Palisades Park, New Jersey
Encyclopedia
Palisades Park is a borough
in Bergen County
, New Jersey
, United States
. As of the 2010 United States Census, the borough population was 19,622.
The borough of Palisades Park was created by an Act of the New Jersey Legislature
on March 22, 1899, from portions of Ridgefield Township. A portion of its area was taken by Fort Lee
in April 1909.
According to the United States Census Bureau
, the borough has a total area of 1.27 square miles (3.3 km²), of which 1.21 square miles (3.1 km²) is land and 0.06 square mile (0.1553992866 km²), or 4.72%, is water.
As of the census
of 2000, there were 17,073 people, 6,247 households, and 4,447 families residing in the borough. The population density
was 14,112.4 people per square mile (5,447.9/km2). There were 6,386 housing units at an average density of 5,278.6 per square mile (2,037.7/km2). The racial makeup of the borough was 48.27% White, 1.38% African American, 0.19% Native American, 41.09% Asian, 0.03% Pacific Islander, 5.80% from other races
, and 3.24% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 16.48% of the population.
Palisades Park boasts the highest percentage (44%) of Korean Americans of any municipality in the United States. Broad Avenue in Palisades Park Koreatown
has been characterized as a major epicenter of Korean American life.
Also in the 2000 Census, 3.1% of Palisades Park's residents identified themselves as being of Croatia
n ancestry. This was the second highest percentage of people with Croatian ancestry in any place in New Jersey with 1,000 or more residents identifying their ancestry.
There were 6,247 households out of which 30.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 54.9% were married couples
living together, 10.4% had a female householder with no husband present, and 28.8% were non-families. 22.9% of all households were made up of individuals and 8.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.73 and the average family size was 3.20.
In the borough the population was spread out with 19.4% under the age of 18, 9.1% from 18 to 24, 37.8% from 25 to 44, 21.7% from 45 to 64, and 12.1% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females there were 99.1 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 97.8 males.
The median income for a household in the borough was $48,015, and the median income for a family was $54,503. Males had a median income of $37,204 versus $31,997 for females. The per capita income
for the borough was $22,607. About 8.5% of families and 9.7% of the population were below the poverty line, including 9.9% of those under age 18 and 12.1% of those age 65 or over.
form of New Jersey municipal government. The government consists of a Mayor and a Borough Council comprising six council members, with all positions elected at large. A Mayor is elected directly by the voters to a four-year term of office and only votes to break a tie. The Borough Council consists of six members elected to serve three-year terms on a staggered basis, with two seats coming up for election each year.
, the Mayor
of Palisades Park is James Rotundo (D
, term ends December 31, 2014). Members of the Borough Council are are Frank Donohue (2011), Jason Kim (2013), Jong Chul Lee (2102), Cyndy Pirrera (2011), Henry Ruh (2013) and Joseph Testa (2012).
based on the results of the 2010 Census.
, 1,087 (19.2%) were registered as Republicans
and 2,823 (49.8%) were registered as Unaffiliated. There were no voters registered to other parties.
In the 2008 presidential election
, Democrat Barack Obama
received 58.8% of the vote here (2,187 ballots cast), outpolling Republican John McCain
, who received 39.9% of the vote (1,484 ballots), with 66.0% of registered voters participating. In the 2004 election
, Democrat John F. Kerry received 58.6% of the vote here (2,650 ballots cast), outpolling Republican George W. Bush
, who received 40.4% of the vote (1,830 ballots), with 4,525 of the 7,033 registered voters participating (for turnout of 64.3%)
serve students in Kindergarten through twelfth grade. Schools in the district (with 2009-10 enrollment data from the National Center for Education Statistics
) are
Dr. Charles R. Smith Early Childhood Center (273 students in grades K-1)
Lindbergh Elementary School (670 students in grades 2-7) and
Palisades Park High School
(552 students in grades 8-12).
Roadways in Palisades Park include U.S. Route 1/9
, U.S. Route 46
, Route 5, Route 63
, Route 93 and County Route 501
.
The nearby George Washington Bridge
, the world's busiest motor vehicle bridge, provides access to Palisades Park from Manhattan
in New York City
via adjacent Fort Lee, Bergen County
.
New Jersey Transit
bus routes 127, 154, 155, 157, 168, 166, 751 and 755 all serve Palisades Park.
