Why visit Clifton
Townapedia lists 81 museums and landmarks, 100 parks and trails, 217 places to eat, 2 places to stay and 16 attractions in and around town.
Highlights include AMC Clifton Commons 16, Capitol Theatre, Yogi Berra Museum & Learning Center and Lambert Castle.
July is the warmest month, with average highs of 86°F; January lows average 22°F.
Weather in Clifton
Forecast from the National Weather Service. Full forecast
About Clifton
Clifton is a city in Passaic County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey. Criss-crossed by several major highways, the city is a regional commercial hub for North Jersey, and bedroom suburb of New York City, in the New York Metropolitan Area. As of the 2020 United States Census, the city retained its position as the state's 11th-most-populous municipality, just behind tenth-ranked Trenton, and well ahead of Cherry Hill in twelfth place, with a population of 90,296, reflecting an overall increase of 6,160 (+7.3%) from the 2010 census count of 84,136, which in turn reflected an overall increase of 5,464 (+6.9%) from the 78,672 counted in the 2000 census. The Population Estimates Program calculated a population of 88,461 for 2023, making Clifton the 394th-most populous municipality in the nation.
From the Wikipedia article Clifton, New Jersey (this version), under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Things to do16
Capitol Theatre
Cinema and theater · 1.7 mi
Former movie theater in Passaic, New Jersey, United States
De Jessa Memorial Bridge
Bridge · 3.7 mi
Bridge in Nutley and Lyndhurst, New Jersey
Eighth Street Bridge
Bridge · 3.4 mi
Bridge in Passaic & Wallington, New Jersey
Gregory Avenue Bridge
Bridge · 2.2 mi
Bridge in United States of America
Montclair State University
School · 2.0 mi
Public university in New Jersey, United States
Route 3 Bridge
Bridge · 4.6 mi
Bridge in Secaucus and East Rutherford, New Jersey, United States
4 more on the map.
Museums and landmarks81
Lambert Castle
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 2.7 mi
Historic building in Paterson, New Jersey
Presby Memorial Iris Gardens
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 2.5 mi
Historic house in New Jersey, United States
Reynier Speer House
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 2.2 mi
Historic house in Little Falls, New Jersey
612 Upper Mountain Avenue, Little Falls
Arch Street Bridge
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 4.3 mi
Bridge in United States of America
Bloomfield Green Historic District
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 4.9 mi
Historic district in Essex County, New Jersey
Botany Worsted Mills Historic District
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 2.3 mi
Historic district in New Jersey, United States
Bradner's Pharmacy
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 3.3 mi
Building in New Jersey, United States of America
Brinkerhoff House
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 4.2 mi
Historic house in Wood-Ridge, New Jersey, USA
Canfield-Morgan House
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 3.8 mi
Historic house in New Jersey, United States
Carnegie Library
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 4.5 mi
Historic building in Montclair, New Jersey, United States
Casa Deldra
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 4.5 mi
Historic house in Montclair, New Jersey
69 more on the map.
Parks, trails and playgrounds100
Garret Mountain Reservation
Park · 2.8 mi
Public park in Passaic County, New Jersey
Edgemont Memorial Park
Park · 3.2 mi
Municipal park in Montclair, New Jersey
San Cap Park
Park · 1.9 mi
Park in New Jersey, United States of America
88 more on the map.
Restaurants and cafes217
Agora Cafe
Restaurant · Diner · 2.8 mi
1045 Broad Street, Bloomfield
Su-We 08:00-17:00; Th-Sa 08:00-20:00
Applegate Farm
Ice cream · Ice Cream · 2.1 mi
616 Grove Street, Upper Montclair
Su-Th 10:00-22:00; Fr-Sa 10:00-23:00
Cafe Mobay
Restaurant · Jamaican · 2.8 mi
1039 Broad Street, Bloomfield
Mo, Tu, Th, Fr, Sa, Su 11:00-22:00; We 11:00-21:00
Cups Frozen Yogurt
Ice cream · Frozen Yogurt · 1.6 mi
852 State Route 3, Clifton
Mo-Th 12:00-20:00; Fr-Su 12:00-23:00
Dante's
Restaurant · Burger, Chicken, American, Sandwich, Pasta, Salad · 1.6 mi
955 Valley Road, Clifton
Mo-Th 11:30-09:30; Fr-Sa 11:30-22:30; Su 12:00-20:30
Fanny's
Restaurant · Italian · 2.6 mi
1109 Broad Street, Bloomfield
Fr-Sa 17:00-22:00; Su-Th 17:00-21:00
Fratelli's Pizza & Pasta
Restaurant · Pizza, Wings, Sandwich, Pasta · 1.1 mi
457 Clifton Avenue, Clifton
Tu-Su 10:00-20:00
IHOP
Restaurant · Breakfast, Pancake · 2.6 mi
1129 Broad Street, Bloomfield
Su-Th 07:00-22:00; Fr-Sa 07:00-12:00
J. Alexander's
Diner · American · 1.6 mi
852 NJ-3, Clifton
Mo-Th 12:00-21:00; Fr-Sa 12:00-22:00; Su 12:00-21:00
John's Deli and Italian Bistro
Restaurant · 2.1 mi
Authentic Deli Tradition Served Fresh On Every Roll
48 West Passaic Avenue, Bloomfield
Mo-Fr 06:00-21:00; Sa 07:00-21:00; Su 08:00-19:00
205 more on the map.
