Chatham
One of New Jersey's Best Towns for Families Top Commuter Towns
Population: 8,978
Average Home Price: $806,347
Proximity to New York City is one of many reasons families choose to live in NJ. But when one or more parent works in the city, commute time often is a priority when considering where to settle. Yes, a big yard and a great public school are important, but a quick ride home to squeeze in more time with the kiddos or make an evening soccer game becomes the lens through which all other decisions are made. To find the suburbs on our commuter towns list, we looked at highly ranked towns that can get you into Midtown in less than 50 minutes during morning rush hour. We call that having your cake and eating it, too.
Lovely Chatham is #4 on our Best NYC Commuter Towns list and hoping on NJ Transit’s Morris & Essex line at the downtown station will put you into Penn Station in a breezy 49 minutes most mornings.
The town also hosts a robust Farmer’s Market from June to November and celebrates the annual Fishawack festival in the summer full of carnival fun (Fishawack is what the Lenape Native Americans called the Passaic River which passes through town).
The schools here are also best-in-class, earning a coveted “10” from the independent ranking site Greatschools.org. And when the last bell rings for the day, kids can enjoy the Castle Playground (at Shunpike Avenue), made even more magical since the jungle gym actually looks like a castle.
Chatham is a hop, skip and a jump from the Short Hills Mall, the Morris Museum and the Turtle Back Zoo, but it also offers many reasons to stay close to home, including highly-regarded restaurants like Scalini Fedili and Restaurant Serenade, both fantastic date-night destinations.
New Jersey's Best Towns For Families
Top NYC Commuter Towns
| Rank | Town | County | Commute Time | Mode of Transportation |
| 1 | Oradell | Bergen | 49 mins | Train |
| 2 | River Edge | Bergen | 45 mins. | Train |
| 3 | Closter | Bergen | 48 mins. | Bus |
| 4 | Chatham | Morris | 49 mins. | Train |
| 5 | Glen Rock | Bergen | 43 mins. | Train |
| 6 | Cranford | Union | 47 mins. | Train |
| 7 | Tenafly | Bergen | 49 mins. | Train |
| 8 | Leonia | Bergen | 21 mins. | Bus |
| 9 | Emerson | Bergen | 50 mins. | Bus |
| 10 | Maywood | Bergen | 41 mins. | Bus |
| 11 | Ridgewood | Bergen | 47 mins. | Train |
| 12 | Midland Park | Bergen | 50 mins. | Bus |
| 13 | Summit | Union | 42 mins. | Train |
| 14 | Fair Lawn | Bergen | 40 mins. | Bus |
| 15 | Dumont | Bergen | 48 mins. | Bus |
| 16 | Bergenfield | Bergen | 46 mins. | Bus |
| 17 | Rutherford | Bergen | 28 mins. | Train |
| 18 | Fort Lee | Hudson | 39 mins. | Bus |
| 19 | Glen Ridge | Bergen | 35 mins. | Train |
| 20 | Washington | Bergen | 46 mins. | Bus |
*Municipalities with NJ Transit trains with rush hour travel times of under 50 minutes, and compared against our full ranked list of New Jersey's Best Towns for Families 2016.
More of New Jersey's Best Towns for Families 2016
2016 Winner: New Jersey's Best Towns for Families
The Full 2016 List: New Jersey's Best Towns for Families
Best NYC Commuter Towns for Families in NJ
Most Diverse Towns for Families in NJ
Most Affordable Towns for Families in NJ
Safest Towns for Families in NJ
Towns With the Best School Districts in NJ
Hoboken: We Still Love You
Best Somerset County Town: Montgomery Twp
Best Morris County Town: Boonton
Best Union County Town: New Providence
Best Essex County Town: Essex Fells
Best Large Towns in NJ
Best Mid-Size Towns in NJ
Best Small Towns in NJ
Methodology for New Jersey's Best Towns for Families
See New Jersey's Best Towns
for Families for 2015 list