Holmdel 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 Monmouth County, in the

U.S. state In the United States, a state is a constituent political entity, of which there are 50. Bound together in a political union, each state holds governmental jurisdiction over a separate and defined geographic territory where it shares its so ...

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 ...

. Located near

Raritan Bay Raritan Bay is a bay located at the southern portion of Lower New York Bay between the U.S. states of New York and New Jersey and is part of the New York Bight. The bay is bounded on the northwest by New York's Staten Island, on the west b ...

in the Raritan Valley Region, the township is a regional commercial hub of

Central Jersey Central Jersey, or Central New Jersey, is the middle region of the U.S. state of New Jersey. The designation Central Jersey is a distinct administrative toponym. While New Jersey is often divided into North Jersey and South Jersey, many resi ...

, home to

Bell Labs Nokia Bell Labs, commonly referred to as ''Bell Labs'', is an American industrial research and development company owned by Finnish technology company Nokia. With headquarters located in Murray Hill, New Jersey, Murray Hill, New Jersey, the compa ...

and PNC Bank Arts Center, and a

bedroom community A commuter town is a populated area that is primarily residential rather than commercial or industrial. Routine travel from home to work and back is called commuting, which is where the term comes from. A commuter town may be called by many o ...

New York City New York, often called New York City (NYC), is the most populous city in the United States, located at the southern tip of New York State on one of the world's largest natural harbors. The city comprises five boroughs, each coextensive w ...

in the

New York Metropolitan Area The New York metropolitan area, also called the Tri-State area and sometimes referred to as Greater New York, is the List of cities by GDP, largest metropolitan economy in the world, with a List of U.S. metropolitan areas by GDP, gross metropo ...

. As of the 2020 U.S. census, the township's population was 17,400, an increase of 627 (+3.7%) from the 2010 census count of 16,773, which in turn reflected an increase of 992 (+6.3%) from the 15,781 counted in the 2000 census. Holmdel Township was formed 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 February 23, 1857, from portions of Raritan Township (now Hazlet).Snyder, John P
''The Story of New Jersey's Civil Boundaries: 1606-1968''
Bureau of Geology and Topography; Trenton, New Jersey; 1969. p. 180. Accessed May 29, 2024. The origin of the township's name is unclear, with some sources indicating that it was named for the Holmes family, who were early settlers of the area, while others point to

Dutch language Dutch ( ) is a West Germanic languages, West Germanic language of the Indo-European language family, spoken by about 25 million people as a first language and 5 million as a second language and is the List of languages by total number of speak ...

words and , meaning 'pleasant valley'. Holmdel is located west of 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 ...

. The township is notable for its historical and present connection to

. Important evidence for the

Big Bang The Big Bang is a physical theory that describes how the universe expanded from an initial state of high density and temperature. Various cosmological models based on the Big Bang concept explain a broad range of phenomena, including th ...

was discovered using the Holmdel Horn Antenna at a Bell Labs facility by

Arno Penzias Arno Allan Penzias (; April 26, 1933 – January 22, 2024) was an American physicist and radio astronomer. Along with Robert Woodrow Wilson, he discovered the cosmic microwave background radiation, for which he shared the Nobel Prize in Physi ...

and Robert Wilson, both of whom won the

Nobel Prize in Physics The Nobel Prize in Physics () is an annual award given by the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences for those who have made the most outstanding contributions to mankind in the field of physics. It is one of the five Nobel Prizes established by the ...

for their work here. In addition, former

U.S. Secretary of Energy The United States secretary of energy is the head of the United States Department of Energy, a member of the Cabinet of the United States and fifteenth in the presidential line of succession. The position was created on October 1, 1977, when Pr ...

Steven Chu Steven ChuNobel Prize in Physics The Nobel Prize in Physics () is an annual award given by the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences for those who have made the most outstanding contributions to mankind in the field of physics. It is one of the five Nobel Prizes established by the ...

for his work on laser cooling in Holmdel. Holmdel's picturesque beauty, proximity to New York City, and main highways, award-winning public schools, large homes, rich history, the PNC Bank Arts Center, and the presence of many high paying jobs within commuting distance led the township to be ranked the #1 "Six-Figure Town" by ''

Money Money is any item or verifiable record that is generally accepted as payment for goods and services and repayment of debts, such as taxes, in a particular country or socio-economic context. The primary functions which distinguish money are: m ...

