Belmar, New Jersey facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Belmar, New Jersey
Borough
Boardwalk along the Atlantic Ocean shoreline in Belmar
logo
Location of Belmar in Monmouth County highlighted in red (left). Inset map: Location of Monmouth County in New Jersey highlighted in orange (right).
Census Bureau map of Belmar, New Jersey
Belmar, New Jersey Location in Monmouth County, New Jersey Show map of Monmouth County, New Jersey Belmar, New Jersey Location in New Jersey Show map of New Jersey Belmar, New Jersey Location in the United States Show map of the United States
Country	United States
State	New Jersey
County	Monmouth
Incorporated	April 9, 1885 as Ocean Beach borough
Renamed	April 16, 1889 as City of Elcho borough
Renamed	May 14, 1889 as City of Belmar borough
Renamed	November 20, 1890 as Borough of Belmar
Named for	Italian language "beautiful sea"
Government
• Type	Faulkner Act (small municipality)
• Body	Borough Council
Area
• Total	1.61 sq mi (4.18 km2)
• Land	1.04 sq mi (2.71 km2)
• Water	0.22 sq mi (0.57 km2)  35.19%
Area rank	437th of 565 in state 35th of 53 in county
Elevation	13 ft (4 m)
Population  (2020)
• Total	5,907
• Estimate  (2023)	5,816
• Rank	351st of 565 in state 30th of 53 in county
• Density	5,652.6/sq mi (2,182.5/km2)
• Density rank	98th of 565 in state 10th of 53 in county
Time zone	UTC−05:00 (Eastern (EST))
• Summer (DST)	UTC−04:00 (Eastern (EDT))
ZIP Codes	07715, 07719
Area codes	732 exchange: 681
FIPS code	3402504930
GNIS feature ID	0885155

Belmar is a fun borough located on the Jersey Shore in Monmouth County, New Jersey. It's a popular spot for vacations and beach trips!

In 2020, about 5,907 people lived in Belmar. This was a small increase from 2010.

Belmar got its start on April 9, 1885. It was first called Ocean Beach borough. Later, its name changed a few times. On May 14, 1889, it became the City of Belmar Borough. Finally, on November 20, 1890, it became the Borough of Belmar. The name "Belmar" means "beautiful sea" in Italian.

Belmar's Location and Size

View of Belmar, New Jersey from across Shark River.

Belmar is a small place, covering about 1.6 square miles (4.18 square kilometers). A good part of this area, about 0.57 square miles (1.48 square kilometers), is water.

Belmar is right next to the Atlantic Ocean on its east side. It shares borders with other towns in Monmouth County. To the north is Avon-by-the-Sea. To the northwest is Neptune Township. To the west is Wall Township. And to the south, you'll find Lake Como and Spring Lake.

Who Lives in Belmar?

In 2010, there were 5,794 people living in Belmar. There were 2,695 households, which are like homes where people live. About 18% of these homes had children under 18. The average age of people in Belmar was about 41.9 years old.

Fun Things to Do in Belmar

Panorama of Belmar's beach from 9th Ave. and Ocean Ave.

Belmar is a great place for a vacation! It has wide beaches perfect for:

• Sunbathing
• Surfing
• Swimming
• Fishing

The town also has a boardwalk with shops and restaurants. There's a lively arts scene, sports events, and many family-friendly activities. Belmar is located on the south side of the Shark River. It has a large public marina and a private marina called Seaport Inlet Marina.

Overhead view of Belmar Marina.

Belmar beach is one of the most popular places for surfing on the East Coast. It often hosts surfing events and competitions. Belmar also has a skatepark for those who love to skate.

A view of Belmar beach from 2nd Avenue looking south on July 23, 2023.

The Jersey Shore Basketball League holds games at St. Rose High School every summer. The Belmar Arts Council (BAC) also hosts art shows, workshops, concerts, and performances all year. Their gallery is called the Boatworks.

Schools in Belmar

The Belmar School District teaches students from pre-kindergarten through eighth grade. All these students go to Belmar Elementary School. This school also welcomes students from Lake Como. The school building was first built in 1909, with additions made over the years.

For high school, students from Belmar go to either Manasquan High School or Asbury Park High School. This depends on agreements with those school districts. Manasquan High School also serves students from several other nearby towns.

There are also other high school options for students, like:

• Red Bank Regional High School
• Marine Academy of Science and Technology
• Academy of Allied Health & Science
• Academy Charter School
• High Technology High School
• Communications High School
• Biotechnology High School

Academy Charter High School in Lake Como is another option. It accepts students by lottery from Belmar and other nearby communities.

Belmar is also home to St. Rose High School. This is a private Catholic high school that opened in 1923.

The Belmar Public Library is one of New Jersey's original Carnegie libraries.

Getting Around Belmar

Route 35 in Belmar

Belmar has about 26 miles of roads. Most of these roads are kept up by the town itself.

The two main highways that go through Belmar are Route 35 and Route 71. Bigger highways like Route 18, the Garden State Parkway, and Interstate 195 are close by in Wall Township.

Belmar station, which is served by NJ Transit's North Jersey Coast Line

You can also travel by train with NJ Transit. The Belmar station has trains that go to New York Penn Station in Midtown Manhattan, Newark Penn Station, and Hoboken Terminal. These trains run on the North Jersey Coast Line. NJ Transit also has bus routes connecting Belmar to Philadelphia and other areas.

The Monmouth Executive Airport is a public airport located west of Belmar.

Yearly Events in Belmar

The intersection of E Street & 10th Avenue in Belmar, which inspired Bruce Springsteen's naming of the E Street Band. A large replica of Springsteen's Fender Esquire guitar has been placed there. The Belmar Public Library is behind the guitar.

Belmar hosts many exciting events throughout the year:

• Belmar 5 Mile Johnny Cobb Memorial Run: A popular running race.
• New Jersey Seafood Festival: A big festival celebrating seafood, attracting many visitors.
• New Jersey Sand Castle Contest: People build amazing sandcastles on the beach.
• St. Patrick's Day Parade: A festive parade celebrating Irish heritage.
• Belmar Pro Surf Contest: A major surfing competition.
• Belmar Fall Festival: A fun event to celebrate the autumn season.
• Belmar Holiday Tree Lighting Ceremony: Kicking off the holiday season.
• Belmar Spring Kite Festival: Kites of all shapes and sizes fill the sky.
• Howard Rowland Memorial Lifeguard Tournament: Lifeguard teams from the Jersey Shore compete.
• Meters for Mike: A special event for a good cause.
• Belmar Sprint Triathlon: A race involving swimming, biking, and running.
• The Jersey Shore Relay Run: A running event that passes through Belmar.
• Surfer's Healing: An event that teaches children with autism how to surf.

Belmar's Sister City

In 2008, Belmar became a Sister City with Balbriggan, a town in County Dublin, Ireland. This means they share a special friendship and cultural exchange.

Interesting Facts About Belmar

Beach in Belmar

Renovated Belmar Boardwalk after Hurricane Sandy in 2013

• Belmar was once home to the first and oldest first-aid squad in the United States. It started in 1927.
• Belmar's "E" Street is famous because it inspired the name of Bruce Springsteen's "E Street Band". The band used to practice at the home of their keyboardist, David Sancious, on E Street.
• The Monmouth Executive Airport uses the call letters "BLM" because it was originally called Belmar Airport.
• In the TV show The Sopranos, Belmar is shown as the home port for Tony Soprano's boat.
• Guy Fieri featured a local restaurant in Belmar, 10th Avenue Burrito, on his Food Network show Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives.

Climate in Belmar

Belmar has a Humid subtropical climate (Cfa). This means it has warm, humid summers and mild winters.

Notable People from Belmar

Many interesting people have connections to Belmar:

• Jay Alders (born 1973), an artist and photographer.
• Tom Brower (born 1965), a member of the Hawaii House of Representatives.
• Dave Calloway (born 1968), a college basketball coach.
• Harriett Ephrussi-Taylor (1918–1968), a geneticist who made important discoveries.
• Christian Fuscarino (born around 1981), a community organizer and LGBT activist.
• James Gallagher (1909–1992), a soccer player for the United States national team.
• Michael Gerson (born 1964), a political writer and speechwriter for President George W. Bush.
• Stephen L. Hoffman (born 1948), a doctor and scientist who studies tropical diseases.
• Brian Lynch (born 1978), a professional basketball player.
• Jay Lynch (1945–2017), a cartoonist.
• Marina Mabrey (born 1996), a basketball player in the Women's National Basketball Association.
• Balls Mahoney (1972–2016), a professional wrestler.
• Joseph Mayer (1877–1942), a former Mayor of Belmar.
• Tom McGowan (born 1956), an actor.
• Douglas Crawford McMurtrie (1888–1944), a type designer.
• David Sancious (born 1953), an early member of the E Street Band.
• Joe Shimko, an American football player for the Arizona Cardinals.
• Sarah Spiegel, a singer and actress.
• Neal Sterling (born 1992), a tight end who played in the NFL.
• E. Donald Sterner (1894–1983), a politician.

Images for kids

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  Boardwalk along the Atlantic Ocean shoreline in Belmar

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  Belmar Logo

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  Location of Belmar in Monmouth County highlighted in red (left). Inset map: Location of Monmouth County in New Jersey highlighted in orange (right).

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  Census Bureau map of Belmar, New Jersey

See also

In Spanish: Belmar (Nueva Jersey) para niños