The traditional civic and neighborhood core includes Borough Hall, Wharton Public Library, local businesses, churches, parks and community institutions.
Morris County · Morris Canal, Iron History & Highlands Trails
Wharton Borough, New Jersey
Wharton is a compact western Morris County borough where Morris Canal history, former iron-mining landscapes, neighborhood parks, Main Street and major regional roads all fit into just over two square miles.
The borough began as a collection of industrial settlements tied to iron, rail and canal transportation. Today, Wharton combines established neighborhoods and local schools with restored canal resources, the growing Irondale Mountain trail system, community events and direct access to Routes 15, 46 and Interstate 80.
CountyMorris County
GovernmentMayor & six-member Council
2026 MayorWilliam J. Chegwidden
Borough Hall10 Robert Street
ZIP Code07885
K–8 SchoolsWharton Borough Public Schools
High SchoolMorris Hills High School
Main AccessRoutes 15, 46 & I-80
Explore Wharton
Wharton has enough distinct business, dining, housing, visitor and employment activity to support a complete NJTGO page set.
Business & ShoppingMain Street, Route 15/46 businesses, neighborhood services, automotive, healthcare, contractors and local retail.
Food & DrinkRestaurants, pizza, cafés, takeout, bakeries, markets and neighborhood dining throughout Wharton.
Real EstateEstablished neighborhoods, multifamily housing, rentals, taxes, utilities, flood review and buyer/seller resources.
Visiting & LodgingMorris Canal, Irondale Mountain, parks, local history, community events and nearby accommodations.
ClassifiedsCommunity marketplace, yard sales, local notices, lost and found, lessons, pets and resident submissions.
JobsBorough, school, retail, trades, healthcare, service and nearby Morris County employment resources.
A borough shaped by transportation and industry
Wharton's geography is compact, but its story connects several important pieces of Morris County history: iron mining, blast furnaces, the Morris Canal, rail transportation and the development of the modern Route 15 / Route 46 / I-80 corridor.
Wharton's southern edge sits close to two of western Morris County's most important commercial and commuter corridors, with Interstate 80 immediately nearby.
The borough reaches toward the entrance to Picatinny Arsenal and includes Irondale Mountain, former mining landscapes, trails and recreation areas.
Population growthU.S. Census estimates place Wharton's population at 7,618 on July 1, 2025, up about 5.3% from the 2020 estimates base. That makes Wharton one of Morris County's denser small boroughs at roughly 2.07 square miles of land.
From Port Oram to Wharton
Wharton grew from several mining and industrial settlements whose livelihoods depended on the iron industry and the transportation systems that carried ore, fuel and finished materials through Morris County.
1831The Morris Canal was completed across northern New Jersey, connecting the Morris County iron region to Pennsylvania coal and eastern markets.
1895Residents of Port Oram, Irondale, Luxemburg, Maryville and Mount Pleasant voted to incorporate as the Borough of Port Oram.
1902The borough changed its name from Port Oram to Wharton in recognition of industrialist Joseph Wharton.
TodayRestored canal features, trail projects and park improvements keep the borough's industrial and transportation history visible.
Several early Wharton settlements developed as mine camps or worker communities serving local iron mines, blast furnaces, mills and related industry.
The largest early settlement functioned as an ore-shipping point on the Morris Canal and gave the newly incorporated borough its first name.
The borough's current name honors the Philadelphia-born industrialist associated with Wharton-area iron and industrial interests.
Morris Canal Lock 2 East & Canal Day
The Morris Canal is Wharton's defining historic resource. The borough has invested heavily in restoring and interpreting Lock 2 East and the surrounding canal landscape.
The restored lock area preserves one of Wharton's most important links to the canal era, including the lock tender's house and adjacent historic landscape.
Wharton's towpath and trail connections form part of the broader effort to interpret and connect surviving Morris Canal resources across Morris County.
Wharton's signature summer heritage festival celebrates the canal with history, community activities and programming at Hugh Force Park and the canal area.
2026 Canal DayWharton's Canal Day was held August 22, 2026 from 10 AM to 5 PM at Hugh Force Park, continuing one of the borough's best-known annual traditions.
Irondale Mountain Trails
Wharton's newer trail network adds a major outdoor dimension to a borough best known historically for mining and industry. The trail system ties together wooded terrain, former mine areas, the Morris Canal Greenway and Robert Street Park.
Higher-elevation routes climb the Irondale landscape and include scenic viewpoints over the surrounding area.
Upper Mine and Lower Mine routes reflect the borough's historic iron-mining landscape and connect to other trail segments.
Links Wharton's trail system to the Morris Canal corridor and the borough's restored historic resources.
Additional routes follow lower terrain and former transportation/industrial alignments.
