Berkeley Township, New Jersey
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Berkeley Township is a
township A township is a form of human settlement or administrative subdivision. Its exact definition varies among countries. Although the term is occasionally associated with an urban area, this tends to be an exception to the rule. In Australia, Canad ...
in
Ocean County Ocean County is a county located in the U.S. state of New Jersey and the southernmost county in the New York metropolitan area. The county borders the Atlantic Ocean on the east and in terms of total area is the state's largest county. Its co ...
, in the U.S. state of
New Jersey New Jersey is a U.S. state, state located in both the Mid-Atlantic States, Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern United States, Northeastern regions of the United States. Located at the geographic hub of the urban area, heavily urbanized Northeas ...
, extending from the
Jersey Shore The Jersey Shore, commonly called the Shore by locals, is the coast, coastal region of the U.S. state of New Jersey. The term encompasses about of shore, oceanfront bordering the Atlantic Ocean, from Perth Amboy, New Jersey, Perth Amboy in the n ...
westward into the New Jersey Pine Barrens. As of the 2020 United States census, the township's population was 43,754, the highest ever in any decennial count and an increase of 2,499 (+6.1%) from the 2010 census count of 41,255, which in turn reflected an increase of 1,264 (+3.2%) from the 39,991 counted in the 2000 census. Berkeley Township was incorporated as a township by an act of the
New Jersey Legislature The New Jersey Legislature is the legislative branch of the government of the U.S. state of New Jersey. In its current form, as defined by the New Jersey Constitution of 1947, the Legislature consists of two houses: the General Assembly and ...
on March 31, 1875, from portions of Dover Township (now Toms River Township). Sections of the township were taken to form Seaside Park (March 3, 1898), Seaside Heights (February 6, 1913), Beachwood (March 22, 1917), Ocean Gate (February 28, 1918) Pine Beach (February 26, 1925), South Toms River (March 28, 1927), and Island Beach (June 23, 1933, reabsorbed into Berkeley Township in 1965).Snyder, John P
''The Story of New Jersey's Civil Boundaries: 1606-1968''
Bureau of Geology and Topography; Trenton, New Jersey; 1969. p. 201. Accessed August 13, 2012.
The township was named for John Berkeley, 1st Baron Berkeley of Stratton, one of the founders of the
Province of New Jersey The Province of New Jersey was one of the Middle Colonies of Colonial history of the United States, Colonial America and became the U.S. state of New Jersey in 1776. The province had originally been settled by Europeans as part of New Netherla ...
.


History

Army officer Lt. Edward Farrow began buying up woodland in the 1880s with the idea of building a retirement community for former Army and Navy officers. Farrow built a railroad station, shops and even a resort hotel called The Pines with the idea of attracting people. But only 11 people ever built houses in what Farrow called "Barnegat Park," and eventually he went bankrupt. In the 1920s, Benjamin W. Sangor purchased the area, intending to create a resort town catering to wealthy urban vacationers. Between 1928 and 1929, about 8,000 lots were sold in Pinewald, a "new-type, residential, recreational city-of-the sea-and-pines." It was to contain a golf course, recreation facilities, and estate homes. The developers immediately began construction of the Pinewald pavilion and pier at the end of Butler Avenue. The Royal Pines Hotel, a $1.175 million investment facing Crystal Lake, was built on the site of an earlier hotel dating back to the days of Barnegat Park. It was the focal point of the new community. The hotel was also used as an asylum, then later a nursing home now known as the Crystal Lake Nursing & Rehabilitation Center. The hotel was constructed by Russian architect W. Oltar-Jevsky in the early 1920s. Al Capone may have frequented its halls, perhaps even venturing beneath the lake in tunnels especially designed for smuggling alcohol during
Prohibition Prohibition is the act or practice of forbidding something by law; more particularly the term refers to the banning of the manufacture, storage (whether in barrels or in bottles), transportation, sale, possession, and consumption of alcoholic b ...
. One newspaper article interviewed an unidentified man who claimed that "in the early 1930s the then Royal Pines Hotel was frequented by society's elite who, for $1.90 a drink, consumed prohibition liquor under the watchful eye of men who had guns strapped under their coats." In 1929, during the
Great Depression The Great Depression was a severe global economic downturn from 1929 to 1939. The period was characterized by high rates of unemployment and poverty, drastic reductions in industrial production and international trade, and widespread bank and ...
, this resort community also went bankrupt.


