Millburn is a suburban township in southwestern Essex County, within the U.S. state of New Jersey, and part of the New York metropolitan area. As of the 2020 United States census, the township's population was 21,710, its highest decennial count ever and an increase of 1,561 (+7.7%) from the 20,149 recorded at the 2010 census, which in turn reflected an increase of 384 (+1.9%) from the 19,765 counted in the 2000 census.Table 7. Population for the Counties and Municipalities in New Jersey: 1990, 2000 and 2010, New Jersey Department of Labor and Workforce Development, February 2011. Accessed May 1, 2023. Short Hills, with a 2020 population of 14,422, is an unincorporated community and census-designated place (CDP) located within Millburn that is home to most of the township's population.QuickFacts Short Hills CDP, New Jersey, United States Census Bureau. Accessed July 3, 2023.

Millburn was created as a township by an act of the New Jersey Legislature on March 20, 1857, from portions of Springfield Township, when Union County was formed.Snyder, John P. The Story of New Jersey's Civil Boundaries: 1606–1968, Bureau of Geology and Topography; Trenton, New Jersey; 1969. p. 129. Accessed May 30, 2024. Earlier known variously as Milltown, Millville, Rum Brook, and Vauxhall, the name "Millburn" was adopted before the township was established. The township's name derives from the burn (Scottish for a stream) that powered mills in the area.History, Township of Millburn. Accessed May 11, 2020. "Millburn has had many names, from Rum Brook, Vauxhall, Milltown, and Millville. In 1857, 'Millburn' was decided upon, partly because many of the town's residents were from Scotland and the mill burn (Scotch word for 'river' or 'stream') reminded them of home. Later there were disputes over the spelling of Millburn, but the double-L advocates won."Hutchinson, Viola L. The Origin of New Jersey Place Names, New Jersey Public Library Commission, May 1945. Accessed September 8, 2015.

The township is home to the South Mountain Reservation, The Mall at Short Hills, and the Paper Mill Playhouse, an established regional theater. The West Branch of the Rahway River runs through downtown Millburn,About the Rahway River Watershed, Rahway River Watershed Association. Accessed November 27, 2016. "The Rahway River is approximately 24-mile long and consists of four distinct branches. The West Branch, begins in West Orange and flows south through South Mountain Reservation and directly through downtown Millburn." and the Paper Mill Playhouse is situated on the banks of the river.

New Jersey Monthly ranked Millburn as the 53rd-best place to live in New Jersey in its 2008 rankings of the "Best Places to Live" in New Jersey."Best Places To Live - The Complete Top Towns List" , New Jersey Monthly, February 21, 2008. Accessed May 11, 2008.

Millburn had the highest annual property tax bills in New Jersey in 2018 of $24,308, compared to a statewide average of $8,767.Marcus, Samantha. "These are the towns with the highest property taxes in each of N.J.’s 21 counties", NJ Advance Media for NJ.com, April 22, 2019. Accessed November 5, 2019. "The average property tax bill in New Jersey was $8,767 last year. But there can be big swings from town to town and county to county.... The average property tax bill in Millburn Township was $24,308 in 2018, the highest in Essex County." The township had the highest annual bill in 2009 of $19,097, compared to the statewide average of $7,300 that year, which was the highest in the United States.Heininger, Claire. "N.J. average property taxes grow 3.3 percent to an average of $7,300", The Star-Ledger, February 26, 2010. Accessed June 30, 2011. "New Jersey's highest-in-the-nation residential property taxes continued to climb last year, to an average of $7,281, according to new data released by the state.... The municipality with the highest average bills was Millburn in Essex County, at $19,097." This is primarily a function of high property values, as Millburn had the lowest effective property tax rate in 2014 (1.9%) among the 22 municipalities in Essex County."2014 General Tax Rates", New Jersey Department of the Treasury. Accessed October 15, 2015.

The township is one of New Jersey's highest-income communities. In 2000, Millburn had the sixth-highest per capita income in the state, with $76,796."Money Income (1989 and 1999) and Poverty (1999) New Jersey, Counties and Municipalities", New Jersey Department of Labor Division of Labor Market and Demographic Research, New Jersey State Data Center. April 2003. Accessed May 10, 2020. Based on data from the 2006–2010 American Community Survey, the township had a per-capita income of $84,663, ranked 10th in the state.Median Household, Family, Per-Capita Income: State, County, Municipality and Census Designated Place (CDP) With Municipalities Ranked by Per Capita Income; 2010 5-year ACS estimates (Excel Format), New Jersey Department of Labor and Workforce Development. Accessed April 23, 2020. Based on data from the American Community Survey for 2013–2017, Millburn residents had a median household income of $202,862, ranked highest in the state among municipalities with more than 10,000 residents, more than double the statewide median of $76,475.Raychaudhuri, Disha. "The wealthiest towns in N.J., ranked", NJ Advance Media for NJ.com, June 7, 2019. Accessed November 4, 2019. "The median household income in N.J. is $76,475, recent Census data shows.... A note about the data: The data comes from 2013-2017 American Community Survey conducted by U.S. Census Bureau. Smaller towns with less than 10,000 residents were excluded from the list.... 1. Millburn, Essex County Median income: $202,862"B19013 - Median Household Income in The Past 12 Months (in 2017 Inflation-Adjusted Dollars) Universe: Households from the 2013-2017 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates for New Jersey municipalities , United States Census Bureau. Accessed November 4, 2019.

