Ocean County is a

county A county is a geographic region of a country used for administrative or other purposesChambers Dictionary, L. Brookes (ed.), 2005, Chambers Harrap Publishers Ltd, Edinburgh in certain modern nations. The term is derived from the Old French ...

located along the

Jersey Shore The Jersey Shore (known by locals simply as the Shore) is the coastal region of the U.S. state of New Jersey. Geographically, the term encompasses about of oceanfront bordering the Atlantic Ocean, from Perth Amboy in the north to Cape May Po ...

in the south-central portion of 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 sover ...

New Jersey New Jersey is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern regions of the United States. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York; on the east, southeast, and south by the Atlantic Ocean; on the west by the Delaware ...

. It borders the

Atlantic Ocean The Atlantic Ocean is the second-largest of the world's five oceans, with an area of about . It covers approximately 20% of Earth's surface and about 29% of its water surface area. It is known to separate the " Old World" of Africa, Europe ...

on the east. Its

county seat A county seat is an administrative center, seat of government, or capital city of a county or civil parish. The term is in use in Canada, China, Hungary, Romania, Taiwan, and the United States. The equivalent term shire town is used in the US st ...

is Toms River.New Jersey County Map

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 artistic, cultural, and historical programs within the U.S. state of New Jersey, as we ...

. Accessed July 10, 2017. Since 1990, Ocean County has been one of New Jersey's fastest-growing counties. As of the

2020 U.S. census The United States census of 2020 was the twenty-fourth decennial United States census. Census Day, the reference day used for the census, was April 1, 2020. Other than a pilot study during the 2000 census, this was the first U.S. census to of ...

, the county's population was enumerated at 637,229, a 10.5% increase from the 576,567 counted in the 2010 U.S. census.

United States Census Bureau The United States Census Bureau (USCB), officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the U.S. Federal Statistical System, responsible for producing data about the American people and economy. The Census Bureau is part of the ...

. Accessed September 29, 2021. making Ocean County the state's sixth-most populous county. The county was the fastest-growing county in New Jersey between 2000 and 2010 in terms of increase in the number of residents and second-highest in the percentage of growth. Ocean County was established on February 15, 1850, from portions of Monmouth County, with the addition of

Little Egg Harbor Township Little Egg Harbor Township is a township in Ocean County, New Jersey. As of the 2010 United States Census, the township's population was 20,065, reflecting an increase of 4,120 (+25.8%) from the 15,945 counted in the 2000 Census, which had in tur ...

which was annexed from Burlington County on March 30, 1891.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 January 21, 2013. The most populous place is Lakewood Township, with an estimated 102,682 residents as of 2017,PEPANNRES - Annual Estimates of the Resident Population: April 1, 2010 to July 1, 2017 - 2017 Population Estimates for New Jersey municipalities
,

. Accessed April 19, 2019. up 10.6% from 92,843 at the 2010 Census (in turn an increase of 32,491 since 2000, the highest of any New Jersey municipality); while Jackson Township covers , the largest total area of any municipality in the county. Ocean County is located east of

Philadelphia Philadelphia, often called Philly, is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, the sixth-largest city in the U.S., the second-largest city in both the Northeast megalopolis and Mid-Atlantic regions after New York City. Sinc ...

, south of

New York City New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the List of United States cities by population, most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the L ...

, and north of

Atlantic City Atlantic City, often known by its initials A.C., is a coastal resort city in Atlantic County, New Jersey, United States. The city is known for its casinos, Boardwalk (entertainment district), boardwalk, and beaches. In 2020 United States censu ...

, making it a prime vacation destination for residents of these cities during the summer. As with the entire

, summer traffic routinely clogs local roadways throughout the season. Ocean County is comprised of 31.3% water. Ocean County is part of the

New York metropolitan area The New York metropolitan area, also commonly referred to as the Tri-State area, is the largest metropolitan area in the world by urban area, urban landmass, at , and one of the list of most populous metropolitan areas, most populous urban agg ...

but is also home to many tourist attractions frequented by

Philadelphia metropolitan area Philadelphia, often called Philly, is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, the sixth-largest city in the U.S., the second-largest city in both the Northeast megalopolis and Mid-Atlantic regions after New York City. Since 1 ...

residents, including the beachfront communities of

Seaside Heights Seaside Heights is a borough in Ocean County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2020 U.S. census, the borough's population was 2,887,Long Beach Island, and

Point Pleasant Beach Point Pleasant Beach is a borough in Ocean County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, the borough's population was 4,665,Six Flags Great Adventure Six Flags Great Adventure is an amusement park located in Jackson, New Jersey. Owned and operated by Six Flags, the park complex is situated between New York City and Philadelphia and includes a water park named Six Flags Hurricane Harbor, Hu ...

, an amusement park that is the home to the world's tallest and second-fastest roller coaster,

Kingda Ka Kingda Ka is a hydraulically-launched steel roller coaster located at Six Flags Great Adventure in Jackson, New Jersey, United States. Manufactured by Intamin and designed by Werner Stengel, Kingda Ka opened as the in the world on May 21, 20 ...

