Passaic County is a county located in the U.S. state of New Jersey. As of the 2000 Census, the population was 489,049. Its county seat is Paterson. It is part of the New York Metropolitan Area.

Passaic County was created on February 7, 1837, from portions of both Bergen County and Essex County. The county is situated in the upper northeastern portion of New Jersey, and is a wonderfully diverse area which ranges from city and suburban areas that offer a wide range of historical, entertainment, dining, and shopping venues to the rural tranquility and beautiful vistas of the northernmost portion of the county.

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 197 square miles, of which, 185 square miles of it is land and 12 square miles of it (5.97%) is water. The highest point is any one of six areas on Bearfort Ridge in West Milford Township at approximately 1,480 ft above sea level. The lowest elevation is approximately 30 ft along the Passaic River in Clifton. The southeastern, more populous half of the county is either flat near the river or mildly hilly. The northwestern section is rugged and mountainous.

New Jersey Transit's Main Line serves the eastern part of Passaic County. Numerous New Jersey Transit bus routes serves Passaic County as well. The major highways that travel through Passaic County are Interstate 287, Interstate 80, US Route 202, US Route 46, Route 23, Route 21, Route 20, Route 19, Route 4, Route 3, and the Garden State Parkway.

Passaic County Community College, founded in 1971, serves students from Passaic County at campuses in Paterson, Wanaque and Wayne. William Paterson University is a public university located in Wayne. Montclair State University is a public university located in Montclair, Little Falls and Clifton.

In 2004, the New Jersey Legislature passed the Highlands Water Protection and Planning Act, which regulates the New Jersey Highlands region. The northwestern area of the county, comprised of the municipalities of Bloomingdale, Pompton Lakes, Ringwood, Wanaque and West Milford, was included in the highlands preservation area and is subject to the rules of the act and the Highlands Water Protection and Planning Council, a division of the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection.

Points of interest in Pasasaic County include: Garret Mountain Reservation in West Paterson, Great Falls State Park in Paterson, High Mountain Park Preserve in Wayne, Rogers Locomotive and Machine Works in Paterson, Skylands -- the New Jersey State Botanical Garden, Yogi Berra Stadium in Little Falls and Ringwood Manor State Park in Ringwood.

What is MLS Guide? MLSGuide.com is a real estate search engine created by Realty Multiple Listing System of New Jersey. It helps you find homes and commercial properties for sale and rent. How? By bringing you up to the minute listings of properties in New Jersey. You can refine your home search in Passaic County, NJ by price, number of bedrooms, bathrooms, and property type (including rentals, condo, condominiums, a single family home, a two family home, a three family home, a four family home, multi family buildings, industrial, retail, commercial, investment properties and vacant land). View our Passaic County School Information page to see information for local school districts. Get in contact with Passaic County real estate agent, Passaic County REALTOR and Passaic County real estate brokers. Find your home in New Jersey today!