MORRIS COUNTY, N.J. — Morris County has launched a new interactive online StoryMap tracing the county’s population growth and development from five municipalities at the time of the first U.S. Census to 39 communities today.
The Morris County Office of Planning and Preservation launched “Morris County & the Census” in recognition of Constitution Day. The ArcGIS StoryMap combines historical narratives, census data, interactive maps and photographs to illustrate changes in the county since the first federal census in 1790.
The U.S. Constitution, signed Sept. 17, 1787, requires an enumeration of the population every 10 years for the apportionment of seats in the U.S. House of Representatives.
“The census is one of the few ways we can look across generations and see how communities have changed. The information collected every 10 years helps shape decisions that affect transportation, education, health care, emergency services and countless other public investments that benefit our residents,” said Commissioner Director Stephen Shaw. “This StoryMap brings that history together in a way that makes the data more accessible and helps demonstrate why the census remains important today.”
Morris County was created in 1738 after being separated from Hunterdon County. By the first U.S. Census in 1790, the county had a population of 16,216 spread among five recognized municipalities: Hanover Township, Morris Township, Pequannock Township, Roxbury and Mendham Township, according to the county.
Users can move through census decades in the StoryMap to see how population totals and municipal boundaries changed alongside major events in county and national history.
“One of the most interesting things about this StoryMap is being able to see how the Morris County we know today developed over generations,” said Joe Barilla, director of the Office of Planning and Preservation. “Residents can explore the history of their own communities, see how our county has grown and better understand how the census has documented that change over time.”
The county’s population reached 164,371 in 1950 and more than doubled to 407,630 by 1980. The 2020 census counted 509,285 residents, while the U.S. Census Bureau estimated Morris County’s population at 524,251 as of July 1, 2025.
The number of municipalities also increased as the county developed. By 1930, Morris County had 37 municipalities, and by 1960 all 39 of its current municipalities had been established, according to the county.
The StoryMap also explores Morris County’s history, including its separation from Hunterdon County, its naming after Colonial Gov. Lewis Morris and its role during the American Revolution. It also examines the county’s coat of arms and its Latin motto, Tandem Vincitur, meaning “At last it is conquered.”
Another section traces how the census itself has changed. The first census collected information including the head of each household, free white males and females, other free people and enslaved people. Census data today are used for congressional apportionment and redistricting, the distribution of federal funding, government and business planning and other purposes.
“The ‘Morris County & the Census’ StoryMap is the latest addition to Morris County’s growing collection of online historical and educational resources, using GIS technology to make the county’s history more accessible through interactive storytelling, maps and multimedia content,” said Commissioner Tom Mastrangelo, liaison to the Office of Planning and Preservation. “We encourage everyone to explore this valuable resource and other county StoryMaps.”
