Ocean County, New Jersey

Ocean County, New Jersey

Ocean County is a county located along the Jersey Shore in the U.S. state of New Jersey. Its county seat is Toms River, which, like the county itself, has been one of the fastest growing areas of the state since the 1990s. As of the 2010 United States Census, the population was 576,567. The 2000 Census population for the county was 510,916, making Ocean County the fastest growing in the state of New Jersey in terms of growth in the number of residents and second-highest in percentage growth. Ocean County was established in 1850 from portions of Monmouth County except for Little Egg Harbor Township which seceded from Burlington County in 1891.

Ocean County is located 50 miles (80 km) east of Philadelphia, 70 miles (110 km) south of New York City, and 25 miles (40 km) north of Atlantic City, making it a prime destination for residents of these cities during the summer. As with the entire Jersey Shore, summer traffic routinely clogs local roadways throughout the season.

Ocean County is part of the New York metropolitan area, and is home to many tourist attractions frequently visited by Delaware Valley residents, especially the beachfront communities of Seaside Heights and Long Beach Island, as well as Six Flags Great Adventure, which is the home of the world's tallest and formerly fastest roller coaster, Kingda Ka. Ocean County is also a gateway to New Jersey's Pine Barrens, one of the largest protected pieces of land on the East Coast.