Sussex County, New Jersey

Sussex County (Template:IPAc-en) is the northernmost county in the U.S. state of New Jersey. Its county seat is Newton.<ref name=CountyMap>New Jersey County Map, New Jersey Department of State. Accessed July 10, 2017.</ref> It is part of the New York metropolitan area and is part of New Jersey's Skylands Region. As of the 2020 census, the county was the state's 17th-most-populous county,<ref name=Largest2020>Table1. New Jersey Counties and Most Populous Cities and Townships: 2020 and 2010 Censuses, New Jersey Department of Labor and Workforce Development. Accessed December 1, 2022.</ref> with a population of 144,221,<ref name=Census2020/><ref name=LWD2020/> a decrease of 5,044 (−3.4%) from the 2010 census count of 149,265,<ref name=Census2010/> which in turn reflected an increase of 5,099 (+3.5%) over the 144,166 persons at the 2000 census. Based on 2020 census data, Vernon Township was the county's largest in both population and area, with a population of 22,358 and covering an area of Template:Convert.<ref name=LWD2020/><ref name=CPH232/> The county is part of the North Jersey region of the state.<ref>Willis, David P. "'This is how wars start': Does Central Jersey include both Ocean and Union counties?", Asbury Park Press, February 20, 2023. Accessed March 31, 2024. "North Jersey is defined as Sussex, Warren, Morris, Passaic, Bergen, Essex and Hudson counties; South Jersey would be Burlington, Camden, Gloucester, Atlantic, Salem, Cumberland and Cape May counties. But for Central, things get a little tricky. It would include Hunterdon, Somerset, Union, Middlesex, Mercer, Monmouth, and Ocean counties."</ref>

In 2015, the county had a per capita personal income of $55,497, the ninth-highest in New Jersey and ranked 220th of 3,113 counties in the United States.<ref>250 Highest Per Capita Personal Incomes available for 3113 counties in the United States: 2015 Template:Webarchive, New Jersey Department of Labor and Workforce Development. Accessed October 24, 2017.</ref><ref>Local Area Personal Income: 2015 Template:Webarchive, Bureau of Economic Analysis. Accessed October 24, 2017.</ref> Template:As of The Bureau of Economic Analysis ranked the county as having the 131st-highest per capita income ($49,207) of the 3,113 counties in the United States (and the ninth-highest in the state).<ref name="BEA142ndPerCapitaIncome">250 Highest Per Capita Personal Incomes of the 3113 Counties in the United States, 2010 Template:Webarchive, U.S. Department of Commerce, Bureau of Economic Analysis. Accessed July 16, 2012.</ref>

Etymology

The county was established in 1753 from portions of Morris County and named after the county of Sussex in England.<ref name=Hutchinson>Hutchinson, Viola L. The Origin of New Jersey Place Names, New Jersey Public Library Commission, May 1945. Accessed October 11, 2015.</ref><ref name=Gannett>Gannett, Henry. The Origin of Certain Place Names in the United States, p. 294. United States Government Printing Office, 1905. Accessed October 11, 2015.</ref>

History

Template:Main The area of Sussex County and its surrounding region was occupied for approximately 8,000-13,000 years by succeeding cultures of indigenous peoples.<ref>Kraft, Herbert C. The Lenape-Delaware Indian Heritage: 10,000 B.C. to A.D. 2000. (Stanhope, New Jersey: Lenape Books, 2001).</ref> The Munsee Indians inhabited the region at the time of European encounter. The Munsee were a loosely organized division of the Lenape (or Lenni Lenape), a Native American people also called "Delaware Indians" after their historic territory along the Delaware River. The Lenape inhabited the Mid-Atlantic coastal areas and inland along the Hudson and Delaware rivers.<ref>Goddard, Ives; and Trigger, Bruce G. (1978) "Delaware" in Handbook of North American Indians, vol. 15: Northeast. Washington. 213–239</ref> The Munsee spoke a very distinct dialect of the Lenape and inhabited a region bounded by the Hudson River, the headwaters of the Delaware River and the Susquehanna River, and south to the Lehigh River and Conewago Creek.<ref>Grumet, Robert Steven. The Munsee Indians: A History from Civilization of the American Indian 262 (series). (Norman: University of Oklahoma Press, 2009).</ref><ref>Otto, Paul. The Dutch-Munsee Encounter in America: The Struggle for Sovereignty in the Hudson Valley. (New York: Berghahn Books, 2006).</ref> As a result of disruption following the French and Indian War (1756–1763), the American Revolutionary War (1775–1783), and later Indian removals from the eastern United States, the main Lenape groups now live in Ontario in Canada, and in Wisconsin and Oklahoma in the United States.<ref>Keenan, Jerry. Encyclopedia of American Indian Wars, 1492–1890. (New York: W. W. Norton & Co., 1999), 234; Moore, Charles. The Northwest Under Three Flags, 1635–1796. (New York and London: Harper & Brothers, 1900), 151.</ref><ref>Weslager, Clinton A. The Delaware Indians: A History. (New Brunswick, New Jersey: Rutgers University Press, 1972).</ref>

File:Westbrook-Bell House Sandyston NJ DWGNRA circa 1937 LOC Collection.jpg

The Westbrook-Bell House in Sandyston Township is the oldest house still-standing in Sussex County, built by Dutch settler Johannes Westbrook in the early 18th century.

As early as 1690, Dutch and French Huguenot colonists from towns along the Hudson River Valley in New York began permanently settling in the Upper Delaware Valley (known as the "Minisink"). The route these Dutch settlers had taken was the path of an old Indian trail and became the route of the Old Mine Road and stretches of present-date U.S. Route 209.<ref>Decker, Amelia Stickney. That Ancient Trail. (Trenton, New Jersey: Privately published, 1942, reprinted Newton, New Jersey: Sussex County Historical Society, 2003).</ref> These Dutch settlers penetrated the Minisink Valley and settled as far south as the Delaware Water Gap, by 1731 this valley had been incorporated as Walpack Precinct. Throughout the 18th century, immigrants from the Rheinland Palatinate in Germany and Switzerland fled religious wars and poverty to arrive in Philadelphia and New York City. Several German families began leaving Philadelphia to settle along river valleys in Northwestern New Jersey and Pennsylvania's Lehigh Valley in the 1720s, spreading north into Sussex County in the 1740s and 1750s as additional German emigrants arrived.<ref>Chambers, Theodore Frelinghuysen. The Early Germans of New Jersey: Their History, Churches, and Genealogies (Dover, New Jersey, Dover Printing Company, 1895), passim.</ref><ref name="Armstrong, William C 1979">Armstrong, William C. Pioneer Families of Northwestern New Jersey (Lambertville, New Jersey: Hunterdon House, 1979).</ref> Also during this time, Scottish settlers from Elizabethtown and Perth Amboy, and English settlers from these cities, Long Island, Connecticut and Massachusetts, came to New Jersey and moved up the tributaries of the Passaic and Raritan rivers, settling in the eastern sections of present-day Sussex and Warren counties.<ref name="Armstrong, William C 1979"/>

By the 1750s, residents of this area began to petition colonial authorities for a new county to be formed; they complained of the inconvenience of long travel to conduct business with the government and the courts. By this time, four large townships had been created in this sparsely populated Northwestern region: Walpack Township (before 1731), Greenwich Township (before 1738), Hardwick Township (1750) and Newtown Township (1751). On June 8, 1753, Sussex County was created from these four municipalities, which had been part of Morris County when Morris stretched over all of northwestern New Jersey.<ref name="Story"/> Sussex County at this time encompassed present-day Sussex and Warren Counties and its boundaries were drawn by the New York-New Jersey border to the north, the Delaware River to the west, and the Musconetcong River to the south and east.<ref>Paterson, William. Laws of the State of New Jersey (Newark, New Jersey: Matthias Day, 1800), 15. Note: the "great pond" referenced in the legal boundaries of the act is an 18th-century reference to Lake Hopatcong.</ref> After several decades of debate over where to hold the sessions of the county's courts, the state legislature eventually voted to divide Sussex County in two, using a line drawn from the juncture of the Flat Brook and Delaware River in a southeasterly direction to the Musconetcong River running through the Yellow Frame Presbyterian Church in present-day Fredon Township (then part of Hardwick).<ref name="SCtocedeWarrenCounty1824law">State of New Jersey. Acts of the Legislature of the State of New Jersey, (1824), 146–147. The landmark used for drawing the boundary through Yellow Frame was the Presbyterian Church edifice torn down in 1898.</ref> On November 20, 1824, Warren County was created from the southern territory of the Sussex County.<ref name="SCtocedeWarrenCounty1824law" />

File:Paulinskill 1905 Baleville.jpg

A 1905 postcard view from "Jefferson Dunn's Farm" along the Paulins Kill in the Baleville section of Hampton Township. The Kittatinny Valley supported significant agriculture including dairy farms, and the Paulins Kill powered many grist mills.

Throughout the 18th, 19th, and 20th centuries, Sussex County's economy was largely centered around agriculture and the mining of iron and zinc ores. Early settlers established farms whose operations were chiefly focused towards subsistence agriculture. Because of geological constraints, Sussex County's agricultural production was centered around dairy farming. Several farms had orchards—typically apples and peaches—and surplus fruit and grains were often distilled or brewed into alcoholic beverages (hard ciders, applejack and fruit brandies). This was the economic model until the mid-19th century when advances in food preservation and the introduction of railroads (e.g. the Sussex Railroad) into the area allowed Sussex County to transport farm products throughout the region. Railroads also promoted the building of factories as companies relocated to the area at the end of the 19th century—including that of the H.W. Merriam Shoe Company (1873) in Newton.<ref>Ricord, Frederick W. (editor). Biographical Encyclopedia: Successful Men of New Jersey. (New York: New Jersey Historical Publishing Co., 1896), 1:47.</ref>

The Highlands Region of Northwestern New Jersey has proven to possess rich deposits of iron ore. In the mid 18th century, several entrepreneurial colonists began mining iron in area around Andover, Hamburg, and Franklin present-day Sussex County and establishing forges and furnaces to create pig iron and bar iron. During the American Revolution, the Quartermaster Department of the Continental Army complained to Congress of difficulties in acquiring iron to support the war effort and the Congress ordered two colonels, Benjamin Flower and Thomas Maybury to take possession of the iron works at Andover in order to equip General Washington's army. During the middle of the 19th century, under the management of Cooper and Hewitt, the Andover mine produced 50,000 tons of iron ore each year. The firm manufactured railroad rails and the country's first structural steel, which and led to the building of railroads and commercial development in the county. Iron from the Andover mines was fashioned into cable wire for the bridge built at Niagara Falls and for the beams used to rebuild Princeton University's Nassau Hall in Princeton, New Jersey after a fire undermined the structure in 1855. During the American Civil War, Andover iron found its way into rifle barrels and cannonballs just as it had during the Revolution years before.

As deposits were depleted, the iron mining industry began to diminish by the mid-19th century. During the late 19th century, prolific American inventor Thomas Edison began to explore the commercial opportunities of processing poor-quality low-grade iron ore to combat the growing scarcity of iron deposits in the United States.<ref>Woodside, Martin. Thomas A. Edison: The Man Who Lit Up the World. (New York: Sterling Publishing Company, Inc., 2007), 73–74.</ref> He began to purchase mining companies in Sussex County in the 1880s and consolidating their assets.<ref>Edison Companies: Mining Template:Webarchive in The Thomas Edison Papers. Rutgers University. Accessed August 3, 2013.</ref> He developed a process of crushing and milling iron-bearing minerals and separating iron ore from the material through large electromagnets, and built one of the world's largest ore-crushing mills near Ogdensburg. Completed in 1889, the factory contained three giant electromagnets and was intended to process up to 1200 tons of iron ore every day. However, technical difficulties repeatedly thwarted production.<ref name="PetersonEdisonFailure">Peterson, M. "Thomas Edison, Failure", in American Heritage of Invention & Technology (Winter 1991), 6(3):8-14.</ref><ref name="IEEE">"Edison and Ore Refining". Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) Global History Network. August 3, 2009. Accessed September 24, 2011.</ref> However, in the 1890s, richer soft-grade iron ore deposits located in Minnesota's Iron Range rendered Edison's Ogdensburg operation unprofitable and he closed the works in 1900.<ref name="PetersonEdisonFailure" /><ref name="IEEE" /> Edison adapted the process and machinery for the cement industry and invested in producing Portland Cement in other locations.<ref>"Thomas Alva Edison And The Concrete Piano" in American Heritage (August/September 1980), 31(5). Accessed August 3, 2013.</ref><ref>"Cement" in The Thomas Edison Papers. Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey. Accessed August 3, 2013.</ref>

File:Franklin NJ zinc mines.jpg

The Franklin Furnace mines and processing plant of the New Jersey Zinc Company in Franklin Borough (circa 1890–1901). Zinc mining brought thousands of Irish, South American, and Eastern European immigrants to Sussex County in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.