. Ocean County is a gateway to New Jersey's

Pine Barrens Pine barrens, pine plains, sand plains, or pineland areas occur throughout the U.S. from Florida to Maine (see Atlantic coastal pine barrens) as well as the Midwest, West, and Canada and parts of Eurasia. Perhaps the most well known pine-barre ...

, one of the largest protected pieces of land on the

East Coast East Coast may refer to: Entertainment * East Coast hip hop, a subgenre of hip hop * East Coast (ASAP Ferg song), "East Coast" (ASAP Ferg song), 2017 * East Coast (Saves the Day song), "East Coast" (Saves the Day song), 2004 * East Coast FM, a ra ...

. Ocean County is part of the New York City and Philadelphia

media market A media market, broadcast market, media region, designated market area (DMA), television market area, or simply market is a region where the population can receive the same (or similar) television and radio station offerings, and may also incl ...

. The county is located in the

South Jersey South Jersey comprises the southern portion of the U.S. state of New Jersey located between the lower Delaware River and the Atlantic Ocean. The designation of South Jersey with a distinct toponym is a colloquialism rather than an administrative ...

region of the state.

Geography

According to the

U.S. Census Bureau The United States Census Bureau (USCB), officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the U.S. Federal Statistical System, responsible for producing data about the American people and economy. The Census Bureau is part of the ...

, the county had as of the 2010 Census a total area of , making it the largest county in New Jersey in terms of total area (ahead of Burlington County's), total 819.84 sq mi of which of land (68.7%) and of water (31.31%).Census 2010 U.S. Gazetteer Files: New Jersey Counties

, Backed up by the

Internet Archive The Internet Archive is an American digital library with the stated mission of "universal access to all knowledge". It provides free public access to collections of digitized materials, including websites, software applications/games, music, ...

as of June 11, 2012. Accessed October 6, 2013. Much of the county is flat and coastal, with many beaches. The highest point is one of three unnamed hills (one in Jackson Township, the other two in Plumsted Township) that reach at least in elevation. The lowest elevation in the county is sea level. It is also home to many beaches on the Jersey Shore, including Beach Haven,

Seaside Heights Seaside Heights is a borough in Ocean County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2020 U.S. census, the borough's population was 2,887,Ship Bottom, Surf City, Harvey Cedars, and Barnegat Light.

Climate

Ocean County's area consists of 31.3% water. The coastal county along the

has a

humid subtropical climate A humid subtropical climate is a zone of climate characterized by hot and humid summers, and cool to mild winters. These climates normally lie on the southeast side of all continents (except Antarctica), generally between latitudes 25° and 40° ...

(''Cfa'' and including the coast). In recent years, average temperatures in the county seat of Toms River have ranged from a low of in January to a high of in July, although a record low of was recorded in January 1982 and a record high of was recorded in July 1999. Average monthly precipitation ranged from in February to in March. Areas closer to the coast typically experience more mild winters and cooler summers due to the Atlantic Ocean's influence. Average monthly temperatures in Tuckerton near the south end range from 33.2 °F in January to 75.7 °F in July

Demographics

2020 census

2010 census

Economy

Ocean County is home to the

Ocean County Mall The Ocean County Mall is a super-regional mall, opened On July 20, 1976 by Edward J. DeBartolo Corporation, located in Toms River, New Jersey on Hooper Avenue ( County Route 549). The mall is accessible from Exit 82 of the Garden State Parkway vi ...

in Toms River, featuring a

gross leasable area In architecture, construction, and real estate, floor area, floor space, or floorspace is the area (measured as square feet or square metres) taken up by a building or part of it. The ways of defining "floor area" depend on what factors of the buil ...

of . The now-closed

Sears Sears, Roebuck and Co. ( ), commonly known as Sears, is an American chain of department stores founded in 1892 by Richard Warren Sears and Alvah Curtis Roebuck and reincorporated in 1906 by Richard Sears and Julius Rosenwald, with what began a ...

site will be replaced with of retail space.

Government

County government

Ocean County is governed by a Board of County Commissioners comprised of five members who are elected on an

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 than ...

basis in partisan elections and serving staggered three-year terms of office, with either one or two seats coming up for election each year as part of the November general election. At an annual reorganization held in the beginning of January, the board chooses a Director and a Deputy Director from among its members. In 2016, freeholders were paid $30,000 and the freeholder director was paid an annual salary of $31,000. , Ocean County's Commissioners (with terms for director and deputy director ending every December 31st) are: Pursuant to Article VII Section II of the New Jersey State Constitution, each county in New Jersey is required to have three elected administrative officials known as "constitutional officers." These officers are the

County Clerk A clerk is a white-collar worker who conducts general office tasks, or a worker who performs similar sales-related tasks in a retail environment. The responsibilities of clerical workers commonly include record keeping, filing, staffing service ...

and County Surrogate (both elected for five-year terms of office) and the

County Sheriff A sheriff is a government official, with varying duties, existing in some countries with historical ties to England where the office originated. There is an analogous, although independently developed, office in Iceland that is commonly transla ...

