Editing New Jersey Route 7

{{Short description|State highway in northern New Jersey, US}}
{{about|the current New Jersey Route 7|the Route 7 that existed before 1927|New Jersey Route 7 (pre-1927)}}
{{Use American English|date=April 2025}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=January 2025}}
{{redirect-synonym|NJ 7|New Jersey's 7th congressional district}}
{{Infobox road
|state=NJ
|type=NJ
|route=7
|alternate_name=
|length_mi=9.46
|length_ref=<ref name=SLD>{{cite web|url=http://www.state.nj.us/transportation/refdata/sldiag/pdf/00000007__-.pdf|title=Route 7 straight line diagram|publisher=[[New Jersey Department of Transportation]]|access-date=March 17, 2020}}</ref>
|maint=[[NJDOT]], [[Nutley, New Jersey|Township of Nutley]], and [[Passaic County, New Jersey|Passaic County]]
|map={{maplink-road}}
|map_custom=yes
|map_notes=Two segments of Route 7 highlighted in red
|section1=Southern segment
|length_mi1=5.35
|length_ref1=<ref name=SLD/>
|direction_a1=East
|direction_b1=West
|terminus_a1={{plainlist|*{{jct|state=NJ|US|1-9|US-Truck|1-9|NJ|139}} in [[Jersey City, New Jersey|Jersey City]]}}
|junction1={{plainlist|
*{{jct|state=NJ|CR|508}} in [[Kearny, New Jersey|Kearny]]
*{{jct|state=NJ|NJ|17}} in [[North Arlington, New Jersey|North Arlington]]
}}
|terminus_b1={{jct|state=NJ|CR|506}} in [[Belleville, New Jersey|Belleville]]
|section2=Northern segment
|length_mi2=4.11
|length_ref2=<ref name=SLD/>
|direction_a2=South
|direction_b2=North
|terminus_a2={{jct|state=NJ|CR|667|county1=Essex}} at the [[Newark, New Jersey|Newark]]&ndash;Belleville line
|terminus_b2=Kingsland Road in [[Nutley, New Jersey|Nutley]]&ndash;[[Clifton, New Jersey|Clifton]] line
|established=1927
|counties=[[Hudson County, New Jersey|Hudson]], [[Bergen County, New Jersey|Bergen]], [[Essex County, New Jersey|Essex]], [[Passaic County, New Jersey|Passaic]]
|previous_type=NJ-old
|previous_route=6
|next_type=NJ-old
|next_route=8
}}

'''Route 7''' is a [[state highway]] in the northern part of [[New Jersey]] in the [[United States]]. It has two sections, an east&ndash;west alignment running from [[U.S. Route 1/9 Truck]] in [[Jersey City, New Jersey|Jersey City]] to the [[Passaic River]] in [[Belleville, New Jersey|Belleville]], and a north&ndash;south alignment running from the [[Newark, New Jersey|Newark]]/Belleville to the [[Nutley, New Jersey|Nutley]]/[[Clifton, New Jersey|Clifton]] border. The [[New Jersey Department of Transportation]] (NJDOT) lists Route 7 as a single north&ndash;south highway with a small gap between the alignments. The entire highway has a combined length of {{convert|9.46|mi|km|2|abbr=on}}.

The southern section of Route 7, which runs from Jersey City west-northwest to Belleville, passes through industrial areas, the [[New Jersey Meadowlands]], [[Arlington Memorial Park]], and some residential and business areas. West of the interchange with [[County Route 508 (New Jersey)|County Route 508]] in [[Kearny, New Jersey|Kearny]], Route 7 is the '''Belleville Turnpike''', a historic road created in 1759. The northern section of Route 7 runs north through residential and business areas of Belleville and Nutley into Clifton, where it turns west and crosses back into Nutley, briefly turning to the north to come to its northern terminus. A portion of the route in Nutley is municipally maintained while the portion within Clifton is maintained by [[Passaic County, New Jersey|Passaic County]]. The two separate sections of Route 7 are linked by [[County Route 506 (New Jersey)|County Route 506]] (Rutgers Street) in Belleville, which is signed as Route 7 despite the fact it is not officially part of the route. There is inconsistency between the official NJDOT diagram and what is signed on the road; the signage suggests that Route 7 is really one continuous route that also extends even further north to Route 3 via Kingsland Road and Cathedral Ave, and many navigation systems also indicate this. However, the NJDOT has not updated the definition of Route 7 past a 2-segment highway.