In the early 19th century, Samuel Fowler (1779–1844) settled in Franklin Furnace (now Franklin) to open up a medical practice, but is largely known for his interest in mineralogy which led to his developing commercial uses for zinc and for discovery of several rare minerals (chiefly various ores of zinc).<ref name="FowlerCongressionalBioDirectory">United States Congress. FOWLER, Samuel, (1779–1844) in Biographical Directory of the United States Congress, 1774–present. Accessed August 3, 2013.</ref><ref name="DunnPeteMiningFranklinSterlingReport">Dunn, Pete J. Mine Hill in Franklin, and Sterling Hill in Ogdensburg, Sussex County, New Jersey: Mining history, 1765–1900: Final Report. 4 volumes. (Alexandria, Virginia: Smithsonian Institution, 2002).</ref> Many of these zinc minerals are known for fluorescing in vivid colors when exposed to ultraviolet light.<ref name="DunnPeteMiningFranklinSterlingReport" /><ref name="JonesFranklinMinerals">Jones, Robert W. Jr. Nature's Hidden Rainbows : The Fluorescent Minerals of Franklin, New Jersey. (San Gabriel, California: Ultra-Violet Products, Inc., 1964).</ref> Because of both the rich deposits and many of these minerals are not found anywhere else on earth, Franklin is known as the "Fluorescent Mineral Capitol of the World".<ref name="JonesFranklinMinerals" /><ref>New Jersey State Legislature. Resolution declaring Franklin Borough as "Fluorescent Mineral Capitol of the World." (September 13, 1968).</ref><ref>The Fluorescent Mineral Society. "Fluorescent Minerals" Template:Webarchive. Accessed August 3, 2013.</ref> Fowler, who later briefly served in elected political office, operated the local iron works and bought several abandoned zinc and iron mines in the area.<ref name="FowlerCongressionalBioDirectory" /><ref name="DunnPeteMiningFranklinSterlingReport" /> Shortly after his death, two companies were created to exploit the iron and zinc deposits in this region; they acquired the rights to Fowler's holdings in Franklin and nearby Sterling Hill. These companies later merged to form the New Jersey Zinc Corporation (today known as Horsehead Industries).<ref name="DunnPeteMiningFranklinSterlingReport" /> At this time, Russian, Chilean, British, Irish, Hungarian and Polish immigrants came to Franklin to work in the mines, and the population of Franklin swelled from 500 (in 1897) to over 3,000 (in 1913).<ref>Truran, William R. Images of America: Franklin, Hamburg, Ogdensburg, and Hardyston. (Charleston, South Carolina: Arcadia Publishing, 2004).</ref> Declining deposits in the Franklin area, the expense of pumping groundwater from mine shafts, tax disputes and misdirected investments by the company led to the abandonment of the mines.<ref name="DunnPeteMiningFranklinSterlingReport" /><ref name="NYTSterlingHillMineMuseum">Squires, Patricia. "OGDENSBURG JOURNAL; Old Mine Transformed Into Museum", The New York Times, December 9, 1990. Accessed August 3, 2013.</ref> Today, both the Franklin and Sterling Hill mines are operated as museums.<ref name="NYTSterlingHillMineMuseum" />

Beginning in the 1950s and 1960s, construction or improvements of Interstate 80, Route 181 and Route 23 triggered rapid growth to Sussex County. Since 1950, the population nearly quadrupled from 34,423 people to 130,943 people in 1990.<ref name=StatesandCounties/> This has caused Sussex County to begin developing into a light suburban atmosphere, instead of the sparsely populated rural region it once was, especially in the eastern half of the county.

Geology

Template:See also Around 450 million years ago, the Martinsburg Shale was uplifted when a chain of volcanic islands collided with proto North America. These islands slid over the North American plate, and deposited rock on top of the plate, forming the Highlands and Kittatinny Valley. At that time the western part of Sussex County was under a shallow inland sea. Fossils of sea shells and fish can be found west of the Kittatinny ridge. Then approximately 400 million years ago, a small, narrow continent collided with North America. Pressure from the collision, created heat in the bed rock which folded and faulted the Silurian Shawangunk Conglomerate that was under the shallow sea. The pressure created intense heat, melted the quartzite, and allowed it to bend, creating an uplift. as cooling occurred this cemented the quartz pebbles and conglomerate together. This is how the Kittatinny Ridge was created. The strike from this continent was from the south east, this is why the Kittatinny ridge is on a northeast–southwest axis. The Wisconsin glacier which covered the entire county from 23,000B.C to 13,000 B.C. created many lakes and streams. The glacier covered Kittatinny mountain.

As climate warmed around 13,000 B.C., the area was first a tundra with lichens and mosses. After a few thousand years, coniferous forests began to grow. As climate grew warmer around 8000 B.C., deciduous forests began to grow with nut trees such as oak, and maple. Around 3000 B.C. other nut bearing trees began to grow such as hickory, butternut, walnut and beech. This allowed the Paleo Indian populations to increase. The county is drained by the Paulinskill River, the Flatbrook, which drain into the Delaware River, the Wallkill River which flows north to the Hudson River. There are many smaller creeks that drain into these water sheds.

Physiographic provinces

Sussex County is located within two of New Jersey's physiographic provinces: (1) The Ridge and Valley Appalachians, and (2) the New York-New Jersey Highlands regions.<ref name="LuceySCGeo">Lucey, Carol S. Geology of Sussex County in Brief. (Trenton, New Jersey: New Jersey Geological Survey, November 1969), 21pp. Accessed August 28, 2012.</ref>

The features of the Ridge and Valley province were created approximately 400 million years ago during the Ordovician period and Appalachian orogeny— by a continent striking North America the creating Kittatinny Mountain, Blue Mountain, and the Appalachian Mountains.<ref>Hatcher, Robert D. Jr. "Tracking lower-to-mid-to-upper crustal deformation processes through time and space through three Paleozoic orogenies in the Southern Appalachians using dated metamorphic assemblages and faults" Template:Webarchive in Abstracts with Programs (Geological Society of America), Vol. 40, No. 6, 513. Accessed August 28, 2012.</ref><ref>Bartholomew, M.J., and Whitaker, A.E., 2010, The Alleghanian deformational sequence at the foreland junction of the Central and Southern Appalachians in Tollo, R.P., Bartholomew, M.J., Hibbard, J.P., and Karabinos, P.M., eds., From Rodinia to Pangea: The Lithotectonic Record of the Appalachian Region, GSA Memoir 206, p. 431-454.</ref> This physiographic province occupies approximately two-thirds of the county's area (the county's western and central sections) dominated by Kittatinny Mountain and the Kittatinny Valley. This province's contour is characterized by long, even ridges with long, continuous valleys in between that generally run parallel from southwest to northeast. This region is largely formed by sedimentary rock.<ref name="LuceySCGeo"/><ref name="NJGSInfoCirc">Dalton, Richard. New Jersey Geological Survey Information Circular: Physiographic Provinces of New Jersey (Trenton, New Jersey: Department of Environmental Protection, State of New Jersey, 2003, 2006). Accessed August 28, 2012.</ref>

The New York-New Jersey Highlands, or Highlands region, located in the county's eastern section is older. An extension of the Reading Prong formation stretching from Pennsylvania to Connecticut, the Highlands were created from geological forces created from when a small continent went over the North American plate. This rock created the highlands of Sussex County. Precambrian igneous and metamorphic rock approximately 500 million years ago.<ref name="LuceySCGeo"/><ref>The Highlands Province, United States Geological Survey. Accessed August 28, 2012.</ref> The watersheds within the Highlands provide fresh water resources for millions of residents in New Jersey and the New York City Metropolitan Area.<ref>Phelps, Marcus G. and Hoppe, Martina C. (compilers). "Section 2: Resource Assessment and Conservation Values" Template:Webarchive in New York-New Jersey Highlands Regional Study: 2002 Update (NA-TP-02-03). (Newtown Square, Pennsylvania: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Northeastern Area State and Private Forestry, December 2002). Accessed August 28, 2012.</ref> Because of this, the region was protected by the New Jersey Legislature and Governor Jim McGreevey under the Highlands Water Protection and Planning Act enacted in 2004.<ref>Lathrop, Richard G Jr. The Highlands: Critical Resources, Treasured Landscapes. (New Brunswick, New Jersey: Rivergate Press, 2011), 307-309.</ref> This act sought to protect these water resources from development by promoting open space and farmland preservation, creating new recreational parks, and consolidating the regulatory authority over land use planning in a regional planning commission known as the Highlands Council.<ref>New Jersey State Legislature. Assembly Committee Substitute for Assembly, No. 2635 Template:Webarchive. (Trenton, New Jersey: State of New Jersey, 2004). Accessed August 28, 2012.</ref><ref>Highlands Water Protection and Planning Act, New Jersey Statutes Annotated, N.J.S.A. 13:20–1 et seq.; 13:1D-1 et seq.; 13:1B-16.128 et seq.; 13:9B-1 et seq.; 23:2A-1 et seq.; 58:1A-1 et seq.; 58:10A-1 et seq.; 58:11–23 et seq.; 58:11A-1 et seq.; 58:12A-1 et seq.; 58:16A-50 et seq; and New Jersey Administrative Code, N.J.A.C. 7:38 et seq.</ref>

Mountains and valleys

File:Wawayanda Mountain.jpg

As seen from the Appalachian Trail in Vernon Township, Wawayanda Mountain rises to an elevation Template:Convert above the watershed of Pochuck Creek (also known as Vernon Valley)

The Delaware River forms the western and northwestern boundary of Sussex County. This region is known as the Upper Delaware Valley and historically as the Minisink or Minisink Valley. Elevations in the regions along the river range from 300 to 500 feet.<ref name="USDANRCSSoilSurvey2009" />Template:Rp

Kittatinny Mountain is the dominant geological feature in the western section of the county. It is part of the Appalachian Mountains, and part of a ridge that continues as the Blue Mountain in Eastern Pennsylvania, and as Shawangunk Ridge in New York to the north. It begins in New Jersey as the eastern half of the Delaware Water Gap, and runs northeast to southwest along the Delaware River. Elevations range from Template:Convert and attains a maximum elevation of Template:Convert at High Point, in Montague Township.<ref name="USDANRCSSoilSurvey2009" />Template:Rp Between Kittatinny Mountain and the Delaware River is the Wallpack Ridge, a smaller, narrow ridge spanning Template:Convert in length from the Walpack Bend near Flatbrookville north to Port Jervis, New York. Wallpack Ridge encloses the watershed of the Flat Brook and its two main tributaries Little Flat Brook and Big Flat Brook, and ranges in elevation from Template:Convert and reaching its highest elevation at Template:Convert.<ref name="USDANRCSSoilSurvey2009" />Template:Rp <ref name="WitteKarstDWGNRA">Witte, Ron W., and Monteverde Don H. "Karst in the Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area" from Unearthing New Jersey (Newsletter) Vol. 2 No. 1 Winter 2006. (Trenton: New Jersey Geological Survey, Department of Environmental Protection, 2006).</ref>

The Kittatinny Valley lies to the east of Kittatinny Mountain and ends with the Highlands in the east. It is largely a region of rolling hills and flat valley floors. Elevations in this valley range from 400 to 1,000 feet.<ref name="USDANRCSSoilSurvey2009" />Template:Rp It is part of the Great Appalachian Valley running from eastern Canada to northern Alabama. This valley is shared by three major watersheds—the Wallkill River, with its tributaries Pochuck Creek and Papakating Creek flowing north; and the Paulins Kill watershed and Pequest River watershed flowing southwest. This valley floor consists of shale and slate (part of the Ordovician Martinsburg Formation) and of limestone (part of the Jacksonburg Formation). Several parties have argued about the possibility of natural gas extraction in the region's Martinsburg and Utica shale formations, similar to the Marcellus Shale formations to the West in Pennsylvania and New York.<ref>Fair, Matt. "N.J. proposal would outlaw 'fracking' process for natural gas drilling near Delaware River" in The Trenton Times (March 28, 2011). Accessed April 17, 2013.</ref> Of special interest is Rutan Hill, a 440-million-year-old patch of igneous rock known as nepheline syenite. This site, north of Beemerville in Wantage Township, was once an ancient volcano—the only extant dormant volcano site in the state.<ref>Lewis, J. Volney and Kümmel, Henry B. (1940). Bulletin 50: Geologic Series. The Geology of New Jersey. Trenton, New Jersey: Bureau of Geology and Topography. : 109.</ref>

Dividing the Kittatinny Valley (and the Ridge and Valley Province) from the Highlands region is a narrow fault of Hardyston Quartzite. Many of the mountains in the Highlands are not part of a solid, linear ridge and tend to randomly rise from the surrounding land as the result of folds, faults and intrusions. Elevations in the Highlands region range from 1,000 to 1,500 feet.<ref name="USDANRCSSoilSurvey2009" />Template:Rp The more prominent mountains in this area are Hamburg Mountain (elevation: Template:Convert), Wawayanda Mountain (elevation: Template:Convert), Sparta Mountain (elevation: Template:Convert) and Pochuck Mountain (elevation: Template:Convert) which form a ridge along the county's eastern flank.

Rivers and watersheds

File:Lake Mohawk, Sussex County, NJ - lake shore view.jpg

Lake Mohawk, source of the Wallkill River

Sussex County's rivers and watersheds flow in three directions; north to the Hudson River, west and south to the Delaware River, and east toward Newark Bay.

