Brief Bergen County History


Bergen County, in New Jersey, originally included the area that is today Hudson County, and part of the area that is today Passaic County. The county was established in December 1682 (formed 7 Mar 1683), when the Assembly of East Jersey divided the Province into four original counties: Bergen, Essex, Middlesex, and Monmouth.


On October 31, 1693 Bergen County was divided into Bergen and Hackensack Townships. On January 21, 1710 New Barbadoes township was transferred from Essex County to Bergen County and became the county seat.


On February 7, 1837 part of Bergen County's area was transferred to form Passaic County. On February 22, 1840 an area of Bergen County, including the ancient settlement of Bergen, was set off as Hudson County. On February 19, 1852 part of Harrison Township, in Hudson County, was added to Bergen County as Union Township.


What is today Bergen County was settled by the Dutch, French, Scotch, German, English and others, but the character of the county was predominantly Dutch and of an agricultural nature until about 1850. It was about then that the railroads began to open the area as a commuting locality, and wealthy merchants, bankers and lawyers from the cities made towns in Bergen County their summer or year-round homes.

See Park Ridge's history from the main page or click here.


General Information About Bergen County Today

Bergen County, located in the northeastern corner of New Jersey, contains about 234 square miles. It is bounded on the north by Rockland County (NY); on the west by Passaic County, NJ; on the south by Hudson and Essex Counties (NJ); and on the east by the Hudson River. The county seat of Bergen County today is Hackensack.


Bergen County, General Information, 201-646-2000

Bergen County Division of Cultural & Historic Affairs, 21 Main Street, Hackensack, NJ, 201-646-2780

Bergen County Surrogate, Record Room, 201-646-2261

Bergen County Clerk

Mortgages and Deeds, 201-646-2088

Registry Division, 201-646-2092

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