Montague Township, New Jersey

Montague Township, New Jersey
Montague Township, New Jersey
Township
	High Point State Park
	Seal
	Nickname: "The Top of New Jersey"
	Map of Montague Township in Sussex County. Inset: Location of Sussex County highlighted in the State of New Jersey.
	Census Bureau map of Montague Township, New Jersey.
	Montague Township Location in Sussex County Montague Township Location in New Jersey Montague Township Location in the United States
	Coordinates: 41°16′51″N 74°43′50″W / 41.280958°N 74.730511°W
Country	United States
State	New Jersey
County	Sussex
Royal patent	March 26, 1759
Incorporated	February 21, 1798
Government
• Type	Township
• Body	Township Committee
• Mayor	George E. Zitone (R, term ends December 31, 2024)
• Administrator / Municipal clerk	Dana Klinger
Area
• Total	46.63 sq mi (120.77 km2)
• Land	45.23 sq mi (117.15 km2)
• Water	1.40 sq mi (3.62 km2) 3.00%
• Rank	38th of 565 in state; 3rd of 24 in county
Elevation	1,066 ft (325 m)
Population (2020)
• Total	3,792
• Estimate (2022)	3,826
• Rank	421st of 565 in state; 13th of 24 in county
• Density	83.8/sq mi (32.4/km2)
• Rank	547th of 565 in state; 22nd of 24 in county
Time zone	UTC−05:00 (Eastern (EST))
• Summer (DST)	UTC−04:00 (Eastern (EDT))
ZIP Code	07827
Area code(s)	973 Exchanges: 293, 948
FIPS code	3403747430
GNIS feature ID	0882256
Website	www.montaguenj.org

Montague Township is a township in Sussex County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey, in the New York City Metropolitan Area. As of the 2020 United States census, the township's population was 3,792,^[8] a decrease of 55 (−1.4%) from the 2010 census count of 3,847,^[16]^[17] which in turn reflected an increase of 435 (+12.7%) from the 3,412 counted in the 2000 census.^[18] High Point, within Montague Township, is the highest elevation within New Jersey at an altitude of 1,803 feet (550 m) above sea level. Montague Township is the northernmost municipality in the state of New Jersey.

Most of the area of Montague Township is public lands, primarily High Point State Park, Stokes State Forest, and Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area. Montague is known for its scenery and wildlife; summer sports in the area include hiking, biking, camping (both public and private campgrounds are available), and fishing.

The derivation of the township's name is uncertain, though suggestions include that it was named after the George Montagu, 4th Duke of Manchester, as suggested by King George II, who approved the royal patent on March 26, 1759;^[19] for Lady Mary Wortley Montagu, an author who was popular at the time; or for solicitor John Montague.^[20] Montague was incorporated on February 21, 1798, by an act of the New Jersey Legislature as one of New Jersey's initial group of 104 townships.^[21]

The township borders both New York and Pennsylvania, the only municipality in New Jersey to border both states; it is a rural community that does not have any traffic lights.^[22] Before Montague Township was granted its own post office in the 1980s, residents had all of their mail delivered through the 12771 ZIP code for Port Jervis, New York, leading to situations where residents had New Jersey driver's licenses with a New York State mailing address.^[23]

^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e 2019 Census Gazetteer Files: New Jersey Places, United States Census Bureau. Accessed July 1, 2020.
^ US Gazetteer files: 2010, 2000, and 1990, United States Census Bureau. Accessed September 4, 2014.
^ Cite error: The named reference Committee was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
^ 2023 New Jersey Mayors Directory, New Jersey Department of Community Affairs, updated February 8, 2023. Accessed February 10, 2023.
^ Township Clerk & Registrar, Montague Township. Accessed May 24, 2024.
^ Cite error: The named reference DataBook was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
^ U.S. Geological Survey Geographic Names Information System: Township of Montague, Geographic Names Information System. Accessed March 8, 2013.
^ ^a ^b Cite error: The named reference LWD2020 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
^ Cite error: The named reference PopEst was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
^ ^a ^b Population Density by County and Municipality: New Jersey, 2020 and 2021, New Jersey Department of Labor and Workforce Development. Accessed March 1, 2023.
^ Look Up a ZIP Code for Montague, NJ, United States Postal Service. Accessed February 24, 2013.
^ Area Code Lookup - NPA NXX for Montague, NJ, Area-Codes.com. Accessed October 5, 2014.
^ U.S. Census website, United States Census Bureau. Accessed September 4, 2014.
^ Geographic Codes Lookup for New Jersey, Missouri Census Data Center. Accessed April 1, 2022.
^ US Board on Geographic Names, United States Geological Survey. Accessed September 4, 2014.
^ Cite error: The named reference Census2010 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
^ Cite error: The named reference LWD2010 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
^ Table 7. Population for the Counties and Municipalities in New Jersey: 1990, 2000 and 2010, New Jersey Department of Labor and Workforce Development, February 2011. Accessed May 1, 2023.
^ Hutchinson, Viola L. The Origin of New Jersey Place Names, New Jersey Public Library Commission, May 1945. Accessed September 7, 2015.
^ History of Montague Archived 2015-06-25 at the Wayback Machine, Montague Association for the Restoration of Community History. Accessed May 19, 2013.
^ Snyder, John P. The Story of New Jersey's Civil Boundaries: 1606-1968, Bureau of Geology and Topography; Trenton, New Jersey; 1969. p. 231. Accessed October 29, 2012.
^ Jennings, Rob (April 21, 2019). "It's a little N.Y. and a little PA. Meet the only N.J. town squeezed between 2 other states". NJ Advance Media. Retrieved April 5, 2021. The only municipality in our state that borders both New York and Pennsylvania is finally starting to feel a little bit more like New Jersey. Residents of rural Montague Township, population 3,753, no longer have a New York mailing address [...] Now, that's not to say that Montague is the typical New Jersey town. It covers more than 45 square miles, but there is not a single traffic light to be found.
^ Hanley, Robert. "New Jersey Journal", The New York Times, May 11, 1980. Accessed February 27, 2020.

