Seaside Heights, New Jersey

Seaside Heights, New Jersey
Seaside Heights, New Jersey
Borough
	Seaside Heights Casino Pier with amusement rides seen at left and the Atlantic Ocean to the right
	coat of arms
	Motto: Your home for family fun since 1913!
	Location of Seaside Heights in Ocean County. Inset: Location of Ocean County in the State of New Jersey.
	Census Bureau map of Seaside Heights, New Jersey
	Seaside Heights Location in Ocean County Seaside Heights Location in New Jersey Seaside Heights Location in the United States
	Coordinates: 39°56′42″N 74°04′42″W / 39.944912°N 74.07829°W
Country	United States
State	New Jersey
County	Ocean
Incorporated	February 26, 1913
Government
• Type	Borough
• Body	Borough Council
• Mayor	Anthony E. "Tony" Vaz (R, term ends December 31, 2023)
• Administrator	Christopher J. Vaz
• Municipal clerk	Diane Stabley
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%
• Rank	526th of 565 in state; 29th of 33 in county
Elevation	3 ft (0.9 m)
Population (2020)
• Total	2,440
• Estimate (2023)	2,486
• Rank	472nd of 565 in state; 20th of 33 in county
• Density	3,952.9/sq mi (1,526.2/km2)
• Rank	161st of 565 in state; 4th of 33 in county
Time zone	UTC−05:00 (Eastern (EST))
• Summer (DST)	UTC−04:00 (Eastern (EDT))
ZIP Code	08751
Area code(s)	732 exchanges: 793, 830, 854
FIPS code	3402966450
GNIS feature ID	0885390
Website	www.seaside-heightsnj.org

Seaside Heights is a borough situated on the Jersey Shore, within Ocean County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey. As of the 2020 United States census, the borough's population was 2,440,^[10] a decrease of 447 (−15.5%) from the 2010 census count of 2,887,^[19]^[20] which in turn had reflected a decline of 268 (−8.5%) from the 3,155 counted in the 2000 census.^[21] Seaside Heights is located on the Barnegat Peninsula, a long, narrow barrier peninsula that separates the Barnegat Bay from the Atlantic Ocean. During the summer, the borough attracts a crowd largely under the age of 21, drawn to a community with boardwalk entertainment and one of the few shore communities with sizable numbers of apartments, attracting as many as 65,000 people who are often out until early morning visiting bars and restaurants.^[22]

Based on the results of a referendum held on March 25, 1913, Seaside Heights was incorporated as a borough by an act of the New Jersey Legislature on February 26, 1913, from portions of both Berkeley Township and Dover Township (now Toms River).^[23] The borough was named for its location on the Atlantic Ocean.^[24]

As a resort community, the beach, an amusement-oriented boardwalk, and numerous clubs and bars, make it a popular destination. Seaside Heights calls itself, "Your Home For Family Fun Since 1913!"^[25] The beach season runs from March to October, with the peak months being July and August, when the summer population explodes to as many as 30,000 to 65,000.^[22]^[26] Route 37 in Toms River is routinely gridlocked on Friday afternoons in the summer months as vacationers travel to the barrier islands. The community is also known as the location of the hit MTV show Jersey Shore, with the director of the borough's business improvement district saying in 2010 that "we can't even calculate the economic benefit" to Seaside Heights from the continued presence of the show.^[27]

^ ^a ^b ^c ^d 2019 Census Gazetteer Files: New Jersey Places, United States Census Bureau. Accessed July 1, 2020.
^ US Gazetteer files: 2010, 2000, and 1990, United States Census Bureau. Accessed September 4, 2014.
^ Cite error: The named reference Mayor was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
^ 2023 New Jersey Mayors Directory, New Jersey Department of Community Affairs, updated February 8, 2023. Accessed February 10, 2023.
^ Administration, Borough of Seaside Heights. Accessed March 21, 2023.
^ Municipal Clerk, Borough of Seaside Heights. Accessed March 21, 2023.
^ Cite error: The named reference DataBook was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
^ "ArcGIS REST Services Directory". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved October 11, 2022.
^ U.S. Geological Survey Geographic Names Information System: Borough of Seaside Heights, Geographic Names Information System. Accessed March 14, 2013.
^ ^a ^b Cite error: The named reference LWD2020 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
^ Cite error: The named reference PopEst was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
^ ^a ^b Population Density by County and Municipality: New Jersey, 2020 and 2021, New Jersey Department of Labor and Workforce Development. Accessed March 1, 2023.
^ Look Up a ZIP Code for Seaside Heights, NJ, United States Postal Service. Accessed January 28, 2012.
^ Zip Codes, State of New Jersey. Accessed August 29, 2013.
^ Area Code Lookup - NPA NXX for Seaside Heights, NJ, Area-Codes.com. Accessed August 29, 2013.
^ U.S. Census website, United States Census Bureau. Accessed September 4, 2014.
^ Geographic Codes Lookup for New Jersey, Missouri Census Data Center. Accessed April 1, 2022.
^ US Board on Geographic Names, United States Geological Survey. Accessed September 4, 2014.
^ Cite error: The named reference Census2010 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
^ Cite error: The named reference LWD2010 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
^ Table 7. Population for the Counties and Municipalities in New Jersey: 1990, 2000 and 2010, New Jersey Department of Labor and Workforce Development, February 2011. Accessed May 1, 2023.
^ ^a ^b Mansnerus, Laura. "So, Just Who Goes Where When Going to the Shore?", The New York Times, June 6, 1999. Accessed July 13, 2011. "Seaside Heights, with a summer population of about 65,000, is packed, one of the few shore towns with larger apartment buildings. The boardwalk has almost a mile of skeeball and video arcades and enough fast food and bars to amuse the young into the early-morning hours. 'I don't think they let you into Seaside Heights if you're over 21,' said Kristin Farfalla, a sales representative at Midway Beach Real Estate in South Seaside Park."
^ Snyder, John P. The Story of New Jersey's Civil Boundaries: 1606-1968, Bureau of Geology and Topography; Trenton, New Jersey; 1969. p. 205. Accessed May 30, 2024.
^ Hutchinson, Viola L. The Origin of New Jersey Place Names, New Jersey Public Library Commission, May 1945. Accessed October 1, 2015.
^ Seaside Heights Beach Information Archived 2007-02-08 at the Wayback Machine, accessed April 5, 2007
^ About Seaside Heights, Seaside Heights. Accessed May 10, 2007. "A community of 3,100 year-round residents, Seaside Heights expands to more than 30,000 in the summer."
^ Ditzian, Eric. "'Jersey Shore' Brings Seaside Heights A Fiscal Fist-Pump: 'We can't even calculate the economic benefit,' local business exec says.", MTV.com, April 12, 2010. Accessed July 13, 2011. "'Ever since it aired in the beginning of December, the phones have been ringing earlier and more often,' Maria Maruca, executive director of the Seaside Heights Business Improvement District, told MTV News. 'Now that the show is coming back, we can't even calculate the economic benefit.'

