Highways of Bergen County, New Jersey



NJ 17N was designated in the mid-1920s as a road from Newark to Suffern. Presumably this road included 4th Street in Harrison and Kearny Avenue in Kearny, which are no longer part of the highway. The number was changed to 2 in 1928, but became 17 again in 1942 to match NY 17, which was built to meet NJ 17 in Suffern.

The original route of NJ 17N included parts of the Newark-Hackensack Turnpike (see CR 55) and parts of the Paramus Road and Franklin Turnpike (CR 62, CR 75, CR 112, CR 507). By 1928, the section of NJ 2 east of Polifly Road was open; by 1934, the current route was complete to Suffern.

As the importance of NJ 17 grew in the 1950s, it became necessary to expand the road. NJ 17 grew from four to six lanes between Rutherford and Hasbrouck Heights and through Paramus in the 1970s; the road north of Paramus was gradually improved as well, and the last traffic light in that area, at Lake Street in Ramsey, was removed in the late 1980s when a new overpass was installed. However, engineering concerns and the need to not displace business on the road have conspired to keep the highway at four lanes through Maywood and Rochelle Park, creating a bottleneck that jams rush-hour traffic daily.

The original cloverleaf at NJ 17 and NJ 4, completed in 1932, was replaced in a 1998 project that also upgraded access to the Garden State Plaza shopping center. NJ 17 was shifted about 50 feet to the west, and flyover ramps were built to carry traffic making left turns from NJ 17 onto NJ 4.

Mile Street Name Feature (South to North)
0.00 NJ 17 BEGINS, North Arlington Boro
0.00 Ridge Rd Belleville Tpk NJ 7CR 507

Southern terminus of NJ 17, as seen from eastbound NJ 7.
0.14 Ridge Rd (Garden Terr) [Harding Ave] {signal}
0.28 Ridge Rd (Melrose Ave) [Inman Ave] {signal}
0.39 Ridge Rd (Ilford Ave) [Abbott Pl] {signal}
0.43 Ridge Rd (Franklin Pl) {signal}
0.47 Ridge Rd [Church Pl] {signal}
0.60 Ridge Rd (Arlington Blvd) {signal}
0.77 Ridge Rd (Crystal Pl) [Holy Cross Cemetery] {signal}
1.05 Ridge Rd (Ridge Park Dr) [Noel Dr] {signal}
1.28 Ridge Rd (Jauncey Ave CR 26) [Canterbury Ave] {signal}
1.36 Entering Lyndhurst Twp
1.51 Ridge Rd (Summer Ave) [Ten Eyck Ave] {signal}

Northbound at Kingsland Avenue. Note how NJDOT overheads now sign a road that
crosses the highway, but it’s only a county road on one side.
1.66 Ridge Rd Kingsland Ave (CR 28) {signal}
1.77 Ridge Rd Page Ave {signal}
2.03 Ridge Rd New Jersey Ave {signal}
2.12 Ridge Rd Valleybrook Ave {signal}
2.24 Ridge Rd Lackawanna Railroad {overpass}
2.36 Ridge Rd New York Ave {signal}
2.41 Ridge Rd 2nd Ave {signal}
2.53 Ridge Rd Lake Ave {signal}
2.71 Ridge Rd Rutherford Ave (CR 30) {signal}
2.71 NJ 17 turns right onto Rutherford Ave
2.71 Entering (Rutherford Boro) [Lyndhurst Twp]
2.96 Rutherford Ave Orient Way [CR 11] {signal}
3.34 Rutherford Ave Polito Ave {signal}
3.34 Rutherford Ave ends
3.34 Entering Lyndhurst Twp
3.87 Entering Rutherford Boro
4.00 NJ 17 NJ 3 {overpass}

NJ 17 northbound, just past the NJ 3 overpass.
4.23 NJ 17 Dunn Service Rd {underpass}
4.73 NJ 17 (Meadow Rd CR 32) | Highland Cross {signal}
4.92 Entering East Rutherford Boro
4.92 NJ 17 Erie Railroad {underpass}
5.15 NJ 17 Union Ave CR 34A {signal}
5.53 NJ 17 Unnamed stream {pipe}
5.76 NJ 17 Paterson Plank Rd (CR 14) [NJ 120] {underpass}
5.82 Entering Carlstadt Boro
5.82 NJ 17 (Hoboken Rd CR 14A)
6.46 Entering Wood-Ridge Boro
6.70 NJ 17 Moonachie Ave CR 36 {underpass}
7.11 Entering Hasbrouck Heights Boro
7.15 NJ 17 U-turn ramps {signal}
7.69 NJ 17 Franklin Ave {signal}
8.34 NJ 17 Williams Ave (CR 40) {signal}
8.42 NJ 17 [Ramp to US 46 {underpass}]
8.44 NJ 17 US 46 {underpass}

Southbound where the 1931 overpass for NJ 6 crosses. These overhead signs are
just slightly younger than the overpass.
8.76 NJ 17 Terrace Ave CR 55 {underpass}
8.92 Entering Hackensack City

1960s button copy, since replaced, just before northbound crossing of I-80.
9.13 NJ 17 [Bergen-Passaic Expwy I-80 {northbound overpass}]

