Lakehurst is a

borough A borough is an administrative division in various English-speaking countries. In principle, the term ''borough'' designates a self-governing walled town, although in practice, official use of the term varies widely. History In the Middle A ...

Ocean County Ocean County is a county located along the Jersey Shore in the south-central portion of the U.S. state of New Jersey. It borders the Atlantic Ocean on the east. Its county seat is Toms River.New Jersey New Jersey is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern regions of the United States. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York; on the east, southeast, and south by the Atlantic Ocean; on the west by the Delaware ...

, United States. As of the

2010 United States Census The United States census of 2010 was the twenty-third United States national census. National Census Day, the reference day used for the census, was April 1, 2010. The census was taken via mail-in citizen self-reporting, with enumerators servi ...

, the borough's population was 2,654,"DataUniverse - 2010 Census Populations: Ocean County"
'' Asbury Park Press''. Accessed December 26, 2012.DP-1 - Profile of General Population and Housing Characteristics: 2010 for Lakehurst borough, Ocean County, New Jersey
,

United States Census Bureau The United States Census Bureau (USCB), officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the U.S. Federal Statistical System, responsible for producing data about the American people and economy. The Census Bureau is part of t ...

. Accessed December 26, 2012.Profile of General Demographic Characteristics: 2010 for Lakehurst borough
,

New Jersey Department of Labor and Workforce Development The New Jersey Department of Labor and Workforce Development is a governmental agency of the U.S. state of New Jersey. The New Jersey Civil Service Commission is an independent body within the New Jersey state government under the auspices of t ...

. Accessed December 26, 2012. reflecting an increase of 132 (+5.2%) from the 2,522 counted in the 2000 Census, which had in turn declined by 556 (−18.1%) from the 3,078 counted in the 1990 Census. Lakehurst was incorporated as a borough by an act of the New Jersey Legislature on April 7, 1921, from portions of Manchester Township, based on the results of a referendum held on May 24, 1921.Snyder, John P
''The Story of New Jersey's Civil Boundaries: 1606-1968''
Bureau of Geology and Topography; Trenton, New Jersey; 1969. p. 203. Accessed October 26, 2012. The borough is named for its location near lakes and woods.

History

The community of Lakehurst first reached international fame as a winter resort around the turn of the 20th century, following the opening of the Pine Tree Inn in 1898. In 1911, the rope factory in the town burned down, prompting the formation of a volunteer fire department. The ''Hindenburg'' disaster, occurred on May 6, 1937; the German

zeppelin A Zeppelin is a type of rigid airship named after the German inventor Count Ferdinand von Zeppelin () who pioneered rigid airship development at the beginning of the 20th century. Zeppelin's notions were first formulated in 1874Eckener 1938, pp ...

'' Hindenburg'' arriving from

Frankfurt am Main Frankfurt, officially Frankfurt am Main (; Hessian: , "Frank ford on the Main"), is the most populous city in the German state of Hesse. Its 791,000 inhabitants as of 2022 make it the fifth-most populous city in Germany. Located on its na ...

caught fire at the

Lakehurst Naval Air Station Lakehurst Maxfield Field, formerly known as Naval Air Engineering Station Lakehurst (NAES Lakehurst), is the naval component of Joint Base McGuire–Dix–Lakehurst (JB MDL), a United States Air Force-managed joint base headquartered approximately ...

, which is located in Manchester Township (not in the borough of Lakehurst).

Geography

According to the

, the borough had a total area of 0.99 square miles (2.56 km²), including 0.90 square miles (2.32 km²) of land and 0.09 square miles (0.24 km²) of water (9.39%). The borough's lake, Lake Horicon, existed prior to 1942, as clearly shown in aerial photographs from 1940 and 1931 and topographical maps from 1912. The cedar water lake remains stream-fed. Lakehurst is completely surrounded by Manchester Township, making it part of 21 pairs of "doughnut towns" in the state, where one municipality entirely surrounds another. The borough is one of 11 municipalities in Ocean County that are part of the Toms River watershed.

