These corridors form the borough's most visible commercial and civic spine, with local businesses, houses of worship, schools, recreation and bus service.
Bergen County · Hackensack River, Main Street & Close-Knit Community
Bogota, New Jersey
Bogota is one of Bergen County's smallest municipalities by land area but one of its most densely populated. The borough combines compact residential neighborhoods, Main Street and Fort Lee Road business areas, the Hackensack River waterfront, active recreation programs and direct bus connections toward New York City, Hackensack and Jersey City.
Its modern story is also changing: waterfront redevelopment has replaced older industrial land, a major new Recreation/Community Center is under construction at Olsen Park, and the public-school district has reorganized into separate early-elementary, upper-elementary, middle and high-school campuses.
CountyBergen County
2026 MayorDaniele Fede
Council PresidentLisa Kohles
Borough Hall375 Larch Avenue
Population9,816 · 2025 estimate
SchoolsPre-K through grade 12
RiverHackensack River
TransitNJ Transit bus service
Explore Bogota
Bogota has enough distinct commercial, dining, housing, visitor and employment activity to support a complete seven-page NJTGO set.
Business & ShoppingMain Street, Fort Lee Road, Palisade Avenue, neighborhood services, healthcare and local businesses.Food & DrinkRestaurants, pizza, cafés, takeout and neighborhood dining throughout this compact borough.Real EstateHomes, rentals, taxes, waterfront redevelopment, permits, flood review, schools and commuting.Visiting & LodgingOlsen Park, riverfront history, recreation, community attractions, bus access and nearby lodging.ClassifiedsCommunity marketplace, garage sales, local notices, lost and found, pets and resident submissions.JobsBorough, schools, local businesses and nearby Hackensack, Teaneck and Bergen County employment.
A compact borough between Hackensack and Teaneck
Bogota's 0.76-square-mile land area gives it an unusually close-knit physical layout. Most daily destinations are only a short distance apart, while neighboring Hackensack, Teaneck and Ridgefield Park expand the local shopping, employment and transportation network.
Bogota consists largely of compact residential streets with a mix of detached houses, multifamily properties and newer apartment development.
The Hackensack River defines Bogota's western boundary and has shifted from an industrial back edge toward residential redevelopment and new waterfront access.
Population growthThe U.S. Census Bureau estimates 9,816 residents as of July 1, 2025, about 12% above the 2020 estimates base. The 2020 Census counted 8,778 residents.
How Bogota developed
Bogota moved from Lenape homeland and early European farming to a railroad, industrial and suburban community.
1600sThe area was inhabited by Lenape people before Dutch settlement expanded into this portion of Bergen County.
1894Bogota was incorporated from portions of Ridgefield Township on November 14 during Bergen County's “Boroughitis” era.
1895Parts of the new borough were transferred to the newly created Township of Teaneck. Frederick W. Cane became Bogota's first mayor.
1900sRailroads, paper mills and other industry transformed Bogota into a compact suburban and industrial borough before most large manufacturing disappeared after World War II.
Rail lines helped shape Bogota's growth and business districts. Passenger rail service is gone today, but freight corridors remain part of the borough landscape.
Major 1939 infrastructure projects—including the Main Street overpass and related grade-crossing work—changed traffic patterns and shifted the borough's commercial geography.
Paper mills and major industrial employers gradually left during the mid-20th century, moving Bogota toward a service-oriented suburban economy.
Hackensack River & waterfront redevelopment
Bogota's western edge has undergone one of the borough's most significant modern changes. Former industrial land along West Fort Lee Road and the Hackensack River has been redeveloped into residential and mixed-use projects, most notably the large waterfront development now known as The Atwater.
The redevelopment area includes property once occupied by major fuel and auto-related uses along the Hackensack River.
The Borough issued a certificate of completion for part of the major riverfront redevelopment in 2025, confirming a significant phase of the project had been completed.
Bogota continues to maintain redevelopment planning for additional riverfront and south-end properties near River Road and the rail corridors.
Waterfront conditions matter.The Hackensack River adds scenic and redevelopment value, but low-lying areas near River Road and West Fort Lee Road also require careful flood, drainage and stormwater planning. The Borough adopted updated stormwater documents in 2026.
Stormwater ManagementBogota parks & green spaces
West Main Street Extension. Bogota's principal recreation park, established as Riverside Park in the early 1950s and later dedicated to former Mayor Oscar E. Olsen.
Queen Anne Road at Beechwood and Elmwood Avenues, honoring Bogota resident and Korean War veteran Sgt. Frank Pagano.
River Road at West Fort Lee Road, combining memorial green space with Bogota's community garden.
Leonia Avenue at East Broad Street, renamed in 2006 to honor longtime volunteer and local businessman Vincent Petrik.
In 2026 the Borough authorized a state recreation-grant application to support Phase II improvements at Petrik Park.
Current Borough work includes separate park and field improvements alongside the Recreation/Community Center project.
Recreation & the new Community Center
Bogota's Recreation Department provides year-round youth and community programming from the Olsen Park area at 162 West Main Street.