'' magazine and

CNN Cable News Network (CNN) is a multinational news organization operating, most notably, a website and a TV channel headquartered in Atlanta. Founded in 1980 by American media proprietor Ted Turner and Reese Schonfeld as a 24-hour cable ne ...

for 2009. The township has been one of the state's highest-income communities. Based on data from the

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 ...

for 2013–2017, Holmdel Township residents had a

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 ...

of $155,842, ranked 10th in the state among municipalities with more than 10,000 residents, more than double the statewide median of $76,475. Based on data from the 2006–2010 ACS, Holmdel had a per-capita income of $62,120, ranked 46th in the state.

History

The

Lenape The Lenape (, , ; ), also called the Lenni Lenape and Delaware people, are an Indigenous peoples of the Northeastern Woodlands, Indigenous people of the Northeastern Woodlands, who live in the United States and Canada. The Lenape's historica ...

people were present in the 1600s when Europeans first showed up in the area that is now Holmdel. Holmdel was part of the Monmouth Tract setup by the English in 1675. The area was part of Middletown township when that was set up in 1693, but, split off in 1848 to form part of Raritan township (now Hazlet) which in turn split off Holmdel Township (February 23, 1857). The earliest work on

radio astronomy Radio astronomy is a subfield of astronomy that studies Astronomical object, celestial objects using radio waves. It started in 1933, when Karl Jansky at Bell Telephone Laboratories reported radiation coming from the Milky Way. Subsequent observat ...

was conducted by

engineer

Karl Guthe Jansky Karl Guthe Jansky (October 22, 1905 – February 14, 1950) was an American physicist and radio engineer who in April 1933 first announced his discovery of radio waves emanating from the Milky Way in the constellation Sagittarius. He is consider ...

in 1931 in Holmdel. In 1964,

and

Robert Woodrow Wilson Robert Woodrow Wilson (born January 10, 1936) is an American astronomer who, along with Arno Allan Penzias, discovered cosmic microwave background radiation (CMB) in 1964. The pair won the 1978 Nobel Prize in Physics for its discovery. While ...

of Bell Labs discovered evidence for

cosmic microwave background radiation The cosmic microwave background (CMB, CMBR), or relic radiation, is microwave radiation that fills all space in the observable universe. With a standard optical telescope, the background space between stars and galaxies is almost completely dar ...

while performing research with the Holmdel Horn Antenna, earning them the

. The PNC Bank Arts Center is a 10,800-seat outdoor

amphitheatre An amphitheatre (American English, U.S. English: amphitheater) is an open-air venue used for entertainment, performances, and sports. The term derives from the ancient Greek ('), from ('), meaning "on both sides" or "around" and ('), meani ...

concert venue located in Holmdel.

PNC Financial Services The PNC Financial Services Group, Inc. is an American bank holding company and financial services corporation based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Its banking subsidiary, PNC Bank, operates in 27 states and the District of Columbia, with 2,629 ...

agreed to a deal in 1996 under which it would pay $9.2 million for the

naming rights Naming rights are a financial transaction and form of advertising or memorialization where a corporation, person, or other entity purchases the right to name a facility, object, location, program, or event (most often sports venues), typical ...

, as part an effort by the Parkway Authority to avoid toll increases, a deal that was extended for another five years in 2006. The facility, which originally opened in 1968, was commissioned by the Garden State Parkway Authority and built based on a design by architect

Edward Durell Stone Edward Durell Stone (March 9, 1902 – August 6, 1978) was an American architect known for the formal, highly decorative buildings he designed in the 1950s and 1960s. His works include the Museum of Modern Art, in New York City; the Parliament H ...

at a cost of $6.75 million (equivalent to $ million in ). Adjacent to it is the New Jersey Vietnam Veterans Memorial, which opened on May 7, 1995. In 1977, Bruce Springsteen wrote and recorded many of his songs from his album '' Darkness on the Edge of Town'' in an old farmhouse in Holmdel.Gardner, Elysa
"Bruce Springsteen explores a time of 'Darkness'"
, ''

USA Today ''USA Today'' (often stylized in all caps) is an American daily middle-market newspaper and news broadcasting company. Founded by Al Neuharth in 1980 and launched on September 14, 1982, the newspaper operates from Gannett's corporate headq ...