Borough (New Jersey)
A borough in the context of New Jersey local government refers to one of five types and one of eleven forms of municipal government....
in Bergen County
Bergen County, New Jersey
Bergen County is the most populous county of the state of New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, its population was 905,116. The county is part of the New York City Metropolitan Area. Its county seat is Hackensack...
, New Jersey
New Jersey
New Jersey is a state in the Northeastern and Middle Atlantic regions of the United States. , its population was 8,791,894. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York, on the southeast and south by the Atlantic Ocean, on the west by Pennsylvania and on the southwest by Delaware...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. As of the 2010 United States Census, the borough population was 19,622.
The borough of Palisades Park was created by an Act of the New Jersey Legislature
New Jersey Legislature
The New Jersey Legislature is the legislative branch of the government of the U.S. state of New Jersey. In its current form, as defined by the New Jersey Constitution of 1947, the Legislature consists of two houses: the General Assembly and the Senate...
on March 22, 1899, from portions of Ridgefield Township. A portion of its area was taken by Fort Lee
Fort Lee, New Jersey
Fort Lee is a borough in Bergen County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, the borough population was 35,345. Located atop the Hudson Palisades, the borough is the western terminus of the George Washington Bridge...
in April 1909.
Geography
Palisades Park is located at 40.845742°N 73.994795°W (40.845742, -73.994795).According to the United States Census Bureau
United States Census Bureau
The United States Census Bureau is the government agency that is responsible for the United States Census. It also gathers other national demographic and economic data...
, the borough has a total area of 1.27 square miles (3.3 km²), of which 1.21 square miles (3.1 km²) is land and 0.06 square mile (0.1553992866 km²), or 4.72%, is water.
Demographics
As of the 2010 Census, Palisades Park had a population of 19,622. The median age was 37.0. The racial and ethnic composition of the population was 28.9% White, 2.0% Black or African American, 0.3% Native American, 57.8% Asian, 0.1% Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander, 9.0% some other race and 1.9% reporting two or more races. 18.2% were Hispanic or Latino of any race.As of the census
Census
A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring and recording information about the members of a given population. It is a regularly occurring and official count of a particular population. The term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common...
of 2000, there were 17,073 people, 6,247 households, and 4,447 families residing in the borough. The population density
Population density
Population density is a measurement of population per unit area or unit volume. It is frequently applied to living organisms, and particularly to humans...
was 14,112.4 people per square mile (5,447.9/km2). There were 6,386 housing units at an average density of 5,278.6 per square mile (2,037.7/km2). The racial makeup of the borough was 48.27% White, 1.38% African American, 0.19% Native American, 41.09% Asian, 0.03% Pacific Islander, 5.80% from other races
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
, and 3.24% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 16.48% of the population.
Palisades Park boasts the highest percentage (44%) of Korean Americans of any municipality in the United States. Broad Avenue in Palisades Park Koreatown
Koreatown, Palisades Park
Koreatown, Palisades Park, or Palisades Park Koreatown, in the borough of Palisades Park, Bergen County, New Jersey, USA, in the New York City Metropolitan Area, is one of the largest and fastest growing ethnic Korean enclaves outside of Korea....
has been characterized as a major epicenter of Korean American life.
Also in the 2000 Census, 3.1% of Palisades Park's residents identified themselves as being of Croatia
Croatia
Croatia , officially the Republic of Croatia , is a unitary democratic parliamentary republic in Europe at the crossroads of the Mitteleuropa, the Balkans, and the Mediterranean. Its capital and largest city is Zagreb. The country is divided into 20 counties and the city of Zagreb. Croatia covers ...
n ancestry. This was the second highest percentage of people with Croatian ancestry in any place in New Jersey with 1,000 or more residents identifying their ancestry.
There were 6,247 households out of which 30.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 54.9% were married couples
Marriage
Marriage is a social union or legal contract between people that creates kinship. It is an institution in which interpersonal relationships, usually intimate and sexual, are acknowledged in a variety of ways, depending on the culture or subculture in which it is found...
living together, 10.4% had a female householder with no husband present, and 28.8% were non-families. 22.9% of all households were made up of individuals and 8.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.73 and the average family size was 3.20.
