Wayne 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 ...

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,

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 ...

. Home to

William Paterson University William Paterson University, known as WP, officially William Paterson University of New Jersey (WPUNJ), is a public university in Wayne, New Jersey, United States. It is part of New Jersey's public system of higher education. Founded in 1855 an ...

and located less than from

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 ...

, the township is a

bedroom suburb A bedroom or bedchamber is a room situated within a residential or accommodation unit characterized by its usage for sleeping. A typical Western world, western bedroom contains as bedroom furniture one or two beds, a clothes closet, and bedsid ...

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 ...

and regional commercial hub of

North Jersey North Jersey, also known as Northern New Jersey, comprises the northern portions of the U.S. state of New Jersey between the upper Delaware River and the Atlantic Ocean. As a distinct toponym, North Jersey is a colloquial one rather than an a ...

. As of the 2020 United States census, the township's population was 54,838, an increase of 121 (+0.2%) from the 2010 census count of 54,717, which in turn reflected an increase of 648 (+1.2%) from the 54,069 counted in the 2000 census. Wayne was formed as a township by an act of the

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

on April 12, 1847, from portions of Manchester Township. Totowa was formed from portions of Wayne and Manchester Township on March 15, 1898.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. Points of interest include

, Willowbrook Mall, Wayne Towne Center, High Mountain Park Preserve, and Dey Mansion.

History

In 1694,

Arent Schuyler Arent Philipse Schuyler (June 25, 1662 – November 26, 1730) was a member of the influential Schuyler family (among the first settlers to New Netherland). He was a surveyor, Native American trader, miner, merchant, and land speculator. Early l ...

, a surveyor, trader and land speculator, was sent by the British into northwestern New Jersey to investigate rumors that the French were trying to incite the local

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 ...

Native Americans to rebel against them. He found no evidence of a rebellion, but discovered a fertile river valley where the Lenape grew crops. Schuyler reported his findings to the British and then convinced a group including Major Anthony Brockholst and

Samuel Bayard Lieutenant Colonel Samuel Vetch Bayard (born 1757, New York – d. 28 May 1832 Wilmot, Nova Scotia) was a Loyalist (American Revolution), Loyalist military officer in the American Revolution who served in the King's Orange Rangers (KOR). He is t ...

to invest in the land he referred to as the Pompton Valley. The group chose Schuyler to be the negotiator with the Lenape and Bayard to negotiate with the

East Jersey The Province of East Jersey, along with the Province of West Jersey, between 1674 and 1702 in accordance with the Quintipartite Deed, were two distinct political divisions of the Province of New Jersey, which became the U.S. state of New Jersey. ...

Company, the owner of the land rights from the

King of England The monarchy of the United Kingdom, commonly referred to as the British monarchy, is the form of government used by the United Kingdom by which a hereditary monarch reigns as the head of state, with their powers Constitutional monarchy, regula ...

. The group completed their purchase of on November 11, 1695, and the area became part of what was then known as New Barbadoes Township in

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.History of Wayne
, Wayne Township Historical Commission. Accessed January 16, 2012. "Samual Bayard was chosen to deal with the East Jersey Company who had the land rights from the King of England. Approximately 5,000 acres were purchased for 250 pounds and wampum (shells the size and shape of a cigarette used for barter). The purchase of the land was concluded on November 11, 1695. The area now known as Wayne Township then became part of New Barbadoes in Essex County.... Over the years Wayne has had nationally known individuals as residents: namely Albert Payson Terhune, the famous writer of collie dog books; Cecil DeMille, the movie mogul; and LeGrand Parish, the inventor of the Westinghouse air brake, a coupling device, and fire brick boxes." Schuyler constructed the Schuyler-Colfax House at this time. In 1710, the area became part of Saddle River Township. During the Revolutionary War, General

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 ...

made his headquarters at the Dey Mansion, first in July 1780, and again in October and November 1780.

Alexander Hamilton Alexander Hamilton (January 11, 1755 or 1757July 12, 1804) was an American military officer, statesman, and Founding Fathers of the United States, Founding Father who served as the first U.S. secretary of the treasury from 1789 to 1795 dur ...

, Washington's aide-de-camp, stayed at the house with him. Troops and generals were spread throughout the area during encampments, including the township's namesake

Anthony Wayne Anthony Wayne (January 1, 1745 – December 15, 1796) was an American soldier, officer, statesman, and a Founding Father of the United States. He adopted a military career at the outset of the American Revolutionary War, where his military expl ...

and the

Marquis de Lafayette Marie-Joseph Paul Yves Roch Gilbert du Motier de La Fayette, Marquis de La Fayette (; 6 September 1757 – 20 May 1834), known in the United States as Lafayette (), was a French military officer and politician who volunteered to join the Conti ...

, who made his headquarters at the nearby Van Saun House. Near the end of the war, Arent Schuyler's granddaughter Hester Schuyler married William Colfax, a member of Washington's Life Guard, and they lived together at the Schuyler-Colfax House. In 1837,

was formed from portions of Bergen County, and the area became part of the new Manchester Township. On April 12, 1847, the first township organization meeting was held, and the citizens voted to split from Manchester and named the new municipality Wayne. Throughout the 18th and 19th centuries Wayne remained predominantly agricultural, with some industry in the form of grist, saw, and cider mills, blacksmiths, and a Laflin & Rand gunpowder plant. Numerous farmsteads in the township employed

slaves Slavery is the ownership of a person as property, especially in regards to their labour. Slavery typically involves compulsory work, with the slave's location of work and residence dictated by the party that holds them in bondage. Enslavemen ...

until gradual abolition began in New Jersey in 1804; however, the practice continued in some instances under the veil of "apprenticeship" until the Thirteenth Amendment in 1865. In 1868, Milton H. Sanford, owner of the Preakness Stud, purchased a racehorse for $4,000, naming it

Preakness Preakness may refer to: * The Preakness or Preakness Stakes, an American flat thoroughbred horse race held in Baltimore, Maryland * Preakness (horse), an American thoroughbred racehorse from Preakness Stables * Preakness, New Jersey, a section of W ...

, after the Thoroughbred horse racing and breeding operation established by him in the Preakness section of Wayne. On the horse's maiden start, he was entered into the inaugural " Dinner Party Stakes" at the new

Pimlico Race Course Pimlico Race Course is a thoroughbred horse racetrack in Baltimore, Maryland, most famous for hosting the Preakness Stakes. Its name is derived from the 1660s when English settlers named the area where the facility currently stands in honor of O ...

Maryland Maryland ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic region of the United States. It borders the states of Virginia to its south, West Virginia to its west, Pennsylvania to its north, and Delaware to its east ...

