Ocean County is a

county A county () is a geographic region of a country used for administrative or other purposesL. Brookes (ed.) '' Chambers Dictionary''. Edinburgh: Chambers Harrap Publishers Ltd, 2005. in some nations. The term is derived from the Old French denoti ...

located in the U.S. state of

New Jersey New Jersey is a U.S. state, state located in both the Mid-Atlantic States, Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern United States, Northeastern regions of the United States. Located at the geographic hub of the urban area, heavily urbanized Northeas ...

and the southernmost county 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 ...

. The county borders the

Atlantic Ocean The Atlantic Ocean is the second largest of the world's five borders of the oceans, oceanic divisions, with an area of about . It covers approximately 17% of Earth#Surface, Earth's surface and about 24% of its water surface area. During the ...

on the east and in terms of total area is the state's largest county. Its

county seat A county seat is an administrative center, seat of government, or capital city of a county or parish (administrative division), civil parish. The term is in use in five countries: Canada, China, Hungary, Romania, and the United States. An equiva ...

is Toms River.New Jersey County Map
, New Jersey Department of State. Accessed December 22, 2022. The county is part 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 ...

and is considered part of the

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 ...

region of the state, though it was not among the four counties explicitly listed as included in Central Jersey as part of legislation signed into law in 2023. Since 2020, Ocean County has been the fastest-growing county in New Jersey, with a population of 637,229 recorded at the 2020 United States census, its highest decennial count ever and ranking the county as the state's sixth-most populous county,Table1. New Jersey Counties and Most Populous Cities and Townships: 2020 and 2010 Censuses
,

New Jersey Department of Labor and Workforce Development The New Jersey Department of Labor and Workforce Development is a governmental agency of the U.S. state of New Jersey. The New Jersey Civil Service Commission is an independent body within the New Jersey state government under the auspices of ...

. Accessed December 1, 2022. with an increase of 60,662 (+10.5%) from the 576,567 enumerated at the 2010 census, which in turn reflected an increase of 65,651 (+12.8%) from the 510,916 counted in the 2000 census. Since 2010, Ocean County's population has been growing faster than the United States as a whole. 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 ...

Population Estimates Program The Population Estimates Program (PEP) is a program of the U.S. Census Bureau that publishes annual population estimates and estimates of birth, death, and international migration rates for people in the United States. In addition to publishing t ...

estimated a 2023 population of 659,197, an increase of 21,968 (+3.4%) from the 2020 decennial census. Ocean County’s most populous and fastest-growing place is Lakewood Township, with an estimated 139,866 residents as of 2023,Annual Estimates of the Resident Population for Minor Civil Divisions in New Jersey: April 1, 2020 to July 1, 2023

, released May 2024. Accessed June 4, 2024. while Jackson Township covers , the largest total area of any municipality in the county. Ocean County is located east of

Philadelphia Philadelphia ( ), colloquially referred to as Philly, is the List of municipalities in Pennsylvania, most populous city in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania and the List of United States cities by population, sixth-most populous city in the Unit ...

, south of

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 ...

, and north of Atlantic City, 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. Over 31% of Ocean County's total area is water. Ocean County is part of the New York metropolitan area. The county is also home to many tourist attractions frequented by Philadelphia metropolitan area residents, including the beachfront communities of Seaside Heights, Long Beach Island, and Point Pleasant Beach, and

Six Flags Great Adventure Six Flags Great Adventure is an amusement park located approximately southeast of Trenton, New Jersey, Trenton in Jackson Township, New Jersey. Owned and operated by Six Flags, the park complex is situated between New York City and Philadelph ...

, an amusement park in Jackson Township that was the home to the world's tallest and second-fastest

roller coaster A roller coaster is a type of list of amusement rides, amusement ride employing a form of elevated Railway track, railroad track that carries passengers on a roller coaster train, train through tight turns, steep slopes, and other elements, usua ...

, Kingda Ka. Ocean County is a gateway to New Jersey's Pine Barrens, one of the largest protected land areas on the East Coast.

