Morris 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 22,974, an increase of 668 (+3.0%) from the 2010 census count of 22,306, which in turn reflected an increase of 510 (+2.3%) from the 21,796 counted in the 2000 census. The township was named for

Lewis Morris Lewis Morris (April 8, 1726 – January 22, 1798) was an American Founding Father, landowner, and developer from Morrisania, New York, presently part of Bronx County. He signed the U.S. Declaration of Independence as a delegate to the Conti ...

, colonial governor of New Jersey.Hutchinson, Viola L
''The Origin of New Jersey Place Names''
New Jersey Public Library Commission, May 1945. Accessed September 8, 2015. Gannett, Henry
''The Origin of Certain Place Names in the United States''
p. 215.

United States Government Printing Office The United States Government Publishing Office (USGPO or GPO), formerly the United States Government Printing Office, is an agency of the Legislature, legislative branch of the Federal government of the United States, United States federal gove ...

, 1905. Accessed September 8, 2015. Located along the

Morris and Essex Lines The Morris & Essex Lines are a group of former Delaware, Lackawanna and Western Railroad (DL&W) railroad lines in New Jersey now owned and operated by NJ Transit. The lines include service offered on the Morristown Line and the Gladstone Branch ...

, the township is a wealthy

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 nearby

New York City New York, often called New York City (NYC), is the most populous city in the United States, located at the southern tip of New York State on one of the world's largest natural harbors. The city comprises five boroughs, each coextensive w ...

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 ...

which provides commuters with direct access to

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 ...

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

. The township is the "doughnut" around Morristown and completely surrounds it, with at least five times the area, though near Morris Plains the width of Morris Township is less than a mile. For 115 years, Morristown was part of Morris Township. The initial separation of Morristown from Morris Township occurred on April 6, 1865. A confusing state of affairs followed for nearly thirty years. On February 18, 1895, the separation was officiated. Morris Township is home to the Morris County Golf Club and the

Morris Museum Actively running since 1913, the Morris Museum is the second-largest museum in New Jersey at . The museum is fully accredited by the American Alliance of Museums. Museum history 1913–1957: early years The Morris Children's Museum was found ...

, which is the second largest museum in

and has been in operation since 1913. The township is also home to the

Morristown National Historical Park Morristown National Historical Park is a United States National Historical Park, headquartered in Morristown, New Jersey, consisting of four sites important during the American Revolutionary War: Jockey Hollow, Ford Mansion, Fort Nonsense, ...

which in 1933 became the country's first National Historical Park.

History

Incorporation

Morris Township was originally formed as of March 25, 1740. The township was named for

, colonial governor of New Jersey. Portions of the township were taken on December 24, 1740, to form Roxbury Township and on March 29, 1749, to form Mendham Township. Morris Township was incorporated as a township by the

Township Act of 1798 The Township Act of 1798 ("An Act incorporating the Inhabitants of Townships, designating their Powers, and regulating their Meetings", PL 1798, p. 289) is an Act passed by New Jersey Legislature on February 21, 1798, that formally incorporat ...

by 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 February 21, 1798, as part of the state's initial group of 104 townships. Portions of the township were later taken to create Chatham Township (February 12, 1806), Morristown (April 6, 1865, fully independent in 1895) and Passaic Township (on March 23, 1866, now Long Hill Township).Snyder, John P
''The Story of New Jersey's Civil Boundaries: 1606-1968''
Bureau of Geology and Topography; Trenton, New Jersey; 1969. p. 194. Accessed May 30, 2024. On September 22, 1860, the ''Jerseyman'' reported:

