Location of Rockaway in Morris County circled and highlighted in red (right). Inset map: Location of Morris County in New Jersey highlighted in orange (left).
Rockaway was formed as a borough on June 19, 1894, from portions of Rockaway Township, based on the results of a referendum held the previous day.[23][24] Additional portions of Rockaway Township were annexed by the borough in 1908.[25]
The borough shares its name with the Rockaway River and the neighboring township. The name is derived from a Native American term, variously said to mean "place of sands",[26][27] "creek between two hills"[28] or "bushy" / "difficult to cross".[29]
The First Presbyterian Church of Rockaway was founded in 1758. Many veterans of the American Revolutionary War are buried in its cemetery. The current brick church was built in 1832.[30]
Geography
According to the United States Census Bureau, the borough had a total area of 2.12 square miles (5.49 km2), including 2.07 square miles (5.37 km2) of land and 0.05 square miles (0.12 km2) of water (2.22%).[1][2]
Of the 2,443 households, 31.2% had children under the age of 18; 51.7% were married couples living together; 11.7% had a female householder with no husband present and 32.2% were non-families. Of all households, 24.6% were made up of individuals and 7.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.63 and the average family size was 3.20.[20]
22.1% of the population were under the age of 18, 7.4% from 18 to 24, 27.9% from 25 to 44, 30.4% from 45 to 64, and 12.3% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 40.7 years. For every 100 females, the population had 95.0 males. For every 100 females ages 18 and older there were 92.0 males.[20]
The Census Bureau's 2006–2010 American Community Survey showed that (in 2010 inflation-adjusted dollars) median household income was $77,861 (with a margin of error of +/− $10,631) and the median family income was $108,776 (+/− $9,129). Males had a median income of $57,770 (+/− $13,090) versus $37,868 (+/− $9,230) for females. The per capita income for the borough was $37,636 (+/− $4,186). About 6.3% of families and 6.5% of the population were below the poverty line, including 12.8% of those under age 18 and 1.6% of those age 65 or over.[42]
2000 census
As of the 2000 United States census[17] there were 6,473 people, 2,445 households, and 1,709 families residing in the borough. The population density was 3,098.9 inhabitants per square mile (1,196.5/km2). There were 2,491 housing units at an average density of 1,192.5 per square mile (460.4/km2). The racial makeup of the borough was 87.75% White, 1.41% African American, 0.20% Native American, 6.36% Asian, 0.03% Pacific Islander, 2.98% from other races, and 1.27% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 9.39% of the population.[40][41]
There were 2,445 households, out of which 33.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 56.3% were married couples living together, 10.4% had a female householder with no husband present, and 30.1% were non-families. 23.8% of all households were made up of individuals, and 8.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.64 and the average family size was 3.16.[40][41]
In the borough the population was spread out, with 23.3% under the age of 18, 6.6% from 18 to 24, 33.6% from 25 to 44, 24.7% from 45 to 64, and 11.9% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females, there were 94.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 91.4 males.[40][41]
The median income for a household in the borough was $61,002, and the median income for a family was $66,997. Males had a median income of $44,673 versus $35,956 for females. The per capita income for the borough was $26,500. About 3.0% of families and 5.0% of the population were below the poverty line, including 6.4% of those under age 18 and 8.7% of those age 65 or over.[40][41]
Government
Local government
Rockaway is governed under the borough form of New Jersey municipal government, which is used in 218 municipalities (of the 564) statewide, making it the most common form of government in New Jersey.[43] The governing body is comprised of the mayor and the borough council, with all positions elected at-large on a partisan basis as part of the November general election. The mayor is elected directly by the voters to a four-year term of office. The borough council includes six members elected to serve three-year terms on a staggered basis, with two seats coming up for election each year in a three-year cycle.[7] The borough form of government used by Rockaway is a "weak mayor / strong council" government in which council members act as the legislative body with the mayor presiding at meetings and voting only in the event of a tie. The mayor can veto ordinances subject to an override by a two-thirds majority vote of the council. The mayor makes committee and liaison assignments for council members, and most appointments are made by the mayor with the advice and consent of the council.[44][45]
