Oak Ridge is an

unincorporated community 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 ...

and

census-designated place A census-designated place (CDP) is a Place (United States Census Bureau), concentration of population defined by the United States Census Bureau for statistical purposes only. CDPs have been used in each decennial census since 1980 as the counte ...

(CDP) located in West Milford Township in

Passaic County Passaic County ( or ) is a county in the U.S. state of New Jersey that is part of the New York metropolitan area. As of the 2020 United States census, the county was the state's eighth-most-populous county,

and Jefferson Township 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 ...

. The area is served as

United States Postal Service The United States Postal Service (USPS), also known as the Post Office, U.S. Mail, or simply the Postal Service, is an independent agencies of the United States government, independent agency of the executive branch of the federal governmen ...

ZIP Code 07438. As of the 2020 United States census, the population was 10,996.

Geography

The Oak Ridge CDP is located in northern Morris County and western Passaic County and includes several communities, including Oak Ridge proper in Passaic County on the Pequannock River along Route 23 and the New York, Susquehanna & Western Railroad main line. In Morris County, the communities of Milton, Petersburg, and Woodstock are within the Oak Ridge CDP. County Route 699 (Oak Ridge Road) runs south from the junction with Route 23 and is the main north–south local route in the community. According to the

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

, the Oak Ridge CDP has a total area of , of which are land and , or 6.65%, are water. The Pequannock River, forming the Passaic/Morris county line, takes a winding course through the northern part of the CDP, separating Oak Ridge proper from the communities of Milton and Petersburg. The Pequannock is an east-flowing tributary of the

Pompton River The Pompton River is a tributary of the Passaic River, approximately long, in Passaic County in northern New Jersey in the United States. It is formed south of the borough of Pompton Lakes by the confluence of the Ramapo and Pequannock river ...

and part of the

Passaic River The Passaic River ( or ) is a river, approximately long, in North Jersey, northern New Jersey. The river in its upper course flows in a highly circuitous route, meandering through the swamp lowlands between the ridge hills of rural and suburb ...

watershed. Oak Ridge Reservoir on the Pequannock lies on part of the northwest border of the CDP. A low height of land just south of the Pequannock River places the southern part of the CDP within the watershed of the

Rockaway River The Rockaway River is a tributary of the Passaic River, approximately 35 mi (56 km) long, in Morris County, New Jersey in the United States. The upper course of the river flows through a wooded mountainous valley, whereas the lower co ...

, a south-flowing tributary that also leads to the Passaic. White Rock Lake, Mitt Pond, Moosepac Pond, Cozy Lake, Lake Swannanoa, and Oak Ridge lake are all within the CDP and drained by the Rockaway River. Green Pond Mountain, rising to over above sea level, forms the southern border of Oak Ridge and the border with Rockaway Township. Bowling Green Mountain, elevation , borders the community to the southwest.

Demographics

Oak Ridge was first listed as a

census designated place A census-designated place (CDP) is a Place (United States Census Bureau), concentration of population defined by the United States Census Bureau for statistical purposes only. CDPs have been used in each decennial census since 1980 as the counte ...

in the 2020 U.S. Census. As of 2020, the population was 1,145.

Climate

This climatic region is typified by large seasonal temperature differences, with warm to hot (and often humid) summers and cold (sometimes severely cold) winters. According to the

Köppen Climate Classification The Köppen climate classification divides Earth climates into five main climate groups, with each group being divided based on patterns of seasonal precipitation and temperature. The five main groups are ''A'' (tropical), ''B'' (arid), ''C'' (te ...

system, Oak Ridge has a

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

, abbreviated "Dfb" on climate maps.

Government and infrastructure

The postal addresses within the CDP, including the communities within Jefferson Township, read "Oak Ridge, New Jersey".

Education

The respective school districts are Jefferson Township Public Schools for sections in Jefferson Township, Morris County; and West Milford Township Public Schools for sections in West Milford Township, Passaic County. The respective public high schools are Jefferson Township High School and West Milford High School.

Notable people

People who were born in, residents of, or otherwise closely associated with Oak Ridge include: * Douglas Yeo (born 1955), bass trombonistBiography
YeoDoug.com. Accessed March 28, 2023. "Bass Trombonist Douglas Yeo was born in Monterey, California and grew up in Queens and Valley Stream, New York (where he began playing the trombone at the age of nine in the Hewlett-Woodmere school system), and Oak Ridge, New Jersey (where he graduated from Jefferson Township High School in 1973)."

References

External links

Census 2000 Fact Sheet for Zip Code Tabulation Area 07438
from 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 Advertiser-News (local area newspaper)
{{Morris County, New Jersey Jefferson Township, New Jersey West Milford, New Jersey Census-designated places in Morris County, New Jersey Census-designated places in Passaic County, New Jersey Census-designated places in New Jersey Unincorporated communities in Morris County, New Jersey Unincorporated communities in Passaic County, New Jersey Unincorporated communities in New Jersey