Route 7 was established in 1927 to run from [[Jersey City, New Jersey|Jersey City]] to [[Paterson, New Jersey|Paterson]], replacing '''pre-1927 Route 11''' between Belleville and Paterson. The routing was amended in 1929 to head to [[New Jersey Route 3|Route 3]] in [[Wallington, New Jersey|Wallington]] and was extended north to [[New Jersey Route 6|Route 6]] (now [[U.S. Route 46]]) in [[East Paterson, New Jersey|East Paterson]] in 1949. In 1953, the route was modified to follow its current alignment.

==Route description==

===Southern segment===
[[File:2020-09-25 11 41 55 View west along New Jersey State Route 7 (Newark-Jersey City Turnpike) at the exit for Hudson County Route 508 WEST (TO Interstate 280-New Jersey Turnpike, Harrison, Newark) in Kearny, Hudson County, New Jersey.jpg|thumb|left|Route 7 westbound at the eastern terminus of CR 508 in Kearny]]
The first segment of Route 7 begins at an intersection with [[U.S. Route 1-9 Truck]] and County Route 645 (Charlotte Avenue) in [[Jersey City, New Jersey|Jersey City]], [[Hudson County, New Jersey|Hudson County]], heading to the west on a four-lane highway that is signed east&ndash;west.<ref name=SLD /> The route crosses the [[Hackensack River]] on the [[Wittpenn Bridge]] parallel to [[Conrail Shared Assets Operations]]' [[Passaic and Harsimus Line]] into [[Kearny, New Jersey|Kearny]]. Route 7 interchanges with County Route 659 (Fish House Road) and widens to a six-lane [[divided highway]]. The route then passes by industrial areas and a Conrail Shared Assets Operations railroad yard before it passes over [[NJ Transit]]'s [[Morris & Essex Lines]] and reaches an interchange with [[County Route 508 (New Jersey)|County Route 508]].<ref name=SLD /><ref name=gm1>{{google maps |url=https://maps.google.com/maps?f=d&source=s_d&saddr=route+7+and+wallis+avenue+jersey+city+nj&daddr=route+7+and+route+21+belleville+nj&geocode=&hl=en&mra=ls&sll=40.784148,-74.143724&sspn=0.015272,0.027466&ie=UTF8&t=h&z=13 |title=overview of New Jersey Route 7 southern section |access-date=2009-04-01}}</ref> Past this interchange, Route 7 becomes the four-lane, divided Belleville Turnpike, with the eastern end of the [[Newark Turnpike]] running in the division between the two sides of Route 7. It then becomes an undivided two-lane road, heading northwest, narrowing to two lanes before it crosses under [[Amtrak]]'s [[Northeast Corridor]] and passes through the [[New Jersey Meadowlands]]. The route crosses under the Eastern Spur of the [[New Jersey Turnpike]] ([[Interstate 95 in New Jersey|Interstate 95]]) and then the Western Spur of the turnpike a short distance later before passing over [[Norfolk Southern]]'s [[Boonton Line]].<ref name=SLD /><ref name=gm1 />

[[File:2021-08-25 08 33 31 View northwest along State Route 7 (Belleville Turnpike) from the overpass for the rail line between County Route 508 (Newark-Jersey City Turnpike) and Interstate 95 (New Jersey Turnpike Eastern Spur) in Kearny, New Jersey.jpg|thumb|right|View west along Route 7 in Kearny]]
Route 7 continues northwest, widens, with a painted median, as it passes through two large cemeteries on the border of Hudson County (Kearny) to the south and Bergen County ([[North Arlington, New Jersey|North Arlington]]) to the north, though the route itself is signed north&ndash;south along that border.<ref name="gsvna">{{google maps |url=https://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&hl=en&geocode=&q=Belleville+Turnpike+and+Schuyler+Avenue,+North+Arlington,+NJ&layer=c&cbll |title=Belleville Turnpike and Schuyler Avenue, North Arlington, NJ |access-date=2008-11-14}}</ref>