History

Prior to its creation, Ocean County was almost entirely within Shrewsbury Township in Monmouth County, with the exception of Tuckerton and Little Egg Harbor Township. Ocean County was established on February 15, 1850, from portions of Monmouth county; Little Egg Harbor Township 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. It derives its name from the Atlantic Ocean that it borders. The most populous municipality in the county is the rapidly growing Lakewood Township with 135,158 residents in 2020, its highest decennial count ever and an increase of 42,315 (+45.6%) from its 2010 census count of 92,843. Jackson Township, which covers , is the largest municipality in Ocean County by area.

Geography

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, as of the 2020 Census, the county had a total area of , making it the largest county in New Jersey in terms of total area (ahead of Burlington County), of which was land (68.7%) and was water (31.3%).2020 Census Gazetteer File for Counties in New Jersey
,

. Accessed April 1, 2023. Much of the county is flat and coastal, with an extensive

shoreline A coast (coastline, shoreline, seashore) is the land next to the sea or the line that forms the boundary between the land and the ocean or a lake. Coasts are influenced by the topography of the surrounding landscape and by aquatic erosion, su ...

and many beaches along the

, including Barnegat Light, Beach Haven, Harvey Cedars, Lavallette, Mantoloking, Seaside Heights, Seaside Park, Ship Bottom, and Surf City. 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 at

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 ...

along the county's lengthy

and Barnegat Bay coastlines.

Climate

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

has a

humid subtropical climate A humid subtropical climate is a subtropical -temperate climate type, characterized by long and hot summers, and cool to mild winters. These climates normally lie on the southeast side of all continents (except Antarctica), generally between ...

(''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 temperatures in Tuckerton near the south end range from in January to in July. The highest monthly average temperature for the county was in July 2020; the lowest was in February 1934. 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. The highest total monthly precipitation recorded for the county was in August 2011, the same month

Hurricane Irene Hurricane Irene was a large and destructive tropical cyclone which affected much of the Caribbean and East Coast of the United States during late August 2011. The ninth tropical cyclone naming, named storm, first hurricane, and first major ...

hit the New Jersey coast; the lowest was recorded in October 2024.

Demographics

2020 census

The 2020 United States census counted 637,229 people and 237,729 households in the county. The population density was . There were 295,648 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup was 92.2% (587,525)

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 ...

, 3.9% (24,852) Black or African American, 0.3% (1,912) Native American, 2.1% (13,382) Asian, 0.1% (637)

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 ...

, and 1.5% (9,558) from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino residents of any race were 10.2% (64,997) of the population. The average household size was 2.62. 24.6% of the population were under the age of 18, 52.6% from 18 to 64, and 22.8% were 65 years of age or older. Females made up 51.3% of the total population.

2010 census

The 2010 United States census counted 576,567 people, 221,111 households, and 149,250 families in the county. The population density was . There were 278,052 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup was 90.98% (524,577)

, 3.15% (18,164) Black or African American, 0.17% (966) Native American, 1.75% (10,081) Asian, 0.02% (129)

, 2.46% (14,165) from other races, and 1.47% (8,485) from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino residents of any race were 8.29% (47,783) of the population. Of the 221,111 households, 26.7% had children under the age of 18; 53.9% were married couples living together; 9.8% had a female householder with no husband present and 32.5% were non-families. Of all households, 27.8% were made up of individuals and 16.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.58 and the average family size was 3.16. 23.4% of the population were under the age of 18, 7.5% from 18 to 24, 22.2% from 25 to 44, 25.9% from 45 to 64, and 21% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 42.6 years. For every 100 females, the population had 92 males. For every 100 females ages 18 and older there were 88.3 males.

2000 census

As of the 2000 United States censusU.S. Census website
,

. Accessed September 4, 2014. there were 510,916 people, 200,402 households, and 137,876 families residing in the county. The population density was . There were 248,711 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the county was 93.05%

, 2.99%

Black Black is a color that results from the absence or complete absorption of visible light. It is an achromatic color, without chroma, like white and grey. It is often used symbolically or figuratively to represent darkness.Eva Heller, ''P ...

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 ...

