Middletown Township, New Jersey facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Middletown Township, New Jersey
Township
From top, left to right: The former residence of American social reformer Geraldine Morgan Thompson, which now serves as the visitor center at Thompson Park in Middletown's Lincroft neighborhood, Covered bridge in Middletown Village, Brookdale Community College, Sandy Hook Light, and Water Witch homestead
Seal
Motto(s):  The Biggest Small Town in New Jersey
Map of Middletown Township in Monmouth County. Inset (left): Monmouth County highlighted within New Jersey
Census Bureau map of Middletown Township, New Jersey <mapframe text="Interactive map of Middletown Township, New Jersey" zoom="8" width="250" height="250"> { "type": "ExternalData", "service": "geoshape", "ids": "Q735215" } </mapframe>
Middletown Township, New Jersey Location in Monmouth County, New Jersey Show map of Monmouth County, New Jersey Middletown Township, New Jersey Location in New Jersey Show map of New Jersey Middletown Township, New Jersey Location in the United States Show map of the United States
Country	United States
State	New Jersey
County	Monmouth
Formed	October 31, 1693
Incorporated	February 21, 1798
Government
• Type	Special charter
• Body	Township Committee
Area
• Total	58.72 sq mi (152.09 km2)
• Land	40.95 sq mi (106.06 km2)
• Water	17.78 sq mi (46.04 km2)  30.27%
Area rank	23rd of 565 in state 2nd of 53 in county
Elevation	98 ft (30 m)
Population  (2020)
• Total	67,106
• Estimate  (2023)	66,478
• Rank	20th of 565 in state 1st of 53 in county
• Density	1,638.8/sq mi (632.7/km2)
• Density rank	326th of 565 in state 40th of 53 in county
Time zone	UTC−05:00 (Eastern (EST))
• Summer (DST)	UTC−04:00 (Eastern (EDT))
ZIP Codes	07748 – Middletown 07701 – Red Bank 07716 – Atlantic Highlands 07718 – Belford 07732 – Highlands 07733 – Holmdel 07737 – Leonardo 07738 – Lincroft 07752 – Navesink 07758 – Port Monmouth 07760 – Locust
Area code(s)	732 and 908
FIPS code	3402545990
GNIS feature ID	0882604

Middletown Township is a large community in northern Monmouth County, New Jersey. It's known as a "bedroom community" for New York City, meaning many people who live here travel to New York for work.

Middletown is a great place to live! It has been ranked among the "Best Places to Live" by CNNMoney.com and Time magazine. In 2016, SafeWise even called it the fifth-safest city in America to raise a child.

History of Middletown Township

Early Days and European Settlers

The area where Middletown Township is today was once home to small groups of the Lenape Navesink tribe. The first known European visitor was sea captain Henry Hudson in 1609. He was looking for a shortcut to Asia and described the land as "very good" and "pleasant."

Later, in 1664, some of the first European settlers arrived. One of them was Thomas Whitlock, who built a house that is now part of the Shoal Harbor Museum and Old Spy House. There's a famous story about Penelope Stout, one of the first settlers, who supposedly hid in a tree from Native Americans.

Becoming a Township

After the Dutch gave control of the area to the English in 1664, a large piece of land called the Monmouth Tract was given to Baptist and Quaker settlers. This land soon became the townships of Middletown and Shrewsbury.

Middletown Township was officially formed on October 31, 1693. It became an incorporated township on February 21, 1798. Over the years, parts of Middletown were used to create other towns like Colts Neck Township, Hazlet Township, Atlantic Highlands, Highlands, and Keansburg.

Growth and Modern Times

During the American Revolutionary War, the British held Middletown and much of Eastern Monmouth County. After the Battle of Monmouth, the British army retreated through Middletown on their way back to New York City.

In 1875, a railroad line was completed, which helped Middletown grow much faster. It changed from small farming and fishing villages into a busy suburb, especially after World War II.

One interesting local landmark is the "Evil Clown of Middletown." It's a huge sign shaped like a circus clown along Route 35. It used to advertise a supermarket and now advertises a liquor store. People have worked hard to save it from being torn down!

Each April, the Indian Trails 15K road race is held here. It's a challenging race with many hills, and it also includes a fun 5K walk/run.

Geography of Middletown Township

Middletown Township covers about 58.7 square miles. This includes about 41 square miles of land and 17.7 square miles of water.

Communities within Middletown

Several communities are located inside Middletown Township. These include:

• Belford
• Fairview
• Leonardo
• Lincroft
• Navesink
• North Middletown
• Port Monmouth

Other smaller areas within the township are Chapel Hill, East Keansburg, and Wilmont Park.

The Sandy Hook peninsula is also part of Middletown Township, even though it's not connected by land. You can travel by boat from the mainland to Sandy Hook and stay within Middletown Township.

Middletown borders several other towns in Monmouth County, such as Atlantic Highlands, Holmdel Township, and Red Bank.

Fossils at Poricy Creek

Poricy Creek in Middletown is famous for its ancient marine fossils. You can find fossils from the Cretaceous period, including interesting creatures called belemnites.

People and Population

Autumn foliage in Middletown

Memorial for deceased officers

As of the 2020 census, Middletown Township had a population of 67,106 people. This makes it the largest town in Monmouth County and one of the most populated in New Jersey.

Education in Middletown

One of the few remaining Covered Bridges in the state.

Middletown Township has a great public school system for students from pre-kindergarten all the way through twelfth grade.

