Far Hills is a

borough A borough is an administrative division in various English-speaking countries. In principle, the term ''borough'' designates a self-governing walled town, although in practice, official use of the term varies widely. History In the Middle Ag ...

in Somerset County in the

U.S. state In the United States, a state is a constituent political entity, of which there are 50. Bound together in a political union, each state holds governmental jurisdiction over a separate and defined geographic territory where it shares its sove ...

New Jersey New Jersey is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern regions of the United States. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York; on the east, southeast, and south by the Atlantic Ocean; on the west by the Delawa ...

. As of the

2010 United States census The United States census of 2010 was the twenty-third United States national census. National Census Day, the reference day used for the census, was April 1, 2010. The census was taken via mail-in citizen self-reporting, with enumerators serving ...

, the population was 919,DP-1 - Profile of General Population and Housing Characteristics: 2010 for Far Hills borough, Somerset County, New Jersey
,

United States Census Bureau The United States Census Bureau (USCB), officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the U.S. Federal Statistical System, responsible for producing data about the American people and economy. The Census Bureau is part of th ...

. Accessed August 25, 2012.Profile of General Demographic Characteristics: 2010 for Far Hills borough
,

New Jersey Department of Labor and Workforce Development The New Jersey Department of Labor and Workforce Development is a governmental agency of the U.S. state of New Jersey New Jersey is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern regions of the United States. It is bordered on the north ...

. Accessed August 25, 2012. reflecting an increase of 60 (+7.0%) from the 859 counted in the 2000 Census, which had in turn increased by 202 (+30.7%) from the 657 counted in the 1990 Census. Far Hills was incorporated as a borough based on an Act of the

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 ...

passed on April 7, 1921, from portions of Bernards Township, subject to the results of a referendum held on May 12, 1921.Snyder, John P
''The Story of New Jersey's Civil Boundaries: 1606–1968''
Bureau of Geology and Topography; Trenton, New Jersey; 1969. p. 223. Accessed August 25, 2012. Far Hills is a

dry town A dry county is a county in the United States whose government forbids the sale of any kind of alcoholic beverages. Some prohibit off-premises sale, some prohibit on-premises sale, and some prohibit both. Dozens of dry counties exist across ...

where alcohol is not permitted to be sold by law. It is located within the Raritan Valley region.

History

Far Hills encompasses nearly in Somerset County, encircled by the equally upscale communities of Bedminster Township,

Bernardsville Bernardsville () is a borough in Somerset County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey. The borough is nestled in the heart of the Raritan Valley region. As of the 2010 United States Census, the borough's population was 7,707,

. It shares a community pool, athletic programs, civic organizations, and a school system with Bernardsville. It shares a public library, a fire department and a first aid squad with neighboring Bedminster Township. The borough maintains its character through minimum zoning laws whereby large private properties and homes surround a small village which was the creation of a wealthy New York businessman in the late 1800s. The beginning of rail service to nearby Bernardsville in 1870, opened the area to city people seeking a respite from the heat and hurry of urban life. Evander H. Schley, a land developer and real estate broker from New York, purchased thousands of acres in Bedminster and Bernards townships in the 1880s. One day in 1887, Schley's brother, Grant, and his wife, Elizabeth, arrived by horse-drawn carriage to see Evander's farms. Elizabeth is said to have remarked on the beautiful vista of the "far hills," thus giving the name to the place before a village was built.

Geography

According to the

, the borough had a total area of 4.90 square miles (12.69 km²), including 4.85 square miles (12.55 km²) of land and 0.06 square miles (0.14 km²) of water (1.12%). The borough borders the Somerset County municipalities of Bedminster Township to the west, Bernards Township to the east,

to the northeast and

Peapack-Gladstone Peapack-Gladstone (also written as Peapack and Gladstone) is a borough in Somerset County in the U.S. state of New Jersey. As of the 2010 Census, the borough's population was 2,582,Köppen Climate Classification The Köppen climate classification is one of the most widely used climate classification systems. It was first published by German-Russian climatologist Wladimir Köppen (1846–1940) in 1884, with several later modifications by Köppen, nota ...

system, Far Hills has a

humid continental climate A humid continental climate is a climatic region defined by Russo-German climatologist Wladimir Köppen in 1900, typified by four distinct seasons and large seasonal temperature differences, with warm to hot (and often humid) summers and freez ...

, abbreviated "Dfa" on climate maps.

