Boonton Township () is a

township A township is a form of human settlement or administrative subdivision. Its exact definition varies among countries. Although the term is occasionally associated with an urban area, this tends to be an exception to the rule. In Australia, Canad ...

in Morris 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 so ...

New Jersey New Jersey is a U.S. state, state located in both the Mid-Atlantic States, Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern United States, Northeastern regions of the United States. Located at the geographic hub of the urban area, heavily urbanized Northeas ...

. As of the 2020 United States census, the township's population was 4,380, an increase of 117 (2.7%) from the 2010 census count of 4,263, which in turn reflected a decline of 24 (−0.6%) from 4,287 in the 2000 census. Boonton Township was incorporated by 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 ...

on April 11, 1867, from portions of Pequannock Township. The borough of

Mountain Lakes A mountain is an elevated portion of the Earth's crust, generally with steep sides that show significant exposed bedrock. Although definitions vary, a mountain may differ from a plateau in having a limited summit area, and is usually higher t ...

was formed from portions of the township on March 3, 1924.Snyder, John P
''The Story of New Jersey's Civil Boundaries: 1606–1968''
Bureau of Geology and Topography; Trenton, New Jersey; 1969. p. 191. Accessed October 25, 2012. The settlement was originally called "Boone-Towne" in 1761 in honor of the Colonial Governor Thomas Boone. ''

New Jersey Monthly ''New Jersey Monthly'' is an American monthly magazine featuring issues of possible interest to residents of New Jersey New Jersey is a U.S. state, state located in both the Mid-Atlantic States, Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern United St ...

'' magazine ranked Boonton Township as the 4th best place to live in the state in its rankings of the "New Jersey's Top Towns 2011–2012.

History

Boonton Township's recorded history began about 1710 when

William Penn William Penn ( – ) was an English writer, religious thinker, and influential Quakers, Quaker who founded the Province of Pennsylvania during the British colonization of the Americas, British colonial era. An advocate of democracy and religi ...

, the

Quaker Quakers are people who belong to the Religious Society of Friends, a historically Protestant Christian set of denominations. Members refer to each other as Friends after in the Bible, and originally, others referred to them as Quakers ...

land speculator, located in the northern valley his Lot No. 48, which contained of fields and woodlands. James Bollen, whose bordering "plantation" stretching south toward the Tourne was described as "situate on the fork of Rockaway with an Indian plantation in it," mapped his 1,507 acres (6 km²) in 1715. In 1765 David Ogden purchased from Burnet and Skinner the Great Boonton Tract. When the Township of Boonton was created as of April 11, 1867 by "An Act to Divide the Township of Pequannoc in the County of Morris" most of Penn's Lot No. 48 and parts of the Bollen and Great Boonton Tracts fell within Boonton's boundary. The first settler of proper record was Frederick DeMouth of French

Huguenot The Huguenots ( , ; ) are a Religious denomination, religious group of French people, French Protestants who held to the Reformed (Calvinist) tradition of Protestantism. The term, which may be derived from the name of a Swiss political leader, ...

extraction. By 1758, his Rockaway Valley plantation within the Penn Lot covered , and it was on this land that the large Stickle, Bott and Kincaid farms were to prosper in the far distant future. Frederick Miller of German Palatine birth bought extensive land (later day Dixon acres) within the Bollen piece at 13 shillings per acre. These founding families were closely followed by the Hoplers, Van Winkles, Cooks, Scotts, Peers, Stickles and Kanouses. McCaffrey Lane, the oldest recorded thoroughfare in the area, was built in 1767 by Samuel Ogden of the Great Boonton Tract. In 1822, North Main Street was "cut" along the proposed

Morris Canal The Morris Canal (1829–1924) was a toll road, common carrier Anthracite, anthracite coal canal across North Jersey, northern New Jersey that connected the two industrial canals in Easton, Pennsylvania across the Delaware River from its weste ...

route. In 1824, the Morris Canal and Banking Company was chartered with John Scott of Powerville, an important commissioner. Locks number 9, 10 and 11 were constructed in newly named Powerville. The Powerville Hotel, still standing, was built near Lock Number 11 to accommodate both canal and transient trade. The hotel, owned by Nathan Hopkins, gained fame as a station on the pre-

American Civil War The American Civil War (April 12, 1861May 26, 1865; also known by Names of the American Civil War, other names) was a civil war in the United States between the Union (American Civil War), Union ("the North") and the Confederate States of A ...