'', October 2, 2010. Accessed March 15, 2011. "Darkness also was haunted and enriched by Springsteen's struggle to come to terms with his success and with a growing sense of social awareness. He wrote most of the songs while living on a farm in Holmdel, N.J., not far from the working-class neighborhood where he was raised."

VoIP Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP), also known as IP telephony, is a set of technologies used primarily for voice communication sessions over Internet Protocol (IP) networks, such as the Internet. VoIP enables voice calls to be transmitted as ...

provider Vonage Holdings, Inc., relocated its world headquarters from Edison to Holmdel in November 2005, occupying the building that formerly housed Prudential Property Casualty & Insurance.

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 18.05 square miles (46.75 km²), including 17.85 square miles (46.22 km²) of land and 0.20 square miles (0.53 km²) of water (1.13%). Holmdel Township is located roughly south of

Manhattan Manhattan ( ) is the most densely populated and geographically smallest of the Boroughs of New York City, five boroughs of New York City. Coextensive with New York County, Manhattan is the County statistics of the United States#Smallest, larg ...

. It is also about 70 miles northeast of Philadelphia. Crawford Hill, located at (40.3904, −74.1840), is Monmouth County's highest point, standing above

sea level Mean sea level (MSL, often shortened to sea level) is an mean, average surface level of one or more among Earth's coastal Body of water, bodies of water from which heights such as elevation may be measured. The global MSL is a type of vertical ...

. The top portion of the hill is owned by

Alcatel-Lucent Alcatel-Lucent S.A. () was a multinational telecommunications equipment company, headquartered in Boulogne-Billancourt, Paris, France. The company focused on Fixed line telephone, fixed, Mobile phone, mobile and telecommunications convergence, ...

and houses a research laboratory of

Bell Laboratories Nokia Bell Labs, commonly referred to as ''Bell Labs'', is an American industrial research and development company owned by Finnish technology company Nokia. With headquarters located in Murray Hill, New Jersey, the company operates several lab ...

. The township borders the Monmouth County communities of

Aberdeen Aberdeen ( ; ; ) is a port city in North East Scotland, and is the List of towns and cities in Scotland by population, third most populous Cities of Scotland, Scottish city. Historically, Aberdeen was within the historic county of Aberdeensh ...

, Colts Neck, Hazlet,

Marlboro Marlboro (, ) is an American brand of cigarettes owned and manufactured by Philip Morris USA (a branch of Altria) within the United States and by Philip Morris International (PMI, now separate from Altria) in most global territories outside the ...

and Middletown. Unincorporated communities, localities and place names located partially or completely within the township include: Beers, Centerville, Crawford Corners, Everett, Morrells Corner and Pleasant Valley Crossroads.

Demographics

In 2009, the average annual family income was $159,633, making it one of the highest in the country.Kavilanz, Parija B. , ''

CNNMoney CNN Business (formerly CNN Money) is a financial news and information website, operated by CNN. The website was originally formed as a joint venture between CNN.com and Time Warner's '' Fortune'' and ''Money'' magazines. Since the spin-off of T ...

'', July 21, 2009, backed up by the

Internet Archive The Internet Archive is an American 501(c)(3) organization, non-profit organization founded in 1996 by Brewster Kahle that runs a digital library website, archive.org. It provides free access to collections of digitized media including web ...

as of April 12, 2011. Accessed December 10, 2014. Holmdel_Park

2010 census

The 2010 United States census counted 16,773 people, 5,584 households, and 4,612 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 937.3 per square mile (361.9/km²). There were 5,792 housing units at an average density of 323.7 per square mile (125.0/km²). The racial makeup was 77.55% (13,007)

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 ...

, 0.86% (145) Black or African American, 0.07% (11) Native American, 19.16% (3,213) Asian, 0.01% (2)

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 ...