The total population of Morris Township is 6,024, being an increase of 1,032 since 1850 and of 348 since 1855. Number of families 1,147; Dwellings 1,124;
Farm A farm (also called an agricultural holding) is an area of land that is devoted primarily to agricultural processes with the primary objective of producing food and other crops; it is the basic facility in food production. The name is used fo ...
s 256; Churches 11, viz., 3
Presbyterian Presbyterianism is a historically Reformed Protestant tradition named for its form of church government by representative assemblies of elders, known as "presbyters". Though other Reformed churches are structurally similar, the word ''Pr ...
, 3
Methodist Methodism, also called the Methodist movement, is a Protestant Christianity, Christian Christian tradition, tradition whose origins, doctrine and practice derive from the life and teachings of John Wesley. George Whitefield and John's brother ...
, 2
Episcopalian Anglicanism, also known as Episcopalianism in some countries, is a Western Christian tradition which developed from the practices, liturgy, and identity of the Church of England following the English Reformation, in the context of the Protes ...
, 1
Baptist Baptists are a Christian denomination, denomination within Protestant Christianity distinguished by baptizing only professing Christian believers (believer's baptism) and doing so by complete Immersion baptism, immersion. Baptist churches ge ...
, 1
Roman Catholic The Catholic Church (), also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.27 to 1.41 billion baptized Catholics worldwide as of 2025. It is among the world's oldest and largest international institut ...
, 1 African. Deaths during the year 67. Raised last year 9,191 bushels of
Wheat Wheat is a group of wild and crop domestication, domesticated Poaceae, grasses of the genus ''Triticum'' (). They are Agriculture, cultivated for their cereal grains, which are staple foods around the world. Well-known Taxonomy of wheat, whe ...
, 5,649 of
Rye Rye (''Secale cereale'') is a grass grown extensively as a grain, a cover crop and a forage crop. It is grown principally in an area from Eastern and Northern Europe into Russia. It is much more tolerant of cold weather and poor soil than o ...
, 64,808 of
Oat The oat (''Avena sativa''), sometimes called the common oat, is a species of cereal grain grown for its seed, which is known by the same name (usually in the plural). Oats appear to have been domesticated as a secondary crop, as their seeds ...
s, 118,245 of
Corn Maize (; ''Zea mays''), also known as corn in North American English, is a tall stout Poaceae, grass that produces cereal grain. It was domesticated by indigenous peoples of Mexico, indigenous peoples in southern Mexico about 9,000 years ago ...
, 7,262 tons of
Hay Hay is grass, legumes, or other herbaceous plants that have been cut and dried to be stored for use as animal fodder, either for large grazing animals raised as livestock, such as cattle, horses, goats, and sheep, or for smaller domesticate ...
and 8,730 lbs. of
Tobacco Tobacco is the common name of several plants in the genus '' Nicotiana'' of the family Solanaceae, and the general term for any product prepared from the cured leaves of these plants. More than 70 species of tobacco are known, but the ...
; and 92,366 lbs. of
Butter Butter is a dairy product made from the fat and protein components of Churning (butter), churned cream. It is a semi-solid emulsion at room temperature, consisting of approximately 81% butterfat. It is used at room temperature as a spread (food ...
were made. There are in the Township 1,642
Horse The horse (''Equus ferus caballus'') is a domesticated, one-toed, hoofed mammal. It belongs to the taxonomic family Equidae and is one of two extant subspecies of ''Equus ferus''. The horse has evolved over the past 45 to 55 mi ...
s, 36
Mule The mule is a domestic equine hybrid between a donkey, and a horse. It is the offspring of a male donkey (a jack) and a female horse (a mare). The horse and the donkey are different species, with different numbers of chromosomes; of the two ...
s, 1500
Cows Cattle (''Bos taurus'') are large, domesticated, bovid ungulates widely kept as livestock. They are prominent modern members of the subfamily Bovinae and the most widespread species of the genus '' Bos''. Mature female cattle are called co ...
, 200 Oxen, 1100 Young Cattle, 1262
Sheep Sheep (: sheep) or domestic sheep (''Ovis aries'') are a domesticated, ruminant mammal typically kept as livestock. Although the term ''sheep'' can apply to other species in the genus '' Ovis'', in everyday usage it almost always refers to d ...
and 1600
Swine Suina (also known as Suiformes) is a suborder of omnivorous, non-ruminant artiodactyl mammals that includes the domestic pig and peccaries. A member of this clade is known as a suine. Suina includes the family Suidae, termed suids, known in ...
.