Underground Railroad The Underground Railroad was an organized network of secret routes and safe houses used by freedom seekers to escape to the abolitionist Northern United States and Eastern Canada. Enslaved Africans and African Americans escaped from slavery ...

Geography

According to the

United States Census Bureau The United States Census Bureau, officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the Federal statistical system, U.S. federal statistical system, responsible for producing data about the American people and American economy, econ ...

, the township had a total area of 8.50 square miles (22.01 km²), including 8.12 square miles (21.04 km²) of land and 0.38 square miles (0.97 km²) of water (4.41%). Unincorporated communities, localities and place names located partially or completely within the township include Deer Pond, Dixons Pond, Powerville, Rockaway Valley and Sheep Hill. The township borders the Morris County municipalities of Boonton, Denville Township, Kinnelon, Montville,

and Rockaway Township.

Demographics

Census 2010

The 2010 United States census counted 4,263 people, 1,575 households, and 1,150 families in the township. The

population density Population density (in agriculture: Standing 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 geog ...

was 517.2 per square mile (199.7/km²). There were 1,647 housing units at an average density of 199.8 per square mile (77.1/km²). The racial makeup was 92.35% (3,937)

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

, 1.55% (66) Black or African American, 0.12% (5) Native American, 3.99% (170) Asian, 0.05% (2)

Pacific Islander Pacific Islanders, Pasifika, Pasefika, Pacificans, or rarely Pacificers are the peoples of the list of islands in the Pacific Ocean, Pacific Islands. As an ethnic group, ethnic/race (human categorization), racial term, it is used to describe th ...

, 0.54% (23) from other races, and 1.41% (60) from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 4.18% (178) of the population. Of the 1,575 households, 33.8% had children under the age of 18; 63.1% were married couples living together; 7.2% had a female householder with no husband present and 27.0% were non-families. Of all households, 23.9% were made up of individuals and 12.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.65 and the average family size was 3.17. 24.7% of the population were under the age of 18, 5.6% from 18 to 24, 16.2% from 25 to 44, 35.4% from 45 to 64, and 18.1% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 46.5 years. For every 100 females, the population had 97.1 males. For every 100 females ages 18 and older there were 92.4 males. The Census Bureau's 2006–2010

American Community Survey The American Community Survey (ACS) is an annual demographics survey program conducted by the United States Census Bureau. It regularly gathers information previously contained only in the long form of the United States census, decennial census ...

showed that (in 2010 inflation-adjusted dollars)

median household income The median income is the income amount that divides a population into two 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 of und ...

was $117,333 (with a margin of error of ± $21,364) and the median family income was $135,781 (± $33,990). Males had a median income of $102,250 (± $17,348) versus $62,452 (± $17,486) for females. The

per capita income Per capita income (PCI) or average income measures the average income earned per person in a given area (city, region, country, etc.) in a specified year. In many countries, per capita income is determined using regular population surveys, such ...

for the township was $61,267 (± $12,232). About 3.8% of families and 3.4% 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 1.6% of those under age 18 and none of those age 65 or over. Based on data from the 2006–2010

, Boonton Township had a per capita income of $61,267 (ranked 50th in the state), compared to per capita income in Morris County of $47,342 and statewide of $34,858.

Census 2000

As of the 2000 United States census there were 4,287 people, 1,476 households, and 1,157 families residing in the township. The population density was . There were 1,510 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the township was 93.00%

, 1.19%

African American African Americans, also known as Black Americans and formerly also called Afro-Americans, are an Race and ethnicity in the United States, American racial and ethnic group that consists of Americans who have total or partial ancestry from an ...

, 0.05% Native American, 4.08% Asian, 0.63% from other races, and 1.05% from two or more races.

Hispanic The term Hispanic () are people, Spanish culture, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or broadly. In some contexts, Hispanic and Latino Americans, especially within the United States, "Hispanic" is used as an Ethnici ...

or Latino of any race were 2.15% of the population.Census 2000 Profiles of Demographic / Social / Economic / Housing Characteristics for Boonton township, Morris County, New Jersey
,

. Accessed December 17, 2012.DP-1: Profile of General Demographic Characteristics: 2000 – Census 2000 Summary File 1 (SF 1) 100-Percent Data for Boonton township, Morris County, New Jersey

. Accessed December 17, 2012. There were 1,476 households, out of which 36.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 70.1% were