• Wallkill River is an Template:Convert river starting at its source at Lake Mohawk in Sparta Township drains north into Rondout Creek, a tributary of the Hudson River.<ref name="USGSRiverDataNHD">U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline data (The National Map) Template:Webarchive. Accessed June 27, 2012.</ref> The Wallkill River drains a Template:Convert watershed.<ref name="Wallkill Watershed plan">Draft Wallkill Watershed Conservation and Management Plan Template:Webarchive, 11. Ulster County Soil and Water Conservation District, 2005. Accessed June 27, 2012</ref>
• Pochuck Creek is an Template:Convert creek flowing north into the Wallkill River.<ref name="USGSRiverDataNHD" />
• Papakating Creek is a Template:Convert creek in the north central region of the county beginning in Frankford Township also drains into the Wallkill.<ref name="USGSRiverDataNHD" />
• Clove Creek is a Template:Convert creek that flows into the Papakating Creek near Lewisburg in Wantage Township.<ref name="USGSRiverDataNHD" />
• The Flat Brook is a Template:Convert creek flowing through Walpack and Sandyston Townships, joins the Delaware River at the Walpack Bend. It has two main tributaries: the Little Flat Brook whose length is Template:Convert and Big Flat Brook whose length is Template:Convert.<ref name="USGSRiverDataNHD" />
• The Paulins Kill is a Template:Convert river with its two branches: the West Branch is fed by Bear Swamp, Lake Owassa, Culver's Lake, and the Dry Brook in Frankford Township, the Main or East Branch starting at Newton combining near Augusta to flow southwest through Hampton, Stillwater, Hardwick, Blairstown, and Knowlton townships to join the Delaware River near the Delaware Water Gap.<ref name="USGSRiverDataNHD" /> The Paulins Kill drains a Template:Convert watershed.<ref>Watershed Reference Map Template:Webarchive from Flood Insurance Claims in the Delaware River Basin: Comparative Analysis of Flood Insurance Claims in the Delaware River Basin, September 2004 and April 2005 Floods, no further authorship information given. Accessed August 24, 2006.</ref>
• The Pequest River is a Template:Convert beginning near Newton and Springdale and flowing through in Andover and Green Township, then through Warren County before joining the Delaware near Belvidere.<ref name="USGSRiverDataNHD" />
• The Musconetcong River is a Template:Convert river beginning at Lake Hopatcong, forms the eastern border between Warren County and Morris and Hunterdon Counties.<ref name="USGSRiverDataNHD" /> Its main tributaries are Lubbers Run and Punkhorn Creek.
• Small sections of eastern Sussex County drain into the watersheds of the Pequannock River, Passaic River, and Rockaway River which end in Newark Bay.

Historically, these rivers and streams were used to power various types of mills (i.e. grist mills, fulling mills, etc.), transport goods to market, and later to generate electric power (after 1880). Today, these rivers are chiefly used in local recreational activities—including canoeing and fishing. The Fish Culture Unit of the New Jersey Division of Fish and Wildlife stocks these waterways each year with various species of trout.<ref>New Jersey Division of Fish and Wildlife (Department of Environmental Protection). Bureau of Freshwater Fisheries. Accessed August 3, 2013.</ref> Some of these rivers—especially the Flat Brook, Paulins Kill and Pequest—have become well known as trout streams and for their suitability for fly-fishing.<ref>Bell, Harry. "Fly fishing: Music To A Hare's Ear" in Skylands Visitor. Accessed August 3, 2013.</ref> The Flat Brook and its tributary the Big Flat Brook are regarded as the state's premiere trout stream.<ref>Litton, Bruce. "Fly fishing the Big Flatbrook" in The Bernardsville News (June 8, 2013). Accessed August 3, 2013.</ref>

Soils

File:Black Dirt Region.jpg

The "Black Dirt Region" is a Template:Convert area shared by Sussex County and Orange County, New York along the banks of Wallkill River. Known as the "Drowned Lands" in the 19th century, this region's highly organic muck soil supports local vegetable and sod farming, and onion farming at its height reported crop yields of 30,000 pounds per acre (4,800 kg/ha).

According to the Natural Resource Conservation Service, Sussex County soils are derived from parent materials that are largely till and glaciofluvial deposits, alluvium, and organic matter deposits. Till is the rock of soil material transported or deposited by glacial ice. In this case, the most recent glaciation (i.e. the last ice age), the Wisconsinian continental glacier, deposited a till plain composed of ground and recessional moraines. This glaciation reached its maximum extent roughly 22,000 years ago. Glaciofluvial deposits (or "outwash") are rock and soil materials that melting glaciers deposit as the glacier recedes. Alluvium is materials that are deposited by floodwaters from engorged bodies of water—chiefly streams and rivers. Organic deposits are largely the result of decomposing plant material.<ref name="USDANRCSSoilSurvey2009" />Template:Rp<ref>See also: Salisbury, Rollin D. The Glacial Geology of New Jersey, Volume V of the Final Report of the State Geologist. (Trenton, New Jersey: Geological Survey of New Jersey, 1902); Volkert, Richard A., and Scott Stanford. The Geology of Wawayanda State Park, Sussex and Passaic Counties, New Jersey. Draft version. New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection, New Jersey Geological Survey, Division of Science and Research; Witte, Ron W., "Chapter 4, Late Wisconsinan Glacial History of the Upper Part of Kittatinny Valley, Sussex and Warren Counties, New Jersey" and "Chapter 5, Late Quaternary Deglaciation and Fluvial Evolution of Minisink Valley: Delaware Water Gap to Port Jervis, New York" in Northeastern Geology and Environmental Sciences. (Troy, New York: Northeastern Science Foundation, Inc.).</ref>

Geography and climate

File:High Point Monument and Lake Marcia framed.jpg

High Point Monument as seen from Lake Marcia in Montague Township, Sussex County. High Point is the highest elevation in New Jersey at 1803 feet above sea level.<ref name="USGSelevations">"Elevations and Distances in the United States" Template:Webarchive, United States Geological Survey. Accessed August 28, 2012.</ref>

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, as of the 2020 Census, the county had a total area of Template:Convert, of which Template:Convert was land (96.8%) and Template:Convert was water (3.2%).<ref name=CensusArea>2020 Census Gazetteer File for Counties in New Jersey, United States Census Bureau. Accessed April 1, 2023.</ref> It is the fourth-largest of the state's 21 counties in terms of area.<ref>Only three counties are larger in terms of area: Ocean County (Template:Convert Burlington County (Template:Convert, Atlantic County (Template:Convert. See List of counties in New Jersey for a comparison.</ref>

Sussex County lies within the Kittatinny Mountains of Northwestern New Jersey and the overall Appalachian Mountains range. High Point, located at the northernmost tip of New Jersey in Montague Township, is the highest natural elevation in the state at Template:Convert above sea level.<ref name="USGSelevations" /><ref name="SCfactsheet">"Sussex County Facts & Figures at a Glance" (fact sheet) Template:Webarchive Sussex County Clerk's Office. Accessed August 28, 2012.</ref><ref>New Jersey County High Points, Peakbagger.com. Accessed October 1, 2013.</ref> Nearby, Sunrise Mountain in Stokes State Forest has an elevation of Template:Convert. Many mountains in the Highlands region range from Template:Convert.<ref name="USDANRCSSoilSurvey2009">U.S. Department of Agriculture Natural Resource Conservation Service. Soil Survey of Sussex County, New Jersey (Washington, D.C.: 2009).</ref>Template:Rp Officially, the county's lowest elevation is approximately Template:Convert above sea level along the Delaware River near Flatbrookville.<ref>Delaware River Basin Commission. "Section 6: Sussex County" from Flood Mitigation Plan for the Non-tidal, New Jersey section of the Delaware River Basin (November 2008), 244.</ref> However, local authorities claim unofficially that the mine adit descending Template:Convert at the Sterling Hill Mine in Ogdensburg is the lowest elevation in New Jersey.<ref name="SCfactsheet" />

Because of its topography, Sussex County has remained a relatively rural and forested area. In the western half of the county, several state and federal parks have kept the large tracts of land undeveloped and in their natural states. The eastern half of the county has had more suburban development because of its proximity to more populated areas and commercial development zones.

With its location at the top of New Jersey, Sussex County is the only county to neighbor both New York and Pennsylvania. Because it is shaped roughly like a diamond or rhombus with its point matching the cardinal points of the compass, its boundary lines are roughly oriented along the ordinal or intercardinal directions.

Climate

Because of its location in the higher elevations of northwestern New Jersey's Appalachian mountains, Sussex County has a cooler humid continental climate or microthermal climate (Köppen Dfb) which indicates patterns of significant precipitation in all seasons and at least four months where the average temperature rises above Template:Convert<ref>The determination of Dfb (warm summer subtype) region is from Peel, M. C., Finlayson, B. L., and McMahon, T. A. (University of Melbourne). Updated world map of the Köppen-Geiger climate classificationTemplate:Dead link from Hydrology and Earth System Sciences (2007), 11:1633–1644, doi:10.5194/hess-11-1633–2007. Accessed August 3, 2011.</ref><ref name="ThornthwaiteNAmericaClimates">Thornthwaite, Charles Warren. Atlas of Climatic Types in the United States 1900–1939: U.S. Department of Agriculture Miscellaneous Publication 421. (Washington, D.C.: U.S. Department of Agriculture, 1941); and Thornthwaite. "The Climates of North America: According to a New Classification" in Geographical Review (October 1931), 21(4):633-655.</ref> This differs from the rest of the state which is generally a humid mesothermal climate, in which temperatures range between Template:Convert during the year's coldest month.<ref name="ThornthwaiteNAmericaClimates" /><ref>See also: Hare, F.K. "Climatic classification" in Stamp, L.D., and Wooldridge, S.W. (editors). The London Essays in Geography (Cambridge, Massachusetts: Harvard University Press, 1951), 111-134.</ref> Sussex County is part of USDA Plant Hardiness Zone 6.<ref>"What is my arborday.org Hardiness Zone?", Arbor Day Foundation. Accessed March 31, 2013.</ref><ref>2012 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map (USA) Template:Webarchive, United States Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service and Oregon State University. (2012). Accessed August 3, 2013.</ref>

During winter and early spring, New Jersey in some years is subject to "nor'easters"—significant storm systems that have proven capable of causing blizzards or flooding throughout the northeastern United States. Hurricanes and tropical storms, tornadoes, and earthquakes are relatively rare. The Kittatinny Valley to the north of Newton, part of the Great Appalachian Valley, experiences a snowbelt phenomenon and has been categorized as a microclimate region known as the "Sussex County Snow Belt". This region receives approximately forty to fifty inches of snow per year and generally more snowfall that the rest of Northern New Jersey and the Northern Climate Zone.<ref>Office of the New Jersey State Climatologist</ref> This phenomenon is attributed to the orographic lift of the Kittatinny Ridge which impacts local weather patterns by increasing humidity and precipitation, providing the ski resorts of Vernon Valley in the northeastern part of this region with increased snowfall.<ref>Carney, Leo. H. "Weather; Microclimates, Big Variations.", The New York Times, January 30, 2005. Accessed September 21, 2014. "In places like Hidden Valley and throughout the snow belt of northwestern Sussex County, a condition known as orographic lifting can increase humidity and precipitation."</ref>

In recent years, average temperatures in the county seat of Newton have ranged from a low of Template:Convert in January to a high of Template:Convert in July. Average monthly precipitation ranged from Template:Convert in February to Template:Convert in June.<ref name="weather">Monthly Averages for Newton, New Jersey, The Weather Channel. Accessed October 13, 2013.</ref>

According to the USDA Natural Resource Conservation Service soil survey, the area receives sunshine approximately 62% of the time in summer and 48% in winter. Prevailing winds are typically from the southwest for most of year; but in late winter and early spring come from the northwest. The lowest recorded temperature was −26 °F on January 21, 1994. The highest recorded temperature was Template:Convert on September 3, 1953. The heaviest one-day snowfall was Template:Convert recorded on January 8, 1996; combined with the next day, total snowfall was Template:Convert. The heaviest one-day rainfall - Template:Convert was recorded on August 19, 1955.<ref name="USDANRCSSoilSurvey2009" />

Demographics

2010 census

The 2010 United States census counted 149,265 people, 54,752 households, and 40,626 families in the county. The population density was 287.6 per square mile (111.0/km²). There were 62,057 housing units at an average density of 119.6 per square mile (46.2/km²). The racial makeup was 93.46% (139,504) White, 1.79% (2,677) Black or African American, 0.16% (234) Native American, 1.77% (2,642) Asian, 0.02% (36) Pacific Islander, 1.19% (1,783) from other races, and 1.60% (2,389) from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 6.44% (9,617) of the population.<ref name=Census2010/>

Of the 54,752 households, 33.5% had children under the age of 18; 61% were married couples living together; 9% had a female householder with no husband present and 25.8% were non-families. Of all households, 21% were made up of individuals and 7.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.69 and the average family size was 3.14.<ref name=Census2010/>

24% of the population were under the age of 18, 7.6% from 18 to 24, 23.9% from 25 to 44, 32.6% from 45 to 64, and 12% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 41.8 years. For every 100 females, the population had 98.5 males. For every 100 females ages 18 and older there were 96.9 males.<ref name=Census2010/>

