Ringwood 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 Passaic 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 borough's population was 11,735, a decrease of 493 (−4.0%) from the 2010 census count of 12,228, which in turn reflected a decrease of 168 (−1.4%) from the 12,396 counted in the 2000 census. It is the home of

Ringwood State Park Ringwood State Park is a state park in Passaic County, New Jersey, Passaic County in northeastern New Jersey, United States, USA. The Park is located in the heart of the Ramapo Mountains in Ringwood, New Jersey, Ringwood. Its forests are part ...

which contains the New Jersey Botanical Garden at Skylands (plus Skylands Manor), the Shepherd Lake Recreation Area and historic Ringwood Manor. The Borough of Ringwood was incorporated by an act of the

New Jersey Legislature The New Jersey Legislature is the legislative branch of the government of the U.S. state of New Jersey. In its current form, as defined by the New Jersey Constitution of 1947, the Legislature consists of two houses: the General Assembly and ...

on February 23, 1918, from a "portion of the Township of Pompton", as one of three boroughs formed from Pompton Township, joining Bloomingdale and Wanaque, based on the results of a referendum held on March 22, 1918.Snyder, John P
''The Story of New Jersey's Civil Boundaries: 1606-1968''
Bureau of Geology and Topography; Trenton, New Jersey; 1969. p. 211. Accessed May 30, 2024. The first organizational meeting of the borough council took place in the existing Borough Hall on May 6, 1918. The borough was named for an iron mining company in the area.

History

The

Lenape The Lenape (, , ; ), also called the Lenni Lenape and Delaware people, are an Indigenous peoples of the Northeastern Woodlands, Indigenous people of the Northeastern Woodlands, who live in the United States and Canada. The Lenape's historica ...

, an Algonquian language-speaking tribe of Native Americans who occupied much of the mid-Atlantic coastal areas and the interior mountains including along the

Delaware River The Delaware River is a major river in the Mid-Atlantic region of the United States and is the longest free-flowing (undammed) river in the Eastern United States. From the meeting of its branches in Hancock, New York, the river flows for a ...

resided in the area of present-day Ringwood when Europeans first entered the area. Some retreated to the mountains to escape colonial encroachment. Colonists called the local band the Ramapough, and named the Ramapo River and other regional features after them. Their descendants and Afro-Dutch migrants from New York were among the people who formed the

multiracial The term multiracial people refers to people who are mixed with two or more races (human categorization), races and the term multi-ethnic people refers to people who are of more than one ethnicity, ethnicities. A variety of terms have been used ...

group known as the Ramapough Mountain Indians, recognized in 1980 as the "Ramapough Lenape Nation" Native American tribe by the state of New Jersey, though the federal government has denied their application for formal recognition. Early in the 18th century, colonists discovered

iron Iron is a chemical element; it has symbol Fe () and atomic number 26. It is a metal that belongs to the first transition series and group 8 of the periodic table. It is, by mass, the most common element on Earth, forming much of Earth's o ...

in the area. The Ogden family built a

blast furnace A blast furnace is a type of metallurgical furnace used for smelting to produce industrial metals, generally pig iron, but also others such as lead or copper. ''Blast'' refers to the combustion air being supplied above atmospheric pressure. In a ...

in Ringwood in 1742. By 1765, Peter Hasenclever used Ringwood as the center of his ironmaking operations, which included in New Jersey,

New York New York most commonly refers to: * New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States * New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York New York may also refer to: Places United Kingdom * ...

and

Nova Scotia Nova Scotia is a Provinces and territories of Canada, province of Canada, located on its east coast. It is one of the three Maritime Canada, Maritime provinces and Population of Canada by province and territory, most populous province in Atlan ...

. Iron mining was prominent in the area from the 18th century until the

Great Depression The Great Depression was a severe global economic downturn from 1929 to 1939. The period was characterized by high rates of unemployment and poverty, drastic reductions in industrial production and international trade, and widespread bank and ...