, 0.54% (90) from other races, and 1.82% (305) from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 3.70% (621) of the population. Of the 5,584 households, 40.8% had children under the age of 18; 73.5% were married couples living together; 6.9% had a female householder with no husband present and 17.4% were non-families. Of all households, 15.7% were made up of individuals and 8.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.92 and the average family size was 3.29. 25.8% of the population were under the age of 18, 6.2% from 18 to 24, 17.8% from 25 to 44, 33.9% from 45 to 64, and 16.3% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 45.1 years. For every 100 females, the population had 93.3 males. For every 100 females ages 18 and older there were 89.9 males. The Census Bureau's 2006–2010

showed that (in 2010 inflation-adjusted dollars)

was $140,533 (with a margin of error of +/− $18,587) and the median family income was $154,360 (+/− $13,795). Males had a median income of $135,139 (+/− $15,633) versus $77,703 (+/− $13,861) 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 $62,120 (+/− $6,232). About 3.0% of families and 3.8% 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 4.0% of those under age 18 and 1.0% of those age 65 or over.

2000 census

As of the 2000 United States census there were 15,781 people, 4,948 households, and 4,328 families residing in the township. The population density was . There were 5,137 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the township was 80.20%

, 17.45% Asian, 0.65%

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 ...

, 0.03% Native American, 0.01%

, 0.52% from other races, and 1.15% 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 2.45% of the population.Census 2000 Profiles of Demographic / Social / Economic / Housing Characteristics for Holmdel township, Monmouth County, New Jersey
,

. Accessed February 23, 2012.DP-1: Profile of General Demographic Characteristics: 2000 - Census 2000 Summary File 1 (SF 1) 100-Percent Data for Holmdel township, Monmouth County, New Jersey
,

. Accessed December 4, 2012. As of the 2000 Census, 9.97% of Holmdel Township's residents identified themselves as being of Chinese ancestry. This was the highest percentage of people with Chinese ancestry in any place in New Jersey with 1,000 or more residents identifying their ancestry. There were 4,947 households, out of which 47.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 79.1% were married couples living together, 6.7% had a female householder with no husband present, and 12.5% were non-families. 11.1% of all households were made up of individuals, and 4.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 3.09 and the average family size was 3.35. In the township the age distribution of the population shows 28.5% under the age of 18, 5.2% from 18 to 24, 24.8% from 25 to 44, 29.2% from 45 to 64, and 12.2% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 41 years. For every 100 females, there were 91.9 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 86.6 males. According to the 2000 Census, the median income for a household in the township was $112,879, and the median income for a family was $122,785. Males had a median income of $94,825 versus $54,625 for females. The

for the township was $47,898. About 2.7% of families and 3.4% of the population were below the

, including 4.0% of those under age 18 and 6.7% of those age 65 or over.

Arts and culture

Musical groups from Holmdel Township include Granian, a band formed by musician Garen Guyikian.

Parks and recreation

Holmdel Park, initially established in 1962, covers and includes the Historic Longstreet Farm, which offers a recreation of farm life in the 1890s, along with athletic facilities and other amenities. The park also has the Holmdel Arboretum (formally the David C. Shaw Arboretum), covering and established in 1963, which offers examples of the trees, shrubs and plant life of Monmouth County.

Government

Local government

Holmdel Township is governed under the

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 ...

form of New Jersey municipal government, one of 141 municipalities (of the 564) statewide that use this form, the second-most commonly used form of government in the state. The Township Committee is comprised of five members, who are elected directly by the voters

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 ...

in partisan elections to serve three-year terms of office on a staggered basis, with either one or two seats coming up for election each year as part of the November general election in a three-year cycle.''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. 67. At an annual reorganization meeting, the Township Committee selects one of its members to serve as Mayor and another as Deputy Mayor. The Township Committee exercises control over the conduct of municipal business by means of legislation through ordinances or resolutions, approval and adoption of the annual budget and the formulation of policy to be carried out by the staff. , members of the Holmdel Township Council are

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 ...

