Seaside Heights, New Jersey facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Seaside Heights, New Jersey
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Borough
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Seaside Heights Casino Pier with amusement rides seen at left and the Atlantic Ocean to the right
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| Motto(s):
Your home for family fun since 1913!
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Location of Seaside Heights in Ocean County. Inset: Location of Ocean County in the State of New Jersey.
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Census Bureau map of Seaside Heights, New Jersey
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 Seaside Heights, New Jersey
Location in Ocean County, New Jersey
Seaside Heights, New Jersey
Location in New Jersey
Seaside Heights, New Jersey
Location in the United States
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| Country |  United States |
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| State |  New Jersey |
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| County | Ocean | |
| Incorporated | February 26, 1913 | |
| Government | ||
| • Type | Borough | |
| • Body | Borough Council | |
| Area | ||
| • Total | 0.74 sq mi (1.92 km2) | |
| • Land | 0.62 sq mi (1.60 km2) | |
| • Water | 0.13 sq mi (0.32 km2) 16.89% | |
| Area rank | 526th of 565 in state 29th of 33 in county |
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| Elevation | 3 ft (0.9 m) | |
| Population
(2020)
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| • Total | 2,440 | |
| • Estimate
(2023)
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2,486 | |
| • Rank | 472nd of 565 in state 20th of 33 in county |
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| • Density | 3,952.9/sq mi (1,526.2/km2) | |
| • Density rank | 161st of 565 in state 4th of 33 in county |
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| Time zone | UTC−05:00 (Eastern (EST)) | |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC−04:00 (Eastern (EDT)) | |
| ZIP Code |
08751
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| Area code(s) | 732 exchanges: 793, 830, 854 | |
| FIPS code | 3402966450 | |
| GNIS feature ID | 0885390 | |
| Website | ||
Seaside Heights is a fun borough located on the famous Jersey Shore in Ocean County, New Jersey. It's a small town, but it becomes a very popular spot, especially in summer!
In 2020, about 2,440 people lived here. But during the summer, the number of people visiting can jump to 30,000 to 65,000! Many high schoolers and young adults love coming here for the boardwalk fun, amusement rides, and beach.
Seaside Heights was officially created as a borough on February 26, 1913. It was named for its location right by the Atlantic Ocean. The town's motto is "Your Home For Family Fun Since 1913!"
The community is also known as the filming location for the popular MTV show Jersey Shore. This show helped bring even more visitors to Seaside Heights.
Contents
History of Seaside Heights
In 1915, a company from Philadelphia planned to build an exciting ocean-side attraction in Seaside Heights. They wanted to build a covered pier with a carousel. This structure was built in 1915. Later, a man named Frank Freeman bought the project.
Around this time, a new bridge was completed in Toms River, making it easier to get to Seaside Heights. This, along with the new carousel and boardwalk, helped the town grow a lot between 1920 and 1930.
Major Fires and Storms
Seaside Heights has faced some tough times due to natural events.
Freeman's Fire of 1955
On June 9, 1955, a fire started from a faulty sign. Strong winds, blowing at about 50 miles per hour, pushed the fire south. It burned down the entire pier and destroyed 85 buildings. This event became known as Freeman's Fire, causing about $4 million in damage. Firefighters stopped the blaze at Stockton Avenue, where the boardwalk ended.
Hurricane Sandy in 2012
On October 29, 2012, Hurricane Sandy hit Seaside Heights hard. Large parts of the boardwalk were damaged, and much of the town was flooded. The two main amusement piers, Funtown Pier and Casino Pier, were severely damaged. Powerful storm waves tore sections of the piers apart, sending many rides crashing into the ocean.
One famous sight after the storm was the Star Jet roller coaster, which had fallen into the water. It became a symbol of the storm's power. The roller coaster was removed on May 14, 2013. Repairs to the boardwalk were finished on June 21, 2013, just in time for summer.
Boardwalk Fire of 2013
On September 12, 2013, less than a year after Hurricane Sandy, a huge fire broke out. It started under the boardwalk and spread quickly due to the wind. Firefighters worked hard to stop it by tearing up parts of the newly repaired boardwalk. Some businesses, like Jack & Bill's Bar and Kohr's Custard, were sadly destroyed in both the 1955 and 2013 fires.
Geography and Location
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Seaside Heights is a small area, covering about 0.74 square miles (1.92 square kilometers). Most of this is land, but about 17% is water.
The borough is located on the Barnegat Peninsula. This is a long, narrow strip of land that separates the Barnegat Bay from the Atlantic Ocean. Seaside Heights shares borders with other towns in Ocean County, including Berkeley Township, Seaside Park, and Toms River.
Fun Things to Do
Seaside Heights is a popular vacation spot because of its amazing beach, exciting boardwalk, and many fun places to visit.
Amusement Piers and Water Park
- Casino Pier and Funtown Pier are two amusement parks right on the ocean. They stretch about 300 feet (100 meters) into the Atlantic Ocean.
- These piers are part of a 2-mile-long boardwalk. You can find arcades, games, and lots of different foods and desserts there.
