
Passaic is a city in Passaic County, New Jersey that was incorporated on 2 April 1873. Passaic's name means "valley" in Lenape, and it was first settled by the Dutch in 1679. Industrial growth began in the 19th century as Passaic became a textile and metalworking center, and Passaic was the birthplace of television in 1931. Passaic came to have one of the largest Orthodox Jewish populations in the state, as it was home to 20 synagogues and 15,000 Jews. In 2016, Passaic had a population of 70,635, with 74.4% being Hispanic, 14.7% white, 8% African-American, 3.1% Asian, .8% other, .6% multiracial, .2% Native American, and .08% Pacific islander.