The tribe is officially recognized by New Jersey, but does not have federal recognition. They number approximately 5,000 people living around the Ramapo Mountains of northern New Jersey and southern New York. Their descendants have combined with other Native Americans and ethnicities and were recognized in 1980 by the state as the Ramapough Mountain Indians. The Lenape and ancestral indigenous peoples were the original inhabitants of Mahwah (the meeting place) and surrounding area. New Jersey Monthly magazine ranked Mahwah as its ninth best place to live in its 2008 rankings of the 'Best Places To Live' in New Jersey. On November 7, 1944, the area was incorporated by an act of the New Jersey Legislature as the Township of Mahwah, based on the results of a referendum held that day, replacing Hohokus Township. While known as Hohokus Township, territory was taken to form Orvil Township (on Januremainder of township is now Waldwick), Allendale (November 10, 1894), Upper Saddle River (November 22, 1894), and Ramsey (March 10, 1908). The area that is now Mahwah was originally formed as Hohokus Township on April 9, 1849, from portions of the former Franklin Township (now Wyckoff).

The name 'Mahwah' is derived from the Lenape language word ' mawewi' which means 'Meeting Place' or 'Place Where Paths Meet'. As of the 2020 United States census, the township's population was 25,487, a decrease of 403 (−1.6%) from the 2010 census count of 25,890, which in turn reflected an increase of 1,828 (+7.6%) from the 24,062 counted in the 2000 census. Mahwah is the northernmost and largest municipality by geographic area (26.19 square miles (67.8 km 2)) in Bergen County, in the U.S.

Allendale township library phone number