Clifton, New Jersey, United States

🇺🇸 Clifton is a city in Passaic County, New Jersey, United States. It is part of the New York Metropolitan Area. It is the state's 11th-most-populous municipality. Clifton was incorporated as a city by an act of the New Jersey Legislature in 1917, replacing Acquackanonk Township.

History The city of Clifton turned 100 years old in April 2017, but documented European settlements in the area date back to 1679, when a leader of the Lenape Native Americans gave a deed for 11,000 acres (4,500 ha) along the shores of the Passaic River to Hans Frederick. The modern name of "Clifton" was derived from the cliffs of Garrett Mountain, which borders the Albion Place neighborhood in the western part of the city. Clifton was once an agricultural hub, and home to the U.S. Animal Quarantine Station, which was operated in Clifton by the United States Department of Agriculture, starting in 1903. It was served by the Newark Branch of the Erie–Lackawanna Railroad. It was the primary location on the East Coast where animals from poultry, horses, and cattle, to zoo animals, were held in quarantine after being brought into the United States, to ensure that the animals were not infected with diseases that could be spread in the U.S. The federal station operated in Clifton until the late 1970s, when the facility was relocated to Stewart International Airport.

Although Clifton has long converted from farmlands to suburban neighborhoods, given its close proximity to Manhattan, the city still has three small working farms that sell fresh and organic vegetables in-season: • Ploch's Farm is a family-run 15-acre (6.1 ha) farm since 1867. The farm is still in operation as Clifton's last remaining farm. Ploch's Farm is open seasonally selling fruits and vegetables during the months of August and September. • City Green Farm Eco Center is an organic farm and 501(c)3 non-profit focused on promoting urban farming and education since 2011. The 5-acre (2.0 ha) property, which was the site of the Schultheis Farm, was acquired by the city in 2005 for permanent preservation as open space. • Richfield Farms is a family-run 5-acre (2.0 ha) farm and garden centre since 1917, which had escaped redevelopment efforts in 2018.

Geography According to the United States Census Bureau, the city had a total area of 11.43 square miles (29.60 km²), including 11.27 square miles (29.19 km²) of land and 0.16 square miles (0.41 km²) of water (1.37%).

The Passaic River provides part of the boundary of Clifton at its north-eastern edge. Weasel Brook is a tributary of the Passaic, which links from Plog Brook, passing through its namesake Weasel Brook Park, before turning south and joining the Passaic River close to Route 21.

Unincorporated communities, localities, and place names, located partially or completely within the city, include: • Albion Place – mostly residential, and adjacent to Garret Mountain Reservation in the north-western corner of the city; • Allwood – the other main "business district" in the city, along its main highway, State Route 3; • Athenia – one of the more centrally located neighborhoods in the city, as well as home to one of the city's two train stations, and adjacent to the 3rd Ward Park neighborhood in Passaic; • Botany Village – the northernmost neighborhood in the city, historically containing European ethnic groups, but mostly populated by Hispanic/Latino immigrants in recent years; • Delawanna – home to one of the two train stations locally, in the south-eastern corner of the city, and adjacent to Nutley/the 3rd Ward Park neighborhood in Passaic; • Dutch Hill – mostly residential, and largely situated near downtown and one of the two local train stations; • Lakeview – shares its name with the adjacent neighborhood in Paterson, along the western edge of the city, and mostly populated by Arabic and Hispanic/Latino residents; • Main Mall – largely considered the main "downtown" section of the city; • Montclair Heights – one of the wealthiest neighborhoods locally, adjacent to both Montclair State University, as well as Upper Montclair, in the south-western corner of the city; • Richfield – another of the more centrally located neighborhoods in the city, along with Athenia; • Rosemawr – largely residential and wealthier, falling partially within Allwood, and home to an Orthodox Jewish community associated with a neighboring one in the city of Passaic, with which it shares the Passaic/Clifton Eruv • Styertowne – home to the main namesake shopping plaza in the city; • Yanticaw Pond – adjacent to the neighboring municipalities of Bloomfield, Nutley, and Montclair

Clifton is located off both Route 3 and Route 46, and is situated 15 miles (24 km) west of Midtown Manhattan, which is accessible via the Lincoln Tunnel. The city is also served by the Garden State Parkway, Route 19 and Route 21; all of those highways pass either around or through parts of the city.

The city borders the municipalities of Little Falls, Passaic, Paterson, and Woodland Park in Passaic County; Elmwood Park, Garfield, Lyndhurst, and Rutherford in Bergen County, and Bloomfield, Montclair, and Nutley in Essex County.

Economy Clifton is an affluent and diverse suburb of New York City, just over 10 miles to the West of the city. It boasts numerous national and local shopping options like Trader Joe's, Costco, Home Depot, Target, Stew Leonard's Wine Shop and countless speciality grocers and retailers. Notable local businesses in Clifton include: • The world headquarters of Comodo, a leading cybersecurity company, is in Clifton. • Rutt's Hut, a hot dog restaurant, is located at the east end of Delawana Avenue. Established in 1928, it was described by Peter Applebome of The New York Times as being "on the long shortlist of the state's esteemed hot dog palaces". • Clifton Commons, a shopping centre located near Route 3, features numerous stores, restaurants and a 16-screen AMC movie theater, with a gross leasable area of 448,848 square feet (41,700 m²). • Promenade Shops at Clifton is an upscale mall located on Route 3 West. • Many low-rise office buildings, containing professional tenants such as law and accounting firms and medical practices, are found on the stretch of Clifton Avenue between City Hall (at Van Houten) and Allwood Road.