, winning the race on October 25, 1870. In 1873, Pimlico ran its first race for three year-olds and named it the

Preakness Stakes The Preakness Stakes is an American thoroughbred horse race held annually on Armed Forces Day, the third Saturday in May at Pimlico Race Course in Baltimore, Maryland (except in 2026 when it will move to Laurel Park (race track), Laurel Park dur ...

, in honor of the first horse to win a race at the track. Today, the Preakness is the second race in the

Triple Crown of thoroughbred racing The Triple Crown of Thoroughbred Racing, often shortened to Triple Crown, is a series of horse racing, horse races for Thoroughbreds, often restricted to three-year-olds. Winning all three of these Thoroughbred racing, Thoroughbred horse races i ...

. The

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

ran through the southwestern part of Wayne, carrying produce to markets and coal from

Pennsylvania Pennsylvania, officially the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, is a U.S. state, state spanning the Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic, Northeastern United States, Northeastern, Appalachian, and Great Lakes region, Great Lakes regions o ...

. The canal was replaced by the railroad at the end of the 19th century. In the early 20th century Wayne grew as a vacation retreat for wealthy New Yorkers who came by train to stay in bungalows along the area's lakes.

New Jersey Route 23 Route 23 is a List of state highways in New Jersey, state highway in the northern part of New Jersey, United States. The route runs from Bloomfield Avenue (County Route 506 (New Jersey), County Route 506, CR 506) and Prospect Avenue ( ...

and U.S. Route 46 were constructed across the township during 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 ...

. During

World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

, summer bungalows were converted to year-round residences to accommodate people moving to Wayne to work in war-related industries. Following the war, Wayne suburbanized as farmlands were turned into housing developments, and

Interstate 80 Interstate 80 (I-80) is an east–west transcontinental freeway that crosses the United States from San Francisco, California, to Teaneck, New Jersey, in the New York metropolitan area. The highway was designated in 1956 as one of the ori ...

was built through the southern part of the township.

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 25.14 square miles (65.11 km²), including 23.72 square miles (61.44 km²) of land and 1.42 square miles (3.67 km²) of water (5.64%). Wayne shares its borders with 11 neighboring municipalities:

Haledon Haledon ( ) is a borough in Passaic County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey. As of the 2020 United States census, the borough's population was 9,052, an increase of 734 (+8.8%) from the 2010 census count of 8,318, which in turn reflected an i ...

, Little Falls,

North Haledon North Haledon (pronounced North HAIL-don) is a borough in Passaic County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey. As of the 2020 United States census, the borough's population was 8,927, an increase of 510 (+6.1%) from the 2010 census count of 8,417 ...

, Pompton Lakes and Totowa in Passaic County; Franklin Lakes 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.Fairfield Township and North Caldwell in Essex County; and

Lincoln Park Lincoln Park is a park along Lake Michigan on the North Side of Chicago, Illinois. Named after US president Abraham Lincoln, it is the city's largest public park and stretches for from Grand Avenue (500 N), on the south, to near Ardmore Avenu ...

and Pequannock Township in Morris County.

Neighborhoods and lake communities

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 Barbours Mills, Barbours Pond, Lower Preakness, Mountain View, Packanack Lake, Pines Lake, Point View, Pompton Falls,

and Two Bridges. Wayne has a number of lakes, with distinct communities and neighborhoods located around them. These include Packanack Lake, Pines Lake, Lions Head Lake, Tom's Lake and Pompton Lake (half of which is in Wayne). 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 ...

also flows through a portion of Wayne and often floods near Willowbrook Mall and riverside neighborhoods.

Climate

Demographics

2020 census

2010 census

The 2010 United States census counted 54,717 people, 19,127 households, and 14,230 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 . There were 19,768 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup was 86.07% (47,097)

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 ...

, 2.28% (1,247) Black or African American, 0.09% (51) Native American, 8.18% (4,478) Asian, 0.02% (11)

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 ...

, 1.80% (985) from other races, and 1.55% (848) from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 7.92% (4,335) of the population. Of the 19,127 households, 33.0% had children under the age of 18; 62.9% were married couples living together; 8.6% had a female householder with no husband present and 25.6% were non-families. Of all households, 22.2% were made up of individuals and 12.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.71 and the average family size was 3.21. 22.0% of the population were under the age of 18, 10.3% from 18 to 24, 21.1% from 25 to 44, 29.6% from 45 to 64, and 17.0% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 42.8 years. For every 100 females, the population had 91.9 males. For every 100 females ages 18 and older there were 88.4 males. The Census Bureau's 2006–2010

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

showed that (in 2010 inflation-adjusted dollars)

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

was $100,638 (with a margin of error of +/− $3,630) and the median family income was $117,745 (+/− $5,252). Males had a median income of $80,420 (+/− $5,367) versus $54,413 (+/− $2,379) for females. The per capita income for the township was $40,875 (+/− $1,473). About 2.2% of families and 3.6% of the population were below the poverty line, including 2.9% of those under age 18 and 6.6% of those age 65 or over.

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 105 households in 2010, an increase from the 75 counted in 2000. While Wayne has been and remains predominantly White, it has increased in diversity over the years. From 2000 to 2010, the percentage of every minority group has gone up. Some of the prevalent ethnic minority groups include

Indian Americans Indian Americans are Americans whose ancestry originates wholly or partly from India. The terms Asian Indian and East Indian are used to avoid confusion with Native Americans in the United States, who are also referred to as "Indians" or "Am ...

at 3.0% and

Korean Americans Korean Americans () are Americans of full or partial Korean ethnicity, Korean ethnic descent. While the broader term Overseas Korean in America () may refer to all ethnic Koreans residing in the United States, the specific designation of Kore ...

at 2.0%, while Puerto Ricans were 2.3% of the population.

2000 census

As of the 2000 United States census, there were 54,069 people, 18,755 households, and 14,366 families residing in the township. The population density was 2,269.5/mi² (876.4/km²). There were 19,218 housing units at an average density of 806.7/mi² (806.7/km²). The racial makeup of the township was 90.05%

, 1.66%

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 ...

, 0.10% Native American, 5.67% Asian, 0.02%

, 1.17% from other races, and 1.34% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 5.09% of the population.Census 2000 Profiles of Demographic / Social / Economic / Housing Characteristics for Wayne township, Passaic County, 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 Wayne township, Passaic County, New Jersey
,

. Accessed August 29, 2012. There were 18,755 households, out of which 34.4% had related children under the age of 18 living with them, 66.4% were married couples living together, 7.6% had a female householder with no husband present, and 23.4% were non-families. 20.2% of all households 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 2.74 and the average family size was 3.19. In the township the age distribution of the population shows 23.2% under the age of 18, 8.1% from 18 to 24, 27.6% from 25 to 44, 24.9% from 45 to 64, and 16.2% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 40 years. For every 100 females, there were 90.6 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 87.4 males. The median income for a household in the township was $83,651, and the median income for a family was $95,114. Males had a median income of $61,271 versus $39,835 for females. The per capita income for the township was $35,349. About 1.6% of families and 2.8% of the population were below the poverty line, including 2.1% of those under age 18 and 4.8% of those age 65 or over.

