Morris Township

Morris Township is the separate municipality that completely surrounds the Town of Morristown, making the pair one of New Jersey’s classic “doughnut towns.” About 15.8 square miles of land, 2020 population 22,974, governed by a five-member Township Committee that operates under the township form of government (distinct from Morristown’s mayor-council system).

The township and the town share two things: the Morris School District and the Morristown & Morris Township Joint Free Public Library on South Street. Everything else (police, DPW, road maintenance, parks, zoning) is run separately.

Character is largely residential, with single-family homes on larger lots than the town itself. The township also holds:

• Several office parks along Route 287 and the Madison Avenue / Park Avenue corridors;
• The Morris County Park Commission’s headquarters at the Frelinghuysen Arboretum;
• The Morris Museum, Fosterfields, and the eastern end of Loantaka Brook Reservation;
• The Atlantic Health headquarters and several large healthcare campuses;
• The Burnham Park boundary along the western edge of the town/township line.

Unincorporated sections covered separately in this guide include Convent Station, Normandy Park, Normandy Heights, and Washington Valley. Older sub-areas (Gillespie Hill, Loantaka Terrace, Hibernia Ridge) are part of township identity too but rarely show up as distinct addresses.

Appeals to: families looking for the Morris School District without the downtown density, buyers wanting acreage inside a 50-minute commute to NYC, and anyone willing to drive a few minutes for groceries and dinner.