Hackensack

City, and seat of Bergen County, in northeastern New Jersey; population (1990) 37,000. Hackensack is situated on the Hackensack River, 10 km/6 mi east of Paterson. Settled by the Dutch (1639) and English (1668), it was the site of George Washington's headquarters (1776) and a number of Revolutionary War skirmishes.

Until 1921 Hackensack was officially known as New Barbadoes. By the early 1900s it was a trade and distribution centre. Today it is a commercial, industrial, and residential suburb, with many one-family homes, garden apartments, and condominium towers that overlook the New York City skyline some 24 km/15 mi to the southwest. Hackensack houses offices of banks, brokers, insurance companies, and other businesses. Its manufactures include chemicals, furniture, and food and foundry products.

Hackensack

River flowing through southeastern New York and northern New Jersey, USA; length 72 km/45 mi. It rises in Rockland County, New York, and empties in Newark Bay, on the western side of Jersey City.

The river is tidal and navigable (for barges) to Hackensack. Its lower third is heavily industrial and polluted.

Course From its source it flows into the small Lake De Forest, north of West Nyack. It then flows south into Lake Tappan, on the New York-New Jersey border. From there it continues south to Oradell, New Jersey, where it is dammed a third time to form the Oradell Reservoir. It then flows through the Hackensack Meadows, or Jersey Meadows, and passes west of the Palisades to enter Newark Bay.