Parks and recreation • Weasel Brook Park, a 19 acres (7.7 ha) county park located along the Weasel Brook, was designed by Olmsted Brothers landscaping firm. It features the Vanderhoef–Westervelt House, listed on the National Register of Historic Places. • Morris Canal Park and Jack W. Kuepfer Sr. Nature Preserve, features a small water-filled portion of the historic Morris Canal.

Local government The city of Clifton is governed under the 1923 Municipal Manager Law. The city is one of seven municipalities (of the 564) statewide governed under this form. The governing body is the City Council, which is comprised of seven council members, with all positions elected at-large on a non-partisan basis to concurrent four-terms of office as part of the November general election. The mayor is chosen by the City Council, with the position traditionally given to the top vote getter in the previous election. Clifton's municipal elections had been held in May, as required for municipalities conducting non-partisan elections.

Education The Clifton Public Schools serve students in pre-kindergarten through twelfth grade. As of the 2020–21 school year, the district, comprised of 18 schools, had an enrollment of 10,514 students and 870.5 classroom teachers (on an FTE basis), for a student–teacher ratio of 12.1:1. Schools in the district (with 2020–21 enrollment data from the National Center for Education Statistics) are Clifton Early Learner Academy (377 students; in grades Pre-K), School One (245; K–5), School Two (385; K–5), School Three (282; K–5), School Four (141; K–5), School Five (373; K–5), School Eight (169; Pre-K–5), School Nine (285; K–5), School Eleven (415; K–5), School Twelve (616; Pre-K–5), School Thirteen (447; K–5), School Fourteen (356; K–5), School Fifteen (310; Pre-K–5), School Sixteen (195; K–5), School Seventeen (476; Pre-K–5), Christopher Columbus Middle School (1,172; 6–8), Woodrow Wilson Middle School (1,276; 6–8) and Clifton High School (2,891; 9–12).

With more than 3,300 students enrolled in 2006, Clifton High School was the largest single-facility high school in New Jersey; Elizabeth High School had more students, but they were spread over multiple campuses before the school was split into separate academies. An additional overflow site, the Clifton High School Annex, was constructed at a cost of $17 million and opened in September 2009 to accommodate 540 of the school year's 850 incoming ninth graders to alleviate overcrowding.

Classical Academy Charter School of Clifton, a charter school founded in 1998 for Clifton residents that provides an education based on the classics to students in sixth through eighth grades, was recognised in 2008 by the National Blue Ribbon Schools Program.

Private schools in Clifton include Saint Philip Preparatory School, a K–8 elementary school that operates under the auspices of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Paterson. St. Andrew the Apostle School was closed after the 2017–2018 school year due to financial challenges and a decline in the number of students registering for the new school year. St. Brendan Catholic School, which opened in 1946, was closed after the 2018–2019 school year and merged with the Academy of St. James in Totowa, with the merged school to be called The Academy of St. James and St. Brendan.

Emergency services The Clifton Police Department is a full-service department, and employs 159 sworn officers, 20 public safety telecommunicators, 12 civilian officers, and 25 part-time special officers. The department is led by Chief Thomas Rinaldi, who was named to the position in February 2020, and made full-time June 1, 2020.

The Clifton Fire Department has 143 full-time firefighters. The department operates a fleet of five engines, two ladders, and three basic life support ambulances 24/7, along with three marine rescue boats, a foam pumper and tender, light rescue truck, and haz-mat unit, which are cross staffed. The department is led by Chief Frank S. Prezioso.

Hatzolah of Passaic/Clifton EMS is a volunteer service that primarily covers the Passaic Park neighborhood of Passaic, and parts of Clifton. Hatzolah operates two ambulances strategically parked throughout the community, with a third on standby, available to assist neighboring chapters such as Union City and Elizabeth.

Transport: Road As of May 2010, the city had a total of 199.94 miles (321.77 km) of roadways, of which 145.43 miles (234.05 km) were maintained by the municipality, 35.95 miles (57.86 km) by Passaic County, 14.06 miles (22.63 km) by the New Jersey Department of Transportation and 4.50 miles (7.24 km) by the New Jersey Turnpike Authority.

Major roadways in the city include Route 3 (which crosses from east to west along the southern portion of the city), Route 21 (along the Passaic River), Route 19 in the city's north-west and U.S. Route 46. The Garden State Parkway crosses the city, connecting Bloomfield in Essex County to the south to Elmwood Park in Bergen County in the north. Parkway interchanges 153 (signed for Route 3 and Route 46 West) / 153A (for Route 3 East) / 153B (for Route 3 and Route 46 West), 154 (for Route 46), 155 (for Clifton) / 155P (for Passaic) and 156 (to Route 46).

Transport: Public NJ Transit trains at the Clifton station and Delawanna station follow the NJ Transit Main Line to Suffern and Hoboken Terminal. Until 1966, the Newark Branch of the Erie-Lackawanna Railroad served several stations in the town, Athenia (Colfax Avenue) and Allwood. The Newark Branch tracks are now used for freight only, operated by Norfolk Southern.

NJ Transit provides bus service on the 190, 191, 192 and 195 routes to the Port Authority Bus Terminal in Midtown Manhattan, to Newark on the 13, 27 and 72 routes, and local service on the 74, 702, 703, 705, 707, 709, 744 routes.

DeCamp Bus Lines provided service on the 33 and 66 routes to the Port Authority Bus Terminal in Midtown Manhattan, until discontinuing its commuter routes in April 2023.