(elected for a three-year term). Constitutional officers elected on a countywide basis are: The Ocean County Prosecutor is Bradley D. Billhimer who was nominated by Governor of New Jersey

Phil Murphy Philip Dunton Murphy (born August 16, 1957) is an American financier, diplomat, and politician serving as the 56th governor of New Jersey since January 2018. A member of the Democratic Party, he served as the United States ambassador to Germa ...

. Prosecutor Billhimer was sworn in by New Jersey Attorney General

Gurbir Grewal Gurbir Singh Grewal (; born June 23, 1973) is an American attorney and prosecutor who served as the sixty-first attorney general of the State of New Jersey from January 2018 until his resignation in July 2021. Appointed by Governor of New Jersey P ...

on October 12, 2018. Ocean County constitutes Vicinage 14 of the

New Jersey Superior Court The Superior Court is the state court in the U.S. state of New Jersey, with statewide trial and appellate jurisdiction. The New Jersey Constitution of 1947 establishes the power of the New Jersey courts.Jeffrey S. Mandel, New Jersey Appellate Pra ...

and is seated at the Ocean County Courthouse Complex in Toms River; the Assignment Judge for Vicinage 14 is Marlene Lynch Ford. Ocean County operates the Ocean County Southern Service Center in Manahawkin. This center offers access to all of the Ocean County government services without the need for residents to travel to the county seat some 20 miles to the north.

Federal representatives

The 2nd and 4th

Congressional Districts Congressional districts, also known as electoral districts and legislative districts, electorates, or wards in other nations, are divisions of a larger administrative region that represent the population of a region in the larger congressional bod ...

cover the county.

State representatives

Politics

Ocean County is the most Republican county in New Jersey, a state that characteristically votes Democratic. In its history, it has failed to support a Republican for president only three times. All of its state legislators, County Commissioners, and countywide constitutional officers are Republicans. The last Democratic presidential candidate to win Ocean County was

Bill Clinton William Jefferson Clinton ( né Blythe III; born August 19, 1946) is an American politician who served as the 42nd president of the United States from 1993 to 2001. He previously served as governor of Arkansas from 1979 to 1981 and agai ...

1996 File:1996 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: A Centennial Olympic Park bombing, bomb explodes at Centennial Olympic Park in Atlanta, set off by a radical Anti-abortion violence, anti-abortionist; The center fuel tank explodes on TWA Flight 8 ...

, who carried the county with a 46% plurality of the vote. The last Democrat to win a majority in the county was

Lyndon Johnson Lyndon Baines Johnson (; August 27, 1908January 22, 1973), often referred to by his initials LBJ, was an American politician who served as the 36th president of the United States from 1963 to 1969. He had previously served as the 37th vice ...

in 1964. As of October 1, 2021, there were a total of 458,230 registered voters in Ocean County, of whom 171,085 (37.3%) were registered as Republicans, 102,005 (22.3%) were registered as Democrats and 179,085 (39.1%) were registered as unaffiliated. There were 6,055 voters (1.3%) registered to other parties. Among the county's 2010 Census population, 63.2% were registered to vote, including 82.6% of those ages 18 and over.Voter Registration Summary - Ocean

Division of Elections, March 23, 2011. Accessed December 24, 2012. In the 2008 presidential election, Republican

John McCain John Sidney McCain III (August 29, 1936 – August 25, 2018) was an American politician and United States Navy officer who served as a United States senator from Arizona from 1987 until his death in 2018. He previously served two terms ...

received 58.4% of the vote here (160,677 cast), ahead of Democrat

Barack Obama Barack Hussein Obama II ( ; born August 4, 1961) is an American politician who served as the 44th president of the United States from 2009 to 2017. A member of the Democratic Party, Obama was the first African-American president of the U ...

with 40.1% (110,189 votes) among the 276,544 ballots cast by the county's 380,712 registered voters, for a turnout of 72.6%. The Republican vote totals and overall turnout were significantly down in 2012 due to damage and displacement caused by

Hurricane Sandy Hurricane Sandy (unofficially referred to as ''Superstorm Sandy'') was an extremely destructive and strong Atlantic hurricane, as well as the largest Atlantic hurricane on record as measured by diameter, with tropical-storm-force winds spann ...

just days before the election. In

2016 File:2016 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: Bombed-out buildings in Ankara following the 2016 Turkish coup d'état attempt; the impeachment trial of Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff; Damaged houses during the 2016 Nagorno-Karabakh ...

and

2020 2020 was heavily defined by the COVID-19 pandemic, which led to global Social impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, social and Economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, economic disruption, mass cancellations and postponements of events, COVID- ...