After an intersection with Schuyler Avenue (which runs as [[County Route 507 (New Jersey)|County Route 507]] to the south of Route 7 and County Route 130 to the north of Route 7), the road turns NNW, narrowing again to two lanes undivided. In this portion of the route, it had a concurrency with County Route 507 (both Bergen and Hudson counties). It keeps this configuration for about a half mile, as it still runs along the Kearny/North Arlington border. At that point, it meets the southern terminus of [[New Jersey Route 17|Route 17]] (Ridge Road) and the northern terminus of County Route 697 (Kearny Avenue).<ref name=SLD /><ref name=gm1 />

Past this intersection, County Route 507 turns away from Route 7, becoming concurrent with Route 17. by heading north on River Road, while Route 7 continues along Belleville Turnpike for another half mile, Route 7 continues another half mile west, crossing the [[Passaic River]] on a [[lift bridge]], known as the [[Belleville Turnpike Bridge|Belleville Turnpike Bridge or Rutgers Street Bridge]], into [[Belleville, New Jersey|Belleville]], [[Essex County, New Jersey|Essex County]], where the local street name changes from Belleville Turnpike to Rutgers Street. The first section of Route 7 ends underneath the [[New Jersey Route 21|Route 21]] freeway, where it continues as [[County Route 506 (New Jersey)|County Route 506]].<ref name=SLD /><ref name=gm1 />

===Gap in the route===
[[File:2020-09-25 12 22 17 View north along New Jersey State Route 7 and east along Essex County Route 506 (Washington Avenue) at Essex County Route 506 (Rutgers Street) in Belleville Township, Essex County, New Jersey.jpg|thumb|left|Route 7 (Washington Avenue) at CR 506 (Rutgers Street) in Belleville. Note that Route 7 is signed to follow Rutgers Street to the right]]
The intersection of Main St and Rutgers Street in Belleville forms the end of one section of Route 7 (signed north, directionally west). Rutgers Street is named for Colonel [[Henry Rutgers]], an [[American Revolutionary War]] hero and benefactor of what is now [[Rutgers University]]. For its entire length, Rutgers carries [[County Route 506 (New Jersey)|County Route 506]], which ends, like Rutgers Street itself, at the Rutgers Street Bridge.<ref name=SLD /><ref name=gm1 />

Prior to turning onto Rutgers Street, CR-506 runs along Washington Street concurrent with the northern section of Route 7. Though the northern section of Route 7 begins a few blocks south, it is not readily recognized (minimal signing). As CR-506 runs concurrently with it here, and then turns down Rutgers for the short distance that bridges the gap between the two Route 7 sections, Rutgers/506 is often viewed as if it continues Route 7, while the short portion of the northern section that lies south of Rutgers is sometimes seen as a spur, even though it is part of the main route.<ref name=SLD /><ref name=gm1 />

Rutgers' identity has become so closely aligned with Route 7, that though it is not officially part of Route 7, Rutgers, from Washington Avenue to Main Street, is signed as if it is part of Route 7.<ref name=SLD /><ref name=gm1 />

=== Northern section ===
[[File:2018-07-18 15 20 26 View east along New Jersey State Route 7 (Kingsland Street) between Essex County Route 645 (Franklin Avenue) and Elm Place in Nutley Township, Essex County, New Jersey.jpg|right|thumb|Route&nbsp;7 eastbound through Nutley]]

The second section of Route 7, designated a north&ndash;south road, heads north on Washington Avenue from the [[Second River (New Jersey)|Second River]] crossing on the [[Newark, New Jersey|Newark]]/[[Belleville, New Jersey|Belleville]] border, passing through a business district.<ref name="gm2">{{google maps |url=https://maps.google.com/maps?f=d&source=s_d&saddr=washington+avenue+and+mill+street+belleville+nj&daddr=cathedral+avenue+and+princeton+street+clifton+nj&hl=en&geocode=&mra=ls&sll=40.781224,-74.153895&sspn=0.007637,0.013733&ie=UTF8&t=h&z=13 |title=overview of New Jersey Route 7 northern section |access-date=2009-04-01}}</ref> The route intersects [[County Route 506 (New Jersey)|County Route 506]] (Belleville Avenue), and that county route then forms a [[concurrency (road)|concurrency]] with Route 7 along the next block of Washington Avenue, to the intersection with Rutgers Street. At that point, County Route 506 heads to the east, ending at the intersection of Main Street, Rutgers Street, and bridge to Belleville (which is also the other section of Route 7).<ref name="SLD" />