History
The City of Clifton turned 100 years old in April 2017, but documented European settlements in the area date back to 1679, when a leader of the Lenape Native Americans gave a deed for 11,000 acres (4,500 ha) along the shores of the Passaic River to Hans Frederick. The name "Clifton" was derived from the cliffs of Garrett Mountain, which borders the Albion Place neighborhood in the western part of the city. Clifton was once an agricultural hub, and home to the U.S. Animal Quarantine Station, which was operated in Clifton by the United States Department of Agriculture, starting in 1903. It was served by the Newark Branch of the Erie–Lackawanna Railroad. It was the primary location on the East Coast where animals like poultry, horses, cattle, and zoo animals, were held in quarantine after being brought into the United States, to ensure that the animals were not infected with diseases that could be spread in the U.S.
Although Clifton has long converted from farmlands to suburban neighborhoods, given its close proximity to Manhattan, the city still has three small working farms that sell fresh and organic vegetables in-season:
Ploch's Farm is a family-run 15-acre (6.1 ha) farm since 1867. The farm is still in operation as Clifton's last remaining farm. Ploch's Farm is open seasonally selling fruits and vegetables during the months of August and September.
From the History section of Clifton, New Jersey on Wikipedia, under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Where to stay2
Churches and places of worship79
Cathedral of St. John the Baptist
Church · National Register of Historic Places · 3.6 mi
Saint Michael the Archangel Church
Church · Catholic · 2.3 mi
112 1st Street, Passaic
Saint Nicholas Ukrainian Catholic Church
Church · Ukrainian Greek Catholic · 1.9 mi
217 President Street
Shopping37
Gas and EV charging22
Schools, colleges and libraries116
Saint Nicholas School;Українська школа Святого Миколая
School · Ukrainian Greek Catholic · 1.8 mi
223 President Street
Healthcare19
Medical Imaging Center Of North Jersey Inc.
Clinic and pharmacy · 1.0 mi
1111 Paulison Avenue, Clifton
Map of Clifton
250 places. The map loads OpenStreetMap tiles when you open it.
Climate by month
Monthly table
| Month | High | Low | Rain |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 39°F | 22°F | 3.6 in |
| Feb | 41°F | 23°F | 3.3 in |
| Mar | 50°F | 31°F | 4.3 in |
| Apr | 63°F | 40°F | 4.5 in |
| May | 73°F | 50°F | 4.1 in |
| Jun | 82°F | 60°F | 4.9 in |
| Jul | 86°F | 65°F | 4.6 in |
| Aug | 84°F | 64°F | 4.4 in |
| Sep | 76°F | 56°F | 4.2 in |
| Oct | 65°F | 44°F | 4.5 in |
| Nov | 54°F | 35°F | 3.8 in |
| Dec | 44°F | 27°F | 4.4 in |
U.S. Climate Normals 1991-2020 for Little Falls (4 mi away), rain and snow from Little Falls Twp 0.5 Wnw, NOAA NCEI.
People and cost of living
American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2020-2024, U.S. Census Bureau. Estimates have margins of error, larger for small towns.
Disaster history
Passaic County has had 20 federal disaster declarations since 2000, most often for hurricanes.
- 2021-09-05: Remnants Of Hurricane Ida (Hurricane)
- 2021-09-02: Remnants Of Hurricane Ida (Hurricane)
- 2020-03-25: Covid-19 Pandemic (Biological)
- 2020-03-13: Covid-19 (Biological)
- 2018-06-08: Severe Winter Storm And Snowstorm (Severe Storm)
- 2012-10-30: Hurricane Sandy (Hurricane)
OpenFEMA disaster declarations summaries.