, it was New Jersey's most Republican county, and in 2020, it was the only one to give Donald Trump more than 60% of the vote. In the 2009 gubernatorial election, Republican

Chris Christie Christopher James Christie (born September 6, 1962) is an American politician, lawyer, political commentator, lobbyist, and former federal prosecutor who served as the 55th governor of New Jersey from 2010 to 2018. Christie, who was born in Ne ...

received 65.6% of the vote here (124,238 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 fo ...

with 28.4% (53,761 votes), Independent

Chris Daggett Christopher Jarvis Daggett (born March 7, 1950) is an American businessman who is the president and CEO of the Geraldine R. Dodge Foundation, one of the largest foundations in New Jersey. A former regional administrator of the United States En ...

with 4.8% (9,068 votes) and other candidates with 1.2% (1,955 votes), among the 193,186 ballots cast by the county's 371,066 registered voters, yielding a 52.1% turnout. In the 2013 gubernatorial election, Republican

received 75.7% of the vote here (125,781 ballots cast), ahead of Democrat

Barbara Buono Barbara A. Buono (born July 28, 1953) is an American politician who served in the New Jersey Senate from 2002 to 2014, where she represented the 18th Legislative District. She served from 2010 to 2012 as the Majority Leader in the Senate, succ ...

with 22.8% (37,930 votes), In the 2017 gubernatorial election, Republican

Kim Guadagno Kimberly Ann Guadagno (; ''née'' McFadden; born April 13, 1959) is an American lawyer and politician who served as the first lieutenant governor and 33rd secretary of state of New Jersey from 2010 to 2018. Guadagno was the Republican nominee ...

received 98,135 (62.1%) of the vote, and Democrat

received 56,682 (35.8%) of the vote. In the 2021 gubernatorial election, Republican

Jack Ciattarelli Jack M. Ciattarelli ( ; born December 12, 1961) is an American politician and businessman. A member of the Republican Party, he served in the New Jersey General Assembly from 2011 to 2018, representing the 16th legislative district. He was also t ...

received 67.5% of the vote (145,756 ballots cast) to Democrat Phil Murphy's 31.8% (68,615 votes). Ocean County has been the most Republican in the last three gubernatorial elections.

Education

Tertiary education

Ocean County College Ocean County College (OCC) is a public community college in Ocean County, New Jersey, United States. Its main campus is in Toms River. Other locations include the Southern Education Center in the Manahawkin section of Stafford Township and mult ...

is the two-year

community college A community college is a type of educational institution. The term can have different meanings in different countries: many community colleges have an "open enrollment" for students who have graduated from high school (also known as senior sec ...

for Ocean County, one of a network of 19 county colleges statewide. The school is in Toms River and was founded in 1964.

Georgian Court University Georgian Court University (GCU or Georgian Court) is a private Roman Catholic university in Lakewood Township, New Jersey. Founded in 1908 by the Sisters of Mercy, the university has more than 1,600 undergraduates and nearly 600 graduate students ...

in Lakewood Township is a private

Roman Catholic Roman or Romans most often refers to: *Rome, the capital city of Italy *Ancient Rome, Roman civilization from 8th century BC to 5th century AD *Roman people, the people of ancient Rome *'' Epistle to the Romans'', shortened to ''Romans'', a lette ...

Sisters of Mercy The Sisters of Mercy is a religious institute of Catholic women founded in 1831 in Dublin, Ireland, by Catherine McAuley. As of 2019, the institute had about 6200 sisters worldwide, organized into a number of independent congregations. They a ...

college, which opened in 1908 on the former winter estate of millionaire

George Jay Gould I George Jay Gould I (February 6, 1864 – May 16, 1923) was a financier and the son of Jay Gould. He was himself a railroad executive, leading the Denver and Rio Grande Western Railroad (DRGW), Western Pacific Railroad (WP), and the Manhatt ...

, son of railroad tycoon

Jay Gould Jason Gould (; May 27, 1836 – December 2, 1892) was an American railroad magnate and financial speculator who is generally identified as one of the robber barons of the Gilded Age. His sharp and often unscrupulous business practices made hi ...

. Lakewood is also home to

Beth Medrash Govoha Beth Medrash Govoha ( he, בית מדרש גבוה, Sephardi pronunciation: ''Beth Midrash Gavoha''. lit: "High House of Learning"; also known as Lakewood Yeshiva or BMG) is a Haredi Judaism, Haredi Jewish Misnagdim, Lithuanian ''yeshiva'' in Lake ...

, a

Haredi Haredi Judaism ( he, ', ; also spelled ''Charedi'' in English; plural ''Haredim'' or ''Charedim'') consists of groups within Orthodox Judaism that are characterized by their strict adherence to ''halakha'' (Jewish law) and traditions, in oppos ...

yeshiva A yeshiva (; he, ישיבה, , sitting; pl. , or ) is a traditional Jewish educational institution focused on the study of Rabbinic literature, primarily the Talmud and halacha (Jewish law), while Torah and Jewish philosophy are s ...

with 5,000 students, making it one of the largest yeshivas in the world and the largest outside the

State of Israel Israel (; he, יִשְׂרָאֵל, ; ar, إِسْرَائِيل, ), officially the State of Israel ( he, מְדִינַת יִשְׂרָאֵל, label=none, translit=Medīnat Yīsrāʾēl; ), is a country in Western Asia. It is situated ...

Stockton University Stockton University is a public university in Galloway Township, New Jersey. It is part of New Jersey's public system of higher education. It is named for Richard Stockton, one of the New Jersey signers of the U.S. Declaration of Independence ...

has a campus located in Manahawkin offering

undergraduate Undergraduate education is education conducted after secondary education and before postgraduate education. It typically includes all postsecondary programs up to the level of a bachelor's degree. For example, in the United States, an entry-lev ...

and graduate colleges of the arts, sciences and professional studies of the New Jersey state system of higher education.