Washington Valley Historic District

Many historic properties are in the encompassing

Washington Valley Historic District Washington most commonly refers to: * George Washington (1732–1799), the first president of the United States * Washington (state), a state in the Pacific Northwest of the United States * Washington, D.C., the capital of the United States ** A m ...

. It was added to the

National Register of Historic Places The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the Federal government of the United States, United States federal government's official United States National Register of Historic Places listings, list of sites, buildings, structures, Hist ...

in November 1992. Notable sites located in Washington Valley include the

Washington Valley Schoolhouse The Washington Valley Schoolhouse, also known as the Little Red Schoolhouse, is located at the intersection of Washington Valley Road and Schoolhouse Lane in the Washington Valley section of Morris Township in Morris County, New Jersey, United ...

and the John Smith House. Parts of the district are within neighboring Mendham Township.

Convent Station

The community of Convent Station is named after the Convent Station railroad station that was constructed there during the 1870s to serve the complex of the Academy of Saint Elizabeth, a

Catholic school Catholic schools are Parochial school, parochial pre-primary, primary and secondary educational institutions administered in association with the Catholic Church. , the Catholic Church operates the world's largest parochial schools, religious, no ...

operating 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 North Jersey, northern New Jersey. It is a suffragan diocese in the ecclesiastical province of the metropolitan Roman Catholic Archdiocese ...

. Notable neighborhoods include Bradwahl, Cromwell Hills, and the Normandy Park Historic District. The Morris Township Municipal Building and the Morris Township Police Headquarters are located in Convent Station. The community is home to the Morris County Golf Club and the

Sidney Reso kidnapping

In 1992,

Arthur Seale Arthur Seale (born 1947), of Hillside, New Jersey, and his wife Irene were responsible for the kidnapping and murder of Sidney Reso, the Vice President of International Operations for Exxon on April 29, 1992, in Morris Township, New Jersey. The c ...

and his wife kidnapped

Exxon Exxon Mobil Corporation ( ) is an American multinational oil and gas corporation headquartered in Spring, Texas, a suburb of Houston. Founded as the largest direct successor of John D. Rockefeller's Standard Oil, the modern company was form ...

executive Sidney Reso, a township resident, from his home. The Seales' sought a ransom of $18.5 million, but Reso died in captivity. The case received nationwide attention.

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 15.81 square miles (40.96 km²), including 15.68 square miles (40.62 km²) of land and 0.13 square miles (0.34 km²) of water (0.83%).

Unincorporated communities An unincorporated area is a parcel of land that is not governed by a local general-purpose municipal corporation. (At p. 178.) They may be governed or serviced by an encompassing unit (such as a county) or another branch of the state (such as th ...

, localities and place names located partially or completely within the township include Convent Station, Gillespie Hill, Loantaka Terrace, Normandy Heights, Normandy Park and Washington Valley. Morris Township completely surrounds Morristown, making it part of 21 pairs of "doughnut towns" in the state, where one municipality entirely surrounds another. The township borders the Morris County municipalities of Denville Township, Parsippany–Troy Hills, Morris Plains and Hanover Township to the north, Harding Township to the south, Mendham Township and Randolph to the west and Florham Park and Madison to the east.

Demographics

2020 census

The 2020 United States census counted 22,974 people, 8,172 households, and 6,111 families in Morris Township. The population density was 1,465.2 per square mile (565.6/km). There were 8,498 housing units at an average density of 542.0 per square mile (209.2/km). The racial makeup was 76.82% (17,648)

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 ...