The system reaches the recreation area at Robert Street Park, helping connect neighborhood recreation with the larger mountain trail network.
The borough trail map identifies future trail links as the system continues to develop around Irondale Mountain and the canal corridor.
Trail planningWharton's 2026 municipal calendar includes a detailed Irondale Mountain trail map showing Ridge, Mine, Switchback, Towpath, Rail, Valley, Quarry, Forest, Oram and Sterling routes, plus historic mining and canal features.
Parks, ponds & recreation
Wharton's municipal parks range from neighborhood playgrounds and sports fields to passive memorial space, fishing areas and major new park investments.
West Central Avenue park with picnic space, playground equipment and fishing, closely tied to the Morris Canal and Canal Day.
Major athletic complex with baseball, softball and football fields, playground equipment, picnic area and tennis courts.
Basketball, rollerblading and playground recreation between Columbia Street and East Sterling Street.
Neighborhood recreation with playground and court facilities. The borough announced a new pickleball court project in August 2026.
Passive park on South Main Street with monuments honoring U.S. veterans and a quieter setting for walking and reflection.
North Main Street park beside the pond, one of the borough's distinctive landscape features.
Lafayette Street recreation area with two soccer fields.
Small neighborhood playground at the end of Huff Street.
Major new North Main Street park project planned with native meadows, reforestation, stone-dust trails, pavilion/restroom, viewing tower, signage and parking.
Education
Wharton operates its own Pre-K–8 public school district. High-school students attend Morris Hills High School in nearby Rockaway Borough through the Morris Hills Regional District.
Wharton's elementary school at 137 East Central Avenue, sharing the district campus with MacKinnon Middle School.
Serves Wharton students in the middle grades from the East Central Avenue district campus.
Grades 9–12 regional high school in Rockaway serving Wharton along with Rockaway Borough and portions of Rockaway Township.
Wharton Public Library
Wharton Public Library at 15 South Main Street is a central borough resource for books, digital materials, public computers, Wi-Fi, printing, notary service, technology help, children's programming, meeting space and access to the MAIN library network.
All Wharton Borough residents are eligible for a free library card. The library's current borough listing shows service Monday through Saturday, with evening hours on Monday, Tuesday and Thursday.
15 South Main Street
Wharton, NJ 07885
973-361-1333
Access to shared materials and resources across participating Morris County libraries.
Public computers, Wi-Fi, printing, scanning and other digital-access services.
Regional access & transportation
Wharton is unusually well connected for a borough of its size. Routes 15 and 46 frame the local road network, while Interstate 80 is immediately nearby for east-west travel across North Jersey.
Connects Wharton north toward Jefferson, Sparta and Sussex County and south toward Dover and Interstate 80.
Provide fast connections toward Roxbury, Mount Olive, Denville, Parsippany and the larger North Jersey employment corridor.
Wharton does not have its own passenger rail station. Nearby Dover Station provides NJ Transit service on both the Morris & Essex and Montclair-Boonton lines.
Wharton · September 2026 & community life
Wharton maintains an active borough calendar with municipal programs, recreation, seasonal celebrations and community-wide events.
The New Jersey MVC Mobile Unit is scheduled at Borough Hall from 9:30 AM to 3 PM. Appointments are limited and require advance registration.
Wharton's annual town-wide garage sale returns Saturday, September 26, with participating addresses registered through the borough.
The annual August festival remains Wharton's signature heritage event, celebrating Morris Canal history at Hugh Force Park and the restored canal area.
Wharton's seasonal Halloween programming has become a recognizable community tradition and appears regularly in borough photo galleries and event promotions.
Warm-weather programming includes concerts, youth recreation and community activities in borough parks.
Wharton held a major 250th-birthday community celebration at Betty Poyer Park in June 2026 as part of the national semiquincentennial year.
Borough government
Wharton is governed by a mayor and six-member Borough Council. The current governing body lists William J. Chegwidden as Mayor and Vince Binkoski as Council President, with council members Marisa Gonzalez, Jennifer Hobbs, Ana Jones, Nicole Wickenheisser and Tom Yeager.
10 Robert Street
Wharton, NJ 07885
973-361-8444
8:30 AM–4:30 PM Monday through Friday, with monthly extended/shortened Friday schedules published by the borough.
William J. Chegwidden
Nearby towns & regional connections
Wharton sits between several of western Morris County's busiest communities, making it easy to combine local errands, recreation and regional destinations.
DoverDowntown, NJ Transit rail, healthcare, restaurants and regional services immediately east of Wharton.
Rockaway TownshipRockaway Townsquare, Mount Hope employment, Picatinny-area access, lakes and extensive open space.
RoxburyLedgewood, Succasunna, Lake Hopatcong, Route 10 shopping, historic sites and recreation west of Wharton.
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