[[File:2020-09-08 10 22 23 View west along New Jersey State Route 3 at the exit for New Jersey State Route 7-Passaic Avenue (Nutley, Passaic) in Clifton, Passaic County, New Jersey.jpg|thumb|left|Signage for Route 7 on Route 3 in Clifton]]
Route 7 is not signed on Washington Avenue between the Second River bridge and Rutgers Street, except on some overhead signs suspended from traffic signals.<ref name="gm2" />

From the Rutgers Street intersection, Route 7 continues along Washington Avenue for about a mile and a half before reaching [[Nutley, New Jersey|Nutley]], still continuing on Washington Avenue into Nutley.<ref name="SLD" /> The road crosses Norfolk Southern's Newark Industrial Track line at an intersection with County Route 648 (Centre Street). At the intersection with County Route 646 (Park Avenue), Route 7 turns into a municipally maintained road and enters a more residential area.<ref name="SLD" /><ref name="gm2" /> Upon intersecting County Route 606 (Kingsland Road), Route 7 crosses into [[Clifton, New Jersey|Clifton]], [[Passaic County, New Jersey|Passaic County]] and heads to the west on county-maintained Kingsland Street signed east&ndash;west.<ref name="SLD" /><ref name="gm2" /> Kingsland, carrying Route 7, crosses back into Nutley, regaining state maintenance. When Kingsland becomes County Route 644 at the intersection with Cathedral Avenue, Route 7 turns north from Kingsland onto Cathedral Avenue and comes to its terminus at Orange Street in Nutley. However, signage continues to indicate Route 7 up to the terminus of Cathedral Avenue at interchange with [[New Jersey Route 3|Route 3]] at the intersection of Cathedral Avenue, Passaic Avenue, and Ward Avenue.<ref name="SLD" /> Per NJDOT traffic regulations, the portion of Cathedral Avenue and Passaic Avenue within the vicinity of the Route 3 interchange in Clifton is under state jurisdiction.<ref name=CathedralNJDOT>{{cite web |url=https://www.state.nj.us/transportation/refdata/traffic_orders/speed/passaic_cathedral.shtm |title=Traffic Regulations - Orders of the Commissioner of Transportation; Passaic Avenue & Cathedral Avenue (vicinity of Route NJ 3) |publisher=New Jersey Department of Transportation |date=November 19, 2012 |access-date=September 5, 2019}}</ref>

==History==
[[File:Wittpenn Bridge.jpg|thumb|right|200px|Route 7 crosses the [[Hackensack River]] on the [[Wittpenn Bridge]]]]

