What do you picture when you hear “Bergen County, New Jersey”? Maybe it’s the strip malls of Route 4, the packed parking lots near the malls, or the long line of commuters waiting for a bus into Manhattan. Now picture a town of roughly 5,300 people tucked onto steep cliffs above the Hudson River, home to a global consumer-goods giant and a famous business news channel, with almost no industry noise and barely any land to spare. That’s Englewood Cliffs.
This small borough is one of the most interesting places in Bergen County precisely because it doesn’t fit the usual picture. It is tiny in area, wealthy in character, complicated in its relationship with the cliffs it sits on, and quietly important in the regional economy. Here’s a closer look at what makes it tick, from its 1895 origins to the corporate towers that put it on the map.
Where Englewood Cliffs Actually Sits
Geography explains almost everything about this borough. Englewood Cliffs occupies the west bank of the Hudson River in eastern Bergen County, directly north of the George Washington Bridge. Its neighbors are Englewood, Tenafly and Fort Lee. The borough covers roughly 3.3 square miles, and a big chunk of that is steep Palisades cliff, which means the buildable land is far smaller than the map suggests.
That cliffside setting is the reason for the town’s name, and it’s also the reason for its most famous controversy. The Palisades are protected natural terrain. The borough borders the Palisades Interstate Park, a National Historic Landmark district established in 1900 and administered jointly by New York and New Jersey. The park preserves the cliffs and the riverfront, and its rules on height and land use reach directly into local development debates.
For residents, the practical result is a place that feels wooded and elevated, with views that stretch across the river, but with very little room to grow. There are no sprawling subdivisions waiting to be built. What exists is what exists.
A Very Short History of a Very Small Place
Englewood Cliffs was incorporated on March 25, 1895, carved out of portions of Englewood Township. It adopted New Jersey’s borough form of government, which it still uses today: a mayor plus a six-member borough council. That structure is common across the state, and it keeps local decisions close to the people who live with them.
The name comes from the cliffs of the Palisades, and “Englewood” traces back to the earlier township. For much of its early life, the borough was a quiet residential enclave. That changed in the twentieth century as the George Washington Bridge, opened in the early 1930s, transformed the entire corridor. Suddenly a cliffside town north of the bridge was a short drive from Manhattan, and corporations noticed.
The Corporate Identity Nobody Expects
Drive through parts of Englewood Cliffs and you’ll find something odd for a town this small: major corporate headquarters. The borough is home to the global headquarters of Unilever United States, and it has long hosted large corporate offices drawn by the proximity to New York City. In 2003, CNBC moved its studios to Englewood Cliffs, cementing the borough’s reputation as a business address with a suburban feel.
This mix creates an unusual local economy. Property tax revenue from commercial properties helps support a town with a small population. Residents get services that would be harder to fund in a purely residential borough of the same size. At the same time, the corporate presence means traffic patterns, security needs and land-use politics that most small towns never deal with.
The LG Tower Fight That Defined a Decade
If you want to understand how Englewood Cliffs sees itself, look at the LG Electronics headquarters saga. Around 2012, the company proposed a 143-foot tower on the Palisades. The plan drew fierce opposition because it would have exceeded the height limit set by the Palisades Interstate Park Commission and intruded on the cliff line visible from New York.
The fight went on for years. There was litigation, public pressure, and eventually a settlement. A revised, shorter design was approved. The episode left a lasting mark on local politics. It showed that in Englewood Cliffs, the cliffs are a constraint that even global corporations have to respect, rather than a backdrop.
For anyone watching development in Bergen County, this is the key lesson: the borough’s most valuable asset is also its most regulated one. Height limits tied to the Palisades aren’t negotiable the way ordinary zoning sometimes is.
Who Lives There
The 2020 U.S. Census counted roughly 5,300 to 5,400 residents. The borough is predominantly residential, with a strong single-family-home character. It’s the kind of place where people know their neighbors and where the school district is small enough that families actually interact.
That small size has trade-offs. You get attention and community, but you also get limited housing stock and high prices. The commercial tax base helps, but the town is not immune to the affordability pressures affecting the rest of Bergen County.
It’s also worth noting how the borough fits into the wider county’s diversity. Bergen County is one of the most varied places in the country, and towns like Englewood Cliffs reflect that in quieter ways than the bigger cities do.
Schools and the Sending Arrangement
Public school students in Englewood Cliffs attend the Englewood Cliffs Public Schools for kindergarten through eighth grade. For high school, students attend Dwight Morrow High School in Englewood under a sending arrangement, though families have other options as well. (The row)
That sending relationship has changed over time, so it’s worth confirming the current status if you’re considering a move. The pattern is common in small Bergen County boroughs: a K–8 district that sends its older students to a neighboring town’s high school. It keeps local costs down and gives students access to a larger high school experience.
If you’re comparing towns, this detail matters more than it sounds. A sending arrangement means your child’s high school peer group is bigger and more mixed than the elementary school, which some families love and others find jarring.
Getting Around Without a Train
Englewood Cliffs is served by NJ Transit bus routes that connect to the George Washington Bridge Bus Terminal and Manhattan. It is not served by rail. That’s a real consideration for commuters.