[CensusArea-1] 2019 Census Gazetteer Files: New Jersey Places, United States Census Bureau. Accessed July 1, 2020.

[GR1-2] US Gazetteer files: 2010, 2000, and 1990, United States Census Bureau. Accessed September 4, 2014.

[Committee-3] Cite error: The named reference Committee was invoked but never defined (see the help page).

[4] 2023 New Jersey Mayors Directory, New Jersey Department of Community Affairs, updated February 8, 2023. Accessed February 10, 2023.

[5] Township Clerk & Registrar, Montague Township. Accessed May 24, 2024.

[DataBook-6] Cite error: The named reference DataBook was invoked but never defined (see the help page).

[7] U.S. Geological Survey Geographic Names Information System: Township of Montague, Geographic Names Information System. Accessed March 8, 2013.

[LWD2020-8] Cite error: The named reference LWD2020 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).

[PopEst-9] Cite error: The named reference PopEst was invoked but never defined (see the help page).

[LWD2020Density-10] Population Density by County and Municipality: New Jersey, 2020 and 2021, New Jersey Department of Labor and Workforce Development. Accessed March 1, 2023.

[11] Look Up a ZIP Code for Montague, NJ, United States Postal Service. Accessed February 24, 2013.

[12] Area Code Lookup - NPA NXX for Montague, NJ, Area-Codes.com. Accessed October 5, 2014.

[GR2-13] U.S. Census website, United States Census Bureau. Accessed September 4, 2014.

[14] Geographic Codes Lookup for New Jersey, Missouri Census Data Center. Accessed April 1, 2022.

[GR3-15] US Board on Geographic Names, United States Geological Survey. Accessed September 4, 2014.

[Census2010-16] Cite error: The named reference Census2010 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).

[LWD2010-17] Cite error: The named reference LWD2010 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).

[18] Table 7. Population for the Counties and Municipalities in New Jersey: 1990, 2000 and 2010, New Jersey Department of Labor and Workforce Development, February 2011. Accessed May 1, 2023.

[19] Hutchinson, Viola L. The Origin of New Jersey Place Names, New Jersey Public Library Commission, May 1945. Accessed September 7, 2015.

[20] History of Montague Archived 2015-06-25 at the Wayback Machine, Montague Association for the Restoration of Community History. Accessed May 19, 2013.

[Story-21] Snyder, John P. The Story of New Jersey's Civil Boundaries: 1606-1968, Bureau of Geology and Topography; Trenton, New Jersey; 1969. p. 231. Accessed October 29, 2012.

[JenningsonlyNJ-22] Jennings, Rob (April 21, 2019). "It's a little N.Y. and a little PA. Meet the only N.J. town squeezed between 2 other states". NJ Advance Media. Retrieved April 5, 2021. The only municipality in our state that borders both New York and Pennsylvania is finally starting to feel a little bit more like New Jersey. Residents of rural Montague Township, population 3,753, no longer have a New York mailing address [...] Now, that's not to say that Montague is the typical New Jersey town. It covers more than 45 square miles, but there is not a single traffic light to be found.

[23] Hanley, Robert. "New Jersey Journal", The New York Times, May 11, 1980. Accessed February 27, 2020.

[1]

[2]

[6]

[3]

[4]

[5]

[7]

[8]

[9]

[10]

[11]

[12]

[13]

[14]

[15]

[16]

[17]

[18]

[19]

[20]

[21]

[22]

[23]