SADDLE RIVER, NJ

Saddle River is a borough in Bergen County, New Jersey, United States. It is a suburb of New York City, located just over northwest of Manhattan. The town is known for its natural fields, farmland, forests, and rivers, and has a bucolic atmosphere, in part due in part to a minimum zoning requirement of for homes. The borough contains both stately historic homes and estates, as well as newer mansions. It is popular among residents seeking spacious properties in a countryside-like setting, while also having proximity to New York City.

Saddle River is one of the highest-income small municipalities in the United States and was ranked 9th in New Jersey in per capita income as of the 2010 Census. Saddle River was ranked among the Top 100 in Forbes Most Expensive Zip Codes in America in 2010. Saddle River was ranked the richest suburb in the nation among those with 2,500 or more people (based on 1989 per capita income). The town has been home to notable residents including former US Presidents, celebrities, athletes, and businessmen (See "Notable People").

The New York Times has described Saddle River as "a place where one can still keep horses - one per acre - see a deer, listen to the birds, and catch a fish in the trout stream that gives the town its name."

As of the 2010 United States Census, the borough's population was 3,152, reflecting a decline of 49 (−1.5%) from the 3,201 counted in the 2000 Census, which had in turn increased by 251 (+8.5%) from the 2,950 counted in the 1990 Census.

Saddle River is a dry town, where alcohol cannot be sold.

History

Saddle River traces its origins to 1675. Saddle River was incorporated as a borough by an act of the New Jersey Legislature on November 22, 1894, from portions of Orvil Township, based on the results of a referendum held three days earlier. The borough was formed during the "Boroughitis" phenomenon then sweeping through Bergen County, in which 26 boroughs were formed in the county in 1894 alone. Saddle River's referendum passed on November 19, one day before the referendum passed for the formation of the neighboring borough of Upper Saddle River. An additional portion of Orvil Township was annexed in 1903.

The borough is named after the Saddle River, which flows through the borough and is a tributary of the Passaic River, which in turn was named for a stream and valley in Saddell, Argyll, Scotland.

Historic sites

Saddle River is home to the following locations on the National Register of Historic Places:

Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau, the borough had a total area of 4.97 square miles (12.86 km²), including 4.91 square miles (12.73 km²) of land and 0.05 square miles (0.13 km²) of water (1.03%).

The borough is bounded by eight municipalities in Bergen County: the boroughs of Allendale, Hillsdale, Ho-Ho-Kus, Ramsey, Upper Saddle River, Waldwick, Washington Township and Woodcliff Lake.

Mount Pleasant and Villa Marie Claire are unincorporated communities located within Saddle River.

Property Values

The median home value in Saddle River NJ was $1,960,294 compared to $596,000 for Bergen County, $440,000 for the state of NJ, and $331,000 for the US overall, as of March 31, 2022.

Demographics

2010 Census

The Census Bureau's 2006–2010 American Community Survey showed that (in 2010 inflation-adjusted dollars) median household income was $97,197 (with a margin of error of +/− $48,774) and the median family income was $162,500 (+/− $61,174). Males had a median income of $162,740 (+/− $30,154) versus $56,339 (+/− $25,675) for females. The per capita income for the borough was $86,812 (+/− $16,562). About 0.9% of families and 1.3% of the population were below the poverty line, including 3.1% of those under age 18 and none of those age 65 or over.

Same-sex couples headed seven households in 2010, an increase from the six counted in 2000.

2000 Census

As of the 2000 United States Census there were 3,201 people, 1,118 households, and 926 families residing in the borough. The population density was 642.6 people per square mile (248.2/km²). There were 1,183 housing units at an average density of 237.5 per square mile (91.7/km²). The racial makeup of the borough was 89.85% White, 0.75% African American, 7.15% Asian, 0.03% Pacific Islander, 0.81% from other races, and 1.41% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 2.56% of the population.

There were 1,118 households, out of which 31.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 76.6% were married couples living together, 3.8% had a female householder with no husband present, and 17.1% were non-families. 14.2% of all households were made up of individuals, and 8.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.77 and the average family size was 3.05.

In the borough the age distribution of the population shows 22.5% under the age of 18, 4.7% from 18 to 24, 19.5% from 25 to 44, 32.9% from 45 to 64, and 20.4% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 47 years. For every 100 females, there were 92.8 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 93.0 males.

The median income for a household in the borough was $134,289, and the median income for a family was $152,169. Males had a median income of $100,000 versus $61,458 for females. The per capita income for the borough was $85,934. About 2.8% of families and 3.6% of the population were below the poverty line, including 2.4% of those under age 18 and 10.3% of those age 65 or over.

Government

Local government

Saddle River is governed under the Borough form of New Jersey municipal government, which is used in 218 municipalities (of the 565) statewide, making it the most common form of government in New Jersey. The governing body is comprised of a mayor and a Borough Council comprising six council members, on a partisan basis as part of the November general election. A mayor is elected directly by the voters to a four-year term. 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 Saddle River 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 serves as chief executive officer, and is an ex-officio member of all municipal committees and is the approving authority in the Borough of Saddle River. Mayoral appointments to the various boards and committees in the borough are subject to confirmation by the Borough Council. Borough Council members serve on various operating committees and function in a liaison capacity to provide information and direction to the entire governing body.

