Morristown

History

Present-day Morristown was initially inhabited by the Lenni Lenape Native Americans for up to 6,000 years prior to exploration of Europeans. The first European settlements in this portion of New Jersey were established by Sweden and the Netherlands in the early 17th century, when significant trade in furs existed between the natives and the Europeans at temporary posts. It became part New Netherland, a Dutch colony, but the English seized control of the region in 1664, which was granted to Sir George Carteret and John Berkeley, 1st Baron Berkeley of Stratton, and named the Province of New Jersey. Morristown was settled around 1715 by English Presbyterians from Southold, New York, on Long Island and New Haven, Connecticut, as the village of New Hanover. The town's central location and road connections led to its selection as the seat of the new Morris County shortly after its separation from Hunterdon County on March 15, 1739. The village and county were named for Lewis Morris, the first and then sitting royal governor of a united colony of New Jersey. In 1777, General Washington and the Continental Army marched from the victories at Trenton and Princeton to encamp near Morristown from January to May. Washington's headquarters during that first encampment was at Jacob Arnold's Tavern, located at the Morristown Green in the center of Morristown. Morristown was selected for its extremely strategic location. It was between Philadelphia and New York and near New England while being protected by the Watchung Mountains from the bulk of British troops camped in New York City. It also was chosen for the skills and trades of the residents, local industries and natural resources to provide arms, and what was thought to be the ability of the community to provide enough food to…

Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau, Morristown town had a total area of 3.01 square miles (7.79 km2), including 2.91 square miles (7.53 km2) of land and 0.10 square miles (0.25 km2) of water (3.26%). making it part of 21 pairs of "doughnut towns" in the state, where one municipality entirely surrounds another. The downtown shopping and business district of Morristown is centered around a square park, known as the Morristown Green. It is a former market square from Morristown's colonial days. Morristown has a humid continental climate (Köppen climate classification Dfa) with hot, humid summers and moderately cold winters. The hardiness zone is 7a.

Race & ethnicity

Most-observed species

• Blue Jay

  Cyanocitta cristata (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  40,869
• American Robin

  Turdus migratorius Linnaeus, 1766 · Aves
  37,629
• Northern Cardinal

  Cardinalis cardinalis (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  35,017
• Red-bellied Woodpecker

  Melanerpes carolinus (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  33,338
• Mourning Dove

  Zenaida macroura (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  31,062
• Song Sparrow

  Melospiza melodia (A.Wilson, 1810) · Aves
  29,242
• Downy Woodpecker

  Dryobates pubescens (Linnaeus, 1766) · Aves
  27,584
• Tufted Titmouse

  Baeolophus bicolor (Linnaeus, 1766) · Aves
  25,812

Largest nearby schools

• Morristown High School
  High · MORRISTOWN · 1,868 students · 13.4:1 ratio
• Morris Knolls High School
  High · DENVILLE · 1,447 students · 11.1:1 ratio
• Randolph High School
  High · RANDOLPH · 1,349 students · 11.1:1 ratio
• Chatham High School
  High · CHATHAM · 1,231 students · 12.1:1 ratio
• Roxbury High School
  High · SUCCASUNNA · 1,192 students · 9.8:1 ratio
• Morris Hills High School
  High · ROCKAWAY · 1,187 students · 10.1:1 ratio
• Dover High School
  High · DOVER · 1,159 students · 13.3:1 ratio
• Montville Township High School
  High · MONTVILLE · 1,112 students · 10.4:1 ratio

Most recent

• M 2.8 — 2025-08-05
  1 km N of Hillsdale, New Jersey
• M 3 — 2025-08-03
  0 km W of Little Ferry, New Jersey
• M 2.9 — 2024-05-24
  6 km E of Califon, New Jersey
• M 2.6 — 2024-05-01
  1 km NW of Gladstone, New Jersey
• M 2.9 — 2024-04-27
  7 km WSW of Gladstone, New Jersey
• M 2.6 — 2024-04-10
  5 km WSW of Gladstone, New Jersey