Groundbreaking took place April 30, 2025. Borough records show active construction, engineering and change-order work continuing in 2026, so NJTGO does not describe the new building as fully open yet.
The Recreation Department manages youth and community activities, online registration through CommunityPass and volunteer background-check requirements.
Seasonal swimming remains a separate community recreation option on Feller Place. Confirm current membership, guest and operating rules directly before visiting.
Construction is still active.The Borough's April 2026 council agenda approved additional project work and data/engineering items for the Bogota Community Recreation Center. Recreation Committee meetings are temporarily being held at Borough Hall.
Recreation DepartmentBogota Public Schools
The school structure has changed significantly from the earlier directory information. Bogota now operates four principal public-school campuses with a separate middle school.
Pre-K through grade 1
25 Fischer Avenue
201-441-4834
Grades 2–5
134 West Main Street
201-342-6446
Grades 6–7
131 East Fort Lee Road
201-441-4823
Grades 8–12
2 Henry C. Luthin Place
201-441-4808
Preschool expansionFor 2026–27, the district's public preschool program lists Bixby Elementary, Bogart Memorial and Trinity Lutheran as preschool locations. Registration and placement are managed through Bogota Public Schools.
2026–27 reconfigurationBixby’s current back-to-school notices list Pre-K, kindergarten and first-grade families, and its year-end message directed students moving into second grade to Steen. District preschool registration lists Bixby, Bogart Memorial and Trinity Lutheran as 2026–27 preschool locations.
Bogota Public School DistrictBogota Public Library
Bogota Public Library shares the municipal complex at 375 Larch Avenue and has served the community for more than a century.
Library membership connects residents with the broader Bergen County Cooperative Library System and its shared collections.
The library offers community programs for children, teens and adults together with technology and digital resources.
Bogota's library history collection is an important source for documenting the borough's railroad, industrial, civic and neighborhood past.
NJ Transit & regional connections
Bogota does not have passenger rail service today, but its compact streets are served by several NJ Transit bus routes linking the borough with Hackensack, New York City, Jersey City, Edgewater and Bergen Community College.
Bogota – Ridgefield Park – New York service with stops along Palisade Avenue.
Hackensack – Bogota – Jersey City / Journal Square service.
Current NJ Transit service includes New York-bound connections through the Fort Lee Road / Palisade Avenue area.
Local Bergen County service runs via Bogota and Fairview between Edgewater and Bergen Community College / Paramus.
Main Street crosses the Hackensack River toward the county seat, putting major employment, healthcare and transit services very close to Bogota.
Active freight corridors still pass through or along the borough even though passenger service ended decades ago.
Bus service is a genuine Bogota advantage.For a borough of less than one square mile, Bogota has unusually direct access toward both Manhattan terminals and nearby Bergen County destinations.
NJ TransitCommunity life & local organizations
Bogota's Creative Arts Team supports art, music, wellness and community-building initiatives under the Borough's Sustainable Jersey efforts.
The active senior group meets the first and third Tuesday of each month at the municipal/library complex and offers social, wellness and educational activities.
The Borough garden at Veterans Park gives residents a neighborhood-scale gardening and sustainability resource.
Bogota maintains strong volunteer public-safety traditions through its fire and emergency-response organizations.
Bogart Memorial Reformed Church, Saint Joseph Church, Trinity Lutheran Church and other congregations remain part of local community life.
The Borough maintains a current calendar for public meetings, recreation, school, library and community events.
Borough government
Bogota uses New Jersey's Borough form of government. As of September 2026, Daniele Fede is Mayor and Lisa Kohles is Council President.
375 Larch Avenue
Bogota, NJ 07603
201-342-1736
Daniele Fede
Serving since 2024
Lisa Kohles
Consuelo Carpenter · William Hordern · Patrick H. McHale · John Mitchell · Diana Vergara · Lisa Kohles.
Emergency: 911
Non-emergency: 201-487-2400
Mayor & Council meetings are held at Borough Hall. Current 2026 meeting notices should be checked for the exact date and any schedule changes.
Departments, forms, calendars, news and public information.
Borough of BogotaCurrent elected officials, committee assignments and meeting information.
Mayor & CouncilMunicipal locations, phone numbers and service links.
Borough ServicesNearby communities
Immediately west across the Hackensack River, with county government, major healthcare, shopping, rail and bus services.
North and east of Bogota, providing additional dining, shopping, education, parks and Route 4 access.
South of Bogota, connected by local streets and NJ Transit service with additional neighborhood dining and services.
Promote a Bogota Business or Organization on NJTGO
NJTGO offers enhanced paid placements for Bogota businesses, restaurants, real-estate professionals, visitor services, employers and community organizations seeking stronger visibility within the guide.
Advertising & Enhanced ListingsBogota government, school, recreation, transit and community information was reviewed in September 2026. Construction projects, school assignments, bus service, facility access and municipal schedules can change; verify time-sensitive information with the responsible public agency.