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is a township in Bergen County, New Jersey, United States. As of the United States 2000 Census, the township population was 24,062. The name Mahwah is derived from the Lenni Lenape word "
The area that is now Mahwah was originally formed as Hohokus Township on April 9, 1849, from portions of Franklin Township. On November 7, 1944, the area was incorporated by an Act of the New Jersey Legislature as the Township of Mahwah, based on the results of a referendum held that day, replacing Hohokus Township.
magazine ranked Mahwah as its 9th best place to live in its 2008 rankings of the "Best Places To Live" in New Jersey.
According to the United States Census Bureau, the township has a total area of 26.2 square miles (67.9 km²), of which, 25.9 square miles (67.2 km²) of it is land and 0.3 square miles (0.7 km²) of it (1.03%) is water. It is the largest municipality in Bergen County by area.
Mahwah is near the Ramapo Mountains and the Ramapo River. Interstate 287 passes through Mahwah, but the only point of access is at the New Jersey-New York border where 287 meets Route 17. Historic U.S. Route 202 also runs through Mahwah from Oakland, New Jersey, to Suffern, New York.
Mahwah is bordered by the towns of Upper Saddle River, Ramsey, Allendale, Wyckoff, Franklin Lakes, and Oakland in Bergen County, New Jersey; Ringwood in Passaic County, New Jersey; and Ramapo and Suffern in Rockland County, New York.
Several state and county parks are located in Mahwah, due to its large size and scenic terrain. They include Campgaw Mountain Reservation, Darlington County Park, Ramapo Mountain Reservation, and Ramapo Mountain State Forest. The Ramapo River runs through the western section of Mahwah.