, and iron shafts and pits, landfills and other elements still exist. The London, Roomy, Peters and Hope mines were all originally opened by Peter Hasenclever's London Company.''A Brief History of the Forges & Manor of Ringwood''
, The Forges & Manor of Ringwood. Accessed March 14, 2012. A number of well-known ironmasters owned and lived at Ringwood Manor from the 1740s to the late 19th century. During the

American Revolutionary War The American Revolutionary War (April 19, 1775 – September 3, 1783), also known as the Revolutionary War or American War of Independence, was the armed conflict that comprised the final eight years of the broader American Revolution, in which Am ...

, Robert Erskine managed ironmaking operations from Ringwood, and became

George Washington George Washington (, 1799) was a Founding Fathers of the United States, Founding Father and the first president of the United States, serving from 1789 to 1797. As commander of the Continental Army, Washington led Patriot (American Revoluti ...

's first geographer and Surveyor-General, producing maps for the

Continental Army The Continental Army was the army of the United Colonies representing the Thirteen Colonies and later the United States during the American Revolutionary War. It was formed on June 14, 1775, by a resolution passed by the Second Continental Co ...

. Washington visited the Manor House several times. Ringwood iron was used in the famous

Hudson River Chain The Hudson River Chains were a series of boom (navigational barrier), chain booms constructed across the Hudson River at West Point, New York, West Point by Continental Army forces from 1776 to 1778 during the American Revolutionary War. These s ...

, and for tools and hardware for the army. One of the Manor's last owners was Abram S. Hewitt, ironmaster, educator, lawyer, U.S. Congressman, and

Mayor of New York City The mayor of New York City, officially mayor of the City of New York, is head of the executive branch of the government of New York City and the chief executive of New York City. The Mayoralty in the United States, mayor's office administers all ...

. The Manor is part of a

National Historic Landmark A National Historic Landmark (NHL) is a National Register of Historic Places property types, building, district, object, site, or structure that is officially recognized by the Federal government of the United States, United States government f ...

District.

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 ...

, Ringwood had a total area of , including of land and of water (10.20%). Unincorporated communities, localities and place names located partially or completely within the borough include Brushwood Pond, Cupsaw Lake, Skyline Lake, Conklintown, Erskine, Harrison Mountain Lake, Lake Erskine, Upper Erskine Lake, Monksville, Negro Pond, Sheppard Pond, Stonetown, Upper Lake and Weyble Pond. The borough borders Bloomingdale, Wanaque and West Milford in Passaic County; Mahwah and

Oakland Oakland is a city in the East Bay region of the San Francisco Bay Area in the U.S. state of California. It is the county seat and most populous city in Alameda County, with a population of 440,646 in 2020. A major West Coast port, Oakland is ...

Bergen County Bergen County is the List of counties in New Jersey, most populous County (United States), county in the U.S. state of New Jersey.Tuxedo Black tie is a semi-formal Western dress code for evening events, originating in British and North American conventions for attire in the 19th century. In British English, the dress code is often referred to synecdochically by its principal ...

and

Warwick Warwick ( ) is a market town, civil parish and the county town of Warwickshire in the Warwick District in England, adjacent to the River Avon, Warwickshire, River Avon. It is south of Coventry, and south-east of Birmingham. It is adjoined wit ...

Orange County, New York Orange County is a List of counties in New York, county located in the U.S. state of New York (state), New York. As of the 2020 United States census, the population was 401,310. The county seat is Goshen (village), New York, Goshen. This count ...

; and Ramapo in

Rockland County, New York Rockland County is the southernmost county on the west side of the Hudson River in the U.S. state of New York. It is part of the New York metropolitan area. As of the 2020 U.S. census, the county's population is 338,329, making it the state' ...

. The town is split by the

Wanaque Reservoir Wanaque Reservoir is a man-made lake located within Wanaque, New Jersey, Wanaque and Ringwood, New Jersey, Ringwood, New Jersey along the Wanaque River. The reservoir came into being in 1928 by the construction of the Raymond Dam along the river i ...

, which provides water to urban areas in Northeastern New Jersey.

Climate

Ringwood has a hot summer continental climate (

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 ...

''Dfa'').