2000 census

As of the 2000 United States census<ref name="GR2">U.S. Census website, United States Census Bureau. Accessed September 4, 2014.</ref> there were 144,166 people, 50,831 households, and 38,784 families residing in the county. The population density was Template:Convert. There were 56,528 housing units at an average density of Template:Convert. The racial makeup of the county was 95.70% White, 1.0% Black or African American, 0.11% Native American, 1.20% Asian, 0.02% Pacific Islander, 0.74% from other races, and 1.14% from two or more races. 3.30% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.<ref name=Census2000>DP-1 – Profile of General Demographic Characteristics: 2000; Census 2000 Summary File 1 (SF 1) 100-Percent Data for Sussex County, New Jersey, United States Census Bureau. Accessed September 30, 2013.</ref><ref name=Census2000DP1to4>Tables DP-1 to DP-4 from Census 2000 for Somerset County, New Jersey, United States Census Bureau, backed up by the Internet Archive as of May 12, 2008. Accessed October 1, 2013.</ref> Among those residents listing their ancestry, 24.5% were of Italian, 22.9% German, 22.2% Irish, 10.7% English, 8.1% Polish and 5.2% Dutch ancestry according to Census 2000.<ref name=Census2000DP1to4/><ref>DP-2 – Profile of Selected Social Characteristics: 2000 from the Census 2000 Summary File 3 (SF 3) – Sample Data for Sussex County, New Jersey, United States Census Bureau. Accessed September 30, 2013.</ref>

In 2000 there were 50,831 households, out of which 39.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 65.0% were married couples living together, 8.0% had a female householder with no husband present, and 23.7% were non-families. 18.9% of all households were made up of individuals, and 6.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.80 and the average family size was 3.24.<ref name=Census2000/> In the county, the age distribution of the population shows 27.9% under the age of 18, 6.2% from 18 to 24, 31.5% from 25 to 44, 25.3% from 45 to 64, and 9.1% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 37 years. For every 100 females, there were 98.0 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 95.6 males.<ref name=Census2000/>

Affluence and poverty

Sussex County is considered an affluent area as many of its residents are college-educated, employed in professional or service jobs, and earn above the state's average per capita income and household income statistics. Template:As of, the Bureau of Economic Analysis ranked the county as having the 131st-highest per capita income of all 3,113 counties in the United States (and the ninth-highest in New Jersey).<ref name="BEA142ndPerCapitaIncome" /> Average per capita income was $49,207 and was 23.2% above the national average.<ref name="BEA142ndPerCapitaIncome" />

As of the 2000 Census, the median household income was $65,266 and the median family income was $73,335. Males had a median income of $44,544 compared with $32,487 for females. The per capita income for the county was $26,992. About 6.30% of families and 8.40% of the population were below the poverty line, including 10.50% of those under age 18 and 8.00% of those age 65 or over.<ref name=Census2000DP1to4/><ref>DP-3 – Profile of Selected Economic Characteristics: 2000 from Census 2000 Summary File 3 (SF 3) – Sample Data for Sussex County, New Jersey, United States Census Bureau. Accessed September 30, 2013.</ref>

The median value of all homes in Sussex County as of Q4 2021 was $323,687, up 12.1% from the prior year.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Template:As of, there were a total of 54,881 households enumerated in the 2010 census, with a reported median household income of $84,115, or mean household income of $96,527. Males had a median income of $50,395 versus $33,750 for females. The per capita income for the county was $26,992. About 2.8% of families and 4.0% of the population were below the poverty line, including 4.1% of those under age 18 and 5.4% of those age 65 or over.Template:Citation needed

Income and benefits in Sussex County, New Jersey, 2010

Household income	Number of households	Percentage of households
Less than $10,000	1,754	3.2%
$10,000 to $14,999	1,136	2.1%
$15,000 to $24,999	2,771	5.0%
$25,000 to $34,999	4,026	7.3%
$35,000 to $49,999	5,872	10.7%
$50,000 to $74,999	9,365	17.1%
$75,000 to $99,999	8,209	15.0%
$100,000 to $149,999	12,927	23.6%
$150,000 to $199,999	4,714	8.6%
$200,000 or more	4,107	7.5%

As of the 2006–2010 American Community Survey conducted by the U.S. Census Bureau, 3.6% of county residents were living below the poverty line which the government defined as an annual household income under $22,350 for a family of four.<ref name="NJHpoverty16JUL12">Reyes, Jessica Masulli. "Study: There's Poverty Amid Affluence" Template:Webarchive, New Jersey Herald, July 16, 2012. Accessed October 31, 2017.</ref> However, recent surveys indicate that in the county's town centers, Sussex Borough (15.1%), Newton (12.8%) and Andover Borough (12.7%), poverty levels reach double-digits.<ref name="NJHpoverty16JUL12" /> Of these poverty-level residents, an estimated 44% are employed, many of them underemployed despite working multiple jobs.<ref name="NJHpoverty16JUL12" />

Economy

The Bureau of Economic Analysis calculated that the county's gross domestic product was $4.6 billion in 2021, which was ranked 20th in the state and was a 3.9% increase from the prior year.<ref>Gross Domestic Product by County, 2021, Bureau of Economic Analysis, released December 8, 2022. Accessed July 17, 2023.</ref>

Employment and labor force

As of the 2010 Census, the county's unemployment rate was 11.0%. The Census Bureau reported a population of 118,420 persons (above age 16) available for the labor force of which 82,449 (69.6%) were actively employed in civilian labor, and 35,971 (30.4%) were not in the labor force.

Occupations in Sussex County, New Jersey, 2010.

Category	Persons employed	Percentage of labor force
Management, business, science, and arts occupations	29,443	40.1%
Service occupations	11,689	15.9%
Sales and office occupations	18,712	25.5%
Natural resources, construction and maintenance occupations	6,715	9.2%
Production, transportation, and material moving occupations	6,784	9.2%
TOTAL	73,343

Industry in Sussex County, New Jersey, 2010.

Category	Persons employed	Percentage of labor force
Agriculture, forestry, fishing and hunting, and mining	674	0.9%
Construction	5,495	7.5%
Manufacturing	7,922	10.8%
Wholesale trade	2,303	3.1%
Retail trade	8,536	11.6%
Transportation and warehousing, and utilities	3,791	5.2%
Information	2,074	2.8%
Finance and insurance, and real estate and rental and leasing	6,642	9.1%
Professional, scientific, and management, and administrative and waste management services	7,963	10.9%
Educational services, and health care and social assistance	16,268	22.2%
Arts, entertainment, and recreation, and accommodation and food services	6,629	9.0%
Other services, except public administration	2,033	2.8%
Public administration	3,013	4.1%
TOTAL	73,343

Early industry and commerce chiefly centered on agriculture, milling, and iron mining. As iron deposits were exhausted, mining shifted toward zinc deposits near Franklin and Ogdensburg during the late 19th and early 20th centuries. The local economy expanded due to the introduction of railroads and shortly after the Civil War, the town centers hosted factories. However, the factories, railroads and mining declined by the late 1960s. Today, Sussex County features a mix of rural farmland, forests and suburban development. Because agriculture (chiefly dairy farming) has decreased and that the county hosts little industry, Sussex County is considered a "bedroom community" as most residents commute to neighboring counties (Bergen, Essex and Morris counties) or to New York City for work.

Agricultural production

Although Sussex County's dairy farming industry has declined significantly in the last 50 years it is still the majority of agricultural production in the region.<ref name="SCFarmPresPlan08CH2">Sussex County Comprehensive Farmland Preservation Plan Update (May 2008). Chapter II. Accessed July 10, 2012.</ref> Trucking has replaced railroads in the transportation of milk products to regional production facilities and markets. Rising taxes, regulation and decreasing profitability in dairy farming have forced farmers to adapt by growing other products or converting their farms to other uses.<ref name="SCFarmPresPlan08CH2" /> Many farmers have sold their properties to real estate developers who have built residential housing. Many Sussex County farms are nursery farms producing ornamental trees, plants and flowers used in horticulture, floristry or landscaping. Christmas trees and nursery and greenhouse plants contribute to 51% of the county's annual crop revenues but account for 30% of crop production.<ref name="SCFarmPresPlan08CH2" />

Despite the decline of dairy farming, it is still the largest contributor to the county's annual agricultural revenues. According to the Sussex County Comprehensive Farmland Preservation Plan (2008): Template:Blockquote

According to county agricultural statistics, 17.3% of all crop sales ($1.4 million in 2002) were in hay. Nearly 80% of tilled farmland, or Template:Convert, on 43% of the farms in the county is dedicated to hay production. Much of hay is grown for feed on livestock farms — especially dairy farms — and never makes it to market and is therefore not included in federal agricultural census data.<ref name="SCFarmPresPlan08CH6" /> In 2002, Template:Convert were dedicated to corn cultivation, the majority of it used for feed on the same farms.<ref name="SCFarmPresPlan08CH6" />

According to the 2007 Census of Agriculture compiled by the U.S. Department of Agriculture's National Agricultural Statistics Service, Sussex County has 1,060 farms totaling Template:Convert out of New Jersey's total 10,327 farms managing Template:Convert. This is up from 1,029 farms in the 2002 Census estimate. However, acreage dedicated to agriculture declined by 13.6% from Template:Convert in 2002.<ref name="USDACensus2007">2007 USDA-NASS Census of Agriculture – New Jersey County Level Data Template:Webarchive, United States Department of Agriculture. Accessed July 8, 2012.</ref> Note though that 102,547 acres—roughly 30% of the county's land area—are under farmland assessment for the purpose of calculating property tax levies.<ref>Sussex County Comprehensive Farmland Preservation Plan Update (May 2008) (Chapter V). Accessed July 10, 2012.</ref> This decrease is total acreage is due, in large part, to "suburban sprawl" as farmers capitalized by converting to commercial and residential development. The average size of a farm in 2007 was Template:Convert acres, down from Template:Convert.<ref name="USDACensus2007" /> The 2007 acreage dedicated to agriculture is roughly 19.6% of the county's land area. The county-wide total agricultural product sales in 2007 was $21,242,000, up from $14,756,000 in 2002.<ref name="USDACensus2007" /> Total county market value of land and buildings in 2007 was $888,955,000, an increase from $520,997,000 in 2002. The average market value per farm was $838,636 (2007), up from $505,823 (2002). This results in a per acre price of $13,625 (2007), up from $7,136 (2002).<ref name="USDACensus2007" />

With the repeal of several prohibition-era alcohol laws in 1981, 43 wineries have become licensed and are operating in the state. New Jersey wines have grown in stature due to increased marketing and quality, recent successes and awards in competitions, and appreciation by critics. Sussex County is home to three established and operating wineries and three more are in development.<ref name="GSWGAWineries">Directory, Garden State Wine Growers Association. Accessed October 23, 2017.</ref>

Industry and manufacturing

Sussex County's industrial and manufacturing base is no longer towards heavy industry and mining. Today, companies like Thorlabs, are located here.

Municipalities

File:Sussex County, New Jersey Municipalities.png

Index map of Sussex County municipalities (click to see index key)

The 24 municipalities in Sussex County (with 2010 Census data for population, housing units and area) are:<ref>GCT-PH1: Population, Housing Units, Area, and Density: 2010 - County – County Subdivision and Place from the 2010 Census Summary File 1 for Burlington County, New Jersey, United States Census Bureau. Accessed October 22, 2017.</ref>

Municipality	Map key	Municipal type	Population	Housing units	Total area	Water area	Land area	Pop. density	Housing density	School district	Communities<ref>Locality Search, State of New Jersey. Accessed October 22, 2017.</ref>
Andover Borough	3	borough	595	263	1.47	0.02	1.45	417.3	181.1	Newton (9-12) (S/R) Andover (PK-8)
Andover Township	21	township	5,996	2,181	20.69	0.73	19.96	316.6	109.3	Newton (9-12) (S/R) Andover (PK-8)	Brighton Pinkneyville Springdale Whitehall
Branchville	9	borough	791	386	0.60	0.01	0.59	1,419.2	651.4	High Point (9-12) Frankford Township (PK-8) (S/R)
Byram Township	23	township	8,028	3,207	22.26	1.19	21.07	396.2	152.2	Lenape Valley (9-12) Byram Township (PK-8)	Byram Center CDP (2,232) Lake Mohawk CDP (part; 1,824)
Frankford	15	township	5,302	2,520	35.44	1.42	34.02	163.6	74.1	High Point (9-12) Frankford Township (PK-8)	Ross Corner CDP (120)
Franklin	6	borough	4,912	2,136	4.57	0.07	4.50	1,121.6	474.9	Wallkill Valley (9-12) Franklin Borough (K-8)
Fredon Township	20	township	3,235	1,289	18.00	0.28	17.72	194.0	72.7	Kittatinny (7-12) Fredon Township (PK-6)
Green Township	24	township	3,627	1,251	16.26	0.27	15.98	225.3	78.3	Newton (9-12) (S/R) Green Township (K-8)
Hamburg	7	borough	3,266	1,476	1.16	0.02	1.14	2,870.4	1,292.9	Wallkill Valley (9-12) Hamburg (K-8)
Hampton Township	19	township	4,893	2,200	25.30	0.92	24.38	213.2	90.3	Kittatinny (7-12) Hampton Township (PK-6)	Crandon Lakes CDP (part; 682)
Hardyston	13	township	8,125	3,783	32.64	0.67	31.97	256.9	118.3	Wallkill Valley (9-12) Hardyston Township (PK-8)
Hopatcong	2	borough	14,362	6,296	12.25	1.39	10.85	1,395.5	580.0	Hopatcong
Lafayette Township	14	township	2,358	919	18.05	0.09	17.96	141.3	51.2	High Point (9-12) Lafayette Township (PK-8)
Montague	10	township	3,792	1,802	45.38	1.38	44.00	87.4	41.0	High Point (9-12) Montague Township (PK-8)
Newton	4	town	8,374	3,479	3.17	0.02	3.15	2,542.2	1,106.0	Newton
Ogdensburg	5	borough	2,258	905	2.33	0.05	2.28	1,055.4	396.3	Wallkill Valley (9-12) Ogdensburg Borough (PK-8)
Sandyston	16	township	1,977	988	43.26	0.74	42.52	47.0	23.2	Kittatiny (7-12) Sandyston-Walpack (K-6)	Layton CDP (692)
Sparta	22	township	19,600	7,423	38.97	2.02	36.94	533.9	200.9	Sparta Township	Lake Mohawk CDP (part; 8,092)
Stanhope	1	borough	3,526	1,472	2.19	0.35	1.84	1,966.3	801.8	Lenape Valley (9-12) Stanhope (K-8)
Stillwater Township	18	township	4,004	1,930	28.38	1.32	27.06	151.5	71.3	Kittatiny (7-12) Stillwater Township (PK-6)	Crandon Lakes CDP (part; 496)
Sussex	8	borough	2,024	1,005	0.62	0.03	0.59	3,615.9	1,706.1	High Point (9-12) Sussex-Wantage (K-8)
Vernon Township	12	township	22,358	10,958	70.59	2.35	68.23	350.9	160.6	Vernon Township	Glenwood (2,751) Highland Lakes CDP (4,816) McAfee (127) Upper Greenwood Lake CDP (part; 3,786) Vernon Center CDP (1,713) Vernon Valley CDP (1,491)
Walpack Township	17	township	7	15	24.70	0.65	24.05	0.7	0.6	Kittatiny (7-12) Sandyston-Walpack (K-6)
Wantage	11	township	10,811	4,173	67.48	0.73	66.75	170.1	62.5	High Point (9-12) Sussex-Wantage (K-8)	Quarryville
Sussex County		county	144,221	62,057	535.74	16.73	519.01	287.6	119.6