Demographics

Census 2010

The Census Bureau's 2006–2010

American Community Survey The American Community Survey (ACS) is a demographics survey program conducted by the U.S. Census Bureau. It regularly gathers information previously contained only in the long form of the decennial census, such as ancestry, citizenship, educati ...

showed that (in 2010 inflation-adjusted dollars)

median household income The median income is the income amount that divides a population into two equal groups, half having an income above that amount, and half having an income below that amount. It may differ from the mean (or average) income. Both of these are ways ...

was $125,833 (with a margin of error of +/− $29,841) and the median family income was $202,083 (+/− $85,006). Males had a median income of $177,083 (+/− $60,611) versus $76,250 (+/− $38,263) for females. The

per capita income Per capita income (PCI) or total income measures the average income earned per person in a given area (city, region, country, etc.) in a specified year. It is calculated by dividing the area's total income by its total population. Per capita i ...

for the borough was $93,495 (+/− $19,515). About 3.6% of families and 3.7% of the population were below the

poverty line The poverty threshold, poverty limit, poverty line or breadline is the minimum level of income deemed adequate in a particular country. The poverty line is usually calculated by estimating the total cost of one year's worth of necessities for ...

, including 3.3% of those under age 18 and 4.8% of those age 65 or over.

Census 2000

As of the

2000 United States census The United States census of 2000, conducted by the Census Bureau, determined the resident population of the United States on April 1, 2000, to be 281,421,906, an increase of 13.2 percent over the 248,709,873 people enumerated during the 1990 c ...

there were 859 people, 368 households, and 253 families. The

population density Population density (in agriculture: standing stock or plant density) is a measurement of population per unit land area. It is mostly applied to humans, but sometimes to other living organisms too. It is a key geographical term.Matt RosenberPopu ...

was 176.8 people per square mile (68.2/km²). There were 386 housing units at an average density of 79.4 per square mile (30.7/km²). The racial makeup was 96.04%

White White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no hue). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully reflect and scatter all the visible wavelengths of light. White ...

, 0.81%

African American African Americans (also referred to as Black Americans and Afro-Americans) are an ethnic group consisting of Americans with partial or total ancestry from sub-Saharan Africa. The term "African American" generally denotes descendants of ens ...

, 0.12% Native American, 2.10% Asian, and 0.93% from two or more races.

Hispanic The term ''Hispanic'' ( es, hispano) refers to people, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or Hispanidad. The term commonly applies to countries with a cultural and historical link to Spain and to viceroyalties for ...

or Latino of any race were 3.61% of the population.Census 2000 Profiles of Demographic / Social / Economic / Housing Characteristics for Far Hills borough, New Jersey
,

. Accessed August 25, 2012.DP-1: Profile of General Demographic Characteristics: 2000 - Census 2000 Summary File 1 (SF 1) 100-Percent Data for Far Hills borough, Somerset County, New Jersey
,

. Accessed August 25, 2012. There were 368 households, out of which 22.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 59.5% were

married couples Marriage, also called matrimony or wedlock, is a culturally and often legally recognized union between people called spouses. It establishes rights and obligations between them, as well as between them and their children, and between ...

living together, 5.7% had a female householder with no husband present, and 31.3% were non-families. 25.5% of all households were made up of individuals, and 6.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.33 and the average family size was 2.76. The population was spread out, with 18.4% under the age of 18, 3.5% from 18 to 24, 28.8% from 25 to 44, 32.8% from 45 to 64, and 16.5% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 45 years. For every 100 females, there were 88.8 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 88.9 males. The median income for a household was $112,817, and the median income for a family was $149,095. Males had a median income of $90,000 versus $46,607 for females. The

was $81,535. About 0.8% of families and 2.5% of the population were below the

, including 3.8% of those under age 18 and 1.2% of those age 65 or over.

Sports

The

United States Golf Association The United States Golf Association (USGA) is the United States national association of golf courses, clubs and facilities and the governing body of golf for the U.S. and Mexico. Together with The R&A, the USGA produces and interprets the rules ...

has a Far Hills mailing address but is actually located in Bernards Township. The United States Golf Association Museum and Arnold Palmer Center for Golf History is located on the premises. From 2000 through 2005 the

Breeders' Cup Grand National Steeplechase The Grand National Hurdle Stakes is an American National Steeplechase Association sanctioned Steeplechase (horse racing), steeplechase race run each fall at Far Hills, New Jersey. It is a Grade 1 event run over miles. It has been known by a variet ...

returned to the

Far Hills Races The Far Hills Races is a Steeplechase (horse racing), steeplechase horserace held annually in Far Hills, New Jersey, Far Hills, New Jersey, United States. The October 2021 event was the 100th running, and race day purses can equal up to or more tha ...

after a hiatus of six years. Known for the highest prize money of a steeplechase in America, the purse for the Breeders' Cup winner has been as large as $250,000 and has attracted up to 100,000 spectators. Several races are scheduled by Far Hills Race Meeting Association in late October of each year. Considered one of the premier social events of the year in the tri-state area, it is attended by as many as 75,000 people annually.