Demographics

2010 census

The 2010 United States census counted 12,228 people, 4,182 households, and 3,413 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 4,331 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup was 92.58% (11,321)

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 ...

, 1.36% (166) Black or African American, 1.24% (152) Native American, 1.74% (213) Asian, 0.02% (2)

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

, 1.18% (144) from other races, and 1.88% (230) from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 5.78% (707) of the population. Of the 4,182 households, 37.9% had children under the age of 18; 70.8% were married couples living together; 7.3% had a female householder with no husband present and 18.4% were non-families. Of all households, 14.5% were made up of individuals and 5.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.90 and the average family size was 3.23. 24.7% of the population were under the age of 18, 7.0% from 18 to 24, 23.7% from 25 to 44, 33.1% from 45 to 64, and 11.3% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 42.1 years. For every 100 females, the population had 100.3 males. For every 100 females ages 18 and older there were 97.8 males. The Census Bureau's 2006–2010

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

showed that (in 2010 inflation-adjusted dollars)

median household income The median income is the income amount that divides a population into two groups, half having an income above that amount, and half having an income below that amount. It may differ from the mean (or average) income. Both of these are ways of und ...

was $109,139 (with a margin of error of +/− $8,896) and the median family income was $117,793 (+/− $9,712). Males had a median income of $70,086 (+/− $9,303) versus $54,397 (+/− $6,682) 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 $39,931 (+/− $2,197). Estimates of families and population 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 ...

were not available.

Same-sex couples A same-sex relationship is a romantic or sexual relationship between people of the same sex. ''Same-sex marriage'' refers to the institutionalized recognition of such relationships in the form of a marriage; civil unions may exist in countries ...

headed 37 households in 2010, an increase from the 26 counted in 2000.

2000 census

As of the 2000 United States census there were 12,396 people, 4,108 households, and 3,446 families residing in the borough. The

was . There were 4,221 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the borough was 93.87%

, 1.61%

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 ...

, 1.44% Native American, 1.19% Asian, 0.01%

, 0.67% from other races, and 1.21% from two or more races. 4.25% of the population were

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.Census 2000 Profiles of Demographic / Social / Economic / Housing Characteristics for Ringwood borough, New Jersey
,

. Accessed August 29, 2012.DP-1: Profile of General Demographic Characteristics: 2000 - Census 2000 Summary File 1 (SF 1) 100-Percent Data for Ringwood borough, Passaic County, New Jersey
,

. Accessed August 29, 2012. There were 4,108 households, out of which 42.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 73.5% 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, 7.8% had a female householder with no husband present, and 16.1% were non-families. 12.1% of all households were made up of individuals, and 3.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 3.00 and the average family size was 3.28. In the borough the population was spread out, with 27.6% under the age of 18, 6.0% from 18 to 24, 30.7% from 25 to 44, 27.9% from 45 to 64, and 7.9% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 37 years. For every 100 females, there were 100.1 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 95.3 males. The median income for a household in the borough was $81,636, and the median income for a family was $85,108. Males had a median income of $60,097 versus $36,005 for females. The

for the borough was $31,341. 2.8% of the population and 2.0% of families were below the

. Out of the total population, 3.9% of those under the age of 18 and 2.2% of those 65 and older were living below the poverty line.

Parks and recreation

is a state park located in the heart of the Ramapo Mountains. The Park consists of four distinct areas: Ringwood Manor, Skylands Manor/NJ State Botanical Garden, Shepherd Lake, and Bear Swamp Lake. Tranquility Ridge Park is a county park covering more than of wooded land on the border of Ringwood and West Milford that was acquired by the county to preserve the property from development. The New Weis Center is an environmental education, arts and recreation center located at 150 Snake Den Road. Spring Lake Day Camp is an ACA-accredited summer day camp for children in Kindergarten through 10th grade. The camp was founded in 1989 and has been family owned and operated since its opening. The Highlands Natural Pool is an Olympic size, stream-fed freshwater pool that was carved and founded in 1935 by The Nature Friends, a group of residents who enjoyed working on recreational projects for the local community.