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

living together, 5.2% had a female householder with no husband present, and 21.6% were non-families. 17.5% of all households were made up of individuals, and 7.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.78 and the average family size was 3.18. In the township the population was spread out, with 24.9% under the age of 18, 4.9% from 18 to 24, 27.0% from 25 to 44, 28.4% from 45 to 64, and 14.9% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 42 years. For every 100 females, there were 98.6 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 93.3 males. The median income for a household in the township was $91,753, and the median income for a family was $102,944. Males had a median income of $77,133 versus $46,302 for females. The

for the township was $45,014. About 0.9% of families and 1.3% of the population were below the

, including 0.5% of those under age 18 and 2.2% of those age 65 or over.

Government

Local government

Boonton Township is governed under the

Township A township is a form of human settlement or administrative subdivision. Its exact definition varies among countries. Although the term is occasionally associated with an urban area, this tends to be an exception to the rule. In Australia, Canad ...

form of New Jersey municipal government, one of 141 municipalities (of the 564) statewide that use this form, the second-most commonly used form of government in the state. The Township Committee is comprised of five members, who are elected directly by the voters

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 tha ...

in partisan elections to serve three-year terms of office on a staggered basis, with either one or two seats coming up for election each year as part of the November general election in a three-year cycle.''2012 New Jersey Legislative District Data Book'',

Rutgers University Rutgers University ( ), officially Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, is a Public university, public land-grant research university consisting of three campuses in New Jersey. Chartered in 1766, Rutgers was originally called Queen's C ...

Edward J. Bloustein School of Planning and Public Policy, March 2013, p. 117. At an annual reorganization meeting held in January after each election, a Mayor (formally described as Chairperson) and Deputy Mayor are selected by the Township Committee from among its members. , members of the Boonton Township Committee are Mayor Brian Honan ( R, term on committee ends December 31, 2026; term as mayor ends 2024), Deputy Mayor William Klingener (R, term on committee ends 2025; term as deputy mayor ends 2024), Thomas R. Donadio (R, 2026), Paul Allieri (R, 2025) and Thomas F. SanFilippo Jr. (R, 2024).Township Committee
Boonton Township. Accessed May 5, 2024. "The Township government consists of a five-member Township Committee. The Township Committee members are elected for a three-year term. The Chairman and Vice-chairman serve as the Mayor and Deputy Mayor, respectively and are selected by the Township Committee."''Morris County Manual 2024''

Morris County, New Jersey Morris County is a County (United States), county located in the U.S. state of New Jersey, about west of New York City. According to the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, the county was the state's List of counties in New Jersey, tenth- ...

Clerk. Accessed May 1, 2024.''Morris County Municipal Elected Officials For The Year 2024''

Clerk, updated March 20, 2024. Accessed May 1, 2024.General Election November 7, 2023 Official Results

, updated December 11, 2203. Accessed January 1, 2024.General Election November 8, 2022, Official Results

, updated November 28, 2022. Accessed January 1, 2023.General Election Winners For November 2, 2021

Clerk. Accessed January 1, 2022. Patricia Collins was chosen in January 2020 by the Township Committee from a list of three candidates nominated by the Republican municipal committee to fill the seat expiring in December 2021 that had been held by Michele Rankin until her resignation from office effective in December 2019. In December 2018, the Township Committee selected Brian Honan from a list of candidates submitted by the Republican municipal committee to fill the seat expiring in December 2020 that had been vacated the previous month by Robert A. Rizzo, who resigned from office; Honan served on an interim basis until the November 2019 general election, when he was elected to serve the balance of the term of office.General Election November 5, 2019, Official Results

, updated November 15, 2019. Accessed January 31, 2020.

Federal, state and county representation

Boonton Township is located in the 11th Congressional DistrictPlan Components Report

New Jersey Redistricting Commission The New Jersey Redistricting Commission is a constitutional body of the government of New Jersey tasked with redrawing the state's Congressional election districts after each decade's census. Like Arizona, Idaho, Hawaii, Montana, and Washington ...

, December 23, 2011. Accessed February 1, 2020. and is part of New Jersey's 25th 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 New Jersey State Council on the Arts, artistic, cultural, and New Jersey Historical Com ...

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

League of Women Voters The League of Women Voters (LWV) is a nonpartisan American nonprofit political organization. Founded in 1920, its ongoing major activities include Voter registration, registering voters, providing voter information, boosting voter turnout and adv ...

