FLORHAM PARK, NJ

UNION COUNTY

 
 
 

Welcome to Florham Park!

Welcome to the Borough of Florham Park, often referred to as “A Community of Volunteers”. Florham Park is a small suburban community located in Southeastern Morris County, approximately 30 miles west of New York City. Florham Park is bordered on the south by Madison and Chatham Boroughs; on the north by Hanover and East Hanover Townships; on the west by Morris Township; and on the east by the Passaic River. The Borough is 7.6 square miles in size, and has a population of approximately 13,325. Residents enjoy excellent schools, a wide variety of recreational activities, a beautiful library as well as many other activities such as the Summer Gazebo Concerts and awesome 4th of July Parade and Fireworks Display. Florham Park’s convenient location to trains, buses, and major airports, and a friendly small-town atmosphere make it easy to understand why Florham Park is one of Morris County’s most desirable communities to live in. The New York Jets football team now calls Florham Park home with their State of the Art Training Facility and Corporate Headquarters located in Florham Park.

 

Quick Facts:

Check out some “Quick Facts” here, or scroll down for a deeper look at the ins and outs of Summit!

  • 13,325 (2022)

  • Florham Park, NJ is located 29 miles from New York City. Although Florham Park does not have its own train station, train stations close to Florham Park include Convent (in Morris Township) and Madison. NJ Transit provides local bus service to/from Florham Park. New Jersey Route 24 is the most prominent highway directly serving Florham Park for access to Newark and New York City.

  • Florham Park Public School District:

    2 Elementary Schools (PK-2 and 3-5)

    1 Middle School

    For more details on district rankings https://www.niche.com/k12/d/florham-park-school-district-nj/click here. For the Florham Park School District website click here.

  • Florham Park has many fields, playgrounds and a community swimming pool. The recreation department runs seasonal youth sports programs and a summer day camp program.

    Recreation Programs

    Visit the Florham Park Recreation Department website here.

Key Locations

Getting to Florham Park + Commute

Florham Park, NJ is located 29 miles from New York City.  Although Florham Park does not have its own train station, train stations close to Florham Park include Convent (in Morris Township) and Madison.

NJ Transit Bus:

NJ Transit provides local bus service to/from Florham Park on the 70 and 73 routes. 

Other Commute Options:

Cranford Schools

Florham Park School District is a highly rated, public school district serving students in pre-kindergarten through eighth grade with two elementary schools and one middle school.  Students in ninth through twelfth grades attend Hanover Park High School with students from East Hanover Township where the school is located.

Florham Park School District  has 957 students in grades PK, K-8 with a student-teacher ratio of 13 to 1.

For the Florham Park School District website click here.

Elementary School:

Middle School:

 
 
 

Florham Park Recreation

Florham Park, NJ is such a special place to call home. Read below for some of our favorite local traditions and events, plus information on recreation, art, the local dining/shopping scene, and more.

Florham Park, New Jersey Fun Traditions + Annual Events:

  • Friends of the Florham Park Gazebo have brought free summer concerts to Florham Park for over 40 years. Founded by then Mayor Ralph Loveys in 1980 and inspired by the experience of his youth of the gazebo concerts of Cape Cod & supported by the volunteers of The Florham Park Volunteer Fire Department as well as local tradesmen and corporate and private donations. For more information on the Summer Gazebo Concert series visit the website.

  • The Florham Park community holds a special and spectacular 4th of July celebration commemorating the history of Florham Park. The day includes a parade, family picnic, adult social garden, rides for the kids and a spectacular fireworks show. For more information on the Florham Park 4th of July Parade and Fireworks Display visit the website.

  • The National Football League's New York Jets Training Camp is held annually during the summer at the New York Jets Practice Facility in Florham Park. Tickets and information about visiting the New York Jets Practice Facility and the Training Camp is available here.