Geography

According to the
United States Census Bureau The United States Census Bureau, officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the Federal statistical system, U.S. federal statistical system, responsible for producing data about the American people and American economy, econ ...
, the township had a total area of 54.25 square miles (140.51 km2), including 42.72 square miles (110.64 km2) of land and 11.53 square miles (29.87 km2) of water (21.26%). The township is located in the central part of Ocean County along the Atlantic Ocean and Barnegat Bay, which is part of the
Intracoastal Waterway The Intracoastal Waterway (ICW) is a Navigability, inland waterway along the Atlantic and Gulf of Mexico coasts of the United States, running from Massachusetts southward along the Atlantic Seaboard and around the southern tip of Florida, the ...
. Approximately 72% of the township's land area is within the federally designated New Jersey Pinelands National Reserve and 38% is within the State's Pineland Area, which is within the Pinelands National Reserve. Toms River forms the northern border of the township, Cedar Creek and Lacey Township form the southern border. The barrier island, on which South Seaside Park and Island Beach State Park are situated, is the township's eastern boundary.''Town Center Redevelopment Plan''
, Berkeley Township, June 10, 2009. Accessed October 31, 2016. "Berkeley shares its municipal border with Seaside Park Borough on the Barrier Island; Ocean Gate Borough, Pine Beach Borough, Beachwood Borough, South Toms River Borough and Toms River Township to the north; Manchester Township to the west in the Pinelands; and Lacey Township to the south. Berkeley technically shares a border with a two other municipalities – Island Heights and Seaside Heights. Both borders are considered inconsequential due to the fact that Island Heights is separated from Berkeley by the Toms River, and the Seaside Heights border adjoins Pelican Island, a small bay island separated from the Berkeley mainland by Barnegat Bay."
Holiday City-Berkeley (2010 Census population of 12,831), Holiday City South (3,689 as of 2010), Holiday Heights (2,099) and Silver Ridge (1,133) are unincorporated communities and
census-designated place A census-designated place (CDP) is a Place (United States Census Bureau), concentration of population defined by the United States Census Bureau for statistical purposes only. CDPs have been used in each decennial census since 1980 as the counte ...
s located within Berkeley Township.New Jersey: 2010 - Population and Housing Unit Counts - 2010 Census of Population and Housing (CPH-2-32)
United States Census Bureau The United States Census Bureau, officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the Federal statistical system, U.S. federal statistical system, responsible for producing data about the American people and American economy, econ ...
, August 2012. Accessed December 25, 2012.
The four CDPs are parts of Holiday City – Silver Ridge Park, an age-restricted adult
planned community A planned community, planned city, planned town, or planned settlement is any community that was carefully planned from its inception and is typically constructed on previously undeveloped land. This contrasts with settlements that evolve ...
with separate communities, each with its own homeowners association and amenities. Other unincorporated communities, localities and place names located wholly or partially within the township include Barnegat Park, Barnegat Pier, Bayville, Benders Corners, Berkeley Heights, Crossley, Double Trouble, Dover Forge, Glen Cove, Glenside Park, Good Luck Point, Holly Park, Manitou Park, Pelican Island, Pinewald, River Bank, Silver Ridge Park, Silver Ridge Park West, South Seaside Park, Stony Hill, Union Village and Zebs Bridge. The township borders the Ocean County communities of Barnegat Light, Beachwood, Island Heights, Lacey Township, Manchester Township, Ocean Township, Pine Beach, Seaside Heights, Seaside Park, South Toms River and Toms River; The township completely surrounds the borough of Ocean Gate. The township is one of 11 municipalities in Ocean County that are part of the Toms River watershed.