Government

County government

File:High Street, Newton, NJ - area view.jpg

Historic Sussex County Courthouse in Newton

Sussex County is governed by the Sussex County Board of County Commissioners whose five members are elected at-large in partisan elections on a staggered basis, with either one or two seats coming up for election each year. At an annual reorganization meeting held in the beginning of January, the board selects a Commissioner Director and Deputy Director from among its members, with day-to-day supervision of the operation of the county delegated to a County Administrator.<ref>About County Government, Sussex County, New Jersey. Accessed May 1, 2022. "Sussex County is governed by five (5) Commissioners who are elected by the voters of Sussex County. Each serves on the county’s Board of County Commissioners for a term of three (3) years, after which time they can seek re‐election or retire.... The Commissioners are elected at large to serve three‐year staggered terms. The five Commissioners elect a director from among themselves to run their meetings and to serve as a spokesperson for the board."</ref> Template:As of, Sussex County's Commissioners are (with terms for director and deputy director ending every December 31):<ref>Board of County Commissioners, Sussex County, New Jersey. Accessed May 1, 2022.</ref>

Commissioner	Party, Residence, Term
Deputy Director Jill Space	R, Wantage Township, 2025<ref>Jill Space, Sussex County, New Jersey. Accessed May 1, 2022.</ref>
Director Chris Carney	R, Frankford Township, 2027<ref>Chris Carney, Sussex County, New Jersey. Accessed May 1, 2022.</ref>
Jack DeGroot	R, Sussex, 2026<ref>Herbert Yardley, Sussex County, New Jersey. Accessed May 1, 2022.</ref>
William Hayden	I, Branchville, 2025<ref>[1], Sussex County, New Jersey. Accessed May 1, 2022.</ref>
Alan Henderson	R, Lafayette Township, 2027<ref>Dawn Fantasia, Sussex County, New Jersey. Accessed May 1, 2022.</ref>

The commissioners appoint a County Administrator to oversee the day-to-day management of the county. The Administrator is Ron Tappan, whose three-year appointment expires December 31, 2025.<ref>County Administrator, Sussex County, New Jersey. Accessed May 1, 2022.</ref> Many services overseen by the county government overlap with those provided at the municipal level. The County government oversees and administers the following areas of responsibility:

Public Safety and Emergency Management Sussex County Community College Sussex County Technical School The County Library System Social Services Youth Services Community Service Public Mental Health Division of Senior Services

Environmental and Public Health Services Mosquito Control The Medical Examiner's Office The County Jail and Juvenile Detention Center Farmland and Open Space Preservation Economic Development The Maintenance and repair of County Roads and Bridges The Para Transit System and Transportation Planning Solid Waste Planning (The county dump in Lafayette Township) The County Master Plan (including Water Resource Planning)

Before 1911, two commissioners from each township were elected annually to serve on the board. However, as this became unwieldy in the late 19th century during the era of Boroughitis and the creation of hundreds of new municipalities, the State Legislature chose to reorganize the size of county freeholder boards to an odd number between three and nine members. The size of the board was a reflection of the county's population. As Sussex County was rural and among the least populated counties in the state, for the next 80 years, Sussex County's Board of Chosen Freeholders consisted of three elected members. The board increased from three to five members as of January 1, 1990, based on the results of a referendum.<ref>$26,694,000 COUNTY OF SUSSEX STATE OF NEW JERSEY BOND ANTICIPATION NOTES, McElwee & Quinn, LLC. Accessed October 31, 2017. "The County operates under the Freeholder form of County government, in which a five-member Board of Chosen Freeholders is elected for staggered three-year terms. The Board expanded from three members to five members effective January 1, 1990, pursuant to voter approval."</ref> No Democrat has been elected to countywide office since 1999. In May 2022, Jill Space was appointed to fill the seat expiring in December 2022 that had been held by Sylvia Petillo until she resigned from office.<ref>Scruton, Bruce A. "Sussex County Republicans choose Jill Space to fill board of commissioners vacancy", New Jersey Herald, May 2, 2022. Accessed May 3, 2022. "Jill Space was unanimously selected to fill a vacancy on the five-member Board of County Commissioners during Saturday's Sussex County Republican Committee convention. Space was sworn in shortly after she was selected to fill the unexpired term of Sylvia Petillo, who resigned from the board last month when she moved to nearby Warren County."</ref>

File:Sussex County Administration Building Newton New Jersey.jpg

Sussex County's administrative offices are located in downtown Newton, New Jersey across the street from the historic county courthouse.

Pursuant to Article VII Section II of the New Jersey State Constitution, each county in New Jersey is required to have three elected administrative officials known as "constitutional officers". These officers are the County Clerk and County Surrogate (both elected for five-year terms of office) and the County Sheriff (elected for a three-year term).<ref>New Jersey State Constitution (1947), Article VII, Section II, Paragraph 2, New Jersey Department of State. Accessed October 26, 2017.</ref> Sussex County's constitutional officers are:<ref>Sussex County Official Directory 2021, Sussex County, New Jersey. Accessed May 1, 2022.</ref>

Title	Representative
County Clerk	Jeffrey M. Parrott (R, Wantage Township, 2026)<ref>Contact Us, Sussex County Clerk. Accessed May 1, 2022.</ref><ref>Members List: Clerks, Constitutional Officers Association of New Jersey. Accessed May 1, 2022.</ref>
Sheriff	Michael F. Strada (R, Hampton Township, 2025).<ref>Administration, Sussex County Sheriff's Office. Accessed May 1, 2022.</ref><ref>Members List: Sheriffs, Constitutional Officers Association of New Jersey. Accessed May 1, 2022.</ref>
Surrogate	Gary R. Chiusano (R, Frankford Township, 2028).<ref>Home Page, Sussex County Surrogate. Accessed May 1, 2022.</ref><ref>Members List: Surrogates, Constitutional Officers Association of New Jersey. Accessed May 1, 2022.</ref>

The Sussex County Prosecutor is Francis A. Koch of Hardyston Township, who was nominated to the position by Governor of New Jersey Chris Christie in June 2014.<ref>About the Prosecutor, Sussex County, New Jersey. Accessed October 25, 2017. "Prosecutor Francis A. Koch is the chief law enforcement officer of Sussex County."</ref><ref>"Governor Chris Christie Files Nominations" Template:Webarchive, Governor of New Jersey Chris Christie, press release dated June 3, 2014. Accessed October 25, 2017. "PROSECUTORIAL NOMINATIONS: Nominate for appointment Francis A. Koch (Hardyston, Sussex)"</ref> Sussex County is a part of Vicinage 10 of the New Jersey Superior Court (along with Morris County), which is seated at the Morris County Courthouse in Morristown; the Assignment Judge for Vicinage 10 is Stuart A. Minkowitz. Cases venued in Sussex County are heard at the Sussex County Judicial Center in Newton.<ref>Morris/Sussex, New Jersey Courts. Accessed October 22, 2017.</ref>

Federal representatives

Two congressional districts cover Sussex County, with the northern part of the county in the 5th congressional district and the southern part in the 7th congressional district.<ref>[2], New Jersey Redistricting Commission, December 23, 2021. Accessed November 5, 2022.</ref> Template:NJ Congress 05 Template:NJ Congress 07

State represenatatives

All of Sussex County is located in one legislative district.

District	Senator <ref name=":0">Template:Cite web</ref>	Assembly<ref name=":0" />	Notes
24th	Parker Space (R)	Dawn Fantasia (R) Mike Inganamort (R)	The remainder of this district includes portions of Morris County and Warren County.

Politics

Sussex County is the second-most Republican county in New Jersey, behind only Ocean County. Among registered voters, affiliations with the Republican Party outpace those of the Democratic Party by a ratio of about five to two.<ref name="VoterRegistration">Voter Registration Summary – Sussex, New Jersey Department of State Division of Elections, March 23, 2011. Accessed February 27, 2013.</ref> All five members of the board of county commissioners, all three county-wide constitutional officers, and all three state legislators. The Republican presidential candidate has carried the county in all but one election since 1920. The lone exception is 1964, when Lyndon B. Johnson won 44 states and carried every county in New Jersey. Republican Donald Trump carried the county in 2020, though it was the best Democratic performance since 1964. As of October 1, 2021, there were a total of 117,681 registered voters in Sussex County, of whom 49,184 (41.8%) were registered as Republicans, 26,800 (22.8%) were registered as Democrats and 39,878 (33.9%) were registered as unaffiliated. There were 1,819 voters (1.5%) registered to other parties.<ref>Statewide Voter Registration Summary as of October 1, 2021, New Jersey Department of State. Accessed July 28, 2022.</ref> Among the county's 2010 Census population, 65.8% were registered to vote, including 86.5% of those ages 18 and over.<ref name=VoterRegistration/><ref>GCT-P7: Selected Age Groups: 2010 – State – County Subdivision; 2010 Census Summary File 1 for New Jersey, United States Census Bureau. Accessed February 27, 2013.</ref>

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Gubernatorial elections results<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Year	Republican	Democratic
style="text-align:center;" Template:Party shading/Republican|2021	style="text-align:center;" Template:Party shading/Republican|66.8% 36,310	style="text-align:center;" Template:Party shading/Democratic|31.9% 17,346
style="text-align:center;" Template:Party shading/Republican|2017	style="text-align:center;" Template:Party shading/Republican|59.7% 25,401	style="text-align:center;" Template:Party shading/Democratic|36.3% 15,431
style="text-align:center;" Template:Party shading/Republican|2013	style="text-align:center;" Template:Party shading/Republican|71.1% 29,873	style="text-align:center;" Template:Party shading/Democratic|25.4% 10,704
style="text-align:center;" Template:Party shading/Republican|2009	style="text-align:center;" Template:Party shading/Republican|63.7% 31,749	style="text-align:center;" Template:Party shading/Democratic|25.8% 12,870
style="text-align:center;" Template:Party shading/Republican|2005	style="text-align:center;" Template:Party shading/Republican|59.7% 25,283	style="text-align:center;" Template:Party shading/Democratic|35.1% 14,854
style="text-align:center;" Template:Party shading/Republican|2001	style="text-align:center;" Template:Party shading/Republican|60.1% 23,478	style="text-align:center;" Template:Party shading/Democratic|37.5% 14,641
style="text-align:center;" Template:Party shading/Republican|1997	style="text-align:center;" Template:Party shading/Republican|60.4% 22,458	style="text-align:center;" Template:Party shading/Democratic|26.9% 11,331
style="text-align:center;" Template:Party shading/Republican|1993	style="text-align:center;" Template:Party shading/Republican|66.5% 28,614	style="text-align:center;" Template:Party shading/Democratic|30.3% 13,052
style="text-align:center;" Template:Party shading/Republican|1989	style="text-align:center;" Template:Party shading/Republican|56.0% 20,096	style="text-align:center;" Template:Party shading/Democratic|41.5% 14,901
style="text-align:center;" Template:Party shading/Republican|1985	style="text-align:center;" Template:Party shading/Republican|77.7% 22,109	style="text-align:center;" Template:Party shading/Democratic|21.1% 5,998
style="text-align:center;" Template:Party shading/Republican|1981	style="text-align:center;" Template:Party shading/Republican|69.3% 21,923	style="text-align:center;" Template:Party shading/Democratic|28.8% 9,111
style="text-align:center;" Template:Party shading/Republican|1977	style="text-align:center;" Template:Party shading/Republican|50.3% 14,575	style="text-align:center;" Template:Party shading/Democratic|46.3% 13,431
style="text-align:center;" Template:Party shading/Democratic|1973	style="text-align:center;" Template:Party shading/Republican|37.2% 9,502	style="text-align:center;" Template:Party shading/Democratic|62.1% 15,886

Law enforcement

File:New Sussex County Courthouse County Jail Newton NJ.jpg

The current Sussex County Courthouse (left), built in the 1990s, and the Keogh-Dwyer Correctional Facility (right), the county jail.