, 4.64% (1,066) black or African-American, 0.21% (49) Native American or

Alaska Native Alaska Natives (also known as Native Alaskans, Alaskan Indians, or Indigenous Alaskans) are the Indigenous peoples of the Americas, Indigenous peoples of Alaska that encompass a diverse arena of cultural and linguistic groups, including the I ...

, 5.98% (1,373) Asian, 0.04% (10)

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 ...

, 3.63% (833) from other races, and 8.68% (1,995) 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 was 8.0% (1,793) of the population. Of the 8,172 households, 28.2% had children under the age of 18; 64.4% were married couples living together; 22.0% had a female householder with no husband present. Of all households, 21.4% were comprised of individuals and 10.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.6 and the average family size was 3.0. 19.0% of the population was under the age of 18, 7.7% from 18 to 24, 19.4% from 25 to 44, 31.9% from 45 to 64, and 19.0% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 46.4 years. For every 100 females, the population had 93.4 males. For every 100 females ages 18 and older, there were 91.2 males. The 2016-2020 5-year

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 ...

estimates show that the median household income was $160,611 (with a margin of error of +/- $15,788) and the median family income was $191,722 (+/- $15,040). Males had a median income of $90,208 (+/- $20,972) versus $60,833 (+/- $8,436) for females. The median income for those above 16 years old was $70,712 (+/- $6,520). Approximately, 2.3% of families and 5.0% 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 4.6% of those under the age of 18 and 5.3% of those ages 65 or over.

2010 census

The 2010 United States census counted 22,306 people, 8,128 households, and 5,771 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 1,428.3 per square mile (551.5/km²). There were 8,502 housing units at an average density of 544.4 per square mile (210.2/km²). The racial makeup was 85.28% (19,022)

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 ...

, 5.65% (1,261) Black or African American, 0.10% (23) Native American, 5.12% (1,141) Asian, 0.03% (6)

, 1.99% (444) from other races, and 1.83% (409) from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 7.55% (1,683) of the population. Of the 8,128 households, 31.0% had children under the age of 18; 61.3% were married couples living together; 7.3% had a female householder with no husband present and 29.0% were non-families. Of all households, 23.9% were made up of individuals and 10.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.58 and the average family size was 3.08. 22.6% of the population were under the age of 18, 6.3% from 18 to 24, 23.7% from 25 to 44, 29.9% from 45 to 64, and 17.4% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 43.3 years. For every 100 females, the population had 97.0 males. For every 100 females ages 18 and older there were 94.4 males. The Census Bureau's 2006–2010

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 $132,191 (with a margin of error of +/− $7,204) and the median family income was $154,265 (+/− $8,489). Males had a median income of $108,448 (+/− $5,932) versus $64,753 (+/− $12,368) 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 borough was $65,335 (+/− $4,396). About 1.0% of families and 3.9% of the population were below the

, including 1.0% of those under age 18 and 10.3% of those age 65 or over. The township has been one of the state's highest-income communities. Based on data from the 2006-2010

, Morris Township had a per capita income of $65,335 (ranked 36th in the state), compared to per capita income in Morris County of $47,342 and statewide of $34,858.

2000 census

As of the 2000 United States census there were 21,796 people, 8,116 households, and 5,949 families residing in the township. The population density was . There were 8,298 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the township was 88.63%

, 5.46%

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 ...

, 0.15% Native American, 3.90% Asian, 0.01%

, 0.91% from other races, and 0.95% from two or more races.

or Latino of any race were 3.81% of the population.Census 2000 Profiles of Demographic / Social / Economic / Housing Characteristics for Morris township, Morris County, 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 township, Morris County, New Jersey
,

. Accessed December 19, 2012. There were 8,116 households, out of which 31.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 64.6% 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, 6.8% had a female householder with no husband present, and 26.7% were non-families. 21.8% 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 2.55 and the average family size was 2.99. In the township the population was spread out, with 22.7% under the age of 18, 5.8% from 18 to 24, 28.2% from 25 to 44, 27.9% from 45 to 64, and 15.4% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 41 years. For every 100 females, there were 89.4 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 64.9 males. The median income for a household in the township was $101,902, and the median income for a family was $116,866. Males had a median income of $80,946 versus $50,864 for females. The

for the township was $54,782. About 2.1% of families and 3.8% of the population were below the

, including 4.9% of those under age 18 and 5.1% of those age 65 or over.