More button copy, just after the roadway crosses I-80. These signs are gone now too.
9.33 NJ 17 Summit Ave CR 57 {underpass}
9.57 Entering Lodi Boro
9.87 NJ 17 Susquehanna Railroad spur {at-grade crossing}
9.91 NJ 17 (Bergen-Passaic Expwy I-80 {southbound underpass})
10.19 NJ 17 Essex St CR 12 {underpass}
10.19 Entering Maywood Boro
10.50 Entering Rochelle Park Twp
10.69 NJ 17 Unnamed stream {bridge}
10.76 NJ 17 Susquehanna Railroad spur {overpass}
10.84 NJ 17 Susquehanna Railroad {overpass}
10.91 NJ 17 Central Ave CR 44 {overpass}
11.46 NJ 17 Passaic St CR 62 {overpass}
11.55 Entering Paramus Boro
11.55 NJ 17 Pleasant Ave {overpass}
11.82 NJ 17 Farview Ave CR 61 {underpass}
12.33 NJ 17 NJ 4 {overpass}

Southbound, just before the rebuilt interchange with NJ 4.
12.88 NJ 17 Century Rd connector; CR 76 begins 1.47 miles west {underpass}
13.59 NJ 17 Garden State Pkwy northbound GSPNJ 444 {underpass}
13.66 NJ 17 Garden State Pkwy southbound GSPNJ 444 {underpass}

The Parkway crosses over the highway here in a dual configuration. There is no advance
signage on southbound NJ 17 prior to this overhead sign.
13.97 NJ 17 Sprout Brook {bridge}
14.33 NJ 17 Midland Ave connector; CR 70 begins 0.80 mile east {underpass}
14.85 NJ 17 St. Andrew's Brook {pipe}
14.95 NJ 17 Manning's Brook {pipe}
14.99 NJ 17 Sprout Brook {bridge}
15.07 NJ 17 Industrial/shopping entrance {underpass}
15.27 NJ 17 Sprout Brook {bridge}
15.80 NJ 17 Ridgewood Ave connector CR 6 {underpass}
16.47 NJ 17 Pedestrian crossing {underpass}
16.54 Entering Ridgewood Village
16.54 NJ 17 [Van Emburgh Ave CR 71 {northbound ramp}]
16.56 NJ 17 Linwood Ave CR 110 {underpass}
16.88 NJ 17 East Saddle River Rd CR 75

And some more ancient button copy. These are unusual in that they use all capital letters.
This is southbound; East Saddle River Road crosses just ahead.
17.04 NJ 17 Saddle River {bridge}
17.23 NJ 17 (Glen Ave CR 82)
17.23 NJ 17 (Franklin Tpk CR 112)
17.54 NJ 17 Pedestrian crossing {underpass}
17.88 NJ 17 Race Track Rd CR 112A
17.88 Entering Hohokus Boro

The funkiest arrow on an exit sign in Bergen County. It is a sharp turnoff.
18.33 NJ 17 Hollywood Ave connector CR 502 {underpass}
18.53 NJ 17 Branch Hohokus Creek {culvert}
18.69 Entering Waldwick Boro
18.95 NJ 17 Sheridan Ave CR 7 {overpass}
19.02 NJ 17 Pedestrian crossing {underpass}
19.36 Entering Saddle River Boro
20.00 NJ 17 Branch Hohokus Creek {culvert}
20.19 NJ 17 Unnamed stream {pipe}
20.50 NJ 17 East Allendale Rd connector CR 90 {overpass}
21.19 Entering Allendale Boro
21.38 Entering Ramsey Boro
21.70 Entering Upper Saddle River Boro
21.75 NJ 17 Branch Saddle River {culvert}
22.05 Entering Ramsey Boro
22.30 Entering Upper Saddle River Boro
22.56 NJ 17 Crescent Ave CR 2CR 81 {underpass}
22.56 Entering Ramsey Boro
22.81 NJ 17 Ramsey Brook {culvert}
23.00 NJ 17 Airmount Ave [CR 83]
23.55 NJ 17 Franklin Tpk CR 507 {underpass}
23.91 NJ 17 Spring St connector {underpass}
24.10 NJ 17 Branch Ramapo River {pipe}
24.16 NJ 17 Erie Railroad {overpass}
24.35 Entering Mahwah Twp
24.37 NJ 17 Masonicus Brook {culvert}
24.60 NJ 17 MacArthur Blvd / Island Rd CR 85 {underpass}
24.69 NJ 17 Masonicus Brook {culvert}
24.88 NJ 17 Masonicus Brook {bridge}
25.08 NJ 17 Masonicus Brook {bridge}
25.55 NJ 17 Ramapo Ave connector CR 100 {underpass}
26.01 NJ 17 Ramapo Valley Rd US 202CR 91 {bridge}
26.04 NJ 17 Ramapo River {bridge}
26.40 NJ 17 Hillburn Rd {underpass}
26.50 NJ 17 I-287 ramp {underpass}
26.65 NJ 17 (I-287 {southbound underpass})
26.81 NJ 17 I-287 {merge}
26.81 Next 0.39 mile co-signed with I-287
27.18 I-287 U-turn ramp {underpass}
27.20 NJ 17 ENDS, Mahwah Twp


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