Ridgefield Park is a village in Bergen County, New Jersey, set on a strip of land between the Hackensack and Overpeck rivers, just west of the George Washington Bridge and about 10 miles from Midtown Manhattan. It was formed as a village in 1892 within the former Ridgefield Township and is one of only four villages in New Jersey, a distinction that reflects its compact, self-contained civic character. The village grew as a commuter suburb. The Northern Railroad of New Jersey's Ridgefield Park station, operating from 1872, gave residents direct rail access to Manhattan, and the community attracted workers seeking proximity to New York at more modest cost. That commuter orientation endures: today, buses via Route 46 reach the Port Authority in Midtown in roughly 30 minutes, and the village sits near the New Jersey Turnpike and Interstate 95. Overpeck Creek, a tributary of the Hackensack River, frames the village's western edge and gives it one of its defining amenities. Overpeck County Park, an 811-acre park with a major section in Ridgefield Park, was assembled from land donated by several Bergen County municipalities and offers fields, trails, water access, and open space in one of the region's most densely developed counties. Ridgefield Park retains a prewar suburban fabric of single-family homes, tree-lined streets, and a walkable downtown, with a diverse population and strong local schools. It suits commuters and families who want a small, close-knit borough feel with some of the fastest Manhattan access in Bergen County. Housing is predominantly older single-family homes, with a mix of rentals and multifamily units near the commercial corridors.