Toms River, New Jersey
| Toms River, New Jersey | |
|---|---|
| Township | |
| Township of Toms River | |
Downtown Toms River
|
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| Motto: "Great Places. Familiar Faces." | |
 Location of Toms River Township in Ocean County, NJ |
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 Census Bureau map of Toms River Township, NJ |
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| Coordinates: 39°59′40″N 74°09′58″W / 39.994314°N 74.166214°WCoordinates: 39°59′40″N 74°09′58″W / 39.994314°N 74.166214°W | |
| Country |  United States |
| State |
 New Jersey
|
| County | Ocean |
| Royal charter | March 1, 1768 (as Dover Township) |
| Incorporated | February 21, 1798 |
| Renamed | November 14, 2006 (as Toms River Township) |
| Government | |
| • Type | Faulkner Act (Mayor-Council) |
| • Body | Township Council |
| • Mayor | Thomas F. Kelaher (term ends December 31, 2019) |
| • Administrator | Paul J. Shives |
| • Clerk | J. Mark Mutter |
| Area | |
| • Total | 136.969 km2 (52.884 sq mi) |
| • Land | 104.863 km2 (40.488 sq mi) |
| • Water | 32.105 km2 (12.396 sq mi) 23.44% |
| Area rank | 32nd of 566 in state 7th of 33 in county |
| Elevation | 8 m (26 ft) |
| Population (2010 Census) | |
| • Total | 91,239 |
| • Estimate (2015) | 90,817 |
| • Rank | 8th of 566 in state 2nd of 33 in county |
| • Density | 870.1/km2 (2,253.5/sq mi) |
| • Density rank | 270th of 566 in state 14th of 33 in county |
| Time zone | Eastern (EST) (UTC-5) |
| • Summer (DST) | Eastern (EDT) (UTC-4) |
| ZIP codes | 08753-08757 |
| Area code(s) | 732/848 |
| FIPS code | 3402973125 |
| GNIS feature ID | 0882074 |
| Website | www |
Toms River is a township in Ocean County, New Jersey, United States, and the county seat of Ocean County. On November 7, 2006, voters approved a change of the official name from the Township of Dover (or, Dover Township) to the Township of Toms River, effective November 14, 2006. As of the 2010 United States Census, the township had a total population of 91,239, with the township ranking as the 8th-most-populous municipality in the state in 2010 (after having been ranked 7th in 2000) and the second most-populous municipality in Ocean County (behind Lakewood Township, which had a population of 92,843). The 2010 population increased by 1,533 (+1.7%) from the 89,706 counted in the 2000 Census, which had in turn increased by 13,335 (+17.5%) from the 76,371 counted in the 1990 Census.
In 2006, Toms River was ranked by Morgan Quitno Press as the 15th safest city in the United States, of 369 cities nationwide. In 2007, Toms River was again ranked as the 14th-safest city in the United States of 371 cities nationwide.
Toms River can be seen in various TV and news media including MTV's Made and Jersey Shore (seasons 1, 3, and 5), HBO's Boardwalk Empire and the original The Amityville Horror movie. In 1998, Toms River East Little League won the Little League World Series. The township has what is said to be the second-largest Halloween parade in the world.
Much of the early history of the settlement of Toms River is obscured by conflicting stories. Various sources list the eponym of the township as either English captain William Tom, farmer and ferryman Thomas Luker, or a Native American named Tom. In 1992, as part of celebrations commemorating the township's 225th anniversary, official recognition was granted to the tradition that the "Tom" in "Toms River" was for Thomas Luker, who ran a ferry across Goose Creek (now the Toms River). During the 19th century, Toms River became a center for shipbuilding, whaling, fishing, and iron and lumber production. The settlement and the river were usually spelled "Tom's River" in its early days, though its current spelling has been standard since the middle of the 19th century.
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