Wayne is a township in Passaic County, New Jersey, set in the rolling Watchung foothills less than 20 miles from Midtown Manhattan. Its location along major highways and NJ Transit's commuter network makes it a classic North Jersey bedroom suburb, while Willowbrook Mall and its commercial corridors give the town a regional retail and employment role. William Paterson University, a public university on the town's north side, adds a college presence and open campus land. Wayne's history reaches back to the colonial era. The Schuyler-Colfax House, built in 1696, is the township's oldest surviving home, and the Dey Mansion served as George Washington's headquarters during the Revolutionary War. The town grew as a farming and mill community along the Pompton and Passaic river valleys before postwar suburbanization filled its neighborhoods with single-family homes. Residentially, Wayne is a collection of distinct sections rather than a single uniform suburb. Lake communities such as Packanack Lake, Pines Lake and Lionshead Lake cluster around private lakes with beaches and associations, while Preakness and the central section hold estate-style homes, established neighborhoods and newer subdivisions. The housing stock skews toward single-family detached homes, many built in the mid-to-late twentieth century. Wayne's economy reflects its dual role as a commuter town and a commercial center. Willowbrook Mall and the retail corridors along Route 23 and Route 46 support a substantial base of local jobs, while William Paterson University is one of the township's largest institutional employers. Many residents, however, commute outward — south toward Newark and Jersey City or east into Manhattan — making the town's transit and highway access a defining part of daily life. The community is known for its lake associations and strong civic institutions. Each lake community maintains its own character, governance and seasonal traditions, while the township's parks, recreation programs and schools knit the sections together. The presence of preserved colonial-era sites alongside mid-century suburbia gives Wayne a layered identity that appeals to buyers seeking history, open space and convenience in a single North Jersey town.