Demographics


2010 census

The 2010 United States census counted people, households, and families in the township. The
population density Population density (in agriculture: Standing stock (disambiguation), standing stock or plant density) is a measurement of population per unit land area. It is mostly applied to humans, but sometimes to other living organisms too. It is a key geog ...
was . There were housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup was % ()
White White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no chroma). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully (or almost fully) reflect and scatter all the visible wa ...
, % () Black or African American, % () Native American, % () Asian, % ()
Pacific Islander Pacific Islanders, Pasifika, Pasefika, Pacificans, or rarely Pacificers are the peoples of the list of islands in the Pacific Ocean, Pacific Islands. As an ethnic group, ethnic/race (human categorization), racial term, it is used to describe th ...
, % () from other races, and % () from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were % () of the population. Of the households, 12.2% had children under the age of 18; 45.8% were married couples living together; 8.0% had a female householder with no husband present and 43.3% were non-families. Of all households, 39.3% were made up of individuals and 30.0% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.00 and the average family size was 2.63. 11.9% of the population were under the age of 18, 4.6% from 18 to 24, 15.3% from 25 to 44, 24.9% from 45 to 64, and 43.4% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 61.1 years. For every 100 females, the population had 81.5 males. For every 100 females ages 18 and older there were 78.6 males. The Census Bureau's 2006–2010
American Community Survey The American Community Survey (ACS) is an annual demographics survey program conducted by the United States Census Bureau. It regularly gathers information previously contained only in the long form of the United States census, decennial census ...
showed that (in 2010 inflation-adjusted dollars)
median household income The median income is the income amount that divides a population into two groups, half having an income above that amount, and half having an income below that amount. It may differ from the mean (or average) income. Both of these are ways of und ...
was $43,049 (with a margin of error of +/− $1,988) and the median family income was $58,230 (+/− $2,406). Males had a median income of $54,959 (+/− $3,373) versus $40,935 (+/− $2,531) for females. The
per capita income Per capita income (PCI) or average income measures the average income earned per person in a given area (city, region, country, etc.) in a specified year. In many countries, per capita income is determined using regular population surveys, such ...
for the borough was $28,168 (+/− $1,017). About 5.2% of families and 7.2% of the population were below the
poverty line The poverty threshold, poverty limit, poverty line, or breadline is the minimum level of income deemed adequate in a particular country. The poverty line is usually calculated by estimating the total cost of one year's worth of necessities for ...
, including 8.7% of those under age 18 and 7.8% of those age 65 or over.


