenstein),United States Secretary of Labor in theReagan Administration^[161]
• Nick Mangold (born 1984),American footballcenter for theNew York Jets of theNational Football League^[162]
• Joseph C. McDonough (1924-2005), decoratedMajor General in theUnited States Army^[163]
• Bob Papa (born 1964), head radio announcer for theNew York Giants^[164]
• David K. Shipler (born 1942), author, correspondent, journalist, and filmmaker who won the 1987Pulitzer Prize for General Nonfiction forArab and Jew: Wounded Spirits in a Promised Land, won theGeorge Polk Award, is the author ofThe Shipler Report, and is co-host ofTwo Reporters^[165][166]
• Barbara Stanley (1949–2023),psychologist, researcher, andsuicidologist^[167]
• John Tolkin (born 2002), professional soccer player^[168]
• Aaron Montgomery Ward (1844−1913), inventor ofmail order and a descendant of colonial settlers^[169]
• Alice Waters (born 1944), chef and pioneer of local,organic food movement^[170]

• Anderson, John R.Shepard Kollock: Editor for Freedom. Chatham, New Jersey: Chatham Historical Society, 1975.
• Cunningham, John T.Chatham: At the Crossing of the Fishawack. Chatham, New Jersey: Chatham Historical Society, 1967.
• Philhower, Charles A.,Brief History of Chatham, Morris County, New Jersey. New York: Lewis Historical Publishing Company, 1914.
• Thayer, Theodore.Colonial and Revolutionary Morris County. The Morris County Heritage Commission. (government publication)
• Vanderpoel, Ambrose Ely.History of Chatham, New Jersey. New York: Charles Francis Press, 1921. Reprint. Chatham, New Jersey: Chatham Historical Society, 1959.
• White, Donald Wallace.A Village at War: Chatham and the American Revolution. Rutherford, New Jersey: Fairleigh Dickinson University Press, 1979.
• ______________.Chatham. Dover, New Hampshire: Arcadia Publishing, 1997.
• ______________."Historic Minisink Trail". Proceedings of the New Jersey Historical Society. 8, (January–October 1923): 199–205.
• ______________."Indians of the Morris County Area". Proceedings of the New Jersey Historical Society. 54 (October 1936): 248–267.
• Design Guidelines Manual For Rehabilitation and Construction in the Main Street Historic District. Chatham, New Jersey: Chatham Borough Historic Preservation Commission, 1994. (government publication)

Wikimedia Commons has media related toChatham Borough, New Jersey.

• Official Borough of Chatham website
• ChathamPatch - Online News/Features about Chatham Borough and Chatham Township
• Chatham, New Jersey, at City-Data
• Chatham Community Profile and Resource Links, NJ HomeTownLocator

• Chatham Borough, New Jersey
• 1897 establishments in New Jersey
• Borough form of New Jersey government
• Boroughs in New Jersey
• Boroughs in Morris County, New Jersey
• Populated places established in 1897
• William Pitt, 1st Earl of Chatham

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