Economy

Wayne was home to the

Toys "R" Us Toys "R" Us is an American toy, clothing, and baby product retailer owned by Tru Kids (doing business as Tru Kids Brands) and various others. The company was founded in 1948 in Washington, D.C.; its first store was built in April 1948, with i ...

United States corporate headquarters, before it filed for Chaper 11 bankruptcy in September 2017 and ceased to operate as an independent, publicly-traded firm. Brands associated with the former toy-retailer firm were acquired by Tru Kids. The former Toys "R" Us headquarters at One Geoffrey Way is now home to medical device manufacturer

Getinge Getinge is a locality situated in Halmstad Municipality, Halland County, Sweden, with 1,843 inhabitants in 2010. Economy Getinge Group had its headquarters in the village until 2014. History The local assembly, the Hallandic thing Thing or Th ...

, housing their United States sales, service and training operations. Wayne continues to host the headquarters of the Valley Bank (formerly Valley National Bank) corporate headquarters.

JVC JVC (short for Japan Victor Company) is a Japanese brand owned by JVCKenwood. Founded in 1927 as the Victor Talking Machine Company of Japan and later as , the company was best known for introducing Japan's first televisions and for developin ...

has their US office in Wayne and employ approximately 19,040. Willowbrook Mall is a two-level indoor shopping mall in the township, the fourth-largest mall in the state, featuring 200 retail establishments and a

gross leasable area In architecture, construction, and real estate, floor area, floor space, or floorspace is the area (measured in square metres or square feet) taken up by a building or part of it. The ways of defining "floor area" depend on what factors of the bui ...

of . The Willowbrook Mall went through a renovation in 2018–19 that added new flooring, lighting, seating and a few new restaurants. Sears was closed and a Sears Tire Center was demolished; a 12-screen state-of-the-art Cinemark movie theater was built in its place. Adjacent to it is the Wayne Towne Center regional shopping center, which features a movie theater under the AMC brand.

Sports

Wayne is the home of the

1970 Little League World Series The 1970 Little League World Series took place between August 25 and August 29 in South Williamsport, Pennsylvania. The American Little League of Wayne, New Jersey, defeated the Campbell Little League of Campbell, California, in the championship ...

Champions. The

, a race in the

Triple Crown of Thoroughbred Racing The Triple Crown of Thoroughbred Racing, often shortened to Triple Crown, is a series of horse racing, horse races for Thoroughbreds, often restricted to three-year-olds. Winning all three of these Thoroughbred racing, Thoroughbred horse races i ...

, was named after a race horse from Wayne's Preakness Stud, who won the Dinner-Stakes race at the

Baltimore Baltimore is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Maryland. With a population of 585,708 at the 2020 census and estimated at 568,271 in 2024, it is the 30th-most populous U.S. city. The Baltimore metropolitan area is the 20th-large ...

, Maryland, sponsored by the Maryland Jockey Club on October 25, 1870. Wayne is home to the Ice Vault ice rink, where world-class figure skaters such as

Johnny Weir John Garvin Weir (; born July 2, 1984) is an American television commentator and retired figure skater. He is a two-time Olympian (2006 Winter Olympics, 2006 and 2010 Winter Olympics), the 2008 World Figure Skating Championships, 2008 World ...

and

Stéphane Lambiel Stéphane Lambiel (born 2 April 1985) is a Swiss former competitive figure skater who now works as a coach and choreographer. He is a two-time (2005–2006) World champion, the 2006 Olympic silver medalist, a two-time (2005, 2007) Grand Prix ...

train and 1992 Olympic

figure skating Figure skating is a sport in which individuals, pairs, or groups perform on figure skates on ice. It was the first winter sport to be included in the Olympic Games, with its introduction occurring at the Figure skating at the 1908 Summer Olympi ...

gold medalist Viktor Petrenko coaches. The rink is also home to hockey teams such as the New Jersey Bandits, the New Jersey Hitmen and the

ice hockey team. Noted golf course architect Willie Tucker designed the Preakness Hills Country Club in Wayne. Formed as a club in 1926, the golf course was completed in 1929.Club History
, Preakness Hills Country Club. Accessed May 25, 2020. "Plans for the Preakness Hills course were drawn up in 1926. The full 18-hole course opened in April 1929, and played to a par of 72 at 6,400 yards."

Government

Local government

Wayne is governed under the Mayor-Council plan F system of municipal government under the Faulkner Act, as implemented on January 1, 1962, by direct petition. 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 township council. The mayor is elected directly by the voters to serve a four-year term. The township council, which forms the legislative branch of the township government, is comprised of nine members elected to four-year terms of office, of which three council 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 ...

and one member is elected from each of six wards. All members of the governing body are chosen on a partisan basis as part of the November general election in odd-numbered years, with the six ward seats up for election together, and two years later, the three at-large seats and the mayoral seat all up for vote.''2005 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. , Wayne's mayor is Republican Christopher P. Vergano, whose term of office ends December 31, 2025.Office of the Mayor
, Township of Wayne. Accessed January 28, 2018. Members of the township council are Council President Franco Mazzei (R, 2023; Ward 3), Jason J. DeStefano (R, 2025; at-large), Jonathan Ettman (R, 2023; Ward 6), Richard Jasterzbski (R, 2023; Ward 1), Francine Ritter ( D, 2023; Ward 5), Al Sadowski (R, 2023; Ward 2), Jill M. Sasso (R, 2025; at-large), Joseph Scuralli (R, 2023; Ward 4), and David Varano (R, 2025; at-large).Township Council
, Township of Wayne. Accessed May 1, 2022. "On January 1, 1962, Wayne Township adopted the Mayor-Council Plan of the Optional Municipal Charter Law of New Jersey commonly known as the Faulkner Act.... The Mayor-Council Plan of the Faulkner Act is a 'strong mayor' form of government. A nine-member Council forms the Legislative Branch of the township government. One Council member is elected from each of the six wards and three are elected at-large each with a term of four years."''Passaic County 2021 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,

, updated as of April 2021. Accessed May 1, 2022.2021 General Election November 2, 2021 Official Results
, Passaic County, New Jersey, updated November 18, 2021. Accessed January 1, 2022.General Election November 5, 2019 Summary Report Passaic County Official Results

, updated November 18, 2019. Accessed January 1, 2020. Ritter's win in 2019, defeating then-incumbent Lucy "Aileen" Rivera, was the first time local voters elected any Democrats since Christopher McIntyre got defeated by Rivera in 2015; before McIntyre won in 1995, there had not been any Democrats on the council in at least 20 years. In 2018, the township had an average property tax bill of $12,559, the highest in the county, compared to an average bill of $8,767 statewide.