History

Millburn was an agricultural settlement before it became a Victorian residential community. It was part of the Newark settlements in New Jersey in the 19th century made from Charles II from James, his brother, in the 17th century. Springfield Township, founded in 1783, included Millburn.

Millburn played a vital role during the Revolutionary War. With George Washington's military camped outside at Morristown and the British assaulting through the Hobart Gap, Millburn was brought into the Revolutionary War. Washington purportedly saw his soldiers on a vital point in the South Mountain Reservation, then known as Washington Rock. The Battle of Springfield in 1780 was the last push of the British into New Jersey and the first American victory since Bunker Hill.History, Millburn Township 250th Anniversary Committee. Accessed December 27, 2025. "During the American Revolution, Millburn (formerly part of Springfield) became an important location because of its proximity to George Washington’s encampment in Morristown. The Hobart Gap, a pass in the Watchung Mountains just west of Millburn, was one of the few routes through which the British could attempt to reach Washington’s army.... On June 23, 1780, Millburn was swept into the Battle of Springfield. British troops advanced from Elizabethtown through Union, crossing the Rahway River at the Vauxhall Bridge, near today’s Millburn Avenue, in an attempt to force their way through to Morristown. The American militia, supported by Continental troops, met them with determined resistance." A token of the war exists in the Parsil family graveyard on White Oak Ridge Road, where Nicholas Parsil was buried after being killed in a clash with the British.Kulp, Aleksia. The Parsil Family Cemetery at White Oak Ridge Road, Millburn Short Hills Historical Society, June 2018. Accessed December 27, 2025.

After the revolution, the Rahway River was dammed in five spots to frame plant lakes. Samuel Campbell created the first paper mill in 1790 and produced banknotes. The majority of the early factories were paper plants, among them the Diamond Mill, that is now the site of the Paper Mill Playhouse. In 1835, the Morris and Essex Railroad was completed, connecting Millburn to enormous urban communities in the east and coal areas in the northwest.

Two unincorporated suburbs were created within its borders. Wyoming was made up of of land and purchased by the Wyoming Land and Improvement Company and the latter was founded by Stewart Hartshorn (the namesake of Hartshorn Elementary School) who purchased of land to create Short Hills, New Jersey.

In June 2007, Millburn celebrated its 150th birthday in its downtown, in one of the biggest celebrations in Millburn history.Kelley, Pat. "Thousands expected for parade, party: Highlight of township's 150th anniversary is this Saturday", Independent Press, June 6, 2007. Accessed June 25, 2007. "Millburn is the place to be on Saturday, June 9. Officials and residents alike are gearing up for one of the biggest events in the township's history as they prepare to celebrate Millburn's 150th anniversary with a huge parade and a day full of fun events."

Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau, the township had a total area of 9.89 square miles (25.62 km2), including 9.33 square miles (24.17 km2) of land and 0.56 square miles (1.45 km2) of water (5.64%).

Unincorporated communities, localities, and place names located partially or completely within the township include Brantwood, Canoe Brook, Short Hills, Washington Rock, White Oak Ridge and Wyoming.Locality Search, State of New Jersey. Accessed May 21, 2015. Millburn includes the Wyoming district, South Mountain and Millburn center. Short Hills includes Brookhaven, Country Club, Deerfield-Crossroads, Glenwood, Knollwood, Merrywood, Mountaintop, Old Short Hills Estates and White Oak Ridge.About, Millburn Township. Accessed May 11, 2020. "Millburn is comprised of the historic Wyoming district, and South Mountain and Millburn Center areas. Short Hills contains the sections of Knollwood, Glenwood, Brookhaven, Country Club, Merrywood, Deerfield-Crossroads, Mountaintop, White Oak Ridge, and Old Short Hills Estates."

Situated approximately west of Midtown Manhattan, Millburn is bordered by the Essex County municipalities of Livingston and West Orange to the north and northeast; Maplewood to the east; the Morris County municipalities of Chatham Borough and Florham Park to the west and southwest; and the Union County municipalities of Summit to the south, and Springfield and Union townships to the southeast.Areas touching Millburn, MapIt. Accessed February 27, 2020.Municipalities, Essex County, New Jersey Register of Deeds and Mortgages. Accessed February 27, 2020.New Jersey Municipal Boundaries, New Jersey Department of Transportation. Accessed November 15, 2019.

As of 2026, the township is a member of Local Leaders for Responsible Planning in order to address the township's Mount Laurel doctrine-based housing obligations.

Economy The Mall at Short Hills is an upscale shopping mall anchored by Neiman Marcus, Nordstrom, Bloomingdale's and Macy's, with a gross leasable area of .The Mall at Short Hills, Taubman Centers. Accessed January 25, 2017.

Arts and culture

Paper Mill Playhouse is a 1,200-seat regional theater established in 1938, that has been officially designated as the "State Theatre of New Jersey".About Us, Paper Mill Playhouse. Accessed August 6, 2013.Background and History, Paper Mill Playhouse. Accessed August 6, 2013.