The Belleville Turnpike, which is the majority of the southern portion of Route 7, was created in 1759 as a [[Toll road|turnpike]] made out of cedar logs. This road was chartered in 1808.<ref name=knj>{{Cite web|title=Town of Kearny History|publisher=[[Kearny, New Jersey|Town of Kearny]]|access-date=2008-11-11|url=http://www.kearnynj.org/History.asp |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20080504172408/http://www.kearnynj.org/History.asp |archive-date = May 4, 2008}}</ref><ref name=index>{{cite book |last= Murphy |first= John L. |access-date=2008-11-11|title= Index of Colonial and State Laws Between the Years 1663 and 1877 Inclusive |year= 1877 |publisher=Stare of New Jersey |url= https://books.google.com/books?id=LVY4AAAAIAAJ}}</ref> It served as a part of the [[Underground Railroad]] route for escaped slaves to get to [[Jersey City, New Jersey|Jersey City]].<ref name=jch>{{cite news |last= Wiggins |first= Genene P. |access-date=2008-11-11|title= Danger-filled path to freedom led slaves through Jersey City|newspaper=[[Jersey Journal]] |date=March 14, 1994 |url=http://www.cityofjerseycity.org/ur/hallowedground.shtml}}</ref> The road west of modern County Route 508 was later incorporated into the [[William Penn Highway]], which ran from Jersey City to Pittsburgh, PA.<ref>Rand McNally and Co. "Eastern Ohio, Western Pennsylvania, South East Michigan, Southern Ontario, Western New York: District No. 4". ''Rand McNally Official Auto Trails Map'', 3rd ed., 1924, pp. 168-169. ''David Rumsey Historical Map Collection'', David Rumsey (curator), Cartography Associates, Accessed Nov 4, 2019, www.davidrumsey.com/luna/servlet/detail/RUMSEY~8~1~201570~3000600:Auto-Trails-Map--Pennsylvania,-New-.</ref>
The northern segment of Route 7 was originally a part of pre-1927 Route 11, which was legislated in 1917 to run from [[Newark, New Jersey|Newark]] to [[Paterson, New Jersey|Paterson]].<ref name="1920r11">{{cite book|title=Annual Report|publisher=New Jersey State Highway Department|year=1917}}</ref> In the [[1927 New Jersey state highway renumbering]], Route 7 was designated to run from [[Jersey City, New Jersey|Jersey City]] to Paterson, replacing pre-1927 Route 11 between [[Belleville, New Jersey|Belleville]] and Paterson.<ref name="nj1927">State of New Jersey, Laws of 1927, Chapter 319.</ref><ref name="Map">{{cite map|url=http://www.jimmyandsharonwilliams.com/njroads/1920s/images/1927_routes.gif|title=1927 New Jersey Road Map|publisher=State of New Jersey|access-date=2008-10-08|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160313112746/http://jimmyandsharonwilliams.com/njroads/1920s/images/1927_routes.gif|archive-date=2016-03-13}}</ref>

[[File:NJ 11N (cutout).svg|thumb|left|100px|Route 11N]]

In 1929, the routing was amended to run from [[New Jersey Route 25|Route 25]] (now [[U.S. Route 1/9 Truck]]) in Jersey City to [[New Jersey Route 3|Route 3]] in [[Wallington, New Jersey|Wallington]].<ref name=nj1929>State of New Jersey, Laws of 1929, Chapter 126.</ref> Route 7 was extended north in 1949 to continue to [[New Jersey Route 6|Route 6]] (now [[U.S. Route 46]]) in [[East Paterson, New Jersey|East Paterson]] (now [[Elmwood Park, New Jersey|Elmwood Park]]).<ref name=nj1949>State of New Jersey, Laws of 1949, Chapter 175.</ref>
In the [[1953 New Jersey state highway renumbering]], Route 7 was legislated onto its current alignment, with the northern terminus moved to the [[Nutley, New Jersey|Nutley]]/[[Clifton, New Jersey|Clifton]] border.<ref name="nj1953">{{Cite journal|title=1953 renumbering|url=http://en.wikisource.org/wiki/1953_New_Jersey_state_highway_renumbering|publisher=New Jersey Department of Highways|access-date=July 31, 2009|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110628183145/http://en.wikisource.org/wiki/1953_New_Jersey_state_highway_renumbering|archive-date=June 28, 2011}}</ref> The route was also realigned to head south on Washington Avenue between the Newark border and Rutgers Street in Belleville on what was Route 11N, a remnant of pre-1927 Route 11, making Route 7 discontinuous.<ref name="nj1939">State of New Jersey, Laws of 1939, complied.</ref> [[County Route 506 (New Jersey)|County Route 506]] used to follow the southern portion of Route 7 but has been truncated to the intersection with Routes 7 and 21 in Belleville.<ref name="ruhc">{{cite map|publisher=[[Rutgers University]] Cartography Services|title=Hudson County Road Map – Sheet 2|year=1965|url=http://mapmaker.rutgers.edu/HUDSON_COUNTY/HudsonCountyHighway_2_1965.gif|access-date=2008-11-12}}</ref>