Law and government

Local government

Ringwood operates within the Faulkner Act (formally known as the Optional Municipal Charter Law) under the Council-Manager form of municipal government Plan E, implemented based on the recommendations of a Charter Study Commission as of January 1, 1979. The borough is one of 71 municipalities (of the 564) statewide that use this form of government. The borough's governing body is comprised of a seven-member borough council whose members 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 ...

in partisan elections to serve four-year terms of office on a staggered basis, with either three or four seats coming up for election in odd-numbered years as part of 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, April 2006, p. 169. At an annual reorganization meeting held each January, the council selects a mayor and a deputy mayor from among its members. , members of the Ringwood Borough Council are

Mayor In many countries, a mayor is the highest-ranking official in a Municipal corporation, municipal government such as that of a city or a town. Worldwide, there is a wide variance in local laws and customs regarding the powers and responsibilitie ...

Sean T. Noonan ( R, term on council ends December 31, 2025; term as mayor ends 2023), Deputy Mayor Jaime Matteo-Landis (R, term on council and as deputy mayor ends 2023), Stephanie N. Baumgartner (R, 2025), Stephanie A. Forest (R, 2025), Michelle Kerr (R, 2023; elected to serve an unexpired term), Linda M. Schaefer (R, 2023), and John M. Speer (R, 2023).Borough Officials
Borough of Ringwood. Accessed July 1, 2022.''Passaic County 2022 Directory''

Passaic County, New Jersey 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,

. Accessed April 16, 2023.2022 General Election November 8, 2022 Summary Report Passaic County Official Results

, updated December 7, 2022. Accessed January 1, 2023.2021 General Election November 2, 2021 Official Results
Passaic County, New Jersey, updated November 18, 2021. Accessed January 1, 2022.2019 General Election November 5, 2019 Summary Report Passaic County Official Results

, updated November 18, 2019. Accessed January 1, 2020. In January 2022, the borough council appointed Michelle Kerr to fill the seat expiring in December 2023 that had been held by Michael McCracken until he resigned from office. Kerr served on an interim basis until the November 2022 general election, when she was elected to serve the balance of the term of office.

Emergency services

Ringwood is serviced by a volunteer ambulance corps and three volunteer fire companies, with each fire company covering one section of the borough. The Erskine Lakes Fire Company covers Erskine Lakes, and Cupsaw Lake. Ringwood Volunteer Fire Company #1 (Stonetown) covers Stonetown. and Skyline Lake Fire Department covers Skyline Lake area.

Federal, state and county representation

Ringwood is located in the 5th 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 26th state legislative district.Municipalities Sorted by 2023-2031 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 September 1, 2023.

Politics

As of March 2011, there were a total of 8,676 registered voters in Ringwood, of which 1,733 (20.0% vs. 31.0% countywide) were registered as Democrats, 2,714 (31.3% vs. 18.7%) were registered as Republicans and 4,225 (48.7% vs. 50.3%) were registered as Unaffiliated. There were 4 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.Voter Registration Summary - Passaic

Division of Elections, March 23, 2011. Accessed January 16, 2013. Among the borough's 2010 Census population, 71.0% (vs. 53.2% in Passaic County) were registered to vote, including 94.3% of those ages 18 and over (vs. 70.8% countywide). In the 2012 presidential election, Republican

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

received 53.9% of the vote (3,411 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 44.0% (2,845 votes), and other candidates with 1.1% (68 votes), among the 6,359 ballots cast by the borough's 8,936 registered voters (35 ballots were spoiled), for a turnout of 71.2%. 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 3,667 votes (52.5% vs. 37.7% countywide), ahead of Democrat Barack Obama with 3,146 votes (45.0% vs. 58.8%) and other candidates with 68 votes (1.0% vs. 0.8%), among the 6,985 ballots cast by the borough's 8,922 registered voters, for a turnout of 78.3% (vs. 70.4% in Passaic 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 3,636 votes (54.7% vs. 42.7% 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 2,897 votes (43.6% vs. 53.9%) and other candidates with 46 votes (0.7% vs. 0.7%), among the 6,647 ballots cast by the borough's 8,372 registered voters, for a turnout of 79.4% (vs. 69.3% in the whole county). 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 64.8% of the vote (2,531 cast), ahead of Democrat Barbara Buono with 33.6% (1,313 votes), and other candidates with 1.6% (61 votes), among the 3,957 ballots cast by the borough's 9,014 registered voters (52 ballots were spoiled), for a turnout of 43.9%. In the 2009 gubernatorial election, Republican Chris Christie received 2,573 votes (55.9% vs. 43.2% 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 1,714 votes (37.2% vs. 50.8%), Independent Chris Daggett with 236 votes (5.1% vs. 3.8%) and other candidates with 50 votes (1.1% vs. 0.9%), among the 4,606 ballots cast by the borough's 8,696 registered voters, yielding a 53.0% turnout (vs. 42.7% in the county).

