Explore Southwestern Morris County

Beautiful vistas of rural farmland and large estates, small towns and suburban neighborhoods best characterize this portion of Morris County and New Jersey’s “Garden State” motto thanks in part to a plethora of horse country, bedroom communities and office and industrial parks. 

Southwestern Morris County includes a multitude of farms, farmers markets and community-supported agriculture offering fresh

produce and festivals throughout the growing season throughout its communities of Mount Olive, Washington Township (Long Valley), Roxbury, Chester, Chester Township, Mount Arlington, Mendham, Mendham Township, Randolph and Netcong.

The area’s diversity means there is a community for every preference — walkable downtowns, suburban neighborhoods and rural estates. It boasts good schools and tight-knit communities, often with multiple generations having lived in the same town, while also welcoming those relocating from other areas of the country or abroad for employment.

Traditional American festivals including parades, harvest and music festivals, and “main street” events frequently take place and are often destinations for day-trippers. The change of seasons in Morris County is another draw, as fall foliage is often found in all its glory, winter brings snow trimmed streams, summer offers lush vegetation and swimming holes, and in spring the magnificence and fragrance of blooming flowers.

The area features opportunities for outdoor recreation including boating and swimming on Lake Hopatcong, the state’s largest freshwater lake, “shing in trout-stocked rivers and streams, hiking in parks and trails such as the Patriots Path, golfing at public and private clubs, and cycling on the backroads.

Preserved farmland means fresh produce is never far away and retail and restaurant options contribute to the vibrancy of the downtown areas, as well as along main roadways including Routes 46, 10 and 206.

Well-traveled highways traverse this portion of the county with Interstate Route 80 to points west and east and Route 206 heading to points south and north. Access to New York City is commutable via train from the Mount Arlington New Jersey Transit intermodal station on the Montclair-Boonton line and Morristown line and via bus.

While the area’s location, in the Highlands region, has certain development constraints, existing industrial and office parks, including the International Trade Center, (a foreign trade zone) in Mount Olive, are located within this area and provide employment opportunities and commercial tax revenue