Mountainside is a

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

in Union 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 ...

. The borough is located on a

ridge A ridge is a long, narrow, elevated geomorphologic landform, structural feature, or a combination of both separated from the surrounding terrain by steep sides. The sides of a ridge slope away from a narrow top, the crest or ridgecrest, wi ...

northern Northern may refer to the following: Geography * North North is one of the four compass points or cardinal directions. It is the opposite of south and is perpendicular to east and west. ''North'' is a noun, adjective, or adverb indicating ...

- central New Jersey, within the Raritan Valley and Rahway Valley regions in the

New York metropolitan area The New York metropolitan area, also called the Tri-State area and sometimes referred to as Greater New York, is the List of cities by GDP, largest metropolitan economy in the world, with a List of U.S. metropolitan areas by GDP, gross metropo ...

. As of the 2020 United States census, the borough's population was 7,020, an increase of 335 (+5.0%) from the 2010 census count of 6,685, which in turn reflected an increase of 83 (+1.3%) from the 6,602 counted in the 2000 census. Mountainside was incorporated as a borough on September 25, 1895, from portions of Westfield Township, based on the results of a referendum held the previous day.Snyder, John P
''The Story of New Jersey's Civil Boundaries: 1606-1968''
Bureau of Geology and Topography; Trenton, New Jersey; 1969. p. 239. Accessed May 30, 2024. ''

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 Mountainside as its 16th best place to live in its 2008 rankings of the "Best Places To Live" in New Jersey, as well as eighth in the 2010 list.

History

In 1958, part of

Nike Nike often refers to: * Nike, Inc., a major American producer of athletic shoes, apparel, and sports equipment * Nike (mythology), a Greek goddess who personifies victory Nike may also refer to: People * Nike (name), a surname and feminine giv ...

missile battery (NY-73) was installed, with the missile launchers themselves in Mountainside while the radar station was installed in

Berkeley Heights Berkeley Heights is a township in Union County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey. Located on a ridge in northern- central New Jersey, Berkeley Heights is a commuter town of New York City in the New York metropolitan area, nestled within the Rar ...

. It remained in operation until 1963. Remnants of the control site are located adjacent to

Governor Livingston High School Governor Livingston High School is a comprehensive four-year co-educational public high school serving students in ninth through twelfth grades, located in Berkeley Heights, in Union County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey, and operating as t ...

, while the part of

Watchung Reservation Watchung Reservation is the largest nature reserve in Union County, New Jersey, Union County, New Jersey, United States. The reservation consists mainly of the upper valley of Blue Brook (Green Brook), Blue Brook, between the ridges of the Firs ...

that was cleared in order to accommodate the missile launchers became the Watchung Stables.

Geography

Echo Lake Park in Mountainside NJ autumnal scene

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 borough had a total area of 4.04 square miles (10.47 km²), including 4.00 square miles (10.35 km²) of land and 0.05 square miles (0.12 km²) of water (1.11%). Mountainside is bordered by the Union County municipalities of

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 ...

to the north, by Springfield Township to the east, by Westfield to the south and by

and Scotch Plains to the west.

Demographics

2010 census

The 2010 United States census counted 6,685 people, 2,468 households, and 1,866 families in the borough. 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 . There were 2,558 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup was 91.31% (6,104)

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 ...

, 1.97% (132) Black or African American, 0.00% (0) Native American, 4.94% (330) Asian, 0.00% (0)

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 ...

, 0.42% (28) from other races, and 1.36% (91) from two or more races.