Primary and secondary schools

School districts in the county include:New Jersey School Directory for Ocean County

New Jersey Department of Education The New Jersey Department of Education (NJ DOE) administers state and federal aid programs affecting more than 1.4 million public and non-public elementary and secondary school children in the state of New Jersey. The department is headquartered ...

. Accessed August 1, 2022. ;K-12: *

Barnegat Township School District The Barnegat Township School District is a comprehensive community public school district that serves students in pre-kindergarten through twelfth grade from Barnegat Township, in Ocean County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey. As of the 2021� ...

* Brick Public Schools * Jackson School District *

Lacey Township School District The Lacey Township School District is a comprehensive community public school district serving students in kindergarten through twelfth grade from Lacey Township, in Ocean County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey, located in South Jersey along t ...

* Lakewood School District *

Manchester Township School District The Manchester Township School District is a comprehensive community school district serving students in pre-kindergarten through twelfth grade in Manchester Township, in Ocean County, New Jersey, United States. The Manchester Township School ...

Plumsted Township School District The Plumsted Township School District is a comprehensive community public school district that educates students in kindergarten though twelfth grade (in addition to special education students in pre-kindergarten) from Plumsted Township, in Oce ...

Point Pleasant Beach School District The Point Pleasant Beach School District is a comprehensive community public school district that serves students in pre-kindergarten through twelfth grade from Point Pleasant Beach, in Ocean County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2018� ...

* Point Pleasant School District *

Toms River Regional Schools Toms River Regional Schools is a comprehensive regional public school district primarily located in the quickly growing coastal community of Toms River, located in Ocean County, New Jersey, United States, along the state's Jersey Shore. The dis ...

;Secondary: *

Central Regional School District The Central Regional School District is a regional public school district in Ocean County, New Jersey, United States, which serves students in seventh through twelfth grades from the municipalities of Berkeley Township, Island Heights, Ocean ...

Ocean County Vocational Technical School The Ocean County Vocational Technical School is a public school district based in Toms River that provides technical and vocational education to residents of Ocean County, New Jersey, United States. The district provides a number of full-time p ...

Pinelands Regional School District Pinelands Regional School District is a regional school district in Ocean County, New Jersey, United States, serving students from Eagleswood Township, Little Egg Harbor Township and Tuckerton Borough along with the Burlington County municipa ...

Southern Regional School District The Southern Regional School District is a regional public school district in Ocean County, New Jersey, United States, serving students in seventh grade through twelfth grade. The district serves the five municipalities in the Long Beach Island Con ...

;Elementary (K-6, except as noted): * Bay Head School District (K-8) * Beach Haven School District *

Berkeley Township School District The Berkeley Township School District is a community state school, public school district that is responsible for the education of children in pre-kindergarten through sixth grade from Berkeley Township, New Jersey, Berkeley Township, in Ocean C ...

Eagleswood Township School District The Eagleswood Township School District is a community public school district that serves students in pre-kindergarten through sixth grade from Eagleswood Township in Ocean County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2018–19 school year, th ...

* Island Heights School District *

Lakehurst School District The Lakehurst School District is a community public school district serving students in pre-kindergarten through eighth grade from Lakehurst, in Ocean County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2018–19 school year, the district, comprise ...

(K-8) *

Lavallette School District The Lavallette School District is a community public school district that serves students in kindergarten through eighth grade from Lavallette, in Ocean County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2020–21 school year, the district, comprise ...

(K-8) *

Little Egg Harbor Township School District The Little Egg Harbor Township School District is a comprehensive community public school district that serves students in pre-kindergarten through sixth grade from Little Egg Harbor Township, New Jersey, Little Egg Harbor Township, in Ocean Cou ...

Long Beach Island Consolidated School District The Long Beach Island Consolidated School District is a regional consolidated public school district which serves students in pre-kindergarten through sixth grade from five communities bordering the Atlantic Ocean on Long Beach Island, in Ocean ...

Ocean Gate School District Ocean Gate School District is a community public school district that serves students in pre-kindergarten through sixth grade from Ocean Gate in Ocean County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2018–19 school year, the district, comprising ...

* Ocean Township School District *

Seaside Heights School District The Seaside Heights School District is a community public school district for students in kindergarten through sixth grade from Seaside Heights, in Ocean County, New Jersey, United States. The district's Board of Education is made up of five me ...

Seaside Park School District The Seaside Park School District is a non-operating community public school district that operated one school serving students in Kindergarten through sixth grade from Seaside Park, New Jersey, United States, until it closed at the end of the 200 ...

(non-operating) *

Stafford Township School District The Stafford Township School District is a community public school district that serves students in pre-kindergarten through sixth grade from Stafford Township, in Ocean County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2018–19 school year, the ...

* Tuckerton School District New Jersey's largest suburban school district,

, is located in Ocean County. Toms River is also home to the county's only Roman Catholic high school,

Monsignor Donovan High School Donovan Catholic High School, (formerly Monsignor Donovan High School) located in Toms River, New Jersey, Toms River, is the only Catholic school, Roman Catholic Secondary education in the United States, high school in Ocean County, New Jersey, ...