Middletown High School North

Christian Brothers Academy

Brookdale Community College

Public Schools

The Middletown Township Public School District has 16 schools. There are twelve elementary schools (Kindergarten to 5th grade), three middle schools (6th to 8th grade), and two high schools (9th to 12th grade).

The schools in the district include:

• Bayview Elementary School
• Fairview Elementary School
• Harmony Elementary School
• Leonardo Elementary School
• Lincroft Elementary School
• Middletown Village Elementary School
• Navesink Elementary School
• New Monmouth Elementary School
• Nut Swamp Elementary School
• Ocean Avenue Elementary School
• River Plaza Elementary School
• Bayshore Middle School
• Thompson Middle School
• Thorne Middle School
• Middletown High School North
• Middletown High School South

Middletown also has two special public schools called "magnet schools." These are High Technology High School, located at Brookdale Community College, and the Marine Academy of Science and Technology on Sandy Hook. These schools offer special programs for students interested in science and technology.

Private Schools

For private education, Middletown is home to Christian Brothers Academy, an all-boys high school that prepares students for college with a focus on Christian values.

There are also Catholic schools like Saint Mary School and Saint Leo the Great School (a National Blue Ribbon School). Oak Hill Academy is another private school for younger students.

Historic Middletown Village

Middletown Village Historic District
U.S. National Register of Historic Places
U.S. Historic district
Christ Church on Kings Highway
Location	Kings Highway
Area	80 acres (32 ha)
Built	1664 (1664)
NRHP reference No.	74001177
Significant dates
Added to NRHP	May 3, 1974

The Middletown Village Historic District is a special area with many old buildings from the early colonial period. It's located along Kings Highway. Many of these buildings were built by English settlers who came to Middletown after the Dutch gave up control of the area in 1664.

Some of the most important buildings in this district are the three historic churches along Kings Highway: The Old First Church (from 1688), Christ Church (from 1702), and The Middletown Reformed Church (from 1836). This district was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1974 because of its importance in history, religion, and how the area was settled.

• 

  Old First Church

• 

  Reformed Church

Community Services

Emergency Services

Middletown has some of the biggest emergency service departments in the area. The police and fire departments are very important for keeping the community safe.

Fire Department

The Middletown Township Fire Department (MTFD) is made up of 11 fire companies and other special units. It has about 500 volunteers! It's often called "The World's Largest All Volunteer Fire Department."

The fire companies, in order of when they were created, are:

• Navesink Hook and Ladder Fire Company No. 1 (1886)
• Brevent Park & Leonardo Fire Company (1903)
• Belford Chemical Engine Company No. 1 (1916)
• Community Fire Company of Leonardo (1922)
• East Keansburg Fire Company No. 1 (1922)
• Port Monmouth Fire Company No. 1 (1922)
• Belford Independent Fire Company (1923)
• Middletown Fire Company No. 1 (1924)
• River Plaza Hose Company No. 1 (1927)
• Lincroft Fire Company (1932)
• Old Village Fire Company (1955)

The MTFD also has special teams:

• The Fire Police Unit helps control fire scenes and keeps people safe.
• The Air Unit helps firefighters by refilling their air tanks. This truck even helps other towns when needed.
• The Special Services Emergency Response Team handles dangerous materials, building collapses, and rescues in tricky situations.
• The Brevent Park and Leonardo Fire Company has a marine fireboat that helps with fires and rescues on the water.

Emergency Medical Services (EMS)

There are five volunteer EMS squads in Middletown Township that provide ambulance services:

• Middletown First Aid and Rescue Squad
• Fairview First Aid Squad
• Port Monmouth First Aid Squad
• Leonardo First Aid and Rescue Squad
• Lincroft First Aid and Rescue Squad

These squads are all volunteer. Most of them have special rescue trucks for car accidents and rope rescues. They also have boats and dive teams for water rescues. Port Monmouth has a special ambulance for very heavy patients, which is sometimes requested by other towns.

Paramedics, who provide more advanced medical care, are also available for Middletown and nearby towns.

Transportation

Roads and Highways

The Garden State Parkway in Middletown

Middletown Township has many miles of roads. The Garden State Parkway is the biggest and busiest highway that goes through the township. It connects Middletown to other towns like Tinton Falls and Holmdel Township. You can get on or off the Parkway at Exits 109 and 114 in Middletown.

Other important roads include Routes 35 and 36, which also pass through Middletown. County Route 516 and County Route 520 are also key routes that help connect different parts of New Jersey.

Public Transportation

Train approaching Middletown station

NJ Transit offers train service from the Middletown station. You can take a train all the way to New York City's Pennsylvania Station on the North Jersey Coast Line. NJ Transit also has local bus routes (817, 833, and 834) that serve the area.

SeaStreak Wall Street docked at the East 34th Street Ferry Landing

Ferry services are also available for traveling to New York City. The NY Waterway ferry leaves from Belford and takes about 50 minutes to get to Manhattan.

SeaStreak is another ferry service that leaves from nearby Highlands. It offers trips to different parts of Manhattan. SeaStreak also has special seasonal trips, like to the beaches on Sandy Hook, baseball games, Broadway shows, and even to see fall leaves in the Hudson Valley.

Healthcare Services

Middletown residents have access to good healthcare. Hackensack Meridian Health has two hospitals nearby: Bayshore Medical Center in Holmdel and Riverview Medical Center in Red Bank. These hospitals handle most medical needs.

For more specialized care, the Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, a famous cancer treatment and research center, has a regional location in Middletown. This center offers special outpatient surgeries.

Notable People from Middletown

Many interesting people have lived in or are connected to Middletown Township, including:

See also

In Spanish: Municipio de Middletown (Nueva Jersey) para niños