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Pompton Lakes is a borough in Passaic County, New Jersey, set in the Ramapo Mountains roughly 20 miles northwest of Midtown Manhattan. It is a classic northern New Jersey lakeside town: two recreational lakes and three rivers — the Ramapo, Pequannock, and Wanaque — run through or border the borough, and the 175-acre Pompton Lake, created by a dam on the Ramapo River in 1908, anchors the eastern edge of town. From higher elevations, residents can see the New York City skyline, a reminder of how close the borough sits to the region's urban core. The area was settled in the late 1600s and began to develop more seriously in the early 1700s after the discovery of iron ore, which drew early industry to the Ramapo Valley. It remained part of Pompton Township until 1895, when Pompton Lakes split off and incorporated as its own borough. Through much of the 20th century the community balanced its residential and recreational character with local manufacturing, including a long-running DuPont works; today it functions primarily as a quiet outer-ring suburb, with many residents commuting to New York City and northern New Jersey employment centers. With about 11,000 residents, Pompton Lakes is small enough to feel self-contained. It has its own K-12 school district, a recreation commission that runs year-round programs, and lakefront parkland along a redeveloped shoreline on Lakeside Avenue. The borough's layout places older single-family homes on compact lots around a modest downtown, while the lake and the Ramapo Mountain ridges shape the edges of town. The appeal of Pompton Lakes lies in the combination of that small-town, water-centered lifestyle with genuine proximity to the region's economy. Families are drawn by the local schools and recreation, commuters by the direct bus link to the Port Authority, and outdoors-oriented residents by the fishing, paddling, and hiking in and around the borough. For those who want a lake-oriented community within the New York metro orbit rather than a dense, fully suburbanized township, Pompton Lakes offers a distinctive, enduring niche.

Population 11,127

County Passaic County

Active Listings 95

Frequently Asked Questions

What county is Pompton Lakes in?

Pompton Lakes is a borough in Passaic County, New Jersey, located in the northern part of the state. It sits within the Ramapo Mountains roughly 20 miles northwest of Midtown Manhattan.

What school district serves Pompton Lakes?

The Pompton Lakes School District serves the borough, operating four schools and about 1,700 students in kindergarten through twelfth grade, with two elementary schools, a middle school, and a high school.

What lakes and rivers are in Pompton Lakes?

Pompton Lakes is named for its lakes. The 175-acre Pompton Lake, formed by a 1908 dam on the Ramapo River, borders the eastern edge of the borough, and the Ramapo, Pequannock, and Wanaque rivers all pass through town with public access for fishing and paddling.

How far is Pompton Lakes from New York City?

Pompton Lakes is an outer-ring suburb of New York City. NJ Transit buses run to the Port Authority Bus Terminal in Manhattan, with the trip typically taking about 40 to 50 minutes, and driving to Midtown is roughly 30 miles.

What is the history of Pompton Lakes?

Pompton Lakes was settled in the late 1600s and grew after iron ore was discovered in the early 1700s. The borough later split from Pompton Township and was incorporated as its own municipality in 1895.

City Guide

About Pompton Lakes

Real Estate & Housing

Pompton Lakes' housing stock is predominantly older single-family homes, many built in the first half of the 20th century, with a mix of colonials, capes, and ranches on compact borough lots. Lakeside properties along the redeveloped shoreline of Pompton Lake offer wooded, water-adjacent settings and are among the borough's most distinctive homes. The housing inventory also includes some multi-family and rental options near the commercial center. As a fully built-out Passaic County borough, there is little room for new large-scale construction, so the market is defined by established homes, mature landscaping, and a stable, family-oriented feel rather than new subdivisions.

Neighborhoods

Pompton Lakes is a compact borough, so its neighborhoods read more as sections than as large named developments. The area around Pompton Lake and Lakeside Avenue features the borough's most scenic residential streets, with wooded lakefront properties and redeveloped shoreline parkland. The central streets near the municipal building and downtown form the traditional heart of the community. To the west and north, the land rises into the Ramapo Mountains, where some streets offer distant views of the New York City skyline. Surrounding communities — Wayne, Wanaque, and Oakland — provide the next ring of shopping and services, but within the borough itself, the lakes and rivers remain the organizing landmarks.

Lifestyle in Pompton Lakes

Pompton Lakes offers a small-town, outdoor-flavored lifestyle within commuting distance of New York City. The lakes and rivers are woven into daily life, with residents fishing, kayaking, canoeing, and renting paddleboats on Pompton Lake during the summer. The borough's recreation commission runs seasonal programs for all ages, from tennis and bowling to field hockey and arts, and local parks and the Ramapo Valley County Reservation provide easy access to hiking. The downtown along Wanaque and Hamburg avenues holds a modest cluster of shops and restaurants, while the wider dining and entertainment options of northern New Jersey sit just beyond the borough. The result is a close-knit community that pairs lake recreation with a practical NYC commute.

Schools & Education

The Pompton Lakes School District serves the borough with four schools — two elementary schools, a middle school, and a high school — educating roughly 1,700 students in kindergarten through twelfth grade. The district's small size gives it a close-knit, community-centered feel, with students progressing through a single, unified system. For higher education, the borough is within reach of William Paterson University in Wayne, Ramapo College in Mahwah, and the broader network of colleges across northern New Jersey. Families also have access to private and parochial school options in neighboring Passaic and Bergen county communities.

Getting Around

Pompton Lakes is well connected for a small borough. NJ Transit bus service links the borough directly to the Port Authority Bus Terminal in Manhattan, with the trip typically taking about 40 to 50 minutes, and express service runs during peak commuting hours. By car, Route 23, Interstate 287, and Routes 202 and 46 are all nearby, providing access to northern New Jersey's highway network, Newark and the region's airports, and points west into Morris and Sussex counties. There is no rail station within the borough itself, so most commuters rely on buses or park-and-ride options at nearby stations, but the overall commute into the city is among the more manageable for outer-ring New Jersey suburbs.

Parks & Recreation

Recreation in Pompton Lakes centers on its waterways. Pompton Lake and the borough's other lake offer public access for shoreline fishing, kayaking, and canoeing, with paddleboat and kayak rentals available in summer and boat launching year-round. The lake has even produced New Jersey state-record catches, reflecting its genuine fishing quality. Nearby, the Ramapo Valley County Reservation and other county parks add hiking trails and open space in the Ramapo Mountains, while Hershfield Park and Lakeside Park provide playgrounds and gathering space. The borough's recreation commission runs seasonal leagues and classes, keeping both the waterfront and the parks active throughout the year.