, operated by the

Roman Catholic Diocese of Trenton The Diocese of Trenton is a Latin Church ecclesiastical territory or diocese of the Catholic Church that encompasses Burlington County, New Jersey, Burlington, Mercer County, New Jersey, Mercer, Monmouth County, New Jersey, Monmouth, and Ocean Cou ...

, which also has six elementary schools located in the county. In addition to multiple

public high schools State schools (in England, Wales, Australia and New Zealand) or public schools (Scottish English and North American English) are generally primary or secondary educational institution, schools that educate all students without charge. They are ...

, the county has an extensive vocational high school program, known as the

district. In addition to its campuses in

Brick A brick is a type of block used to build walls, pavements and other elements in masonry construction. Properly, the term ''brick'' denotes a block composed of dried clay, but is now also used informally to denote other chemically cured cons ...

, Toms River, Waretown, and

Jackson Jackson may refer to: People and fictional characters * Jackson (name), including a list of people and fictional characters with the surname or given name Places Australia * Jackson, Queensland, a town in the Maranoa Region * Jackson North, Qu ...

, it contains two

magnet schools In the U.S. education system, magnet schools are public schools with specialized courses or curricula. "Magnet" refers to how the schools draw students from across the normal boundaries defined by authorities (usually school boards) as school ...

: *

Marine Academy of Technology and Environmental Science Marine is an adjective meaning of or pertaining to the sea or ocean. Marine or marines may refer to: Ocean * Maritime (disambiguation) * Marine art * Marine biology * Marine debris * Marine habitats * Marine life * Marine pollution Military * ...

(MATES) * OCVTS Performing Arts Academy – theater, dance, and vocal

Attractions

Ocean County has an extensive

shoreline A shore or a shoreline is the fringe of land at the edge of a large body of water, such as an ocean, sea, or lake. In physical oceanography, a shore is the wider fringe that is geologically modified by the action of the body of water past a ...

stretch along the

, including the

communities and oceanfront boardwalk resorts of

Seaside Heights Seaside Heights is a borough in Ocean County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2020 U.S. census, the borough's population was 2,887,Point Pleasant Beach Point Pleasant Beach is a borough in Ocean County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, the borough's population was 4,665,Six Flags Great Adventure Six Flags Great Adventure is an amusement park located in Jackson, New Jersey. Owned and operated by Six Flags, the park complex is situated between New York City and Philadelphia and includes a water park named Six Flags Hurricane Harbor, Hu ...

, America's largest Six Flags theme park, is home to the world's tallest and formerly fastest roller coaster,

. The park also contains

Six Flags Hurricane Harbor Hurricane Harbor is a chain of water parks that are part of the Six Flags theme park chain. Although the parks are not identical, common features include a variety of body slides, speed slides, tube slides, wave pools, lazy rivers, and shopping ...

, New Jersey's largest

water park A water park (or waterpark, water world) is an amusement park that features water play areas such as swimming pools, water slides, splash pads, water playgrounds, and lazy rivers, as well as areas for floating, bathing, swimming, and other baref ...

, and the

Six Flags Wild Safari Safari Off Road Adventure is a safari attraction currently operating at Six Flags Great Adventure in Jackson Township, New Jersey. It replaced the former Six Flags Wild Safari drive-through safari park, which closed on September 30, 2012, in ...

, the largest drive-thru animal safari outside of Africa. Forty miles of barrier beaches form the Barnegat and Little Egg Harbor Bays, offering ample watersports. It also is home of the

Tuckerton Seaport The Tuckerton Seaport is a working maritime village and museum located in Tuckerton, New Jersey, United States. The site, which opened in May 2000, features 17 historic and recreated buildings connected by a boardwalk, a maritime forest and wetla ...

, a maritime history village in Tuckerton. In addition to being the northeast gateway to New Jersey's

, Ocean County is also home to several

state parks State parks are parks or other protected areas managed at the sub-national level within those nations which use "state" as a political subdivision. State parks are typically established by a state to preserve a location on account of its natural ...

: *

Barnegat Lighthouse State Park Barnegat Lighthouse State Park is located on the northern tip of Long Beach Island in Ocean County, New Jersey, United States. The area where the lighthouse stands was regarded as one of the most important navigational points for ships bound to ...

covers surrounding Barnegat Lighthouse at the northern tip of Long Beach Island. *

Island Beach State Park Island Beach State Park is a New Jersey state park located just south of Seaside Park on the Barnegat Peninsula in Berkeley Township, Ocean County, New Jersey, United States. The park is operated and maintained by the New Jersey Division of Pa ...

has of coastal dunes. *

Double Trouble State Park Double Trouble State Park is located in Berkeley and Lacey Townships in Ocean County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey. The park was once the Double Trouble company's company town. The park's wilderness is part of the Pine Barrens ecosystem. Th ...

includes of land in the

New Jersey Pine Barrens The New Jersey Pine Barrens, also known as the Pinelands or simply the Pines, is the largest remaining example of the Atlantic coastal pine barrens ecosystem, stretching across more than seven counties of New Jersey. Two other large, contiguou ...