Parks and recreation

* The

Leonard J. Buck Garden The Leonard J. Buck Garden is a public botanical garden and woodland garden operated by the Somerset County Park Commission, and located at 11 Layton Road, Far Hills, New Jersey, United States. The garden is one of the nation's premier rock ga ...

, , is a public

botanical garden A botanical garden or botanic gardenThe terms ''botanic'' and ''botanical'' and ''garden'' or ''gardens'' are used more-or-less interchangeably, although the word ''botanic'' is generally reserved for the earlier, more traditional gardens, an ...

operated by the Somerset County Park Commission, and located at 11 Layton Road. It is open daily; a small fee is requested. * Moggy Hollow Natural Area is a National Natural Landmark adjacent to the Buck Garden. *

Natirar Natirar is an estate spanning in Peapack-Gladstone, Far Hills and Bedminster, in Somerset County, New Jersey, United States. Its name is a reverse spelling of ''Raritan''. The complex was built between 1910 and 1912. In 2003 it was sold by t ...

is an estate spanning in Far Hills,

Mohammed VI Muhammad VI may refer to: * Muhammad Imaaduddeen VI (1868–1932), sultan of the Maldives from 1893 to 1902 * Mehmed VI (1861–1926), sultan of Ottoman Empire, from 1918 to 1922 * Mohammed VI of Morocco (born 1963), King of Morocco since 19 ...

King of Morocco This is the list of rulers of Morocco, since the establishment of the state in 789. The common and formal titles of these rulers has varied, depending on the time period. Since 1957, the designation King has been used. The present King of Mor ...

, to the Somerset County Park Commission.

Government

Local government

Far Hills is governed under the

Borough A borough is an administrative division in various English-speaking countries. In principle, the term ''borough'' designates a self-governing walled town, although in practice, official use of the term varies widely. History In the Middle Ag ...

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. The governing body is comprised of the Mayor and the Borough Council, with all positions elected

at-large At large (''before a noun'': at-large) is a description for members of a governing body who are elected or appointed to represent a whole membership or population (notably a city, county, state, province, nation, club or association), rather than ...

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 is comprised of 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.''2012 New Jersey Legislative District Data Book'',

Rutgers University Rutgers University (; RU), officially Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, is a public land-grant research university consisting of four campuses in New Jersey. Chartered in 1766, Rutgers was originally called Queen's College, and was ...

Edward J. Bloustein School of Planning and Public Policy, March 2013, p. 77. The Borough form of government used by Far Hills is a "

weak mayor Weak may refer to: Songs * "Weak" (AJR song), 2016 * "Weak" (Melanie C song), 2011 * "Weak" (SWV song), 1993 * "Weak" (Skunk Anansie song), 1995 * "Weak", a song by Seether from '' Seether: 2002-2013'' Television episodes * "Weak" (''Fear t ...

/ 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 can

veto A veto is a legal power to unilaterally stop an official action. In the most typical case, a president or monarch vetoes a bill to stop it from becoming law. In many countries, veto powers are established in the country's constitution. Veto ...

ordinances subject to an override 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. , the Mayor of Far Hills is

Republican Republican can refer to: Political ideology * An advocate of a republic, a type of government that is not a monarchy or dictatorship, and is usually associated with the rule of law. ** Republicanism, the ideology in support of republics or agains ...

Dr. Paul J. Vallone, whose term of office ends on December 31, 2022. Members of the Far Hills Borough Council are Council President David P. Karner (R, 2022), Joseph E. Carty (R, 2023), Mary Chimenti (R, 2024), Edward R. "Ted" McLean (R, 2022; elected to serve an unexpired term), Sheila J. Tweedie (R, 2023) and Kevin Welsh (R, 2024).Borough Council
Borough of Far Hills. Accessed April 26, 2022. "The Borough of Far Hills Council consists of the Mayor and 6 Council members. The Mayor is elected for a four year term and Council members are elected for a three year term."''2021 Directory of County & Municipal Offices''

Somerset County, New Jersey Somerset County is a county located in the north-central part of the U.S. state of New Jersey. As of the 2020 United States Census, the county's population was 345,361, an increase of 21,917 (6.8%) from the 323,444 counted at the 2010 U.S Ce ...

. Accessed April 25, 2022.2021 General Election Winning Candidates

. Accessed January 1, 2022.Somerset County General Election November 3, 2020 Final Certified Results

, dated December 3, 2020. Accessed January 19, 2021.General Election November 5, 2019 Final Results

, updated November 15, 2019. Accessed January 1, 2020.General Election 2018 Winners List

. Accessed January 1, 2019. In November 2019, the Borough Council selected Ted McLean to fill the weeks remaining in the seat expiring in December 2019 that had been held by David R. Surks until he resigned from office earlier that month. Surks was re-elected in the November 2019 general election In January 2020, McLean was appointed to fill Surks' term expiring in December 2022 and will serve on an interim basis until the November 2020 general election.