Hispanic or Latino ''Hispanic'' and '' Latino'' are ethnonyms used to refer collectively to the inhabitants of the United States who are of Spanish or Latin American ancestry (). While many use the terms interchangeably, for example, the United States Census Bureau ...

of any race were 6.09% (407) of the population. Of the 2,468 households, 30.8% had children under the age of 18; 66.7% were married couples living together; 6.5% had a female householder with no husband present and 24.4% were non-families. Of all households, 21.6% were made up of individuals and 15.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.64 and the average family size was 3.10. 23.2% of the population were under the age of 18, 4.8% from 18 to 24, 18.2% from 25 to 44, 30.0% from 45 to 64, and 23.7% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 47.2 years. For every 100 females, the population had 92.7 males. For every 100 females ages 18 and older there were 88.1 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 In economics, nominal value refers to value measured in terms of absolute money amounts, whereas real value is considered and measured against the actual goods or services for which it can be exchanged at a given time. Real value takes into acco ...

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 $116,210 (with a margin of error of +/− $22,182) and the median family income was $135,086 (+/− $14,679). Males had a median income of $95,030 (+/− $9,312) versus $58,818 (+/− $8,974) 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 $52,844 (+/− $5,530). About 1.5% of families and 3.5% 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 ...

, including 3.1% of those under age 18 and 8.1% of those age 65 or over.

2000 census

As of the 2000 United States census there were 6,602 people, 2,434 households, and 1,925 families residing in the borough. The population density was . There were 2,478 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the borough was 95.09%

, 0.94%

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 ...

, 0.09% Native American, 2.80% Asian, 0.06%

, 0.27% from other races, and 0.74% 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 3.01% of the population.Census 2000 Profiles of Demographic / Social / Economic / Housing Characteristics for Mountainside borough, New Jersey
,

. Accessed July 17, 2012.DP-1: Profile of General Demographic Characteristics: 2000 - Census 2000 Summary File 1 (SF 1) 100-Percent Data for Mountainside borough, Union County, New Jersey
,

. Accessed July 17, 2012. There were 2,434 households, out of which 29.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 71.9% 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, 5.3% had a female householder with no husband present, and 20.9% were non-families. 17.9% of all households were made up of individuals, and 11.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.60 and the average family size was 2.95. In the borough the population was spread out, with 21.1% under the age of 18, 3.8% from 18 to 24, 22.9% from 25 to 44, 27.3% from 45 to 64, and 24.9% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 46 years. For every 100 females, there were 89.2 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 87.1 males. The median income for a household in the borough was $97,195, and the median income for a family was $105,773. Males had a median income of $78,595 versus $52,667 for females. The

for the borough was $47,474. About 2.0% of families and 3.0% of the population were below the

, including 1.9% of those under age 18 and 2.9% of those age 65 or over.

Government

Local government

Mountainside is governed by a Mayor-Council form of government as authorized through the Option Municipal Charter Law (commonly called the

Faulkner Act The Optional Municipal Charter Law or Faulkner Act (, et seq.) provides New Jersey municipalities with a variety of models of local government. This legislation is called the Faulkner Act in honor of the late Bayard H. Faulkner, former mayor ...

). The township is one of 71 municipalities (of the 564) statewide that use this form of government. The governing body is comprised of the mayor and the six-member borough council. Under this form of local government, the mayor is elected for a term of four years and there borough council members are elected for three-year terms, with two seats coming up for election each year in a three-year cycle. Both the mayor and Borough Council are elected

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

, that is, to represent the entire community. Elections for all officials in Mountainside are conducted on a partisan basis during the November General Election.''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 The Edward J. Bloustein School of Planning and Public Policy of Rutgers University (The Bloustein School) serves as a center for the theory and practice of urban planning, public policy and public health/health administration scholarship. The sc ...

, March 2013, p. 94. Shows form of government as

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

. , the mayor of Mountainside is Republican Paul N. Mirabelli, whose term of office ends on December 31, 2027. Members of the Borough Council are Deanna Andre (R, 2026), René Dierkes (R, 2025), Steven Matejek (R, 2026), Robert W. Messler (R, 2024), Donna Pacifico (R, 2025), and Donald Rinaldo Jr. (R, 2024).Borough Council
Borough of Mountainside. Accessed February 21, 2024. "Mountainside is governed by a Mayor and Council form of government, as authorized through the Option Municipal Charter Law (Faulkner Act). Enacted by the State Legislature in 1950, this form of local New Jersey government provides for the election of a Mayor for a term of four years and a Borough Council of varied complement. In our case, the Borough Council consists of six members, elected for staggered three year terms. Both the Mayor and Borough Council are elected at-large, that is, to represent the entire community."''Union County Elected Officials''