, 0.14% Native American, 1.28% Asian, 0.02%

, 1.24% from other races, and 1.29% from two or more races. 5.02% of the population were

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.DP-1 - Profile of General Demographic Characteristics: 2000; Census 2000 Summary File 1 (SF 1) 100-Percent Data for Ocean County, New Jersey

. Accessed January 23, 2013.Tables DP-1 to DP-4 from Census 2000 for Ocean County, New Jersey

, 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 July 6, 2008. Accessed October 1, 2013. Among those who listed their ancestry, 25.3% were of Italian, 23.6% Irish, 18.7% German, 8.8% Polish and 8.5% English ancestry according to Census 2000. There were 200,402 households, out of which 28.10% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 56.40% were

married couples Marriage, also called matrimony or wedlock, is a culturally and often legally recognised union between people called spouses. It establishes rights and obligations between them, as well as between them and their children (if any), and b ...

living together, 9.20% had a female householder with no husband present, and 31.20% were non-families. 27.00% of all households were made up of individuals, and 16.50% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.51 and the average family size was 3.06. In the county, 23.30% of the population was under the age of 18, 6.60% was from 18 to 24, 26.00% from 25 to 44, 21.90% from 45 to 64, and 22.20% was 65 years of age or older. The median age was 41 years. For every 100 females, there were 90.40 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 86.40 males. The median income for a household in the county was $46,443, and the median income for a family was $56,420. Males had a median income of $44,822 versus $30,717 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 county was $23,054. About 4.8% of families and 7.0% 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 10.0% of those under age 18 and 5.6% of those age 65 or over. As of the 2000 Census, Mantoloking was the wealthiest community in the state of New Jersey with a per capita money income of $114,017 as of 1999.

Economy

The

Bureau of Economic Analysis The Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA) of the United States Department of Commerce is a U.S. government agency that provides official macroeconomic and industry statistics, most notably reports about the gross domestic product (GDP) of the United ...

calculated that the county's

gross domestic product Gross domestic product (GDP) is a monetary measure of the total market value of all the final goods and services produced and rendered in a specific time period by a country or countries. GDP is often used to measure the economic performanc ...

was $23.8 billion in 2022, which ranked 12th of 21 in the state. This was a 4.1% increase from the prior year, the 5th largest percent change in the state. The 2022 GDP numbers reflected the second year in a row of positive growth for the county, after 2020 saw a -0.4% change from 2019. Ocean County is home to the Ocean County Mall in Toms River, featuring a gross leasable area of . The now-closed

Sears Sears, Roebuck and Co., commonly known as Sears ( ), is an American chain of department stores and online retailer founded in 1892 by Richard Warren Sears and Alvah Curtis Roebuck and reincorporated in 1906 by Richard Sears and Julius Rosen ...

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 tha ...

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. This remained unchanged in 2018 , Ocean County's Commissioners are (with terms for chair and vice-chair ending every December 31): 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 record keeping as well as general office tasks, or a worker who performs similar sales-related tasks in a retail environment. The responsibilities of clerical workers commonly include record keepin ...

and County Surrogate (both elected for five-year terms of office) and the County Sheriff (elected for a three-year term). Constitutional officers elected on a countywide basis are:2022 Ocean County and Municipal Elected Officials
, Ocean County, New Jersey. Accessed June 1, 2022. Constitutional officers elected on a countywide basis are: No Democrat has won a countywide office since 1989. The Ocean County Prosecutor is Bradley D. Billhimer, who was nominated by Governor

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

. Billhimer was sworn in by New Jersey Attorney General Gurbir Grewal on October 12, 2018. Ocean County constitutes Vicinage 14 of the New Jersey Superior Court 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 located about to the north.

Federal representatives

The 2nd and 4th Congressional Districts cover the county.

State representatives

The 33 municipalities of Ocean County are covered by four legislative districts.

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. 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 and lawyer who was the 42nd president of the United States from 1993 to 2001. A member of the Democratic Party (United States), Democratic Party, ...

1996 1996 was designated as: * International Year for the Eradication of Poverty Events January * January 8 – A Zairean cargo plane crashes into a crowded market in the center of the capital city of the Democratic Republic of the Congo ...

