Manalapan Township (, ) is a township in western Monmouth County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey. The township is centrally located within the Raritan Valley Region and is a part of the New York Metro Area. As of the 2020 United States census, the township's population was 40,905,

The name "Manalapan" is derived from a word in the Lenape language that would mean either "land of good bread", "good land to settle upon", "good bread" or "covered swamp with edible roots".

History

thumb|left|The historic [[Millhurst, New Jersey|Millhurst Mill]]

The Battle of Monmouth was fought in 1778 on land that is now part of Manalapan and Freehold townships. Monmouth Battlefield State Park occupies in the two townships.

Manalapan Township was formed by an act of the New Jersey Legislature on March 9, 1848, from portions of Freehold Township. Englishtown was formed as a borough from portions of Manalapan on January 4, 1888, based on the results of a referendum held the previous day.

Geography

thumb|left|[[Manalapan Brook flows through the township]]

According to the United States Census Bureau, the township had a total area of 30.88 square miles (79.99&nbsp;km<sup>2</sup>), including 30.65 square miles (79.39&nbsp;km<sup>2</sup>) of land and 0.23 square miles (0.60&nbsp;km<sup>2</sup>) of water (0.75%). The township borders the municipalities of Freehold Township, Marlboro Township and Millstone Township in Monmouth County; and Monroe Township and Old Bridge Township in Middlesex County.

thumb|left|During the autumn months, [[hayrides and apple picking (as pictured here) are among many popular recreational activities for township residents, along with nearby residents traveling from North Jersey and New York]]

Yorketown (with a 2020 Census population of 6,617) is an unincorporated community and census-designated place (CDP) located within Manalapan Township.

Other unincorporated communities, localities and place names located partially or completely within the township include Cahills Corners, Clarks Mills, Elton, Gordons Corner, Lafayette Mills, Millhurst, Monmouth Heights, Oakland Mills, Smithburg, Taylors Mills, Tennent, Tracey, Whittier Oaks and Woodville.

Ecology

According to the A. W. Kuchler U.S. potential natural vegetation types, Manalapan Township would have an Appalachian Oak (104) vegetation type with an Eastern Hardwood Forest (25) vegetation form.

Demographics

thumb|left|[[Old Tennent Church|Tennent Presbyterian Church and cemetery in the historic village of Tennent]]