. *

Brendan T. Byrne State Forest The Brendan T. Byrne State Forest (formerly the Lebanon State Forest) is a state forest in the New Jersey Pine Barrens. Its protected acreage is split between Burlington and Ocean Counties. Description The Brendan T. Byrne State Forest is the ...

includes and was formerly known as Lebanon State Forest. *

Forked River State Marina A fork is a utensil for eating and cooking. Fork may also refer to: Implements * Fork (road), a type of intersection where a road splits * Bicycle fork, the part of a bicycle to which the front wheel is attached * Garden fork, a pronged tool d ...

FirstEnergy Park ShoreTown Ballpark is a stadium in Lakewood, New Jersey. It is primarily used for baseball and is the home field of the Jersey Shore BlueClaws South Atlantic League baseball team, affiliated with the Philadelphia Phillies Major League Baseball ...

located in Lakewood, opened in 2001 with 6,588 reserved seats and is home of the

Jersey Shore BlueClaws The Jersey Shore BlueClaws (formerly Lakewood BlueClaws) are a Minor League Baseball team of the South Atlantic League and the High-A affiliate of the Philadelphia Phillies. They are located in Lakewood, New Jersey, and are named for their locati ...

, the High-A affiliate of the

Philadelphia Phillies The Philadelphia Phillies are an American professional baseball team based in Philadelphia. They compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member of the National League (NL) National League East, East division. Since 2004, the team's home sta ...

National protected area

Edwin B. Forsythe National Wildlife Refuge The Edwin B. Forsythe National Wildlife Refuge is a United States National Wildlife Refuge located in southern New Jersey along the Atlantic Ocean, Atlantic coast north of Atlantic City, New Jersey, Atlantic City, in Atlantic County, New Jersey, A ...

covers of wetlands and coastal habitat in

Atlantic The Atlantic Ocean is the second-largest of the world's five oceans, with an area of about . It covers approximately 20% of Earth's surface and about 29% of its water surface area. It is known to separate the " Old World" of Africa, Europe an ...

and Ocean counties.

Media

The ''

Asbury Park Press The ''Asbury Park Press'' is a daily newspaper in Monmouth and Ocean counties of New Jersey and has the third largest circulation in the state. It has been owned by Gannett since 1997. Its reporting staff has been awarded numerous national hon ...

'' and ''

The Press of Atlantic City ''The Press of Atlantic City'' is the fourth-largest daily newspaper in New Jersey. Originally based in Pleasantville, it is the primary newspaper for southeastern New Jersey and the Jersey Shore. The newspaper designated market runs from Ware ...

'' are daily newspapers that cover the county.

Micromedia Publications ''Micromedia Publications'' is the publisher of seven weekly newspapers based in Monmouth/Ocean County, New Jersey. The newspapers cover Howell, Jackson, Toms River, Manchester, Brick, Berkeley Township, Lacey Township, Barnegat, Stafford T ...

publishes six weekly local newspapers in the county; their seventh covers

Howell Township, New Jersey Howell Township is a township in Monmouth County, New Jersey, United States. The township is the largest municipality in the county by total area, comprised of about . It is located in the New York metropolitan area and has been a steadily gro ...

Monmouth County, New Jersey Monmouth County () is a county located on the coast of central New Jersey. The county is part of the New York metropolitan area and is situated along the northern half of the Jersey Shore. As of the 2020 U.S. census, the county's population w ...

. 92.7 WOBM provides news, traffic and weather updates. 91.9 WBNJ provides local news, PSAs and events; as well as weather updates.

Transportation

Roads and highways

Ocean County has various major roads that pass through. State routes that go through include NJ Route 13, NJ Route 35, NJ Route 37, NJ Route 70, NJ Route 72, NJ Route 88, and NJ Route 166. Other major routes that pass through are

U.S. Route 9 U.S. Route 9 (US 9) is a north–south United States highway in the states of Delaware, New Jersey, and New York in the Northeastern United States. It is one of only two U.S. Highways with a ferry connection (the Cape May–Lewes Ferry, between ...

, the

Garden State Parkway The Garden State Parkway (GSP) is a controlled-access toll road that stretches the north–south length of eastern New Jersey from the state's southernmost tip near Cape May to the New York state line at Montvale. Its name refers to New Jersey ...

, and

I-195 Interstate 195 (I-195) is the designation for the following Interstate Highways in the United States, all of which are related to I-95: *Interstate 195 (District of Columbia), a future designation for the north–south portion of I-395 from the Sout ...

, the only Interstate to pass through Ocean County (in Jackson Township). Several prominent 500 series county highways make up an important portion of the automobile corridors in Ocean County. These include NJ County Road 526, NJ County Road 527, NJ County Road 528, NJ County Road 530, NJ County Road 532, NJ County Road 539, NJ County Road 547, NJ County Road 549, and NJ County Road 571. The county had a total of of roadways, of which are maintained by the municipality, by Ocean County and 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 transportat ...

and by the New Jersey Turnpike Authority.

