Netcong is a borough in southwestern Morris County, New Jersey, in the state's northern highlands region, sitting on the shore of Lake Musconetcong near the headwaters of the Musconetcong River. The 2020 census counted 3,375 residents. The borough was incorporated in 1894 and grew as a canal and railroad community. The borough's landscape was shaped by the Morris Canal era. In the mid-1800s, the Morris Canal and Banking Company expanded Lake Hopatcong and created Lake Musconetcong as additional water sources for the canal, and the resulting lakes drew visitors to the Musconetcong River valley. The railroad followed, cementing Netcong's role as a transit hub in the highlands. That rail role continues today. Netcong station, located on U.S. Route 46 at Main Street in the downtown, is an NJ Transit stop served by the Morristown Line and the Montclair-Boonton Line, giving residents direct rail access toward New York and the rest of northern New Jersey. Public education is provided by the Netcong School District, which operates Netcong Elementary School for pre-kindergarten through eighth grade, after which students attend Lenape Valley Regional High School. The borough's compact, walkable downtown and its lakeside setting define its character. Lake Musconetcong and the larger Lake Hopatcong, just to the east, anchor recreation with boating, fishing, and nearby Hopatcong State Park. The borough's dense, older housing stock and small lots reflect its canal-and-rail heritage, giving it a working-town feel distinct from the spacious suburbs to the east. Netcong combines a historic small-town core with rail convenience and immediate access to the region's lakes. For those who value walkability, transit, and water access in equal measure, it stands out as a distinctive base in Morris County's highlands.