, 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), also known as LBJ, was the 36th president of the United States, serving from 1963 to 1969. He became president after assassination of John F. Kennedy, the assassination of John F. Ken ...

in 1964. The only other time it did not back a Republican was in

1912 This year is notable for Sinking of the Titanic, the sinking of the ''Titanic'', which occurred on April 15. In Albania, this leap year runs with only 353 days as the country achieved switching from the Julian to Gregorian Calendar by skippin ...

when it voted for

Theodore Roosevelt Theodore Roosevelt Jr. (October 27, 1858 – January 6, 1919), also known as Teddy or T.R., was the 26th president of the United States, serving from 1901 to 1909. Roosevelt previously was involved in New York (state), New York politics, incl ...

's Progressive Party with a plurality of the vote. In 2024, the county's Republican tilt increased in support of

Donald Trump Donald John Trump (born June 14, 1946) is an American politician, media personality, and businessman who is the 47th president of the United States. A member of the Republican Party (United States), Republican Party, he served as the 45 ...

, the best such performance since Reagan's 1984 landslide. As of 2024, all of its state legislators, County commissioners, and countywide constitutional officers are Republicans. 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
, New Jersey Department of State Division of Elections, March 23, 2011. Accessed December 24, 2012.

Education

Tertiary education

Ocean County College is the two-year

community college A community college is a type of undergraduate higher education institution, generally leading to an associate degree, certificate, or diploma. The term can have different meanings in different countries: many community colleges have an open enr ...

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 in Lakewood Township is a private

Roman Catholic The Catholic Church (), also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.27 to 1.41 billion baptized Catholics worldwide as of 2025. It is among the world's oldest and largest international institut ...

Sisters of Mercy The Sisters of Mercy is a religious institute for women in the Catholic Church. It was founded in 1831 in Dublin, Ireland, by Catherine McAuley. In 2019, the institute had about 6,200 Religious sister, sisters worldwide, organized into a number ...

college, which opened in 1908 on the former winter estate of millionaire George Jay Gould I, son of railroad tycoon

Jay Gould Jason Gould (; May 27, 1836 – December 2, 1892) was an American railroad magnate and financial speculator who founded the Gould family, Gould business dynasty. He is generally identified as one of the Robber baron (industrialist), robber bar ...

. Lakewood is also home to Beth Medrash Govoha, a Haredi

yeshiva A yeshiva (; ; 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 studied in parallel. The stu ...

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

State of Israel Israel, officially the State of Israel, is a country in West Asia. It Borders of Israel, shares borders with Lebanon to the north, Syria to the north-east, Jordan to the east, Egypt to the south-west, and the Mediterranean Sea to the west. Isr ...

. Stockton University has a campus located in Manahawkin offering

undergraduate Undergraduate education is education conducted after secondary education and before postgraduate education, usually in a college or university. It typically includes all postsecondary programs up to the level of a bachelor's degree. For example, ...

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 ...

Brick A brick is a type of construction material used to build walls, pavements and other elements in masonry construction. Properly, the term ''brick'' denotes a unit primarily composed of clay. But is now also used informally to denote building un ...

, Toms River, Waretown, and Jackson, it contains three

magnet schools In education in the United States, the U.S. education system, magnet schools are State school, public schools with Specialized school, specialized Course (education), courses or Curriculum, curricula. Normally, a student will attend an elementary ...

: *

Marine Academy of Technology and Environmental Science The Marine Academy of Technology and Environmental Science (MATES) is a comprehensive, selective magnet public high school with a focus on marine and environmental science that is part of the Ocean County Vocational School District. The school ...

(MATES) * OCVTS Performing Arts Academy – theater, dance, and vocal *OCVTS Academy of Law and Public Safety (ALPS)

Attractions

Ocean County has an extensive

stretching along the

, including the

communities and oceanfront boardwalk resorts of Seaside Heights and Point Pleasant Beach.