Municipalities that do not have their own police departments have services provided by the New Jersey State Police. One of the primary responsibilities of the New Jersey State Police is to provide police services to these rural towns, for which the municipality is assessed an annual fee paid to the state government<ref>NJSP Functions Template:Webarchive, New Jersey State Police. Accessed August 3, 2012.</ref> Troop B of the New Jersey State Police operates a Sussex station located on Route 206 in Augusta.<ref>Troop B Road Stations, New Jersey State Police. Accessed October 31, 2017.</ref> Fewer than half of the county's municipalities have a local police department. Police Departments are located in the municipalities of Vernon, Hardyston, Sparta, Byram, Hopatcong, Stanhope, Andover, Newton, Ogdensburg, Franklin, and Hamburg. The other 13 municipalities are rural and rely on State Police coverage. Stillwater Township disbanded its police department in December 2009, estimating a savings of $482,000 by having State Police coverage.<ref>Keller, Elisa D. "Stillwater disbands police department" Template:Webarchive, New Jersey Herald, December 3, 2009. Accessed October 31, 2017. "There were tears and quiet complaints from a defeated crowd of police supporters Thursday night, as a special meeting of the Stillwater Township Committee ended with a unanimous vote to disband the municipality's local police force in favor of coverage by the New Jersey State Police.... Under current state guidelines for rural communities, the Stillwater committee does not expect to pay for New Jersey State Police coverage. Ehrenburg's report had estimated a total operating cost for the Stillwater Police Department in 2010 would be more than $482,000."</ref>

The New Jersey State Park Police has jurisdiction throughout the state, but patrol primarily in Stokes State Forest and other local state parks.

Template:Infobox law enforcement agency The duties of the Sussex County Sheriff's Office include overseeing security at the county's courthouse facilities, operating the county jail, and civil processes. The current sheriff is Michael F. Strada, a former officer with the Mount Olive Township police department.

Crime

Template:See also Crime is relatively low in Sussex County.

In the 2012 New Jersey Uniform Crime Report, Sussex County reported the following arrests:<ref>"Section Three: State & County Arrest Summary", New Jersey State Police. Accessed September 27, 2015.</ref>

• Murder: 1
• Rape: 1
• Robbery: 16
• Aggravated Assault: 50
• Burglary: 115
• Larceny – Theft: 348
• Motor Vehicle Theft: 5
• Total: 536

The above arrest data includes both minor and adult arrests.

Media

Newspapers

Template:See also Sussex County has one daily newspaper, the New Jersey Herald, which is published six days each week (Sunday through Friday). Established in 1829 by Grant Fitch, the Herald is one of the oldest continuing newspapers in the state with distribution throughout Sussex County and into neighboring Morris and Warren counties in New Jersey, Orange County, New York and Pike County, Pennsylvania. Its headquarters, and production facilities are located in Newton, New Jersey.<ref>About Us, New Jersey Herald. Accessed July 11, 2012.</ref> Its printing facilities were located in Newton, as well, but in 2012 the newspaper's printing was outsourced to North Jersey Media Group, located in Rockaway, New Jersey.<ref>Template:Usurped, News and Tech, February 27, 2012. Accessed September 27, 2015.</ref>

It was for most of its existence published once per week. It's Sunday edition, the New Jersey Sunday Herald, was first published on June 11, 1962, and for the next few years it was published twice weekly. In 1969, after a sale to American Newspapers, Inc., a daily edition was planned which began publication on March 16, 1970. American Newspapers, Inc. sold it to Quincy Newspapers in March 1980. Quincy later sold the newspaper to GateHouse Media in May 2019, and later that year, acquired Gannett and assumed its name in a merger. Today, its content includes coverage of local news and sporting events (chiefly those in Sussex County) and printing selected articles from the Associated Press covering state, national and international events.<ref>The New Jersey Herald Template:Webarchive, New Jersey Insider. Accessed July 11, 2012.</ref>

Television

Template:See also Sussex County is served by Optimum, a division of Altice USA, in Sparta, New Jersey. Optimum has offered channels for local access programming (channel 10) and for "community bulletin boards". It offers two free Public Service Announcements or event advertisements for free to non-profit organizations in Sussex and Warren Counties.<ref>Community Information Template:Webarchive, Service Electric Cable. Accessed July 10, 2012.</ref>

WMBC-TV an independent television station owned by Mountain Broadcasting Corporation, is licensed to operate in Newton. It is recognized for providing Korean language programming in the New York metropolitan area but also offers English-language programs. Its studios are located in West Caldwell, New Jersey and its transmitter near Lake Hopatcong. Before 2009, it operated an analog transmission on virtual channel 63 (UHF-63) but has converted to broadcasting its signal on digital channel 18.

The New Jersey Public Broadcasting Authority maintains the license to operate a low-power translator (W36AZ) in Sussex Borough to broadcast the state's public television station, NJTV.<ref>TV Query Results for Facility ID 48466 Translator Station W36AZ NJ-SUSSEX (NJTV), Federal Communications Commission. Accessed July 10, 2012.</ref> This station, which used to be the New Jersey Network (NJN), is operated by WNET.org, the parent company of New York City's flagship public television stations, WNET and WLIW, through a subsidiary nonprofit organization, Public Media NJ.

Radio

Template:See also Sussex County is served largely by radio stations in the New York City metropolitan area. Stations from Lehigh Valley in Pennsylvania; Hudson Valley in New York; can also be heard including CHR's Z100 100.3 FM (Eastern Sussex), B104 104.1 FM (Western Sussex), K104 104.7 FM (Northern Sussex) , and 98.5 KRZ 107.9 FM (Southwestern Sussex) and iHeartMedia owns a cluster of three stations in the county, including: 102.3 FM WSUS in Franklin (Format: Adult contemporary), 103.7 FM WNNJ in Newton (Format: Classic rock), and 106.3 FM WHCY in Franklin (Format: Country). Centro Biblico of NJ also owns a Spanish language Christian station, 1360 AM WTOC in Newton.

Stations nearby include 91.9 FM WXPJ broadcast from Centenary College in Hackettstown (Warren County) with a public radio and progressive music format and 1110 AM WTBQ in Warwick, New York with a NewsTalk and Sports format.

New Jersey Public Radio (NJN), affiliated with National Public Radio and American Public Media, operates two stations in the region: 88.5 FM WNJP in Sussex, and 89.3 FM WNJY in Netcong.

Transportation

Roads and highways

File:CR 515.jpg

County Route 515 connects New Jersey State Route 23 and Route 94 in Hardyston and Vernon townships.

Sussex County is served by a number of roads connecting it to the rest of the state and to both Pennsylvania and New York. According to the county government, "a vast majority of residents who use single occupant vehicles to travel outside the county for employment. Thus, the demand for public transportation in the county is minimal."<ref name="SussexCtyMobilityStudyCh2">Urbitran Associates. Chapter 2: Existing Transportation Services in Sussex County Ten-Year Mobility Study (2002). Accessed July 10, 2013.</ref> Interstate 80 passes through the extreme southern tip of Sussex County solely in Byram.<ref>I-80 Straight Line Diagram, Division of Traffic Engineering and Safety, Bureau of Transportation Data Development, New Jersey Department of Transportation from Straight Line Diagrams 2010. Accessed July 10, 2013.</ref> Interstate 84 passes just yards north of Sussex County, but never enters New Jersey. New Jersey's Route 15, Route 23, Route 94, Route 181, Route 183, and Route 284 pass through the county, as does U.S. Route 206.<ref>North Jersey Transportation Planning Authority. 2040 Freight Industry Level Forecasts: Sussex County Freight ProfileTemplate:Dead link prepared by Cambridge Systematics, Inc., Anne Strauss-Wieder, Inc., Parsons Brinckerhoff, and Rutgers University, (December 2012). Accessed July 10, 2013.</ref><ref>Transportation & Utilities Template:Webarchive, Sussex County Economic Development Partnership. Accessed July 10, 2013.</ref>

Template:As of, the county had a total of Template:Convert of roadways, of which Template:Convert were maintained by the local municipality, Template:Convert by Sussex County and Template:Convert by the New Jersey Department of Transportation and Template:Convert by the Delaware River Joint Toll Bridge Commission.<ref>Sussex County Mileage by Municipality and Jurisdiction, New Jersey Department of Transportation, May 2010. Accessed July 18, 2014.</ref>

Bridges

Sussex County has two toll-bridge crossings over the Delaware River.

Operated by the Delaware River Joint Toll Bridge Commission, the Milford-Montague Toll Bridge (also known as the US 206 Toll Bridge) carries U.S. Route 206 over the Delaware connecting Montague Township and Milford, Pennsylvania.<ref>Milford-Montague Toll Bridge, Delaware River Joint Toll Bridge Commission. Accessed October 31, 2017. "Located seven miles south of the New Jersey/New York state line, the bridge's New Jersey abutment is in Montague Township, Sussex County, N.J. and its Pennsylvania abutment is in Dingman Township, Pike County, PA.... It is a major transportation facility in the Pennsylvania/New Jersey/New York Tri-State Region, connecting U.S. Route 206 in Montague, N.J. to US. Routes 6 and 209 at Milford, Pa."</ref> The current bridge was opened in 1954, replacing a series of bridges located here beginning in 1826.<ref name="DaleDelRivBridges">Dale, Frank T. Bridges over the Delaware River: A History of Crossings. (New Brunswick, New Jersey: Rutgers University Press, 2003).</ref>Template:Rp Route 206 merges with U.S. Route 209 a mile south of the village center. Tolls are collected only from motorists traveling westbound, into Pennsylvania, with cars paying a $1 toll; a total of $1.7 million was generated from 1.3 million vehicles in 2016.<ref>Hoover, Amanda. "Here's how much Delaware River bridges collected in tolls last year", NJ.com, October 23, 2017. Accessed October 30, 2017. " Milford-Montague Toll Bridge - $1.7M Vehicles traveling between Montague, New Jersey, and Milford, Pennsylvania, paid $1,728,077 in tolls during 2016, with cars paying $1 each. The bridge saw some 1.3 million vehicles make the trip from Montague to Milford."</ref>

The Dingman's Ferry Bridge is the last privately owned toll bridge on the Delaware River and one of the last few in the United States.<ref name="DaleDelRivBridges" />Template:Rp<ref name="DWGNRADingmansBridge">"A Toll Bridge with Character" in Spanning the Gap: The newsletter of the Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area Vol. 15, No. 2. (Summer 1993). Accessed August 28, 2012.</ref> It is owned and operated by the Dingmans Choice and Delaware Bridge Company which has operated bridges at the site since 1836.<ref name="DaleDelRivBridges" />Template:Rp<ref name="DWGNRADingmansBridge" /> The bridge connects the village of Dingmans in Delaware Township in Pike County, Pennsylvania and State Route 2019 with County Route 560 and the Old Mine Road in Sandyston Township.

Commuter rail service

File:RDG 2102 east of Roseville Tunnel - Jun 1973.jpg

Former Reading Company 4-8-4 steam locomotive #2102 travels eastward to Hoboken after exiting the Roseville Tunnel in Byram Township (from June 1973). Closed in the 1970s, this section is scheduled to be reopened by NJ Transit in 2020 for commuter service.

