Town guide · Somerset County
Living in Far Hills, NJ
Far Hills is a small borough in the Somerset Hills where large private properties surround a compact village built around the train station. It is home to the Far Hills Races each October, a county garden set in a glacial stream valley, and part of Natirar.
- County
- Somerset
- Population
- About 900 (2020 census)
- Size
- About 5 square miles
- Setting
- Estate country around a small village in the Somerset Hills
- Main roads
- U.S. Route 202, County Route 512 and Interstate 287 (nearest exits 22 in Bedminster and 26 in Bernards Township)
First things first
A Far Hills address is not always Far Hills
The Far Hills name reaches beyond the borough line. The best known example is the United States Golf Association, which has a Far Hills mailing address even though its headquarters and museum are actually in Bernards Township.
Far Hills Borough is its own municipality, formed in 1921 from part of Bernards Township. It borders Bedminster, Bernards Township, Bernardsville and Peapack-Gladstone. When we price or search for a home, we always confirm the actual municipality, because that decides the tax rate and the town services.
The lay of the land
A village in estate country
In the 1880s a developer named Evander Schley bought thousands of acres of farmland in Bedminster and Bernards townships. The borough's name is said to come from an 1887 remark about the view of the far hills. Today the borough keeps that character through very large lot zoning, with big private properties surrounding a small village.
- The village: The small center of the borough, created by a New York businessman in the late 1800s, with the train station on Route 202 near Far Hills Road.
- Estate country: Large private properties and homes on big lots spread out around the village.
- Moorland Farm: The farm where the Far Hills Races have been run each fall.
- Natirar: About 124 acres of this county owned former estate lie in Far Hills. The rest is in Peapack-Gladstone and Bedminster.
Homes
What you will find
- Estate properties: Large homes on big acreage, the defining housing type in Far Hills.
- Village homes: A smaller number of homes in and around the village center near the train station.
Worth knowing: Far Hills uses 10 acre minimum zoning to keep large properties around its small village. On a property that size, we confirm the zoning, the water source and the sewer or septic situation early, because each one shapes what a buyer can do with the land.
Property taxes
What taxes look like in Far Hills
- 1.231%2025 effective tax rate, as a share of market value
- $12,1492025 average residential tax bill
A home worth $1,000,000 on today's market would pay roughly $12,310 a year at Far Hills's 2025 effective rate. Your actual bill depends on your assessment, so we pull the real tax record for any home you are considering.
Source: New Jersey Division of Taxation, 2025 general and effective tax rates. Rates are set each year.
Getting around
Roads and commuting
Interstate 287 passes through Far Hills but has no exit in the borough. The nearest interchanges are Exit 22 at U.S. Routes 202 and 206 in Bedminster and Exit 26 at Mount Airy Road (County Route 525) in Bernards Township. U.S. Route 202 runs through the borough. NJ Transit's Far Hills station, on Route 202 near Far Hills Road, is on the Gladstone Branch of the Morristown Line, with service to Hoboken or through Secaucus Junction to New York Penn Station. The station building is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Lakeland Bus Lines Route 78 runs rush hour service from Bedminster to the Port Authority Bus Terminal in Manhattan.
Places worth knowing
Parks, landmarks and open space
- Leonard J. Buck Garden: A 33 acre Somerset County rock garden on Layton Road, set among natural rock outcroppings, ponds and woods.
- Moggy Hollow Natural Area: A National Natural Landmark next to the Buck Garden, a glacial stream valley where waterfalls once flowed.
- Natirar: A former estate bought by Somerset County in 2003 and now largely a county park, with lawns, woodland and access to the North Branch of the Raritan River.
- Far Hills station: The historic train station on Route 202, listed on the National Register of Historic Places and still in daily use on the Gladstone Branch.
Common questions
Questions people ask us about Far Hills
What are property taxes in Far Hills, NJ?
Far Hills Borough's 2025 effective tax rate is 1.231 percent of market value, and the average residential tax bill is $12,149, according to the New Jersey Division of Taxation. Actual bills depend on each home's assessment.
When are the Far Hills Races?
The Far Hills Race Meeting is a steeplechase held once a year in October, on the third Saturday, at Moorland Farm in Far Hills. The first official meeting was in 1915. It is a charity event, with proceeds supporting healthcare and community organizations in the region.
Is the USGA in Far Hills?
Not exactly. The United States Golf Association uses a Far Hills mailing address, but its facility, including the USGA Museum, is in neighboring Bernards Township.
Is there a train station in Far Hills?
Yes. Far Hills station is on NJ Transit's Gladstone Branch of the Morristown Line, on Route 202 near Far Hills Road. Trains run to Hoboken or through Secaucus Junction to New York Penn Station.
Is Far Hills a dry town?
Mostly. Far Hills is one of the New Jersey towns that remain dry, so alcohol is not sold there, with one exception: sales are allowed once a year at the Far Hills Race Meeting.
Nearby towns
Towns that border Far Hills
Buying or selling in Far Hills?
Land and zoning come first here
In Far Hills, the acreage and the 10 acre zoning shape a property's value as much as the house does. We start with the land, then talk through every option with you.
Call or text either of us directly.