In the borough the population was spread out with 19.4% under the age of 18, 9.1% from 18 to 24, 37.8% from 25 to 44, 21.7% from 45 to 64, and 12.1% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females there were 99.1 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 97.8 males.
The median income for a household in the borough was $48,015, and the median income for a family was $54,503. Males had a median income of $37,204 versus $31,997 for females. The per capita income
Per capita income
Per capita income or income per person is a measure of mean income within an economic aggregate, such as a country or city. It is calculated by taking a measure of all sources of income in the aggregate and dividing it by the total population...
for the borough was $22,607. About 8.5% of families and 9.7% of the population were below the poverty line, including 9.9% of those under age 18 and 12.1% of those age 65 or over.
Local government
Palisades Park is governed under the BoroughBorough (New Jersey)
A borough in the context of New Jersey local government refers to one of five types and one of eleven forms of municipal government....
form of New Jersey municipal government. The government consists of a Mayor and a Borough Council comprising six council members, with all positions elected at large. A Mayor is elected directly by the voters to a four-year term of office and only votes to break a tie. The Borough Council consists of six members elected to serve three-year terms on a staggered basis, with two seats coming up for election each year.
, the Mayor
Mayor
In many countries, a Mayor is the highest ranking officer in the municipal government of a town or a large urban city....
of Palisades Park is James Rotundo (D
Democratic Party (United States)
The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...
, term ends December 31, 2014). Members of the Borough Council are are Frank Donohue (2011), Jason Kim (2013), Jong Chul Lee (2102), Cyndy Pirrera (2011), Henry Ruh (2013) and Joseph Testa (2012).
Federal, state and county representation
Palisades Park is in the 9th Congressional district and is part of New Jersey's 39th state legislative district. The legislative district was kept unchanged by the New Jersey Apportionment CommissionNew Jersey Apportionment Commission
The New Jersey Apportionment Commission is a constitutionally-created ten-member commission responsible for apportioning the forty districts of the New Jersey Legislature. The commission is convened after each decennial U.S. Census, and the districts are to be in use for the legislative elections...
based on the results of the 2010 Census.
Politics
As of Election Day, November 4, 2008, there were 5,671 registered voters. Of registered voters, 1,761 (31.1% of all registered voters) were registered as DemocratsDemocratic Party (United States)
The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...
, 1,087 (19.2%) were registered as Republicans
Republican Party (United States)
The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...
and 2,823 (49.8%) were registered as Unaffiliated. There were no voters registered to other parties.
In the 2008 presidential election
United States presidential election, 2008
The United States presidential election of 2008 was the 56th quadrennial presidential election. It was held on November 4, 2008. Democrat Barack Obama, then the junior United States Senator from Illinois, defeated Republican John McCain, the senior U.S. Senator from Arizona. Obama received 365...
, Democrat Barack Obama
Barack Obama
Barack Hussein Obama II is the 44th and current President of the United States. He is the first African American to hold the office. Obama previously served as a United States Senator from Illinois, from January 2005 until he resigned following his victory in the 2008 presidential election.Born in...
received 58.8% of the vote here (2,187 ballots cast), outpolling Republican John McCain
John McCain
John Sidney McCain III is the senior United States Senator from Arizona. He was the Republican nominee for president in the 2008 United States election....
, who received 39.9% of the vote (1,484 ballots), with 66.0% of registered voters participating. In the 2004 election
United States presidential election, 2004
The United States presidential election of 2004 was the United States' 55th quadrennial presidential election. It was held on Tuesday, November 2, 2004. Republican Party candidate and incumbent President George W. Bush defeated Democratic Party candidate John Kerry, the then-junior U.S. Senator...
, Democrat John F. Kerry received 58.6% of the vote here (2,650 ballots cast), outpolling Republican George W. Bush
George W. Bush
George Walker Bush is an American politician who served as the 43rd President of the United States, from 2001 to 2009. Before that, he was the 46th Governor of Texas, having served from 1995 to 2000....
, who received 40.4% of the vote (1,830 ballots), with 4,525 of the 7,033 registered voters participating (for turnout of 64.3%)
Education
The Palisades Park Public School DistrictPalisades Park Public School District
The Palisades Park Public School District is a comprehensive community public school district that serves students in Kindergarten through twelfth grade from Palisades Park, in Bergen County, New Jersey, United States....
serve students in Kindergarten through twelfth grade. Schools in the district (with 2009-10 enrollment data from the National Center for Education Statistics
National Center for Education Statistics
The National Center for Education Statistics is the part of the United States Department of Education's Institute of Education Sciences that collects, analyzes, and publishes statistics on education and public school district finance information in the United States...