Public transportation

Train

NJ Transit New Jersey Transit Corporation, branded as NJ Transit, and often shortened to NJT, is a state-owned public transportation system that serves the U.S. state of New Jersey, along with portions of New York State and Pennsylvania. It operates bu ...

's (NJT)

North Jersey Coast Line The North Jersey Coast Line is a commuter rail Commuter rail, or suburban rail, is a passenger rail transport service that primarily operates within a metropolitan area, connecting commuters to a central city from adjacent suburbs or com ...

, which serves

New York Penn Station Pennsylvania Station, also known as New York Penn Station or simply Penn Station, is the main intercity railroad station in New York City and the busiest transportation facility in the Western Hemisphere, serving more than 600,000 passengers ...

and passes through Middlesex and Monmouth counties, offers service at the Bay Head and

Point Pleasant Beach Point Pleasant Beach is a borough in Ocean County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, the borough's population was 4,665,Monmouth Ocean Middlesex Line The Monmouth Ocean Middlesex Line (MOM) is a passenger rail project in the US state of New Jersey, proposed by NJ Transit Rail Operations (NJT) to serve the Central New Jersey counties of Monmouth, Ocean, and Middlesex. The line would originate/t ...

is a passenger rail project proposed by NJT to serve he northern central part of the county. Southern Ocean County is also located about 25 miles from the

Atlantic City Line The Atlantic City Line (ACL) is a commuter rail line operated by NJ Transit (NJT) in the United States between Philadelphia, Pennsylvania and Atlantic City, New Jersey, operating along the corridor of the White Horse Pike. It runs over trackage ...

, which provides service to

Bus

=NJ Transit

= Bus service is provided on NJ Transit bus routes 130, 132, 136, and 139 to and from

Lakewood Bus Terminal Lakewood Terminal is a regional bus terminal owned and operated by NJ Transit (NJT) at 1st & Lexington Avenues in Lakewood, New Jersey. Bus service includes routes to Atlantic City, Hudson County, New York, Philadelphia, and points at the Jersey S ...

on the

corridor. Expanded use Route 9 BBS (bus bypass shoulder lanes) is under study. Bus route 559 provides service along Route 9 between Lakewood and Pleasantville before continuing to

. Bus route 137 provides service in three variants. One is a nonstop express between Toms River and

that operates seven days a week. The other two are rush hour only services, one operating along NJ County Route 549 between Toms River and

before continuing onto New York City. The Other begins and ends in Lakewood, operating via County Line Road to the Brick park and ride before continuing to New York. Bus route 67 operates between Toms River and

Newark Newark most commonly refers to: * Newark, New Jersey, city in the United States * Newark Liberty International Airport, New Jersey; a major air hub in the New York metropolitan area Newark may also refer to: Places Canada * Niagara-on-the ...

, providing service along County Route 549 between Toms River and Brick before continuing onto Lakewood and points north. Bus Route 317 crosses the county in an east–west fashion on its route between

and

Asbury Park Asbury Park () is a beachfront city located on the Jersey Shore in Monmouth County in the U.S. state of New Jersey. It is part of the New York metropolitan area. As of the 2020 U.S. census, the city's population was 15,188

. This route also provides service to Fort Dix, Camden, and other destinations. Bus route 319 makes a single stop in Toms River on its route between Atlantic City and New York.

=Ocean Ride

= Ocean Ride is a county wide system with 12 regular routes, many serving

, which acts as transfer hub. Of these routes, only the OC 10 (Lavallette to Toms River) operates Monday-Saturday, with the OC 4 (Point Pleasant to Lakewood) operating Monday-Friday. All other routes run 2–3 days a week. Ocean Ride also provides paratransit service throughout the county.

=Other services

Academy Bus Academy Bus Lines is a bus company in New Jersey providing local bus services in northern New Jersey, line-run services to/from New York City from points in southern and central New Jersey, and contract and charter service in the eastern United ...

provides service between various areas in the northern part of the county and

. Many of the retirement communities contract for the operation of shuttle buses to connect the communities with various shopping centers in the county.

Municipalities

The 33 municipalities in Ocean County with 2010 census data for population, housing units, and area in square miles are: Other,

unincorporated communities An unincorporated area is a region that is not governed by a local municipal corporation. Widespread unincorporated communities and areas are a distinguishing feature of the United States and Canada. Most other countries of the world either have ...

in the county are listed alongside their parent municipality (or municipalities).Locality Search
State of

. Accessed January 25, 2015. Most of these areas are

census-designated place A census-designated place (CDP) is a 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 counterparts of incorporated places, such ...

s that have been created by the

for enumeration purposes within a

Township A township is a kind of human settlement or administrative subdivision, with its meaning varying in different countries. Although the term is occasionally associated with an urban area, that tends to be an exception to the rule. In Australia, Ca ...

. The numbers in parentheses stand for the numbers on the map. Ocean County, New Jersey Municipalities (indexed map)

References

External links

Official county website
{{authority control 1850 establishments in New Jersey Counties in the New York metropolitan area Geography of the Pine Barrens (New Jersey) Jersey Shore Populated places established in 1850