Ocean Township is a township situated on the Jersey Shore in east central Monmouth County, within the U.S. state of New Jersey. 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,

History

The township was created by an act of the New Jersey Legislature on February 21, 1849, from portions of Shrewsbury Township, Portions of the township were since taken to form Lincoln Township (March 6, 1867; reannexed to Ocean Township effective May 1, 1868), Long Branch (April 11, 1867), Eatontown (April 4, 1873), Asbury Park (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 (March 11, 1922), and Loch Arbour (April 23, 1957). The township derives its name from its original seaside location.

Geography

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the township had a total area of 10.99 square miles (28.47&nbsp;km<sup>2</sup>), including 10.87 square miles (28.15&nbsp;km<sup>2</sup>) of land and 0.13 square miles (0.32&nbsp;km<sup>2</sup>) of water (1.14%).

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.

The township is bordered by the Monmouth County municipalities of 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.

Demographics

thumb|left|The [[Wayside, New Jersey|Wayside residential neighborhood. Located on the border of Ocean and Tinton Falls.]]