. Accessed October 30, 2019.

Elections

As of March 23, 2011, there were a total of 3,061 registered voters in Boonton Township, of which 558 (18.2%) were registered as Democrats, 1,386 (45.3%) were registered as Republicans and 1,114 (36.4%) were registered as Unaffiliated. There were 3 voters registered as

Libertarians Libertarianism (from ; or from ) is a political philosophy that holds freedom, personal sovereignty, and liberty as primary values. Many libertarians believe that the concept of freedom is in accord with the Non-Aggression Principle, according ...

or Greens. In the 2012 presidential election, Republican

Mitt Romney Willard Mitt Romney (born March 12, 1947) is an American businessman and retired politician. He served as a United States Senate, United States senator from Utah from 2019 to 2025 and as the 70th governor of Massachusetts from 2003 to 2007 ...

received 61.4% of the vote (1,430 cast), ahead of Democrat

Barack Obama Barack Hussein Obama II (born August 4, 1961) is an American politician who was the 44th president of the United States from 2009 to 2017. A member of the Democratic Party, he was the first African American president in American history. O ...

with 37.4% (870 votes), and other candidates with 1.2% (28 votes), among the 2,341 ballots cast by the township's 3,185 registered voters (13 ballots were spoiled), for a turnout of 73.5%. In the 2008 presidential election, Republican

John McCain John Sidney McCain III (August 29, 1936 – August 25, 2018) was an American statesman and United States Navy, naval officer who represented the Arizona, state of Arizona in United States Congress, Congress for over 35 years, first as ...

received 59.2% of the vote (1,439 cast), ahead of Democrat Barack Obama with 39.0% (949 votes) and other candidates with 1.1% (27 votes), among the 2,431 ballots cast by the township's 3,199 registered voters, for a turnout of 76.0%. In the 2004 presidential election, Republican

George W. Bush George Walker Bush (born July 6, 1946) is an American politician and businessman who was the 43rd president of the United States from 2001 to 2009. A member of the Bush family and the Republican Party (United States), Republican Party, he i ...

received 62.4% of the vote (1,480 ballots cast), outpolling Democrat

John Kerry John Forbes Kerry (born December 11, 1943) is an American attorney, politician, and diplomat who served as the 68th United States secretary of state from 2013 to 2017 in the Presidency of Barack Obama#Administration, administration of Barac ...

with 36.3% (860 votes) and other candidates with 0.8% (25 votes), among the 2,372 ballots cast by the township's 3,083 registered voters, for a turnout percentage of 76.9. In the 2013 gubernatorial election, Republican

Chris Christie Christopher James Christie (born September 6, 1962) is an American politician and former United States Attorney, federal prosecutor who served as the 55th governor of New Jersey from 2010 to 2018. A member of the Republican Party (United States) ...

received 75.3% of the vote (1,077 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 23.2% (332 votes), and other candidates with 1.5% (22 votes), among the 1,454 ballots cast by the township's 3,199 registered voters (23 ballots were spoiled), for a turnout of 45.5%. In the 2009 gubernatorial election, Republican Chris Christie received 64.9% of the vote (1,126 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 f ...

with 27.7% (480 votes), Independent Chris Daggett with 6.2% (107 votes) and other candidates with 0.7% (12 votes), among the 1,735 ballots cast by the township's 3,131 registered voters, yielding a 55.4% turnout.

Education

The Boonton Township School District serves students in public school for

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 eighth grade at Rockaway Valley School. As of the 2022–23 school year, the district, comprised of one school, had an enrollment of 394 students and 40.5 classroom teachers (on an FTE basis), for a

student–teacher ratio The student–teacher ratio or student–faculty ratio refers to the number of students who attend a school or university divided by the number of teachers or staff in the institution. For example, a student–teacher ratio of 10:1 indicates that ...

of 9.7:1.District information for Boonton Township School District

National Center for Education Statistics The National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) is the principal federal agency responsible for collecting, analyzing, and reporting data on education in the United States. Established under , it operates within the Institute of Education S ...

. Accessed February 1, 2024. For

ninth In music, a ninth is a compound interval consisting of an octave plus a second. Like the second, the interval of a ninth is classified as a dissonance in common practice tonality. Since a ninth is an octave larger than a second, its ...

through

twelfth grade Twelfth Grade (also known as Grade 12, Senior Year, Standard 12, 12th Standard, 12th Class, or Class 12th or Class 12) is the twelfth and final Educational stage, year of Formal education, formal or compulsory education. It is typically the final ...

s, public school students attend Mountain Lakes High School, in

, as part of a

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 ...

agreement in place with the Mountain Lakes Schools. As of the 2022–23 school year, the high school had an enrollment of 569 students and 60.0 classroom teachers (on an FTE basis), for a

of 9.5:1.