Emergency services

The Township's Police Department consists of 126 sworn officers and is led by Chief Joseph Rooney. The Wayne Fire Department is comprised of five volunteer companies, consisting of a total of eleven pumpers, three aerial towers/ladders, one brush pumper, one squad truck, multiple boats, one rescue truck, and one Special Emergency Response Team vehicle. The Wayne Township Memorial First Aid Squad provides round the clock volunteer emergency medical services to the residents of Wayne, utilizing six ambulances, a mass casualty bus, a heavy rescue vehicle and boats, and operates out of 2 stations located in the township.

Federal, state, and county representation

Wayne is located in the 9th and 11th Congressional Districts 2022 Redistricting Plan
,

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 8, 2022. and is part of New Jersey's 40th 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. Prior to the 2010 Census, Wayne had been part of the , a change made by the

that took effect in January 2013, based on the results of the November 2012 general elections.''2011 New Jersey Citizen's Guide to Government''
, p. 66, New Jersey

. Accessed May 22, 2015.

Politics

As of March 2011, there were a total of 35,661 registered voters in Wayne, of which 8,538 (23.9% vs. 31.0% countywide) were registered as Democrats, 11,180 (31.4% vs. 18.7%) 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 15,933 (44.7% vs. 50.3%) were registered as Unaffiliated. There were 10 voters registered to other parties.Voter Registration Summary - Passaic
,

Division of Elections, March 23, 2011. Accessed January 16, 2013. Among the township's 2010 Census population, 65.2% (vs. 53.2% in Passaic County) were registered to vote, including 83.5% of those ages 18 and over (vs. 70.8% 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 54.8% of the vote (13,983 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 44.2% (11,283 votes), and other candidates with 1.0% (243 votes), among the 25,709 ballots cast by the township's 37,431 registered voters (200 ballots were spoiled), for a turnout of 68.7%. 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 14,803 votes (53.9% vs. 37.7% countywide), ahead of Democrat Barack Obama with 11,853 votes (43.1% vs. 58.8%) and other candidates with 265 votes (1.0% vs. 0.8%), among the 27,486 ballots cast by the township's 36,386 registered voters, for a turnout of 75.5% (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 15,013 votes (54.9% 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 11,582 votes (42.4% vs. 53.9%) and other candidates with 190 votes (0.7% vs. 0.7%), among the 27,331 ballots cast by the township's 35,463 registered voters, for a turnout of 77.1% (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 66.2% of the vote (10,824 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 32.8% (5,364 votes), and other candidates with 1.0% (168 votes), among the 16,595 ballots cast by the township's 37,825 registered voters (239 ballots were spoiled), for a turnout of 43.9%. In the 2009 gubernatorial election, Republican Chris Christie received 10,246 votes (57.1% 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 6,623 votes (36.9% vs. 50.8%), 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 769 votes (4.3% vs. 3.8%) and other candidates with 101 votes (0.6% vs. 0.9%), among the 17,930 ballots cast by the township's 35,321 registered voters, yielding a 50.8% turnout (vs. 42.7% in the county). It is the only polity outside of the country of

Georgia Georgia most commonly refers to: * Georgia (country), a country in the South Caucasus * Georgia (U.S. state), a state in the southeastern United States Georgia may also refer to: People and fictional characters * Georgia (name), a list of pe ...

to officially recognize the

Circassian genocide The Circassian genocide, or Tsitsekun, was the systematic mass killing, ethnic cleansing, and forced displacement of between 95% and 97% of the Circassian people during the final stages of the Russian invasion of Circassia in the 19th centur ...

Education

Public schools

The Wayne Public Schools serves 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 ...

. As of the 2022–23 school year, the district, comprised of 15 schools, had an enrollment of 7,746 students and 677.0 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 11.4:1.District information for Wayne Township Public 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 Preakness Early Childhood Center (198 students; in PreK), Randall Carter Elementary School (309; K–5), Theunis Dey Elementary School (435; K–5), James Fallon Elementary School (373; K–5), John F. Kennedy Elementary School (377; K–5), Lafayette Elementary School (311; K–5), Packanack Elementary School (406; K–5), Pines Lake Elementary School (387; K–5), Ryerson Elementary School (237; K–5), Albert P. Terhune Elementary School (373; K–5), Schuyler-Colfax Middle School (621; 6–8), George Washington Middle School (508; 6–8), Anthony Wayne Middle School (665; 6–8), Wayne Hills High School (1,182; 9-12 - serving students living on and north of Ratzer Road) and Wayne Valley High School (1,241; 9–12 - serving students living south of Ratzer Road).

Passaic County Technical Institute Passaic County Technical Institute (also known as PCTI, Passaic County Tech, Wayne Tech or simply Tech), is a vocational public high school in Wayne, that serves students in ninth through twelfth grades from all of Passaic County, in the U.S. ...

is a regional vocational public high school that serves students from Passaic County. In 2018 PCTI inaugurated a new building specifically for STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Math).

Private schools

Saint Elizabeth Ann Seton Academy Catholic School and DePaul Catholic High School serve students in grades 9–12, both 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 ...

. Immaculate Heart of Mary Catholic School, which had opened in 1959 for students in grades K–8 and had been recognized in 2007 by the

National Blue Ribbon Schools Program The National Blue Ribbon Schools Program is a United States Department of Education award program that recognizes exemplary public and non-public schools on a yearly basis. Using standards of excellence evidenced by student achievement measures, ...

, closed at the end of the 2023–24 school year due to dropping enrollment and fiscal deficits. Al-Ghazaly High School, an Islamic high school for students in seventh through

s, opened at a new facility in Wayne in September 2013, relocating from a site in Teaneck, where the school had been based since 1984.

Pioneer Academy Pioneer Academy is an independent college-preparatory school for PK-12 grades located in Wayne, in Passaic County, New Jersey, United States. The Pioneer Academy curriculum focuses on studies of science, mathematics, cultural studies, and lang ...

, a private school, is a regionally accredited independent school that serves grades K–12.

Post-secondary education

, founded in 1855, has over 11,500 students in its undergraduate and graduate programs. Passaic County Community College's Public Safety Academy (PSA) on Oldham Road offers training and facilities for fire fighting and emergency medical personnel. Adjacent to it is the Passaic County Police Academy, where police recruits and alternate route candidates are given basic police training.