Emergency services

Emergency services in the borough are offered by the Far Hills-Bedminster Fire Department, Far Hills Police Department, and Far Hills-Bedminster First Aid Squad. Far Hills-Bedminster Fire Department roots back to the establishment of Union Hook & Ladder Company #1 in December 1900; The current name was adopted in 1998 to avoid confusion with other departments with similar names.

Federal, state and county representation

Far Hills is located in the 7th Congressional DistrictPlan Components Report
New Jersey Redistricting Commission, December 23, 2011. Accessed February 1, 2020. and is part of New Jersey's 21st state legislative district.Municipalities Sorted by 2011-2020 Legislative District

New Jersey Department of State The secretary of state of New Jersey oversees the Department of State, which is one of the original state offices. The Secretary is responsible for overseeing artistic, cultural, and historical programs within the U.S. state of New Jersey, as ...

. Accessed February 1, 2020.''2019 New Jersey Citizen's Guide to Government''
New Jersey

League of Women Voters The League of Women Voters (LWV or the League) is a nonprofit, nonpartisan political organization in the United States. Founded in 1920, its ongoing major activities include registering voters, providing voter information, and advocating for vot ...

. Accessed October 30, 2019. Prior to the 2011 reapportionment following the 2010 Census, Far Hills had been in the 16th state legislative district.''2011 New Jersey Citizen's Guide to Government''
, p. 57, New Jersey

. Accessed May 22, 2015. Somerset County is governed by a five-member

Board of County Commissioners A county commission (or a board of county commissioners) is a group of elected officials (county commissioners) collectively charged with administering the county government in some states of the United States; such commissions usually comprise ...

, whose members are elected

to three-year terms of office on a staggered basis, with one or two seats coming up for election each year. At an annual reorganization meeting held on the first Friday of January, the board selects a Director and Deputy Director from among its members. , Somerset County's County Commissioners are Director Shanel Robinson ( D, Franklin Township, term as commissioner ends December 31, 2024; term as director ends 2022), Deputy Director Melonie Marano (D, Green Brook Township, term as commissioner and as deputy director ends 2022), Paul Drake (D, Hillsborough Township, 2023), Douglas Singleterry (D, North Plainfield, 2023) and Sara Sooy (D,

Basking Ridge Basking Ridge is an Local government in New Jersey#Unincorporated communities, unincorporated community located within Bernards Township, New Jersey, Bernards Township in the Somerset Hills region of Somerset County, New Jersey, Somerset Count ...

in Bernards Township, 2024).''2021 Directory of County & Municipal Offices''

. Accessed May 1, 2022.2021 General Election Winning Candidates

. Accessed January 1, 2022.Somerset County General Election November 3, 2020 Final Certified Results

, dated December 3, 2020. Accessed January 1, 2021.General Election November 5, 2019 Final Results

, updated November 15, 2019. Accessed January 1, 2020. Pursuant to Article VII Section II of the

New Jersey State Constitution The Constitution of the State of New Jersey is the basic governing document of the State of New Jersey. In addition to three British Royal Charters issued for East Jersey, West Jersey and united New Jersey while they were still colonies, the sta ...

, each county in New Jersey is required to have three elected administrative officials known as constitutional officers. These officers are the

County Clerk A clerk is a white-collar worker who conducts general office tasks, or a worker who performs similar sales-related tasks in a retail environment. The responsibilities of clerical workers commonly include record keeping, filing, staffing service ...

and County Surrogate (both elected for five-year terms of office) and the

County Sheriff A sheriff is a government official, with varying duties, existing in some countries with historical ties to England where the office originated. There is an analogous, although independently developed, office in Iceland that is commonly transla ...

(elected for a three-year term). Constitutional officers, elected on a countywide basis are County Clerk Steve Peter ( D, Somerville, 2022), Sheriff Darrin Russo (D, Franklin Township, 2022) and Surrogate Bernice "Tina" Jalloh (D, Franklin Township, 2025)

Politics

As of March 23, 2011, there were a total of 748 registered voters in Far Hills, of which 97 (13.0% vs. 26.0% countywide) were registered as Democrats, 382 (51.1% vs. 25.7%) were registered as Republicans and 268 (35.8% vs. 48.2%) were registered as Unaffiliated. There was one voter registered to another party.Voter Registration Summary - Somerset

