Hasbrouck Heights, New Jersey


Hasbrouck Heights is a borough in Bergen County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey. As of the 2020 United States census, the borough's population was 12,125, an increase of 283 from the 2010 census count of 11,842, which in turn reflected an increase of 180 from the 11,662 counted in the 2000 census. An inner-ring suburb of New York City, Hasbrouck Heights is located approximately northwest of Midtown Manhattan and west of Upper Manhattan.
The borough was listed as the third-safest place in New Jersey as well as the eighth-safest municipality in the nation according to a 2022 crime statistic compilation from Safewise.com.
WWW hasbrouck-heights.nj.us

History

The area that would become the borough had been known as Corona from the mid-1800s and grew up around the two local railroad stations. The name "Hasbrouck" was chosen in 1889 to honor Jacob Dillon Hasbrouck, general manager of the New Jersey and New York Railroad. In the face of local opposition, the name change was promoted as improving the community's public perception and avoiding confusion with the Corona, Queens neighborhood, while "Heights" was added to avoid confusion with a similarly named community in upstate New York.
Hasbrouck Heights was formed by an act of the New Jersey Legislature on August 2, 1894, based on the passage of a referendum on July 31, 1894, and was created from portions of Lodi Township at the height of the "Boroughitis" phenomenon then sweeping through Bergen County. A part of the borough was annexed to Lodi in 1901.

Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau, the borough had a total area of 1.53 square miles, including 1.52 square miles of land and <0.01 square miles of water.
The borough borders Hackensack, Lodi, Moonachie, Teterboro and Wood-Ridge.

Demographics

2010 census

The 2010 United States census counted 11,842 people, 4,433 households, and 3,187 families in the borough. The population density was. There were 4,627 housing units at an average density of. The racial makeup was 81.34% White, 2.86% Black or African American, 0.08% Native American, 9.99% Asian, 0.02% Pacific Islander, 3.68% from other races, and 2.04% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 14.86% of the population.
Of the 4,433 households, 31.5% had children under the age of 18; 57.4% were married couples living together; 10.6% had a female householder with no husband present and 28.1% were non-families. Of all households, 24.5% were made up of individuals and 10.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.67 and the average family size was 3.22. Same-sex couples headed 9 households in 2010, less than half of the 19 counted in 2000.
22.3% of the population were under the age of 18, 7.0% from 18 to 24, 25.8% from 25 to 44, 29.9% from 45 to 64, and 15.0% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 41.8 years. For every 100 females, the population had 92.7 males. For every 100 females ages 18 and older there were 89.4 males.
The Census Bureau's 2006–2010 American Community Survey showed that median household income was $88,375 and the median family income was $100,264. Males had a median income of $60,618 versus $47,385 for females. The per capita income for the borough was $37,428. About 3.6% of families and 3.8% of the population were below the poverty line, including 2.6% of those under age 18 and 5.1% of those age 65 or over.

2000 census

As of the 2000 United States census there were 11,662 people, 4,521 households, and 3,142 families residing in the borough. The population density was. There were 4,617 housing units at an average density of. The racial makeup of the borough was 87.87% White, 1.71% African American, 0.04% Native American, 6.65% Asian, 0.01% Pacific Islander, 2.19% from other races, and 1.53% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 8.27% of the population.
There were 4,521 households, out of which 30.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 57.1% were married couples living together, 9.4% had a female householder with no husband present, and 30.5% were non-families. 26.2% of all households were made up of individuals, and 11.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.58 and the average family size was 3.16.
In the borough the population was spread out, with 22.2% under the age of 18, 6.5% from 18 to 24, 29.9% from 25 to 44, 24.4% from 45 to 64, and 17.0% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 40 years. For every 100 females, there were 92.5 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 89.6 males.
The median income for a household in the borough was $64,529, and the median income for a family was $75,032. Males had a median income of $51,328 versus $40,570 for females. The per capita income for the borough was $29,626. About 2.1% of families and 4.2% of the population were below the poverty line, including 6.5% of those under age 18 and 4.5% of those age 65 or over.

Government

Local government

Hasbrouck Heights is governed under the borough form of New Jersey municipal government, which is used in 218 municipalities statewide, making it the most common form of government in New Jersey. The governing body is comprised of a mayor and a borough council, with all positions elected at-large on a partisan basis as part of the November general election. A 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. The borough form of government used by Hasbrouck Heights, the most commonly used system in the state, 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.
, the mayor of Hasbrouck Heights is Republican Ronald F. Kistner, whose term of office ends December 31, 2027. Members of the Hasbrouck Heights Borough Council are Robert Bing, Susan B. McGuire, Thomas Meli, Joseph Samperi, Michael Sickels and Charlotte Sodora.
Joseph Samperi was appointed in January 2024 to fill the council seat expiring in December 2025 that had been held by Ron Kistner until he stepped down to take office as mayor. Samperi will serve on an interim basis until the November 2024 general election, when voters will choose a candidate to serve the balance of the term of office.