Transportation

Roads and highways

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

. Wayne is crisscrossed by several major roadways, including

, U.S. Route 46,

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 ...

, Route 23, County Route 502, and County Route 504.

Public transportation

Wayne is served by

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 ...

at the Mountain View and Wayne Route 23 stations, offering service 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 ...

, with connections to

Midtown Direct The Kearny Connection is a railroad junction in Kearny, New Jersey that allows passenger trains from New Jersey Transit's Morris and Essex Lines to enter/leave Amtrak's Northeast Corridor (NEC) and travel to and from New York Penn Station. Th ...

trains 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 ...

on the Montclair-Boonton Line. Wayne-Route 23 station opened in January 2008 and offers train service via the Montclair-Boonton Line. There is regular bus service into 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 ...

on the

194 Year 194 ( CXCIV) was a common year starting on Tuesday of the Julian calendar. At the time, it was known as the Year of the Consulship of Septimius and Septimius (or, less frequently, year 947 ''Ab urbe condita''). The denomination 194 for thi ...

Newfoundland-New York route and the

198 __NOTOC__ Year 198 (CXCVIII) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Julian calendar. At the time, it was known as the Year of the Consulship of Sergius and Gallus (or, less frequently, year 951 ''Ab urbe condita''). The denomination 198 fo ...

William Paterson University-New York route on weekends, with local service on the 748 Paterson-Willowbrook route (except Sunday). NJ Transit provides bus service to and from the Port Authority Bus Terminal in Midtown Manhattan on the 191,

193 Year 193 ( CXCIII) was a common year starting on Monday of the Julian calendar. At the time, it was known as the Year of the Consulship of Sosius and Ericius (or, less frequently, year 946 ''Ab urbe condita''). The denomination 193 for this ye ...

, 194,

195 Year 195 ( CXCV) was a common year starting on Wednesday of the Julian calendar. At the time, it was known in Rome as the Year of the Consulship of Scrapula and Clemens (or, less frequently, year 948 ''Ab urbe condita''). The denomination 195 f ...

and

324 __NOTOC__ Year 324 ( CCCXXIV) was a leap year starting on Wednesday in the Julian calendar. At the time, it was known as the Year of the Consulship of Crispus and Constantinus (or, less frequently, year 1077 ''Ab urbe condita''). The denominati ...

; to Newark on the 11 and 28 (Saturday and Sunday only) routes, with local service provided on the 873, 704, 705,

712 __NOTOC__ Year 712 ( DCCXII) was a leap year starting on Friday of the Julian calendar, the 712th year of the Common Era (CE) and Anno Domini (AD) designations, the 712th year of the 1st millennium, the 12th year of the 8th century, and the 3r ...

, 744, and 748 routes. In September 2012, as part of budget cuts, NJ Transit suspended service to Newark on the 75 line. Wayne is from

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 ...

in Newark /

Elizabeth Elizabeth or Elisabeth may refer to: People * Elizabeth (given name), a female given name (including people with that name) * Empress Elisabeth (disambiguation), lists various empresses named ''Elisabeth'' or ''Elizabeth'' * Princess Elizabeth ...

, and from

LaGuardia Airport LaGuardia Airport ( ) – colloquially known as LaGuardia or simply LGA – is a civil airport in East Elmhurst, Queens, East Elmhurst, Queens, New York City, situated on the North Shore (Long Island), northwestern shore of Long Island, bord ...

Flushing, Queens Flushing is a neighborhood in the north-central portion of the New York City Borough (New York City), borough of Queens. The neighborhood is the fourth-largest central business district in New York City. Downtown Flushing is a major commercial ...

In popular culture

The

indie rock Indie rock is a Music subgenre, subgenre of rock music that originated in the United Kingdom, United States and New Zealand in the early to mid-1980s. Although the term was originally used to describe rock music released through independent reco ...

band

Fountains of Wayne Fountains of Wayne is an American Rock music, rock band that formed in New York City in 1995. The band included founding members Chris Collingwood, Adam Schlesinger, Jody Porter, and Brian Young (drummer), Brian Young. They released six album ...

took their name from a lawn ornament store that was located in the township on the westbound side of U.S. Route 46, though no members of the band are from the town. The store is now out of business. The same store was featured in an episode of

HBO Home Box Office (HBO) is an American pay television service, which is the flagship property of namesake parent-subsidiary Home Box Office, Inc., itself a unit owned by Warner Bros. Discovery. The overall Home Box Office business unit is based a ...

's ''

The Sopranos ''The Sopranos'' is an American Crime film#Crime drama, crime drama television series created by David Chase. The series follows Tony Soprano (James Gandolfini), a New Jersey American Mafia, Mafia boss who suffers from panic attacks. He reluct ...

'', along with several other locations in Wayne. In a Hans and Franz sketch from ''

Saturday Night Live ''Saturday Night Live'' (''SNL'') is an American Late night television in the United States, late-night live television, live sketch comedy variety show created by Lorne Michaels and developed by Michaels and Dick Ebersol that airs on NBC. The ...

'', the pair says they are opening up a gym in Wayne. The town is mentioned in the song "Jimmy Mushrooms' Last Drink: Bedtime in Wayne, NJ" by Will Wood and the Tapeworms Evergreen trees from Wayne have been selected to serve as the

Rockefeller Center Rockefeller Center is a complex of 19 commerce, commercial buildings covering between 48th Street (Manhattan), 48th Street and 51st Street (Manhattan), 51st Street in the Midtown Manhattan neighborhood of New York City. The 14 original Art De ...

Christmas tree A Christmas tree is a decorated tree, usually an evergreen pinophyta, conifer, such as a spruce, pine or fir, associated with the celebration of Christmas. It may also consist of an artificial tree of similar appearance. The custom was deve ...

in New York City in 1998, 2001, 2005 and 2006. The 2005 tree, a

Norway Spruce ''Picea abies'', the Norway spruce or European spruce, is a species of spruce native to Northern, Central and Eastern Europe. It has branchlets that typically hang downwards, and the largest cones of any spruce, 9–17 cm long. It is very clo ...

that stood tall and weighed , with a spread of wide, was one of the largest trees ever installed at Rockefeller Center.

Notable people

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

David Ackroyd David Ackroyd (born May 30, 1940) is an American actor, who first came to prominence in soap operas such as ''The Secret Storm'' and ''Another World (TV series), Another World''. Early life On May 30, 1940, Ackroyd was born in East Orange, N ...

(born 1940), actor, who first came to prominence in

soap opera A soap opera (also called a daytime drama or soap) is a genre of a long-running radio or television Serial (radio and television), serial, frequently characterized by melodrama, ensemble casts, and sentimentality. The term ''soap opera'' originat ...

s such as ''

The Secret Storm ''The Secret Storm'' is an American television soap opera that aired on CBS from February 1, 1954, to February 8, 1974. It was created by Roy Winsor, who also created the long-running soap operas '' Search for Tomorrow'' and '' Love of Life''. ...

'' and '' Another World'' * Marina Alex (born 1990), professional golfer *

Ann Althouse Ann Althouse (born January 12, 1951) is an American law professor and blogger. Early life and education Althouse was raised in Newark and Wilmington, Delaware (and later as a teen in Wayne, New Jersey). She obtained a Bachelor of Fine Arts from ...

(born 1951), law professor and blogger * Joseph Brain (born 1940), physiologist and environmental health researcher * Bill Brennan, former firefighter, lawyer, gadfly and activist * Joseph Bubba (born 1938), politician who served for five terms in the

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

, from 1982 to 1998 *

Jonathan Cahn Jonathan David Cahn (born 1959) is an American Messianic rabbi, author, and novelist known for his debut novel ''The Harbinger''. He is the founder and leader of the Beth Israel Worship Center in Wayne, New Jersey. His ministry weaves together co ...

(born 1959),

Messianic Jewish Messianic Judaism is a syncretic Abrahamic religious sect that combines Christian theology with select elements of Judaism. It considers itself to be a form of Judaism but is generally considered to be a form of Christianity, including by al ...

minister of the Beth Israel Worship Center * Peter Cammarano (born 1977), 37th Mayor of

Hoboken, New Jersey Hoboken ( ; ) is a City (New Jersey), city in Hudson County, New Jersey, Hudson County in the U.S. state of New Jersey. Hoboken is part of the New York metropolitan area and is the site of Hoboken Terminal, a major transportation hub. As of the ...

, serving from July 1 until July 31, 2009, resigning shortly after his arrest in the conspiracy probe known as Operation Bid Rig * Chris Carter (born 1959), founding member and bass player of the alternative rock band

Dramarama Dramarama is an American, New Jersey–based alternative rock/power pop band, who later moved to Los Angeles. The band was formed in New Jersey in 1982 and disbanded in 1994. The band formally reunited in 2003 following an appearance on VH1's ' ...

Boehm, Mike
"O.C. Pop Music Review Dramarama's in Crisis Mode, but Who Can Tell? Coach House performances, which may have been the veteran band's last shows, are intense."
''

Los Angeles Times The ''Los Angeles Times'' is an American Newspaper#Daily, daily newspaper that began publishing in Los Angeles, California, in 1881. Based in the Greater Los Angeles city of El Segundo, California, El Segundo since 2018, it is the List of new ...

'', January 10, 1994. Accessed December 27, 2023, via

Newspapers.com Ancestry.com LLC is an American genealogy company based in Lehi, Utah. The largest for-profit genealogy company in the world, it operates a network of genealogical, historical records, and related genetic genealogy websites. It is owned by The ...

. "Should he stick with old buddies (everyone in Dramarama except drummer Clem Burke grew up together in Wayne, N.J.) or, in this era in which packaging can matter more than substance, should he opt for a gleaming new box labeled with those market-friendly words, 'new and improved?'" * Mike Chlasciak (born 1971), guitarist for heavy metal band Halford *

Jay Della Valle Jay Della Valle (born August 19, 1979) best known for his documentary '' The Glorious Mustache Challenge'', and for his role as Sue in the Independent Feature Film, " Mount Joy"- is an American filmmaker, recording artist, singer and songwriter. ...

(born 1979), filmmaker, singer and songwriter *

Cecil B. DeMille Cecil Blount DeMille (; August 12, 1881January 21, 1959) was an American filmmaker and actor. Between 1914 and 1958, he made 70 features, both silent and sound films. He is acknowledged as a founding father of American cinema and the most co ...

(1881–1959), film director, producer ( ''The Ten Commandments'') * Nickolette Driesse (born 1994),

soccer Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a team sport played between two teams of 11 Football player, players who almost exclusively use their feet to propel a Ball (association football), ball around a rectangular f ...

midfielder In the sport of association football, a midfielder takes an Glossary of association football terms#O, outfield position primarily in the middle of the pitch. Midfielders may play an exclusively defensive role, breaking up attacks, and are in t ...

who plays for

Orlando Pride The Orlando Pride are an American professional Association football, soccer team based in Orlando, Florida, that competes in the National Women's Soccer League (NWSL). The Pride began play in the 2016 National Women's Soccer League season, 2016 ...

National Women's Soccer League The National Women's Soccer League (NWSL) is a women's professional Association football, soccer league and the highest level of the United States soccer league system#Women's leagues, United States soccer league system (alongside the USL Supe ...

Lou Duva Louis Duva (May 28, 1922 – March 8, 2017) was an American boxing trainer, manager and boxing promoter who handled nineteen world champions. The Duva family promoted boxing events in over twenty countries on six continents. Duva was inducted in ...

(1922–2017), Hall of Fame

boxing Boxing is a combat sport and martial art. Taking place in a boxing ring, it involves two people – usually wearing protective equipment, such as boxing glove, protective gloves, hand wraps, and mouthguards – throwing Punch (combat), punch ...

trainer and manager * John Easdale (born 1961), lead singer and songwriter for the alternative rock band Dramarama *

Lisa Edelstein Lisa Edelstein ( ; born May 21, 1966) is an American actress and artist. She is known for playing Dr. Lisa Cuddy on the Fox medical drama series ''House'' (2004–2011). Between 2014 and 2018, Edelstein starred as Abby McCarthy in the Bravo s ...

(born 1966), American actress known for her role as Dr. Lisa Cuddy on the television drama ''

House A house is a single-unit residential building. It may range in complexity from a rudimentary hut to a complex structure of wood, masonry, concrete or other material, outfitted with plumbing, electrical, and heating, ventilation, and air c ...

''. Currently stars in the television show ''

Girlfriends' Guide to Divorce ''Girlfriends' Guide to Divorce'' (also known as ''Girlfriends' Guide to Freedom'' in season 3, ''Girlfriends' Guide to Bossing Up'' in season 4, and ''Girlfriends' Guide to Ever After'' in season 5) is an American comedy-drama television series ...

'' * Theodore Ellenis, keyboard player for the alternative rock band Dramarama * Mark Englert, guitarist for the alternative rock band Dramarama * Lou Esa (born 1952), former professional heavyweight boxer * Jesse Farbman, drummer for the alternative rock band Dramarama * Jazmine Fenlator (born 1985), bobsledder who was one of three pilots of the U.S. Olympic Bobsled team for the

2014 Winter Olympics The 2014 Winter Olympics, officially called the XXII Olympic Winter Games () and commonly known as Sochi 2014 (), were an international winter multi-sport event that was held from 7 to 23 February 2014 in Sochi, Russia. Opening ro ...