Division of Elections, March 23, 2011. Accessed February 12, 2013. Among the borough's 2010 Census population, 81.4% (vs. 60.4% in Somerset County) were registered to vote, including 107.2% of those ages 18 and over (vs. 80.4% countywide). In the 2012 presidential election, Republican

Mitt Romney Willard Mitt Romney (born March 12, 1947) is an American politician, businessman, and lawyer serving as the junior United States senator from Utah since January 2019, succeeding Orrin Hatch. He served as the 70th governor of Massachusetts ...

received 70.6% of the vote (348 cast), ahead of Democrat

Barack Obama Barack Hussein Obama II ( ; born August 4, 1961) is an American politician who served as the 44th president of the United States from 2009 to 2017. A member of the Democratic Party (United States), Democratic Party, Obama was the first Af ...

with 27.8% (137 votes), and other candidates with 1.0% (5 votes), among the 493 ballots cast by the borough's 793 registered voters (3 ballots were spoiled), for a turnout of 62.2%. In the 2008 presidential election, Republican

John McCain John Sidney McCain III (August 29, 1936 – August 25, 2018) was an American politician and United States Navy officer who served as a United States senator from Arizona from 1987 until his death in 2018. He previously served two te ...

received 355 votes (63.1% vs. 46.1% countywide), ahead of Democrat Barack Obama with 196 votes (34.8% vs. 52.1%) and other candidates with 5 votes (0.9% vs. 1.1%), among the 563 ballots cast by the borough's 726 registered voters, for a turnout of 77.5% (vs. 78.7% in Somerset County). In the 2004 presidential election, Republican George W. Bush received 342 votes (67.7% vs. 51.5% countywide), ahead of Democrat

John Kerry John Forbes Kerry (born December 11, 1943) is an American attorney, politician and diplomat who currently serves as the first United States special presidential envoy for climate. A member of the Forbes family and the Democratic Party, he ...

with 160 votes (31.7% vs. 47.2%) and other candidates with 2 votes (0.4% vs. 0.9%), among the 505 ballots cast by the borough's 636 registered voters, for a turnout of 79.4% (vs. 81.7% in the whole county). In the 2013 gubernatorial election, Republican

Chris Christie Christopher James Christie (born September 6, 1962) is an American politician, lawyer, political commentator, lobbyist, and former federal prosecutor who served as the 55th governor of New Jersey from 2010 to 2018. Christie, who was born in N ...

received 84.9% of the vote (275 cast), ahead of Democrat

Barbara Buono Barbara A. Buono (born July 28, 1953) is an American politician who served in the New Jersey Senate from 2002 to 2014, where she represented the 18th Legislative District. She served from 2010 to 2012 as the Majority Leader in the Senate, succ ...

with 13.0% (42 votes), and other candidates with 2.2% (7 votes), among the 324 ballots cast by the borough's 799 registered voters, for a turnout of 40.6%. In the 2009 gubernatorial election, Republican Chris Christie received 282 votes (69.6% vs. 55.8% countywide), ahead of Democrat

Jon Corzine Jon Stevens Corzine ( ; born January 1, 1947) is an American financial executive and retired politician who served as a United States Senator from New Jersey from 2001 to 2006 and the 54th governor of New Jersey from 2006 to 2010. Corzine ran fo ...

with 65 votes (16.0% vs. 34.1%), Independent Chris Daggett with 52 votes (12.8% vs. 8.7%) and other candidates with 5 votes (1.2% vs. 0.7%), among the 405 ballots cast by the borough's 743 registered voters, yielding a 54.5% turnout (vs. 52.5% in the county).

Education

Students in public school attend the schools of the

Somerset Hills Regional School District The Somerset Hills Regional School District is a comprehensive regional public school district serving students in pre-kindergarten through twelfth grade from four communities in Somerset County, New Jersey, United States. The district serv ...

, a regional school district covering

pre-kindergarten Pre-kindergarten (also called Pre-K or PK) is a voluntary classroom-based preschool program for children below the age of five in the United States, Canada, Turkey and Greece (when kindergarten starts). It may be delivered through a preschool ...

through

twelfth grade Twelfth grade, 12th grade, senior year, or grade 12 is the final year of secondary school in most of North America. In other regions, it may also be referred to as class 12 or Year 13. In most countries, students are usually between the ages of 17 ...

serving students from

, Far Hills, and

sending/receiving relationship A sending/receiving relationship is one in which a public school district sends some or all of its students to attend the schools of another district. This is often done to achieve costs savings in smaller districts or continues after districts hav ...