, the mayor is Republican Albert J. "Al" Kurpis, whose term of office ends December 31, 2023. Members of the Saddle River Borough Council are Council President Rosario Ruffino (R, 2021), John V. Azzariti Jr. (R, 2023), Duncan Carpenter (R, 2022), Christopher DiGirolamo (R, 2021;elected to serve an unexpired term), David Hekemian (R, 2022) and Ravi Sachdev (R, 2023).

John Azzariti and Ravi Sachdev were sworn in to three-year terms by Mayor Albert Kurpis during a combined in-person/remote session in January 2021. Azzariti had been appointed to the council last July after Councilman John DeRosa resigned for professional reasons. However, Azzariti chose to run with Sachdev for two open three-year terms, seats previously held by Paul Schulstad — who resigned in March 2020 — and Eric Jensen, who did not seek a new term. Christopher DiGirolamo was elected to serve the one year remaining on DeRosa's term of office.

In March 2020, the Borough Council appointed Christopher T. DiGirolamo to fill the seat expiring in December 2020 that was vacated by Paul Schulstad when he resigned from office earlier that month.

Federal, state and county representation

Saddle River is located in the 5th Congressional District and is part of New Jersey's 39th state legislative district.

Politics

Saddle River leans strongly Republican, both in terms of registration and election results. In 14 of the last 15 presidential elections, Republican candidates have carried Saddle River by margins of greater than 30 points despite their Democratic opponents winning Bergen County in seven of those elections. Bergen County also supported Republican candidates Warren G. Harding in 1920, and Charles Evans Hughes in 1916. However, Progressive Party candidate Theodore Roosevelt won the city in 1912 over New Jersey native Woodrow Wilson, and GOP nominee William Howard Taft.

Please note that election results from 1928-1956 were obtained from newspaper clippings, and may not be official. Third parties were not listed for Saddle River in most of those articles.

As of March 23, 2011, there were a total of 2,387 registered voters in Saddle River, of which 286 (12.0% vs. 31.7% countywide) were registered as Democrats, 1,211 (50.7% vs. 21.1%) were registered as Republicans and 889 (37.2% vs. 47.1%) were registered as Unaffiliated. There was one voter registered to another party. Among the borough's 2010 Census population, 75.7% (vs. 57.1% in Bergen County) were registered to vote, including 96.0% of those ages 18 and over (vs. 73.7% countywide).

In the 2013 gubernatorial election, Republican Chris Christie received 84.7% of the vote (845 cast), ahead of Democrat Barbara Buono with 14.3% (143 votes), and other candidates with 1.0% (10 votes), among the 1,032 ballots cast by the borough's 2,475 registered voters (34 ballots were spoiled), for a turnout of 41.7%. In the 2009 gubernatorial election, Republican Chris Christie received 968 votes here (74.4% vs. 45.8% countywide), ahead of Democrat Jon Corzine with 283 votes (21.8% vs. 48.0%), Independent Chris Daggett with 39 votes (3.0% vs. 4.7%) and other candidates with one vote (0.1% vs. 0.5%), among the 1,301 ballots cast by the borough's 2,436 registered voters, yielding a 53.4% turnout (vs. 50.0% in the county).

Education

The Saddle River School District, serves students in pre-kindergarten through fifth grade at Wandell School. As of the 2018–19 school year, the district, comprised of one school, had an enrollment of 165 students and 18.5 classroom teachers (on an FTE basis), for a student–teacher ratio of 8.9:1. In the 2016–17 school year, Saddle River was tied for the 28th-smallest enrollment of any school district in the state, with 150 students.

Public school students from Saddle River attend the Ramsey Public School District's middle school and then have the option of attending either Ramsey High School or Northern Highlands Regional High School as part of sending/receiving relationships with each of the respective districts. As of the 2018–19 school year, Northern Highlands High School had an enrollment of 1,377 students and 110.4 classroom teachers (on an FTE basis), for a student–teacher ratio of 12.5:1. while Ramsey High School had an enrollment of 870 students and 80.4 classroom teachers (on an FTE basis), for a student–teacher ratio of 10.8:1. One of under ten districts with a dual send-receive relationship, three quarters of Saddle River's high school students attend Northern Highlands and about a quarter attend Ramsey High School.

All students in 8th grade 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.

Saddle River Day School is a K–12 private school that was founded in 1957.

Transportation

, 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 passes through Saddle River. Other main roads include West Saddle River Road, East Saddle River Road, Allendale Road, and Chestnut Ridge Road.

Saddle River is served mainly by Route 17, which runs directly through the borough, but certain portions are served by locations in Ho-Ho-Kus, Waldwick, Upper Saddle River, and Allendale. The Garden State Parkway is within a short distance of the borough at exit 171 in Woodcliff Lake.

Notable people

People who were born in, residents of, or otherwise closely associated with Saddle River include: