South Hackensack. Does the name ring a bell? South Hackensack is a township in Bergen County. It is located in the US state of New Jersey. Let’s delve into the story of this small town.
South Hackensack was formed on November 15 1935. It replaced Lodi Township. This change came about due to a referendum. The referendum passed by a significant margin of 309 to 15. The name South Hackensack comes from its location. It is directly south of Hackensack.
A local historian named Kevin Wright described the area. He said the territory that became South Hackensack was the “last unattractive portion” of Lodi Township. Neighboring municipalities did not want it. They didn’t want to pave roads there. They also didn’t want to school the children.
Interestingly the state government has proposed merging South Hackensack with its neighbors. However residents show very little desire for such a merger.
In November 2024 Representative Josh Gottheimer made an announcement. He declared his candidacy for governor of New Jersey. He chose South Hackensack’s Runway Diner as the location.
According to the United States Census Bureau South Hackensack has a total area of 0.75 square miles. That is 1.94 square kilometers. This includes 0.72 square miles of land and 0.03 square miles of water. The water makes up 4.27% of the total area.
South Hackensack is divided into three noncontiguous sections. This happened after several boroughs formed within Lodi Township. The primary residential section is in the northeast. It is next to Hackensack Little Ferry and Teterboro. A small western part is known as Garfield Park. It lies between Garfield Lodi Wallington and Wood-Ridge. A southern sliver contains only industrial properties. It lies in the Meadowlands between Carlstadt Moonachie and Ridgefield. South Hackensack is a suburb of New York City.
In 2020 the population was 2701. This was an increase from previous years. The racial makeup is diverse. It includes White African American Native American Asian and Pacific Islander residents. There are also people from other races and mixed backgrounds. A significant portion of the population identifies as Hispanic or Latino.
As of the 2000 census 36.3% of South Hackensack residents were of Italian ancestry. This was the 11th-highest percentage in the United States. It was the fourth-highest in New Jersey.
Public school students attend Memorial School for pre-kindergarten through eighth grade. High school students attend Hackensack High School.
As of May 2010 South Hackensack had 11.16 miles of roadways. Interstate 80 crosses the main part of the township. US Route 46 skirts its southern border. County Route 503 runs along its eastern border.
NJ Transit provides bus service. Buses run between South Hackensack and the Port Authority Bus Terminal in Midtown Manhattan. There are also routes to Newark. Local service is available too.
South Hackensack. It may be small but its history and location make it unique. From its formation to its demographics South Hackensack has a story to tell. It is a story of resilience independence and community.