Morris Plains is a borough in Morris County, New Jersey, United States. 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 servi ...

, the borough's population was 5,532,DP-1 - Profile of General Population and Housing Characteristics: 2010 for Morris Plains borough, Morris 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 t ...

. Accessed December 19, 2012.Profile of General Demographic Characteristics: 2010 for Morris Plains 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. The New Jersey Civil Service Commission is an independent body within the New Jersey state government under the auspices of t ...

. Accessed December 19, 2012. reflecting an increase of 296 (+5.7%) from the 5,236 counted in the 2000 Census, which had in turn increased by 17 (+0.3%) from the 5,219 counted in the 1990 Census. Morris Plains was incorporated as a borough by an act of the New Jersey Legislature on March 15, 1926, from portions of Hanover Township, based on the results of a referendum held on April 15, 1926.Snyder, John P
''The Story of New Jersey's Civil Boundaries: 1606-1968''
Bureau of Geology and Topography; Trenton, New Jersey; 1969. p. 195. Accessed October 29, 2012. The borough's name comes from Lewis Morris, colonial governor of New Jersey. Morris Plains serves as a

bedroom community A commuter town is a populated area that is primarily residential rather than commercial or industrial. Routine travel from home to work and back is called commuting, which is where the term comes from. A commuter town may be called by many o ...

, with many residents traveling to work in

New York City New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the most densely populated major city in the Un ...

. 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 ...

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 commuters with direct access to New York Penn Station and 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 ...

Geography

According to the

, the borough had a total area of 2.59 square miles (6.71 km²), including 2.55 square miles (6.61 km²) of land and 0.04 square miles (0.09 km²) of water (1.35%).

Unincorporated communities An unincorporated area is a region that is not governed by a local municipal corporation. Widespread unincorporated communities and areas are a distinguishing feature of the United States and Canada. Most other countries of the world either have ...

, localities and place names located partially or completely within the township include Littleton. The borough borders the Morris County municipalities of Hanover Township, Morris Township and Parsippany-Troy Hills.

Climate

The climate in this area is characterized by hot, humid summers and generally mild to cool winters. According to the

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, notabl ...

system, Morris Plains has a humid subtropical climate, abbreviated "Cfa" on climate maps.

Demographics

2010 census

The Census Bureau's 2006–2010 American Community Survey showed that (in 2010 inflation-adjusted dollars) median household income was $103,688 (with a margin of error of +/− $12,744) and the median family income was $127,614 (+/− $20,257). Males had a median income of $91,908 (+/− $21,398) versus $67,232 (+/− $24,331) 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 $45,165 (+/− $10,332). About 0.4% of families and 9.5% 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 t ...

, including none of those under age 18 and 0.6% of those age 65 or over.

2000 census

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 cen ...

there were 5,236 people, 1,955 households, and 1,477 families residing in the borough. The

population density Population density (in agriculture: Stock (disambiguation), 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 ...

was 2,018.7 people per square mile (780.6/km²). There were 1,994 housing units at an average density of 768.8 per square mile (297.3/km²). The racial makeup of the borough was 92.91% White, 1.34% African American, 0.06% Native American, 4.32% Asian, 0.10%

Pacific Islander Pacific Islanders, Pasifika, Pasefika, or rarely Pacificers are the peoples of the Pacific Islands. As an ethnic/racial term, it is used to describe the original peoples—inhabitants and diasporas—of any of the three major subregions of O ...

, 0.40% from

other races Other often refers to: * Other (philosophy), a concept in psychology and philosophy Other or The Other may also refer to: Film and television * ''The Other'' (1913 film), a German silent film directed by Max Mack * ''The Other'' (1930 film), a ...

, and 0.88% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 2.69% of the population.Census 2000 Profiles of Demographic / Social / Economic / Housing Characteristics for Morris Plains borough, New Jersey
,

. Accessed December 19, 2012.DP-1: Profile of General Demographic Characteristics: 2000 - Census 2000 Summary File 1 (SF 1) 100-Percent Data for Morris Plains borough, Morris County, New Jersey
,

. Accessed December 19, 2012. There were 1,955 households, out of which 33.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 67.0% were married couples living together, 7.0% had a female householder with no husband present, and 24.4% were non-families. 19.7% of all households were made up of individuals, and 8.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.63 and the average family size was 3.05. In the borough the population was spread out, with 23.5% under the age of 18, 4.4% from 18 to 24, 29.4% from 25 to 44, 26.4% from 45 to 64, and 16.2% who were 65 years of age or older. The average age was 41 years. For every 100 females, there were 92.2 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 86.6 males. The median income for a household in the borough was $84,806, and the median income for a family was $98,333. Males had a median income of $75,040 versus $44,554 for females. The

for the borough was $36,553. About 1.5% of families and 2.4% of the population were below the

, including 3.0% of those under age 18 and 2.4% of those age 65 or over.

Economy

The borough has been a major base of operations for Pfizer, previously the headquarters for Warner-Lambert. Pfizer has sponsored the Health and Medical Science Academy at

Morristown High School Morristown High School (MHS) is a four-year public high school serving students in ninth through twelfth grades from three communities in Morris County, United States, operating as part of the Morris School District. The school serves students ...

and an annual 5k race around Morris Plains. In 2012, a property owned by Pfizer on the west side of Route 53 was acquired by M&M Realty Partners, which plans to redevelop the site for a mixed use development that would include 500 housing units and for retail use. In 2015, Honeywell moved into a headquarters on a campus, after relocating from AlliedSignal headquarters in Morristown.

Government

Local government

Morris Plains is governed under the Borough 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 on a partisan basis as part of the November general election. The 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 Edward J. Bloustein School of Planning and Public Policy, March 2013, p. 121. The Borough form of government used by Morris Plains 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 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 Morris Plains is Democrat Jason C. Karr, whose term of office ends December 31, 2022. Members of the Borough Council are Council President Joan Goddard (D, 2022), Art J. Bruhn Jr. ( R, 2023), Salvatore F. "Sal" Cortese (R, 2023), Catherine E. "Cathie" Kelly (R, 2024), Nancy Verga (D, 2022) and Dennis M. Wagner (R, 2024).Governing Body
Borough of Morris Plains. Accessed April 28, 2022. "The Borough of Morris Plains was incorporated by the State Assembly on January 15, 1926 and operates under a Borough form of government. The Borough form of government consists of a Mayor and six council members all of whom are elected at-large. The Mayor is the head of the governing body and is elected to a four-year term. Council members to a three-year term."''Morris County Manual 2022''
Morris County, New Jersey Clerk. Accessed April 28, 2022.''Morris County Municipal Elected Officials For The Year 2020''
Morris County, New Jersey Clerk, updated March 3, 2022. Accessed April 12, 2022.General Election Winners For November 2, 2021
Morris County, New Jersey Clerk. Accessed January 1, 2022.General Election 2020 November 3, 2020 Summary Report Official Results
Morris County, New Jersey, updated November 20, 2020. Accessed January 1, 2021.General Election November 5, 2019, Official Results
Morris County, New Jersey, updated November 15, 2019. Accessed January 31, 2020.General Election Winners List For November 6, 2018
Morris County, New Jersey Clerk. Accessed January 1, 2019. The Morris Plains Municipal Court judge is Michael A. Carlucci.

Police Department

The Morris Plains Police Department has 17 sworn officers. The command structure has a chief, two lieutenants, five sergeants, nine patrolmen and six civilians. They are dispatched through the Morris County Communication Center who dispatches for the police, fire and first aid departments. The police department handled over 29,000 calls for the year 2010.

Morris Plains Fire Department

The Morris Plains Fire Association was established on April 28, 1907, after the Weise Hotel Fire of 1906.

Federal, state and county representation

Morris Plains is located in the 11th Congressional DistrictPlan Components Report
New Jersey Redistricting Commission, December 23, 2011. Accessed February 1, 2020. and is part of New Jersey's 26th state legislative district.Municipalities Sorted by 2011-2020 Legislative District
New Jersey Department of State. Accessed February 1, 2020.''2019 New Jersey Citizen's Guide to Government''
New Jersey League of Women Voters. Accessed October 30, 2019. Morris County is governed by a Board of County Commissioners comprised of seven members who are elected at-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. Actual day-to-day operation of departments is supervised by County Administrator, John Bonanni.''Morris County Manual 2022''
Morris County Clerk. Accessed June 1, 2022. , Morris County's Commissioners are Commissioner Director Tayfun Selen ( R, Chatham Township, term as commissioner ends December 31, 2023; term as director ends 2022), Commissioner Deputy Director John Krickus (R, Washington Township, term as commissioner ends 2024; term as deputy director ends 2022), Douglas Cabana (R, Boonton Township, 2022), Kathryn A. DeFillippo (R, Roxbury, 2022), Thomas J. Mastrangelo (R, Montville, 2022), Stephen H. Shaw (R, Mountain Lakes, 2024) and Deborah Smith (R, Denville, 2024). The county's constitutional officers are the County Clerk 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). , they are County Clerk Ann F. Grossi (R, Parsippany–Troy Hills, 2023), Sheriff James M. Gannon (R, Boonton Township, 2022) and Surrogate Heather Darling (R, Roxbury, 2024).