2000 census

As of the 2000 United States census there were 39,991 people, 19,828 households, and 12,174 families residing in the township. The population density was . There were 22,288 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the township was 97.10%
White White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no chroma). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully (or almost fully) reflect and scatter all the visible wa ...
, 1.30%
African American African Americans, also known as Black Americans and formerly also called Afro-Americans, are an Race and ethnicity in the United States, American racial and ethnic group that consists of Americans who have total or partial ancestry from an ...
, 0.04% Native American, 0.45% Asian, 0.01%
Pacific Islander Pacific Islanders, Pasifika, Pasefika, Pacificans, or rarely Pacificers are the peoples of the list of islands in the Pacific Ocean, Pacific Islands. As an ethnic group, ethnic/race (human categorization), racial term, it is used to describe th ...
, 0.43% from other races, and 0.66% from two or more races.
Hispanic The term Hispanic () are people, Spanish culture, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or broadly. In some contexts, Hispanic and Latino Americans, especially within the United States, "Hispanic" is used as an Ethnici ...
or Latino of any race were 2.33% of the population.Census 2000 Profiles of Demographic / Social / Economic / Housing Characteristics for Berkeley township, New Jersey
United States Census Bureau The United States Census Bureau, officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the Federal statistical system, U.S. federal statistical system, responsible for producing data about the American people and American economy, econ ...
. Accessed August 13, 2012.
DP-1: Profile of General Demographic Characteristics: 2000 - Census 2000 Summary File 1 (SF 1) 100-Percent Data for Berkeley township, Ocean County, New Jersey
United States Census Bureau The United States Census Bureau, officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the Federal statistical system, U.S. federal statistical system, responsible for producing data about the American people and American economy, econ ...
. Accessed August 13, 2012.
There were 19,828 households, out of which 11.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 53.1% were
married couples Marriage, also called matrimony or wedlock, is a culturally and often legally recognised union between people called spouses. It establishes rights and obligations between them, as well as between them and their children (if any), and b ...
living together, 6.2% had a female householder with no husband present, and 38.6% were non-families. 35.9% of all households were made up of individuals, and 29.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 1.99 and the average family size was 2.52. In the township the population was spread out, with 11.4% under the age of 18, 3.6% from 18 to 24, 14.7% from 25 to 44, 18.3% from 45 to 64, and 52.0% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 66 years. For every 100 females, there were 79.9 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 77.1 males. The median income for a household in the township was $32,134, and the median income for a family was $40,208. Males had a median income of $41,643 versus $28,640 for females. The
per capita income Per capita income (PCI) or average income measures the average income earned per person in a given area (city, region, country, etc.) in a specified year. In many countries, per capita income is determined using regular population surveys, such ...
for the township was $22,198. About 3.4% of families and 5.4% of the population were below the
poverty line The poverty threshold, poverty limit, poverty line, or breadline is the minimum level of income deemed adequate in a particular country. The poverty line is usually calculated by estimating the total cost of one year's worth of necessities for ...
, including 5.1% of those under age 18 and 5.9% of those age 65 or over.