Brian Foster ( R, term on committee and as mayor ends December 31, 2025), Deputy Mayor Kim LaMountain (R, term on committee and as deputy mayor ends 2025), Rocco Impreveduto (R, 2027), Domenico "DJ" Luccarelli (R, 2026) and Joseph Romano (R, 2026).Township Committee
Holmdel Township. Accessed January 28, 2025. "Holmdel operates under the township form of municipal government. The Township Committee, which is the governing body, consists of 5 members elected at large for 3-year, overlapping terms. At the annual reorganization meeting, the Township Committee selects one of its own to serve as Mayor."November 5, 2024 General Election Official Results

Monmouth County, New Jersey Monmouth County () is a county located in the central portion of the U.S. state of New Jersey. It is bordered to its west by Mercer and Middlesex Counties, to its south by Ocean County, to its east by the Atlantic Ocean, and to its north ...

, updated December 16, 2024. Accessed January 1, 2025.November 8, 2023 General Election Official Results

, updated January 18, 2024. Accessed January 22, 2024.General Election November 8, 2022 Official Results

Clerk, updated December 27, 2022. Accessed January 1, 2023. In November 2021, voters approved the establishment of a Charter Study Commission that would review the township's options for changing its form of government and would make recommendations to be considered by the public.November 2, 2021 General Election Official Results
,

, December 13, 2021. Accessed January 1, 2022. In April 2022, the commission recommended that the township adopt the Council-Manager form of government available under the Faulkner Act, in which the main change from the current government would be that day-to-day operation of the township would be in the hands of a professional administrator. Led by opposition from Monmouth County Republicans, voters rejected the proposed changes in July 2022 by a 55–45% margin. In the November 2019 general election, a recount put two independent candidates in office, with Prakash Santhana winning the second of the two seats by a margin of two votes over the Republican candidate.General Election November 5, 2019 Official Results
,

Clerk, updated December 16, 2019. Accessed January 1, 2020. Deputy Mayor Serena DiMaso left office in January 2012 to fill the vacant seat of Robert D. Clifton on the Monmouth County Board of Chosen Freeholders. Joseph Ponisi was selected to fill Dimaso's vacant seat and took office in January 2012, then was elected to the remainder of her term in the November 2012 general election.General Election November 6, 2012 Official Results
,

. Accessed July 14, 2016.

Federal, state, and county representation

Holmdel Township is located in the 3rd Congressional District2022 Redistricting Plan
,

New Jersey Redistricting Commission The New Jersey Redistricting Commission is a constitutional body of the government of New Jersey tasked with redrawing the state's Congressional election districts after each decade's census. Like Arizona, Idaho, Hawaii, Montana, and Washington ...

, December 8, 2022. and is part of New Jersey's 13th state legislative district.Municipalities Sorted by 2011-2020 Legislative District
,

New Jersey Department of State The secretary of state of New Jersey oversees the Department of State, which is one of the original state offices. The Secretary is responsible for overseeing New Jersey State Council on the Arts, artistic, cultural, and New Jersey Historical Com ...

. Accessed February 1, 2020.''2019 New Jersey Citizen's Guide to Government''
, New Jersey

League of Women Voters The League of Women Voters (LWV) is a nonpartisan American nonprofit political organization. Founded in 1920, its ongoing major activities include Voter registration, registering voters, providing voter information, boosting voter turnout and adv ...

. Accessed October 30, 2019. Prior to the 2010 Census, Holmdel Township had been part of the , a change made by the

that took effect in January 2013, based on the results of the November 2012 general elections.''2011 New Jersey Citizen's Guide to Government''
, p. 59, New Jersey

. Accessed May 22, 2015.

