East Rutherford, New Jersey


East Rutherford is a borough in Bergen County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, the borough's population was 8,913, reflecting an increase of 197 from the 8,716 counted in the 2000 Census, which had in turn increased by 814 from the 7,902 counted in the 1990 Census. It is an inner-ring suburb of New York City, located west of Midtown Manhattan.
Under the terms of an act of the New Jersey Legislature on April 17, 1889, a portion of the old Union Township was incorporated under the name of Boiling Springs Township. The new township took its name from a spring in the community. On March 28, 1894, the Borough of East Rutherford was created, based on the results of a referendum held the previous day, and Boiling Springs Township was dissolved. While there was no change in its borders, the name and form of government were changed. The borough was the second formed during the "Boroughitis" phenomenon then sweeping through Bergen County, in which 26 boroughs were formed in the county in 1894 alone.
East Rutherford is the home of the Meadowlands Sports Complex, which includes Meadowlands Arena and MetLife Stadium, and was previously the location of Giants Stadium. The arena is best known as the former home of the New Jersey Nets of the National Basketball Association and the New Jersey Devils of the National Hockey League, and also hosted college basketball, arena football, concerts, and other events. MetLife Stadium is home of the New York Giants and New York Jets of the National Football League, the New York Guardians of the XFL, and hosted Super Bowl XLVIII, which made East Rutherford the smallest city ever to host a Super Bowl. Giants Stadium, which hosted the Giants and Jets until 2009, was also the original home of the New York Red Bulls of Major League Soccer. East Rutherford is the only municipality with fewer than 10,000 residents to have been home to five professional sports teams simultaneously.
The borough is also the site of American Dream, a large shopping center and entertainment complex that was originally named "Xanadu" which opened on October 25, 2019.

Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau, the borough had a total area of 4.052 square miles, including 3.709 square miles of land and 0.343 square miles of water.
East Rutherford is bounded on the north by the boroughs of Carlstadt and Wallington and to the south by the borough of Rutherford in Bergen County; by Secaucus in Hudson County; and by Passaic in Passaic County. The Passaic River is the western boundary, and the Hackensack River is the eastern boundary. The area in which East Rutherford is located is the valley of the Passaic and Hackensack rivers.
Carlton Hill is an unincorporated community located within the township.

Demographics

Census 2010

The Census Bureau's 2006–2010 American Community Survey showed that median household income was $62,471 and the median family income was $71,357. Males had a median income of $57,511 versus $48,502 for females. The per capita income for the borough was $32,467. About 5.9% of families and 6.5% of the population were below the poverty line, including 4.2% of those under age 18 and 13.4% of those age 65 or over.
Same-sex couples headed 19 households in 2010, a decline from the 27 counted in 2000.

Census 2000

As of the 2000 United States Census there were 8,716 people, 3,644 households, and 2,157 families residing in the borough. The population density was 2,289.1 people per square mile. There were 3,771 housing units at an average density of 990.4 per square mile. The racial makeup of the borough was 79.68% White, 3.72% African American, 0.11% Native American, 10.69% Asian, 0.05% Pacific Islander, 3.21% from other races, and 2.54% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 10.65% of the population.
There were 3,644 households out of which 25.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 44.4% were married couples living together, 10.8% had a female householder with no husband present, and 40.8% were non-families. 33.4% of all households were made up of individuals and 11.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.35 and the average family size was 3.05.
In the borough, the age distribution of the population shows 19.4% under the age of 18, 7.1% from 18 to 24, 36.5% from 25 to 44, 22.7% from 45 to 64, and 14.3% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females, there were 94.8 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 93.8 males.
The median income for a household in the borough was $50,163, and the median income for a family was $59,583. Males had a median income of $40,798 versus $36,047 for females. The per capita income for the borough was $28,072. About 7.4% of families and 9.6% of the population were below the poverty line, including 10.1% of those under age 18 and 11.6% of those age 65 or over.

Economy

East Rutherford is home to the Hudson Group, a retailer which operates a chain of newsstands, bookstores, fast food restaurants, and other retail stores chiefly at airports and train stations.
Contract manufacturing organization Cambrex Corporation is based in East Rutherford.
The East Rutherford Operations Center handles currency in the area covered by the Federal Reserve Bank of New York, a task that includes removing and destroying 5 million currency notes every day.
The Dawn Bible Students Association moved to East Rutherford in 1944. The organization has a worldwide outreach and publishes many Bible-based books as well as The Dawn magazine.

Government

Local government

East Rutherford is governed under the Borough form of New Jersey municipal government, which is used in 218 of 565 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 is comprised of 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 East Rutherford 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.
, East Rutherford's Mayor is Democrat Jeffrey Lahullier, whose term of office ends December 31, 2023. The borough council members are Council President Edward C. Ravettine, Daniel Alvarez, Nancy Banca, George W. Cronk, Michael Lorusso, Philip J. Sorbera II and Saverio "Sam" Stallone.

