Packanack Lake, New Jersey

Populated place in Passaic County, New Jersey, US

Packanack Lake is an unincorporated lake community and census designated place (CDP) in Wayne in Passaic County, in the U. S. state of New Jersey. The community is located 30 minutes northwest of Manhattan. The median income in Packanack Lake was $100,887, and the average income of households with children was $140,869. 95.9% of Packanack area residents are high school graduates while 57.5% are college graduates. 77.4% of residents are married. 41.4% of residents had children. The average age of residents was 40.6 years old. Gatherings and social events are held on both East Beach (on Lake Drive East) and West Beach (on Lake Drive West) which include band concerts, craft shows, and bonfires.

As of the 2020 United States census, the population was 6,261.2020

Packanack's neighborhoods include; Packanack Estates, Packanack Lake, Packanack Manor, Packanack Ridge, and Packanack Woods. Members of the Packanack Lake Community Association, also known as Packanack Lake Country Club, can use the tennis club and golf club located on Osborne Terrace. Packanack residents can send their grammar school aged children to the Packanack School, located at 190 Oakwood Drive, and residents can also send their high school aged children to Wayne Valley High School or the many private schools in and around the township of Wayne. There are summer camps and activities for the children who live in the lake which include golf lessons, sailing lessons and competitively swimming on the Lake's swim team, The Packanack Pirates. The Packanack Lake Association collects dues from Packanack Lake residents for the purpose of funding the upkeep and use of lake activities. Transportation to business/commercial centers throughout North Jersey is via Route 3, Route 4, Route 20, Route 21, Route 23, U. S. Route 46, Interstate 80, Interstate 287 and the Garden State Parkway. Train stations and "Park and Rides" provide access to North Jersey suburbs and New York City. Nearby country clubs include the Preakness Hills Country Club located on Ratzer Road and the North Jersey Country Club located on Hamburg Turnpike.

The Packanack community began long ago when Native Americans farmed, fished and hunted in the area. One tribe, the Pacquanacs, are still remembered in the very name Packanack which is said to mean appropriately "land made clear for cultivation". In 1780, it was farming country and marshlands not far from the Continental Army encampment of French and American soldiers. Close by were the headquarters of General George Washington at the Dey Mansion and Major General Marquis de Lafayette at the Van Saun House. They still can be seen today.

The Packanack area sits on two ridges running in roughly a north south direction separated by a valley of marshland that in 1928 would be cleared of trees and brush; blocked at the south with an earth and clay dam to form Packanack Lake. That was when Joseph T. Castles, who had purchased 26 farms covering approximately of these ridges and valley in 1925, began laying the groundwork for the development of a community. The lake itself is man made.