Template:As of, Sussex County's sole operating railroad line is dedicated to freight service in Sparta, Vernon and Hardyston townships. It is operated by the New York, Susquehanna & Western railroad and CSX Transportation.<ref>further information online here, Accessed August 28, 2012.</ref> Commuter rail service has not been offered in the county since the 1960s.<ref>Mohowski, Robert. "The Delaware, Lackawanna & Western's Sussex Branch" in Railroad Model Craftsman Vol. 59, No. 5 (October 1990). Transcribed online on D.L.&W. Sussex Branch Memorial (website owned by Dave Rutan) located here Template:Webarchive, Accessed August 28, 2012.</ref> However, commuter rail service is available from nearby stations along NJ Transit's Morris and Essex Lines in Hackettstown, Mount Olive, Netcong, Lake Hopatcong, Mount Arlington and Dover, which are easily accessible to Sussex County residents by driving or through bus services contracted by NJ Transit.<ref name="NJTMorris&EssexSchd">Morris & Essex Morristown Line/Gladstone Branch Rail Schedule Template:Webarchive, NJ Transit effective April 1, 2012. Accessed August 28, 2012.</ref> This line was part of the former Delaware, Lackawanna and Western Railroad system.<ref>Template:Taber-DLW-20th-1</ref>Template:Page needed Service is available directly to Hoboken Terminal or via the Kearny Connection (opened in 1996) to Secaucus Junction and Pennsylvania Station in Midtown Manhattan.<ref name="NJTMorris&EssexSchd" /> Passengers can transfer at Newark Broad Street Station or Summit to reach either New York or Hoboken.<ref name="NJTMorris&EssexSchd" />

NJ Transit is planning to re-open commuter service through the Lackawanna Cut-Off Restoration Project will allow train transport through Andover and Green Townships in the southern part of the county. Service from a planned station in Andover into New York City and Hoboken is scheduled to begin in 2019,<ref name="NJTLackCutOff">Capital Improvement Program: System Expansion Projects: Lackawanna Cutoff, NJ Transit. Accessed August 28, 2012.</ref> marking the first time Sussex County has seen passenger trains since 1970. The portion of the Cut-Off route west of Andover heading toward Scranton, Pennsylvania has not been funded or scheduled,<ref name="NJTLackCutOff" /> however Amtrak has announced plans for its restoration.<ref>[3], Accessed June 07, 2024.</ref>

Bus service

NJ Transit in partnership with the county government offers bus service in Sussex County, limited to Monday-Saturday service on the "Skylands Connect" route between the Sussex-Wantage Library and Hampton Plaza in Newton, NJ.<ref>Sussex County Skylands Ride, Sussex County, New Jersey. Accessed September 27, 2015.</ref> The county government's Office of Transit also operates a ParaTransit bus service on weekdays to local senior citizens, veterans, people with disabilities, and the general public. It offers service within the county for local errands (nutrition, medical appointments, shopping, hairdresser appointments, banking, community services, education/training, and employment) and outside the county for non-emergency medical appointments (dialysis, therapy, radiation treatment, mental health, specialized hospitals, and Veterans facilities).<ref>Sussex County Office of Transit. Sussex County Skylands Ride At a Glance and Sussex County Skylands Ride, Sussex County, New Jersey. Accessed July 10, 2013.</ref> NJ Transit also offers weekday service between New York City's Midtown Port Authority Bus Terminal and Stockholm, and seasonal service to Vernon.<ref>[4] Template:Webarchive Bus Route 194 Stockholm-West Milford-New York</ref>

Lakeland Bus Lines, a privately operated commuter bus company based in Dover, in Morris County offers service under contract with NJ Transit between Newton and Sparta to New York City's Midtown Port Authority Bus Terminal.<ref name="SussexCtyMobilityStudyCh2" /><ref>Bus Stops: "Lakeland RT 80 Newton to PABT", Lakeland Bus Lines. Accessed July 10, 2013.</ref><ref>Schedules & Fares: Bus: Private Carriers Template:Webarchive, NJ Transit. Accessed July 10, 2013.</ref>

Airports

There are four general aviation public-use airports in Sussex County that cater to recreational pilots. They include:

• Aeroflex-Andover Airport (FAA LID 12N) also in Andover Township. This airport is located in Kittatinny Valley State Park and is owned and operated by the New Jersey Forest Fire Service.<ref>

Aeroflex-Andover Airport – New Jersey Forest Fire Service</ref> It has one Template:Convert runway designated 3/21 and is located at and elevation of Template:Convert above mean sea level.<ref name="FAA-12N">Template:FAA-airport Accessed July 10, 2012.</ref>

• Newton Airport (FAA LID 3N5) located in Andover Township and is privately owned. It has one Template:Convert runway with a 6/24 designation and is located at an elevation of Template:Convert above mean sea level.<ref name="FAA-3N5">Template:FAA-airport Accessed July 10, 2012.</ref> The Airport closed in 2013.
• Sussex Airport (FAA LID FWN) located in Wantage Township and is privately owned. It has a Template:Convert runway with a 3/21 designation and is located at an elevation of Template:Convert above mean sea level.<ref name="FAA-FWN">Template:FAA-airport Accessed July 10, 2012.</ref>
• Trinca Airport (FAA LID 13N) located in and owned by Green Township, which has a Template:Convert grass runway with a 6/24 designation and located at an elevation of Template:Convert above mean sea level.<ref name="FAA-13N">Template:FAA-airport Accessed July 10, 2012.</ref>

Education

Primary and secondary schools

File:Fredon Elementary School Fredon Township NJ 2013.jpg

Fredon Elementary School in Fredon Township offers a comprehensive K-6 education. The school was awarded the National Blue Ribbon Award for Academic Excellence by the U.S. Department of Education in 2001.<ref>Blue Ribbon Schools Program: Schools Recognized 1982–1983 through 1999–2002 (PDF), United States Department of Education. Accessed October 31, 2017.</ref>

Before 1942, Sussex County had over 100 school districts. Most of these districts were in rural townships that each had several districts—each district operating a one-room schoolhouse that served their small neighborhoods. During the forty-year tenure (1903–1942) of County School Superintendent Ralph Decker, the local government began to consolidate these small districts into larger municipality-wide or regional school districts.<ref>Decker, Ralph. Then and Now: Forty Years in the Schools of Sussex County. (Newton, New Jersey: Sussex County Board of Chosen Freeholders, 1942).</ref>

The public school system in Sussex County offers a "thorough and efficient" education for children between the ages of five and eighteen years (grades K–12), as required by state constitution,<ref>State of New Jersey. New Jersey State Constitution (1947) Template:Webarchive, Article VIII Taxation and Finance, Section 4, Paragraph 1.</ref> through nine local and regional public high school districts, and twenty public primary or elementary school districts. Because of its distance from other county high schools and the higher costs of busing students one of those locations, Montague Township (the northernmost municipality in the state) sends most of its middle school (grades 7–8) and high school students (grades 9–12) to Port Jervis, New York for schooling. However, in 2013, Montague began exploring alternatives that would involve keeping their students in-state by sending them to High Point Regional High School in neighboring Wantage Township. Several of the county's schools are highly ranked by both state and federal education departments; some of which have achieved the U.S. Department of Education Blue Ribbon School Award.<ref>Kittatinny Regional High School (1997–1998), Fredon Township Elementary School (2000–2001) and High Point Regional High School (1997–1998) received the award. See: Blue Ribbon Schools Program, Office of Educational Research and Improvement, U.S. Department of Education. Blue Ribbon Schools Program: Schools Recognized 1982–1983 Through 1999–2002, pp. 52–53. Accessed August 2, 2013.</ref> The county's Board of County Commissioners oversees the Sussex County Technical School (formerly the Sussex County Vocational-Technical School), a county-wide technical high school in Sparta Township.<ref>About Us Template:Webarchive, Sussex County Technical School. Accessed May 31, 2012.</ref>

Pope John XXIII Regional High School in Sparta operates under the auspices of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Paterson, which also operates Reverend George A. Brown Memorial School (PreK-4) and Pope John XXIII Middle School in Sparta.<ref>Sussex County Elementary / High Schools, Roman Catholic Diocese of Paterson. Accessed October 31, 2017.</ref> There are several other private schools in the county.

Sussex County's 10 high schools compete in interscholastic sports and other athletic activities sanctioned by the New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association (NJSIAA). In 2009, the NJSIAA reorganized statewide athletic leagues into regional conferences.<ref>Bergeron, Tom. "NJSIAA realignment plan: Six super conferences in North/Central Jersey" at New Jersey On-Line, LLC (nj.com) (August 19, 2008). Accessed August 2, 2013.</ref> Prior to this reorganization, these schools competed under the auspices of the Sussex County Interscholastic League (SCIL), a now-defunct county-wide conference affiliated with NJSIAA.<ref>Bergeron, Tom. "Realignment: Differing opinions over fate of SCIL", NJ.com, October 8, 2008. Accessed August 14, 2017.</ref> SCIL and other Morris and Warren County high schools compete under the NJSIAA's Northwest Jersey Athletic Conference.<ref>League & Conference Affiliations 2020-2021, New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association. Accessed April 1, 2024.</ref>

School districts, all classified as K-12 (except as indicated), include:<ref>New Jersey School Directory for Sussex County, New Jersey Department of Education. Accessed February 1, 2024.</ref><ref>Search for Public School Districts in Sussex County, New Jersey, National Center for Education Statistics. Accessed August 1, 2022.</ref><ref>2020 Census School District Reference Map: Sussex County, NJ, United States Census Bureau. Accessed August 10, 2022.</ref><ref>2020 Census School District List: Sussex County, NJ, United States Census Bureau. Accessed August 10, 2022.</ref>

K-12

• Hopatcong Public Schools (K-12)
• Newton Public School District (K-12)
• Sparta Township Public School District (K-12)
• Vernon Township School District (K-12)

Elementary (K-8, except as listed)

• Andover Regional School District
• Byram Township School District
• Frankford Township School District
• Franklin Borough School District
• Fredon Township School (K-6)
• Green Township School District
• Hamburg School District
• Hampton Township School District (K-6)
• Hardyston Township School District
• Lafayette Township School District
• Montague Township School District
• Ogdensburg Borough School District
• Sandyston-Walpack Consolidated School District (K-6)
• Stanhope Public Schools
• Stillwater Township School District (K-6)
• Sussex-Wantage Regional School District

Secondary (9-12, except as indicated)

• High Point Regional High School
• Kittatinny Regional High School (7-12)
• Lenape Valley Regional High School
• Sussex County Vocational School District
• Wallkill Valley Regional High School

Higher education

File:Sussex County Community College Newton NJ Main Building 2013.jpg

Formerly a Roman Catholic seminary, the county purchased the school facilities on the outskirts of Newton from the diocese in 1989 for the use of Sussex County Community College, founded in 1981.

Template:See also Sussex County Community College (commonly referred to as SCCC), which opened in 1982, is an accredited, co-educational, two-year, public, community college located on a Template:Convert campus in Newton.<ref name="SCCCHistory">Our History, Sussex County Community College. Accessed October 31, 2017. "Sussex County Community College was authorized as a College Commission by the New Jersey State Board of Higher Education in 1981, and we opened our doors in 1982."</ref> The SCCC campus was the site of Don Bosco College, a Roman Catholic seminary operated by the Salesian Order from 1928 until it was closed in the early 1980s and its campus sold to the Sussex County government on June 22, 1989, for US$4,209,800.<ref>Sussex County Clerk's Office (Newton, New Jersey), Register of Deeds. Deed between the Salesian Society, Inc., a corporation of the State of New York being the parent company of Don Bosco College and the Salesian Society of New Jersey, Inc., and The County of Sussex, a political division of the State of New Jersey (May 10, 1989, filed June 22, 1989) in Deed Book 1662, page 022 et seq. (Instrument No. 89-39284).</ref><ref>Wright, Kevin. Newton NJ: Pearl of the Kittatinny – "The Horton Mansion Former Don Bosco Campus, now Sussex County Community College". Note: Wright states it was 1984 but I suspect this is either a typographical error or an intentional copyright trap. Accessed July 10, 2012.</ref>

SCCC was authorized as a "college commission" in 1981 and began operations the following year. It became fully accredited in 1993 by the Commission on Higher Education of the Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools.<ref name="SCCCHistory" /><ref name="SCCCAccreditation">Institution Directory: Sussex County Community College, Middle States Commission on Higher Education, Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools. Accessed July 18, 2012.</ref> SCCC offers 40 associate degree and 16 post-secondary professional and health science certificate programs available both at traditional classes at its campus, through hybrid and online classes, and through distance learning.<ref name="SCCCAccreditation" /><ref name="SCCCDegreesPrograms">"Degrees, Programs and Certificates", Sussex County Community College. Accessed August 2, 2013.</ref><ref>"Distance Learning", Sussex County Community College. Accessed August 2, 2013.</ref> Many students who attend SCCC transfer to pursue the completion of their undergraduate college education at a four-year college or university.<ref name="SCCCDegreesPrograms" /><ref>"The Degree Advantage: Complete your Associate Degree at SCCC and give yourself the edge when you transfer", Sussex County Community College. Accessed August 2, 2013.</ref> The college also offers programs for advanced high school students, community education courses, and programs in cooperation with the New Jersey Department of Labor and Workforce Development.<ref>Community Education and Workforce Development, Sussex County Community College. Accessed August 2, 2013.</ref> Template:As of, SCCC reported an enrollment of 2,738 students of which 55% attend full-time and 45% attended part-time.<ref name="SCCCHistory" />

Before it closed in 1995, Upsala College, a Lutheran-affiliated college in East Orange, New Jersey, operated a Template:Convert satellite campus in Wantage Township which it named the "Wirth Campus". In 1978, the land known as "Twin Ponds Farm" had been donated by Wallace "Wally" Wirths (1921–2002), a former Westinghouse Corporation executive, author, local newspaper columnist and radio commentator.<ref name="WirthsUpsalaDeed1">Sussex County Clerk's Office (Newton, New Jersey), Register of Deeds. Deed between the Wallace R. Wirths, and Upsala College, a corporation of the State of New Jersey (dated November 6, 1978, filed November 8, 1978) in Deed Book 1018, page 770, et seq. (Instrument No. 36176).</ref><ref name="UpsalaCollegeWirthsRecords">Swenson Center Archives. Wirths Campus in Sussex County records – Series XIV, Boxes 1-6, folders 1-55 Template:Webarchive. Augustana College (Rock Island, Illinois). Accessed May 22, 2013.</ref><ref name="NYTWirthsUpsala">Strunksy, Steve. "IN BRIEF; Dream of a College Tinged With Sadness" in The New York Times (August 2, 1998). Accessed July 10, 2012.</ref> The school had considered moving to Sussex County as East Orange's crime problem and social conditions deteriorated in the 1970s. However, declining enrollment and financial difficulties forced the school to close.<ref>Rothstein, Mervyn. "IN BRIEF: Against Odds, Revival For Troubled College", The New York Times, September 21. 1992. Accessed July 10, 2012.</ref><ref>"IN BRIEF: The Doors Are Closed At Upsala College", The New York Times, June 4, 1995. Accessed July 10, 2012.</ref> The Wirths family bought back the farm for $75,000.<ref name="NYTWirthsUpsala" /><ref name="WirthsUpsalaDeed2">Sussex County Clerk's Office (Newton, New Jersey), Register of Deeds. Deed between the Charles M. Forman, Trustee for Upsala College and Wallace Wirths, Harold Wirths and Deborah Wirths (dated July 30, 1998, filed August 11, 1998) in Deed Book 2308, page 328, et seq. (Instrument No. 98-16434).</ref>

Recreation

File:Vernon Valley from Mtn Creek.jpg

The Mountain Creek resort in Vernon Township offers skiing, snowboarding, and other winter sports activities in the Vernon Valley.

