Port Morris, NJ

Port Morris is a historic CDP in Roxbury Township, tucked along Lake Musconetcong in the hills of western Morris County. The lake and its outlet, the Musconetcong River, form the community's northern edge, while Netcong and Landing sit nearby. The 2020 Census counted 754 residents. The name sounds coastal, but Port Morris grew around an inland transportation project: the Morris Canal.

George Macculloch's canal was completed to Newark in 1831, carrying coal, iron, and other freight across New Jersey. Lake Musconetcong was enlarged to supply water to the canal, and Port Morris became one of its major stops. Railroads later took over the freight business; the Lackawanna Cut-Off was built between 1908 and 1911, turning Port Morris into a railroad junction as the canal era faded. Today the lake is part of Hopatcong State Park, with 329 acres for boating and other recreation, while the old canal-and-rail layout still gives this small inland place its name and shape. The lake, canal, and railroad remain visible in the same compact geography.