. As of the 2020–21 school year, the district, comprised of three schools, had an enrollment of 1,797 students and 155.3 classroom teachers (on an FTE basis), for a

student–teacher ratio Student–teacher ratio or student–faculty ratio is the number of students who attend a school or university divided by the number of teachers in the institution. For example, a student–teacher ratio of 10:1 indicates that there are 10 students ...

of 11.6:1.District information for Somerset Hills Regional School District

National Center for Education Statistics The National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) is the part of the United States Department of Education's Institute of Education Sciences (IES) that collects, analyzes, and publishes statistics on education and public school district financ ...

. Accessed February 15, 2022. Schools in the district (with 2020–21 enrollment data from the

) are Marion T. Bedwell Elementary School with 471 students in grades Pre-K–4, Bernardsville Middle School with 474 students in grades 5–8 and

Bernards High School Bernards High School is a comprehensive four-year regional public high school serving students in ninth through twelfth grades in Somerset County, New Jersey, United States. The school is part of the Somerset Hills Regional School District, a ...

with 819 students in grades 9–12. The district's

board of education A board of education, school committee or school board is the board of directors or board of trustees of a school, local school district or an equivalent institution. The elected council determines the educational policy in a small regional ar ...

is comprised of nine elected members (plus one appointed member representing Bedminster) who set policy and oversee the fiscal and educational operation of the district through its administration. The nine elected seats on the board are allocated to the constituent municipalities based on population, with one seat allocated to Far Hills.

Far Hills Country Day School Far Hills Country Day School (FHCDS) is a private, co-educational Preschool-Grade 8 school located in Far Hills, New Jersey. The school is situated on 54 acres that include learning gardens, computer labs, media centers, a performing arts cente ...

is a private,

nonsectarian Nonsectarian institutions are secular institutions or other organizations not affiliated with or restricted to a particular religious group. Academic sphere Examples of US universities that identify themselves as being nonsectarian include Adel ...

coeducation Mixed-sex education, also known as mixed-gender education, co-education, or coeducation (abbreviated to co-ed or coed), is a system of education where males and females are educated together. Whereas single-sex education was more common up to t ...

day school A day school — as opposed to a boarding school — is an educational institution where children and adolescents are given instructions during the day, after which the students return to their homes. A day school has full-day programs when compa ...

located in Far Hills, serving 444 students in nursery through eighth grade on a campus.

Transportation

Roads and highways

, the borough had a total of of roadways, of which were maintained by the municipality, by Somerset County and by the

New Jersey Department of Transportation The New Jersey Department of Transportation (NJDOT) is the agency responsible for transportation issues and policy in New Jersey, including maintaining and operating the state's highway and public road system, planning and developing transportat ...

. The most prominent highway serving Far Hills is

Interstate 287 Interstate 287 (I-287) is an auxiliary Interstate Highway in the US states of New Jersey and New York. It is a partial beltway around New York City, serving the northern half of New Jersey and the counties of Rockland and Westchester in ...

. U.S. Route 202 also passes through the borough.

Public transportation

NJ Transit New Jersey Transit Corporation, branded as NJ Transit, and often shortened to NJT, is a state-owned public transportation system that serves the U.S. state of New Jersey, along with portions of New York State and Pennsylvania. It operates bu ...

provides service at the Far Hills train station on the

Gladstone Branch The Gladstone Branch (also known as the Gladstone Line) is a commuter rail line operated by NJ Transit from Gladstone station, in the U.S. state of New Jersey, to either Hoboken Terminal or New York Penn Station. It is one of two branches of t ...

of the

Morristown Line The Morristown Line is an NJ Transit commuter rail line connecting Morris and Essex counties to New York City, via either New York Penn Station or Hoboken Terminal. Out of 60 inbound and 58 outbound daily weekday trains, 28 inbound and 26 outbou ...

; the building is listed on the

National Register of Historic Places The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the United States federal government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures and objects deemed worthy of preservation for their historical significance or "great artistic ...

and is located at U.S. Route 202, near the intersection of Far Hills Road, one half mile east of

U.S. Route 206 U.S. Route 206 (US 206) is a north–south United States highway in New Jersey and Pennsylvania, United States. Only about a half a mile (800 m) of its length is in Pennsylvania; the Milford–Montague Toll Bridge carries it over the D ...

, offering service via

Secaucus Junction Secaucus Junction (known as Secaucus Transfer during planning stages and signed simply as Secaucus) is a NJ Transit Rail Operations commuter rail hub in Secaucus, New Jersey. The $450 million, station opened on December 15, 2003, and was ded ...

and

New York Penn Station Pennsylvania Station, also known as New York Penn Station or simply Penn Station, is the main intercity railroad station in New York City and the busiest transportation facility in the Western Hemisphere, serving more than 600,000 passengers ...

or to

Hoboken Terminal Hoboken Terminal is a commuter-oriented intermodal passenger station in Hoboken, Hudson County, New Jersey. One of the New York metropolitan area's major transportation hubs, it is served by nine NJ Transit (NJT) commuter rail lines, one Metr ...