, America's largest Six Flags theme park, was home to the world's tallest and formerly fastest roller coaster, Kingda Ka, which closed in November 2024. The park also contains Six Flags Hurricane Harbor, New Jersey's largest water park, and the Safari Off Road Adventure, the largest drive-thru animal safari outside of Africa. Approximately of barrier beaches form the Barnegat and Little Egg Harbor Bays, offering ample watersports. It also is home of the Tuckerton Seaport, a maritime history village in Tuckerton. In addition to being the northeast gateway to New Jersey's Pine Barrens, 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 covers surrounding Barnegat Lighthouse at the northern tip of Long Beach Island. * Island Beach State Park has of coastal dunes. *

Double Trouble State Park Double Trouble State Park is located in Berkeley Township, New Jersey, Berkeley and Lacey Township, New Jersey, Lacey Townships in Ocean County, New Jersey, Ocean County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey. The park was once the Double Trouble comp ...

includes of land in the New Jersey Pine Barrens. * Brendan T. Byrne State Forest includes and was formerly known as Lebanon State Forest. * Forked River State Marina ShoreTown Ballpark located in Lakewood, opened in 2001 with 6,588 reserved seats and is home of the Jersey Shore BlueClaws, the High-A affiliate of the

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

National protected area

* Edwin B. Forsythe National Wildlife Refuge covers of wetlands and coastal habitat in

Atlantic The Atlantic Ocean is the second largest of the world's five oceanic divisions, with an area of about . It covers approximately 17% of Earth's surface and about 24% of its water surface area. During the Age of Discovery, it was known for se ...

and Ocean counties.

Media

The '' Asbury Park Press'' and ''

The Press of Atlantic City ''The Press of Atlantic City'' is the fourth-largest daily newspaper in New Jersey. Originally based in Pleasantville, New Jersey, Pleasantville, it is the primary newspaper for southeastern New Jersey and the Jersey Shore. The Designated marke ...

'' are daily newspapers that cover Ocean County. Micromedia Publications publishes six weekly local newspapers in the county; their seventh covers Howell Township, New Jersey in

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 ...

. 92.7 WOBM provides news, traffic and weather updates. WOBM-FM radio started broadcasting from the Bayville section of Berkeley Township in March 1968. The station relocated to studios in Toms River in 2013. 91.9 WBNJ provides local news, PSAs and events; as well as weather updates.

Transportation

Roads and highways

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 transport ...

and by the New Jersey Turnpike Authority. Ocean County has various major roads that pass through. Those routes are listed below: * U.S. Route 9 (The only U.S. Highway in the county) * Route 13 * Route 35 * Route 37 * Route 70 * Route 72 * Route 88 * Route 166 * Interstate 195 (The only Interstate to pass through Ocean County; It runs entirely in Jackson Township) * The

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

extends from Bass River Township in Burlington County in the south to Wall Township in Monmouth County to the north. Several prominent 500 series county highways make up an important portion of the automobile corridors in Ocean County. These include County Road 526, County Road 527, County Road 528, County Road 530, County Road 532, County Road 539, County Road 547, County Road 549, County Road 554, and County Road 571.

Public transportation

Train

NJ Transit's (NJT)

North Jersey Coast Line The North Jersey Coast Line is a Commuter rail in North America, commuter rail line running from Rahway, New Jersey, Rahway to Bay Head, New Jersey, traversing through the Jersey Shore region. Operated by New Jersey Transit, the line is electr ...

, which serves New York Penn Station and passes through Middlesex and Monmouth counties, offers service at the Bay Head and Point Pleasant Beach stations, located at the northernmost corner of the county. The Monmouth Ocean Middlesex Line is a passenger rail project proposed by NJT to serve the northern central part of the county. Southern Ocean County is also located about 25 miles from the Atlantic City Line, 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 on the U.S. Route 9 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 Atlantic City. 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 County Route 549 between Toms River and Brick Township 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, 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. 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 Ocean County Mall, 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 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 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 Place (United States Census Bureau), concentration of population defined by the United States Census Bureau for statistical purposes only. CDPs have been used in each decennial census since 1980 as the counte ...

s that have been created by the

for enumeration purposes within 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 ...

. The numbers in parentheses stand for the numbers on the map.

Former municipalities

* Island Beach (1933-1965)

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) Central Jersey Jersey Shore Populated places established in 1850