East Rutherford, New Jersey
East Rutherford is a borough in Bergen County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey. It is an inner-ring suburb of New York City, located 7 miles (11 km) west of Midtown Manhattan. As of the 2020 United States census, the borough's population was 10,022,[9][10] an increase of 1,109 (+12.4%) from the 2010 census count of 8,913,[19][20] which in turn reflected an increase of 197 (+2.3%) from the 8,716 counted in the 2000 census.[21]
"East Rutherford" redirects here. For other uses, see Rutherford.
East Rutherford, New Jersey
April 17, 1889 (as Boiling Springs township)
March 28, 1894 (as East Rutherford)
Borough Council
Danielle Lorenc[5]
4.04 sq mi (10.47 km2)
3.71 sq mi (9.61 km2)
0.33 sq mi (0.85 km2) 8.14%
295th of 565 in state
20th of 70 in county[1]
3 ft (0.9 m)
10,022
10,397
244th of 565 in state
40th of 70 in county[12]
2,699.9/sq mi (1,042.4/km2)
239th of 565 in state
46th of 70 in county[12]
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.[22] 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.[22] While there was no change in its borders, the name and form of government were changed.[22][23] 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.[24]
East Rutherford is the home of the Meadowlands Sports Complex, which includes Meadowlands Arena and MetLife Stadium, and used to be the location of Giants Stadium. The arena is best known as the former home of the New Jersey Devils of the National Hockey League and of the New Jersey Nets of the National Basketball Association, and for hosting 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 (NFL), 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. East Rutherford will be one of 16 venues chosen to host games for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, with eight matches including the final at MetLife Stadium (New York/New Jersey Stadium).[25][26] 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,[27] as well as the smallest city to host any professional sports team within its city limits.
The borough is also the site of American Dream Meadowlands, a large shopping center and entertainment complex that was originally named "Xanadu" which opened on October 25, 2019.[28]
Geography[edit]
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the borough had a total area of 4.04 square miles (10.47 km2), including 3.71 square miles (9.61 km2) of land and 0.33 square miles (0.85 km2) of water (8.14%).[1][2]
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.[29][30][31] 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.[32]
Economy[edit]
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.[43] 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.[44]
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.[45]
Government[edit]
Local government[edit]
East Rutherford is governed under the borough form of New Jersey municipal government, which is used in 218 municipalities (of the 564) statewide, making it the most common form of government in New Jersey.[46] 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.[6] 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.[47][48]
As of 2024, East Rutherford's Mayor is Democrat Jeffrey Lahullier, whose term of office ends December 31, 2027.[3] The borough council members are Council President Michael C. Lorusso (D, 2024), Daniel Alvarez Jr. (D, 2024), Jason Bulger (D, 2025), George W. Cronk (D, 2025), Jesse L. De Rosa (D, 2026) and Edward C. Ravettine (D, 2026).[49][50][51][52][53][54]
Federal, state and county representation[edit]
East Rutherford is located in the 9th Congressional District[55] and is part of New Jersey's 36th state legislative district.[56][57][58]
For the 118th United States Congress, New Jersey's 9th congressional district is represented by Bill Pascrell (D, Paterson).[59][60]
New Jersey is represented in the United States Senate by Democrats Cory Booker (Newark, term ends 2027)[61] and Bob Menendez (Englewood Cliffs, term ends 2025).[62][63] For the 2024-2025 session, the 36th legislative district of the New Jersey Legislature is represented in the State Senate by Paul Sarlo (D, Wood-Ridge) and in the General Assembly by Clinton Calabrese (D, Cliffside Park) and Gary Schaer (D, Passaic).[64]