Climate

The climate in this area is characterized by hot, humid summers and generally mild to cool winters. According to the

Köppen Climate Classification The Köppen climate classification is one of the most widely used climate classification systems. It was first published by German-Russian climatologist Wladimir Köppen (1846–1940) in 1884, with several later modifications by Köppen, notabl ...

system, Lakehurst has a humid subtropical climate, abbreviated "Cfa" on climate maps.

Demographics

Census 2010

The Census Bureau's 2006–2010 American Community Survey showed that (in 2010 inflation-adjusted dollars)

median household income The median income is the income amount that divides a population into two equal groups, half having an income above that amount, and half having an income below that amount. It may differ from the mean (or average) income. Both of these are ways o ...

was $67,872 (with a margin of error of +/− $8,972) and the median family income was $67,838 (+/− $7,173). Males had a median income of $44,844 (+/− $8,788) versus $34,950 (+/− $7,557) for females. The

per capita income Per capita income (PCI) or total income measures the average income earned per person in a given area (city, region, country, etc.) in a specified year. It is calculated by dividing the area's total income by its total population. Per capita i ...

for the borough was $27,171 (+/− $4,950). About 2.1% of families and 3.7% of the population were below the

poverty line The poverty threshold, poverty limit, poverty line or breadline is the minimum level of income deemed adequate in a particular country. The poverty line is usually calculated by estimating the total cost of one year's worth of necessities for t ...

, including none of those under age 18 and 9.4% of those age 65 or over.

Census 2000

As of the

2000 United States Census The United States census of 2000, conducted by the Census Bureau, determined the resident population of the United States on April 1, 2000, to be 281,421,906, an increase of 13.2 percent over the 248,709,873 people enumerated during the 1990 cen ...

there were 870 households (662 of which were families of two or more) in the borough making up the total population of 2,522. The population density was . There were 961 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the borough was 84.22%

White White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no hue). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully reflect and scatter all the visible wavelengths of light. White o ...

, 7.85%

African American African Americans (also referred to as Black Americans and Afro-Americans) are an ethnic group consisting of Americans with partial or total ancestry from sub-Saharan Africa. The term "African American" generally denotes descendants of ens ...

, 0.63% Native American, 2.34% Asian, 0.08%

Pacific Islander Pacific Islanders, Pasifika, Pasefika, or rarely Pacificers are the peoples of the Pacific Islands. As an ethnic/racial term, it is used to describe the original peoples—inhabitants and diasporas—of any of the three major subregions of O ...

, 2.74% from

other races Other often refers to: * Other (philosophy), a concept in psychology and philosophy Other or The Other may also refer to: Film and television * ''The Other'' (1913 film), a German silent film directed by Max Mack * ''The Other'' (1930 film), a ...

, and 2.14% from two or more races.

Hispanic The term ''Hispanic'' ( es, hispano) refers to people, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or Hispanidad. The term commonly applies to countries with a cultural and historical link to Spain and to viceroyalties forme ...

or Latino of any race were 7.97% of the population.Census 2000 Profiles of Demographic / Social / Economic / Housing Characteristics for Lakehurst borough, New Jersey
,

. Accessed December 26, 2012.DP-1: Profile of General Demographic Characteristics: 2000 - Census 2000 Summary File 1 (SF 1) 100-Percent Data for Lakehurst borough, Ocean County, New Jersey
,

. Accessed December 26, 2012. There were 870 households, out of which 41.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 57.5% were married couples living together, 13.4% had a female householder with no husband present, and 23.9% were non-families. 19.8% of all households were made up of individuals, and 6.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.90 and the average family size was 3.33. In the borough the population was spread out, with 30.6% under the age of 18, 8.0% from 18 to 24, 34.1% from 25 to 44, 19.4% from 45 to 64, and 8.0% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 32 years. For every 100 females, there were 106.6 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 100.3 males. The median income for a household in the borough was $43,567, and the median income for a family was $48,833. Males had a median income of $35,403 versus $26,667 for females. The

for the borough was $18,390. About 4.4% of families and 7.1% of the population were below the

, including 7.6% of those under age 18 and 2.5% of those age 65 or over.

Government

Local government

Lakehurst is governed under the

Borough A borough is an administrative division in various English-speaking countries. In principle, the term ''borough'' designates a self-governing walled town, although in practice, official use of the term varies widely. History In the Middle A ...

form of New Jersey municipal government, which is used in 218 municipalities (of the 564) statewide, making it the most common form of government in New Jersey. The governing body is comprised of the Mayor and the Borough Council, with all positions elected at-large on a partisan basis as part of the November general election. The Mayor is elected directly by the voters to a four-year term of office. The Borough Council is comprised of six members elected to serve three-year terms on a staggered basis, with two seats coming up for election each year in a three-year cycle.''2012 New Jersey Legislative District Data Book'',

Rutgers University Rutgers University (; RU), officially Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, is a public land-grant research university consisting of four campuses in New Jersey. Chartered in 1766, Rutgers was originally called Queen's College, and was ...

Edward J. Bloustein School of Planning and Public Policy, March 2013, p. 49. The Borough form of government used by Lakehurst is a " weak mayor / strong council" government in which council members act as the legislative body with the mayor presiding at meetings and voting only in the event of a tie. The mayor can

veto A veto is a legal power to unilaterally stop an official action. In the most typical case, a president or monarch vetoes a bill to stop it from becoming law. In many countries, veto powers are established in the country's constitution. Veto ...

ordinances subject to an override by a two-thirds majority vote of the council. The mayor makes committee and liaison assignments for council members, and most appointments are made by the mayor with the advice and consent of the council. , the

Mayor In many countries, a mayor is the highest-ranking official in a municipal government such as that of a city or a town. Worldwide, there is a wide variance in local laws and customs regarding the powers and responsibilities of a mayor as well ...

of Lakehurst Borough is

Republican Republican can refer to: Political ideology * An advocate of a republic, a type of government that is not a monarchy or dictatorship, and is usually associated with the rule of law. ** Republicanism, the ideology in support of republics or agains ...

Harry Robbins, whose term of office ends December 31, 2023.Mayor
Borough of Lakehurst. Accessed April 13, 2020. Members of the Lakehurst Borough Council are Council President Steven Oglesby (R, 2022), James W. Davis Jr. (R, 2024), Bernadette Dugan (R, 2024; appointed to serve an unexpired term), Brian C. DiMeo (R, 2022), Patricia A. Hodges (R, 2023), Robert McCarthy (R, 2023).Governing Body
Borough of Lakehurst. Accessed April 28, 2022. "The Borough of Lakehurst, New Jersey governing body consists of a Mayor and six Council Members elected at large. Members of the Council are elected for three year terms with two Council Members being elected each year while the Mayor is elected every four years."Borough of Lakehurst
Ocean County, New Jersey. Accessed April 28, 2022.''2022 Ocean County & Municipal Elected Officials''
Ocean County, New Jersey Clerk, updated April 1, 2022. Accessed April 28, 2022.2021 General Election Official Results
Ocean County, New Jersey. Accessed January 1, 2022.2020 General Election November 3, 2020 Official results
Ocean County, New Jersey, updated December 2, 2020. Accessed January 1, 2021.2019 General Election Official Results November 5, 2019
Ocean County, New Jersey Clerk, updated November 15, 2019. Accessed January 1, 2020. In March 2022, the Borough Council appointed Bernadette Dugan to the seat expiring in December 2024 that had been held by Gary Lowe until he died in office the previous January, just weeks after having taken office. Dugan will serve on an interim basis until the November 2022 general election, when voters will choose a candidate to fill the balance of the term of office. In August 2015, the Borough Council selected former mayor Stephen F. Childers to fill the unexpired term ending in December 2016 of Glenn McComas, who had resigned from office the previous month as he was moving out of the borough.

Federal, state and county representation

Lakehurst is located in the 4th Congressional DistrictPlan Components Report

New Jersey Redistricting Commission The New Jersey Redistricting Commission is a constitutional body of the government of New Jersey tasked with redrawing the state's Congressional election districts after each decade's census. Like Arizona, Idaho, Hawaii, Montana, and Washington; t ...

, December 23, 2011. Accessed February 1, 2020. and is part of New Jersey's 10th state legislative district.Municipalities Sorted by 2011-2020 Legislative District
New Jersey Department of State. Accessed February 1, 2020.''2019 New Jersey Citizen's Guide to Government''
New Jersey League of Women Voters. Accessed October 30, 2019. Prior to the 2011 reapportionment following the 2010 Census, Lakehurst had been in the 9th state legislative district.''2011 New Jersey Citizen's Guide to Government''
, p. 59, New Jersey League of Women Voters. Accessed May 22, 2015.

Ocean County Ocean County is a county located along the Jersey Shore in the south-central portion of the U.S. state of New Jersey. It borders the Atlantic Ocean on the east. Its county seat is Toms River.Board of County Commissioners comprised of five members who are elected on an at-large basis in partisan elections and serving staggered three-year terms of office, with either one or two seats coming up for election each year as part of the November general election. At an annual reorganization held in the beginning of January, the board chooses a Director and a Deputy Director from among its members. , Ocean County's Commissioners (with party affiliation, term-end year and residence) are: Commissioner Director John P. Kelly (R, 2022, Eagleswood Township), Commissioner Deputy Director Virginia E. Haines ( R, 2022, Toms River), Barbara Jo Crea (R, 2024,

Little Egg Harbor Township Little Egg Harbor Township is a township in Ocean County, New Jersey. As of the 2010 United States Census, the township's population was 20,065, reflecting an increase of 4,120 (+25.8%) from the 15,945 counted in the 2000 Census, which had in tur ...

) Gary Quinn (R, 2024, Lacey Township) and Joseph H. Vicari (R, 2023, Toms River). Constitutional officers elected on a countywide basis are County Clerk Scott M. Colabella (R, 2025, Barnegat Light), Sheriff Michael G. Mastronardy (R, 2022; Toms River) and Surrogate Jeffrey Moran (R, 2023, Beachwood).

Politics

As of March 23, 2011, there were a total of 1,373 registered voters in Lakehurst, of which 254 (18.5%) were registered as Democrats, 295 (21.5%) were registered as Republicans and 823 (59.9%) were registered as Unaffiliated. There was one voter registered to another party.Voter Registration Summary - Ocean
New Jersey Department of State Division of Elections, March 23, 2011. Accessed December 26, 2012. Among the borough's 2010 Census population, 51.7% (vs. 63.2% in Ocean County) were registered to vote, including 72.2% of those ages 18 and over (vs. 82.6% countywide). In the

2012 presidential election This national electoral calendar for 2012 lists the national/ federal elections held in 2012 in all sovereign states and their dependent territories. By-elections are excluded, though national referendums are included. January *3–4 January ...

, Democrat

Barack Obama Barack Hussein Obama II ( ; born August 4, 1961) is an American politician who served as the 44th president of the United States from 2009 to 2017. A member of the Democratic Party, Obama was the first African-American president of the ...

received 50.8% of the vote (438 cast), ahead of Republican Mitt Romney with 48.5% (418 votes), and other candidates with 0.7% (6 votes), among the 872 ballots cast by the borough's 1,480 registered voters (10 ballots were spoiled), for a turnout of 58.9%. In the 2008 presidential election, Republican John McCain received 49.5% of the vote (459 cast), ahead of Democrat Barack Obama with 47.7% (443 votes) and other candidates with 1.7% (16 votes), among the 928 ballots cast by the borough's 1,521 registered voters, for a turnout of 61.0%. In the 2004 presidential election, Republican George W. Bush received 58.8% of the vote (518 ballots cast), outpolling Democrat

John Kerry John Forbes Kerry (born December 11, 1943) is an American attorney, politician and diplomat who currently serves as the first United States special presidential envoy for climate. A member of the Forbes family and the Democratic Party, he ...

with 39.8% (351 votes) and other candidates with 0.8% (12 votes), among the 881 ballots cast by the borough's 1,427 registered voters, for a turnout percentage of 61.7. In the 2013 gubernatorial election, Republican

Chris Christie Christopher James Christie (born September 6, 1962) is an American politician, lawyer, political commentator, lobbyist, and former federal prosecutor who served as the 55th governor of New Jersey from 2010 to 2018. Christie, who was born in N ...

received 73.4% of the vote (398 cast), ahead of Democrat Barbara Buono with 25.1% (136 votes), and other candidates with 1.5% (8 votes), among the 555 ballots cast by the borough's 1,461 registered voters (13 ballots were spoiled), for a turnout of 38.0%. In the 2009 gubernatorial election, Republican Chris Christie received 65.0% of the vote (371 ballots cast), ahead of Democrat

Jon Corzine Jon Stevens Corzine ( ; born January 1, 1947) is an American financial executive and retired politician who served as a United States Senator from New Jersey from 2001 to 2006 and the 54th governor of New Jersey from 2006 to 2010. Corzine ran fo ...

with 25.4% (145 votes), Independent Chris Daggett with 7.4% (42 votes) and other candidates with 1.1% (6 votes), among the 571 ballots cast by the borough's 1,469 registered voters, yielding a 38.9% turnout.

Education

The Lakehurst School District serves students in public school for pre-kindergarten through eighth grade at Lakehurst Elementary School. As of the 2018–2019 school year, the district, comprised of one school, had an enrollment of 374 students and 35.1 classroom teachers (on an FTE basis), for a student–teacher ratio of 10.7:1.District information for Lakehurst School District
National Center for Education Statistics. Accessed April 1, 2020. Public school students from Lakehurst in ninth through

twelfth grade Twelfth grade, 12th grade, senior year, or grade 12 is the final year of secondary school in most of North America. In other regions, it may also be referred to as class 12 or Year 13. In most countries, students are usually between the ages of 17 ...

s attend Manchester Township High School in Manchester Township, as part of a

sending/receiving relationship A sending/receiving relationship is one in which a public school district sends some or all of its students to attend the schools of another district. This is often done to achieve costs savings in smaller districts or continues after districts hav ...

with the Manchester Township School District. As of the 2018–2019 school year, the high school had an enrollment of 1,006 students and 82.8 classroom teachers (on an FTE basis), for a student–teacher ratio of 12.1:1. The Lakehurst district decided in 2012 against a proposal that would have had borough students attend Jackson Liberty High School as part of a sending / receiving relationship with the Jackson School District. The change in the sending relationship had been considered as a means of reducing the costs associated with paying $14,000 for each of the 150 students attending Manchester High School, as opposed to the $11,300 that would have been paid at Jackson, yielding annual savings of $400,000, less the added cost of transporting students to and from Jackson.

Transportation

Roads and highways

, the borough had a total of of roadways, of which were maintained by the municipality, by Ocean County and by the

New Jersey Department of Transportation The New Jersey Department of Transportation (NJDOT) is the agency responsible for transportation issues and policy in New Jersey, including maintaining and operating the state's highway and public road system, planning and developing transporta ...

. New Jersey Route 70 is the main highway through the borough, which lies at the western end of New Jersey Route 37. County Route 547 connects from the North after paralleling the eastern edge of the Lakehurst Maxfield Field portion of

Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst A joint or articulation (or articular surface) is the connection made between bones, ossicles, or other hard structures in the body which link an animal's skeletal system into a functional whole.Saladin, Ken. Anatomy & Physiology. 7th ed. McGraw- ...

Public transportation

Ocean Ride local service is provided on the OC1A Whiting Express and the OC2 Manchester routes. Lakehurst is located on the former

Central Railroad of New Jersey The Central Railroad of New Jersey, also known as the Jersey Central or Jersey Central Lines , was a Class I railroad with origins in the 1830s. It was absorbed into Conrail in April 1976 along with several other prominent bankrupt railroads of ...

