If you’ve ever found yourself stuck in a sea of brake lights on Route 17 or trying to navigate the sprawling parking lots of a massive mall on a Saturday, you’ve likely asked yourself: where exactly am I? More specifically, what county is Paramus NJ in?
The short answer is Bergen County.
But honestly, just knowing the county name doesn't really tell the whole story of this place. Paramus isn't just another dot on a New Jersey map. It is the undisputed heavyweight champion of American retail, a historical crossroads for George Washington, and a town where you literally cannot buy a pair of socks on a Sunday.
The Heart of Bergen County
Paramus sits right in the central part of Bergen County, which happens to be the most populous county in New Jersey. With over 950,000 residents across the county's 70 municipalities, it's a crowded, high-energy slice of the New York metropolitan area.
You’ve got Hackensack to the south, Ridgewood to the north, and Fair Lawn to the west. It’s basically the "hub" of the wheel for North Jersey.
It’s about 15 to 20 miles from Midtown Manhattan. Because of that proximity, it’s a premier "bedroom community," but that term feels a bit too quiet for a town that generates billions in sales every year.
Why the County Matters
Being in Bergen County defines the Paramus lifestyle in a very specific way. See, Bergen is the only county in New Jersey that still enforces "Blue Laws."
These are old-school regulations that prohibit the sale of most non-essential goods on Sundays. While other counties in the state ditched these laws decades ago, Bergen County voters have consistently chosen to keep them. In Paramus, the rules are even stricter than the county-wide ones.
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If you show up at the Garden State Plaza on a Sunday morning hoping to buy a new laptop, you’ll find the doors locked and the lights dimmed. It’s a ghost town.
Residents generally love it. It’s the one day of the week they can drive down their own streets without being swamped by out-of-town shoppers.
A Retail Giant in a Suburban Shell
It is impossible to talk about Paramus without mentioning the shopping. It’s what the town is known for globally.
There are four major shopping malls within its borders:
- Westfield Garden State Plaza (one of the largest in the U.S.)
- Paramus Park
- The Outlets at Bergen Town Center
- The Fashion Center
Think about this for a second: Paramus generates more retail sales annually than almost any other ZIP code in the United States. We are talking over $6 billion a year.
That’s a staggering amount of money for a town of only 26,000 people.
The retail density is so high because the town is bifurcated by two of the busiest highways in the region: Route 4 and Route 17. These roads are lined with every big-box store you can imagine. IKEA, Home Depot, Target, Stew Leonard’s—if a brand exists, it probably has a flagship location here.
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Life Beyond the Malls
Despite the "retail mecca" reputation, Paramus is actually a very green place once you get off the main drags. The name itself comes from the Lenape Native American word Perampsepus, which roughly translates to "land of the wild turkeys" or "fertile land."
You can still see a giant metal turkey statue at the Paramus Park mall as a nod to that history.
If you live here, you aren't spending all your time at Nordstrom. You’re likely at Van Saun County Park. This is the crown jewel of the Bergen County park system. It’s got 146 acres of space, a train ride, a carousel, and the Bergen County Zoo.
It’s also home to multiple top-tier golf courses, including the Ridgewood Country Club and the Arcola Country Club. People pay a premium to live here, with median home prices often hovering well above $750,000.
A Quick History Lesson
Before it was a shopping destination, it was a farming community. Specifically, it was famous for celery.
During the American Revolution, it was a strategic site. General George Washington actually had his headquarters here for a time at the Old Paramus Church. He wrote dozens of letters from "Headquarters Paramus."
The transition from "celery farm" to "shopping capital" happened fast after the George Washington Bridge opened in 1931. Suddenly, the quiet fields of Bergen County were easily accessible to millions of New Yorkers, and the rest is history.
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Navigating Paramus Like a Local
If you are planning a visit or thinking about moving to this part of Bergen County, here is the "real talk" on how to handle it.
Avoid the "Sunday Surprise"
Seriously, don't forget the Blue Laws. You can buy food and gas. You can go to a restaurant or a movie. But you cannot buy clothes, electronics, furniture, or toys. If you're visiting from out of state, this catches people off guard every single weekend.
Traffic is the Price of Admission
The "Paramus crawl" is real. Routes 4 and 17 are legendary for congestion. If you have to get somewhere on a Saturday afternoon, give yourself double the time you think you need. Or, do what the locals do: take the back roads through the residential neighborhoods (carefully).
Top-Tier Education
Families flock to Paramus because the schools are consistently ranked among the best in the state. Plus, it’s home to Bergen Community College, which is a massive institution serving the entire county.
Actionable Tips for Newcomers
- Check the County Website: If you need local services, remember you are looking for Bergen County resources, not just municipal ones.
- Park Perks: If you’re a resident, you get discounts at the municipal golf course and easier access to certain town facilities.
- Property Taxes: Be aware that while retail revenue helps offset some costs, Bergen County has some of the highest property taxes in the country.
- Public Transit: Most commuters use the NJ Transit bus lines to get into the Port Authority in Manhattan. There isn't a train station directly in Paramus, but the Radburn and Glen Rock stations are just a few minutes away across the border.
Knowing what county is Paramus NJ in is just the entry point. Once you realize it's the heart of Bergen County, you start to understand why the traffic is so heavy, why the parks are so nice, and why your favorite store is closed on Sunday. It’s a unique, high-value, and occasionally frustrating place that stands as a testament to the power of American suburbia.
For anyone looking to move into the area, your next step should be looking at the specific school district reports and the Bergen County property tax maps to see how Paramus compares to neighboring towns like Oradell or River Edge.