The northern segment of Route 7 was originally a part of pre-1927 Route 11, which was legislated in 1917 to run from Newark to Paterson. In the 1927 New Jersey state highway renumbering, Route 7 was designated to run from Jersey City to Paterson, replacing pre-1927 Route 11 between Belleville and Paterson.State of New Jersey, Laws of 1927, Chapter 319.
