Middletown Township, New Jersey
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Middletown Township is 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, C ...
in Monmouth County, New Jersey, United States. As of the
2020 United States 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 township had a total population of 67,106, making it the most-populous municipality in the county and the state's 16th largest municipality by population, having seen an increase of 584 residents (0.9%) from its population of 66,522 in the 2010 Census. Middletown is 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 ...
of
New York City New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the most densely populated major city in the Un ...
, located alongside of the
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 by Per ...
within the Raritan Valley region in 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 landmass, at , and one of the most populous urban agglomerations in the world. The vast metropolitan area ...
. Due to its affluence, low crime, access to cultural activities, public school system, proximity to the Jersey Shore and
Raritan Bayshore The Raritan Bayshore region of New Jersey is a subregion of the larger Jersey Shore. It is the area around Raritan Bay from The Amboys to Sandy Hook, in Monmouth and Middlesex counties, including the towns of Woodbridge, Perth Amboy, South Amboy, ...
, and central commuting location, Middletown was ranked in 2006, 2008, 2010, and 2014 in the Top 100 in
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's Best Places to Live. ''
Time Time is the continued sequence of existence and events that occurs in an apparently irreversible succession from the past, through the present, into the future. It is a component quantity of various measurements used to sequence events, ...
'' magazine listed Middletown on its list of "Best Places to Live 2014". In 2016, SafeWise named Middletown Township as the fifth-safest city in America to raise a child; the township was the highest ranked of the 12 communities in New Jersey included on the list.


History

Small communities of the Lenape Navesink tribe were common throughout the area when the first known European landing in what would become Middletown Township occurred in 1609. Sea captain and explorer
Henry Hudson Henry Hudson ( 1565 – disappeared 23 June 1611) was an English sea explorer and navigator during the early 17th century, best known for his explorations of present-day Canada and parts of the northeastern United States. In 1607 and 16 ...
, in search of the mythical
Northwest Passage The Northwest Passage (NWP) is the sea route between the Atlantic and Pacific oceans through the Arctic Ocean, along the northern coast of North America via waterways through the Canadian Arctic Archipelago. The eastern route along the Arc ...
in the service of the Dutch West India Company, anchored along the shores of Sandy Hook Bay in 1609, describing the area "a very good land to fall in with and a pleasant land to see." While a patroonship was granted by the company in 1651 the land wasn't officially settled. Today's Shoal Harbor Museum and Old Spy House includes portions of a house constructed by Thomas Whitlock, one of the area's first European settlers (and a
Reformed Baptist Reformed Baptists (sometimes known as Particular Baptists or Calvinistic Baptists) are Baptists that hold to a Calvinist soteriology (salvation). The first Calvinist Baptist church was formed in the 1630s. The 1689 Baptist Confession of Faith ...
at Middletown) who arrived here as early as 1664, around the time of the English takeover of
New Netherland New Netherland ( nl, Nieuw Nederland; la, Novum Belgium or ) was a 17th-century colonial province of the Dutch Republic that was located on the east coast of what is now the United States. The claimed territories extended from the Delmarva P ...
as a prelude of the
Second Anglo-Dutch War The Second Anglo-Dutch War or the Second Dutch War (4 March 1665 – 31 July 1667; nl, Tweede Engelse Oorlog "Second English War") was a conflict between England and the Dutch Republic partly for control over the seas and trade routes, whe ...
. Long-standing tradition had Penelope Stout, one of the first settlers, hiding in a tree from hostile Native Americans. Shortly after the Dutch surrender of the
New Netherland New Netherland ( nl, Nieuw Nederland; la, Novum Belgium or ) was a 17th-century colonial province of the Dutch Republic that was located on the east coast of what is now the United States. The claimed territories extended from the Delmarva P ...
to the English in 1664 a large tract of land known as the Navesink Patent or
Monmouth Tract The Monmouth Tract, also known as the Monmouth Patent, Navesink Tract or Navesink Patent was a large triangular tract of land granted as a land patent to settlers of New Jersey during the early American colonial period. History Colonel Richard Nic ...
was granted to
Baptist Baptists form a major branch of Protestantism distinguished by baptizing professing Christian believers only ( believer's baptism), and doing so by complete immersion. Baptist churches also generally subscribe to the doctrines of soul compe ...
and Quaker settlers from Long Island,
Rhode Island Rhode Island (, like ''road'') is a state in the New England region of the Northeastern United States. It is the smallest U.S. state by area and the seventh-least populous, with slightly fewer than 1.1 million residents as of 2020, but it ...
, and
Massachusetts Massachusetts (Massachusett: ''Muhsachuweesut Massachusett_writing_systems.html" ;"title="nowiki/> məhswatʃəwiːsət.html" ;"title="Massachusett writing systems">məhswatʃəwiːsət">Massachusett writing systems">məhswatʃəwiːsət'' En ...
, which soon thereafter became the townships of Middletown and Shrewsbury, and shortly thereafter that into the township of
Freehold Freehold may refer to: In real estate *Freehold (law), the tenure of property in fee simple * Customary freehold, a form of feudal tenure of land in England * Parson's freehold, where a Church of England rector or vicar of holds title to benefice ...
. During the
American Revolutionary War The American Revolutionary War (April 19, 1775 – September 3, 1783), also known as the Revolutionary War or American War of Independence, was a major war of the American Revolution. Widely considered as the war that secured the independence of t ...
, Middletown and much of the rest of Eastern Monmouth County was held by the British. After the Battle of Monmouth, the British retreat from Freehold Township carried them down King's Highway through Middletown to their embarkation points at Sandy Hook in the bay, heading back to New York City. Middletown Township was originally formed on October 31, 1693, and was incorporated as a township by the
Township Act of 1798 The Township Act of 1798 ("An Act incorporating the Inhabitants of Townships, designating their Powers, and regulating their Meetings", PL 1798, p. 289) is an Act passed by New Jersey Legislature on February 21, 1798, that formally incorporat ...
of the New Jersey Legislature on February 21, 1798. Portions of the township were taken to form Atlantic Township (February 8, 1847, now Colts Neck Township), Raritan Township (February 25, 1848, now Hazlet), Atlantic Highlands (February 28, 1887),
Highlands Highland is a broad term for areas of higher elevation, such as a mountain range or mountainous plateau. Highland, Highlands, or The Highlands, may also refer to: Places Albania * Dukagjin Highlands Armenia * Armenian Highlands Australia *Sou ...
(March 22, 1900) and Keansburg (March 22, 1917).Snyder, John P
''The Story of New Jersey's Civil Boundaries: 1606–1968''
Bureau of Geology and Topography; Trenton, New Jersey; 1969. p. 182. Accessed March 12, 2012.
Upon the completion of a railroad junction in 1875, the town grew more rapidly, eventually changing from a group of small and loosely connected fishing and agricultural villages into a fast-growing suburb at the turn of the 20th century. If Middletown ever had a recognizable town center or town square, it was lost in that rapid growth soon after
World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposing ...
. In May 1958, several
Nike Ajax The United States Army's Nike Ajax was the world's first operational guided surface-to-air missile (SAM), entering service in 1954. Nike Ajax was designed to attack conventional bomber aircraft flying at high subsonic speeds and altitudes abov ...
missiles exploded at Battery NY-53 in Chapel Hill, killing ten Army and civilian personnel. The accident was one of the worst missile-related disasters of the Cold War. During the
September 11 attacks The September 11 attacks, commonly known as 9/11, were four coordinated suicide terrorist attacks carried out by al-Qaeda against the United States on Tuesday, September 11, 2001. That morning, nineteen terrorists hijacked four commer ...
in 2001, Middletown lost 37 of its residents at the
World Trade Center World Trade Centers are sites recognized by the World Trade Centers Association. World Trade Center may refer to: Buildings * List of World Trade Centers * World Trade Center (2001–present), a building complex that includes five skyscrapers, a ...
,World Trade Center Memorial Gardens
Middletown Township. Accessed June 27, 2022. "Construction began with a groundbreaking ceremony on September 10, 2002. The Memorial Gardens were opened to the public on September 11, 2003."
which was the second-most 9/11 deaths of any municipality, behind New York City itself. The World Trade Center Memorial Gardens were opened to the public on September 11, 2003, the second anniversary of the attacks. The Waterfront site of
Naval Weapons Station Earle Naval Weapons Station Earle is a United States Navy base in Monmouth County, New Jersey, United States. Its distinguishing feature is a pier in Sandy Hook Bay where ammunition can be loaded and unloaded from warships at a safe distance from heavi ...
is located in Leonardo on Sandy Hook Bay, and is used to load ammunition onto ships on a finger pier that stretches for , making it the world's second-longest such pier. The " Evil Clown of Middletown" is a towering sign along Route 35 painted to resemble a circus clown, that currently advertises a liquor store. The sign is a remnant of an old supermarket that used to be at that location called "Food Circus". The clown and recent successful attempts from residents to save it from demolition have been featured in the pages of ''
Weird NJ ''Weird NJ'' (sometimes abbreviated ''WNJ'') is a semi-annual magazine that chronicles local legends, purported hauntings, ghost stories, folklore, unusual places or events, and other peculiarities in New Jersey. The magazine originated in 1989 as ...
'' magazine, on ''
The Tonight Show with Jay Leno ''The Tonight Show with Jay Leno'' is an American late-night talk show hosted by Jay Leno that first aired from May 25, 1992, to May 29, 2009. It resumed production on March 1, 2010 and ended on February 6, 2014. The fourth incarnation of the ...
'', and in the
Kevin Smith Kevin Patrick Smith (born August 2, 1970) is an American filmmaker, actor, comedian, comic book writer, author, YouTuber, and podcaster. He came to prominence with the low-budget comedy buddy film '' Clerks'' (1994), which he wrote, directed, ...
-directed film ''
Clerks II ''Clerks II'' is a 2006 American comedy film written and directed by Kevin Smith, the sequel to his 1994 film ''Clerks'', and his sixth feature film to be set in the View Askewniverse. The film stars Brian O'Halloran, Jeff Anderson, Rosario Daw ...
''. The Indian Trails 15K road race is held each year in April to benefit the Monmouth Conservation Foundation and includes a 5K walk/run event for fun. The race, run on a combination on paved and dirt roads, includes many relatively steep hills and has been described as "the most challenging race in the state". The Middletown Township Historical Society is a non-profit formed in 1968 to preserve and promote the history of Middletown, NJ.


Geography

According to the
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 t ...
, the township had a total area of 58.72 square miles (152.09 km2), including 40.95 square miles (106.06 km2) of land and 17.78 square miles (46.04 km2) of water (30.27%). Belford (2010 Census population of 1,768), Fairview (3,806), Leonardo (2,757), Lincroft (6,135), Navesink (2,020), North Middletown (3,295) and Port Monmouth (3,818) are all
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 count ...
s and
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 ...
located within Middletown Township. Other unincorporated communities, localities and place names located partially or completely within the township include Browns Dock, Chapel Hill, East Keansburg, Everett, Fort Hancock, Harmony, Headdons Corner, Hendrickson Corners, Highland Park, Highlands Beach, Highlands of Navesink, Holland, Leonardville,
Locust Locusts (derived from the Vulgar Latin ''locusta'', meaning grasshopper) are various species of short-horned grasshoppers in the family Acrididae that have a swarming phase. These insects are usually solitary, but under certain circumstanc ...
, Locust Point, Monmouth Hills, New Monmouth, Normandie, Oak Hill, Philips Mills, Red Hill, River Plaza, Stone Church, Tiltons Corner, Town Brook, Waterwitch Park and Wilmont Park. The
Sandy Hook Sandy Hook is a barrier spit in Middletown Township, Monmouth County, New Jersey, United States. The barrier spit, approximately in length and varying from wide, is located at the north end of the Jersey Shore. It encloses the southern ...
peninsula is also within Middletown Township, though it is not connected to the rest of the township by land. However, one could sail along Raritan Bay from the mainland to Sandy Hook and remain within Middletown Township. The township borders the Monmouth County communities of Atlantic Highlands, Colts Neck Township, Fair Haven, Hazlet Township,
Highlands Highland is a broad term for areas of higher elevation, such as a mountain range or mountainous plateau. Highland, Highlands, or The Highlands, may also refer to: Places Albania * Dukagjin Highlands Armenia * Armenian Highlands Australia *Sou ...
, Holmdel Township, Keansburg, Red Bank,
Rumson Rumson is a borough in Monmouth County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey, and is part of the New York Metropolitan Area. As of the 2020 United States Census, the borough’s population was 7,343, reflecting a 3.1% increase from the 7,122 enumera ...
, Sea Bright and
Tinton Falls Tinton Falls is a borough in Monmouth County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, the borough's population was 17,892,Poricy Park, Oak Hill Road) is locally well known for its deposits of
Cretaceous The Cretaceous ( ) is a geological period that lasted from about 145 to 66 million years ago (Mya). It is the third and final period of the Mesozoic Era, as well as the longest. At around 79 million years, it is the longest geological period of ...
marine fossils, including belemnites.


Demographics


2010 Census

The Census Bureau's 2006–2010 American Community Survey showed that (in 2010 inflation-adjusted dollars)
median household income The median income is the income amount that divides a population into two equal 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 o ...
was $96,190 (with a margin of error of +/− $2,818) and the median family income was $110,944 (+/− $3,794). Males had a median income of $78,739 (+/− $3,585) versus $52,752 (+/− $2,573) for females. The per capita income for the township was $42,792 (+/− $1,706). About 1.7% of families and 3.0% of the population were below the poverty line, including 2.9% of those under age 18 and 5.1% of those age 65 or over.


2000 Census

As of the
2000 United States Census The United States census of 2000, conducted by the Census Bureau, determined the resident population of the United States on April 1, 2000, to be 281,421,906, an increase of 13.2 percent over the 248,709,873 people enumerated during the 1990 cen ...
there were 66,327 people, 23,236 households, and 18,100 families residing in the township. The population density was 1,613.0 people per square mile (622.8/km2). There were 23,841 housing units at an average density of 579.8 per square mile (223.9/km2). The racial makeup of the township was 94.71%
White White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no hue). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully reflect and scatter all the visible wavelengths of light. White o ...
, 1.21%
African American African Americans (also referred to as Black Americans and Afro-Americans) are an ethnic group consisting of Americans with partial or total ancestry from sub-Saharan Africa. The term "African American" generally denotes descendants of ens ...
, 0.07% Native American, 2.59% Asian, 0.03%
Pacific Islander Pacific Islanders, Pasifika, Pasefika, or rarely Pacificers are the peoples of the Pacific Islands. As an ethnic/racial term, it is used to describe the original peoples—inhabitants and diasporas—of any of the three major subregions of O ...
, 0.53% from
other races Other often refers to: * Other (philosophy), a concept in psychology and philosophy Other or The Other may also refer to: Film and television * ''The Other'' (1913 film), a German silent film directed by Max Mack * ''The Other'' (1930 film), a ...
, and 0.86% from two or more races.
Hispanic The term ''Hispanic'' ( es, hispano) refers to people, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or Hispanidad. The term commonly applies to countries with a cultural and historical link to Spain and to viceroyalties forme ...
or Latino of any race were 3.41% of the population.Census 2000 Profiles of Demographic / Social / Economic / Housing Characteristics for Middletown township, Monmouth County, New Jersey
,
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 t ...
. Accessed March 1, 2012.
DP-1: Profile of General Demographic Characteristics: 2000 – Census 2000 Summary File 1 (SF 1) 100-Percent Data for Middletown township, Monmouth County, New Jersey
,
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 t ...
. Accessed November 22, 2012.
There were 23,236 households, out of which 37.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 67.3% were married couples living together, 7.8% had a female householder with no husband present, and 22.1% were non-families. 18.9% of all households were made up of individuals, and 10.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.84 and the average family size was 3.27. In the township the population was spread out, with 26.3% under the age of 18, 6.4% from 18 to 24, 28.6% from 25 to 44, 25.9% from 45 to 64, and 12.8% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 39 years. For every 100 females, there were 94.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 91.0 males. The median income for a household in the township was $75,566, and the median income for a family was $86,124. Males had a median income of $60,755 versus $36,229 for females. The per capita income for the township was $34,196. About 1.9% of families and 3.1% of the population were below the poverty line, including 3.2% of those under age 18 and 5.7% of those age 105 or over.


Government


Local government

The Township Committee operates under a special charter approved on June 23, 1971, by the New Jersey Legislature; The charter preserves many aspects of the
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, C ...
form of government. The township is one of 11 (of the 564) municipalities statewide governed under a special charter. The township's governing body is comprised of the five-member Township Committee, whose members are elected at-large in partisan elections to three-year terms on a staggered basis, with either one or two seats coming up for election each year in a three-year cycle as part of the November general election. At an annual reorganization meeting, the Committee selects one of its members to serve as Mayor and another as Deputy Mayor, each for a one-year term. The Township Committee establishes municipal policies and programs and appropriates funds.''2012 New Jersey Legislative District Data Book'',
Rutgers University Rutgers University (; RU), officially Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, is a public land-grant research university consisting of four campuses in New Jersey. Chartered in 1766, Rutgers was originally called Queen's College, and was ...
Edward J. Bloustein School of Planning and Public Policy The Edward J. Bloustein School of Planning and Public Policy of Rutgers University (The Bloustein School) serves as a center for the theory and practice of urban planning, public policy and public health/health administration scholarship. The sc ...
, March 2013, p. 67.
, members of the Middletown Township Committee are Mayor Anthony S. Perry Jr. ( R, term on committee ends December 31, 2024; term as mayor ends 2022), Deputy Mayor Rick W. Hibell (R, term on committee and as deputy mayor ends 2022), Ryan M. Clarke (R, 2023), Kimberly Kratz (R, 2023; elected to serve an unexpired term) and Kevin M. Settembrino (R, 2022).Township Committee
Middletown Township. Accessed May 2, 2022. "Township of Middletown operates under the Township Committee form of government. The 5 members are elected at-large to staggered 3-year terms. The Township Committee conducts a reorganization meeting annually in January. At this meeting the Township Committee elects one of the 5 members to serve as Mayor and 1 to serve as Deputy Mayor for a 1-year term."
November 2, 2021 General Election Official Results
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 wa ...
, December 13, 2021. Accessed January 1, 2022.
November 3, 2020 General Election Official Results
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 wa ...
, updated November 3, 2020. Accessed January 1, 2021.
General Election November 5, 2019 Official Results
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 wa ...
Clerk, updated December 16, 2019. Accessed January 1, 2020.
In September 2021, the Township Committee selected Kimberly Kratz from a list of three candidates nominated by the Republican municipal committee to fill the seat expiring in December 2023 that had been held by Patricia A. Snell until she resigned from office the previous month. Kratz served on an interim basis until the November 2021 general election, when she was chosen by the voters to serve the balance of the term of office. In February 2018, the Township Committee selected Rick Hibell to fill the seat expiring in December 2019 that was vacated by Gerard Scharfenberger after he resigned and took office on the Monmouth County
Board of Chosen Freeholders In New Jersey, a Board of County Commissioners (until 2020 named the Board of Chosen Freeholders) is the elected county-wide government board in each of the state's 21 counties. In the five counties that have an elected county executive, the ...
; Hibell served on an interim basis until the November 2018 general election, when voters elected him to fill the balance of the term of office.General Election November 6, 2018 Official Results
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 wa ...
Clerk, updated January 7, 2020. Accessed February 8, 2020.
In November 2017, the committee chose Anthony Perry, the son-in-law of then-Mayor Gerry Scharfenberger, from three candidates nominated by the Republican municipal committee to fill the seat expiring in December 2018 that had been vacated by Stephen G. Massell the previous month when he resigned from office to accept a position on the Monmouth County Tax Board. In October 2006, Middletown councilman and former four-term mayor Raymond J. O'Grady (R) was sentenced to 43 months in federal prison on bribery and extortion charges arising from his involvement in a federal sting operation known as
Operation Bid Rig Operation Bid Rig was a long-term investigation into political corruption in New Jersey conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Internal Revenue Service, and the United States Attorney for the District of New Jersey from 2002 to 2014 ...
targeting political corruption in New Jersey. O'Grady committed to obtain no-bid contracts after he had accepted bribes from contractors in exchange for the work.


Federal, state, and county representation

Middletown Township is split between the 4th and 6th Congressional DistrictsPlan Components Report
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; t ...
, December 23, 2011. Accessed February 1, 2020.
and is part of New Jersey's 13th state legislative district.Municipalities Sorted by 2011–2020 Legislative District
New Jersey Department of State. Accessed February 1, 2020.
''2019 New Jersey Citizen's Guide to Government''
New Jersey League of Women Voters. Accessed October 30, 2019.
Prior to the 2010 Census, Middletown Township had been split between the 6th Congressional District and the , a change made by the
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; t ...
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. 61, New Jersey League of Women Voters. Accessed May 22, 2015.
The split that took effect in 2013 placed 30,866 residents living in the township's southeast in the 4th District, while 35,656 residents in the northern and eastern portions of the township were placed in the 6th District. Monmouth County is governed by a Board of County Commissioners comprised of five members who are elected at-large to serve three year terms of office on a staggered basis, with either one or two seats up for election each year as part of the November general election. At an annual reorganization meeting held in the beginning of January, the board selects one of its members to serve as Director and another as Deputy Director. , Monmouth County's Commissioners are Commissioner Director Thomas A. Arnone ( R, Neptune City, term as commissioner and as director ends December 31, 2022), Commissioner Deputy Director Susan M. Kiley (R, Hazlet Township, term as commissioner ends December 31, 2024; term as deputy commissioner director ends 2022), Lillian G. Burry (R, Colts Neck Township, 2023), Nick DiRocco (R, Wall Township, 2022), and Ross F. Licitra (R, Marlboro Township, 2023). Constitutional officers elected on a countywide basis are County clerk Christine Giordano Hanlon (R, 2025; Ocean Township), Sheriff Shaun Golden (R, 2022; Howell Township) and Surrogate Rosemarie D. Peters (R, 2026; Middletown Township).


Politics

As of March 23, 2011, there were a total of 46,628 registered voters in Middletown Township, of which 10,222 (21.9%) were registered as Democrats, 11,674 (25.0%) were registered as Republicans and 24,701 (53.0%) were registered as Unaffiliated. There were 31 voters registered to other parties. In the
2012 presidential election This national electoral calendar for 2012 lists the national/ federal elections held in 2012 in all sovereign states and their dependent territories. By-elections are excluded, though national referendums are included. January *3–4 January ...
, Republican Mitt Romney received 58.2% of the vote (18,426 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 ...
with 40.4% (12,801 votes), and other candidates with 1.4% (448 votes), among the 37,742 ballots cast by the township's 48,011 registered voters (6,067 ballots were spoiled), for a turnout of 78.6%. In the 2008 presidential election, Republican John McCain received 57.6% of the vote (20,997 cast), ahead of Democrat Barack Obama with 41.3% (15,058 votes) and other candidates with 1.1% (404 votes), among the 36,887 ballots cast by the township's 48,174 registered voters, for a turnout of 76.6%. In the 2004 presidential election, Republican George W. Bush received 60.2% of the vote (21,317 ballots cast), outpolling Democrat
John Kerry John Forbes Kerry (born December 11, 1943) is an American attorney, politician and diplomat who currently serves as the first United States special presidential envoy for climate. A member of the Forbes family and the Democratic Party, he ...
with 38.6% (13,651 votes) and other candidates with 0.7% (301 votes), among the 35,403 ballots cast by the township's 46,022 registered voters, for a turnout percentage of 76.9. In the 2013 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 N ...
received 74.5% of the vote (15,145 cast), ahead of Democrat Barbara Buono with 23.8% (4,834 votes), and other candidates with 1.7% (337 votes), among the 20,555 ballots cast by the township's 47,933 registered voters (239 ballots were spoiled), for a turnout of 42.9%. In the 2009 gubernatorial election, Republican Chris Christie received 67.3% of the vote (16,351 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 25.8% (6,265 votes), Independent Chris Daggett with 5.7% (1,382 votes) and other candidates with 0.8% (188 votes), among the 24,298 ballots cast by the township's 47,422 registered voters, yielding a 51.2% turnout.


Education

The Middletown Township Public School District serves students in pre-kindergarten through
twelfth grade Twelfth grade, 12th grade, senior year, or grade 12 is the final year of secondary school in most of North America. In other regions, it may also be referred to as class 12 or Year 13. In most countries, students are usually between the ages of 17 ...
. As of the 2018–19 school year, the district, comprised of 17 schools, had an enrollment of 9,617 students and 792.1 classroom teachers (on an FTE basis), for a student–teacher ratio of 12.1:1.District information for Middletown Township Public School District
National Center for Education Statistics. Accessed April 1, 2020.
The district consists of twelve K–5 elementary schools, three middle schools for grades 6–8, and two four-year high schools. Four elementary schools feed into each of the three middle schools. The facilities vary in age, architecture, size, and student population. Schools in the district (with 2018–19 enrollment data from the National Center for Education Statistics) are Bayview Elementary School (366 students in grades K–5), Fairview Elementary School (295; K–5), Harmony Elementary School (507; Pre-K–5), Leonardo Elementary School (274; K–5), Lincroft Elementary School (450; K–5), Middletown Village Elementary School (384; K–5), Navesink Elementary School (233; K–5), New Monmouth Elementary School (367; Pre-K–5), Nut Swamp Elementary School (572; K–5), Ocean Avenue Elementary School (294; K–5), Port Monmouth Elementary School (Now closed) (207; K–5), River Plaza Elementary School (286; K–5), Bayshore Middle School (626; 6–8), Thompson Middle School (1,005; 6–8), Thorne Middle School (677; 6–8), Middletown High School North (1,449; 9–12) and Middletown High School South (1,565; 9–12). Middletown also hosts two public magnet schools,
High Technology High School High Technology High School (HTHS), founded in 1991, is a four-year magnet public high school for students in ninth through twelfth grades, located in the Lincroft section of Middletown Township, in Monmouth County, United States, operated a ...
, on the property of
Brookdale Community College Brookdale Community College is a public community college in the Lincroft section of Middletown Township, in Monmouth County, New Jersey, New Jersey, United States. Founded in 1967, the college also has regional locations in Neptune Township, ...
, located in the Lincroft section of town, and the
Marine Academy of Science and Technology The Marine Academy of Science and Technology (MAST) is a coeducational four-year magnet public high school located in the Sandy Hook section of Middletown Township, in Monmouth County, New Jersey, United States, serving students in ninth throu ...
located on
Sandy Hook Sandy Hook is a barrier spit in Middletown Township, Monmouth County, New Jersey, United States. The barrier spit, approximately in length and varying from wide, is located at the north end of the Jersey Shore. It encloses the southern ...
, which are part of the Monmouth County Vocational School District. Middletown Township is home to two private high schools. Christian Brothers Academy is an all-boys College preparatory school with a focus on Christian education run by the Institute of the Brothers of the Christian Schools, located in Lincroft. Mater Dei High School is a four-year Catholic coeducational high school located in the New Monmouth section and operates under the supervision of 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, Mercer, Monmouth, and Ocean counties in central New Jersey. The Diocese of Trenton is a suffragan diocese in the ecc ...
.Monmouth County School Directory
,
Roman Catholic Diocese of Trenton The Diocese of Trenton is a Latin Church ecclesiastical territory or diocese of the Catholic Church that encompasses Burlington, Mercer, Monmouth, and Ocean counties in central New Jersey. The Diocese of Trenton is a suffragan diocese in the ecc ...
. Accessed July 18, 2016.
Saint Mary School (for Pre-K–8, founded in 1953) in New Monmouth and Saint Leo the Great School (a
National Blue Ribbon School The National Blue Ribbon Schools Program is a United States Department of Education award program that recognizes exemplary public and non-public schools on a yearly basis. Using standards of excellence evidenced by student achievement measures, ...
founded in 1960) in Lincroft both operate as part of 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, Mercer, Monmouth, and Ocean counties in central New Jersey. The Diocese of Trenton is a suffragan diocese in the ecc ...
. Oak Hill Academy is an independent school for Pre-K–8 in Lincroft, that was founded in 1981.


Infrastructure


Emergency services

Middletown has some of the largest emergency service departments in the area. The police and fire departments celebrated a joint 75th Anniversary in 2003. As of November 2016, Middletown Township switched their radio system over to county dispatch as part of an effort to save an estimated $1 million per year by eliminating 15 dispatchers.


Police

The Middletown Township Police Department is the largest police force in Monmouth County, with 112 sworn officers. The Middletown Township Police Department was formed on May 15, 1928, with the hiring of its first full-time police officer, Earl N. Hoyer. His appointment read Patrolman / Chief of Police, at an annual salary of $125.00. The Rude Awakening Program educates the youth and their parents about alcohol abuse and its position as a gateway drug to further and harsher drugs and substance abuse. The program is specifically designed to educate the student in the life altering ramifications of drinking and driving. The program is mainly backed by the police department and has later encompassed EMS and fire into the program for vehicle extrication demonstrations.


Fire department

The Middletown Township Fire Department (referred to as MTFD, Monmouth County agency prefix 31 and 71) consists of 11 fire companies plus additional specialized units spread throughout the town and is composed of 500 volunteers. It is commonly stated that the Middletown Township Fire Department is "The World's Largest All Volunteer Fire Department". Fire companies, in order of creation, are as follows: * Navesink Hook and Ladder Fire Company No. 1 on May 1, 1886 * Brevent Park & Leonardo Fire Company on October 16, 1903 * Belford Chemical Engine Company No. 1 on August 14, 1916 * Community Fire Company of Leonardo on September 9, 1922 * East Keansburg Fire Company No. 1 in 1922 * Port Monmouth Fire Company No. 1 in November 1922 * Belford Independent Fire Company in 1923 * Middletown Fire Company No. 1 in April 1924 * River Plaza Hose Company No. 1 on December 8, 1927, For a time these companies acted separately until August 28, 1928, when all the individual companies were brought together to form the current fire department. Since then, two more companies have been formed: * Lincroft Fire Company in May 1932 * Old Village Fire Company on September 7, 1955, Later, the individual companies took on station numbers with regard to their creation date. Navesink becoming Station #1 and Old Village becoming Station #11.


=Specialized units

= There are other special units besides the main fire companies. The MTFD has its own Fire Police Unit, Air Unit, and Special Services Unit (SSU). * MTFD Fire Police controls fire scenes and ensures that civilians are kept away * The Air Unit provides service for firefighter SCBA equipment and also has a mobile air compressor truck to refill air bottles at the scene of a fire. This truck responds outside of Middletown to neighboring towns as requested. * MTFD Special Services Emergency Response Team provides Level A hazardous material emergency response, technical and mass decontamination, structural collapse rescue, emergency shoring, high & low angle rope rescue, confined space rescue, trench rescue and various other
technical rescue Technical rescue is the use of specialised tools and skills for rescue, including vehicle extrication, confined space rescue, rope rescue, trench rescue, structural collapse rescue, water rescue, and wilderness search and rescue. These often requi ...
capabilities to Township of Middletown as well as neighboring towns as requested or under contract by certain towns. * The Brevent Park and Leonardo Fire Company is the owner of a marine fireboat that can be requested throughout the Bayshore community for scenes on the water involving fire and water rescue.


EMS

There are five squads that make up the Township of Middletown EMS Department (EMS) and provide Basic Life Support (BLS) ambulances to the township. They are: * Middletown First Aid and Rescue Squad * Fairview First Aid Squad * Port Monmouth First Aid Squad * Leonardo First Aid and Rescue Squad * Lincroft First Aid and Rescue Squad They are all volunteer as well. All except Port Monmouth have EMS rescue trucks with equipment to handle vehicle extrications and rope rescue. These squads also have boats and dive teams to perform rescue and recovery operations involving water which have been called out of town to assist with large area searches. Port Monmouth provides a bariatric unit, a converted ambulance, for severely overweight patients. It has been requested outside of Middletown Township as a back-up for MONOC's unit. Advanced Life Support (ALS) or paramedics for the township and surrounding towns are provided by MONOC. The two primary paramedic units for Middletown Township are Medic 206 located at MTFD Station 8 (Middletown Fire Company No. 1) covering a majority of the town and Medic 201 located at South Aberdeen First Aid Squad in
Aberdeen Aberdeen (; sco, Aiberdeen ; gd, Obar Dheathain ; la, Aberdonia) is a city in North East Scotland, and is the third most populous city in the country. Aberdeen is one of Scotland's 32 local government council areas (as Aberdeen City), and ...
covering the Northwestern end of town. Other medic units from farther distances are dispatched when these are not available.


Transportation


Roads and highways

, the township had a total of of roadways, of which were maintained by the municipality, by Monmouth 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 transporta ...
and by the New Jersey Turnpike Authority. 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 Jerse ...
is the largest and busiest highway which passes through the township, connecting
Tinton Falls Tinton Falls is a borough in Monmouth County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, the borough's population was 17,892,Holmdel Township in the north. The township includes Parkway interchange 109 which is signed for County Route 520 to Red Bank / Lincroft and interchange 114 for Holmdel / Middletown. There are three toll gates on the Parkway located in Middletown, two of them are at Exit 109 (northbound entry, southbound exit), and two at Exit 114 (northbound entry, with the southbound toll exit in Holmdel). Routes 35 and 36 pass through Middletown. CR 516 travels through the northern part of the township and its eastern end is at Route 36 near Leonardo, while its western end is at Route 18 in Old Bridge. CR 520 passes through the southern portion of Middletown, and leads to Sea Bright to the east, and turns into CR 612 in Monroe Township to the west, making it a vital route for central New Jersey, by connecting sections of the state near the
shore 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 ...
to inland sections of the state near the New Jersey Turnpike at Exit 8A.


Public transportation

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 ...
provides rail service at the Middletown station which runs between New York City's
Pennsylvania Station Pennsylvania Station (often abbreviated Penn Station) is a name applied by the Pennsylvania Railroad (PRR) to several of its grand passenger terminals. Several are still in active use by Amtrak and other transportation services; others have been ...
and Bay Head on the
North Jersey Coast Line The North Jersey Coast Line is a commuter rail line running from Rahway to Bay Head, New Jersey, traversing through the Jersey Shore region. Operated by New Jersey Transit, the line is electrified as far south as Long Branch. On rail system m ...
. NJ Transit is a major commuter rail system, with track-sharing agreements with
Amtrak The National Railroad Passenger Corporation, doing business as Amtrak () , is the national passenger railroad company of the United States. It operates inter-city rail service in 46 of the 48 contiguous U.S. States and nine cities in Canada ...
, Metro-North Railroad,
Norfolk Southern The Norfolk Southern Railway is a Class I freight railroad in the United States formed in 1982 with the merger of Norfolk and Western Railway and Southern Railway. With headquarters in Atlanta, the company operates 19,420 route miles (31, ...
, CSX Transportation, and Conrail Shared Assets. NJ Transit offers local bus service on the 817,
833 __NOTOC__ Year 833 ( DCCCXXXIII) was a common year starting on Wednesday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar. Events By place Byzantine Empire * Byzantine-Arab War: Emperor Theophilos signs an armistice for p ...
and
834 __NOTOC__ Year 834 ( DCCCXXXIV) was a common year starting on Thursday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar. Events By place Europe * March 1 – Emperor Louis the Pious is restored as sole ruler of the Fr ...
routes. Ferry service to and from New York City is available through the
NY Waterway NY Waterway (or New York Waterway) is a private transportation company running ferry and bus service in the Port of New York and New Jersey and in the Hudson Valley. The company utilizes public-private partnership with agencies such as the Port ...
. The ferry slip is located in the neighborhood of Belford and is utilized by many Middletown residents for commuting to New York City. The roughly 50 minute trip on the ferry to West Midtown Ferry Terminal travels across the
Lower New York Bay Lower New York Bay is a section of New York Bay south of the Narrows (the strait between Staten Island and Brooklyn). The eastern end of the Bay is marked by two spits of land, Sandy Hook, New Jersey, and Rockaway, Queens. The waterway b ...
to enter Lower New York Harbor at
The Narrows __NOTOC__ The Narrows is the tidal strait separating the boroughs of Staten Island and Brooklyn in New York City, United States. It connects the Upper New York Bay and Lower New York Bay and forms the principal channel by which the Hudson Riv ...
. SeaStreak is another local ferry service, with its ferry slip in neighboring
Highlands Highland is a broad term for areas of higher elevation, such as a mountain range or mountainous plateau. Highland, Highlands, or The Highlands, may also refer to: Places Albania * Dukagjin Highlands Armenia * Armenian Highlands Australia *Sou ...
. SeaStreak offers ferry service to and from New York City with trips to Pier 11 (on the
East River The East River is a saltwater tidal estuary in New York City. The waterway, which is actually not a river despite its name, connects Upper New York Bay on its south end to Long Island Sound on its north end. It separates the borough of Quee ...
at Wall Street) and East 35th Street in Manhattan. The ferry service also offers seasonal travel, such as to the public beaches on
Sandy Hook Sandy Hook is a barrier spit in Middletown Township, Monmouth County, New Jersey, United States. The barrier spit, approximately in length and varying from wide, is located at the north end of the Jersey Shore. It encloses the southern ...
, baseball games at
Yankee Stadium Yankee Stadium is a baseball stadium located in the Bronx, New York City. It is the home field of the New York Yankees of Major League Baseball, and New York City FC of Major League Soccer. Opened in April 2009, the stadium replaced the orig ...
and
Citi Field Citi Field is a baseball stadium located in Flushing Meadows–Corona Park in New York City, United States. It opened in 2009 and is the home field of Major League Baseball's New York Mets. The stadium was built as a replacement for the adjacent ...
, trips to
Broadway Broadway may refer to: Theatre * Broadway Theatre (disambiguation) * Broadway theatre, theatrical productions in professional theatres near Broadway, Manhattan, New York City, U.S. ** Broadway (Manhattan), the street **Broadway Theatre (53rd Stree ...
matinees, Martha's Vineyard in
Massachusetts Massachusetts (Massachusett: ''Muhsachuweesut Massachusett_writing_systems.html" ;"title="nowiki/> məhswatʃəwiːsət.html" ;"title="Massachusett writing systems">məhswatʃəwiːsət">Massachusett writing systems">məhswatʃəwiːsət'' En ...
, college football games at
West Point The United States Military Academy (USMA), also known Metonymy, metonymically as West Point or simply as Army, is a United States service academies, United States service academy in West Point, New York. It was originally established as a f ...
,
fall foliage Autumn leaf color is a phenomenon that affects the normal green leaves of many deciduous trees and shrubs by which they take on, during a few weeks in the autumn season, various shades of yellow, orange, red, purple, and brown. The phenomenon i ...
in the
Hudson Valley The Hudson Valley (also known as the Hudson River Valley) comprises the valley of the Hudson River and its adjacent communities in the U.S. state of New York. The region stretches from the Capital District including Albany and Troy south to ...
, and to the
Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade The Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade is an annual parade in New York City presented by the U.S.-based department store chain Macy's. The Parade first took place in 1924, tying it for the second-oldest Thanksgiving parade in the United States with ...
, among other excursions.


Healthcare

Hackensack Meridian Health Hackensack Meridian Health (HMH) is a network of healthcare providers in New Jersey, based out of Edison. Members include academic centers, acute care facilities, and research hospitals. Hackensack Meridian Health's goal is to create one integra ...
has two hospitals in the area. Bayshore Medical Center in neighboring Holmdel and Riverview Medical Center in neighboring Red Bank. These are local hospitals for the
Raritan Bayshore The Raritan Bayshore region of New Jersey is a subregion of the larger Jersey Shore. It is the area around Raritan Bay from The Amboys to Sandy Hook, in Monmouth and Middlesex counties, including the towns of Woodbridge, Perth Amboy, South Amboy, ...
region and handles all but trauma cases. The closest major university hospitals to the area that handle trauma care are,
Jersey Shore University Medical Center Jersey Shore University Medical Center (JSUMC) is a 691-bed non-profit, tertiary research and academic medical center located in Neptune Township, New Jersey, servicing coastal New Jersey and the Central Jersey area. JSUMC is the region’s only ...
in nearby Neptune and
Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital The Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital (RWJUH) is an American 965-bed hospital with campuses in New Brunswick (Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital New Brunswick), and Somerville, New Jersey ( Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital Somer ...
in nearby
New Brunswick New Brunswick (french: Nouveau-Brunswick, , locally ) is one of the thirteen provinces and territories of Canada. It is one of the three Maritime provinces and one of the four Atlantic provinces. It is the only province with both English and ...
. Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, founded in
New York City New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the most densely populated major city in the Un ...
in 1884, is the oldest cancer treatment and research center in the world. The cancer center has a regional center for Monmouth County located in Middletown. The Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center of Monmouth is the first center outside of the main center in
Manhattan Manhattan (), known regionally as the City, is the most densely populated and geographically smallest of the five boroughs of New York City. The borough is also coextensive with New York County, one of the original counties of the U.S. state ...
to offer outpatient surgery.


In popular culture

The
progressive metal Progressive metal (sometimes shortened to prog metal) is a broad fusion music genre melding heavy metal and progressive rock, combining the loud "aggression" and amplified guitar-driven sound of the former with the more experimental, cerebral ...
band
Symphony X Symphony X is an American progressive metal band from Middletown, New Jersey. Founded in 1994, the band consists of guitarist Michael Romeo, keyboardist Michael Pinnella, drummer Jason Rullo, lead vocalist Russell Allen and bassist Micha ...
was formed in Middletown Township in the mid-1990s.
Kevin Smith Kevin Patrick Smith (born August 2, 1970) is an American filmmaker, actor, comedian, comic book writer, author, YouTuber, and podcaster. He came to prominence with the low-budget comedy buddy film '' Clerks'' (1994), which he wrote, directed, ...
wrote and filmed ''
Clerks A clerk is someone who works in an office. A retail clerk works in a store. Office holder Clerk(s) may also refer to a person who holds an office, most commonly in a local unit of government, or a court. *Barristers' clerk, a manager and adminis ...
'' at a Quick Stop in the Leonardo section of the township.Wasserstein, Ben
"The Man with 50,000 Friends: How Kevin Smith accidentally invented the future of movie marketing.
'' New York'', July 24, 2006. Accessed July 3, 2007. "Smith's is the great Horatio Alger story of nineties independent film. A New School and film-school dropout, he wrote the screenplay for Clerks while working at a Quick Stop in Leonardo, New Jersey. He shot in the store at night with $27,000 he raised in part by selling his comic-book collection."


Notable people

People who were born in, are residents of, or otherwise closely associated with Middletown Township include: * Mary Kay Adams (born 1962), actress on ''
Babylon 5 ''Babylon 5'' is an American space opera television series created by writer and producer J. Michael Straczynski, under the Babylonian Productions label, in association with Straczynski's Synthetic Worlds Ltd. and Warner Bros. Domestic Tele ...
'' * Joseph Azzolina (1926–2010), served in the
New Jersey General Assembly The New Jersey General Assembly is the lower house of the New Jersey Legislature. Since the election of 1967 (1968 Session), the Assembly has consisted of 80 members. Two members are elected from each of New Jersey's 40 legislative districts f ...
from 1966 to 1972, 1986–88, and from 1992 to 2006 *
Sebastian Bach Sebastian Philip Bierk (born April 3, 1968), known professionally as Sebastian Bach, is a Canadian-American singer who achieved mainstream success as the frontman of the hard rock band Skid Row from 1987 to 1996. He has acted on Broadway and ha ...
(born 1968), heavy metal singer * Howard Barbieri (born 1987), former
American football American football (referred to simply as football in the United States and Canada), also known as gridiron, is a team sport played by two teams of eleven players on a rectangular field with goalposts at each end. The offense, the team wi ...
guard * Virginia Bauer (born 1956), advocate for families of the victims of the
September 11 terror attacks The September 11 attacks, commonly known as 9/11, were four coordinated suicide terrorist attacks carried out by al-Qaeda against the United States on Tuesday, September 11, 2001. That morning, Hijackers in the September 11 attacks, ninet ...
who is a Commissioner of the
Port Authority of New York and New Jersey The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, PANYNJ; stylized, in logo since 2020, as Port Authority NY NJ, is a joint venture between the U.S. states of New York and New Jersey, established in 1921 through an interstate compact authorize ...
* Alyssa Beckerman (born 1981), former
gymnast Gymnastics is a type of sport that includes physical exercises requiring balance, strength, flexibility, agility, coordination, dedication and endurance. The movements involved in gymnastics contribute to the development of the arms, legs, sh ...
and balance beam national champion * Jon Bon Jovi (born 1962), musician *
Vinnie Brand Vincent S. Brand III (born July 6, 1963) is an American stand-up comedian from Middletown, NJ. He is best known for being the owner of The Stress Factory Comedy Clubs located in New Brunswick, NJ and Bridgeport, CT. Brand has also made televis ...
(born 1963), comedian *
Nicole Byer Nicole Byer (born August 29, 1986) is an American comedian, actress, and television host. She is known as the host of the Netflix comedic reality bake-off series ''Nailed It!'' (2018–present), for which she received two Primetime Emmy Award no ...
(born 1986), comedian * Shilique Calhoun (born 1992), NFL
defensive end Defensive end (DE) is a defensive position in the sport of gridiron football. This position has designated the players at each end of the defensive line, but changes in formations over the years have substantially changed how the position is ...
* Pete Capella (born 1977), voice actor and comedian *
Connie Chung Constance Yu-Hwa Chung (born August 20, 1946) is an American journalist. She has been an anchor and reporter for the U.S. television news networks NBC, CBS, ABC, CNN, and MSNBC. Some of her more famous interview subjects include Claus von B ...
(born 1946), TV journalist"From working-class to wealthy, distinct neighborhoods make Middletown"
'' Asbury Park Press'', October 14, 2004, backed up by
Archive.is archive.today (or archive.is) is a web archiving site, founded in 2012, that saves snapshots on demand, and has support for JavaScript-heavy sites such as Google Maps and progressive web apps such as Twitter. archive.today records two sn ...
as of August 12, 2013. Accessed November 26, 2017.
* Gary Cuozzo (born 1941), former
quarterback The quarterback (commonly abbreviated "QB"), colloquially known as the "signal caller", is a position in gridiron football. Quarterbacks are members of the offensive platoon and mostly line up directly behind the offensive line. In modern Ame ...
who played in the NFL for the Baltimore Colts,
New Orleans Saints The New Orleans Saints are a professional American football team based in New Orleans. The Saints compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) South division. Since 1975, the te ...
,
Minnesota Vikings The Minnesota Vikings are a professional American football team based in Minneapolis. They compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the National Football Conference (NFC) North division. Founded in 1960 as an expansi ...
and
St. Louis Cardinals The St. Louis Cardinals are an American professional baseball team based in St. Louis. The Cardinals compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) Central division. Since the 2006 season, the Cardinals ha ...
* James Dale (born 1970), gay rights activist best known for his role in '' Boy Scouts of America v. Dale'', the landmark US Supreme Court case challenging the BSA's policy of excluding homosexuals from being scout leaders *
Donald De Lue Donald Harcourt De Lue (October 5, 1897, Boston, Massachusetts – August 26, 1988, Leonardo, New Jersey) was an American sculptor, best known for his public monuments. Life and career De Lue studied at the Boston Museum of Fine Arts and la ...
(1897–1988), sculptor *
Billy Devaney William Joseph Peter Francis Devaney (born March 7, 1955) is a professional American football analyst on ESPN. Prior to that Devaney was a football executive. He was the general manager for the St. Louis Rams of the National Football League from ...
(born 1955), general manager of the
St. Louis Rams The St. Louis Rams were a professional American football team of the National Football League (NFL). They played in St. Louis from 1995 to the 2015 season, before moving back to Los Angeles, where the team had played from 1946 to 1994. The arr ...
* Peter Dobson (born 1964), actor who had a cameo role in '' Forrest Gump'' as
Elvis Presley Elvis Aaron Presley (January 8, 1935 – August 16, 1977), or simply Elvis, was an American singer and actor. Dubbed the "Honorific nicknames in popular music, King of Rock and Roll", he is regarded as Cultural impact of Elvis Presley, one ...
* Dean Ehehalt (born 1964), head coach of the Monmouth Hawks baseball team *
Siobhan Fallon Hogan Siobhan Fallon Hogan (pronounced , born May 13, 1961) is an American actress and comedian. She has appeared in films such as ''Men in Black'', '' Forrest Gump'', ''The Negotiator'', ''Holes'', ''Daddy Day Care'', ''Going in Style'', and '' The Ho ...
(born 1961), former ''
Saturday Night Live ''Saturday Night Live'' (often abbreviated to ''SNL'') is an American late-night live television sketch comedy and variety show created by Lorne Michaels and developed by Dick Ebersol that airs on NBC and Peacock (streaming service), Peacock. ...
'' cast member * Vincent Favale (born 1959), co-founder of
Comedy Central Comedy Central is an American basic cable channel owned by Paramount Global through its network division's MTV Entertainment Group unit, based in Manhattan. The channel is geared towards young adults aged 18–34 and carries comedy programmin ...
* Darren Fenster (born 1978), manager in the
Boston Red Sox The Boston Red Sox are an American professional baseball team based in Boston. The Red Sox compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) East division. Founded in as one of the American League's eigh ...
minor league system * John P. Gallagher (1932–2011), politician who served in the New Jersey Senate from the 13th Legislative District from 1982 to 1984 * Amy Handlin (born 1956), represents the 13th Legislative District in the
New Jersey General Assembly The New Jersey General Assembly is the lower house of the New Jersey Legislature. Since the election of 1967 (1968 Session), the Assembly has consisted of 80 members. Two members are elected from each of New Jersey's 40 legislative districts f ...
* Tom Hanson (1907–1985), football halfback in the
National Football League The National Football League (NFL) is a professional American football league that consists of 32 teams, divided equally between the American Football Conference (AFC) and the National Football Conference (NFC). The NFL is one of the ...
, mainly for the
Philadelphia Eagles The Philadelphia Eagles are a professional American football team based in Philadelphia. The Eagles compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) East division. The team play ...
, for whom he caught the first touchdown in franchise history *
Robert Harper Robert or Bob Harper may refer to: * Robert Almer Harper (1862–1946), American botanist * Robert Goodloe Harper (1765–1825), US senator from Maryland * Robert Harper (fl. 1734–1761), founder of Harpers Ferry, West Virginia * Robert Harper (a ...
(1951–2020), stage, film and television actor *
Judith Rich Harris Judith Rich Harris (February 10, 1938 – December 29, 2018) was an American psychology researcher and the author of '' The Nurture Assumption'', a book criticizing the belief that parents are the most important factor in child development, and pr ...
(born 1938), psychologist and author of '' The Nurture Assumption'' * Debbie Harry (born 1945), singer-songwriter and actress, lead singer of the band Blondie * Josh Heald (born 1977), screenwriter, director, and producer best known for his work on ''
Cobra Kai ''Cobra Kai'' is an American martial arts comedy-drama television series and a sequel to the original ''The Karate Kid'' films by Robert Mark Kamen. The series was created by Josh Heald, Jon Hurwitz, and Hayden Schlossberg, and is distributed ...
'' and '' Hot Tub Time Machine.'' * Jerry Holbert, editorial cartoonist * Kristopher Jansma, fiction writer and essayist * Ed Jones (born 1952), former defensive back for the Edmonton Eskimos of the
Canadian Football League The Canadian Football League (CFL; french: Ligue canadienne de football—LCF) is a professional sports league in Canada. The CFL is the highest level of competition in Canadian football. The league consists of nine teams, each located in a ci ...
from 1976 to 1984, who won five Grey Cups for the Eskimos and was a CFL All-Star from 1979 to 1981 * Bill Kunkel (1936–1985), former Major League Baseball pitcher and umpire * Jeff Kunkel (born 1962), former major-league shortstop * Joe Kyrillos (born 1960), politician who served in the New Jersey Senate from 1992 to 2018, where he represented the 13th Legislative District, and in the General Assembly from 1988 to 1992 * Mike Largey (born 1960), former professional basketball player who played
power forward The power forward (PF), also known as the four, is one of the five traditional positions in a regulation basketball game. Traditionally, power forwards have played a role similar to centers. When on offense, they typically play with their ba ...
for
Hapoel Tel Aviv B.C. Hapoel Tel Aviv Basketball Club ( he, מועדון כדורסל הפועל תל אביב) is an Israeli professional basketball club, based in Tel Aviv, Israel. Historically the second-most successful side in Israeli basketball with five nationa ...
of the Israeli Basketball Premier League from 1984 to 1987 * Jack Lawless (born 1987) musician who has been the drummer for the bands
DNCE DNCE is an American dance-rock band consisting of lead singer Joe Jonas, drummer Jack Lawless, and guitarist JinJoo Lee. Bassist and keyboardist Cole Whittle was a part of the band from when it started in 2015 to when it went on hiatus in 2018. ...
and Ocean Grove, as well as a live drummer for the Jonas Brothers * Rick Lovato (born 1992),
long snapper In American football, the long snapper (or deep snapper) is a center on special teams whose duty is to snap the football over a longer distance, typically around 15 yards during punts, and 7–8 yards during field goals and extra point att ...
for the
Philadelphia Eagles The Philadelphia Eagles are a professional American football team based in Philadelphia. The Eagles compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) East division. The team play ...
of the
National Football League The National Football League (NFL) is a professional American football league that consists of 32 teams, divided equally between the American Football Conference (AFC) and the National Football Conference (NFC). The NFL is one of the ...
(NFL) * Brian Lynch (born 1973), writer and director of films including '' Big Helium Dog'' *
Raymond P. Martinez Raymond P. Martinez was a Senior Advisor at the U.S. Department of Transportation and the former Administrator of the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration. From 2010 to 2018, Martinez served as the New Jersey Motor Vehicle Commission, New ...
, Administrator of the
Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) is an agency in the United States Department of Transportation that regulates the trucking industry in the United States. The primary mission of the FMCSA is to reduce crashes, injuries and f ...
* Melanie McGuire (born 1972, née Slate), convicted of murder *
Knowshon Moreno Knowshon Rockwell Moreno (born July 16, 1987) is a former American football running back. He played college football at the University of Georgia and was selected with the 12th overall pick in the 2009 NFL Draft by the Denver Broncos. He also pl ...
(born 1987), current
Miami Dolphins The Miami Dolphins are a professional American football team based in the Miami metropolitan area. They compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member team of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) East division. The team p ...
running back and 1st round draft choice of the
Denver Broncos The Denver Broncos are a professional American football franchise based in Denver. The Broncos compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) West division. The team is headquar ...
*
Michael Mulheren Michael Mulheren is an American actor from Middletown, New Jersey.Van Benthuysen, Gretchen C"Local actor lands part in Broadway’s ‘Spider-Man’"''Culture Klatch''. Aug 20 10. Best known for ''Law & Order'', '' Rescue Me'', and '' Royal Pa ...
, actor *
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 ...
(born 1957), financier, diplomat and
Governor of New Jersey The governor of New Jersey is the head of government of New Jersey. The office of governor is an elected position with a four-year term. There is a two consecutive term term limit, with no limitation on non-consecutive terms. The official r ...
following the 2017 gubernatorial election * Tammy Murphy (born 1965), First Lady of New Jersey *
Olivia Nuzzi Olivia Nuzzi (born January 6, 1993) is a political reporter who serves as the Washington correspondent for ''New York'' magazine. Early and personal life Nuzzi was born in New York City. She is the daughter of Kelly and John Nuzzi, who was born ...
(born 1993), political journalist * Christian Peter (born 1972), former NFL defensive tackle * Jason Peter (born 1974), former NFL football player *
Maury Povich Maurice Richard Povich (born January 17, 1939) is an American retired television personality, best known for hosting the tabloid talk show '' Maury'' which aired from 1991 to 2022. Povich began his career as a radio reporter, initially at WWD ...
(born 1939), talk show personality * Geraldo Rivera (born 1943), television journalistCheslow, Jerry
"If You're Thinking of Living In: Middletown Township, N.J.;A Historic Community on Raritan Bay"
''
The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid d ...
'', December 24, 1995. Accessed March 12, 2012. "The most expensive area is along the Shrewsbury River, where an eight-bedroom colonial on five acres is listed at $5.9 million. Among the residents of that area are Geraldo Rivera, the television personality, and members of the Hovnanian home-building family."
* Richard Scudder (1913–2012), newspaper pioneer and co-founder of the MediaNews Group *
Kevin Smith Kevin Patrick Smith (born August 2, 1970) is an American filmmaker, actor, comedian, comic book writer, author, YouTuber, and podcaster. He came to prominence with the low-budget comedy buddy film '' Clerks'' (1994), which he wrote, directed, ...
(born 1970), filmmaker whose films include ''
Clerks A clerk is someone who works in an office. A retail clerk works in a store. Office holder Clerk(s) may also refer to a person who holds an office, most commonly in a local unit of government, or a court. *Barristers' clerk, a manager and adminis ...
'', ''
Chasing Amy ''Chasing Amy'' is a 1997 American romantic comedy-drama film written and directed by Kevin Smith and starring Ben Affleck, Joey Lauren Adams, and Jason Lee. The film is about a male comic artist (Affleck) who falls in love with a lesbian woman ...
'' and '' Jersey Girl'' * Jon Stewart (born 1962) comedian, writer, producer, director, actor, media critic, and former host of ''
The Daily Show ''The Daily Show'' is an American late-night talk and satirical news television program. It airs each Monday through Thursday on Comedy Central with release shortly after on Paramount+. ''The Daily Show'' draws its comedy and satire form from ...
'' * Penelope Stout (1622–1732), shipwrecked on Sandy Hook in 1640s and was a founder of Middletown * William Strickland (1788–1854), pioneering architect and civil engineer * E.W. Swackhamer (1927–1994), television director * Bob Tucker (born 1945), former tight end in the NFL for the New York Giants and
Minnesota Vikings The Minnesota Vikings are a professional American football team based in Minneapolis. They compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the National Football Conference (NFC) North division. Founded in 1960 as an expansi ...
* James van Riemsdyk (born 1989), drafted second overall in the 2007 NHL Entry Draft, he has played for the
Philadelphia Flyers The Philadelphia Flyers are a professional ice hockey team based in Philadelphia. The Flyers compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Metropolitan Division in the Eastern Conference. The team plays its home games in Well ...
and
Toronto Maple Leafs The Toronto Maple Leafs (officially the Toronto Maple Leaf Hockey Club and often referred to as the Leafs) are a professional ice hockey team based in Toronto. They compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Atlantic Div ...
* Trevor van Riemsdyk (born 1991), professional hockey player *
Billy Van Zandt William Van Zandt (born December 13, 1957) is an American playwright and actor, and the author of the best-selling TV memoir ''Get in the Car, Jane (Adventures in the TV Wasteland).'' Early life Van Zandt was born in Red Bank, New Jersey, to Ma ...
(born 1957), actor/playwright *
Steven Van Zandt Steven Van Zandt (né Lento; born November 22, 1950), also known as Little Steven or Miami Steve, is an American musician, singer, songwriter, and actor. He is a member of Bruce Springsteen's E Street Band, in which he plays guitar and mandoli ...
(born 1950), solo rocker, guitarist for Bruce Springsteen's E Street Band and actor on ''
The Sopranos ''The Sopranos'' is an American crime drama television series created by David Chase. The story revolves around Tony Soprano (James Gandolfini), a New Jersey-based Italian-American mobster, portraying his difficulties as he tries to balance ...
'' * Claudia Vázquez (born 1990), footballer who has played as forward and
midfielder A midfielder is an outfield position in association football. Midfielders may play an exclusively defensive role, breaking up attacks, and are in that case known as defensive midfielders. As central midfielders often go across boundarie ...
for the
Puerto Rico women's national football team The Puerto Rico women's national football team ( es, Selección femenina de fútbol de Puerto Rico) is governed by the Puerto Rican Football Federation (FPF). History On 30 August 2018, in a home friendly versus Argentina, players staged a pro ...
*
Bill Weber William Weber (born May 8, 1957) is a former television sports commentator best known for his work on TNT and NBC NASCAR broadcasts. Weber was also the lead announcer for Champ Car World Series events and other auto racing series on NBC. He is ...
(born 1957), NBC sports broadcaster * Max Weinberg (born 1951), ''
Late Night with Conan O'Brien ''Late Night with Conan O'Brien'' is an American late-night talk show hosted by Conan O'Brien. NBC aired 2,725 episodes from September 13, 1993, to February 20, 2009. The show featured varied comedic material, celebrity interviews, and music ...
'' band leader and drummer of Bruce Springsteen's E Street Band * Jay Weinberg (born 1990), drummer for heavy metal band Slipknot, son of Max Weinberg *
Tom Wilkens Thomas Peter Wilkens (born November 25, 1975) is an American former competition swimmer and Olympic medalist. Wilkens represented the United States at the 2000 Summer Olympics in Sydney, Australia. He received a bronze medal for his third-plac ...
(born 1975), Olympic swimming medalist * Brian Williams (born 1959), Chief Breaking News Anchor on
MSNBC MSNBC (originally the Microsoft National Broadcasting Company) is an American news-based pay television cable channel. It is owned by NBCUniversala subsidiary of Comcast. Headquartered in New York City, it provides news coverage and politi ...
, former anchor and managing editor of ''
NBC Nightly News ''NBC Nightly News'' (titled as ''NBC Nightly News with Lester Holt'' for its weeknight broadcasts since June 22, 2015) is the flagship daily evening News broadcasting#Television, television news program for NBC News, the news division of the NB ...
''Strauss, Robert
"In Person; The Life Of Brian, Annotated"
''
The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid d ...
'', October 27, 2002. Accessed June 13, 2011. "Mr. Williams grew up in Mom-apple-pie-and-TV-trays style in Middletown, Monmouth County, a town of true middle class."


References


External links

*
Middletown Township Public School District
*
School Data for the Middletown Township Public School District
National Center for Education Statistics
Middletown Township Historical Society

Middletown Township Public Library

The Courier: Official newspaper of the township

Life in Middletown


{{Authority control 1693 establishments in New Jersey Jersey Shore communities in Monmouth County Populated places established in 1693 Raritan Bayshore Special Charters in New Jersey Townships in Monmouth County, New Jersey Discontiguous municipalities in New Jersey