Getting there and nearby towns
Teterboro Airport (TEB) is the nearest airport with scheduled flights listed in OpenStreetMap, 5 miles away.
- Upper Montclair 3 mi southwest, about 4 min by car
- Woodland Park 3 mi northwest, about 4 min by car
- Wallington 3 mi east, about 5 min by car
- Paterson 4 mi north, about 6 min by car
- Wood-Ridge 4 mi east, about 6 min by car
- Totowa 4 mi northwest, about 7 min by car
- Hasbrouck Heights 4 mi east, about 7 min by car
- East Rutherford 5 mi southeast, about 8 min by car
- Maywood 6 mi northeast, about 9 min by car
- Little Ferry 7 mi east, about 11 min by car
Drive times are estimates from straight-line distance, not routes.
Local news
Headlines from INDB, the NEMICO news database.
Reviews, tips and questions
Loading what members have shared...
Sources and licences
- NCES EDGE (Public domain): public schools
- NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991-2020 (Public domain): climate by month
- OpenFEMA (Public domain): disaster declarations
- OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL 1.0): places, airports, map data
- U.S. Census Bureau (Public domain): population, income, housing, education, commute
- Wikidata (CC0 1.0): elevation, founding date, time zone, website, landmarks and historic places
- Wikimedia Commons (see each image): photos
- Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0): overview and history text
Photo credits
- Vanderhoef-Westervelt House, Clifton, NJ, Zeete, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Lambert Castle, Paterson, NJ - looking northwest, Zeete, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Reynier Speer House, Lithium6ion, Public domain
- PresbyIrisMG1, User:Ekem, CC BY-SA 3.0
- 580 Park Street Montclair NJ-SWM-TLW- 2012-09-23, Snowilli, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Casa Deldra - Rear View, Montclair, New Jersey, Jrogers123, CC BY-SA 3.0
- EASTWARD, MONTCLAIR, ESSEX COUNTY, NJ, JERRYE & ROY KLOTZ MD, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Mountain Avenue Station - February 2015, Adam Moss, CC BY-SA 2.0
- ST. NICHOLAS ROMAN CATHOLIC CHURCH, PASSAIC COUNTY NJ, JERRYE & ROY KLOTZ, M.D., CC BY-SA 4.0
- VAN HOUTEN-HILLMAN HOUSE, ELMWOOD PARK, BERGEN COUNTY NJ, JERRYE & ROY KLOTZ, M.D., CC BY-SA 4.0
- Wood-Ridge library, TimSPC at English Wikipedia, Public domain
- PatersonNJ JohnFergusonHouse, New Jersey Office of Historic Preservation, Public domain
- RIVER ROAD SCHOOL, LYNDHURST, BERGEN COUNTY, NJ, JERRYE & ROY KLOTZ, M.D., CC BY-SA 4.0
- DANFORTH MEMORIAL LIBRARY, PASSAIC COUNTY, NJ, Jerrye & Roy Klotz, MD, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Cathedral of St. John the Baptist - Paterson, New Jersey 02, Farragutful, CC BY-SA 4.0
- JEREMIAH J. YEARANCE HOUSE, LYNDHURST, BERGEN COUNTY, JERRYE & ROY KLOTZ, M.D., CC BY-SA 4.0
- KIP HOMESTEAD, RUTHERFORD, BERGEN COUNTY, NJ, JERRYE & ROY KLOTZ M.D., CC BY-SA 4.0
- Kingsland Manor, HistoricRestorationTrustofNutley, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Daniel Thompson and John Ryle Houses, Lithium6ion, Public domain
- ENCLOSURE HISTORIC DISTRICT, NUTLEY, ESSEX COUNTY NJ, JERRYE & ROY KLOTZ, M.D., CC BY-SA 4.0
- YereanceKettelhouse, Rhvanwinkle at English Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 3.0
- YEREANCE-BERRY HOUSE, RUTHERFORD, BERGEN COUNTY, JERRYE & ROY KLOTZ, M.D., CC BY-SA 4.0
- RutherfordNJ WomensClub2, Magicpiano, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Reinhardt Mills, Lithium6ion, Public domain
- Rutherford Station - January 2015, Adam Moss, CC BY-SA 2.0
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