Ridgewood is a suburban bedroom community of New York City, located approximately 20 miles (32 km) northwest of Midtown Manhattan.

[27] In 1700, Johannes Van Emburgh built the first home in Ridgewood, having purchased a 250-acre (100 ha) property in 1698.

In 1925, Ridgewood Village acquired area from Franklin Township (remainder now dissolved as Wyckoff).

[32] In 2014, former Ridgewood Public Works Inspector Thomas Rica was convicted of stealing over $460,000 in coins collected from the village's parking meters.

Rica was ordered to pay the entire amount back to the village and was permanently barred from seeking public employment in the state of New Jersey.

[1][2] Ridgewood is adjacent to nine municipalities, eight in Bergen County − Fair Lawn, Glen Rock, Ho-Ho-Kus, Midland Park, Wyckoff, Paramus, Waldwick and Washington Township − and Hawthorne in Passaic County.

[10] The 2010 United States census counted 24,958 people, 8,456 households, and 6,756 families in the village.

[50][51] The indie rock band Real Estate was described by The Record as "Ridgewood's best-known musical export".

[61] The governing body is comprised of five council members who are responsible to hire and oversee a professional village manager who has full executive power for all departments.

[3][63][64][65][66][67][68] In August 2021, councilmember Bernadette Walsh resigned from the seat expiring in December 2024, which was left temporarily vacant.

[72] Ridgewood is one of only four municipalities in New Jersey with the village type of government, joining Loch Arbour, Ridgefield Park and South Orange.

[75][76][77] For the 119th United States Congress, New Jersey's 5th congressional district is represented by Josh Gottheimer (D, Wyckoff).

[80] For the 2024-2025 session, the 40th legislative district of the New Jersey Legislature is represented in the State Senate by Kristin Corrado (R, Totowa) and in the General Assembly by Al Barlas (R, Cedar Grove) and Christopher DePhillips (R, Wyckoff).

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

[82] Bergen County's Commissioners are: Thomas J. Sullivan Jr. (D, Montvale, 2025),[83] Chair Germaine M. Ortiz (D, Emerson, 2025),[84] Joan Voss (D, Fort Lee, 2026),[85] Vice Chair Mary J. Amoroso (D, Mahwah, 2025),[86] Rafael Marte (D, Bergenfield, 2026),[87] Steven A. Tanelli (D, North Arlington, 2027)[88] and Tracy Silna Zur (D, Franklin Lakes, 2027).

[89][90][91][92][93][94][95][96] Bergen County's constitutional officials are: Clerk John S. Hogan (D, Northvale, 2026),[97][98] Sheriff Anthony Cureton (D, Englewood, 2027)[99][100] and Surrogate Michael R. Dressler (D, Cresskill, 2026).

[110] Among the village's 2010 Census population, 64.0% (vs. 57.1% in Bergen County) were registered to vote, including 92.4% of those ages 18 and over (vs. 73.7% countywide).

[120] The Ridgewood Public Schools serves students in pre-kindergarten through twelfth grade.

[138] According to the New Jersey Department of Education, Ridgewood is a socioeconomic District Factor Group of J, the highest of eight categories.

The daily newspaper for the region is The Record which is also published by North Jersey Media Group.

The company's website, NorthJersey.com, has a Ridgewood town page that includes local coverage from all three of these papers.

NJ Transit trains on both the Bergen County and the Main Lines go to Hoboken, stopping at Secaucus Junction, for transfers to trains to Penn Station in Midtown Manhattan and other destinations served by the station.

NJ Transit buses in Ridgewood include the 148, 163 and 164 to the Port Authority Bus Terminal in Midtown Manhattan, the 175 to the George Washington Bridge Bus Station, and local service offered on the 722 (to Paramus Park and Paterson), 746 (to Paterson, as Ridgewood is its terminus) and 752 (to Hackensack) routes.

[147][148] Except for the 148 route, all the others stop at NJ Transit's Ridgewood Bus Terminal on Van Neste Square.

Warner Theater was a Bow Tie Cinema located on East Ridgewood Avenue.