Politics

As of March 2011, there were a total of 12,021 registered voters in Holmdel Township, of which 1,965 (16.3%) were registered as Democrats, 4,110 (34.2%) were registered as Republicans and 5,946 (49.5%) were registered as Unaffiliated. There were no voters registered to other parties. 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 61.8% of the vote (5,077 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 37.3% (3,063 votes), and other candidates with 0.9% (75 votes), among the 8,261 ballots cast by the township's 12,425 registered voters (46 ballots were spoiled), for a turnout of 66.5%. 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 58.6% of the vote (5,403 cast), ahead of Democrat Barack Obama with 39.2% (3,616 votes) and other candidates with 0.9% (82 votes), among the 9,225 ballots cast by the township's 12,679 registered voters, for a turnout of 72.8%. 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 61.9% of the vote (5,522 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 37.1% (3,308 votes) and other candidates with 0.5% (56 votes), among the 8,915 ballots cast by the township's 11,892 registered voters, for a turnout percentage of 75.0. 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 77.3% of the vote (3,587 cast), ahead of Democrat Barbara Buono with 21.4% (993 votes), and other candidates with 1.3% (58 votes), among the 4,712 ballots cast by the township's 12,312 registered voters (74 ballots were spoiled), for a turnout of 38.3%. In the 2009 gubernatorial election, Republican Chris Christie received 67.8% of the vote (4,182 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 25.8% (1,590 votes), Independent Chris Daggett with 5.2% (318 votes) and other candidates with 0.7% (46 votes), among the 6,170 ballots cast by the township's 12,315 registered voters, yielding a 50.1% turnout.

Education

The Holmdel Township Public Schools serve 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 twelfth grade. As of the 2022–23 school year, the district, comprised of four schools, had an enrollment of 2,918 students and 289.0 classroom teachers (on an full-time equivalent, FTE basis), for a student–teacher ratio of 10.1:1.District information for Holmdel Township School District
National Center for Education Statistics. Accessed February 1, 2024. Schools in the district (with 2022–23 enrollment data from the National Center for Education Statistics) are Village Elementary School with 805 students in grades PreK–3, Indian Hill School with 623 students in grades 4–6, William R. Satz Middle School with 493 students in grades 7–8 and Holmdel High School with 960 students in grades 9–12. Holmdel High School was the 12th-ranked public high school in New Jersey out of 339 schools statewide in ''New Jersey Monthly'' magazine's September 2012 cover story on the state's "Top Public High Schools", after being ranked 13th in 2012 out of 328 schools listed. The high school was ranked 20th in the state of New Jersey and number 723 overall by ''The Washington Post'' in its 2011 ranking of American high schools. Holmdel High School became the center of a Holmdel High School#Controversy, scandal due to a hazing incident at a football camp in 1988 that was reported in the press and received considerable notoriety. Private schools within the township include the Roman Catholic Diocese of Trenton's St. John Vianney High School (New Jersey), St. John Vianney High School for grades 9–12 and St. Benedict School, a kindergarten through eighth grade Catholic school that feeds into St. John Vianney. Holmdel was home to the now-defunct New School High School of Monmouth County, an alternative school based on the British Integrated Method, in which students in grades K–8 spend three years in a "family" that covers three grades in a traditional school program.

Infrastructure

Public safety

Formally established in 1966, the Holmdel Township Police Department traces its origins to a part-time constable hired in 1947 who was named as the first police chief in 1952. Holmdel Fire and Rescue Company # 2 is an all-volunteer department created in 2006 that serves Holmdel and surrounding areas. Holmdel First Aid Squad is an all-volunteer organization that responds to medical emergencies in the township. Founded in 1969, the squad responds to an average of 1,500 calls each year, with no charge for medical services or transportation.

Transportation

Roads and highways

, the township had a total of of roadways, of which were maintained by the municipality, by Monmouth County, by the New Jersey Department of Transportation and by the New Jersey Turnpike Authority. A few major roads pass through the township. The Garden State Parkway passes through near the center with part of Exit 114 (the other half in Middletown) and Exit 116 (for the PNC Bank Arts Center) in Holmdel. New Jersey Route 34, Route 34 passes through the western part while New Jersey Route 35, Route 35 goes through in the northern section. Major county routes that cross through include a short stretch of County Route 516 (New Jersey), CR 516 in the north and County Route 520 (New Jersey), CR 520 in the south.

