Woodland Park is a small, densely settled borough in southern Passaic County, New Jersey, within the New York City metropolitan area. It lies along the Passaic River and the lower slopes of Garret Mountain, bordered by Paterson to the east, Clifton to the south, and Totowa and Little Falls to the west and north. Its location near the junction of Interstate 80, Route 46, and the Garden State Parkway gives it unusually direct access to the region's road network. The borough is best known for its recent name change. For most of its history it was called West Paterson, but after a narrowly decided local vote the community officially became the Borough of Woodland Park on January 1, 2009, choosing a name that evoked its parkland setting. The transition generated years of civic discussion, and today residents use both names, though Woodland Park has become firmly established on maps and official documents. The community's defining natural feature is Garret Mountain Reservation, a 310-acre Passaic County park that rises more than 500 feet above sea level and extends into neighboring Clifton. The reservation offers hiking trails, scenic overlooks, picnic areas, and Lambert Castle, a nineteenth-century stone mansion that is now a museum and event space. Its ridgeline views stretch across Paterson to the New York City skyline, and the park functions as the borough's backyard, drawing residents throughout the year. Woodland Park is home to about 13,000 people and has a dense, working-class suburban character. Housing ranges from older single-family homes to a significant share of two-family and multifamily buildings, giving the borough a somewhat more urban feel than many of its Passaic County neighbors. Its schools, parkland, and highway access make it a practical and increasingly recognized community for families and commuters alike.