Highways of Bergen County, New Jersey

County Road 120

Bergen County Road 120, Paterson Avenue, was once part of the Paterson Plank Road, a 200-year-old turnpike that connected Hoboken and Paterson. The west end of the road, between Wallington and Passaic, features a bridge built on the site of the old Acquackanonk Bridge, which was used by Washington’s troops retreating from Fort Lee to Pennsylvania in November 1776. (The city of Clifton in Passaic County is the former Acquackanonk Township.)

The road maintains no more than a gentle slope for its entire length, making it more easily navigable by 19th-century conveyances. For a straight-line bypass of a curve in East Rutherford and Carlstadt, see CR S-55.

In the 1920s, this road was part of NJ 3. In the 1930s, NJ 3 was signed but not state-commissioned along the current CR S-55 through Carlstadt (by then, autos could deal with the steep slope that Paterson Plank Road avoided). When the state completed NJ S-3 (now NJ 3), the state ceded jurisdiction back to Bergen County. The road does become NJ 120 when it crosses NJ 17, but I don’t know when CR 120 first got its number; the duplicate number may be merely coincidental.

CR 120 is posted as primary route 14.

Mile Street Name Feature (West to East)

0.00 CR 120 BEGINS, Wallington Boro

0.00 Main Ave Passaic River {bridge}

0.03 CR 120 turns right onto Paterson Ave

0.11 Entering (Wallington Boro) [East Rutherford Boro]

0.13 Paterson Ave [Carlton Ave, CR S-69]

0.49 Paterson Ave (Locust Ave) [Locust Ln], CR 507 {signal}

0.90 Paterson Ave (Mount Pleasant Ave) {signal}

1.28 Paterson Ave Erie Railroad {at-grade crossing}

1.28 Entering (Carlstadt Boro) [East Rutherford Boro]

1.38 Paterson Ave (Hoboken Rd, CR S-55 / Garden St)

1.38 Entering East Rutherford Boro

1.74 Paterson Ave Uhland St {signal}

1.90 Paterson Ave Boiling Springs Ave {signal}

2.06 Paterson Ave Hackensack St, CR 55 {signal}

Eastbound on Paterson Avenue just past Hackensack Street.
Notice the sign for Primary Route 14.

2.41 Paterson Ave NJ 17 {overpass}

2.41 CR 120 ENDS, East Rutherford Boro

Note: For continuation of road, see NJ 120. NJ 120 is inventoried south to north; the end of CR 120 and the end of NJ 120 are the same point.

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Mile	Street Name	Feature (West to East)
0.00	CR 120 BEGINS, Wallington Boro
0.00	Main Ave	Passaic River {bridge}
0.03	CR 120 turns right onto Paterson Ave
0.11	Entering (Wallington Boro) [East Rutherford Boro]
0.13	Paterson Ave	[Carlton Ave, CR S-69]
0.49	Paterson Ave	(Locust Ave) [Locust Ln], CR 507 {signal}
0.90	Paterson Ave	(Mount Pleasant Ave) {signal}
1.28	Paterson Ave	Erie Railroad {at-grade crossing}
1.28	Entering (Carlstadt Boro) [East Rutherford Boro]
1.38	Paterson Ave	(Hoboken Rd, CR S-55 / Garden St)
1.38	Entering East Rutherford Boro
1.74	Paterson Ave	Uhland St {signal}
1.90	Paterson Ave	Boiling Springs Ave {signal}
2.06	Paterson Ave	Hackensack St, CR 55 {signal}
Eastbound on Paterson Avenue just past Hackensack Street. Notice the sign for Primary Route 14.
2.41	Paterson Ave	NJ 17 {overpass}
2.41	CR 120 ENDS, East Rutherford Boro