Culture and tourism

Morris Museum

Actively running since 1913, the

is the second largest museum in New Jersey at 75,524 square feet (7,016.4 m2). The museum is fully accredited by the American Alliance of Museums.

Morris County Golf Club

Founded in 1894, the Morris County Golf Club was unique at the time in that it was established and operated by women including Nina Howland. The club hosted the United States Women's Amateur Golf Championship in 1896, which was won by Beatrix Hoyt, making it the first national title to be contested in the state. Although the club was established in 1894 the current course was designed in 1916 by architect Seth Raynor. The current clubhouse was built in 1919. Some notable figures in the sport have been associated with the Club, including

Harry Vardon Henry William Vardon (9 May 1870 – 20 March 1937) was a professional golfer from Jersey. He was a member of the Great Triumvirate with John Henry Taylor and James Braid. Vardon won The Open Championship a record six times, and also won the ...

, Ted Ray, Bobby Jones,

Chick Evans Charles E. "Chick" Evans Jr. (July 18, 1890 – November 6, 1979) was a prominent American amateur golfer of the 1910s and 1920s. Evans, who won the 1910 Western Open, became the first amateur to win both the U.S. Open (golf), U.S. Open and U. ...

and Walter Kozak.

Fosterfields

Since 1972, Fosterfields Living Historical Farm has been a state protected

living history Living history is an activity that incorporates historical tools, activities and dress into an interactive presentation that seeks to give observers and participants a sense of stepping back in time. Although it does not necessarily seek to ree ...

park and museum covering more than in Morris Township. A 1915 farmhouse and 1854 Revere mansion owned by the families of Caroline Rose Foster are preserved. Activities such as educational programs, historical reenactments, storytellers, and public concerts are open to the general public throughout the year.Fosterfields Living Historical Farm
Morris County Parks Commission. Accessed February 28, 2020.

Economy

Honeywell Honeywell International Inc. is an American publicly traded, multinational conglomerate corporation headquartered in Charlotte, North Carolina. It primarily operates in four areas of business: aerospace, building automation, industrial automa ...

used to have its headquarters in Morris Township. Companies with offices and facilities in Morris Township include the

Louis Berger Group Louis Berger (formerly known as Berger Group Holdings) is a full-service engineering, architecture, planning, environmental, program and construction management and economic development firm based in Morristown, New Jersey. Founded in 1953 in H ...

and

The Seeing Eye The Seeing Eye, Inc. is a guide dog school located in Morris Township, New Jersey, in the United States. Founded in 1929, the Seeing Eye is the oldest guide dog school in the U.S., and one of the largest. The Seeing Eye campus includes admin ...

, a

guide dog Guide dogs (colloquially known in the US as seeing-eye dogs) are assistance dogs trained to lead people who are blind or visually impaired around obstacles. Although dogs can be trained to navigate various obstacles, they are red–green c ...

school.

Government

Local government

Morris 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. 116. The Mayor and Deputy Mayor are selected by the Township Committee from among its members at a reorganization meeting held in the first week of January each year. , members of the Morris Township Committee are Mayor Donna J. Guariglia (D, term on committee ends December 31, 2027; term as mayor ends December 31, 2025), Deputy Mayor Jeff Grayzel (D, term on committee and as deputy mayor both end December 31, 2025), Mark J. Gyorfy (D, 2027), Siva S. Jonnada (D; 2026), and William "Bud" Ravitz (D, 2026).Township Committee
Morris Township. Accessed April 26, 2023.