As of 2023[update], the mayor of Rockaway is Republican Thomas Mulligan, whose term of office ends December 31, 2023.[46] Members of the Rockaway Borough Council are Council President Melissa Burnside (R, 2023), Thomas J. Haynes III (R, 2024), James R. Hurley (R, 2024), Patrick McDonald (R, 2023), Thomas Slockbower (R, 2025) and Robert Smith (R, 2025).[3][47][48][49][50][51][52][53]
In October 2019, the borough council appointed Patrick McDonald to fill the term expiring in December 2020 that became vacant following the death of Joyce Kanigel the previous month.[54] In January 2020, the borough council selected Melissa Burnside from a list of three candidates nominated by the Republican municipal committee to fill the seat expiring in December 2020 that became vacant when Thomas Mulligan resigned to take office as mayor.[55]
Federal, state, and county representation
Rockaway Borough is located in the 11th Congressional District[56] and is part of New Jersey's 25th state legislative district.[57][58][59]
Morris County is governed by a Board of County Commissioners composed of seven members who are elected at-large in partisan elections to three-year terms on a staggered basis, with either one or three seats up for election each year as part of the November general election.[64] Actual day-to-day operation of departments is supervised by County Administrator Deena Leary.[65]: 8 As of 2025[update], Morris County's Commissioners are:
The county's constitutional officers are:
Clerk Ann F. Grossi (R, Parsippany–Troy Hills, 2028),[73][74]
Sheriff James M. Gannon (R, Boonton Township, 2025)[75][76] and
Surrogate Heather Darling (R, Roxbury, 2029).[77][78]
Politics
As of March 2011, there were a total of 3,911 registered voters in Rockaway, of which 838 (21.4%) were registered as Democrats, 1,359 (34.7%) were registered as Republicans and 1,710 (43.7%) were registered as Unaffiliated. There were 4 voters registered as Libertarians or Greens.[79]
In the 2012 presidential election, Republican Mitt Romney received 51.4% of the vote (1,464 cast), ahead of Democrat Barack Obama with 47.8% (1,362 votes), and other candidates with 0.8% (22 votes), among the 2,872 ballots cast by the borough's 4,103 registered voters (24 ballots were spoiled), for a turnout of 70.0%.[80][81] In the 2012 presidential election, Republican Mitt Romney received 51.2% of the vote (1,464 cast), while Democrat Barack Obama received 47.6% (1,362 votes) and other candidates collected 1.2% (34 votes), among the 2,872 ballots cast by the borough's 4,103 registered voters, for a turnout of 70.0%.[82] In the 2008 presidential election, Republican John McCain received 53.0% of the vote (1,625 cast), ahead of Democrat Barack Obama with 45.3% (1,388 votes) and other candidates with 0.9% (28 votes), among the 3,067 ballots cast by the borough's 4,007 registered voters, for a turnout of 76.5%.[83] In the 2004 presidential election, Republican George W. Bush received 58.6% of the vote (1,715 ballots cast), outpolling Democrat John Kerry with 40.3% (1,180 votes) and other candidates with 0.6% (24 votes), among the 2,926 ballots cast by the borough's 3,938 registered voters, for a turnout percentage of 74.3%.[84]
In the 2013 gubernatorial election, Republican Chris Christie received 69.1% of the vote (1,146 cast), ahead of Democrat Barbara Buono with 28.7% (476 votes), and other candidates with 2.2% (36 votes), among the 1,685 ballots cast by the borough's 4,071 registered voters (27 ballots were spoiled), for a turnout of 41.4%.[85][86] In the 2009 gubernatorial election, Republican Chris Christie received 59.9% of the vote (1,188 ballots cast), ahead of Democrat Jon Corzine with 28.9% (573 votes), Independent Chris Daggett with 8.4% (167 votes) and other candidates with 1.3% (26 votes), among the 1,984 ballots cast by the borough's 3,962 registered voters, yielding a 50.1% turnout.[87]
Divine Mercy Academy, operated by the Roman Catholic Diocese of Paterson, is the only private school in Rockaway. It opened in September 2016 with the merger of the two Catholic schools in Rockaway, Sacred Heart of Jesus School and St. Cecilia School.[101][102]
Transportation
Roads and highways
As of May 2010[update], the borough had a total of 25.88 miles (41.65 km) of roadways, of which 20.16 miles (32.44 km) were maintained by the municipality, 3.53 miles (5.68 km) by Morris County and 2.19 miles (3.52 km) by the New Jersey Department of Transportation.[103]
Interstate 80 clips the northeast corner of the borough. Access is provided via Exit 37 (County Route 513). U.S. Route 46 passes through the southern end of the borough.
Many scenes (the train tracks, Main Street and The Mill Lane Tavern) from the 2003 movie, The Station Agent, were filmed in Rockaway. The film starred actor Peter Dinklage.
^ abMayor & Council, Borough of Rockaway. Accessed April 27, 2023. "The Borough of Rockaway government consists of an elected mayor and six elected council members. The mayor serves a four-year term, and each year two council members are elected to three-year terms."
