Lodi, New Jersey 2025
Lodi is a borough located in Bergen County, New Jersey, United States. At the 2020 United States Census, the borough's population was 24,938.
Before the arrival of European settlers, Lodi was inhabited by the Lenape Native Americans. In 1675, the Dutch gained control of the area and it became part of New Amsterdam. In 1702, the area now known as Lodi was included in the tract known as "Saddle River Township" and officially became a township on March 10, 1745. In 1771, Saddle River Township was divided into two townships, Western and Eastern. In 1840, 100 residents of Western township presented a petition to the state legislature, requesting incorporation as a separate borough. On December 22, 1840, an act was signed incorporating the now separate township as Passaic Township.
Most of Passaic Township was taken up by the Saddle River, which formed its eastern border. The area along the river was flood-prone, which caused issues for the residents. After a series of devastating floods, the villagers decided to take action and requested that the state legislature separate the eastern portion from Passaic Township and incorporate it as a separate borough. The villagers chose the name "Lodi" since it sounded unique and had no word associations, thereby preventing it from being named after a place or thing. The borough of Lodi was officially incorporated on February 23, 1894.
Lodi is well-known for its home-style Italian cuisine, which can be found at numerous eateries along Main Street. Lodi is also home to a number of Latin American eateries, serving a variety of dishes from different Latin American countries.
Every summer, Lodi holds a flag-raising ceremony to kick off the annual Italian Festival, a four-day celebration held in late August in honor of the Virgin Mary. The event is highlighted by fireworks on the final night of the festival. A summer concert series is held in the downtown area, which in recent years has included performances by local bands. There are also plans to revitalize the Lodi stone house, a historic landmark that has been deteriorating for many years, and to transform it into a community center.
The Borough of Lodi operates under the council-manager form of municipal government. The mayor is elected directly by the people to a four-year term. The council is comprised of nine members, four of whom are elected at large, and one from each of the four wards. The council members are elected to staggered four-year terms, with an incumbent chosen in each even-numbered year.
The mayor is elected to serve a four-year term but may serve only two terms. The mayor's primary duty is to serve as chair at council meetings and to sign or veto ordinances. The mayor appoints department heads, subject to council approval. The council sets policy, enacts laws, adopts the budget, and appoints members of other boards. Council members are limited to serving three consecutive four-year terms.
Lodi is a diverse community with people from different cultures and backgrounds. The racial makeup of the borough was 72.52% White, 10.09% African American, 0.34% Native American, 3.90% Asian, 0.05% Pacific Islander, 21.54% from other races, and 2.65% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 52.34% of the population.
There are many historical attractions in Lodi, including Grecian Fiberglass Plaster Bros. Inc., IR Plaster (I.R.P. Building), Kearfott Corporation, and Nabisco factory.
The public school district of Lodi provides education to Pre-K-12 students living in Lodi. The district, Lodi Public Schools, serves students in pre-kindergarten through twelfth grade. The district operates four schools:
1. Columbus School - Pre-K
2. Wilson Park School-K-2
3. Washington School-3-5
4. (Alfred) L. DeGrasse School - 6-8
5. Lodi High School (New Jersey) - 9-12
There are also several private schools in Lodi, including St. Joseph Academy and St. Joseph Elementary, which offer education for grades K-8. Additionally, there is a yeshiva for boys, Yeshiva Ohr Simcha, which serves grades 9-12.