Government


Local government

Since July 1, 1983, Berkeley Township has been governed within the Faulkner Act, formally known as the Optional Municipal Charter Law, under the Mayor-Council system of municipal government plan D, as adopted based on direct petition. The township is one of 71 municipalities (of the 564) statewide that use this form of government. The governing body is comprised of the Mayor and the seven-member Township Council, which has three members elected
at-large At large (''before a noun'': at-large) is a description for members of a governing body who are elected or appointed to represent a whole membership or population (notably a city, county, state, province, nation, club or association), rather tha ...
and one member elected from each of the four wards. The mayor and the members of the Township Council are elected to four-year terms of office on a partisan basis in staggered elections held as part of the November election in odd-numbered years, with the respective terms commencing on January 1; the mayor and the three at-large seats come up for election together every four years, with the four ward seats up for election two years later.''2012 New Jersey Legislative District Data Book'',
Rutgers University Rutgers University ( ), officially Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, is a Public university, public land-grant research university consisting of three campuses in New Jersey. Chartered in 1766, Rutgers was originally called Queen's C ...
Edward J. Bloustein School of Planning and Public Policy, March 2013, p. 49.
, the
Mayor In many countries, a mayor is the highest-ranking official in a Municipal corporation, municipal government such as that of a city or a town. Worldwide, there is a wide variance in local laws and customs regarding the powers and responsibilitie ...
of Berkeley Township is Republican John A. Bacchione, whose term of office ends December 31, 2027.Mayor's Office
Berkeley Township. Accessed June 3, 2024.
Members of the Berkeley Township Council are Council President Keith A. Buscio (at-large; R, 2027), Council Vice President Angelo Guadagno (Ward 2; R, 2025), Douglas E. Bowens (at-large; R, 2027), James J. Byrnes (Ward 1; R, 2025), Sophia Gingrich (Ward 4; R, 2025), L. Thomas Grosse Jr. (at-large; R, 2027) and Michael Signorile (Ward 3; R, 2025).Council Members
Berkeley Township. Accessed June 3, 2024. "Under the optional Municipal Charter Law (Faulkner Act) effective July 1, 1983, the Township is governed by a Mayor who is elected for a four year term and a seven member Council, elected on a staggered basis for terms of four years, with the respective terms commencing on January 1st."
Township of Berkeley
Ocean County, New Jersey Ocean County is a List of counties in New Jersey, county located in the U.S. state of New Jersey and the southernmost county in the New York metropolitan area. The county borders the Atlantic Ocean on the east and in terms of total area is the ...
. Accessed June 3, 2024.
''2024 Ocean County & Municipal Elected Officials''
Ocean County, New Jersey Ocean County is a List of counties in New Jersey, county located in the U.S. state of New Jersey and the southernmost county in the New York metropolitan area. The county borders the Atlantic Ocean on the east and in terms of total area is the ...
Clerk, updated April 2, 2024. Accessed April 17, 2024.
General Election Results November 7, 2023 Official Results
Ocean County, New Jersey Ocean County is a List of counties in New Jersey, county located in the U.S. state of New Jersey and the southernmost county in the New York metropolitan area. The county borders the Atlantic Ocean on the east and in terms of total area is the ...
, updated November 22, 2023. Accessed January 1, 2024.
2021 General Election Official Results
Ocean County, New Jersey Ocean County is a List of counties in New Jersey, county located in the U.S. state of New Jersey and the southernmost county in the New York metropolitan area. The county borders the Atlantic Ocean on the east and in terms of total area is the ...
. Accessed January 1, 2022.
In September 2020, the Township Council appointed Michael Signorile to fill the seat running through December 2021 that had been held by Judy Noonan until she resigned from office as she was moving out of the township. Signorile served on an interim basis until the November 2021 general election, when he was elected to serve the balance of the term of office. In January 2015, the Township Council selected Anthony DePaola from among three candidates recommended by the municipal Republican committee to fill the at-large seat that expiring in 2015 that had been held by Robert G. Ray, who had resigned earlier that month. In November 2012, James J. Byrnes and Kevin M. Askew won the remaining 14 months on unexpired terms of office. Byrnes had been appointed to the Ward 1 seat to fill the vacancy of Karen Davis following her resignation from office, while Askew had been appointed to fill the vacancy of Carmen F. Amato Jr. in Ward 2 after he had taken office as the township's mayor.


Federal, state, and county representation

Berkeley Township is located in the 2nd and 4th Congressional District2022 Redistricting Plan
New Jersey Redistricting Commission, December 8, 2022.
and is part of New Jersey's 9th state legislative district.Municipalities Sorted by 2011-2020 Legislative District
New Jersey Department of State. Accessed February 1, 2020.
''2019 New Jersey Citizen's Guide to Government''
New Jersey League of Women Voters. Accessed October 30, 2019.