Sochi Sochi ( rus, Сочи, p=ˈsotɕɪ, a=Ru-Сочи.ogg, from – ''seaside'') is the largest Resort town, resort city in Russia. The city is situated on the Sochi (river), Sochi River, along the Black Sea in the North Caucasus of Souther ...

* John A. Ferraro (1946–2010), actor, television director and stage director *

Alice Guy-Blaché Alice Ida Antoinette Guy-Blaché ( Guy; ; 1 July 1873 – 24 March 1968) was a French pioneer film director. She was one of the first filmmakers to make a Narrative film, narrative fiction film, as well as the first woman to direct a film. From ...

(1873–1968), French pioneer, first female filmmaker *

Paulie Harraka Paul Peter Harraka (born September 15, 1989) is an American former professional stock car racing driver and entrepreneur. He is a graduate of Duke University and a former representative of NASCAR's Drive for Diversity program. Personal life Harr ...

(born 1989),

stock car racing Stock car racing is a form of Auto racing, automobile racing run on oval track racing, oval tracks and road courses. It originally used Production vehicle, production-model cars, hence the name "stock car", but is now run using cars specifical ...

driver * Daniel Im (born 1985), professional golfer *

Brandon Jacobs Brandon Christopher Jacobs (born July 6, 1982) is an American former professional football player who was a running back in the National Football League (NFL), primarily with the New York Giants. He played college football for the Auburn Tig ...

(born 1982), running back who played 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 ...

* Jack A. James Jr. (born 1968),

United States Army The United States Army (USA) is the primary Land warfare, land service branch of the United States Department of Defense. It is designated as the Army of the United States in the United States Constitution.Article II, section 2, clause 1 of th ...

major general * Vyto Kab (born 1959),

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 ...

tight end The tight end (TE) is an offense (sports), offensive position in American football, arena football, and Canadian football. It is a hybrid that combines the characteristics and roles of both an offensive lineman and a receiver (football), receiv ...

who played in the NFL for the

Philadelphia Eagles The Philadelphia Eagles are a professional American football team based in Philadelphia. The Eagles compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC East, East division. The team plays its ...

Detroit Lions The Detroit Lions are a professional American football team based in Detroit. The Lions compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC North, North division. The team plays their home game ...

and

* Nicholas Kaloukian (born 2003), professional

football Football is a family of team sports that involve, to varying degrees, kick (football), kicking a football (ball), ball to score a goal (sports), goal. Unqualified, football (word), the word ''football'' generally means the form of football t ...

player who plays as a forward for

Armenian Premier League The Armenian Premier League (, known as the Armenian Fastex Premier League for sponsorship reasons) is the top association football, football competition in Armenia. From 1936 to 1991, the competition was held as a regional tournament within th ...

club

Urartu Urartu was an Iron Age kingdom centered around the Armenian highlands between Lake Van, Lake Urmia, and Lake Sevan. The territory of the ancient kingdom of Urartu extended over the modern frontiers of Turkey, Iran, Iraq, and Armenia.Kleiss, Wo ...

* Jonathan Lebed (born 1984), stock trader prosecuted by the SEC at age 15 for

stock manipulation In economics and finance, market manipulation occurs when someone intentionally alters the supply or demand of a security to influence its price. This can involve spreading misleading information, executing misleading trades, or manipulating ...

* Felicia Lee (born 1992), competition

swimmer Swimming is an individual or team racing sport that requires the use of one's entire body to move through water. The sport takes place in pools or open water (e.g., in a sea or lake). Competitive swimming is one of the most popular Olympic ...

who has been a member of the U.S. National Team * Barry Littlefield (1871–1936), thoroughbred racehorse trainer inducted into the

Canadian Horse Racing Hall of Fame The Canadian Horse Racing Hall of Fame was established in 1976 to honour those who have made a significant contribution to the sport of harness racing, harness and Thoroughbred racing, Thoroughbred horse racing in Canada. It is located at Woodbine ...

* Tom Longo (1942–2015),

defensive back In gridiron football, defensive backs (DBs), also called the secondary, are the players on the defensive side of the ball who play farthest back from the line of scrimmage. They are distinguished from the other two sets of defensive players, the ...

who played three seasons in the

National Football League The National Football League (NFL) is a Professional gridiron football, professional American football league in the United States. Composed of 32 teams, it is divided equally between the American Football Conference (AFC) and the National ...

with the

and

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 ...

* Ronny Machuga, drummer for the alternative rock band Dramarama *

Marc Maron Marc David Maron (born September 27, 1963) is an American stand-up comedian, podcaster, writer, actor, and musician. In the 1990s and 2000s, Maron was a frequent guest on the ''Late Show with David Letterman'' and appeared more than forty times ...

(born 1963), stand-up comedian, podcaster, writer and actor * Pellegrino Matarazzo (born 1977),

coach for

VFB Stuttgart Verein für Bewegungsspiele Stuttgart 1893 e. V. (), commonly known as VfB Stuttgart (), is a German professional sports club based in Stuttgart, Baden-Württemberg. The club's Association football, football team is currently part of Germany's f ...

in the

German German(s) may refer to: * Germany, the country of the Germans and German things **Germania (Roman era) * Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language ** For citizenship in Germany, see also Ge ...

Bundesliga The Bundesliga (; ), sometimes referred to as the Fußball-Bundesliga () or 1. Bundesliga (), is a professional association football league in Germany and the highest level of the German football league system. The Bundesliga comprises 18 teams ...

Gene Mayer Gene Mayer (born May 11, 1956) is a former tennis player from the United States who won 14 professional singles titles during his career. Mayer was born in Flushing, Queens Flushing is a neighborhood in the north-central portion of the Ne ...

(born 1956), former tennis player from the United States who won fourteen singles titles during his career. At Wayne Valley, he went unbeaten in his two years on the tennis team * Darryl "D.M.C." McDaniels (born 1964), American musician and

hip hop Hip-hop or hip hop (originally disco rap) is a popular music genre that emerged in the early 1970s from the African-American community of New York City. The style is characterized by its synthesis of a wide range of musical techniques. Hip- ...

artist ( Run-D.M.C.) * Bryan Miller (born 1983), retired professional ice hockey defenseman * Pete Muller, investment fund manager and quantitative trader who founded

PDT Partners PDT Partners (Process Driven Trading Partners) is a hedge fund company, led by quantitative trader Peter Muller, that was founded in 1993 as part of Morgan Stanley's trading division and spun off as an independent business in 2012. It has office ...

in 1993 as part of

Morgan Stanley Morgan Stanley is an American multinational investment bank and financial services company headquartered at 1585 Broadway in Midtown Manhattan, New York City. With offices in 42 countries and more than 80,000 employees, the firm's clients in ...