Union County, New Jersey Union County is a County (United States), county in the northern part of the U.S. state of New Jersey. As of the 2020 United States census, the county was the state's List of counties in New Jersey, seventh-most-populous county

Clerk. Accessed February 19, 2024.General Election November 7, 2023 Official Results

, updated November 22, 2023. Accessed February 19, 2024.General Election November 8, 2022 Official Results

, updated November 21, 2022. Accessed February 19, 2024.General Election November 2, 2021 Official Results

, updated November 15, 2021. Accessed January 1, 2022.

Federal, state and county representation

Mountainside is located in the 7th 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 21st state legislative district.Municipalities Sorted by 2011-2020 Legislative District

New Jersey Department of State The secretary of state of New Jersey oversees the Department of State, which is one of the original state offices. The Secretary is responsible for overseeing 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 March 2011, there were a total of 4,744 registered voters in Mountainside, of which 1,201 (25.3% vs. 41.8% countywide) were registered as Democrats, 1,568 (33.1% vs. 15.3%) 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 1,974 (41.6% vs. 42.9%) were registered as Unaffiliated. There was one voter registered to another party.Voter Registration Summary - Union

Division of Elections, March 23, 2011. Accessed May 20, 2013. Among the borough's 2010 Census population, 71.0% (vs. 53.3% in Union County) were registered to vote, including 92.5% of those ages 18 and over (vs. 70.6% countywide). 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 2,100 votes (59.2% vs. 32.3% countywide), 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 1,401 votes (39.5% vs. 66.0%) and other candidates with 30 votes (0.8% vs. 0.8%), among the 3,548 ballots cast by the borough's 4,940 registered voters, for a turnout of 71.8% (vs. 68.8% in Union County). 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 2,331 votes (60.0% vs. 35.2% countywide), ahead of Democrat Barack Obama with 1,500 votes (38.6% vs. 63.1%) and other candidates with 33 votes (0.8% vs. 0.9%), among the 3,888 ballots cast by the borough's 4,911 registered voters, for a turnout of 79.2% (vs. 74.7% in Union County). 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 2,215 votes (58.0% vs. 40.3% countywide), ahead of 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 1,561 votes (40.8% vs. 58.3%) and other candidates with 31 votes (0.8% vs. 0.7%), among the 3,822 ballots cast by the borough's 4,796 registered voters, for a turnout of 79.7% (vs. 72.3% in the whole county). In the 2017 gubernatorial election, Republican

Kim Guadagno Kimberly Ann Guadagno (; ''née'' McFadden; born April 13, 1959) is an American lawyer and politician who served as the first lieutenant governor and 33rd secretary of state of New Jersey from 2010 to 2018. Guadagno was the Republican nominee ...

received 1,443 votes (57.7% vs. 32.6% countywide), ahead of Democrat

Phil Murphy Philip Dunton Murphy (born August 16, 1957) is an American politician, diplomat, and financier serving as the 56th governor of New Jersey since 2018. A member of the Democratic Party (United States), Democratic Party, he was elected governor i ...

with 1,020 votes (40.8% vs. 65.2%), and other candidates with 39 votes (1.6% vs. 2.1%), among the 2,602 ballots cast by the borough's 5,190 registered voters, for a turnout of 50.1%. 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 69.9% of the vote (1,595 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 29.0% (661 votes), and other candidates with 1.1% (26 votes), among the 2,320 ballots cast by the borough's 4,860 registered voters (38 ballots were spoiled), for a turnout of 47.7%. In the 2009 gubernatorial election, Republican Chris Christie received 1,754 votes (61.8% vs. 41.7% countywide), ahead of Democrat

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

with 842 votes (29.6% vs. 50.6%), 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 204 votes (7.2% vs. 5.9%) and other candidates with 17 votes (0.6% vs. 0.8%), among the 2,840 ballots cast by the borough's 4,827 registered voters, yielding a 58.8% turnout (vs. 46.5% in the county).