Politics

As of March 2011, there were a total of 30,403 registered voters in Berkeley Township, of which 8,348 (27.5%) were registered as Democrats, 7,946 (26.1%) were registered as Republicans and 14,095 (46.4%) were registered as Unaffiliated. There were 14 voters registered as Libertarians or Greens.Voter Registration Summary - Ocean
New Jersey Department of State Division of Elections, March 23, 2011. Accessed December 25, 2012.
Among the township's 2010 Census population, 73.7% (vs. 63.2% in Ocean County) were registered to vote, including 83.6% of those ages 18 and over (vs. 82.6% countywide). In the 2012 presidential election, Republican
Mitt Romney Willard Mitt Romney (born March 12, 1947) is an American businessman and retired politician. He served as a United States Senate, United States senator from Utah from 2019 to 2025 and as the 70th governor of Massachusetts from 2003 to 2007 ...
received 56.5% of the vote (11,858 cast), ahead of Democrat
Barack Obama Barack Hussein Obama II (born August 4, 1961) is an American politician who was the 44th president of the United States from 2009 to 2017. A member of the Democratic Party, he was the first African American president in American history. O ...
with 42.5% (8,931 votes), and other candidates with 1.0% (202 votes), among the 21,208 ballots cast by the township's 31,431 registered voters (217 ballots were spoiled), for a turnout of 67.5%. In the 2008 presidential election, Republican
John McCain John Sidney McCain III (August 29, 1936 – August 25, 2018) was an American statesman and United States Navy, naval officer who represented the Arizona, state of Arizona in United States Congress, Congress for over 35 years, first as ...
received 57.3% of the vote (13,617 cast), ahead of Democrat Barack Obama with 40.3% (9,564 votes) and other candidates with 1.2% (295 votes), among the 23,761 ballots cast by the township's 32,340 registered voters, for a turnout of 73.5%. In the 2004 presidential election, Republican
George W. Bush George Walker Bush (born July 6, 1946) is an American politician and businessman who was the 43rd president of the United States from 2001 to 2009. A member of the Bush family and the Republican Party (United States), Republican Party, he i ...
received 54.5% of the vote (12,862 ballots cast), outpolling Democrat
John Kerry John Forbes Kerry (born December 11, 1943) is an American attorney, politician, and diplomat who served as the 68th United States secretary of state from 2013 to 2017 in the Presidency of Barack Obama#Administration, administration of Barac ...
with 44.3% (10,442 votes) and other candidates with 0.6% (201 votes), among the 23,593 ballots cast by the township's 31,675 registered voters, for a turnout percentage of 74.5. In the 2013 gubernatorial election, Republican
Chris Christie Christopher James Christie (born September 6, 1962) is an American politician and former United States Attorney, federal prosecutor who served as the 55th governor of New Jersey from 2010 to 2018. A member of the Republican Party (United States) ...
received 77.5% of the vote (11,301 cast), ahead of Democrat Barbara Buono with 21.3% (3,102 votes), and other candidates with 1.2% (181 votes), among the 14,992 ballots cast by the township's 31,059 registered voters (408 ballots were spoiled), for a turnout of 48.3%. In the 2009 gubernatorial election, Republican Chris Christie received 62.3% of the vote (11,112 ballots cast), ahead of Democrat
Jon Corzine Jon Stevens Corzine ( ; born January 1, 1947) is an American financial executive and retired politician who served as a United States Senator from New Jersey from 2001 to 2006, and the 54th governor of New Jersey from 2006 to 2010. Corzine ran f ...
with 30.6% (5,464 votes), Independent Chris Daggett with 4.5% (811 votes) and other candidates with 1.0% (175 votes), among the 17,838 ballots cast by the township's 31,397 registered voters, yielding a 56.8% turnout.


