Closter

History

The Lenape Native Americans tilled the soil, hunted in the woods, and fished in the rivers and streams before the Dutch arrived in the early 18th Century. The Dutch settlers, though, left an indelible mark on the area. Early records show that after the English takeover of New Netherland, English Governor Philip Carteret in 1669 granted a real estate speculator named Balthaser De Hart a strip of property which extended east and west from the Hudson River to the Tiena Kill, and north and south from today's Cresskill into Palisades, New York. It is within these geographical boundaries that lies what is now known as Closter. The first land grant deed for the area today known as Closter was not written until April 13, 1671. The northern half of this tract of land consisting of (extending from what is Closter Dock Road northward) was purchased by Barent and Resolvert Nagel on April 25, 1710, who along with the Vervalen family first settled what is now Closter. The name Closter is of Dutch origin and first appears in a November 18, 1721, deed between the surviving Tappan Patentees and Peter Haring (who owned land in Harrington Park/Norwood east of Tappan Road and between Harrington and Blanche Avenues)—the meets and bounds of the deed begin “Beginning at the bridge which comes out of the Clooster by the Dwars Kill..." At that time, Closter was in an area under dispute between the colonial provinces of New Jersey and New York. In the Dutch language, Klooster or "clooster" means "a quiet place, a monastery or cloister." The name was originally pronounced with an "ow" sound, phonetically, "Klowster." Later, just before the American Revolution, these isolated settlers began to feel the impact of the British Crown in their lives—not only in governmental affairs but also by…

Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau, the borough had a total area of 3.30 square miles (8.55 km2), including 3.16 square miles (8.18 km2) of land and 0.14 square miles (0.37 km2) of water (4.30%). As of 2026, the borough is a member of Local Leaders for Responsible Planning in order to address the borough's Mount Laurel doctrine-based housing obligations.

Race & ethnicity

Largest nearby schools

• Ridgewood High School
  High · RIDGEWOOD · 1,746 students · 12.7:1 ratio
• Hackensack High School
  High · HACKENSACK · 1,745 students · 12.7:1 ratio
• Fair Lawn High School
  High · FAIR LAWN · 1,624 students · 13.6:1 ratio
• Hackensack Middle School
  Middle · Hackensack · 1,363 students · 10.8:1 ratio
• Teaneck High School
  High · TEANECK · 1,271 students · 11.8:1 ratio
• Bergen Arts and Sciences Charter School
  Other · GARFIELD · 1,253 students · 15.3:1 ratio
• Bergenfield High School
  High · BERGENFIELD · 1,224 students · 11.5:1 ratio
• Tenafly High School
  High · TENAFLY · 1,200 students · 11.7:1 ratio