West Long Branch, New Jersey

thumb|300px|A typically large estate home on Cedar Avenue in West Long Branch

West Long Branch is a borough situated within the Jersey Shore region, in Monmouth County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey. As of the 2020 United States census, the borough's population was 8,587, West Long Branch is the home of Monmouth University.

History

Prior to being called West Long Branch, the area had been called Mechanicsville from the 18th century through the Civil War, and then Branchburg in the 1870s. The name West Long Branch appears in the 1889 Wolverton Atlas of Monmouth County, and seems to have derived its name from its proximity to a section of the Shrewsbury River.

In 1908, the residents of what was the West Long Branch section of Eatontown thought that they were not getting a fair return on their taxes. A request was made that the West Long Branch section be separated from Eatontown. The Township of Eatontown strongly resisted as there were several large estates in the West Long Branch section that were a source of considerable tax revenues. An act of the New Jersey Legislature was passed on April 7, 1908, and the Monmouth County Board of Chosen Freeholders authorized an election. On May 5, 1908, a referendum was held in West Long Branch, with voters approving the separation. The borough takes its name from Long Branch, which in turn takes its name from the "long branch" or south branch of the Shrewsbury River.

Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau, the borough had a total area of 2.89 square miles (7.49 km2), including 2.86 square miles (7.40 km2) of land and 0.04 square miles (0.09 km2) of water (1.25%).

The borough borders the Monmouth County municipalities of Eatontown, Long Branch, Ocean Township and Oceanport.

Climate

Demographics

2020 census

As of the 2020 census, West Long Branch had a population of 8,587. The median age was 31.8 years. 18.4% of residents were under the age of 18 and 15.3% of residents were 65 years of age or older. For every 100 females there were 87.2 males, and for every 100 females age 18 and over there were 84.1 males age 18 and over.

100.0% of residents lived in urban areas, while 0.0% lived in rural areas.

There were 2,551 households in West Long Branch, of which 31.8% had children under the age of 18 living in them. Of all households, 57.0% were married-couple households, 13.8% were households with a male householder and no spouse or partner present, and 24.5% were households with a female householder and no spouse or partner present. About 22.4% of all households were made up of individuals and 12.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older.

2000 census

As of the 2000 United States census

There were 2,448 households, out of which 35.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 64.9% were married couples living together, 8.6% had a female householder with no husband present, and 24.0% were non-families. 21.3% of all households were made up of individuals, and 13.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.77 and the average family size was 3.25. The governing body is comprised of the mayor and the borough council, with all positions elected at-large on a partisan basis as part of the November general election. The mayor is elected directly by the voters to a four-year term of office. The borough council is comprised of six members elected to serve three-year terms on a staggered basis, with two seats coming up for election each year in a three-year cycle. The borough form of government used by West Long Branch is a "weak mayor / strong council" government in which council members act as the legislative body with the mayor presiding at meetings and voting only in the event of a tie. The mayor can veto ordinances subject to an override by a two-thirds majority vote of the council. The mayor makes committee and liaison assignments for council members, and most appointments are made by the mayor with the advice and consent of the council.

, the mayor of the Borough of West Long Branch is Republican Janet W. Tucci, who was first elected as mayor in 2005, and whose current term of office ends December 31, 2026. Members of the West Long Branch Borough Council are Stephen A. Bray (R, 2025), Steven Cioffi (R, 2027), James P. Gomez (R, 2025), John M. Penta Jr. (R, 2027), Barbara Ruane (R, 2026) and Matthew B. Sniffen (R, 2026).

Police department

The West Long Branch Police Department is responsible for law and traffic enforcement in the Borough of West Long Branch. Its current Chief is Marlowe Botti.

The department has two divisions, Operations and Investigations. The Operations Division consists of Patrol, Traffic, Dispatch, Firearms, Records and Special Services. The Investigations Division is responsible for all criminal investigations.

Federal, state and county representation

West Long Branch is located in the 6th Congressional District and is part of New Jersey's 13th state legislative district.

Politics

As of March 2011, there were a total of 4,862 registered voters in West Long Branch, of which 1,189 (24.5%) were registered as Democrats, 1,049 (21.6%) were registered as Republicans and 2,622 (53.9%) were registered as Unaffiliated. There were 2 voters registered as either Libertarians or Greens.

In the 2012 presidential election, Republican Mitt Romney received 57.6% of the vote (2,029 cast), ahead of Democrat Barack Obama with 41.5% (1,461 votes), and other candidates with 0.9% (31 votes), among the 3,548 ballots cast by the borough's 5,079 registered voters (27 ballots were spoiled), for a turnout of 69.9%. In the 2008 presidential election, Republican John McCain received 57.4% of the vote (2,208 cast), ahead of Democrat Barack Obama with 39.6% (1,524 votes) and other candidates with 1.2% (47 votes), among the 3,844 ballots cast by the borough's 5,065 registered voters, for a turnout of 75.9%. In the 2004 presidential election, Republican George W. Bush received 57.4% of the vote (2,202 ballots cast), outpolling Democrat John Kerry with 41.1% (1,574 votes) and other candidates with 0.8% (38 votes), among the 3,833 ballots cast by the borough's 4,926 registered voters, for a turnout percentage of 77.8.

In the 2013 gubernatorial election, Republican Chris Christie received 72.7% of the vote (1,612 cast), ahead of Democrat Barbara Buono with 25.8% (573 votes), and other candidates with 1.4% (32 votes), among the 2,246 ballots cast by the borough's 5,068 registered voters (29 ballots were spoiled), for a turnout of 44.3%. In the 2009 gubernatorial election, Republican Chris Christie received 63.1% of the vote (1,732 ballots cast), ahead of Democrat Jon Corzine with 28.9% (794 votes), Independent Chris Daggett with 6.4% (176 votes) and other candidates with 0.7% (18 votes), among the 2,743 ballots cast by the borough's 4,872 registered voters, yielding a 56.3% turnout.

Education

thumb|upright=1.4|[[Shadow Lawn (New Jersey)|The Great Hall at Monmouth University]]

The West Long Branch Public Schools serves students in pre-kindergarten through eighth grade from West Long Branch. Students from Allenhurst, Interlaken and Loch Arbour attend the district's school as part of sending/receiving relationships, in which students attend on a tuition basis. As of the 2021–22 school year, the district, comprised of two schools, had an enrollment of 551 students and 61.5 classroom teachers (on an FTE basis), for a student–teacher ratio of 9.0:1. Schools in the district (with 2021–22 enrollment data from the National Center for Education Statistics) are

Betty McElmon Elementary School with 330 students in pre-Kindergarten through fourth grade and

Frank Antonides School with 214 students in fifth through eighth grades.

For ninth through twelfth grades, public school students attend Shore Regional High School, a regional high school located in West Long Branch that also serves students from the constituent districts of Monmouth Beach, Oceanport and Sea Bright. As of the 2021–22 school year, the high school had an enrollment of 613 students and 55.7 classroom teachers (on an FTE basis), for a student–teacher ratio of 11.0:1. Seats on the board of education for the high school district are allocated based on the population of the constituent municipalities, with four of the nine seats assigned to West Long Branch.

Established in 1933, Monmouth University is a four-year private university on a campus, with 5,600 students and 232 full-time faculty. The campus is notable for the Great Hall at Shadow Lawn, a National Historic Landmark that was used in the 1982 film Annie.

Transportation

Roads and highways

thumb|[[New Jersey Route 36|Route 36 in West Long Branch]]

, the borough had a total of of roadways, of which were maintained by the municipality, by Monmouth County and by the New Jersey Department of Transportation.

Route 36 and Route 71 intersect in the borough.

Public transportation

NJ Transit provides local bus service on the 831 and 837 routes.

The nearest train service is available at the Long Branch station. Commuter service is provided on the North Jersey Coast Line, offering express and local service. Diesel service operates from Hoboken Terminal to Bay Head station. Electric service operates from New York Penn Station to Long Branch station, where the electrified portion of the line ends. Mid-line stations include Newark Penn Station, Newark Liberty International Airport Station and Secaucus Junction.

Notable people

People who were born in, residents of, or otherwise closely associated with West Long Branch include:

Jake Areman (born 1996), soccer player who played for the Tampa Bay Rowdies in the USL Championship
Holly Black (born 1971), author of the Spiderwick series of books
Chester Bowman (1901–1936), sprinter who competed in the 1924 Summer Olympics
Bessie Clayton (–1948), toe-tap dancer
Stephen Donaldson (1946–1996), LGBT rights and prison reform activist
Clarkson Sherman Fisher (1921–1997), federal judge who served as a councilmember in West Long Branch and later as Chief Judge of the United States District Court for the District of New Jersey
Jon Herington (born 1954), jazz guitarist
Steve Holeman (born 1967), head coach of the Lamar Lady Cardinals soccer team
Ryan McCormick (born 1991), professional golfer who plays on the PGA Tour
Bill Palmer (1938–2020), swim coach
Hubert T. Parson (1872–1940), businessman who served as president of the F. W. Woolworth Company
Elise Primavera (born 1955), author and illustrator of children's books, including The Secret Order of the Gumm Street Girls
Arthur Pryor (1870–1942), trombone virtuoso, bandleader, and soloist with the Sousa Band who was a prolific composer of band music, best known for "The Whistler and His Dog"
T. M. Stevens (born 1951), bassist
Jack Yonezuka (born 2003), judoka who competed in the 2024 Summer Olympics
Jimmy Zoppi (born 1954), musician and voice actor