Leonardo, New Jersey facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Leonardo, New Jersey
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The Dempsey Pump House
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Location of Leonardo in Monmouth County highlighted in red (left). Inset map: Location of Monmouth County in New Jersey highlighted in orange (right).
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 Leonardo, New Jersey
Location in Monmouth County, New Jersey
Leonardo, New Jersey
Location in New Jersey
Leonardo, New Jersey
Location in the United States
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| Country |  United States |
| State |  New Jersey |
| County | Monmouth |
| Township | Middletown |
| Named for | Henry and James Leonard |
| Area | |
| • Total | 0.60 sq mi (1.56 km2) |
| • Land | 0.59 sq mi (1.54 km2) |
| • Water | 0.01 sq mi (0.02 km2) 1.38% |
| Elevation | 16 ft (5 m) |
| Population
(2020)
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| • Total | 2,549 |
| • Density | 4,291.25/sq mi (1,655.60/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC−05:00 (Eastern (EST)) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC−04:00 (Eastern (EDT)) |
| ZIP Code |
07737
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| Area code(s) | 732/848 |
| FIPS code | 34-39990 |
| GNIS feature ID | 02390059 |
Leonardo is a small community in Middletown Township, Monmouth County, New Jersey. It is located on the north shore of New Jersey, along the Raritan Bayshore. This area is part of the famous Jersey Shore region.
In 2020, the population of Leonardo was 2,549 people. This was a slight decrease from the 2,757 people counted in 2010. The ZIP Code for Leonardo is 07737.
Contents
History of Leonardo
Leonardo gets its name from Henry and James Leonard. They were the first people to work with iron in New Jersey.
During World War II, a large dock complex was built here. This was part of Naval Weapons Station Earle. It helped supply ammunition to the armed forces.
Leonardo was also the site of an important event for the US Nike Missile program. On May 22, 1958, an accident happened at the Nike missile base. This event caused the loss of ten lives. After the Project Nike program ended in 1974, the missile base was turned into homes.
Geography and Climate
Leonardo is located on the southern shore of Raritan Bay. The United States Census Bureau says Leonardo covers about 0.60 square miles (1.56 square kilometers). Most of this area is land, with a small part being water.
| Climate data for Leonardo, NJ (2018-present) | |||||||||||||
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| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Mean daily maximum °F (°C) | 38 (3) |
41 (5) |
48 (9) |
60 (16) |
70 (21) |
79 (26) |
85 (29) |
83 (28) |
75 (24) |
65 (18) |
53 (12) |
44 (7) |
62 (17) |
| Mean daily minimum °F (°C) | 25 (−4) |
26 (−3) |
32 (0) |
40 (4) |
50 (10) |
59 (15) |
67 (19) |
65 (18) |
57 (14) |
48 (9) |
37 (3) |
29 (−2) |
45 (7) |
| Average precipitation inches (mm) | 3.2 (81) |
2.4 (61) |
3.5 (89) |
3.2 (81) |
3.6 (91) |
3.5 (89) |
3.9 (99) |
3.9 (99) |
3.6 (91) |
3.0 (76) |
2.7 (69) |
3.5 (89) |
40 (1,015) |
| Source: Leonardo Marina Station | |||||||||||||
Population Facts
| Historical population | |||
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| Census | Pop. | %± | |
| 1990 | 3,788 | — | |
| 2000 | 2,823 | −25.5% | |
| 2010 | 2,757 | −2.3% | |
| 2020 | 2,549 | −7.5% | |
| Population sources: 1990-2010 2000 2010 2020 |
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2010 Census Overview
The 2010 United States census counted 2,757 people living in Leonardo. There were 1,001 households, with 742 of them being families. The area had about 4,636 people per square mile.
Most of the people in Leonardo were White (95.47%). There were also smaller numbers of Black or African American, Native American, and Asian residents. About 6.49% of the population identified as Hispanic or Latino.
About 22.8% of the people were under 18 years old. Around 10.4% were 65 years or older. The average age in Leonardo was 40.2 years.
Education in Leonardo
The schools in Leonardo are part of the Middletown Township Public School District.
Leonardo is home to two schools. These are Bayshore Middle School and Leonardo Elementary School. Bayshore Middle School has about 623 students. It is ranked among the top middle schools in New Jersey. Leonardo Elementary School has about 285 students. It is also ranked among the elementary schools in New Jersey.
Transportation
New Jersey Transit provides local bus service in Leonardo. You can use the 834 bus route to get around.
Famous People and Characters
Many interesting people have connections to Leonardo.
- Donald De Lue (1897–1988) was a famous sculptor.
- Billy Devaney (born 1955) used to be the General Manager for the St. Louis Rams football team.
- Bill Kunkel (1936–1985) was a professional baseball pitcher and later an umpire.
- Jeff Kunkel (born 1962) also played professional baseball as a shortstop.
Leonardo is also linked to some well-known fictional characters:
- Jay and Silent Bob are characters played by Jason Mewes and Kevin Smith. They appear in many films by Kevin Smith, set in the View Askewniverse.
- Randal Graves and Dante Hicks are other main characters from the View Askewniverse. They are played by Jeff Anderson and Brian O'Halloran.
Leonardo in Movies and TV
Leonardo is famous as the setting for the 1994 film Clerks. This movie was directed by Kevin Smith. The main location in the film, the Quick Stop convenience store and RST Video, is at 58 Leonard Avenue in Leonardo. Kevin Smith actually worked at this store!
The same store has been used in other Kevin Smith films. These include Chasing Amy (1997), Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back (2001), Clerks II (2006), and Jay and Silent Bob Reboot (2019). It was also in a deleted scene from Mallrats (1995).
Leonardo was also featured in Kevin Smith's animated TV show, Clerks: The Animated Series (2000). A character in the show, Leonardo Leonardo (voiced by Alec Baldwin), was named after the town. Many characters in the show lived or worked in Leonardo. Today, the video store part of the Quick Stop is closed and used for storage.
See also
In Spanish: Leonardo (Nueva Jersey) para niños
