Stanhope is a borough in the southernmost corner of Sussex County, New Jersey, at the point where Interstate 80 and Route 206 converge. The borough calls itself the gateway to Sussex County, marking the transition from the commuter suburbs of northern New Jersey to the lakes, farms, and ridges of the state's northwestern corner. Stanhope's story begins with iron. The community originated as a forge town in the late 18th century and grew into a 19th-century iron manufacturing center, drawing on local ore and the waterpower of the Musconetcong River. The Morris Canal, which carried coal and iron across northern New Jersey, ran through the area, and the adjacent Waterloo Village preserves a restored canal-era settlement that brings that industrial past to life along the river. After the iron era faded, Stanhope evolved into a residential borough. Its population tripled between the 1930s and the 1980s as Interstate 80 made the town a practical home base for commuters headed east toward Morristown, Newark, and New York City. Today about 3,500 people live here, in a compact borough of older homes, lakefront streets along Lake Musconetcong, and a small downtown. Stanhope suits people who want the small-town scale and outdoor access of Sussex County without giving up highway convenience. The borough is minutes from Lake Musconetcong, Kittatinny Valley State Park, and Waterloo Village, and it sits within easy reach of the county's broader recreational offerings—farms, state parks, and seasonal attractions—while remaining commutable to employment centers to the east. For families, the combination of a local elementary and middle school, the shared Lenape Valley Regional High School, and the lake-and-canal setting gives Stanhope a distinct, rooted identity among Sussex County's smaller boroughs.