Education

The Mountainside School District serves public school 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 eighth grade. As of the 2022–23 school year, the district, comprised of two schools, had an enrollment of 747 students and 71.6 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 10.4:1.District information for Mountainside 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. Schools in the district (with 2022–23 enrollment data from the

) are Beechwood School with 269 students in grades PreK-2 and Deerfield School with 467 students in grades 3-8. Public school students in

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 attend

, 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 ...

with the Berkeley Heights Public Schools that is covered by an agreement that runs through the end of 2021–2022 school year. As of the 2022–23 school year, the high school had an enrollment of 936 students and 88.2 classroom teachers (on an FTE basis), for a

of 10.6:1. Students also have the choice to attend the programs of the

Union County Vocational Technical Schools The Union County Vocational-Technical Schools (UCVTS) are a grouping of schools on the Union County Vocational Technical Schools Campus in Scotch Plains, in the U.S. state of New Jersey, which offers educational programs for students across U ...

, which serve students from across Union County.

Emergency medical services

Emergency Medical Services for the borough of Mountainside is provided by the Mountainside Rescue Squad during nights and weekends. Since 2006, weekday daytime coverage has been provided by Atlantic Ambulance EMS, which has a paramedic unit stationed in Mountainside.

Transportation

Roads and highways

, the borough had a total of of roadways, of which were maintained by the municipality, by Union 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 ...

U.S. Route 22 U.S. Route 22 (US 22) is a major east–west route and one of the original United States Numbered Highways, founded in 1926. It runs from Cincinnati, Ohio, at US 27, US 42, US 127, and US 52 to Newark, New Jer ...

and

Interstate 78 Interstate 78 (I-78) is an east–west Interstate Highway in the Northeastern United States that runs from I-81 northeast of Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, through Allentown to western and North Jersey, terminating at the Holland Tunnel entra ...

are the main highways running through Mountainside.

Public transportation

NJ Transit Bus Operations NJ Transit Bus Operations is the bus division of NJ Transit, providing local and commuter bus service throughout New Jersey and adjacent areas of New York State (Manhattan in New York City, Rockland County, and Orange County) and Pennsylvania ...

routes 114 and 117 provide service to the

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

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

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 ...

while routes 65 and 66 travel to

Downtown Newark Downtown Newark is the central business district of Newark, New Jersey, Newark in Essex County, New Jersey, Essex County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey. Downtown is the site of the original Puritan settlement of Newark located at a bend in th ...

, all making local stops at points in proximate communities. An early use of

bus rapid transit in New Jersey Bus rapid transit (BRT) in New Jersey comprises limited-stop bus service, exclusive bus lanes (XBL) and Shoulder (road)#Bus bypass shoulder, bus bypass shoulders (BBS). Under the banner ''Next Generation Bus'' NJ Transit (NJT), the New Jersey De ...

, a BBS (bus bypass shoulder, originally called a BOS or ''bus on shoulder'' lane) has been in operation for many years. Unlike most municipalities along Route 22, zoning in Mountainside does not allow for much commercial development adjacent to the freeway. For a one-mile stretch in the town, the eastbound shoulder on the

arterial road An arterial road or arterial thoroughfare is a high-capacity urban road that sits below highway A highway is any public or private road or other public way on land. It includes not just major roads, but also other public roads and rights o ...

can be used for peak hour buses. In 2012, the

(NJDOT) regulated the BBS as an exclusive bus lane from 6 to 7:30am. In 2009, NJDOT funded construction of two bus turnouts along the road in nearby Union.

Newark Liberty International Airport Newark Liberty International Airport is a major international airport serving the New York metropolitan area. The airport straddles the boundary between the cities of Newark, New Jersey, Newark in Essex County, New Jersey, Essex County and E ...

is approximately east of Mountainside.