The bus option is solid, especially given the proximity to the bridge. But if you’re used to a train station within walking distance, this isn’t that town. Most residents drive, and the borough’s road network is shaped by the cliffs and the bridge approaches.
For a certain kind of buyer, the trade is worth it: you get cliff views, a small community, and a bus ride to the city instead of a packed parking lot at a train station.
Hair, Texture and the Wider Bergen Conversation
Here’s a connection that surprises people: Bergen County’s communities, including Englewood Cliffs and its neighbors, are part of a broader regional conversation about hair texture and care. Readers researching local demographics and lifestyle often end up looking at resources on 4c hair and how tight coils are cared for in humid, four-season climates. Others compare looser patterns, like 2b hair, which sits between straight and wavy and behaves very differently in summer humidity.
Salons in the Englewood and Fort Lee area serve a wide range of textures, and the demand reflects the county’s diversity. If you’re new to the area and trying to find someone who understands your hair, ask specifically about texture experience rather than assuming a general salon will handle it well. That’s practical advice that saves a lot of bad haircuts. (2b hair)
What It’s Actually Like to Live There
Living in Englewood Cliffs means accepting a few realities. First, the town is small and the housing stock is limited, so finding the right home can take patience. Second, the cliffs and the park shape everything from views to building rules. Third, the corporate presence means the tax base is healthier than in many towns of similar size, but it also means local politics can get heated around development.
The upside is real. You get a quiet, wooded borough minutes from the George Washington Bridge, with a genuine sense of place. You get a small school district where your kids aren’t anonymous. And you get the strange distinction of living in a town that hosts a global company headquarters and a major cable news network while still feeling like a neighborhood.
Common Mistakes People Make When Considering the Borough
A few pitfalls come up again and again for people evaluating Englewood Cliffs.
- Assuming the whole town has river views. The cliffs are steep, and many homes sit on the inland side. Check the specific lot, not the town’s reputation.
- Ignoring the height and park rules. If you’re planning a renovation or an addition, confirm what the Palisades rules allow before you buy. This is the mistake that costs the most money.
- Overlooking the high school arrangement. Confirm the current sending status, because it has shifted over time.
- Underestimating the commute reality. There’s no train. The bus works, but test it at rush hour before you commit.
- Treating the corporate tax base as a guarantee. It helps, but budgets and commercial tenants change.
How It Compares to Its Neighbors
| Feature | Englewood Cliffs | Englewood | Fort Lee | Tenafly |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population size | Roughly 5,300 | Much larger | Much larger | Larger |
| Land area | About 3.3 sq mi, much of it cliff | Larger, more varied | Dense, urban | Larger, suburban |
| Rail access | None, bus only | Bus service | Bus service | Bus service |
| Corporate presence | Unilever US HQ, CNBC | Moderate | Strong | Limited |
| Housing character | Single-family dominant | Mixed | Mixed, denser | Single-family dominant |
| Defining feature | Palisades cliffs and park | Downtown and diversity | Bridge proximity | Schools and downtown |
The comparison makes the borough’s identity clear. It is the smallest and most constrained of the group, with the strongest cliff identity and the most unusual corporate footprint.
Conclusion
Englewood Cliffs, Bergen County, is a study in contrasts. It is one of the smallest municipalities in the county, yet it hosts the U.S. headquarters of a global consumer-goods company and the studios of a major business news network. It sits on protected cliffs that limit what can be built, and those same cliffs are the reason people want to live there. It has no train, a tiny population, and a school district that sends its high schoolers to a neighboring town.
For anyone considering a move, the borough rewards careful research. Check the lot in addition to the town. Confirm the school arrangement. Test the bus at rush hour. Understand that the Palisades rules are real and binding. Do that, and you’ll see why this cliffside community has held its character for more than a century, even as the rest of Bergen County kept changing around it.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Englewood Cliffs in Bergen County?
Yes. Englewood Cliffs is a borough in eastern Bergen County, New Jersey, on the west bank of the Hudson River, directly north of the George Washington Bridge. It borders Englewood, Tenafly and Fort Lee.
When was Englewood Cliffs incorporated?
The borough was incorporated on March 25, 1895, from portions of Englewood Township. It uses New Jersey’s borough form of government, with a mayor and a six-member borough council.
Does Englewood Cliffs have a train station?
No. The borough has no rail service. It is served by NJ Transit bus routes that connect to the George Washington Bridge Bus Terminal and Manhattan.
Why was the LG tower in Englewood Cliffs so controversial?
LG Electronics proposed a 143-foot headquarters tower on the Palisades around 2012. Opponents argued it would exceed the height limit set by the Palisades Interstate Park Commission and intrude on the cliff line visible from New York. After litigation and a settlement, a revised, shorter design was approved.
Which high school do Englewood Cliffs students attend?
Students attend the Englewood Cliffs Public Schools for kindergarten through eighth grade, then attend Dwight Morrow High School in Englewood under a sending arrangement, though other options exist. The arrangement has changed over time, so confirm the current status.
What is the population of Englewood Cliffs?
The 2020 U.S. Census counted roughly 5,300 to 5,400 residents. The borough is predominantly residential with a strong single-family-home character, and it covers about 3.3 square miles, much of it steep Palisades cliff.