==Major intersections==
{{jcttop|length_ref=<ref name=SLD/>}}
{{NJint
|county=Hudson
|cspan=4
|location=Jersey City
|mile=0.00
|road={{jct|state=NJ|US|1-9|US-Truck|1-9|to4=yes|dir2=south|dir3=east|dir4=south|NJ|139|NJ|440|location1=[[Lincoln Tunnel]]|city2=Secaucus|city3=Hoboken|location4=[[Holland Tunnel]]|city5=Bayonne}}
|notes=[[Tonnele Circle]]; eastern terminus; northern terminus of US 1-9 Truck; western terminus of Route 139
}}
{{jctbridge
|state=NJ
|location_special=[[Hackensack River]]
|mile=0.42
|bridge=[[Wittpenn Bridge]]
}}
{{NJint
|location=Kearny
|lspan=2
|mile=0.56
|road={{jct|state=NJ|CR|659|county1=Hudson|dir1=west|name1=Fish House Road}}
|notes=Interchange; eastern terminus of CR 659
}}
{{NJint
|mile=1.40
|road={{jct|state=NJ|CR|508|dir1=west|name1=Harrison Street|to2=to|I-Toll|95|NJTP2||I|280|city1=Harrison|city2=Newark}}
|notes=Interchange; eastern terminus of CR 508
}}
{{NJint
|county1=Hudson
|county2=Bergen
|cspan=3
|location1=Kearny
|location2=North Arlington
|lspan=3
|mile=4.22
|type=concur
|road={{jct|state=NJ|CR|507|dir1=south|name1=Schuyler Avenue}}
|notes=Eastern end of CR 507 concurrency
}}
{{NJint
|mile=4.74
|road={{jct|state=NJ|NJ|17|dir1=north|name1=Ridge Road|city1=Rutherford|location2=[[Suffern, New York|Suffern]]}}
|notes=Southern terminus of Route 17
}}
{{NJint
|mile=5.22
|type=concur
|road={{jct|state=NJ|CR|507|dir1=north|name1=River Road|to2=to|NJ|17|city1=Lyndhurst|city2=Wallington|city3=Garfield}}
|notes=Western end of CR 507 concurrency
}}
{{jctbridge
|river=[[Passaic River]]
|mile=5.32
|line=yes
|bridge=[[Belleville Turnpike Bridge]]
}}
{{NJint
|county=Essex
|cspan=6
|location=Belleville
|mile=5.35
|road={{jct|state=NJ|CR|506|dir1=west|name2=Rutgers Street}}
|notes=Continuation west
}}
{{jctgap}}
{{NJint
|location1=Newark
|location2=Belleville
|mile=6.05
|road=Broadway ([[County Route 667 (Essex County, New Jersey)|CR 667]] south)
|notes=Continuation south
}}
{{NJint
|location=Belleville
|lspan=2
|type=concur
|mile=6.40
|road={{jct|state=NJ|CR|506|dir1=west|name1=Belleville Avenue|city1=Bloomfield}}
|notes=Southern end of CR 506 concurrency
}}
{{NJint
|type=concur
|mile=6.48
|road={{jct|state=NJ|CR|506|dir1=east|name1=Rutgers Street|city1=Jersey City}}
|notes=Northern end of CR 506 concurrency
}}
{{NJint
|location1=Nutley
|location2=Clifton
|mile=10.16
|road=Kingsland Road
}}
{{jctbtm|keys=concur}}

==See also==
*{{Portal-inline|U.S. Roads}}
*{{Portal-inline|New Jersey}}

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
{{Commons category|New Jersey Route 7}}
{{Attached KML|display=title,inline}}
* [http://www.alpsroads.net/roads/nj/nj_7/ New Jersey Roads: Route 7]
* [http://www.njroads.org/ends/7/nj7.htm New Jersey Highway Ends: Route 7]
* [http://www.state.nj.us/transportation/refdata/sldiag/enlarged_view_46.pdf An expanded view of road jurisdiction near the confluence of US 46, I-95 / NJTurnpike, I 280, NJ 7 and CR 508 in Kearny]
* [http://www.state.nj.us/transportation/refdata/traffic_orders/speed/rt7.shtm Speed Limits for Route 7]

{{good article}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:New Jersey Route 007}}
[[Category:State highways in New Jersey|007]]
[[Category:Transportation in Bergen County, New Jersey]]
[[Category:Transportation in Essex County, New Jersey]]
[[Category:Transportation in Hudson County, New Jersey]]
[[Category:Transportation in Passaic County, New Jersey]]