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 ...

rail service is accessible via Summit station, and it has frequent direct service 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 ...

. The station is located around from the center of Mountainside, and Westfield station, which is about away, is also nearby.

Notable people

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

Erika Amato Erika Amato (born December 7, 1969) is an American singer, actress and a founding member of the band Velvet Chain. Early life and education Amato was born in Plainfield, New Jersey, and grew up in nearby Mountainside. She started playing and pe ...

(born 1969), singer and

actress An actor (masculine/gender-neutral), or actress (feminine), is a person who portrays a character in a production. The actor performs "in the flesh" in the traditional medium of the theatre or in modern media such as film, radio, and television. ...

who was a founding member of the band

Velvet Chain Velvet Chain is a bi-coastal alternative rock band whose sound features a mixture of trip hop, rock, and pop, with a jazz/funk flavor. (The band has sometimes been known to refer to their work as "space-jazz" or "moody groove music" - which is al ...

John W. Campbell John Wood Campbell Jr. (June 8, 1910 – July 11, 1971) was an American science fiction writer and editor. He was editor of ''Astounding Science Fiction'' (later called ''Analog Science Fiction and Fact'') from late 1937 until his death and wa ...

(1910–1971), science fiction writer who was editor of ''

Astounding Science Fiction ''Analog Science Fiction and Fact'' is an American science fiction magazine published under various titles since 1930. Originally titled ''Astounding Stories of Super-Science'', the first issue was dated January 1930, published by William C ...

'' from 1937 until his death *

Bob Clotworthy Robert Lynn Clotworthy (May 8, 1931 – June 1, 2018) was an American diver and swimmer for Ohio State, and a 1956 Olympic gold and 1952 bronze medalist in the 3-meter springboard. He later had a successful career as a coach from around 1955-76 ...

(1931–2018), diver who won the bronze medal in the men's springboard event at the

1952 Summer Olympics The 1952 Summer Olympics (, ), officially known as the Games of the XV Olympiad (, ) and commonly known as Helsinki 1952, were an international multi-sport event held from 19 July to 3 August 1952 in Helsinki, Finland. After Japan declared in ...

Helsinki Helsinki () is the Capital city, capital and most populous List of cities and towns in Finland, city in Finland. It is on the shore of the Gulf of Finland and is the seat of southern Finland's Uusimaa region. About people live in the municipali ...

and won the gold medal in

Melbourne Melbourne ( , ; Boonwurrung language, Boonwurrung/ or ) is the List of Australian capital cities, capital and List of cities in Australia by population, most populous city of the States and territories of Australia, Australian state of Victori ...

at the 1956 games *

Laurie Collyer Laurie Collyer (born 1967) is an American film director and screenwriter. Biography Born in Summit, New Jersey, she grew up in Mountainside, New Jersey and attended Oberlin College. She went to film school at New York University. She wrote and d ...

(born 1967), film director, best known for ''

Sherrybaby ''Sherrybaby'' is a 2006 American drama film written and directed by Laurie Collyer. The film premiered in the Dramatic Competition at the 2006 Sundance Film Festival on January 25, 2006 and received a limited release in the United States on S ...

'' *

Angelo DeCarlo Angelo "Gyp" DeCarlo (September 2, 1902 – October 20, 1973) was a member of the New York City Genovese crime family who dominated loansharking operations in New Jersey during the 1960s. The subject of a two-year federal undercover operat ...

(1902–1973), member of the New York

Genovese crime family The Genovese crime family (), also sometimes referred to as the Westside, is an Italian Americans, Italian American American Mafia, Mafia crime family and one of the "Five Families" that dominate organized crime activities in New York City and Ne ...

* Harry Devlin (born 1918), cartoonist for magazines such as ''

Collier's Weekly } ''Collier's'' was an American general interest magazine founded in 1888 by Peter F. Collier, Peter Fenelon Collier. It was launched as ''Collier's Once a Week'', then renamed in 1895 as ''Collier's Weekly: An Illustrated Journal'', shortened i ...