Politics

As of March 23, 2011, there were a total of 3,935 registered voters in Morris Plains, of which 853 (21.7%) were registered as Democrats, 1,695 (43.1%) were registered as Republicans and 1,381 (35.1%) were registered as Unaffiliated. There were 6 voters registered as Libertarians or Greens. In the 2012 presidential election, Republican Mitt Romney received 53.3% of the vote (1,659 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, Obama was the first African-American president of the ...

with 45.9% (1,429 votes), and other candidates with 0.9% (27 votes), among the 3,142 ballots cast by the borough's 4,140 registered voters (27 ballots were spoiled), for a turnout of 75.9%. In the 2008 presidential election, Republican John McCain received 52.3% of the vote (1,725 cast), ahead of Democrat Barack Obama with 45.8% (1,511 votes) and other candidates with 0.8% (27 votes), among the 3,297 ballots cast by the borough's 3,994 registered voters, for a turnout of 82.5%. In the 2004 presidential election, Republican George W. Bush received 55.9% of the vote (1,783 ballots cast), outpolling Democrat John Kerry with 42.8% (1,365 votes) and other candidates with 0.8% (31 votes), among the 3,191 ballots cast by the borough's 3,921 registered voters, for a turnout percentage of 81.4. 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 70.8% of the vote (1,399 cast), ahead of Democrat Barbara Buono with 27.9% (551 votes), and other candidates with 1.4% (27 votes), among the 2,025 ballots cast by the borough's 4,122 registered voters (48 ballots were spoiled), for a turnout of 49.1%. In the 2009 gubernatorial election, Republican Chris Christie received 58.6% of the vote (1,337 ballots cast), 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 31.5% (719 votes), Independent Chris Daggett with 8.4% (191 votes) and other candidates with 0.4% (10 votes), among the 2,283 ballots cast by the borough's 3,898 registered voters, yielding a 58.6% turnout.

Education

The Morris Plains Schools educate public school students from pre-kindergarten through eighth grade. As of the 2018–19 school year, the district, comprised of two schools, had an enrollment of 578 students and 61.0 classroom teachers (on an FTE basis), for a student–teacher ratio of 9.5:1.District information for Morris Plains School District
National Center for Education Statistics. Accessed April 1, 2020. Schools in the district (with 2018–19 enrollment data from the National Center for Education Statistics) are Mountain Way School with 200 students in grades Pre-K–2 and Morris Plains Borough School with 369 students in grades 3–8. Students in public school for ninth through twelfth grades attend

, as part of a sending/receiving relationship with the Morris School District which also serves the communities of Morristown and Morris Township (for grades K–12). As of the 2018–19 school year, the high school had an enrollment of 1,860 students and 133.0 classroom teachers (on an FTE basis), for a student–teacher ratio of 14.0:1. St. Virgil Academy, founded in 1910, was a Catholic school serving students in preschool through eighth grade (including Pre-K–3 and Pre-K–4) that operated under the auspices of the

Roman Catholic Diocese of Paterson The Diocese of Paterson is a Latin Church ecclesiastical territory or diocese of the Catholic Church in the United States that encompasses Passaic, Morris, and Sussex counties in northern New Jersey. Most of this territory lies to the west of th ...

. The school was closed at the end of the 2015–2016 school year in the wake of declining enrollment and the rising costs of covering the school's deficits.

Transportation

Roads and highways

, the borough had a total of of roadways, of which were maintained by the municipality, by Morris County and by the New Jersey Department of Transportation. U.S. Route 202,

New Jersey Route 10 Route 10 is a state highway in the northern part of the U.S. state of New Jersey. It runs from an intersection with U.S. Route 46 (US 46) in Roxbury Township, Morris County east to County Route 577 (CR 577)/CR 677 (Prospect Avenue) in Wes ...

and New Jersey Route 53 are the main highways serving Morris Plains. Interstate 80 and

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 ...

are both accessible in neighboring Parsippany-Troy Hills Township.

Public transportation

provides service at the Morris Plains station on the

to Newark Broad Street Station,

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 ...