Lakeland Bus Lines Lakeland Bus Lines, Inc is a privately chartered and apportioned bus company headquartered in Dover, New Jersey. Lakeland operates commuter routes from Morris, Sussex, Somerset and Essex Counties, NJ to New York City. Routes Lakeland Bus Lines ...

provides Route 78 rush-hour service from Bedminster to the

Port Authority Bus Terminal The Port Authority Bus Terminal (colloquially known as the Port Authority and by its acronym PABT) is a bus terminal located in Manhattan in New York City. It is the busiest bus terminal in the world by volume of traffic, serving about 8,000 bus ...

Midtown Manhattan Midtown Manhattan is the central portion of the New York City borough of Manhattan and serves as the city's primary central business district. Midtown is home to some of the city's most prominent buildings, including the Empire State Buildi ...

Notable people

People who were born in, residents of, or otherwise closely associated with Far Hills include: *

Nicholas F. Brady Nicholas Frederick Brady (born April 11, 1930) is an American politician from the state of New Jersey, who was the United States Secretary of the Treasury under Presidents Ronald Reagan and George H. W. Bush, and is also known for articulating t ...

(born 1930), former

United States Secretary of the Treasury The United States secretary of the treasury is the head of the United States Department of the Treasury, and is the chief financial officer of the federal government of the United States. The secretary of the treasury serves as the principal a ...

who represented New Jersey in the

United States Senate The United States Senate is the upper chamber of the United States Congress, with the House of Representatives being the lower chamber. Together they compose the national bicameral legislature of the United States. The composition and po ...

James Chesson James Chesson (born September 14, 1980) is an American racing driver from Far Hills, New Jersey. He is the younger brother of former IndyCar Series driver P. J. Chesson. A sprint car driver who had made a number of appearances in the World of Ou ...

(born 1980), race car driver * P. J. Chesson (born 1978), IndyCar driver who raced in the

2006 Indianapolis 500 The 90th Indianapolis 500 was held at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway in Speedway, Indiana on Sunday May 28, 2006. Sam Hornish Jr. won from the pole position. It was Hornish's first and only win at Indianapolis, and the record fourteenth Indy vict ...

* Charles W. Engelhard Jr. (1917–1971), businessman who controlled an international mining and metals conglomerate and was a major owner of thoroughbred race horses *

Malcolm Forbes Malcolm Stevenson Forbes (August 19, 1919 – February 24, 1990) was an American entrepreneur most prominently known as the publisher of '' Forbes'' magazine, founded by his father B. C. Forbes. He was known as an avid promoter of capitalism ...

(1919–1990), former editor-in-chief of ''

Forbes ''Forbes'' () is an American business magazine owned by Integrated Whale Media Investments and the Forbes family. Published eight times a year, it features articles on finance, industry, investing, and marketing topics. ''Forbes'' also r ...

'' magazine *

Steve Forbes Malcolm Stevenson Forbes Jr. (; born July 18, 1947) is an American publishing executive and politician who is the editor-in-chief of ''Forbes'', a business magazine. He is the son of longtime ''Forbes'' publisher Malcolm Forbes and the grandso ...

(born 1947), editor-in-chief of ''

''Peterson, Iver
"On Politics; It's Not Too Late or Irrational For Mr. Forbes to Aim Lower"
''

The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid ...

'', January 16, 2000. Accessed August 25, 2012. "Even Governor Whitman, his Far Hills neighbor and longtime acquaintance, was a county freeholder before she tried for the Senate and then went on to win the governor's race." *

Joseph S. Frelinghuysen Jr. Joseph Sherman Frelinghuysen Jr. (August 11, 1912 – January 8, 2005) was the author of ''Passages to Freedom'', about his escape from a prison camp in Italy during World War II. Early life Frelinghuysen was born in East Hampton, New York, the so ...

(1912–2005), author of ''Passages to Freedom'', about his escape from a prison camp in Italy during

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the World War II by country, vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great power ...

J. Geils John Warren Geils Jr. () (February 20, 1946 – April 11, 2017), known professionally as J. Geils or Jay Geils, was an American guitarist. He was known as the leader of The J. Geils Band. Growing up in New York City, Geils became interested in ...

(1946–2017), blues-rock lead guitarist, singer, and founder of The J. Geils Band *

Jack H. Jacobs Jack Howard Jacobs (born August 2, 1945) is a retired colonel in the United States Army and a Medal of Honor recipient for his actions during the Vietnam War. He serves as a military analyst for NBC News and MSNBC and previously worked as an inves ...