[CensusArea-1] 2019 Census Gazetteer Files: New Jersey Places, United States Census Bureau. Accessed July 1, 2020.

[GR1-2] US Gazetteer files: 2010, 2000, and 1990, United States Census Bureau. Accessed September 4, 2014.

[Mayor-3] Cite error: The named reference Mayor was invoked but never defined (see the help page).

[4] 2023 New Jersey Mayors Directory, New Jersey Department of Community Affairs, updated February 8, 2023. Accessed February 10, 2023.

[5] Administration, Borough of Seaside Heights. Accessed March 21, 2023.

[6] Municipal Clerk, Borough of Seaside Heights. Accessed March 21, 2023.

[DataBook-7] Cite error: The named reference DataBook was invoked but never defined (see the help page).

[TigerWebMapServer-8] "ArcGIS REST Services Directory". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved October 11, 2022.

[9] U.S. Geological Survey Geographic Names Information System: Borough of Seaside Heights, Geographic Names Information System. Accessed March 14, 2013.

[LWD2020-10] Cite error: The named reference LWD2020 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).

[PopEst-11] Cite error: The named reference PopEst was invoked but never defined (see the help page).

[LWD2020Density-12] Population Density by County and Municipality: New Jersey, 2020 and 2021, New Jersey Department of Labor and Workforce Development. Accessed March 1, 2023.

[13] Look Up a ZIP Code for Seaside Heights, NJ, United States Postal Service. Accessed January 28, 2012.

[14] Zip Codes, State of New Jersey. Accessed August 29, 2013.

[15] Area Code Lookup - NPA NXX for Seaside Heights, NJ, Area-Codes.com. Accessed August 29, 2013.

[GR2-16] U.S. Census website, United States Census Bureau. Accessed September 4, 2014.

[17] Geographic Codes Lookup for New Jersey, Missouri Census Data Center. Accessed April 1, 2022.

[GR3-18] US Board on Geographic Names, United States Geological Survey. Accessed September 4, 2014.

[Census2010-19] Cite error: The named reference Census2010 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).

[LWD2010-20] Cite error: The named reference LWD2010 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).

[21] Table 7. Population for the Counties and Municipalities in New Jersey: 1990, 2000 and 2010, New Jersey Department of Labor and Workforce Development, February 2011. Accessed May 1, 2023.

[NYT1999-22] Mansnerus, Laura. "So, Just Who Goes Where When Going to the Shore?", The New York Times, June 6, 1999. Accessed July 13, 2011. "Seaside Heights, with a summer population of about 65,000, is packed, one of the few shore towns with larger apartment buildings. The boardwalk has almost a mile of skeeball and video arcades and enough fast food and bars to amuse the young into the early-morning hours. 'I don't think they let you into Seaside Heights if you're over 21,' said Kristin Farfalla, a sales representative at Midway Beach Real Estate in South Seaside Park."

[Story-23] Snyder, John P. The Story of New Jersey's Civil Boundaries: 1606-1968, Bureau of Geology and Topography; Trenton, New Jersey; 1969. p. 205. Accessed May 30, 2024.

[24] Hutchinson, Viola L. The Origin of New Jersey Place Names, New Jersey Public Library Commission, May 1945. Accessed October 1, 2015.

[25] Seaside Heights Beach Information Archived 2007-02-08 at the Wayback Machine, accessed April 5, 2007

[26] About Seaside Heights, Seaside Heights. Accessed May 10, 2007. "A community of 3,100 year-round residents, Seaside Heights expands to more than 30,000 in the summer."

[27] Ditzian, Eric. "'Jersey Shore' Brings Seaside Heights A Fiscal Fist-Pump: 'We can't even calculate the economic benefit,' local business exec says.", MTV.com, April 12, 2010. Accessed July 13, 2011. "'Ever since it aired in the beginning of December, the phones have been ringing earlier and more often,' Maria Maruca, executive director of the Seaside Heights Business Improvement District, told MTV News. 'Now that the show is coming back, we can't even calculate the economic benefit.'

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