[25] At the time of European colonization, the area was home to the Hackensack tribe of the Lenape Native Americans, who maintained a large settlement to the north on Overpeck Creek.

Their name is an exonym taken from the territory and is translated as place of stony ground [26] which describes the diminishing Hudson Palisades as they descend into the Meadowlands becoming the ridgefield that is part of Hackensack River flood plain.

In 1642, Myndert Myndertsen received a patroonship as part of the New Netherland colony for much the land in the Hackensack and Passaic valleys.

He called his settlement Achter Kol, or rear mountain pass, which refers to its accessibility to the interior behind the Palisades.

[28][29] In 1668, much of the land between Overpeck Creek and the Hudson River was purchased by Samuel Edsall,[30] and soon became known as the English Neighborhood, despite the fact most of the settlers were of Dutch and Huguenot origin.

To this day the names of the streets in this part of the town—Sketch Place, Studio Road and Art Lane—pay homage to Grantwood's history.

[36][37] The initial 118 miles (190 km) of the New Jersey Turnpike were completed in 1952, with the original northern terminus at an interchange connecting to Route 46 in Ridgefield.

[38] An additional four-mile stretch of road connecting the Turnpike from Ridgefield to Interstate 80 in Teaneck and from there to the George Washington Bridge was completed in 1964.

The third section is Ridgefield Heights, on the second hill at the extreme eastern part of the borough, running north and south.

[48][49] As of the 2000 Census, 16.31% of Ridgefield's residents identified themselves as being of Korean ancestry, which was the sixth highest in the United States and fourth highest of any municipality in New Jersey—behind Palisades Park (36.38%), Leonia (17.24%) and Fort Lee (17.18%)—for all places with 1,000 or more residents identifying their ancestry.

[57][58] As of 2023[update], the mayor of Ridgefield Borough is Democrat Hugo Jimenez, who was appointed to serve an unexpired term of office ending on December 31, 2023.

Joanna Leigh Congalton-Hali was appointed to fill the council seat Jimenez had held expiring in December 2025.

In January 2023, the borough council selected Yongki Colin Ryu to fill the seat expiring in December 2024 that had been held by Ray Penabad until he resigned from office; Ryu will serve on an interim basis until the November 2023 general election, when voters will select a candidate to serve the balance of the term of office.

[65] In June 2018, the borough council selected Lauren Larkin from a list of three candidates to fill the seat expiring in December 2020 that became vacant following the resignation of Javier Acosta.

[67] In July 2009, Mayor Suarez was one of 44 people arrested across the state as part of Operation Bid Rig, a joint investigation into political corruption and money laundering.

Suarez was charged with accepting a $10,000 cash bribe for assistance in arranging approvals to develop properties in Ridgefield.

[72][73][74] For the 119th United States Congress, New Jersey's 9th congressional district is represented by Nellie Pou (D, North Haledon)[75] New Jersey is represented in the United States Senate by Democrats Cory Booker (Newark, term ends 2027) and Andy Kim (Moorestown, term ends 2031).

[76] 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).

As of 2025[update], the county executive is James J. Tedesco III (D, Paramus), whose four-year term of office ends December 31, 2026.

[78] Bergen County's Commissioners are: Thomas J. Sullivan Jr. (D, Montvale, 2025),[79] Chair Germaine M. Ortiz (D, Emerson, 2025),[80] Joan Voss (D, Fort Lee, 2026),[81] Vice Chair Mary J. Amoroso (D, Mahwah, 2025),[82] Rafael Marte (D, Bergenfield, 2026),[83] Steven A. Tanelli (D, North Arlington, 2027)[84] and Tracy Silna Zur (D, Franklin Lakes, 2027).

[85][86][87][88][89][90][91][92] Bergen County's constitutional officials are: Clerk John S. Hogan (D, Northvale, 2026),[93][94] Sheriff Anthony Cureton (D, Englewood, 2027)[95][96] and Surrogate Michael R. Dressler (D, Cresskill, 2026).

[106] Among the borough's 2010 Census population, 49.6% (vs. 57.1% in Bergen County) were registered to vote, including 63.2% of those ages 18 and over (vs. 73.7% countywide).

[129][130] Original plans for the Hudson–Bergen Light Rail included a northern terminus at Vince Lombardi Park & Ride.