Federal, state, and county representation

Morris 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.

Politics

As of October 2017, there were a total of 17,566 registered voters in Morris Township, of which 5,458 (31.1%) were registered as Democrats, 5,694 (32.4%) were registered as

Republicans 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 ...

and 6,353 (36.2%) were registered as Unaffiliated. There were 61 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 This national electoral calendar for 2012 lists the national/ federal elections held in 2012 in all sovereign states and their dependent territories. By-elections are excluded, though national referendums are included. January *3–4 January: ...

, 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 51.4% of the vote (6,133 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 47.6% (5,679 votes), and other candidates with 0.9% (113 votes), among the 11,990 ballots cast by the township's 16,497 registered voters (65 ballots were spoiled), for a turnout of 72.7%. In the 2008 presidential election, Democrat Barack Obama received 50.9% of the vote (6,509 cast), ahead of 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 ...

with 47.9% (6,129 votes) and other candidates with 0.6% (81 votes), among the 12,797 ballots cast by the township's 16,201 registered voters, for a turnout of 79.0%. 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 51.9% of the vote (6,488 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 47.1% (5,884 votes) and other candidates with 0.5% (88 votes), among the 12,503 ballots cast by the township's 16,466 registered voters, for a turnout percentage of 75.9. 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 66.7% of the vote (5,033 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 31.5% (2,380 votes), and other candidates with 1.8% (135 votes), among the 7,674 ballots cast by the township's 16,239 registered voters (126 ballots were spoiled), for a turnout of 47.3%. In the 2009 gubernatorial election, Republican Chris Christie received 55.1% of the vote (5,059 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 36.0% (3,309 votes), Independent

Chris Daggett Christopher Jarvis Daggett (born March 7, 1950) is an American businessman who is the president and CEO of the Geraldine R. Dodge Foundation, one of the largest foundations in New Jersey. A former regional administrator of the United States En ...

with 7.9% (730 votes) and other candidates with 0.3% (30 votes), among the 9,185 ballots cast by the township's 15,846 registered voters, yielding a 58.0% turnout.

Education

Students in

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 (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 ...

attend the schools of the Morris School District, which also serves public school students from Morristown (K–12), along with those from Morris Plains who attend for grades 9–12 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 ...

. Schools in the district (with 2023–24 enrollment data from the

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 ...

) are Lafayette Learning Center (with 108 students in grade PreK), Alexander Hamilton School (248; 3–5), Hillcrest School (268; K–2), Thomas Jefferson School (305; 3–5), Normandy Park School (361; K–5), Sussex Avenue School (336; 3–5), Alfred Vail School (334; K–2), Woodland School (293; K–2), Frelinghuysen Middle School (1,026; 6–8) and Morristown High School (1,856; 9–12). The nine elected seats on the district's board of education are allocated based on the population of the constituent municipalities, with five seats assigned to Morris Township. The Academy of St. Elizabeth is a

for girls that admitted its first students in 1860, located in the Convent Station area, and operated independently of the

. The school has an enrollment of 230 students and is the oldest school for girls in New Jersey. The

Saint Elizabeth University Saint Elizabeth University (SEU) (formerly College of Saint Elizabeth, CSE) is a private Catholic university in Morris Township, New Jersey, United States. Portions of the campus are also in Florham Park. SEU offer 25 undergraduate degree prog ...

is a private

Roman Catholic The Catholic Church (), also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.27 to 1.41 billion baptized Catholics worldwide as of 2025. It is among the world's oldest and largest international institut ...

