page_title: North Bergen, New Jersey
section_title: Geography
hierarchical_section_title: North Bergen, New Jersey / Geography
caption_attribution_description: English: Looking northwest down a steep residental street in the lower 80s on a sunny midday.
context_page_description: North Bergen is a township in the northern part of Hudson County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, the township had a total population of 60,773, reflecting an increase of 2,681 from the 58,092 counted in the 2000 Census, which had in turn increased by 9,678 from the 48,414 counted in the 1990 Census. The town was founded in 1843. It was much diminished in territory by a series of secessions. Situated on the Hudson Palisades, it is one of the "hilliest" municipalities in the United States. Like neighboring North Hudson communities, North Bergen is among those places in the nation with the highest population density and a majority Hispanic population.
context_section_description: In 1850, the township was roughly rectangular. When the municipalities along the Hudson River (what are now Guttenberg, West New York, Union City and Weehawken) broke away, it left North Bergen roughly shaped as an inverted "L". Its northern section stretches east–west and is south of the Bergen County communities of Cliffside Park, Edgewater, Fairview and Ridgefield. To the east, the Hudson River creates the shared border with the borough of Manhattan in New York City. It shares a border with Carlstadt in the Hackensack River. Its north–south section lies between Secaucus to the west and to the east Guttenberg, West New York and Union City, with which it meets Jersey City at a single point at its southern end. According to the United States Census Bureau, the township had a total area of 5.57 square miles (14.43 km²), including 5.14 square miles (13.30 km²) of land and 0.44 square miles (1.13 km²) of water (7.83%).
  North Bergen has diverse geological features. Partially situated on the Hudson River, the Hudson Palisades rise from the waterfront, while the northern part of the town sits atop the plateau. The cuesta, or slope, on its west side makes North Bergen the city with the second-most hills per square mile in the United States after San Francisco, some of which are extremely steep. A rock formation along the slope (located at 40°48′27″N 74°01′05″W) is composed of unusual serpentinite rock and made up of small rock cliffs. Because of this, it is one of the few undeveloped parts of North Bergen. Low-lying areas along the west side are part of the New Jersey Meadowlands. The unusual shape and diverse topography of North Bergen have created diverse historical and contemporary neighborhoods:
  Bergenline Avenue runs to Nungessers at the Fairview border near North Hudson Park. It has been described as the longest commercial avenue in the state, with over 300 retail stores and restaurants.
  The Racetrack section, between Bergenline and Kennedy Boulevard on the plateau.
  Bergenwood, on the steep slopes of the west side of the Palisades.
  New Durham, site of colonial American Three Pigeons near the Bergen Turnpike and Tonnelle Avenue.
  Meadowview, behind the Municipal Building between the many cemeteries.
  Bulls Ferry, on the Hudson waterfront, site of Roc Harbor, Palisades Medical Center and the Hudson River Waterfront Walkway
  Babbitt, in the Meadowlands district, a part of which is a wetlands preserve known as the Eastern Brackish Marsh.
  Woodcliff on The Palisades around the North Hudson Park.
  Transfer Station near the tripoint with Union City and Jersey City near Paterson Plank Road, Kennedy Boulevard, and Secaucus Road in Secaucus.
  Other historical unincorporated communities, localities and place names located partially or completely within the township include Homestead, Granton, Hudson Heights, New Durham, Shadyside, Three Pigeons and Tyler Park.
  The town has seven cemeteries, more than any other town in the county, including some, such as Weehawken Cemetery and Hoboken Cemetery, that were at one time designated for other towns. This may be due to the layout of the county in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, with North Bergen having more land than its more densely populated neighbors, which had to bury their dead outside of town. It may also date back to the Civil War era. Among these cemeteries are Flower Hill Cemetery and Grove Church Cemetery.
caption: On the western slope overlooking the Meadowlands
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