Wayne is a township in Passaic County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey. Home to William Paterson University and located less than from Midtown Manhattan, the township is a bedroom suburb of New York City and regional commercial hub of North Jersey.Lynn, Kathleen."Living In Wayne, N.J.: Good Schools, Water Views and Retail Vacancies" , The New York Times, August 8, 2018. Accessed August 25, 2022. 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.Table 7. Population for the Counties and Municipalities in New Jersey: 1990, 2000 and 2010 , New Jersey Department of Labor and Workforce Development, February 2011. Accessed May 1, 2023.
Wayne was formed as a township by an act of the New Jersey Legislature 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.Honeyman, Abraham Van Doren. Index-analysis of the Statutes of New Jersey, 1896–1909: Together with References to All Acts, and Parts of Acts, in the 'General Statutes' and Pamphlet Laws Expressly Repealed: and the Statutory Crimes of New Jersey During the Same Period, p. 312. New Jersey Law Journal Publishing Company, 1910. Accessed October 22, 2015. Points of interest include William Paterson University, Willowbrook Mall, Wayne Towne Center, High Mountain Park Preserve, and Dey Mansion.
History In 1694, Arent Schuyler, 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 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 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 Company, the owner of the land rights from the King of England. 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.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 made his headquarters at the Dey Mansion, first in July 1780, and again in October and November 1780. Alexander Hamilton, 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 and the Marquis de Lafayette, who made his headquarters at the nearby Van Saun House.Hutchinson, Viola L. The Origin of New Jersey Place Names , New Jersey Public Library Commission, May 1945. Accessed October 22, 2015.General Anthony Wayne , Township of Wayne. Accessed October 22, 2015. "Anthony Wayne – for whom Wayne Township is named – was born on New Year's Day, 1745, at Waynesborough, near Paoli, Pennsylvania." 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, Passaic County 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.History of Wayne , Township of Wayne. Accessed March 12, 2020.
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 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, 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 in Maryland, winning the race on October 25, 1870. In 1873, Pimlico ran its first race for three year-olds and named it the Preakness Stakes, 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.Meredith, Jon "Ferris". "Telling the Story of Preakness: Through the Eyes of the Filmmaker" , TAP into Wayne, October 6, 2019. Accessed May 18, 2020. "Sired by the famed thoroughbred stud Lexington and carried by a mare named Bay Leaf, Preakness was born in Kentucky in 1867, was purchased at auction by wealthy Jute manufacturer Milton Holbrook Sanford for $4,000 and named after Sanford's stables in Wayne, New Jersey."
The Morris Canal ran through the southwestern part of Wayne, carrying produce to markets and coal from Pennsylvania. 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 and U.S. Route 46 were constructed across the township during the Great Depression.
During World War II, 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 was built through the southern part of the township.
Geography According to the United States Census Bureau, 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, Little Falls, North Haledon, Pompton Lakes and Totowa in Passaic County; Franklin Lakes and Oakland in Bergen County; Fairfield Township and North Caldwell in Essex County; and Lincoln Park and Pequannock Township in Morris County.Areas touching Wayne , MapIt. Accessed March 12, 2020.Passaic County Map , Coalition for a Healthy NJ. Accessed March 12, 2020.New Jersey Municipal Boundaries , New Jersey Department of Transportation. Accessed February 8, 2022.
Neighborhoods and lake communities Unincorporated communities, 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, Preakness and Two Bridges.Locality Search , State of New Jersey. Accessed May 21, 2015.
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 also flows through a portion of Wayne and often floods near Willowbrook Mall and riverside neighborhoods.
Climate
Demographics
2020 census +Wayne township, Passaic County, New Jersey – Racial and ethnic compositionRace / Ethnicity (NH = Non-Hispanic)Pop 1990Pop 2000Pop 2010% 1990% 2000% 2010White alone (NH)43,62346,76644,03039,99792.77%86.49%80.47%72.93%Black or African American alone (NH)4658431,1241,6390.99%1.56%2.05%2.99%Native American or Alaska Native alone (NH)294134260.06%0.08%0.06%0.05%Asian alone (NH)1,4373,0564,4415,1673.06%5.65%8.12%9.42%Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander alone (NH)N/A890N/A0.01%0.02%0.00%Other race alone (NH)24471032180.05%0.09%0.19%0.40%Mixed race or Multiracial (NH)N/A5546411,352N/A1.02%1.17%2.47%Hispanic or Latino (any race)1,4472,7544,3356,4393.08%5.09%7.92%11.74%Total47,02554,06954.71754,838100.00%100.00%100.00%100.00%
2010 census The 2010 United States census counted 54,717 people, 19,127 households, and 14,230 families in the township. The population density was . There were 19,768 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup was 86.07% (47,097) White, 2.28% (1,247) Black or African American, 0.09% (51) Native American, 8.18% (4,478) Asian, 0.02% (11) Pacific Islander, 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 showed that (in 2010 inflation-adjusted dollars) median household income 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.DP03: Selected Economic Characteristics from the 2006–2010 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates for Wayne township, Passaic County, New Jersey , United States Census Bureau. Accessed January 16, 2012.
Same-sex couples headed 105 households in 2010, an increase from the 75 counted in 2000.Lipman, Harvy; and Sheingold, Dave. "North Jersey sees 30% growth in same-sex couples", The Record, August 14, 2011, backed up by the Internet Archive as of February 3, 2013. Accessed August 22, 2014.
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 at 3.0% and Korean Americans at 2.0%, while Puerto Ricans were 2.3% of the population.
2000 census