Federal, state and county representation

East Rutherford is located in the 9th Congressional District and is part of New Jersey's 36th state legislative district.

Politics

As of March 23, 2011, there were a total of 4,484 registered voters in East Rutherford, of which 1,233 were registered as Democrats, 1,190 were registered as Republicans and 2,058 were registered as Unaffiliated. There were 3 voters registered to other parties. Among the borough's 2010 Census population, 50.3% were registered to vote, including 61.5% of those ages 18 and over.
In the 2016 presidential election, Democrat Hillary Clinton received 1,918 votes, ahead of Republican Donald Trump with 1,740 votes and other candidates with 169 votes, among the 3,871 ballots cast by the borough's 5,380 registered voters for a turnout of 71.9%. In the 2012 presidential election, Democrat Barack Obama received 1,859 votes, ahead of Republican Mitt Romney with 1,340 votes and other candidates with 48 votes, among the 3,115 ballots cast by the borough's 4,845 registered voters, for a turnout of 64.3%. In the 2008 presidential election, Democrat Barack Obama received 1,888 votes, ahead of Republican John McCain with 1,660 votes and other candidates with 54 votes, among the 3,647 ballots cast by the borough's 4,911 registered voters, for a turnout of 74.3%. In the 2004 presidential election, Democrat John Kerry received 1,641 votes, ahead of Republican George W. Bush with 1,613 votes and other candidates with 30 votes, among the 3,309 ballots cast by the borough's 4,634 registered voters, for a turnout of 71.4%.
In the 2013 gubernatorial election, Republican Chris Christie received 59.4% of the vote, ahead of Democrat Barbara Buono with 38.7%, and other candidates with 1.8%, among the 2,111 ballots cast by the borough's 4,596 registered voters, for a turnout of 45.9%. In the 2009 gubernatorial election, Republican Chris Christie received 1,004 votes, ahead of Democrat Jon Corzine with 919 votes, Independent Chris Daggett with 112 votes and other candidates with 17 votes, among the 2,082 ballots cast by the borough's 4,709 registered voters, yielding a 44.2% turnout.

Education

Public school students in kindergarten through eighth grade attend the East Rutherford School District. As of the 2018–19 school year, the district, comprised of two schools, had an enrollment of 819 students and 73.2 classroom teachers, for a student–teacher ratio of 11.2:1. Schools in the district are
McKenzie School with 454 students in grades PreK–5 and
Alfred S. Faust School with 345 students in grades 6–8.
For grades ninth through twelfth grades, public school students attend the Henry P. Becton Regional High School in East Rutherford, which serves high school students from both Carlstadt and East Rutherford. The school is part of the Carlstadt-East Rutherford Regional School District. As of the 2018–19 school year, the high school had an enrollment of 491 students and 37.2 classroom teachers, for a student–teacher ratio of 13.2:1. Starting in the 2020–21 school year, students from Maywood will start attending the school as part of a sending/receiving relationship; Maywood's transition to Becton will be complete after the final group of twelfth graders graduates from Hackensack High School at the end of the 2023–24 school year.
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.

Emergency services

Police

The East Rutherford Police Department provides emergency and protective services to the borough of East Rutherford.
It consists of a Patrol Division, Detective Bureau, Traffic Division, Juvenile Division, and Records Bureau.
The current Chief of Police is Larry Minda.

Fire

The East Rutherford Fire Department is an all-volunteer fire department. The ERFD was organized in 1894 and consists of a chief and three assistant chiefs. There are three fire stations. The department is staffed by eighty fully trained firefighters. The ERFD utilizes two Engines, a Ladder truck, a Heavy Rescue, and a Quint. The ERFD also provides emergency medical service to the borough.

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 and by the New Jersey Turnpike Authority.
State Routes include Route 17, Route 120 and Route 3. The only interstate that passes through and serves East Rutherford is Interstate 95 at Exit 16W.

Public transportation

The Rutherford station, which is located on the Rutherford - East Rutherford border, provides train service on NJ Transit's Bergen County Line.
The Meadowlands station offers service on the Meadowlands Rail Line, which began in June 2009, providing access between the Meadowlands Sports Complex and Secaucus Junction, and from there to other NJ Transit lines with trains operating before and after games and other events at the complex.
NJ Transit buses include the 160, 163, 164 and 322 routes serving the Port Authority Bus Terminal in Midtown Manhattan; the 76 to Newark; and local service on the 703 route.

Notable people

People who were born in, residents of, or otherwise closely associated with East Rutherford include: