Monmouth

Monmouth, county, east-central New Jersey, U.S., bounded by Raritan and Sandy Hook bays to the north and the Atlantic Ocean to the east. It comprises a coastal lowland drained by the Manasquan, Shark, Navesink, Swimming, Shrewsbury, and Millstone rivers. The county is forested primarily with oak, hickory, and shortleaf pine. Sandy Hook, a peninsula extending northward from the northeastern corner of the county, is part of Gateway National Recreation Area. The lighthouse on its northern tip, built in 1764, is the oldest in operation in the country.

Algonquian-speaking Delaware Indians inhabited the region before it was permanently settled by Europeans. Freehold, the county seat, was the site of the Battle of Monmouth Court House (June 28, 1778) during the American Revolution. Allaire State Park contains a restored 19th-century iron-making village. Ocean Grove was founded in 1869 as a Methodist summer resort. West Long Branch is the home of Monmouth University (founded 1933). Other communities are Middletown, Howell, Long Branch, Neptune, Marlboro, Manalapan, and Asbury Park.

Monmouth, one of New Jersey’s original counties, was created in 1683 and named for Monmouth, Wales. The primary economic activities are services, retail trade, and agriculture (nurseries and greenhouses). Area 472 square miles (1,222 square km). Pop. (2000) 615,301; (2010) 630,380.