Boroughitis was the creation in the 1890s, usually by referendum, of large numbers of small boroughs in the U.S. state of New Jersey, particularly in Bergen County. Attempts by the New Jersey Legislature to reform local government and school systems led to the breakup of most of Bergen County's townships into small boroughs, which still balkanize the state's political map. This occurred following the development of commuter suburbs in New Jersey, residents of which wanted more government services, whereas the long-time rural population feared the increases in taxation that would result.
Bergen County (and neighboring Passaic County) in 1872
The New Jersey State House in Trenton, where the 1894 acts were passed
The Woodcliff School, Woodcliff Lake, Bergen County. The schoolhouse built for the new borough in 1895 is still part of its middle school.
Bergen County, New Jersey
Bergen County is the most populous county in the U.S. state of New Jersey. As of the 2020 United States census, the county's population was 955,732, its highest decennial count ever and an increase of 50,616 (+5.6%) from the 905,116 recorded at the 2010 census, which in turn reflected an increase of 20,998 (2.4%) from the 884,118 counted in the 2000 census. Located in the northeastern corner of New Jersey and its Gateway Region, Bergen County and its many inner suburbs constitute a highly developed part of the New York City metropolitan area, bordering the Hudson River; the George Washington Bridge, which crosses the Hudson, connects Bergen County with Manhattan. The county is part of the North Jersey region of the state.
Atop the Hudson Palisades in Englewood Cliffs, overlooking the Hudson River, the George Washington Bridge, and the skyscrapers of Midtown Manhattan
Bergen and Passaic counties, 1872
Bergen County, 1896
Bergen County, 1918