Education

The Berkeley Township School District serves public school students in
pre-kindergarten Pre-kindergarten (also called pre-K or PK) is a voluntary classroom-based preschool program for children below the age of five in the United States, Canada, Turkey and Greece (when kindergarten starts). It may be delivered through a preschool ...
through
sixth grade Sixth grade (also 6th grade or grade 6) is the sixth year of formal or compulsory education. Students in sixth grade are usually 11-12 years old. It is commonly the first or second grade of middle school or the last grade of elementary school, an ...
. As of the 2019–20 school year, the district, comprised of four schools, had an enrollment of 2,479 students and 201.5 classroom teachers (on an FTE basis), for a
student–teacher ratio The student–teacher ratio or student–faculty ratio refers to the number of students who attend a school or university divided by the number of teachers or staff in the institution. For example, a student–teacher ratio of 10:1 indicates that ...
of 12.3:1.District information for Berkeley Township School District
National Center for Education Statistics The National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) is the principal federal agency responsible for collecting, analyzing, and reporting data on education in the United States. Established under , it operates within the Institute of Education S ...
. Accessed April 1, 2021.
Schools in the district (with 2019–20 enrollment data from the National Center for Education Statistics) are Bayville Elementary School with 499 students in grades Pre-K–4, H. & M. Potter Elementary School with 629 students in grades Pre-K–4, Clara B. Worth Elementary School with 663 students in grades Pre-K–4 and Berkeley Township Elementary School with 574 students in grades 5–6. Students in public school for seventh through
twelfth grade Twelfth Grade (also known as Grade 12, Senior Year, Standard 12, 12th Standard, 12th Class, or Class 12th or Class 12) is the twelfth and final Educational stage, year of Formal education, formal or compulsory education. It is typically the final ...
s attend the schools of the Central Regional School District, which serves students from the municipalities of Berkeley Township, Island Heights, Ocean Gate, Seaside Heights and Seaside Park. Schools in the district (with 2019–20 enrollment data from the National Center for Education Statistics) are Central Regional Middle School with 842 students in grades 7 and 8 and Central Regional High School with 1,568 students in grades 9–12. The high school district's
board of education A board of education, school committee or school board is the board of directors or board of trustees of a school, local school district or an equivalent institution. The elected council determines the educational policy in a small regional area, ...
is comprised of nine members, who are directly elected by the residents of the constituent municipalities to three-year terms of office on a staggered basis, with three seats up for election each year. Seats on the high school district's board of education are allocated based on the population of the constituent municipalities, with Berkeley Township allocated five of the board's nine seats.


Media

The ''
Asbury Park Press The ''Asbury Park Press'', formerly known as the ''Shore Press'', ''Daily Press'', ''Asbury Park Daily Press'', and ''Asbury Park Evening Press'', is the third largest daily newspaper in the state of New Jersey. Established in 1879, it has been o ...
'' provides daily news coverage of the township, as does WOBM-FM radio. The township provides material and commentary to ''The Berkeley Times'', which also covers news from Beachwood, Ocean Gate, Pine Beach and South Toms River as one of seven weekly papers from Micromedia Publications. WOBM-FM radio started broadcasting from Bayville in March 1968. The station relocated to studios in Toms River in 2013.


Transportation


Roads and highways

, the township had a total of of roadways, of which were maintained by the municipality, by The Ocean County Road Dept., by the
New Jersey Department of Transportation The New Jersey Department of Transportation (NJDOT) is the agency responsible for transportation issues and policy in New Jersey, including maintaining and operating the state's highway and public road system, planning and developing transport ...
and by the
New Jersey Turnpike Authority The New Jersey Turnpike Authority (NJTA) is a state agency responsible for maintaining the New Jersey Turnpike and the Garden State Parkway, which are two toll roads in the U.S. state of New Jersey. The agency is headquartered in Woodbridge Town ...
. The
Garden State Parkway The Garden State Parkway (GSP) is a Controlled-access highway, controlled-access toll road that stretches the north–south length of eastern New Jersey from the state's southernmost tip near Cape May, New Jersey, Cape May north to the New York ...
is the primary access route, with two exits, exit 77 and exit 80 serving the township. U.S. Route 9 runs through the eastern-middle part of the municipality while Route 35 passes through briefly and ends at the park road for Island Beach State Park. A small section of Route 37 also passes through Berkeley Township, near its junction with Route 35.


Public transportation

NJ Transit New Jersey Transit Corporation, branded as NJ Transit or NJTransit and often shortened to NJT, is a state-owned public transportation system that serves the U.S. state of New Jersey and portions of the states of New York and Pennsylvania. I ...
offers local bus service between the township and
Atlantic City Atlantic City, sometimes referred to by its initials A.C., is a Jersey Shore seaside resort city in Atlantic County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey. Atlantic City comprises the second half of the Atlantic City- Hammonton metropolitan sta ...
on the 559 route. Ocean Ride service is provided on routes OC1, OC2, OC7 and OC8.