^Historical Timeline of Morris County Boundaries, Morris County Library. Accessed December 24, 2016. "1894, June 19. Rockaway Borough is established from Rockaway Township. This area was previously known as Rockaway Village."
^"Indian Place Names in New Jersey" from the Federal Writers' Project of the Works Progress Administration 1938-1939 Series, Bulletin 12. Accessed September 24, 2015. "Rockaway - Possibly from Powawachne, creek between two hills"
^Council Meeting Minutes for October 24, 2019, Borough of Rockaway. Accessed March 4, 2020. Presentation of nominees for council vacancy.... A motion was made by Councilman Haynes to appoint Patrick McDonald as Councilman to fill the unexpired term ending December 31, 2020, seconded by Councilwoman Burnside. Patrick McDonald was sworn in by the Borough Clerk/Administrator."
^Regular Meeting Minutes for January 9, 2020, Borough of Rockaway. Accessed March 4, 2020. "Mayor Mulligan called for nominations for member of the Council. Councilman Greuter nominated Melissa Burnside, seconded by Councilman Haynes, to fill the council vacancy.... Melissa Burnside was sworn in by Mayor Mulligan."
^Board of County Commissioners, Morris County, New Jersey. Accessed June 1, 2022. "Morris County is governed by a seven-member Board of County Commissioners, who serve three-year terms."
^Board of Education District Policy - Identification, Rockaway Borough Public Schools. Accessed March 3, 2020. "Purpose: The Board of Education exists for the purpose of providing a thorough and efficient system of free public education in grades Pre-Kindergarten through eight in the Rockaway Borough School District.. Composition: The Rockaway Borough School District is comprised of all the area within the municipal boundaries of Rockaway Borough."
^Morris Hills High School 2015 Report Card Narrative, New Jersey Department of Transportation. Accessed May 30, 2016. "Morris Hills High School is a comprehensive, four-year public school located in the heart of Morris County. The school is part of a regional school district that includes our sister school, Morris Knolls High School. There are over 1,300 students enrolled in grades 9-12. The school serves the local communities of Wharton, Rockaway Township, and Rockaway Borough where the school resides."
^Home pageArchived March 4, 2016, at the Wayback Machine, Morris Hills High School. Accessed March 7, 2015. "Morris Hills is home to the Academy of Mathematics, Science and Engineering, a partnership with Morris County School of Technology."
^"Two School Communities Become One", Roman Catholic Diocese of Paterson, September 15, 2016. Accessed October 16, 2019. "Divine Mercy Academy opened Sept. 7 during a blessing and dedication service and ribbon cutting ceremony. The opening was attended by the school community that included administration, faculty, students and parents. The new school merges the two Catholic schools in Rockaway that closed at the end of the 2015-2016 year: St. Cecilia’s and Sacred Heart."
^Fagan, Matt. "St. Brendan Catholic School in Clifton to close, merge with St. James in Totowa", The Record, June 5, 2019. Accessed October 16, 2019. "Diocese officials noted that the merger model was most recently used with the closing of two Catholic schools in Rockaway — St. Cecilia School and Sacred Heart of Jesus School — which is now the Divine Mercy Academy, according to diocese officials."
^DiFulco, Pasquale. "WPC coach home again;Returns to site of playing days", Herald News, January 7, 1989. Accessed March 28, 2023. "A Hollywood scriptwriter couldn't do it any better. Gerry Gallagher grew up in Rockaway and attended Morris Catholic High School in the late 1960s."
^Staff. "Alumni Profile: Clifford Lawrence Meth", FDU Magazine, Fall / Winter 1998, backed up by the Internet Archive as of October 19, 1999. Accessed January 10, 2018. "Born and raised in Rockaway, N.J., Meth began writing poetry at age 12 and hasn't stopped."
^"The Rockaway Kid," story introduction in god's fifteen minutes (Aardwolf Publishing, 2003).
^Staff. "President of HBO, Rockaway's Sue Naegle guest speaker for Morris Chamber.", Daily Record, September 19, 2012. Accessed July 2, 2013. "Former Rockaway resident and Morris Hills High School graduate, Sue Naegle, c, now the president of Time Warner's HBO Entertainment was the guest speaker during the Morris County Chamber of Commerce Women in Business, 'Defining Moments on the Journey to Success' event at the Madison Hotel."
^Staff. "June Walker, 74, Chaired Presidents Conference", The Forward, July 31, 2008. Accessed September 24, 2015. "Walker, of Rockaway, N.J., led Hadassah, the national women's Zionist organization, from 2003 to 2007. Last year, she became the second woman ever to lead the Presidents Conference, the umbrella organization of American Jewish groups."