Passaic County

Passaic County is an administrative region in northern New Jersey, stretching from the flat areas along the Passaic River to the wooded hills of the Highlands. Paterson, the largest city in the area, spreads along the river and gives way to smaller towns that gradually rise into the rolling terrain.

The area became a separate administrative unit on February 7, 1837, formed from portions of Bergen and Essex Counties. Paterson quickly grew into a center of the textile industry, where waterpower from the falls drove hundreds of looms.

The name Passaic derives from a Lenape word meaning valley or narrower stretch of river. In Paterson, red brick factory buildings from the 19th century define entire neighborhoods and now serve as museums, studios, and living spaces.

Paterson sits about 16 miles (26 kilometers) west of New York City and is easy to reach by regional train and highway. Most historical sites cluster along the river, while the northern and western parts are more residential and crisscrossed by smaller roads.

Hinchliffe Stadium in Paterson is one of just two remaining baseball venues from the Negro National League era of the 1930s and 1940s. The concrete grandstands are still visible, though the site has not hosted regular games for decades.

Location: New Jersey

Inception: February 7, 1837

Capital city: Paterson

Shares border with: Morris County, Essex County, Sussex County, Bergen County, Rockland County, Orange County

Website: https://passaiccountynj.org

GPS coordinates: 41.03000,-74.30000

Latest update: December 13, 2025 17:27