Demarest is a borough in north-eastern Bergen County and was incorporated in 1903 from portions of the now-gone Harrington Township and Palisades Township. The town was named for the Demarest train station, which itself was named after the director of the Northern Railroad in New Jersey: Ralph S. Demarest.
Similar to its neighbor Closter, Demarest offers plenty of charm and amenities while being only 15 miles from New York City. In fact, Demarest has a strict ordinance against industrial developments and has a natural preserves surrounding the town.
The Demarest Public School system is highly rated and serves students in Kindergarten through eight grade. Students in grades 9-12 attending the regional Northern Valley High School at Demarest (located in Demarest).
This school is also shared with students from Haworth and Closter. In 2010, the Norther Valley Regional High School at Demarest was the 14th-ranked public high school in New Jersey (out of 322 schools statewide) as rated by New Jersey
Monthly magazine. In a previous 2008 ranking, the high school was ranked 9th in the State.