, New York Penn Station and

. The one-story red brick station house, constructed in 1915 in Renaissance Revival style, was added to the National Register of Historic Places on June 22, 1984. NJ Transit provides local bus service on the

872 Year 872 ( DCCCLXXII) was a leap year starting on Tuesday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar. Events By place Europe * Sancho III Mitarra (or ''Menditarra'') becomes the founder and first 'king' of the indepe ...

875 __NOTOC__ Year 875 ( DCCCLXXV) was a common year starting on Saturday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar. Events By place Europe * August 12 – Emperor Louis II dies in Brescia, after having named his c ...

and

880 __NOTOC__ Year 880 (Roman numerals, DCCCLXXX) was a leap year starting on Friday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar. Events By place Byzantine Empire * Battle of Cephalonia: A Byzantine Empire, Byzantine flee ...

routes, replacing service that had been offered on the MCM2,

MCM3 DNA replication licensing factor MCM3 is a protein that in humans is encoded by the ''MCM3'' gene. Function The protein encoded by this gene is one of the highly conserved mini-chromosome maintenance proteins (MCM) that are involved in the init ...

and MCM10 routes until 2010, when subsidies to the local provider were eliminated as part of budget cuts.

TV and movies

* In '' The Sopranos'' episode "Made in America",

Phil Leotardo This is a list of fictional characters from the HBO series ''The Sopranos'', its video game '' The Sopranos: Road to Respect'' and its prequel film ''The Many Saints of Newark.'' Main characters Cast table Main character biographies Tony Sopran ...

is shot to death at a Morris Plains Raceway gas station, located on route 10, before being run over.

Notable people

People who were born in, residents of, or otherwise closely associated with Morris Plains include: Edward Mosberg

The Dillinger Escape Plan - Wacken Open Air 2017 11

* Darron Collins (born 1970), human ecologist and academic administrator specializing in ethnobotany, who became president of the

College of the Atlantic College of the Atlantic (COA) is a private liberal arts college in Bar Harbor on Mount Desert Island, Maine, United States. Founded in 1969, it awards bachelors and masters ( M.Phil.) degrees solely in the field of human ecology, an interdiscipli ...

in 2011 * Michael Dogbe (born 1996), defensive end for the Arizona Cardinals * William Perry Fogg (1826–1909), author and adventurer * Robert Martin (born 1947), State Senator since 1993 who represents the 26th Legislative District * Richard Aldrich McCurdy (1835–1916), attorney, business executive and banker during the Gilded Age who served as the President of the Mutual Life Insurance Company of New York from 1885 to 1906 * Charley Molnar (born 1961), former head football coach at the University of Massachusetts Amherst * Edward Mosberg (1926-2022), Polish-American Holocaust survivor, educator and philanthropist * Carol Murphy (born 1932), member of 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 1992 to 2000 * Suzanne Scott (born 1965/66), CEO of Fox News *

Gustav Stickley Gustav Stickley (March 9, 1858 – April 15, 1942) was an American furniture manufacturer, design leader, publisher, and a leading voice in the American Arts and Crafts movement. Stickley's design philosophy was a major influence on American ...

(1858–1942), furniture manufacturer, design leader, publisher and the chief proselytizer for the American Craftsman style * Louis A. Thebaud (1859–1939), businessman, sportsman and philanthropist in the Gilded Age * Jay Webber (born 1972), Assemblyman who has represented the 26th Legislative District since 2008 and had served as Chairman of the New Jersey Republican State Committee * Elizabeth Weed (born 1940), feminist scholar, editor and university administrator who was the cofounder of the Pembroke Center for Teaching and Research on Women *

Ben Weinman Benjamin A. Weinman (born August 8, 1975) is an American musician, film composer, and music manager, most notable for being the lead guitarist and primary songwriter of the metalcore band The Dillinger Escape Plan. He was the founder and sole con ...

(born 1975), of the band

The Dillinger Escape Plan The Dillinger Escape Plan was an American metalcore band. The band was formed in 1997 in Morris Plains, New Jersey by guitarist Ben Weinman, bassist Adam Doll, vocalist Dimitri Minakakis, and drummer Chris Pennie. The band's use of odd time si ...

* Arthur Whitney (1871–1942), politician who served in both houses of the New Jersey Legislature and was the Republican nominee for Governor of New Jersey in 1925 * Paul Zimmerman (born 1932), football sportswriter for '' Sports Illustrated'' King, Peter
"In wake of signing/trade frenzy, a reminder: Free agency is overrated"
, '' Sports Illustrated'', March 9, 2010. Accessed January 13, 2011. "This was the enjoyable part of the weekend: having lunch with Paul Zimmerman and his wife Linda in Morris Plains, N.J., Saturday."