- Breakwater Beach (also known as Water Works) is a water park located across the street from Casino Pier. It's a great place to cool off on a hot day!
Sports Activities
Seaside Heights has even hosted professional volleyball tournaments. In 2006 and 2007, the Association of Volleyball Professionals held events here where players competed for big prizes.
Education for Students
Students in Seaside Heights attend public schools.
Elementary School
The Seaside Heights School District serves students from pre-kindergarten through sixth grade at Hugh J. Boyd Jr. Elementary School. This school has about 222 students and a good student-to-teacher ratio, meaning smaller class sizes.
Middle and High School
For students in seventh through twelfth grades, they attend schools in the Central Regional School District. This district also includes students from nearby towns like Berkeley Township and Seaside Park.
- Central Regional Middle School serves students in grades 7 and 8.
- Central Regional High School serves students in grades 9-12.
Getting Around Seaside Heights
Seaside Heights has several roads and highways that make it easy to get around.
Main Roads
- Route 35 runs along the coast, connecting Seaside Heights to towns north and south.
- Route 37 crosses the Thomas A. Mathis and J. Stanley Tunney Bridges from Toms River, leading right into Seaside Heights. These roads can get very busy, especially on summer weekends!
Public Transportation
NJ Transit offers seasonal bus service from Seaside Heights to places like Midtown Manhattan and Newark. There are also local bus services available.
Weather and Climate
Seaside Heights has a humid subtropical climate. This means it has hot, somewhat humid summers and cool winters. It rains throughout the year.
In summer, a cool sea breeze often blows in the afternoon, which is nice. However, sometimes it can get very hot and humid. In winter, it can get very cold and windy. The area usually gets between 18 and 24 inches of snow each winter.
| Climate data for Seaside Heights Beach, NJ (1981–2010 Averages) | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Mean daily maximum °F (°C) | 40.5 (4.7) |
42.9 (6.1) |
49.6 (9.8) |
59.1 (15.1) |
68.9 (20.5) |
78.1 (25.6) |
83.4 (28.6) |
82.2 (27.9) |
76.2 (24.6) |
65.6 (18.7) |
55.4 (13.0) |
45.6 (7.6) |
62.4 (16.9) |
| Daily mean °F (°C) | 32.9 (0.5) |
34.8 (1.6) |
41.2 (5.1) |
50.5 (10.3) |
60.3 (15.7) |
69.6 (20.9) |
75.1 (23.9) |
74.0 (23.3) |
67.6 (19.8) |
56.4 (13.6) |
47.2 (8.4) |
37.7 (3.2) |
54.0 (12.2) |
| Mean daily minimum °F (°C) | 25.2 (−3.8) |
26.8 (−2.9) |
32.8 (0.4) |
41.8 (5.4) |
51.7 (10.9) |
61.2 (16.2) |
66.8 (19.3) |
65.7 (18.7) |
59.0 (15.0) |
47.2 (8.4) |
38.9 (3.8) |
29.8 (−1.2) |
45.7 (7.6) |
| Average precipitation inches (mm) | 3.66 (93) |
3.06 (78) |
4.27 (108) |
3.88 (99) |
3.54 (90) |
3.65 (93) |
4.51 (115) |
4.51 (115) |
3.53 (90) |
3.73 (95) |
3.80 (97) |
3.92 (100) |
46.06 (1,170) |
| Average relative humidity (%) | 65.2 | 63.3 | 61.3 | 62.6 | 65.8 | 70.5 | 69.6 | 71.5 | 70.6 | 69.6 | 68.1 | 66.1 | 66.1 |
| Average dew point °F (°C) | 22.5 (−5.3) |
23.6 (−4.7) |
28.9 (−1.7) |
38.2 (3.4) |
48.8 (9.3) |
59.6 (15.3) |
64.5 (18.1) |
64.2 (17.9) |
57.7 (14.3) |
46.6 (8.1) |
37.2 (2.9) |
27.4 (−2.6) |
43.4 (6.3) |
| Source: PRISM | |||||||||||||
| Climate data for Sandy Hook, NJ Ocean Water Temperature (36 N Seaside Heights) | |||||||||||||
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| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Daily mean °F (°C) | 37 (3) |
36 (2) |
40 (4) |
46 (8) |
55 (13) |
62 (17) |
69 (21) |
72 (22) |
68 (20) |
59 (15) |
51 (11) |
43 (6) |
53 (12) |
| Source: NOAA | |||||||||||||
Notable People from Seaside Heights
Many interesting people have connections to Seaside Heights:
- Fred Ashton (1931–2013), who was a mayor of Easton, Pennsylvania.
- Lou Taylor Pucci (born 1985), an actor.
- Robbie E (born 1983), a professional wrestler.
- Immanuel Velikovsky (1895–1979), a famous author.
Images for kids
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Casino Pier, 2007
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Funtown Pier boardwalk under construction following the fire and Hurricane Sandy, 2014.
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Funtown Pier boardwalk all fixed up in 2016
See also
In Spanish: Seaside Heights para niños