Education

Students in

kindergarten Kindergarten is a preschool educational approach based on playing, singing, practical activities such as drawing, and social interaction as part of the transition from home to school. Such institutions were originally made in the late 18th cen ...

through eighth grade are served by the Ringwood Public School District. As of the 2023–24 school year, the district, comprised of four schools, had an enrollment of 1,019 students and 113.7 classroom teachers (on an FTE basis), for a

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

of 9.0:1.District information for Ringwood 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 December 15, 2024. Schools in the district (with 2023–24 enrollment data from the

) are Peter Cooper Elementary School with 234 students in grades K–3 (built in 1963), Robert Erskine Elementary School with 171 students in grades K–3 (built in 1960), Eleanor G. Hewitt Intermediate School with 228 students in grades 4–5 (built in 1937 with an annex built in 1952 and trailers added in 1959) and Martin J. Ryerson Middle School with 370 students in grades 6–8 (built in 1970). Ringwood's public schools are supported in part with grants from the Ringwood Educational Foundation, a not-for-profit organization which sponsors, among other things, the annual Shepherd Lake 5K run. Students in public school for

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

through

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

s attend Lakeland Regional High School in Wanaque, which serves students from the Boroughs of Ringwood and Wanaque. As of the 2023–24 school year, the high school had an enrollment of 847 students and 77.7 classroom teachers (on an FTE basis), for a

of 10.9:1. Private schools used to include Ringwood Christian School, which was founded in 1973 through the Ringwood Baptist Church, serves 80 students in

through eighth grade, with part-time sessions available for pre-schoolers. St. Catherine of Bologna School, a regional

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 ...

parochial school operating under the supervision 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 ...

that served kindergarten through eighth grade, closed in 2018 due to falling enrollment.

Community

Ringwood residents may be eligible to join one of several private lake communities, based on where they live: assorted lakes in Stonetown, Cupsaw Lake, Erskine Lakes or Skyline Lakes, each of which have annual fees and initiation fees.Cheslow, Jerry
"Living In/Ringwood, N.J.; An Oasis Within Commuting Distance"
''

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 ...

'', August 1, 2004. Accessed November 3, 2013. "Much of the housing is concentrated around four private lakes – Cupsaw, Erskine, Skyline and Riconda – that were created by the Ringwood Company in the 1920s and 1930s to promote the borough as a hunting and fishing retreat and a summer resort. Today, each of those lakes is the core of a private beach club for the surrounding homes." Each year on the third Saturday in March, Ringwood holds its annual St. Patrick's Day Parade, the only such parade in Passaic County. Since 1990, the Parade Committee selects a grand marshal and a Citizen of the Year. These chosen outstanding citizens of the community are honored at a Unity Breakfast that precedes the parade. The parade includes bagpipe bands, floats, Irish step dancers, the county sheriff's department with their equestrian unit, local police, and fire and ambulance departments. Other marchers include Girl Scout and Boy Scout troops, local school groups and other recreational teams. The parade ends at the St. Catherine of Bologna Church Parish Center, where the celebration continues with live music and entertainment.