  • Built as the first school in Florham Park in 1830, the “Little Red Schoolhouse,” is now operated by the Historical Society of Florham Park as a museum. A source of great pride for the local community, the building stands in nearly the same location on the corner of Columbia Turnpike and Ridgedale Avenue, although moved back to accommodate the expansion of Columbia Turnpike. Listed on the NJ and National Registers of Historic Places since the early 1970s, today the building serves as a reminder of the community’s rural roots. For more information visit the Historical Society website here.

How to spend a perfect day in Florham Park

  • 9:30am - Arrive in Florham Park:

    • Arrive by car to Florham Park which is easily accessible by New Jersey Route 24.

    • Start with breakfast at the Florham Park Diner a family-run 1950s diner serving classic American homestyle meals.   Or pick up a bagel and coffee at Florham Park Bagel & Deli.

  • 11:00am - Start exploring the Florham Park shopping scene:

  • 12:00pm - Grab Lunch at one of our favorites:

    • For a fun easy lunch, visit The Thirsty Turtle, a family favorite local gastropub.  We recommend the Blackened Chicken Salad and the Sesame Crusted Ahi Tuna. 

    • Another great option is Taichi for a quick casual lunch of ramen, poke bowls, and bubble tea.

  • 1:00pm - Driving Tour:

    • Take a driving tour to learn about the Florham Park neighborhoods with a Price Group Buyer Specialist!

  • 3:00pm - Enjoy a walk through history or enjoy the outdoors:

    • Visit the historic Little Red Schoolhouse.  Built in 1830, farming and broom-making community established a public school for the local children. The Historical Society of Florham Park now operates the building as a museum and is a source of great pride for the local community.

    • Or hit the links at picturesque Pinch Brook Golf Course, an executive length course, which prides itself on being quicker to play than a championship-length course without being short on challenges.

  • 5:00pm - Treat Yourself:

    • For a fun afternoon treat, visit the Florham Park Roller Rink.  Rent skates and visit during a public skate session and enjoy the fun music and nostalgic classic roller skating experience.

    • For an afternoon cocktail, grab a drink at AKB Hotel Bar, the Archer Hotel’s boutique hotel bar and eatery in Florham Park. Enjoy spirits and regionally inspired, shareable bites with a welcoming vibe.

  • 6:00pm - Have dinner before heading out at one of our favorite places: 

Then head back home, and reminisce on your amazing day spent in Florham Park - and call your Price Group agent to start booking home tours!

Back in time…

First occupied by the Lenape tribe of Native Americans, the area that is now Florham Park was first settled by European settlers of English and Dutch origin sometime between 1680 and 1700, and the community was long recognized as a prime farming area. The area was known for the manufacture of quality brooms, which was the source of one of its town names, Broomtown. At various times during its history, the area was known as Hoppingtown, Broomtown, Columbia, Afton, and finally Florham Park. It was part of Hanover Township, then Chatham Township before being incorporated as Florham Park in 1899.

Florence Adele Vanderbilt Twombly (1854–1952), granddaughter of Cornelius Vanderbilt, renowned as the richest man in America, and her husband, financier, Hamilton McKown Twombly, came to the Morris County countryside in 1887, joining over 100 other millionaires who owned sprawling country retreats. They fancied an English-style country mansion in a stately park setting. "Florham," built on 840 acres (3.4 km2), one of America's finest Gilded Age homes, was the result. The couple named their new estate "Florham," a combination of their first names, Florence and Hamilton. The second part to the name "Florham Park" received its name from a second mansion in town that was on about 1,000 acres (4.0 km2) of land situated where the current Brooklake Country Club is located. Owned by Leslie Ward—one of the founders of the Prudential Insurance Company and the first vice president of the company—it was named "Brooklake Park", partially because of the beautiful lake that was on the property.

Both of these families were supporters of many civic projects including the petitioning of the State of New Jersey to create their own municipality. After the legislature voted on March 9, 1899, the governor signed the bill on March 20, making Florham Park a borough. The new town was named after Florence and Hamilton Twombly's and Ward's estates.