Federal, state and county representation

Hasbrouck Heights is located in the 9th Congressional District and is part of New Jersey's 38th state legislative district.

Politics

As of March 2011, there were a total of 7,221 registered voters in Hasbrouck Heights, of which 1,630 were registered as Democrats, 2,549 were registered as Republicans and 3,040 were registered as Unaffiliated. There were 2 voters registered as Libertarians or Greens. Among the borough's 2010 Census population, 61.0% were registered to vote, including 78.4% of those ages 18 and over.

Education

The Hasbrouck Heights School District serves public school students in pre-kindergarten through twelfth grade. The district also serves students from Teterboro, a non-operating district that was merged into the Hasbrouck Heights School District following its dissolution on July 1, 2010. As of the 2020–21 school year, the district, comprised of four schools, had an enrollment of 1,745 students and 145.0 classroom teachers, for a student–teacher ratio of 12.0:1. Schools in the district are
Euclid Elementary School with 338 students in grades Pre-K–5,
Lincoln Elementary School with 386 students in grades Pre-K–5,
Hasbrouck Heights Middle School with 426 students in grades 6–8 and
Hasbrouck Heights High School with 558 students in grades 9–12.
Public school students from the borough, and all of Bergen County, are eligible to attend the secondary education programs offered by the Bergen County Technical Schools, which include the Bergen County Academies in Hackensack, and the Bergen Tech campus in Teterboro or Paramus. The district offers programs on a shared-time or full-time basis, with admission based on a selective application process and tuition covered by the student's home school district.
Corpus Christi School is a Catholic elementary school that serves children in preschool through eighth grade. The school belongs to the Corpus Christi Parish, and has two main buildings: the early childhood learning center, for ages three to five, and the main building for ages five to thirteen. The school operates under the supervision of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Newark.

Transportation

Roads and highways

, the borough had a total of of roadways, of which were maintained by the municipality, by Bergen County and by the New Jersey Department of Transportation.
Route 17 and U.S. Route 46 pass through Hasbrouck Heights.

Public transportation

NJ Transit bus routes 161, 163 and 164 provide service to and from the Port Authority Bus Terminal in Midtown Manhattan; the 76 line serves Newark and Hackensack; and local service is offered on the 709 and 780 routes.
NJ Transit provides rail service via the Pascack Valley Line's Teterboro station, which is located on the eastern boundary with Teterboro, just across the tracks from the Williams Avenue dead end in Hasbrouck Heights. The station is four stops from the line's northern terminus at Hoboken Terminal. Although the rail line's tracks lie entirely within the borders of Hasbrouck Heights, and in fact form the borough's eastern boundary with Teterboro, New Jersey Transit considers the station to be in Teterboro because passenger boarding, passenger shelter, parking lot, and ingress/egress roads are accessed from that municipality.
In January 2013, New Jersey Transit erected a chain link fence in the vicinity of the Williams Avenue dead end as a safety measure to prevent pedestrians / commuters from crossing over the tracks illegally to gain access to the trains on the Teterboro side. Hasbrouck Heights Mayor Rose Marie Heck, Assemblyman Tim Eustace, and Hasbrouck Heights commuters have tried to work with New Jersey Transit to find alternative solutions, including installation of a pedestrian rail crossing with swing gates and warning lights. New Jersey Transit has indicated there are no immediate alternatives available since funding is not available.
Teterboro Airport is located on the borough's eastern border with Hasbrouck Heights.

Notable events

  • 1664 – Settled.
  • 1894 – Incorporated.
  • 1896 – Volunteer fire department established.
  • 1935 – Small biplane loses altitude after taking off from Teterboro Airport, and drops directly in front of automobile on Route 2. Driver of automobile only bruised after crash, pilot and student co-pilot severely injured.
  • 1966 – Pilot James P. Scott crash-lands his Piper Aztec twin-engine plane on front lawn of Burton Avenue home after losing an engine and skimming the top of a tree, which softened his landing. The plane slid up the driveway and struck the house. The residents were not at home, and the pilot survived.
  • 1999 – A Beechcraft Baron bound from Virginia for neighboring Teterboro Airport crashed in a backyard. All four people passengers aboard the plane died, no injuries occurred on the ground.
  • 1999 – The Municipal Building catches fire. The cause of the blaze was found to be an electrical problem. A new building was constructed on the Boulevard and Central and dedicated on December 14, 2003.
  • 2006 – The public library director Michele Reutty was in the news for not providing information to the borough police when they turned up at the library without a subpoena. This event drew widespread attention via a Slashdot article.
  • 2025 – The town was at the epicenter of a 3.0 magnitude earthquake, strong enough to be felt across Northern New Jersey and New York City.

Notable people

People who were born in, residents of, or otherwise closely associated with Hasbrouck Heights include:

Popular culture

The song "Hasbrook Heights" was composed and recorded by Burt Bacharach in 1971. Hal David wrote the lyrics. The song's best-known version can be found on Dionne Warwick's 1972 album Dionne.