Transportation

Roads and highways

, the borough had a total of of roadways, of which were maintained by the municipality and by Passaic County. There are no state, U.S., or Interstate highways in Ringwood. The most prominent roads are County Route 511, which follows the Greenwood Lake Turnpike, and County Route 692, which follows

Skyline Drive Skyline Drive is a National Parkway that runs the entire length of the National Park Service's Shenandoah National Park in the Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia, generally along the ridge of the mountains. The drive's northern terminus is at ...

. The nearest major highway is

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

, and both CR 511 and CR 692 have interchanges with it in neighboring Wanaque and

, respectively. Ringwood had no traffic lights until June 2013, when the town's first one was installed at the intersection of Skyline Drive and Erskine Road. The borough still has no sidewalks or street lights.

Public transportation

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 ...

bus transportation is available at the Ringwood Park and Ride, located adjacent t
Ringwood Public Library
The

196 Year 196 ( CXCVI) was a leap year starting on Thursday of the Julian calendar. At the time, it was known as the Year of the Consulship of Dexter and Messalla (or, less frequently, year 949 ''Ab urbe condita''). The denomination 196 for this yea ...

offers express bus service to and from 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 ...

, while the 197 route offers local service, including to the Willowbrook Mall and Willowbrook Park and Ride.

Notable people

People who were born in, residents of, or otherwise closely associated with Ringwood include: * Robert Erskine (1735–1780), a Scottish inventor and later an American officer in the

during the

* Carol Habben (1933–1997), center fielder and backup catcher who played in the

All-American Girls Professional Baseball League The All-American Girls Professional Baseball League (AAGPBL) was a professional women's baseball league founded by Philip K. Wrigley, which existed from 1943 to 1954. The AAGPBL is the forerunner of women's professional league sports in the Uni ...

* Jeff Livesey (born 1966). former

professional baseball Professional baseball is organized baseball in which players are selected for their talents and are paid to play for a specific team or club system. It is played in baseball league, leagues and associated farm teams throughout the world. Moder ...

player and current coach in the

Miami Marlins The Miami Marlins are an American professional baseball team based in Miami. The Marlins compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (baseball), National League (NL) National League East, East Division. The ...

organization * Wayne Mann, leader of the Ramapough Mountain Indians and lead participant of 600-person mass tort suit against

Ford Motor Company Ford Motor Company (commonly known as Ford) is an American multinational corporation, multinational automobile manufacturer headquartered in Dearborn, Michigan, United States. It was founded by Henry Ford and incorporated on June 16, 1903. T ...

for environmental contamination of the Ringwood Mines landfill site *

George Martin Sir George Henry Martin (3 January 1926 – 8 March 2016) was an English record producer, arranger, composer, conductor, and musician. He was commonly referred to as the "fifth Beatle" because of his extensive involvement in each of the Beatle ...

(born 1953), former

defensive end Defensive end (DE) is a defensive position in the sport of gridiron football. This position has designated the players at each end of the defensive line, but changes in formation (American football), formations over the years have substantially ...

for the

New York Giants The New York Giants are a professional American football team based in the New York metropolitan area. The Giants compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC East, East division. The ...

Sarah Pagano Sarah Pagano Buchanan (; born July 23, 1991) is an American Long-distance running, long-distance runner. She is referred to as "Spags" by friends and teammates. Pagano began running competitively at Immaculate Heart Academy, where she won multip ...

(born 1991),

long-distance runner Long-distance running, or endurance running, is a form of continuous running over distances of at least . Physiologically, it is largely Aerobic exercise, aerobic in nature and requires stamina as well as mental strength. Within endurance ru ...

* John Dyneley Prince (1868–1945), linguist, diplomat, and politician who was a professor at

New York University New York University (NYU) is a private university, private research university in New York City, New York, United States. Chartered in 1831 by the New York State Legislature, NYU was founded in 1832 by Albert Gallatin as a Nondenominational ...

and

Columbia University Columbia University in the City of New York, commonly referred to as Columbia University, is a Private university, private Ivy League research university in New York City. Established in 1754 as King's College on the grounds of Trinity Churc ...

, minister to Denmark and

Yugoslavia , common_name = Yugoslavia , life_span = 1918–19921941–1945: World War II in Yugoslavia#Axis invasion and dismemberment of Yugoslavia, Axis occupation , p1 = Kingdom of SerbiaSerbia , flag_p ...