'' *

Ina Golub Ina Golub, born Ina Joan Rudman (October 28, 1938, in Newark, New Jersey; died October 20, 2015, in New Jersey) was a fiber artist who specialized in Judaica. Life Golub, the daughter of Frieda and Irving Rudman, grew up in Irvington and Newark, ...

(1938–2015),

fiber art Fiber (spelled fibre in British English; from ) is a #Natural fibers, natural or Fiber#Artificial fibers, artificial substance that is significantly longer than it is wide. Fibers are often used in the manufacture of other materials. The st ...

ist who specialized in Judaica * Charles J. Irwin (1930–2005), politician who served in the

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

from the 9th at-large district from 1968 to 1971 *

Bitty Schram Bitty Schram (born Elizabeth Natalie Schram, ) is an American actress who played Sharona Fleming in the television series ''Monk'' and Evelyn Gardner in the film ''A League of Their Own'' (1992). Early life Schram is from Mountainside, New Jers ...

(born 1968), actress who appeared on ''

Monk A monk (; from , ''monachos'', "single, solitary" via Latin ) is a man who is a member of a religious order and lives in a monastery. A monk usually lives his life in prayer and contemplation. The concept is ancient and can be seen in many reli ...

'' and in the 1992 film ''

A League of Their Own ''A League of Their Own'' is a 1992 American sports comedy drama film directed by Penny Marshall that tells a fictionalized account of the real-life All-American Girls Professional Baseball League (AAGPBL). It stars Tom Hanks, Geena Davis, Ma ...

'' *

Dale Torborg Dale Christian Torborg (born October 24, 1971) is an American baseball trainer and professional wrestler. In wrestling, he is best known for portraying the Kiss themed character, The Demon. He is the son of Major League Baseball manager Jeff Torb ...

(born 1971), conditioning coordinator for the

Chicago White Sox The Chicago White Sox are an American professional baseball team based in Chicago. The White Sox compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) American League Central, Central Division. The club plays its ...

and former

professional wrestler Professional wrestling, often shortened to either pro wrestling or wrestling,The term "wrestling" is most often widely used to specifically refer to modern scripted professional wrestling, though it is also used to refer to real-life wrest ...

best known for his time in

World Championship Wrestling World Championship Wrestling (WCW) was an American professional wrestling promotion founded by Ted Turner in 1988, after Turner Broadcasting System, through a subsidiary named Universal Wrestling Corporation, purchased the assets of National W ...

Jeff Torborg Jeffrey Allen Torborg (November 26, 1941 – January 19, 2025) was an American professional baseball catcher and manager. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Los Angeles Dodgers and California Angels from 1964 to 1973. He managed th ...

(born 1941), former Major League Baseball player and manager *

Hela Yungst Hela Yungst Hochman (January 15, 1950 - February 24, 2002), also known as Hela Young, was an American television entertainer and beauty pageant winner. She was a promoter of Holocaust awareness and a former president of the New Jersey Commission ...

(1950–2002), television entertainer and beauty pageant winnerMastrull, Diane
"Hela Young, longtime New Jersey Lottery host"
''

The Philadelphia Inquirer ''The Philadelphia Inquirer'', often referred to simply as ''The Inquirer'', is a daily newspaper headquartered in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Founded on June 1, 1829, ''The Philadelphia Inquirer'' is the third-longest continuously operating da ...

'', February 25, 2002. Accessed September 8, 2015. "Ms. Young was born in Israel to Holocaust survivors. She moved to Newark as a child in 1957 and lived in Hillside and Edison before settling in Mountainside, Union County, in 1984."

References

External links

Mountainside Borough website
{{Authority control 1895 establishments in New Jersey Boroughs in New Jersey Boroughs in Union County, New Jersey Faulkner Act (mayor–council) Populated places established in 1895