, four-year,

liberal arts college A liberal arts college or liberal arts institution of higher education is a college with an emphasis on Undergraduate education, undergraduate study in the Liberal arts education, liberal arts of humanities and science. Such colleges aim to impart ...

for women, located in Convent Station. The college was founded in 1899 by the

Sisters of Charity of Saint Elizabeth The Sisters of Charity of Saint Elizabeth are a Roman Catholic apostolic congregation of pontifical right, based in the Convent Station area of Morris Township, New Jersey, USA. The religious order was established in 1859 in Newark, New Jersey ...

of New Jersey. The Rabbinical College of America, one of the largest

Chabad Lubavitch Chabad, also known as Lubavitch, Habad and Chabad-Lubavitch (; ; ), is a Hasidic dynasty, dynasty in Hasidic Judaism. Belonging to the Haredi Judaism, Haredi (ultra-Orthodox) branch of Orthodox Judaism, it is one of the world's best-known Hasi ...

Chasidic

yeshiva A yeshiva (; ; pl. , or ) is a traditional Jewish educational institution focused on the study of Rabbinic literature, primarily the Talmud and halacha (Jewish law), while Torah and Jewish philosophy are studied in parallel. The stu ...

s in the world is located in Morristown. The Rabbinical College of America has a

baal teshuva In Judaism, a ''ba'al teshuvah'' (; for a woman, , or ; plural, , , 'owner of return God or his way]') is a Jew who adopts some form of traditional religious observance after having previously followed a Jewish secularism, secular lifestyle or ...

yeshiva for students of diverse Jewish backgrounds, named Yeshiva Tiferes Bachurim. The New Jersey Regional Headquarters for the worldwide Chabad Lubavitch movement is located on the campus.

Transportation

Roads and highways

, the township had a total of of roadways, of which were maintained by the municipality, by Morris 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 transport ...

. A few major roads pass through the community including Route 124, Route 24, CR 510,

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 ...

, and

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 ...

Public transportation

Convent Station is a

rail station located on the grounds of the College of Saint Elizabeth. Service is available on the

Morristown Line The Morristown Line is an NJ Transit commuter rail line connecting Morris and Essex counties to New York City, via New York Penn Station or Hoboken Terminal. It is one of the two routes that make up the Morris & Essex Lines, alongside the Gl ...

to Newark Broad Street Station,

Secaucus Junction Secaucus Junction (signed as Secaucus) is an intermodal transit hub served by New Jersey Transit Rail Operations, New Jersey Transit (NJ Transit) and Metro-North Railroad in Secaucus, New Jersey, Secaucus, New Jersey. It is one of the List of b ...

, Penn Station New York and

. NJ Transit offers local bus service on the

871 __NOTOC__ Year 871 ( DCCCLXXI) was a common year starting on Monday of the Julian calendar. Events By place Europe * The English retreat onto the Berkshire Downs. The Great Heathen Army, led by the Danish Viking kings Halfdan and ...

, 872, 873, 875,

878 __NOTOC__ Year 878 ( DCCCLXXVIII) was a common year starting on Wednesday of the Julian calendar. Events By place Europe * March–April – Wilfred the Hairy (ruler of the Catalan counties) with other supporters of Louis the St ...

and

880 __NOTOC__ Year 880 ( DCCCLXXX) was a leap year starting on Friday of the Julian calendar. Events By place Byzantine Empire * Battle of Cephalonia: A Byzantine fleet, under Admiral Nasar, is sent by Emperor Basil I to the Ionian Isl ...

routes, replacing service that had been offered on the MCM1,

MCM2 DNA replication licensing factor MCM2 is a protein that in humans is encoded by the ''MCM2'' gene. Function The protein encoded by this gene is one of the highly conserved mini-chromosome maintenance proteins (MCM) that are involved in the in ...

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 ini ...

MCM4 DNA replication licensing factor MCM4 is a protein that in humans is encoded by the ''MCM4'' gene. Function The protein encoded by this gene is one of the highly conserved mini-chromosome maintenance proteins (MCM) that are essential for the i ...