(born 1945), retired colonel in the United States Army and a

Medal of Honor The Medal of Honor (MOH) is the United States Armed Forces' highest military decoration and is awarded to recognize American soldiers, sailors, marines, airmen, guardians and coast guardsmen who have distinguished themselves by acts of val ...

recipient for his actions during the

Vietnam War The Vietnam War (also known by #Names, other names) was a conflict in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia from 1 November 1955 to the fall of Saigon on 30 April 1975. It was the second of the Indochina Wars and was officially fought between North Vie ...

John S. Penn John Stanton Penn (November 19, 1926 - November 1, 2013) was an American politician who served in the New Jersey General Assembly from the 16th Legislative District from 1984 to 1994. Born in Brooklyn and raised in Westfield, New Jersey. Penn ...

(1926–2013), politician who represented the 16th Legislative District in the

New Jersey General Assembly The New Jersey General Assembly is the lower house of the New Jersey Legislature. Since the election of 1967 (1968 Session), the Assembly has consisted of 80 members. Two members are elected from each of New Jersey's 40 legislative districts f ...

from 1984 to 1994 * Joe J. Plumeri (born 1944), Chairman & CEO of Willis Group and owner of the

Trenton Thunder The Trenton Thunder are a collegiate summer baseball team of the MLB Draft League. They are located in Trenton, New Jersey, and play their home games at Trenton Thunder Ballpark. From 1994 to 2020, it was a Minor League Baseball team of the ...

* Michael F. Price (born 1951), value investor and fund manager *

Aileen Quinn Aileen Marie Quinn (born June 28, 1971) is an American actress, singer and dancer. She is best known for her role as the title character in the 1982 film '' Annie''. Early life Quinn was born on June 28, 1971, and raised in Yardley, Pennsylvan ...

(born 1971), actress, singer and dancer best known for her role as Annie Bennett Warbucks in the 1982 film '' Annie'' *

Andrew Schlafly Andrew Layton Schlafly () (born April 27, 1961) is an American lawyer and Christian conservative activist, and the founder and owner of the wiki encyclopedia project Conservapedia. He is the son of the conservative activist and lawyer Phyllis Sch ...

(born 1961), founder of

Conservapedia Conservapedia ( ) is an English-language, wiki-based, online encyclopedia written from a self-described American conservative and fundamentalist Christian point of view. The website was established in 2006 by American homeschool teacher and a ...

, son of

Phyllis Schlafly Phyllis Stewart Schlafly (; born Phyllis McAlpin Stewart; August 15, 1924 – September 5, 2016) was an American attorney, conservative activist, author, and anti-feminist spokesperson for the national conservative movement. She held paleocons ...

James Wallwork James Harold Wallwork (born September 17, 1930) is an American Republican Party politician who served in both houses of the New Jersey Legislature and twice sought the Republican nomination for Governor. Early life and military career Wallwork ...

(born 1930), politician who served in both houses of the

Christine Todd Whitman Christine Temple Whitman (née Todd; born September 26, 1946) is an American politician and author who served as the 50th governor of New Jersey from 1994 to 2001 and as Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency in the administration ...

(born 1946), former

Governor of New Jersey The governor of New Jersey is the head of government of New Jersey. The office of governor is an elected position with a four-year term. There is a two consecutive term term limit, with no limitation on non-consecutive terms. The official r ...

Kate Whitman Annis Kate Whitman Annis (born ) is an American ice hockey executive, currently serving as executive director of the Devils Youth Foundation, the youth outreach arm of the New Jersey Devils. She previously served as executive of operations for W Hockey ...

(born ), general manager of the

Metropolitan Riveters The Metropolitan Riveters (originally the New York Riveters) are a professional women's ice hockey team based in East Rutherford, New Jersey, with home games at the American Dream Meadowlands ice rink. They were one of the four charter franchi ...

of the

National Women's Hockey League The Premier Hockey Federation (PHF), formerly the National Women's Hockey League (NWHL), is a women's professional ice hockey league located in the United States and Canada. The league was established in 2015 with four league-owned teams and ha ...

"Like mother, like daughter - Kate Whitman enters Somerset County freeholder contest"
''New Jersey Hills'', January 31, 2017. Accessed November 19, 2020. "Whitman grew up in Far Hills, later moving to the Oldwick section of Tewksbury Township when her parents took over her maternal grandparents' farm."

References

External links

Borough website

The complete history of the Far Hills Race Meeting

Far Hills Police website

Somerset Hills School District
*
Data for the Somerset Hills School District

The Historical Society of the Somerset Hills
{{authority control Far Hills, New Jersey, 1921 establishments in New Jersey Borough form of New Jersey government Boroughs in Somerset County, New Jersey Populated places established in 1921