Southern Division Main Line. The Barnegat Branch formerly extended from Lakehurst through Toms River and Beachwood down to Barnegat. Lakehurst is being considered as the southern terminus of the planned

NJ Transit New Jersey Transit Corporation, branded as NJ Transit, and often shortened to NJT, is a state-owned public transportation system that serves the U.S. state of New Jersey, along with portions of New York State and Pennsylvania. It operates bu ...

Monmouth-Ocean-Middlesex Line, which would closely follow the CNJ line.

Media

The '' Asbury Park Press'' provides daily news coverage of the community as does WOBM-FM radio. The government of the borough provides columns and commentary to ''The Manchester Times'', which is one of seven weekly papers from Micromedia Publications; founded in 1995, the company was headquartered on Union Avenue in the borough until late 2019 when they moved to the Lakehurst Circle Center.

Notable people

People who were born in, residents of, or otherwise closely associated with Lakehurst include: * Thomas Barlow (1896–1983), one of the first professional basketball players, he was inducted as a member of the Basketball Hall of Fame in 1981 * Rich Croushore (born 1970), former Major League Baseball pitcher who was born in Lakehurst when his father served in the U.S. Navy * James S. Denton (1951 - 2018), publisher and editor of '' World Affairs'' and the director of the

World Affairs Institute World Affairs Institute (WAI) is a nonprofit organization established in 2010 and located in Washington, DC. The organization's stated mission is to "promote democratic governance as well as public education, awareness, and dialogue on internationa ...

* Marty Jannetty (born 1962), professional wrestler, best known as one-half of The Rockers in the

World Wrestling Federation World Wrestling Entertainment, Inc., d/b/a as WWE, is an American professional wrestling promotion. A global integrated media and entertainment company, WWE has also branched out into other fields, including film, American football, and var ...

Abel Kiviat Abel Richard Kiviat (June 23, 1892 – August 24, 1991) was an American middle-distance runner. He was the oldest living American Olympic medalist at the time of his death. He competed for and coached the Irish American Athletic Club, and was l ...

(1892–1991), silver medalist in the men's 1,500 m event at the 1912 Summer Olympics *

Juice Newton Judith Kay "Juice" Newton (born February 18, 1952) is an American pop and country singer, songwriter, and musician. Newton has received five Grammy Award nominations in the Pop and Country Best Female Vocalist categorieswinning once in 1983as well ...

(born 1952),

Grammy Award The Grammy Awards (stylized as GRAMMY), or simply known as the Grammys, are awards presented by the Recording Academy of the United States to recognize "outstanding" achievements in the music industry. They are regarded by many as the most pr ...

-winning American

pop music Pop music is a genre of popular music that originated in its modern form during the mid-1950s in the United States and the United Kingdom. The terms ''popular music'' and ''pop music'' are often used interchangeably, although the former descri ...

and

country A country is a distinct part of the world, such as a state, nation, or other political entity. It may be a sovereign state or make up one part of a larger state. For example, the country of Japan is an independent, sovereign state, while ...

singer *

Richard Shindell Richard Shindell (born August 3, 1960) is an American folk singer, songwriter, producer, and musician. Shindell grew up in Port Washington, New York, and now lives in Buenos Aires, Argentina, with his wife, Lila Caimari, a university profess ...

(born 1960), folk singer / songwriterCondran, Ed
"Heavy Hitters"
'' Asbury Park Press'', October 31, 2008. Accessed February 12, 2011. "If Richard Shindell had realized he was climbing over the faces of the Mount Rushmore of songwriting while finding material for his latest album, "South of Delia," the disc might have sounded dramatically different. The Lakehurst native, co-headlining Saturday with Glen Phillips at Monmouth University in West Long Branch, interprets some heavy hitters."

References

External links

{{authority control 1921 establishments in New Jersey Borough form of New Jersey government Boroughs in Ocean County, New Jersey Populated places established in 1921