, MCM8 and

MCM10 Protein MCM10 homolog is a protein that in humans is encoded by the ''MCM10'' gene. It is essential for activation of the Cdc45: Mcm2-7:GINS helicase, and thus required for proper DNA replication. Function The protein encoded by this gene is ...

routes until 2010, when subsidies to the local provider were eliminated as part of budget cuts. The Morris County Traction Company began trolley service in downtown

Dover Dover ( ) is a town and major ferry port in Kent, southeast England. It faces France across the Strait of Dover, the narrowest part of the English Channel at from Cap Gris Nez in France. It lies southeast of Canterbury and east of Maidstone. ...

in July 1904, and expanded over the years until the system was completed in 1914 all the way to Newark, via Morristown and

Summit A summit is a point on a surface that is higher in elevation than all points immediately adjacent to it. The topographic terms acme, apex, peak (mountain peak), and zenith are synonymous. The term (mountain top) is generally used only for ...

, including service in Morris Township. The trolleys were replaced with buses in 1928.

Notable people

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

Ben Bailey Benjamin Ray Bailey (born October 30, 1970) is an American comedian. He is best known for hosting the Emmy Award-winning game show '' Cash Cab'' in New York City. Early life Bailey was born in Bowling Green, Kentucky, and raised in Chatham ...

(born 1970), comedian and host of '' Cash Cab'' * Warren Bobrow (born ), mixologist, chef, and writer known as the "Cocktail Whisperer" * Michael Patrick Carroll (born 1958), represents the 25th Legislative District in the New Jersey General Assembly * Robert Del Tufo (1933–2016),

Attorney General of New Jersey The attorney general of New Jersey is a member of the executive cabinet of the state and oversees the New Jersey Department of Law and Public Safety, Department of Law and Public Safety. The office is appointed by the governor of New Jersey, confi ...

from 1990 to 1993 * Caroline Rose Foster (1877–1979), farmer and founder of Fosterfields Living Historical Farm * Connor Lade (born 1989), professional soccer player *

Charley Molnar Charley Molnar Jr. (born July 23, 1961) is an American college football coach. Molnar served head football coach at the University of Massachusetts Amherst (UMass), for two seasons, from 2012 to 2013, compiling a record of 2–22. Molnar had pre ...

(born 1961), football coach * Dan Quinn (born 1970), football coach * Joseph Warren Revere (1812–1880), court-martialed Union brigadier general during the

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 ...

, and grandson of

Paul Revere Paul Revere (; December 21, 1734 O.S. (January 1, 1735 N.S.)May 10, 1818) was an American silversmith, military officer and industrialist who played a major role during the opening months of the American Revolutionary War in Massachusetts, ...

* Stephen B. Wiley (1929–2015), politician who served in the New Jersey Senate from 1974 to 1978, where he represented the 23rd Legislative District Perlez, Jane
"5 Democrats In Jersey Governor Race Strive For Recognition"
''

The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''NYT'') is an American daily newspaper based in New York City. ''The New York Times'' covers domestic, national, and international news, and publishes opinion pieces, investigative reports, and reviews. As one of ...

'', April 23, 1985. Accessed September 4, 2014. "Mr. Del Tufo, a former United States Attorney from Morris Township, is considered the least-known candidate. He is joined in the race by Mayor Kenneth A. Gibson of Newark; the State Senate majority leader, John F. Russo of Toms River; the Essex County Executive, Peter Shapiro, and former State Senator Stephen B. Wiley of Morris Township."

References

External links

Morris Township websiteMorris School District
*
School Data for the Morris School District

{{Geographic Location , Centre = Morris Township , North = Morris Plains
Parsippany-Troy Hills , Northeast = Hanover Township , East = Florham Park , Southeast = Madison , South = Harding Township , Southwest = , West = Mendham Township , Northwest = Randolph Township
Denville Township 1740 establishments in New Jersey Populated places established in 1740 Township form of New Jersey government Townships in New Jersey Townships in Morris County, New Jersey