Pascack Valley Communities

The Pascack Valley is a region of Bergen County which consists of eight municipalities: Emerson, Hillsdale, Montvale, Park Ridge,Washington Township, Westwood, Woodcliff Lake and River Vale.  Originally the area was part of Harrington Township, created in 1697 when the British assumed control of Bergen County from the original Dutch settlers.  In the 1840's Harrington Township was split and the western section became Washington Township.  By the early 1900's, when the New Jersey State Legislature created boroughs, the eight current municipalities were created in the Pascack Valley region from Washington Township.  At the same time, Harrington Township was subdivided into the boroughs currently making up the Northern Valley Regional School District.

Hillsdale

This surburban borough of approximately 10,100 residents covers 2.98 square miles in the heart of the Pascack Valley. Hillsdale was incorporated in 1898 and took its name from the school building located on Pascack Road in 1856. There is an active downtown and a busy Pascack Valley Line train station with commuter parking. Housing varies and includes 1960's Tandy Allen ranches, as well as larger homes in the Royal Park area. Pascack Valley High School, which serves both Hillsdale and River Vale, was recently ranked by New Jersey Monthly #23 of the state's top 316 public high schools.

Octagon House

 Montvale

 A small, picturesque borough situated in the Pascack Valley of northeastern Bergen County, bordering on New York State.  The residents enjoy a high quality of life with fine schools and recreation programs, and easy access to area shopping and cultural activities.  The new Municipal Complex houses a state of the art Library, hi-tech police station and new borough hall.  The borough is in the process of constructing a new Senior Center downtown.  Montvale's blend of corporate and residential areas makes the Borough a unique suburban community.

Park Ridge

Park Ridge, New Jersey is a borough of just under 9000 residents in Northern Bergen County. Park Ridge has the unique distinction of operating its own electric and water utilities, whereby residents enjoy lower rates than the surrounding towns.  In the latest ranking of the Top High Schools in the state of New Jersey, Park Ridge was ranked 40th out of 200.  NJ Monthly Magazine, in their 2008 list of best places to live, rated Park Ridge 72nd out of the 566 towns in the state.

 River Vale

 River Vale, New Jersey is a township of approximately 10,000 residents, incorporated in 1906 from portions of Hillsdale and Washington Township.  Originally part of the area know as Harrington, it was the site of "Baylor's Massacre" during the American Revolution.  The burial site for the victims is now a designated Bergen County Historical Park, which is just off Rivervale Road in the township.  Primarily a residential community, it also includes three golf facilities, Edgewood Country Club, River Vale Country Club, and Valley Brook, part of the Bergen County Public Golf Course Network.

Westwood

Westwood, New Jersey is a borough of just under 11,000 residents in Northern Bergen County. It is the main shopping district for the Pascack Valley, which is an eight-town area with a population of approximately 75,000. This shopping area and the location of the Erie railroad (now the Pascack Valley Line) earned Westwood the name "Hub of the Pascack Valley". First settled in the early 1700's as a farming community, the borough was incorporated in 1894.

 Woodcliff Lake

 Woodcliff Lake, New Jersey is a borough of approximately 5953 residents, incorporated in 1894 as Woodcliff and in 1910 became known as Woodcliff Lake after the local post office.  For many years the town's notable attraction was Tice's Farm on Chestnut Ridge Road, where area residents could shop at the roadside market. In 2001, Tice's Corner was opened on the site, but visitors can still see the stone farm house that today serves as the Woodcliff Lake Senior Center.