Public transportation

NJ Transit and Academy Bus provide service in the area. The nearest train stops to the township are located at Aberdeen–Matawan station, Aberdeen-Matawan, Hazlet station, Hazlet, and Middletown station (NJ Transit), Middletown, all along the NJ Transit's North Jersey Coast Line to Hoboken Terminal, Newark Penn Station, and New York Penn Station. Ferry service is available through the Seastreak service in nearby Highlands, New Jersey, Highlands, about a 15-20 minute drive from Holmdel. SeaStreak offers ferry service to

with trips to Pier 11/Wall Street, Pier 11 (on the East River at Wall Street) and East List of numbered streets in Manhattan, 35th Street in Manhattan. The ferry service also offers seasonal travel, such as to the public beaches on Sandy Hook, New Jersey, Sandy Hook, baseball games at Yankee Stadium and Citi Field, trips to Broadway theatre, Broadway matinees, Martha's Vineyard in Massachusetts, college football games at United States Military Academy, West Point, Autumn leaf color, fall foliage in the Hudson Valley, and to the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade, among other excursions.

Healthcare

Bayshore Medical Center is a regional hospital located in the township. Serving the greater Raritan Bayshore region, the hospital is a partner of Hackensack Meridian Health and is affiliated with Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School. The facility has 169 beds and currently offers cardiac catheterization, Medical imaging, diagnostic Imaging, medical/surgical, Mental health, behavioral health, emergency, laboratory and transitional care. In 2021 it was given a grade A by the Leapfrog patient safety organization. Other regional hospitals near the township include Riverview Medical Center in nearby Red Bank, New Jersey, Red Bank and Raritan Bay Medical Center, with divisions in Perth Amboy, New Jersey, Perth Amboy and Old Bridge Township, New Jersey, Old Bridge, both hospitals are also part of Hackensack Meridian. Located in neighboring Middletown is Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center. Originally founded in

in 1884, it is the oldest cancer treatment and research center in the world. The Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center of Monmouth County is the first center outside of the main center in

to offer outpatient surgery. The closest major university hospitals to the township are located at Jersey Shore University Medical Center in Neptune Township, New Jersey, Neptune and Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital in New Brunswick, New Jersey, New Brunswick.

Notable people

People who were born in, residents of, or otherwise closely associated with Holmdel Township include: * Henry E. Ackerson Jr. (1880–1970), Justice of the New Jersey Supreme Court from 1948 to 1952 * David F. Bauman, New Jersey Superior Court judge * John Burke (American football), John Burke (born 1971), former professional football player, New England Patriots, New York Jets and San Diego Chargers * John Cannon (American football), John Cannon (born 1960), former defensive end who played nine seasons for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers * Dominick Casola (born 1987), race car driver who made starts in NASCAR and the ARCA Menards Series from 2006 to 2013 * Herbert Cohen (fencer), Herbert Cohen (born 1940), Olympic fencer * Sean Davis (soccer, born 1993), Sean Davis (born 1993), professional soccer player for the New York Red Bulls of Major League Soccer * Christopher Dell (born 1956), diplomat who served as U.S. Ambassador to Kosovo, Zimbabwe and Angola * Serena DiMaso (born 1963), politician who served as mayor of Holmdel Township and has represented the New Jersey's 13th legislative district, 13th Legislative District in the New Jersey General Assembly 2018-2021 * John J. Ely (1778–1852), member of the New Jersey General Assembly * Abram P. Fardon (1837–1913), city council member of Washington, D.C. * S. Thomas Gagliano (1931–2019), politician who served in the New Jersey Senate from 1978 to 1989 * Renzo Gracie (born 1967), professional mixed martial arts fighter from Brazil * Brian Hanlon, sculptor * William Barclay Harding (1906–1967), financier who served as chairman of the board of Smith Barney, Smith, Barney Co. until his death * Pete Hegseth (born 1980), Fox News contributor, Bronze Star Medal recipient * John Henry Heyer (1831–1905), politician * JWoww, Jennifer Farley (born 1986), MTV television personality and entrepreneur * Jodi Kantor (born 1975), reporter for ''The New York Times'' and author of ''The Obamas'' * Alisa Kresge (born 1985), former basketball player who is the head coach of the Vermont Catamounts women's basketball team * Lynja (1956–2024), celebrity chef who was best known for her viral TikTok and YouTube Shorts videos * Dan Metzger (born 1993), professional soccer player who plays as a midfielder for Memphis 901 FC in the USL Championship * SallyAnn Mosey, meteorologist * Quenton Nelson (born 1996), Guard (gridiron football), offensive guard for the Indianapolis Colts * Matt O'Ree (born 1972), blues-rock guitarist, singer and songwriter * Michael V. Pomarico (born 1955; class of 1974), six-time Emmy Award winner for his work on the ABC-TV daytime drama ''All My Children'' * Tab Ramos (born 1966), retired football (soccer), football midfielder who played on the U.S. Olympic team and was the first player to sign with Major League Soccer, where he played seven years with the MetroStars * Bob Roggy (1956–1986), athlete who set the American javelin throw record in the early 1980s * Lorene Scafaria (born 1978), screenwriter, playwright, actress, singer, and director who wrote, co-produced, and directed the 2009 film ''Hustlers (film), Hustlers'' * John Conover Smock (1842–1926), geologist * Julie Sokolow (born 1987), Lo-fi music, lo-fi singer-songwriter, writer, and independent filmmaker * Michael Sorrentino (born 1982), MTV television personality and entrepreneur * Anthony Spalliero (1942–2010), real estate developer with organized crime ties * Bruce Springsteen (born 1949), singer-songwriter * Felicia Stoler, host of ''Honey, We're Killing the Kids'' on TLC (TV channel), The Learning Channel * John H. Tilelli Jr. (born 1941), retired United States Army four-star general * John Valentin (born 1967), infielder who played for the Boston Red Sox and New York Mets *