Bergen County is governed by a directly elected County Executive, with legislative functions performed by a Board of County Commissioners composed of seven members who are elected at-large to three-year terms in partisan elections on a staggered basis, with either two or three seats coming up for election each November; a Chairman and Vice Chairman are selected from among its seven members at a reorganization meeting held every January. As of 2024, the county executive is James J. Tedesco III (D, Paramus), whose four-year term of office ends December 31, 2026.[65]
Bergen County's Commissioners are:
Thomas J. Sullivan Jr. (D, Montvale, 2025),[66]
Chair Germaine M. Ortiz (D, Emerson, 2025),[67] Joan Voss (D, Fort Lee, 2026),[68]
Vice Chair Mary J. Amoroso (D, Mahwah, 2025),[69]
Rafael Marte (D, Bergenfield, 2026),[70]
Steven A. Tanelli (D, North Arlington, 2024)[71] and
Tracy Silna Zur (D, Franklin Lakes, 2024).[72][73][74][75][76][77][78][79]
Bergen County's constitutional officials are:
Clerk John S. Hogan (D, Northvale, 2026),[80][81]
Sheriff Anthony Cureton (D, Englewood, 2024)[82][83] and Surrogate Michael R. Dressler (D, Cresskill, 2026).[84][85][75][86]
Politics[edit]
As of March 2011, there were a total of 4,484 registered voters in East Rutherford, of which 1,233 (27.5% vs. 31.7% countywide) were registered as Democrats, 1,190 (26.5% vs. 21.1%) were registered as Republicans and 2,058 (45.9% vs. 47.1%) were registered as Unaffiliated. There were 3 voters registered as Libertarians or Greens.[87] Among the borough's 2010 Census population, 50.3% (vs. 57.1% in Bergen County) were registered to vote, including 61.5% of those ages 18 and over (vs. 73.7% countywide).[87][88]
In the 2016 presidential election, Democrat Hillary Clinton received 1,918 votes (50.1% vs. 54.2% countywide), ahead of Republican Donald Trump with 1,740 votes (45.5% vs. 41.1% countywide) and other candidates with 169 votes (4.4% vs. 4.6% countywide), among the 3,871 ballots cast by the borough's 5,380 registered voters for a turnout of 71.9% (vs. 72.5% in Bergen County).[89] In the 2012 presidential election, Democrat Barack Obama received 1,859 votes (59.7% vs. 54.8% countywide), ahead of Republican Mitt Romney with 1,340 votes (43.0% vs. 43.5%) and other candidates with 48 votes (1.5% vs. 0.9%), among the 3,115 ballots cast by the borough's 4,845 registered voters, for a turnout of 64.3% (vs. 70.4% in Bergen County).[90][91] In the 2008 presidential election, Democrat Barack Obama received 1,888 votes (51.8% vs. 53.9% countywide), ahead of Republican John McCain with 1,660 votes (45.5% vs. 44.5%) and other candidates with 54 votes (1.5% vs. 0.8%), among the 3,647 ballots cast by the borough's 4,911 registered voters, for a turnout of 74.3% (vs. 76.8% in Bergen County).[92][93] In the 2004 presidential election, Democrat John Kerry received 1,641 votes (49.6% vs. 51.7% countywide), ahead of Republican George W. Bush with 1,613 votes (48.7% vs. 47.2%) and other candidates with 30 votes (0.9% vs. 0.7%), among the 3,309 ballots cast by the borough's 4,634 registered voters, for a turnout of 71.4% (vs. 76.9% in the whole county).[94]
In the 2013 gubernatorial election, Republican Chris Christie received 59.4% of the vote (1,205 cast), ahead of Democrat Barbara Buono with 38.7% (785 votes), and other candidates with 1.8% (37 votes), among the 2,111 ballots cast by the borough's 4,596 registered voters (84 ballots were spoiled), for a turnout of 45.9%.[95][96] In the 2009 gubernatorial election, Republican Chris Christie received 1,004 votes (48.2% vs. 45.8% countywide), ahead of Democrat Jon Corzine with 919 votes (44.1% vs. 48.0%), Independent Chris Daggett with 112 votes (5.4% vs. 4.7%) and other candidates with 17 votes (0.8% vs. 0.5%), among the 2,082 ballots cast by the borough's 4,709 registered voters, yielding a 44.2% turnout (vs. 50.0% in the county).[97]
Emergency services[edit]
Fire[edit]
The East Rutherford Fire Department (ERFD) 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.[112]
People who were born in, residents of, or otherwise closely associated with East Rutherford include: