Ocean Township is a

township A township is a form of human settlement or administrative subdivision. Its exact definition varies among countries. Although the term is occasionally associated with an urban area, this tends to be an exception to the rule. In Australia, Canad ...

situated on 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 ...

in east central Monmouth County, within the

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

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

. The township is a

bedroom suburb A bedroom or bedchamber is a room situated within a residential or accommodation unit characterized by its usage for sleeping. A typical Western world, western bedroom contains as bedroom furniture one or two beds, a clothes closet, and bedsid ...

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 ...

. Ocean Township has no central downtown and consists of three main unincorporated communities: Oakhurst, Wanamassa, and Wayside. The township is divided into two ZIP codes, 07755 (Oakhurst) and 07712 (Wanamassa and Wayside). Small portions have Allenhurst (07711), Deal (07723) and Long Branch (07740) ZIP codes. As of the 2020 United States census, the township's population was 27,672, its highest decennial count ever and an increase of 381 (+1.4%) from the 27,291 recorded at the 2010 census, which in turn reflected an increase of 332 (+1.2%) from the 26,959 counted in the 2000 census.

History

The township was created by an act of the

New Jersey Legislature The New Jersey Legislature is the legislative branch of the government of the U.S. state of New Jersey. In its current form, as defined by the New Jersey Constitution of 1947, the Legislature consists of two houses: the General Assembly and ...

on February 21, 1849, from portions of Shrewsbury Township, at which time the newly formed township stretched from the Shrewsbury River to the southern tip of Avon-by-the-Sea. Portions of the township were since taken to form Long Branch (April 11, 1867), Eatontown (April 4, 1873),

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

(March 26, 1874), Neptune Township (February 26, 1879), Sea Bright (March 21, 1889), Allenhurst (April 26, 1897), Deal (March 7, 1898), Monmouth Beach (March 9, 1906),

Interlaken Interlaken (; lit.: ''between lakes'') is a Swiss town and municipality in the Interlaken-Oberhasli administrative district in the canton of Bern. It is an important and well-known tourist destination in the Bernese Oberland region of the Swiss ...

(March 11, 1922), and Loch Arbour (April 23, 1957).Snyder, John P
''The Story of New Jersey's Civil Boundaries: 1606-1968''
Bureau of Geology and Topography; Trenton, New Jersey; 1969. p. 183. Accessed May 31, 2024. The township derives its name from its original seaside location.

Geography

According to the

U.S. Census Bureau The United States Census Bureau, 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 U.S. Census Bureau is part of the U ...

, the township had a total area of 10.99 square miles (28.47 km²), including 10.87 square miles (28.15 km²) of land and 0.13 square miles (0.32 km²) of water (1.14%). Oakhurst (2010 Census population of 3,995) and Wanamassa (2010 population 4,532) are unincorporated communities and

census-designated place A census-designated place (CDP) is a Place (United States Census Bureau), concentration of population defined by the United States Census Bureau for statistical purposes only. CDPs have been used in each decennial census since 1980 as the counte ...

s (CDPs) located within Ocean Township. Other unincorporated communities, localities and place names located partially or completely within the township include Cold Indian Spring Lake, Colonial Terrace, Deal Lake, Deal Park, Dogs Corners, Edgemere, Elberon Park, Green Grove, Indian Springs, Oakhurst Manor, Poplar, Shadow Lawn Manor, Wayside, Wertheins Corner, West Allenhurst and West Deal. Deal Lake covers and is overseen by the Deal Lake Commission, which was established in 1974. Seven municipalities border the lake, accounting for of shoreline, also including Allenhurst,

, Deal,

, Loch Arbour and Neptune Township. The township is bordered by the Monmouth County municipalities of Eatontown and West Long Branch on the north; Long Branch, Deal, Allenhurst and

on the east;

Neptune Neptune is the eighth and farthest known planet from the Sun. It is the List of Solar System objects by size, fourth-largest planet in the Solar System by diameter, the third-most-massive planet, and the densest giant planet. It is 17 t ...

and

on the south; and Tinton Falls on the west.About Our Town
Township of Ocean. Accessed January 30, 2025. "We are presently bordered by Eatontown and West Long Branch on the north; Long Branch, Deal, Allenhurst and Interlaken on the east, Neptune and Asbury Park on the south; and Tinton Falls on the west. Our many neighborhoods include Oakhurst, Wayside, Wanamassa, West Allenhurst, Deal Park, Colonial Terrace, Shadow Lawn Manor, and West Deal."

Demographics

2010 census

The 2010 United States census counted 27,291 people, 10,611 households, and 7,417 families in the township. The

population density Population density (in agriculture: Standing stock (disambiguation), standing stock or plant density) is a measurement of population per unit land area. It is mostly applied to humans, but sometimes to other living organisms too. It is a key geog ...

was . There were 11,541 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup was 80.66% (22,013)

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 ...

, 7.96% (2,173) Black or African American, 0.20% (54) Native American, 6.56% (1,791) Asian, 0.05% (13)

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 ...

, 2.13% (582) from other races, and 2.44% (665) from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 8.99% (2,453) of the population. Of the 10,611 households, 30.1% had children under the age of 18; 54.8% were married couples living together; 10.9% had a female householder with no husband present and 30.1% were non-families. Of all households, 24.9% were made up of individuals and 10.0% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.57 and the average family size was 3.09. 22.7% of the population were under the age of 18, 7.7% from 18 to 24, 23.1% from 25 to 44, 31.3% from 45 to 64, and 15.3% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 42.8 years. For every 100 females, the population had 93.2 males. For every 100 females ages 18 and older there were 89.7 males. The Census Bureau's 2006–2010

American Community Survey The American Community Survey (ACS) is an annual demographics survey program conducted by the United States Census Bureau. It regularly gathers information previously contained only in the long form of the United States census, decennial census ...

showed that (in 2010 inflation-adjusted dollars)

median household income The median income is the income amount that divides a population into two groups, half having an income above that amount, and half having an income below that amount. It may differ from the mean (or average) income. Both of these are ways of und ...

was $78,806 (with a margin of error of +/− $6,218) and the median family income was $100,682 (+/− $8,339). Males had a median income of $66,774 (+/− $6,581) versus $42,216 (+/− $5,707) for females. The

per capita income Per capita income (PCI) or average income measures the average income earned per person in a given area (city, region, country, etc.) in a specified year. In many countries, per capita income is determined using regular population surveys, such ...

for the borough was $40,432 (+/− $2,161). About 4.0% of families and 5.9% 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 3.8% of those under age 18 and 5.8% of those age 65 or over.

2000 census

As of the 2000 U.S. census, there were 26,959 people, 10,254 households, and 7,341 families residing in the township. The population density was . There were 10,756 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the township was 84.48%

, 5.67%

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 ...

, 0.15% Native American, 6.27% Asian, 0.07%

, 1.58% from other races, and 1.92% from two or more races.

Hispanic The term Hispanic () are people, Spanish culture, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or broadly. In some contexts, Hispanic and Latino Americans, especially within the United States, "Hispanic" is used as an Ethnici ...

or Latino people of any race were 4.51% of the population.Census 2000 Profiles of Demographic / Social / Economic / Housing Characteristics for Ocean township, Monmouth County, New Jersey
,

United States Census Bureau The United States Census Bureau, officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the Federal statistical system, U.S. federal statistical system, responsible for producing data about the American people and American economy, econ ...

. Accessed July 31, 2012.DP-1: Profile of General Demographic Characteristics: 2000 - Census 2000 Summary File 1 (SF 1) 100-Percent Data for Ocean township, Monmouth County, New Jersey
,

. Accessed July 31, 2012. There were 10,254 households, out of which 35.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 58.3% 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, 10.3% had a female householder with no husband present, and 28.4% were non-families. 24.0% of all households were made up of individuals, and 8.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.63 and the average family size was 3.14. In the township, the population was spread out, with 25.5% under the age of 18, 6.7% from 18 to 24, 29.8% from 25 to 44, 25.9% from 45 to 64, and 12.1% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females, there were 92.9 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 89.6 males. The median income for a household in the township was $62,058, and the median income for a family was $74,572. Males had a median income of $52,376 versus $35,439 for females. The

for the township was $30,581. About 3.6% of families and 5.0% of the population were below the

, including 6.1% of those under age 18 and 5.0% of those age 65 or over.

Parks and recreation

Ocean Township has five named parks.Parks & Outdoor Facilities
Township of Ocean. Accessed January 30, 2025. The largest, Joe Palaia Park (formerly the Deal Test Site), is the site of the Township's July 4 celebration, and the Italian American Association of the Township of Ocean's annual five-day festival. Joe Palaia Park features many notable amenities, including a disc golf course and a playground. During the

COVID-19 pandemic The COVID-19 pandemic (also known as the coronavirus pandemic and COVID pandemic), caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), began with an disease outbreak, outbreak of COVID-19 in Wuhan, China, in December ...

in 2020, the park became known for hosting a

Drive-in theater A drive-in theater/theatre or drive-in cinema is a form of movie theater, cinema structure consisting of a large outdoor movie screen, a projection booth, a concession stand, and a large parking area for automobiles. Within this enclosed area, c ...

for the community to enjoy, which took place at a small theater located within the park. Ocean Township also contains Weltz Park, an undeveloped parcel of the Monmouth County Park System. Other parks within Ocean Township include Dave Dahrouge Park, which features tennis courts and softball fields, along with Wayside Park, which has basketball courts for public use. Ocean Township maintains a membership-based pool and tennis club for residents, with the pool open during the summer from Memorial Day to Labor Day. The township also offers a variety of public buildings for the community to rent out, including the Oakhurst Park Meeting Room.Indoor Facilities
Township of Ocean. Accessed January 30, 2025. Such facilities provide supplies for a wide variety of events, including appliances and tables. Ocean Township's Municipal Gym is another notable facility, which features basketball courts on the inside and sports fields on the outside.

Government

Local government

Ocean Township operates within the Faulkner Act (formally known as the Optional Municipal Charter Law) under the Council-Manager form of government (Plan A), implemented based on the recommendations of a Charter Study Commission as of July 1, 1963. The township is one of 42 municipalities (of the 564) statewide that use this form of government. The Township Council is comprised of five members who are chosen

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 ...

by the voters on a

non-partisan Nonpartisanship, also known as nonpartisanism, is a lack of affiliation with a political party and a lack of political bias. While an ''Oxford English Dictionary'' definition of ''partisan'' includes adherents of a party, cause, person, etc., ...

basis to serve concurrent four-year terms of office in elections held as part of the May municipal election.''2012 New Jersey Legislative District Data Book'',

Rutgers University Rutgers University ( ), officially Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, is a Public university, public land-grant research university consisting of three campuses in New Jersey. Chartered in 1766, Rutgers was originally called Queen's C ...

Edward J. Bloustein School of Planning and Public Policy, March 2013, p. 58. At an annual reorganization meeting, the Township Council selects one of its members to serve as Mayor. The five-member Council sets policy and adopts local ordinances while the Council-appointed Township Manager oversees the day-to-day administration of the Township. The Mayor presides over the Council and, as a member, has a voice and a vote in its proceedings. , members of the Township Council are

Mayor In many countries, a mayor is the highest-ranking official in a Municipal corporation, municipal government such as that of a city or a town. Worldwide, there is a wide variance in local laws and customs regarding the powers and responsibilitie ...

John P. Napolitani Sr., Robert V. Acerra Sr., David J. Fisher, Gitta D. Kaplan (elected to serve an unexpired term) and Jeffrey Weinstein (appointed to an unexpired term), all serving concurrent terms of office ending on June 30, 2027.Mayor and Council
Township of Ocean. Accessed January 30, 2025. "The Township of Ocean's five-member, non-partisan Council operate under the Council-Manager form of government. Council members serve four-year concurrent terms. The Council is elected at large with the Mayor elected among the Council members. The Council sets policy for the municipality. The Mayor presides over the Council and, as a member, has a voice and a vote in its proceedings. All present Council terms expire June 30, 2027."November 5, 2024 General Election Official Results

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

, updated December 16, 2024. Accessed January 1, 2025.May 9, 2023 Municipal Elections - Ocean Township and Red Bank - Official Results

, updated May 19, 2023. Accessed December 4, 2024. In February 2025, Board of Education trustee Jeffrey Weinstein was selected to fill the seat expiring in December 2025 that became vacant when Kelly Terry stepped down from office the previous month. Weinstein will serve on an interim basis until the November 2025 general election, when viters will choose a candidate to serve the balance of the term of office. Gitta Kaplan was appointed in January 2024 to fill the seat vacated by Margie Donlon after she resigned to take office 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 ...

. In November 2024, Kaplan was elected to serve the balance of the term of office. Christopher P. Siciliano stepped down as mayor in October 2022 after receiving confirmation as the Monmouth County superintendent of elections. John Napolitani was chosen to fill the vacant mayoral seat and Kelly Terry was sworn in to fill the vacancy on the Township Council the following month. In January 2017, John Napolitani was chosen to fill the seat vacated by Deputy Mayor William Garofalo when he resigned from office in December 2016; Napolitani will serve on an interim basis until the November 2017 general election, when voters will select a candidate to serve the balance of the term of office. In the May 2015 municipal election, the One Ocean slate won, with incumbents William Garofalo, Richard Long, Donna Schepiga and Christopher P. Siciliano winning re-election together with Robert Acerra, who won his first term of office.Municipal Election Ocean Township May 12, 2015

, updated May 14, 2015. Accessed July 18, 2016. At its January 1, 2015, meeting, the Township Council chose Christopher Siciliano to fill the position of mayor that was vacated when William Larkin resigned from office the previous November after 24 years on the council and the previous 12 years as mayor. The council appointed Richard Long to fill Larkin's vacant council seat. In October 2002, former mayor Terrance D. Weldon, who was also the city manager of

, pleaded guilty in

United States District Court for the District of New Jersey The United States District Court for the District of New Jersey (in case citations, D.N.J.) is a federal court in the United States Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit, Third Circuit (except for patent claims and claims against the U.S. gover ...

in Newark to taking $64,000 in bribes from developers. His arrest was part of the first phase of a federal investigation known as Operation Bid Rig. On August 25, 2007, after almost five years, Weldon was sentenced to 58 months of prison and assessed a fine of $20,000 by Senior U.S. District Judge William H. Walls.

Federal, state and county representation

Ocean Township is located in the 4th Congressional DistrictPlan 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 ...

, December 23, 2011. Accessed February 1, 2020. and is part of New Jersey's 11th state legislative district.

Politics

As of March 2011, there were a total of 18,379 registered voters in Ocean Township, of which 4,936 (26.9%) were registered as Democrats, 3,813 (20.7%) were registered as Republicans and 9,621 (52.3%) were registered as Unaffiliated. There were 9 voters registered as

Libertarians Libertarianism (from ; or from ) is a political philosophy that holds freedom, personal sovereignty, and liberty as primary values. Many libertarians believe that the concept of freedom is in accord with the Non-Aggression Principle, according ...

or Greens. In the 2012 presidential election, Democrat

Barack Obama Barack Hussein Obama II (born August 4, 1961) is an American politician who was the 44th president of the United States from 2009 to 2017. A member of the Democratic Party, he was the first African American president in American history. O ...

received 50.6% of the vote (6,621 cast), ahead of Republican

Mitt Romney Willard Mitt Romney (born March 12, 1947) is an American businessman and retired politician. He served as a United States Senate, United States senator from Utah from 2019 to 2025 and as the 70th governor of Massachusetts from 2003 to 2007 ...

with 48.3% (6,326 votes), and other candidates with 1.1% (140 votes), among the 13,185 ballots cast by the township's 19,049 registered voters (98 ballots were spoiled), for a turnout of 69.2%. In the 2008 presidential election, Democrat Barack Obama received 50.7% of the vote (7,278 cast), ahead of Republican

John McCain John Sidney McCain III (August 29, 1936 – August 25, 2018) was an American statesman and United States Navy, naval officer who represented the Arizona, state of Arizona in United States Congress, Congress for over 35 years, first as ...

with 46.9% (6,737 votes) and other candidates with 0.9% (134 votes), among the 14,364 ballots cast by the township's 19,444 registered voters, for a turnout of 73.9%. In the 2004 presidential election, Republican

George W. Bush George Walker Bush (born July 6, 1946) is an American politician and businessman who was the 43rd president of the United States from 2001 to 2009. A member of the Bush family and the Republican Party (United States), Republican Party, he i ...

received 50.3% of the vote (6,941 ballots cast), outpolling Democrat

John Kerry John Forbes Kerry (born December 11, 1943) is an American attorney, politician, and diplomat who served as the 68th United States secretary of state from 2013 to 2017 in the Presidency of Barack Obama#Administration, administration of Barac ...

with 48.7% (6,721 votes) and other candidates with 0.6% (112 votes), among the 13,791 ballots cast by the township's 18,237 registered voters, for a turnout percentage of 75.6. In the 2013 gubernatorial election, Republican

Chris Christie Christopher James Christie (born September 6, 1962) is an American politician and former United States Attorney, federal prosecutor who served as the 55th governor of New Jersey from 2010 to 2018. A member of the Republican Party (United States) ...

received 67.6% of the vote (5,335 cast), ahead of Democrat Barbara Buono with 31.1% (2,456 votes), and other candidates with 1.3% (103 votes), among the 7,995 ballots cast by the township's 19,142 registered voters (101 ballots were spoiled), for a turnout of 41.8%. In the 2009 gubernatorial election, Republican Chris Christie received 56.7% of the vote (5,314 ballots cast), ahead of Democrat

Jon Corzine Jon Stevens Corzine ( ; born January 1, 1947) is an American financial executive and retired politician who served as a United States Senator from New Jersey from 2001 to 2006, and the 54th governor of New Jersey from 2006 to 2010. Corzine ran f ...

with 35.4% (3,324 votes), Independent Chris Daggett with 6.7% (625 votes) and other candidates with 0.6% (59 votes), among the 9,377 ballots cast by the township's 18,743 registered voters, yielding a 50.0% turnout.

Education

Public school students in

pre-kindergarten Pre-kindergarten (also called pre-K or PK) is a voluntary classroom-based preschool program for children below the age of five in the United States, Canada, Turkey and Greece (when kindergarten starts). It may be delivered through a preschool ...

through

twelfth grade Twelfth Grade (also known as Grade 12, Senior Year, Standard 12, 12th Standard, 12th Class, or Class 12th or Class 12) is the twelfth and final Educational stage, year of Formal education, formal or compulsory education. It is typically the final ...

in Ocean Township are served by the Ocean Township School District. As of the 2023–24 school year, the district, comprised of five schools, had an enrollment of 3,263 students and 333.7 classroom teachers (on an FTE basis), for a

student–teacher ratio The student–teacher ratio or student–faculty ratio refers to the number of students who attend a school or university divided by the number of teachers or staff in the institution. For example, a student–teacher ratio of 10:1 indicates that ...

of 9.8:1.District information for Township Of Ocean School District

National Center for Education Statistics The National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) is the principal federal agency responsible for collecting, analyzing, and reporting data on education in the United States. Established under , it operates within the Institute of Education S ...

. Accessed December 15, 2024. Schools in the district (with 2023–24 enrollment data from the

) are Ocean Township Elementary School with 392 students in grades PreK–4 (located in Oakhurst), Wanamassa Elementary School with 357 students in grades PreK–4 ( Wanamassa), Wayside Elementary School with 590 students in grades PreK–4 ( Wayside), Ocean Township Intermediate School with 861 students in grades 5–8 (Wayside) and

Ocean Township High School Ocean Township High School (OTHS) is a four-year comprehensive public high school located in the Oakhurst section of Ocean Township, in Monmouth County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey, operating as the lone secondary school in the Ocean To ...

with 996 students in grades 9–12 (Oakhurst). According to '' U.S. News & World Report'', overall academic performance placed Ocean Township High School at the 183rd ranking for high schools in the state for the 2023–2024 school year.

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 transport ...

. Ocean Township is accessible by several major roads. The Route 18

freeway A controlled-access highway is a type of highway that has been designed for high-speed vehicular traffic, with all traffic flow—ingress and egress—regulated. Common English terms are freeway, motorway, and expressway. Other similar terms ...

traverses the western part while Route 35 passes through in the east. Route 66 runs along the southern border with Neptune and Route 71 straddles the eastern border with Deal, West Long Branch, and Long Branch. The

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

is located west of Ocean in neighboring Tinton Falls. Many of Ocean Township's businesses and commercial activities are located on these major roads, including the current construction of the Ocean Commons on Route 35, which will feature businesses like a Wawa, Inc. Other notable commercial areas located on these major roads include the Seaview Shopping Center (formerly Seaview Square Mall), which is located off of Route 66 and features businesses like a

Costco Costco Wholesale Corporation is an American multinational corporation which operates a chain of membership-only big-box warehouse club retail stores. As of 2021, Costco is the third-largest retailer in the world, and as of August 2024, Cos ...

and

HomeGoods HomeGoods is a chain of home furnishing stores headquartered in Framingham, Massachusetts Framingham () is a city in the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Massachusetts, United States. Incorporated in 1700, it is located in Midd ...

Public transportation

A brief stretch of

NJ Transit New Jersey Transit Corporation, branded as NJ Transit or NJTransit and often shortened to NJT, is a state-owned public transportation system that serves the U.S. state of New Jersey and portions of the states of New York and Pennsylvania. I ...

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 ...

passes through in the eastern part of the township, but the closest stations are at Allenhurst and Elberon. Commuter service is available on the North Jersey Coast Line south to Point Pleasant Beach and Bay Head or north to points such as Belmar, Long Branch, Newark,

Hoboken Terminal Hoboken Terminal is a commuter-oriented intermodal passenger station in Hoboken, Hudson County, New Jersey. One of the New York metropolitan area's major transportation hubs, it is served by eight NJ Transit (NJT) commuter rail lines, an NJ T ...

and Penn Station in

Midtown Manhattan Midtown Manhattan is the central portion of the New York City borough of Manhattan, serving as the city's primary central business district. Midtown is home to some of the city's most prominent buildings, including the Empire State Building, the ...

. NJ Transit provides local bus transportation on the 832 and

837 __NOTOC__ Year 837 ( DCCCXXXVII) was a common year starting on Monday of the Julian calendar. Events By place Byzantine Empire * Byzantine–Arab War: Emperor Theophilos leads a massive Byzantine expeditionary force into Mesopotamia. ...

routes. Ferry service is available through the SeaStreak service in Highlands, a trip that involves about a 25–30 minute drive from Ocean Township (depending on the section of town) to reach the departing terminal. SeaStreak offers ferry service to

with trips to Pier 11 (on the

East River The East River is a saltwater Estuary, tidal estuary or strait in New York City. The waterway, which is 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 Long Island, ...

Wall Street Wall Street is a street in the Financial District, Manhattan, Financial District of Lower Manhattan in New York City. It runs eight city blocks between Broadway (Manhattan), Broadway in the west and South Street (Manhattan), South Str ...

) and East 35th Street in Manhattan. The ferry service also offers seasonal travel, such as to the public beaches on Sandy Hook, baseball games at

Yankee Stadium Yankee Stadium is a baseball stadium located in the Bronx in New York City. It is the home field of Major League Baseball’s New York Yankees and New York City FC of Major League Soccer. The stadium opened in April 2009, replacing the Yankee S ...

and

Citi Field Citi Field is a baseball park, baseball stadium located in Flushing Meadows–Corona Park, in the Boroughs of New York, borough of Queens, New York City, United States. Opened in 2009, Citi Field is the home of Major League Baseball's New York M ...

, trips to Broadway matinees,

Martha's Vineyard Martha's Vineyard, often simply called the Vineyard, is an island in the U.S. state of Massachusetts, lying just south of Cape Cod. It is known for being a popular, affluent summer colony, and includes the smaller peninsula Chappaquiddick Isla ...

Massachusetts Massachusetts ( ; ), officially the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, is a U.S. state, state in the New England region of the Northeastern United States. It borders the Atlantic Ocean and the Gulf of Maine to its east, Connecticut and Rhode ...

, college football games at

West Point The United States Military Academy (USMA), commonly known as West Point, is a United States service academies, United States service academy in West Point, New York that educates cadets for service as Officer_(armed_forces)#United_States, comm ...

, fall foliage in the

Hudson Valley The Hudson Valley or Hudson River Valley comprises the valley of the Hudson River and its adjacent communities in the U.S. state of New York (state), New York. The region stretches from the Capital District (New York), Capital District includi ...

, 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 American-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 ...

, among other excursions.

Notable people

People who were born in, residents of, or otherwise closely associated with Ocean Township include: * Mary Pat Angelini (born 1954), member of the

from the 11th Legislative District from 2008 to 2016 * Lou Barbaro (1916–1976), professional golfer * Marie Castello (1915–2008), fortune teller known as Madam Marie who became widely known after being mentioned in

Bruce Springsteen Bruce Frederick Joseph Springsteen (born September 23, 1949) is an American Rock music, rock singer, songwriter, and guitarist. Nicknamed "the Boss", Springsteen has released 21 studio albums spanning six decades; most of his albums feature th ...

's 1973 song " 4th of July, Asbury Park (Sandy)" * Claude Dauphin (1903–1978), French actor * Michelle Davidson (born 1970), masters swimmer and a long distance, open water swimmer who accomplished the

Triple Crown of Open Water Swimming The Triple Crown of Open Water Swimming is a marathon swimming challenge consisting of three historically important swims: #The English Channel, between France and England #The Catalina Channel, between Catalina Island and the California mai ...

, which includes crossing the

English Channel The English Channel, also known as the Channel, is an arm of the Atlantic Ocean that separates Southern England from northern France. It links to the southern part of the North Sea by the Strait of Dover at its northeastern end. It is the busi ...

and

Catalina Channel Santa Catalina Island (; ) often shortened to Catalina Island or Catalina, is a rocky island, part of the Channel Islands (California), Channel Islands, off the coast of Southern California in the Gulf of Santa Catalina. The island covers an ...

, and circumnavigating

Manhattan Island Manhattan ( ) is the most densely populated and geographically smallest of the five boroughs of New York City. Coextensive with New York County, Manhattan is the smallest county by area in the U.S. state of New York. Located almost entire ...

* Bob Davis (born 1945), former NFL quarterback whose career included three seasons with the

New York Jets The New York Jets are a professional American football team based in the New York metropolitan area. The Jets compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC East, East division. The team p ...

* Margie Donlon, former Ocean Township councilmember who represents the

for the 11th legislative district * Kathleen Dorsett (born 1974), schoolteacher who was convicted of the August 2010 murder of her ex-husband * Solomon Dwek (born ), real estate investor who became an FBI informant as part of Operation Bid Rig * Norma Eberhardt (1929–2011), actress whose films included '' Live Fast, Die Young'' and '' The Return of Dracula'' * Caroline Elkins (born 1969), Pulitzer Prize-winning historian and

Harvard University Harvard University is a Private university, private Ivy League research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States. Founded in 1636 and named for its first benefactor, the History of the Puritans in North America, Puritan clergyma ...

professor * Frank J. Esposito (born 1941), historian and college professor who ran as the lieutenant governor running mate of Christopher Daggett in the

New Jersey gubernatorial election, 2009 The 2009 New Jersey gubernatorial election took place on November 3, 2009. Incumbent Democratic Party (United States), Democratic governor Jon Corzine ran for a second term against Republican Party (United States), Republican Chris Christie, ...

* Edward J. Hart (1893–1961), represented , 1935–1955 * Trent Hindman (born 1995), racing driver who won the

2014 The year 2014 was marked by the surge of the Western African Ebola epidemic, West African Ebola epidemic, which began in 2013, becoming the List of Ebola outbreaks, most widespread outbreak of the Ebola, Ebola virus in human history, resul ...

Continental Tire Sports Car Challenge in the GS class * Stephen L. Hoffman (born 1948), physician-scientist,

tropical medicine Tropical medicine is an interdisciplinary branch of medicine that deals with health issues that occur uniquely, are more widespread, or are more difficult to control in tropical and subtropical regions. Physicians in this field diagnose and tr ...

specialist and vaccinologist * Rowland Hughes (1896–1957), Director of the

Office of Management and Budget The Office of Management and Budget (OMB) is the largest office within the Executive Office of the President of the United States (EOP). The office's most prominent function is to produce the president's budget, while it also examines agency pro ...

, 1954–1956 * Oren Liebermann (born 1982/83), journalist who works as the Pentagon correspondent for

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

* Chris Malachowsky (born 1959), electrical engineer who was a founder of the computer graphics company

Nvidia Nvidia Corporation ( ) is an American multinational corporation and technology company headquartered in Santa Clara, California, and incorporated in Delaware. Founded in 1993 by Jensen Huang (president and CEO), Chris Malachowsky, and Curti ...

* Gloria Monty (1921–2006),

television producer A television producer is a person who oversees one or more aspects of a television show, television program. Some producers take more of an executive role, in that they conceive new programs and pitch them to the television networks, but upon acce ...

best known for her work in the field of

soap opera A soap opera (also called a daytime drama or soap) is a genre of a long-running radio or television Serial (radio and television), serial, frequently characterized by melodrama, ensemble casts, and sentimentality. The term ''soap opera'' originat ...

s, most notably her tenure at ''

General Hospital ''General Hospital'' (often abbreviated as ''GH'') is an American daytime television soap opera created by Frank and Doris Hursley which has been broadcast on American Broadcasting Company, ABC since April 1, 1963. Originally a half-hour seria ...

'' * Eric Nies (born 1971), actor, male fashion model, dancer, and singer, best known for being a cast member in the first season of

MTV MTV (an initialism of Music Television) is an American cable television television channel, channel and the flagship property of the MTV Entertainment Group sub-division of the Paramount Media Networks division of Paramount Global. Launched on ...

's '' The Real World'' * Jack Nies (born 1937), retired

National Basketball Association The National Basketball Association (NBA) is a professional basketball league in North America composed of 30 teams (29 in the United States and 1 in Canada). The NBA is one of the major professional sports leagues in the United States and Ca ...

referee * John Nies (born 1967), former NFL punter for the

Buffalo Bills The Buffalo Bills are a professional American football team based in the Buffalo–Niagara Falls metropolitan area. The Bills compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC East, East div ...

* Joseph A. Palaia (1927–2016), member of the

, 1982–1989; member of the

New Jersey Senate The New Jersey Senate is the upper house of the New Jersey Legislature by the Constitution of 1844, replacing the Legislative Council. There are 40 legislative districts, representing districts with an average population of 232,225 (2020 figure ...

, 1989–2008 * Paul Palmieri (born 1970), entrepreneur and business leader in the mobile telecommunications and digital advertising industries * Kenny Pickett (born 1998),

American football American football, referred to simply as football in the United States and Canada and also known as gridiron football, is a team sport played by two teams of eleven players on a rectangular American football field, field with goalposts at e ...

quarterback The quarterback (QB) is a position in gridiron football who are members of the offensive side of the ball and mostly line up directly behind the Lineman (football), offensive line. In modern American football, the quarterback is usually consider ...

who was drafted by the

Pittsburgh Steelers The Pittsburgh Steelers are a professional American football team based in Pittsburgh. The Steelers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC North, North division. Founded in 1933 P ...

* Sally Priesand (born 1946), first woman ordained by a rabbinical seminary in the United States * Adam Sarafian (born 1986), national champion pole vaulter in 2004 *

(born 1949), musician * George Stetter (born 1945),

Canadian football Canadian football, or simply football, is a Sports in Canada, sport in Canada in which two teams of 12 players each compete on a field long and wide, attempting to advance a Ball (gridiron football), pointed oval-shaped ball into the opposi ...

player who played for the

Montreal Alouettes The Montreal Alouettes (Canadian French, French: ''Les Alouettes de Montréal'') are a professional Canadian football team based in Montreal, Quebec. Founded in 1946, the team has disbanded twice and been re-established thrice. The Alouettes compe ...

and

Ottawa Rough Riders The Ottawa Rough Riders were a Canadian Football League team based in Ottawa, Ontario, founded on September 19, 1876. Formerly one of the oldest and longest-lived professional sports teams in North America, the Rough Riders won the Grey Cup cham ...

* Richard R. Stout (1912–1986), politician who served in the

from 1952 to 1974 *

Ashley Tisdale Ashley Michelle Tisdale (born July 2, 1985) is an American actress and singer. During her childhood, she was featured in over 100 advertisements and had minor roles on-screen and in theatre. She achieved mainstream success as Maddie Fitzpatric ...

(born 1985), actress, Disney's ''

The Suite Life of Zack & Cody ''The Suite Life of Zack & Cody'' is an American teen sitcom created by Danny Kallis and Jim Geoghan. The series aired on Disney Channel from March 18, 2005, to September 1, 2008. The series was nominated twice for the Primetime Emmy Award for ...

'' and ''

High School Musical ''High School Musical'' is a 2006 American Musical film, musical television film produced by and aired on Disney Channel as part of the network's List of Disney Channel original films, slate of original television films. The first installmen ...

'' * Lew Tucker (born 1950), computer scientist, open source advocate and industry executive * Tommy Tucker (1903–1989), bandleader best known for " I Don't Want to Set the World on Fire" * Jeffrey K. Tulis (born 1950), political scientist known for work that conjoins the fields of American politics, political theory, and public law * Michael Uslan (born 1951), originator and executive producer of the ''Batman'' movies * John Villapiano (born 1951), former professional football player who played in the

World Football League The World Football League (WFL) was an American football league that played one full season in 1974 in sports, 1974 and most of its second in 1975 in sports, 1975. Although the league's proclaimed ambition was to bring American football onto a w ...

; politician who served on the

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 ...

and the

* Phil Villapiano (born 1949), NFL

linebacker Linebacker (LB) is a playing position in gridiron football. Linebackers are members of the defensive team, and typically line up three to five yards behind the line of scrimmage and so back up the defensive linemen. They play closer to the line ...

who played for the

Oakland Raiders The Oakland Raiders were a professional American football team based in Oakland, California, from its founding in 1960 to 1981, and again from 1995 to 2019 before Oakland Raiders relocation to Las Vegas, relocating to the Las Vegas metropolitan ...

* Brett Wigdortz (born 1973), founder and CEO of Teach First * Wendy Williams (born 1964), talk show host and author host of ''

The Wendy Williams Show ''The Wendy Williams Show'' (often shortened to ''Wendy'') is an American Broadcast syndication, syndicated talk show created and hosted by Wendy Williams, and produced by Wendy Williams Productions, along with Perler Productions. The show was d ...

''''The Wendy Williams Experience''

VH1 VH1 (originally an initialism for Video Hits One) is an American basic cable television network that launched on January 1, 1985, and is currently owned by the MTV Entertainment Group unit of Paramount Global's networks division based in New Y ...

. Accessed May 14, 2007. "Wendy grew up in Ocean Township, New Jersey where she earned a Bachelor's degree in Communications (with a minor in journalism) from Northeastern University in Boston."

References

External links

Ocean Township official websiteOcean Township School District
*
School Data for the Ocean Township School District

{{Authority control 1849 establishments in New Jersey Faulkner Act (council–manager) Populated places established in 1849 Townships in New Jersey Townships in Monmouth County, New Jersey