(born 1936), awarded the

in 1978 * Joe Yeninas (1934–2020), cartoonist and illustrator for the ''Newark Evening News'', the Associated Press and ''The Journal of Commerce'' * Harold A. Zahl (1905–1973), director of research at Camp Evans (later Fort Monmouth), responsible for critical U.S. developments in radar technology during World War II

Points of interest

* Bell Labs Holmdel Complex – Now occupied by Spirent Communications and Suttons International, the buildings were constructed by architects Eero Saarinen and Sasaki, Walker and Associates from 1957 to 1962. The complex contained of space for its 6,000 employees, where five Nobel laureates and other Bell Labs staff developed many advances in communications technology in the facility that stands on a site that covers . * Holmes-Hendrickson House – listed on the National Register of Historic Places, the home was constructed by William Holmes in the mid 1750s in the Dutch vernacular style. * Upper Meeting House of the Baptist Church of Middletown is the state's first Baptist congregation, established in 1688, with its current building constructed in 1809. It is now part of the Holmdel Community Church, after a merger with the Holmdel Dutch Reformed Church, established in 1699 and constructed in 1838. * Vietnam Era Museum & Educational Center – The Vietnam Era Museum & Educational Center opened in 1998 and is located adjacent to the New Jersey Vietnam Veterans Memorial. The museum facility covers and was constructed at a cost of $3.5 million, opening as the first facility of its kind, intended to provide an even-handed depiction of the Vietnam War based on the experience of those who fought in Vietnam and those who remained in the United States. * Kovenhoven (1700) and Old Kentuck (1770) are historic homes dating to the 18th century, which have been added to the National Register of Historic Places. * Holmdel Cemetery & Mausoleum – This cemetery has been serving Monmouth County residents since 1871. The property spans more than and includes six mausoleums. File:Bell Labs Holmdel.jpg , Aerial view of

File:Holmes-Hendrickson House front.jpg, Holmes–Hendrickson House, The Holmes–Hendrickson House, 2014 File:Holmdel Dutch Reformed Church.jpg, Holmdel Dutch Reformed Church, built 1838 File:Upper Meeting House of the Baptist Church of Middletown.jpg, Upper Meeting House of the Baptist Church of Middletown, Upper Meeting House of the Baptist Church now known as Holmdel Community Church of the United Church of Christ, UCC, built 1809 File:Longstreet Farm.jpg, The historic Longstreet Farm at Holmdel Park, 2013 File:Kovenhoven.jpg, Kovenhoven, The Kovenhoven House, 2014 File:AT&T Homdel and water tower.jpg, AT&T Holmdel and water tower

References

External links

Holmdel Township's official website
* * {{Authority control Holmdel Township, New Jersey, 1857 establishments in New Jersey Populated places established in 1857 Township form of New Jersey government Townships in New Jersey Townships in Monmouth County, New Jersey