[23][24] Bloomingdale's Federal Hill was the site of the 1781 Pompton Mutiny, a winter revolt of Continental Army troops that was crushed by General Robert Howe on direct orders of General George Washington.

[25] Growth in Bloomingdale was driven by the development in the late 1860s of a rubber mill and other factories in neighboring Butler.

The New Jersey Midland Railroad, later known as the New York, Susquehanna and Western Railway, laid tracks adjacent to the settlement, with a Bloomingdale station located in what today is Riverdale.

Despite crossing a county border, they also shared a school district and residents considered the whole area as "Bloomingdale" until about 1881 when a Post Office named Butler was designated.

This began a period of rivalry which caused a schism between the residents of Butler and Bloomingdale resulting in separate schools, churches and even town bands.

Bloomingdale was incorporated as an independent borough on February 23, 1918, when Pompton Township was split up into three new municipalities along with Wanaque and Ringwood.

The business district along the Paterson-Hamburg Turnpike and the Pequannock River began about the middle of the 19th century.

[7] The borough form of government used by Bloomingdale 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.

[45][46] As of 2023[update], the mayor of the Borough of Bloomingdale is Democrat John D'Amato, whose term of office ends December 31, 2026.

[3][47][48][49][50][51] Council President John D’Amato was selected to serve as acting mayor, filling the seat expiring in December 2023 that became vacant following the death of Jonathan Dunleavy in November 2020.

[52] In December 2021, after D'Amato was elected as mayor in the November 2021 general election, the borough council selected Dominic Catalano from a list of three candidates nominated by the Democratic municipal committee to fill the seat expiring in December 2023 that had been held by John D'Amato until he stepped down from office after being certified as mayor; Catalano served on an interim basis until the November 2022 general election, when voters chose him to serve the balance of the term.

[55] For the 119th United States Congress, New Jersey's 5th congressional district is represented by Josh Gottheimer (D, Wyckoff).

[58] For the 2024-2025 session, the 26th legislative district of the New Jersey Legislature is represented in the State Senate by Joseph Pennacchio (R, Rockaway Township) and in the General Assembly by Brian Bergen (R, Denville Township) and Jay Webber (R, Morris Plains).

[60] As of 2025[update], Passaic County's Commissioners are: Bruce James (D, Clifton, 2026),[61] Deputy Director Cassandra "Sandi" Lazzara (D, Little Falls, 2027),[62] Director John W. Bartlett (D, Wayne, 2027),[63] Orlando Cruz (D, Paterson, 2026),[64] Terry Duffy (D, West Milford, 2025),[65] Rodney DeVore (D, Paterson, 2027)[66] and Pasquale "Pat" Lepore (D, Woodland Park, 2025).

[79] Some of the territory in the protected region is classified as being in the highlands preservation area, and thus subject to additional rules.

[81] Among the borough's 2010 Census population, 65.2% (vs. 53.2% in Passaic County) were registered to vote, including 82.7% of those ages 18 and over (vs. 70.8% countywide).

[98] Schools in the district (with 2019–20 enrollment data from the National Center for Education Statistics[99]) are Martha B.

Bloomingdale was served by the New York, Susquehanna and Western Railway commuter passenger service until 1966.

[110][111] In September 2012, as part of budget cuts, NJ Transit suspended service to Newark on the 75 line.