Transportation

, the township had a total of of roadways, of which were maintained by the municipality and by Morris County. No Interstate, U.S. or state highways pass through Boonton Township. The most significant road directly serving the township is County Route 511. However,

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

and

U.S. Route 202 U.S. Route 202 (US 202) is a spur route of U.S. Route 2, US 2. It follows a northeasterly and southwesterly direction stretching from Delaware in the south to Maine in the north and traveling through the states of Pennsylvania, N ...

are accessible in neighboring municipalities. The Boonton station provides train service on the

NJ Transit New Jersey Transit Corporation, branded as NJ Transit or NJTransit and often shortened to NJT, is a state-owned public transportation system that serves the U.S. state of New Jersey and portions of the states of New York and Pennsylvania. I ...

Montclair-Boonton Line with service to Newark Broad Street Station, Penn Station New York and

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 eight NJ Transit (NJT) commuter rail lines, an NJ T ...

Notable people

People who were born in, residents of, or otherwise closely associated with Boonton Township include: * Anthony M. Bucco (born 1962), member of the

New Jersey Senate The New Jersey Senate is the upper house of the New Jersey Legislature by the Constitution of 1844, replacing the Legislative Council. There are 40 legislative districts, representing districts with an average population of 232,225 (2020 figure ...

from the New Jersey's 25th legislative district since his father's death in 2019 * Anthony R. Bucco (1938–2019), member of the New Jersey Senate who represented the 25th Legislative District from 1998 until his deathGarber, Phil
"25th District Assembly and senate Independents clash with Republican incumbents"
''New Jersey Hills'', October 25, 2013. Accessed November 13, 2013. "In the Senate race, Independent Maureen Castriotta of the Landing section of Roxbury Township is vying for the four-year seat of Republican Sen. Anthony 'Tony' Bucco of Boonton Township.... They are competing against incumbents Michael Patrick Carroll of Morris Plains and Anthony M. Bucco of Boonton Township for the two two-year terms at stake." * John H. Dorsey (1937–2018), attorney and politician who served in the New Jersey Legislature from 1976 to 1994 * Mike Michalowicz (born 1970), author and entrepreneur *

Kelly Tripucka Peter Kelly Tripucka (born February 16, 1959) is an American former professional basketball player who played in the National Basketball Association (NBA) from 1981 to 1991. He was a two-time NBA All Star and averaged over twenty points a game i ...

(born 1959), former professional basketball player who played for ten seasons in the NBA * Travis Tripucka (born 1989),

long snapper In gridiron football, the long snapper (or deep snapper) is a Center (gridiron football), center on American football positions#Special teams, special teams whose duty is to Snap (gridiron football), snap the football over a longer distance, ty ...

who was signed by the

St. Louis Rams The St. Louis Rams were a professional American football team of the National Football League (NFL). They played in St. Louis, Missouri, from 1995 through the 2015 season, before moving back to Los Angeles, California, where the team had played ...

as an undrafted free agent in 2012, and is the son of

O'Neill, Dan
"Tripucka's sports dream runs in the family"
''

St. Louis Post-Dispatch The ''St. Louis Post-Dispatch'' is a regional newspaper based in St. Louis, Missouri, serving the St. Louis metropolitan area. It is the largest daily newspaper in the metropolitan area by circulation, surpassing the '' Belleville News-Democra ...

'', May 29, 2012. Accessed November 14, 2013. "Growing up in Boonton Township, N.J., Travis Tripucka wanted to play basketball. Specifically, he wanted to play basketball at the University of Notre Dame, just like his dad. His dad is Kelly Tripucka, among the more celebrated athletes ever to come out of Notre Dame."

References

External links

Boonton Township websiteBoonton Township Public Schools
*
School Data for the Boonton Township School District

''Daily Record'' area newspaperPhotos of Boonton Township on Flickr
{{Morris County, New Jersey 1867 establishments in New Jersey Populated places established in 1867 Underground Railroad in New Jersey Township form of New Jersey government Townships in New Jersey Townships in Morris County, New Jersey