's trading division * Ryan Neill (born 1982),

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

and

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 ...

who played for the

Buffalo Bills The Buffalo Bills are a professional American football team based in the Buffalo–Niagara Falls metropolitan area. The Bills compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC East, East div ...

* Greg Olsen (born 1985), color commentator for Fox Sports Football broadcasts who played in the NFL as

for the

Carolina Panthers The Carolina Panthers are a professional American football team based in Charlotte, North Carolina. The Panthers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC South, South division. The t ...

* Jessielyn Palumbo (born 1992),

Miss New Jersey USA The Miss New Jersey USA competition is the pageant that selects the representative for the state of New Jersey in the Miss USA pageant. It is produced by D&D Productions. New Jersey has yet to win the Miss USA title, although from 1989 to 1991 ...

2016, competed at MISS USA 2016 on FOX * Chris Pantale (born 1990),

who played for the

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

Fensom, Michael J
"Jets Four Downs with Ryan Quigley: 'You can say we're like golfers'"
, ''

The Star-Ledger ''The Star-Ledger'' was the largest circulation newspaper in New Jersey. It is based in Newark, New Jersey. The newspaper ceased print publication on February 2, 2025, but continues to publish a digital edition. In 2007, ''The Star-Ledger''s ...

'', December 1, 2013. Accessed December 13, 2013. " You live with tight end Chris Pantale and his family in Wayne.... He found out Tuesday night. It was awesome. His family is so happy for him. His sister is in college so I use her room." * Sam Porcello (1935–2012),

food scientist Food science (or bromatology) is the basic science and applied science of food; its scope starts at overlap with agricultural science and nutritional science and leads through the scientific aspects of food safety and food processing, informing ...

who developed the

Oreo Oreo (; stylized in all caps) is an American brand of sandwich cookie consisting of two cocoa biscuits with a sweet fondant filling. Oreos were introduced in 1912 by Nabisco, and the brand has been owned by Mondelez International since its me ...

cookie filling *

Queen Latifah Dana Elaine Owens (born March 18, 1970), known professionally by her stage name Queen Latifah, is an American rapper, singer, and actress. She has received various accolades, including a Grammy Award, a Primetime Emmy Award, a Golden Globe ...

(born 1970), singer and actress * Storm Queen (stage name of Morgan Geist), DJ who released the single "

Look Right Through "Look Right Through" is a song by American record producer Storm Queen, vocals by Damon C. Scott. It was first released on 19 October 2010, with two remix packages released through Defected in February 2012. On 3 November 2013, Ministry of Sound ...

" which topped the charts in the UK and Ireland in 2013 * Ryan Quigley (born 1990), punter for the

* Norman M. Robertson (born 1951), Republican Party politician and attorney who served a single term in the

, from 1998 to 2002 * Robert A. Roe (1924–2014), former member of the

United States House of Representatives The United States House of Representatives is a chamber of the Bicameralism, bicameral United States Congress; it is the lower house, with the U.S. Senate being the upper house. Together, the House and Senate have the authority under Artic ...

who served as mayor of Wayne from 1956 to 1961 * Scott Rumana (born 1964), member of 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 ...

, former mayor of Wayne (2002–2007) and councilman * Francesca Russo (born 1995), fencer who represented Team USA at the

2020 Tokyo Summer Olympics The officially the and officially branded as were an international multi-sport event that was held from 23 July to 8 August 2021 in Tokyo, Japan, with some of the preliminary sporting events beginning on 21 July 2021. Tokyo ...

, competing as part of the Women's Sabre team *

Carl Sawatski Carl Ernest Sawatski (November 4, 1927 – November 24, 1991) was an American professional baseball player and executive. In the Major Leagues, he was a catcher for the Chicago Cubs (1948, 1950 and 1953), Chicago White Sox (1954), Milwaukee Brav ...

(1927–1991),

catcher Catcher is a position in baseball and softball. When a batter takes their turn to hit, the catcher crouches behind home plate, in front of the (home) umpire, and receives the ball from the pitcher. In addition to this primary duty, the catc ...

who played in Major League Baseball and was an influential figure as an executive in

Minor League Baseball Minor League Baseball (MiLB) is a professional baseball organization below Major League Baseball (MLB), constituted of teams affiliated with MLB clubs. It was founded on September 5, 1901, in response to the growing dominance of the National Le ...

* Cynthia Paige Simon (born 1970), visually impaired retired Paralympic judoka who competed in international level events * Danielle Staub (born 1962), cast member on ''

The Real Housewives of New Jersey ''The Real Housewives of New Jersey'', abbreviated ''RHONJ'', is an American reality television series that premiered on May 12, 2009, on Bravo. Developed as the fourth installment of ''The Real Housewives'' franchise, it has aired fourteen sea ...

'' * Major General

Guy C. Swan III Lieutenant general (United States), Lieutenant General Guy Carleton Swan III (born January 28, 1954) is a retired United States Army officer. His final assignment was Commanding General United States Army North at Fort Sam Houston, Texas. Swan g ...

(born 1954), commanding general of the United States Army North * Holly Taylor (born 1997), actress and dancer who performed in the Broadway production of ''Billy Elliot the Musical'' as Sharon Percy (Ballet Girl) and plays the role of Paige Jennings in the FX (TV channel), FX television series ''The Americans'' * Albert Payson Terhune (1872–1942), author, dog breeder * David Tyree (born 1980), wide receiver for the

and a 2005 Pro Bowl selection * Ryan Van Demark (born 1998),

offensive tackle for the

* Kathy Wakile (born 1965), cast member on ''

'' * Louise Currie Wilmot (born 1942), retired United States Navy rear admiral who was the first woman to command a United States Naval base and was the highest-ranking female Naval officer at the time of her retirement * Vikki Ziegler (born ), lawyer and author who was the focus of the reality television show ''Untying the Knot''Winters, Debra
"Former Wayne, current Little Falls resident helps couples ‘Untie the Knot’ on Bravo"
, ''The Record (North Jersey), The Record'', June 9, 2014, archived at VikkiZiegler.com. Accessed September 30, 2017. "The daughter of South African parents, Ziegler, 41, was born in New York City and relocated to Wayne in second grade. She lived in the Heritage Manor condominiums on Hamburg Turnpike before moving to the Pines Lake neighborhood."

References

External links

Wayne Township SiteWayne Family History
Wayne Historical Commission {{Authority control Wayne, New Jersey, 1847 establishments in New Jersey Faulkner Act (mayor–council) Populated places established in 1847 Townships in New Jersey Townships in Passaic County, New Jersey