Notable people

People who were born in, residents of, or otherwise closely associated with Berkeley Township include: *
Tom DeBlass Tom DeBlass (born May 14, 1982) is an American Brazilian jiu-jitsu practitioner, submission grappler and mixed martial artist currently signed to ONE Championship. He has competed in the middleweight division for Bellator and the Ultimate Figh ...
(born 1982), practitioner of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu and
mixed martial artist Mixed martial arts (MMA) is a full-contact fighting sport based on striking and grappling; incorporating techniques from various combat sports from around the world. In the early 20th century, various inter-stylistic contests took place t ...
signed with
ONE Championship ONE Championship, formerly ONE Fighting Championship (ONE FC) until January 2015, is a Multinational corporation, multinational combat sports Promoter (entertainment), promotion founded on 14 July 2011 by Chatri Sityodtong and Victor Cui. Origi ...
* Jazmyn Foberg (born 2000), artistic gymnast who was the 2014 US Junior National All-Around and Uneven Bars Champion * Al Leiter (born 1965), former MLB pitcher who played for both the
New York Mets The New York Mets are an American professional baseball team based in the Boroughs of New York City, New York City borough of Queens. The Mets compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (baseball), National ...
and
New York Yankees The New York Yankees are an American professional baseball team based in the Boroughs of New York City, New York City borough of the Bronx. The Yankees compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) Am ...
* Mark Leiter (born 1963), retired
Major League Baseball Major League Baseball (MLB) is a professional baseball league composed of 30 teams, divided equally between the National League (baseball), National League (NL) and the American League (AL), with 29 in the United States and 1 in Canada. MLB i ...
pitcher In baseball, the pitcher is the player who throws ("Pitch (baseball), pitches") the Baseball (ball), baseball from the pitcher's mound toward the catcher to begin each play, with the goal of out (baseball), retiring a batter (baseball), batter, ...
* Phil Longo (born 1968),
American football American football, referred to simply as football in the United States and Canada and also known as gridiron football, is a team sport played by two teams of eleven players on a rectangular American football field, field with goalposts at e ...
coach who is head coach for the Sam Houston Bearkats football team * Megan McCafferty (born 1973), author best known for her series of books about Jessica Darling, a witty teenage heroine * Herbert Irving Preston (1876–1928), private serving in the
United States Marine Corps The United States Marine Corps (USMC), also referred to as the United States Marines or simply the Marines, is the maritime land force service branch of the United States Department of Defense. It is responsible for conducting expeditionar ...
who received the
Medal of Honor The Medal of Honor (MOH) is the United States Armed Forces' highest Awards and decorations of the United States Armed Forces, military decoration and is awarded to recognize American United States Army, soldiers, United States Navy, sailors, Un ...
for bravery during the
Boxer Rebellion The Boxer Rebellion, also known as the Boxer Uprising, was an anti-foreign, anti-imperialist, and anti-Christian uprising in North China between 1899 and 1901, towards the end of the Qing dynasty, by the Society of Righteous and Harmonious F ...
* Augusta Huiell Seaman (1879–1950), author of
children's literature Children's literature or juvenile literature includes stories, books, magazines, and poems that are created for children. In addition to conventional literary genres, modern children's literature is classified by the intended age of the reade ...
"Augusta Seaman, Author Since '07; Writer of Many Children's Books Dies at 71--Serials Appeared in St. Nicholas"
''
The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''NYT'') is an American daily newspaper based in New York City. ''The New York Times'' covers domestic, national, and international news, and publishes opinion pieces, investigative reports, and reviews. As one of ...
'', June 5, 1950. Accessed July 1, 2022. "Mrs. Francis Parkman Freeman, author of many children's books under the name of Augusta Huiell Seaman, died today at her home on Island Beach."


References


External links


Berkeley Township website
{{Authority control 1875 establishments in New Jersey Faulkner Act (mayor–council) Jersey Shore communities in Ocean County Populated places in the Pine Barrens (New Jersey) Populated places established in 1875 Townships in New Jersey Townships in Ocean County, New Jersey