) are
Dr. Charles R. Smith Early Childhood Center (273 students in grades K-1)
Lindbergh Elementary School (670 students in grades 2-7) and
Palisades Park High School
Palisades Park High School
Palisades Park Jr./Sr. High School is a five-year comprehensive public high school that serves students in eighth through twelfth grade from Palisades Park, in Bergen County, New Jersey, United States, operating as part of the Palisades Park Public School District.As of the 2009-10 school year, the...
(552 students in grades 8-12).
Transportation
U.S. Route 1/9
U.S. Route 9 is a U.S. highway in the northeast United States, running from Laurel, Delaware north to the Canadian border near Champlain, New York...
, U.S. Route 46
U.S. Route 46
U.S. Route 46 is an east–west U.S. Highway, running for , completely within the state of New Jersey. The west end is at an interchange with Interstate 80 and Route 94 in Columbia, Warren County on the Delaware River...
, Route 5, Route 63
New Jersey Route 63
Route 63 is a short, long state highway in Hudson and Bergen Counties in New Jersey. The route is known as Bergen Boulevard and concurrent with County Route 501 for most of its alignment. The southern terminus is at Kennedy Boulevard and County Route 501 in the community of North North Bergen...
, Route 93 and County Route 501
County Route 501 (New Jersey)
County Route 501 is a county highway in New Jersey in two sections spanning Middlesex, Hudson and Bergen Counties. The southern section runs from South Plainfield to Perth Amboy, the northern section runs from Bayonne to Rockleigh, and the two sections are connected by New York State Route 440...
.
The nearby George Washington Bridge
George Washington Bridge
The George Washington Bridge is a suspension bridge spanning the Hudson River, connecting the Washington Heights neighborhood in the borough of Manhattan in New York City to Fort Lee, Bergen County, New Jersey. Interstate 95 and U.S. Route 1/9 cross the river via the bridge. U.S...
, the world's busiest motor vehicle bridge, provides access to Palisades Park from Manhattan
Manhattan
Manhattan is the oldest and the most densely populated of the five boroughs of New York City. Located primarily on the island of Manhattan at the mouth of the Hudson River, the boundaries of the borough are identical to those of New York County, an original county of the state of New York...
in New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
via adjacent Fort Lee, Bergen County
Fort Lee, New Jersey
Fort Lee is a borough in Bergen County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, the borough population was 35,345. Located atop the Hudson Palisades, the borough is the western terminus of the George Washington Bridge...
.
New Jersey Transit
New Jersey Transit
The New Jersey Transit Corporation is a statewide public transportation system serving the United States state of New Jersey, and New York, Orange, and Rockland counties in New York State...
bus routes 127, 154, 155, 157, 168, 166, 751 and 755 all serve Palisades Park.
Notable residents
Notable current and former residents of Palisades Park include:- John J. DickersonJohn J. DickersonJohn J. Dickerson was an American Republican Party politician who served as Mayor of Palisades Park, New Jersey and Chairman of the New Jersey Republican State Committee.-Biography:...
(1900–66), politician who served as Mayor of Palisades Park from 1939–1952, and was Chairman of the New Jersey Republican State CommitteeNew Jersey Republican State CommitteeThe New Jersey Republican State Committee is the affiliate of the Republican Party in New Jersey. The Committee was founded in 1880. The party is led by Chairman of the New Jersey Republican State Committee Sam Raia of Saddle River, New Jersey.-Membership:...
. - William J. Dorgan (1921–2003), Bergen County Freeholder Director and New Jersey State Assemblyman who served multiple terms as mayor of Palisades Park.
External links
- Palisades Park Public School District
- Palisades Park Public School District, National Center for Education StatisticsNational Center for Education StatisticsThe National Center for Education Statistics is the part of the United States Department of Education's Institute of Education Sciences that collects, analyzes, and publishes statistics on education and public school district finance information in the United States...
- Palisades Park Public Library Multimedia Center
- Palisades Park city data