, and leader of both houses of the

* Kim Rosen (born ), audio mastering engineer * Eric Schubert (born 1962), former

American football American football, referred to simply as football in the United States and Canada and also known as gridiron football, is a team sport played by two teams of eleven players on a rectangular American football field, field with goalposts at e ...

placekicker In gridiron football, the placekicker (PK), or simply kicker (K), is the player responsible for attempts at scoring Field goal (football), field goals and extra points. In most cases, the placekicker also serves as the team's kickoff specialist ...

who played in the NFL for the

St. Louis Cardinals The St. Louis Cardinals are an American professional baseball team based in St. Louis. The Cardinals compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (baseball), National League (NL) National League Central, Centra ...

and

New England Patriots The New England Patriots are a professional American football team based in the Greater Boston area. The Patriots compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC East, East division. The Pa ...

Darren Soto Darren Michael Soto ( ; born February 25, 1978) is an American attorney and Democratic politician from Kissimmee, Florida, who is the U.S. representative for Florida's 9th district. Before his election to Congress, Soto served four years in t ...

(born 1978), member of the Florida House, then the

Florida Senate The Florida Senate is the upper house of the Florida Legislature, the State legislature (United States), state legislature of the U.S. state of Florida, the Florida House of Representatives being the lower house. Article III, Section 1 of the C ...

and Congressman from

Orlando, Florida Orlando ( ) is a city in and the county seat of Orange County, Florida, United States. The city proper had a population of 307,573 at the 2020 census, making it the fourth-most populous city in Florida behind Jacksonville, Florida, Jacksonville ...

* Francis Lynde Stetson (1846–1920), lawyer and designer of the Botanical Gardens at Skylands Manor"Historical Sites in New Jersey"
''

'', September 30, 2007. Accessed October 29, 2007. "Skylands Manor And State Botanical Garden Ringwood State Park, Ringwood.... The gardens were designed under the direction of Francis Lynde Stetson, owner of Skylands from 1891 to 1922."

Sister Cities

Ringwood, Hampshire Ringwood is a market town in south-west Hampshire, England, on the River Avon, Hampshire, River Avon close to the New Forest, northeast of Bournemouth and southwest of Southampton. It was founded by the Anglo-Saxon England, Anglo-Saxons, ...

, England The mayor of the borough of Ringwood, New Jersey approached Ringwood Town Council in September 1976, advising that the borough had, in recognition of the 750th anniversary of the Ringwood, Hampshire's market carter, resolved that the Hampshire town would become their Sister City. A laminated copy of the resolution was sent and several visits were subsequently exchanged on an official basis.

References

External links

Borough data

Ringwood Borough website

Ringwood Chamber of Commerce

Ringwood Public Schools

Lakeland Regional High School
*
School Data for the Ringwood Public Schools

Ringwood Fire Company #1

Ringwood Public Library

Borough history

Ringwood Manor History

Ringwood Manor Association of the Arts

* ttp://papnjhighlands.com/ Plein Air Painters of the New Jersey Highlands
Historical Mines of Ringwood New Jersey

Abandoned mines of Ringwood & the NJ Highlands.

Borough organizations

Highlands Natural Pool
Community swimming pool.
Skyline Lake Volunteer Fire Department, Ringwood New Jersey

Ringwood Ambulance Corps

Skyline Lakes Property Owners Association-SPLOA

Ringwood Boro Volunteer Fire Company #1 - Stonetown

Skyline Lake Fire Department
*
Snake Den Road
Local community web site.
Cupsaw Lake Improvement Association

Erksine Lakes Property Owners Association

Skyline Lakes Property Owners Association

Cub Scout Pack 96

Cub Scout Pack 140

Boy Scout Troop 76

Erskine Lakes Aquatic Club

Ringwood Farmers' Market
{{Authority control 1918 establishments in New Jersey Boroughs in New Jersey Boroughs in Passaic County, New Jersey Faulkner Act (council–manager) Mines in New Jersey Populated places established in 1918