Sussex County is part of the Skylands Region, a term promoted by the New Jersey Commerce, Economic Growth, & Tourism Commission to encourage regional tourism. New Jersey ranks fifth in the nation in revenues generated from tourism.

Agritourism

Local dairy farmers have had to adapt to a declining milk and dairy industry and reacclimate to changing economic conditions by seeking new sources of revenue.<ref name="SCFarmPresPlan08CH2" /> Combining their agricultural production while promoting tourism, "Agritourism" has created opportunities for farmers. Many Sussex County farms offer corn field mazes, "u-pick" or "pick your own" fruits and vegetables—especially for apples, strawberries, pumpkins and Christmas trees during their respective harvest seasons.<ref>Traylor, Donna. Agricultural Resources in Sussex County, Sussex County Agriculture Development Board. Accessed July 10, 2012.</ref>

New Jersey's wine industry has benefited from the recent easing of state alcohol licensing laws and from new promotional and marketing programs offered by the state's Department of Agriculture. Of the state's 46 licensed wineries, Sussex County is home to three: Cava Winery & Vineyard in Hamburg, Ventimiglia Vineyard in Wantage Township, and Westfall Winery in Montague Township.<ref name="GSWGAWineries"/>

State and federal protected areas

File:Understory state park.jpg

Operated by the New Jersey Division of Parks and Forestry, Stokes State Forest covers Template:Convert on Kittatinny Mountain in Montague, Sandyston, and Frankford townships. It was created by a donation of land to the state by New Jersey Governor Edward C. Stokes in 1907.

A large percentage of Sussex County is undeveloped because it has been reserved as one of 11 federal or state parks or as part of several wildlife management areas.

Under the National Park Service

• Appalachian National Scenic Trail (shared by 14 states)
• Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area (shared with Pennsylvania)
• Middle Delaware National Scenic River (shared with Pennsylvania)

Under the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service

• Wallkill River National Wildlife Refuge (shared with New York)

Under the New Jersey Division of Parks and Forestry

• Allamuchy Mountain State Park
• High Point State Park
• Hopatcong State Park
• Kittatinny Valley State Park
• Stokes State Forest
• Swartswood State Park
• Wawayanda State Park

New Jersey Division of Fish and Wildlife<ref>Wildlife Management Areas, New Jersey Division of Fish & Wildlife. Bureau of Land Management (as of January 2013). Accessed March 18, 2013.</ref>

• Bear Swamp Wildlife Management Area
• Culvers Brook Access Wildlife Management Area
• Flatbrook-Roy Wildlife Management Area
• Hainesville Wildlife Management Area
• Hamburg Mountain (North) Wildlife Management Area
• Hamburg Mountain (South) Wildlife Management Area
• Little Flatbrook Access Wildlife Management Area

• Paulinskill River Wildlife Management Area
• Sparta Mountain (North) Wildlife Management Area
• Sparta Mountain (South) Wildlife Management Area
• Trout Brook Wildlife Management Area
• Walpack Wildlife Management Area
• Weldon Brook Wildlife Management Area
• Whittingham Wildlife Management Area

Libraries

The basement of the Sussex County Hall of Records was the home to the first official Sussex County Library when it opened its doors on May 15, 1942. A 1936 International book truck was used to mobilize the more than 8,000 books the library had amassed by the end of their first year. Today, the Sussex Library County System (SLCS) circulates over 600,000 items through its six branches.

The Main Library is located in Newton and is where all new materials are procured and then distributed to the five branch libraries. The five branch libraries are the Dennis Memorial Branch, named for Mr. Alfred L. Dennis who gifted a sum of $25,000 to build the first library (the Dennis Library) in the county in 1872. The Dorothy Henry Branch, located in Vernon, was renamed in 1981 after the passing of the county's first librarian. The Franklin Branch, which opened in 1964, was the first official branch of the Sussex County Library System. The Louise Childs branch, located in Stanhope, opened in 1981 and was named in memory of Edith Louise Childs, who served for twenty-one years as Sussex County Clerk of the Board. Finally, the Sussex-Wantage branch which was formerly known as the Sussex Public Library, is located in Wantage.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

The county's six libraries supply residents with e-books, audiobooks, downloadable audio books, magazines and newspapers, DVDs, videogames, CDs and databases that cover subjects from alchemy to zoology. All six locations have computers with high-speed internet access, Wi-Fi, and meeting rooms available for use by the public.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

To check out the SCLS website, go to http://www.sussexcountylibrary.org

Skiing and winter sports

In the 1960s, Vernon Township became a location for skiing and winter sports.

• Mountain Creek
• Hidden Valley - Since January 2016, the area has been repurposed as the National Winter Activity Center, which provides education and ski / snowboard instruction to groups that might not have access to winter sports.<ref>Obernauer, Eric. "Educational ski center up and running at former Hidden Valley Ski Resort" Template:Webarchive, New Jersey Herald, January 20, 2016. Accessed October 23, 2017. "A new educational ski center, which includes more than $12 million in upgrades and renovations, has opened at the 140-acre former site of the Hidden Valley Ski Resort off Breakneck Road.The nonprofit venture, which opened last weekend as the National Winter Activity Center, is targeted to improving the lives, health and fitness of youth through participation in winter sports activities."</ref>

Sports franchises

Sussex County has one large venue for professional sports, Skylands Stadium, a 4,200-seat baseball stadium located in the Augusta section of Frankford Township near the intersection of U.S. Route 206, New Jersey Route 15, and County Route 565.<ref name="NewSkylandsOwnerMarch2013">Moszczynski, Joe. "With deal closed, new Skylands Park owner exploring all possibilities" in The Star-Ledger (April 7, 2013). Accessed August 2, 2013.</ref> In 2013, Skylands Park was acquired by investor Mark Roscioli Jr., of 17 Mile, LLC for $950,000.<ref>"Skylands Park sold; baseball still a possibility" in Ballpark Digest (March 17, 2013). Accessed August 2, 2013.</ref> Roscioli, who admitted a lack of experience in sports management, then sold the facility to Al Dorso, who operates the annual State Fair Meadowlands.,<ref name="NewSkylandsOwnerOctober2013">Moszczynski, Joe. "Skylands Park gets new owners with hopes of baseball returning in 2015" in The Star-Ledger (October 10, 2013). Accessed July 25, 2022.</ref> Dorso bought the facility with the intention of bringing baseball and other activities back to the stadium, which he achieved in late 2014 with the announcement of the Sussex County Miners, who began playing the following year.<ref name="MinersIntroduction2014">Westhoven, William. "Miners to fill major baseball void in Sussex" in The Daily Record (December 10, 2014). Accessed July 25, 2022.</ref>

With the rise of professional Minor League Baseball in the 1990s, Sussex County became the home to the New Jersey Cardinals, a Class A-Short Season affiliate of Major League Baseball's St. Louis Cardinals franchise in 1994. The Cardinals, previously the Glens Falls Redbirds (1981–93) from upstate New York, won the New York–Penn League's championship in their 1994 inaugural season. They had one other winning season (in 2002) and in 2005 the owners sold the team—which was then moved to University Park, Pennsylvania and renamed the State College Spikes.Template:Citation needed They are now affiliated with MLB's Pittsburgh Pirates franchise.Template:Citation needed In 2006, Skylands Park became the home of the Sussex Skyhawks an affiliate of the Canadian American Association of Professional Baseball (or Can-Am League). The team were League Champions during the 2008 season. The team ceased operations after the 2010 season.Template:Citation needed

Sussex was re-introduced to the Can-Am League in 2015, when the Miners began play that season. After experiencing growing pains their first three seasons, the Miners broke through in 2018 when they posted a 63–38 record and won the league championship in 2018. They appeared in the following championship the following season, but fell to the New Jersey Jackals, also owned by Dorso. After the 2019 season, the Miners, along with four other Can-Am teams, joined the Frontier League after the two independent leagues merged. The Miners began Frontier League play in 2021 after the league canceled its 2020 season due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Sussex County Fairgrounds

The Sussex County Farm and Horse Show in the Augusta of Frankford Township, which has operated since 1940, has been known as the New Jersey State Fair since 1999.<ref>Sweetman, Jennie. "Sussex County Farm & Horse Show celebrates 75 years" Template:Webarchive, New Jersey Herald, August 1, 2015. Accessed October 23, 2017. "This year marks the 75th anniversary of the Sussex County Farm & Horse Show. One of the special events to commemorate this special occasion is the publication of a 77-page booklet, A Fair to Remember: The 75th Anniversary of the Sussex County Farm & Horse Show, 1940-2015.... In 1999, the fair association purchased the title of 'New Jersey State Fair.'"</ref>

The fair grounds is also host to the Sussex County Poultry Fanciers Spring and Fall shows. In 2019 the Serama Council of North America (SCNA) will hold Jersey's first ever SCNA Serama Table Top show

Outdoor recreation

File:Paulinskill stillwater angling.jpg

The Paulins Kill (shown here, near Stillwater), is a popular destination for fly-fishermen in pursuit of trout.

There are 12 wildlife management areas located in Sussex County for hunting, fishing, trapping, hiking, snowshoeing and cross country skiing, covering more than Template:Convert.<ref>Wildlife Management Areas, New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection Division of Fish and Wildlife. Accessed October 23, 2017.</ref> There are also several state forests and state parks.

See also

• List of Sussex County, New Jersey people
• National Register of Historic Places listings in Sussex County, New Jersey

Further reading

• Armstrong, William C. Pioneer Families of Northwestern New Jersey (Lambertville, New Jersey: Hunterdon House, 1979).
• Cawley, James S. and Cawley, Margaret. Exploring the Little Rivers of New Jersey (New Brunswick, New Jersey: Rutgers University Press, 1942, 1961, 1971, 1993). Template:ISBN
• Chambers, Theodore Frelinghuysen. The Early Germans of New Jersey: Their History, Churches, and Genealogies (Dover, New Jersey, Dover Printing Company, 1895), passim.
• Cummings, Warren D. Sussex County: A History (Newton, New Jersey: Newton Rotary Club, 1964). NO ISBN
• Cunningham, John T. Railroad Wonder: The Lackawanna Cut-Off (Newark, New Jersey: Newark Sunday News, 1961). NO ISBN
• Documents Relating to the Colonial, Revolutionary and Post-Revolutionary History of the State of New Jersey [Title Varies]. Archives of the State of New Jersey, 1st–2nd series. 47 volumes. (Newark, New Jersey: 1880–1949). NO ISBN
• Honeyman, A. Van Doren (ed.). Northwestern New Jersey—A History of Somerset, Morris, Hunterdon, Warren, and Sussex Counties Volume 1. (Lewis Historical Publishing Co., New York, 1927).
• Hopkins, Griffith Morgan. Map of Sussex County, New Jersey. (1860) [Reprinted by the Sussex County Historical Society: Netcong, New Jersey: Esposito (Jostens), 2004.]
• Schaeffer, Casper M.D. (and Johnson, William M.). Memoirs and Reminiscences: Together with Sketches of the Early History of Sussex County, New Jersey. (Hackensack, New Jersey: Privately Printed, 1907). NO ISBN
• Schrabisch, Max. Indian habitations in Sussex County, New Jersey Geological Survey of New Jersey, Bulletin No. 13. (Union Hill, New Jersey: Dispatch Printing Company, 1915). NO ISBN
• Snell, James P. History of Sussex and Warren Counties, New Jersey, With Illustrations and Biographical Sketches of Its Prominent Men and Pioneers. (Philadelphia: Everts & Peck, 1881). NO ISBN
• Snyder, John P. The Story of New Jersey's Civil Boundaries 1606–1968 (Trenton, New Jersey: Bureau of Geology and Topography, 1969). No ISBN
• Stickney, Charles E. Old Sussex County families of the Minisink Region from articles in the Wantage Recorder (compiled by Virginia Alleman Brown) (Washington, New Jersey: Genealogical Researchers, 1988).

External links

• Template:Commons category-inline
• Sussex County (official webpage)
• Sussex County Community College
• Sussex County Technical School
• Sussex County Historical Society
• Detailed 1860 map of Sussex County, showing resident's names, churches, schoolhouses and businesses such as mines, grist mills, saw mills, wheel wright shops, blacksmith shops, paint shops, and lime kilns. From the collections of the Morristown & Morris Township Library, North Jersey History & Genealogy Center.