Jackson Township is a

township A township is a kind of human settlement or administrative subdivision, with its meaning varying in different countries. Although the term is occasionally associated with an urban area, that tends to be an exception to the rule. In Australia, C ...

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

2020 United States census The United States census of 2020 was the twenty-fourth decennial United States census. Census Day, the reference day used for the census, was April 1, 2020. Other than a pilot study during the 2000 census, this was the first U.S. census to of ...

, the township population was 58,544. A portion of the township is located within the

New Jersey Pine Barrens The New Jersey Pine Barrens, also known as the Pinelands or simply the Pines, is the largest remaining example of the Atlantic coastal pine barrens ecosystem, stretching across more than seven counties of New Jersey. Two other large, contiguou ...

. Roughly equidistant between

New York City New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the most densely populated major city in the Un ...

and

Philadelphia Philadelphia, often called Philly, is the List of municipalities in Pennsylvania#Municipalities, largest city in the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, the List of United States cities by population, sixth-largest city i ...

, Jackson is the site of Six Flags Great Adventure, home to the

Kingda Ka Kingda Ka is a hydraulically-launched steel roller coaster located at Six Flags Great Adventure in Jackson, New Jersey, United States. Manufactured by Intamin and designed by Werner Stengel, Kingda Ka opened as the in the world on May 21, 20 ...

, which as of 2022 is the tallest roller coaster in the world. Jackson is also home to

Six Flags Hurricane Harbor Hurricane Harbor is a chain of water parks that are part of the Six Flags theme park chain. Although the parks are not identical, common features include a variety of body slides, speed slides, tube slides, wave pools, lazy rivers, and shopping ...

and the

Safari Off Road Adventure Safari Off Road Adventure is a safari attraction currently operating at Six Flags Great Adventure in Jackson Township, New Jersey. It replaced the former Six Flags Wild Safari drive-through safari park, which closed on September 30, 2012, in or ...

, which replaced Six Flags Wild Safari in 2013.

History

Jackson Township was incorporated as a township by an act of the New Jersey Legislature on March 6, 1844, from portions of Dover Township (now Toms River Township), Freehold Township and Upper Freehold Township, while the area was still part of Monmouth County. The township was named for president

Andrew Jackson Andrew Jackson (March 15, 1767 – June 8, 1845) was an American lawyer, planter, general, and statesman who served as the seventh president of the United States from 1829 to 1837. Before being elected to the presidency, he gained fame as ...

, a year before his death. It became part of the newly created

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.Plumsted Township on March 11, 1845.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 June 18, 2012.

Geography

According to the

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 ...

, the township had a total area of 100.55 square miles (260.43 km²), including 99.17 square miles (256.86 km²) of land and 1.38 square miles (3.57 km²) of water (1.37%). Jackson is the largest municipality by area in Ocean County. Vista Center (with a 2010 population of 2,095) is an

unincorporated community An unincorporated area is a region that is not governed by a local municipal corporation. Widespread unincorporated communities and areas are a distinguishing feature of the United States and Canada. Most other countries of the world either have ...

and

census-designated place A census-designated place (CDP) is a Place (United States Census Bureau), concentration of population defined by the United States Census Bureau for statistical purposes only. CDPs have been used in each decennial census since 1980 as the count ...

(CDP) located within Jackson Township.New Jersey: 2010 – Population and Housing Unit Counts – 2010 Census of Population and Housing (CPH-2-32)

, August 2012. Accessed December 25, 2012. Other unincorporated communities, localities and populated places located completely or partially within the township include Archers Corner, Bennetts Mills, Burksville, Butterfly Bridge, Cassville, Colliers Mills, DeBow Corner, Francis Mills, Grayville, Harmony, Holmansville, Holmeson, Hyson, Jackson Mills, Kapps Corner, Leesville, Legler, Maryland, Midwood, New Prospect, Pleasant Grove, Prospertown, Ridgeway State Forest, Success, The Alligator, Van Hiseville, Webbsville, Whitesbridge and Whitesville. The township borders Lakewood Township, Manchester Township, Plumsted Township and Toms River Township in Ocean County; and Freehold Township, Howell Township, Millstone Township and Upper Freehold Township in Monmouth County. Colliers Mills Wildlife Management Area is a

wildlife management area A Wildlife Management Area (WMA) is a protected area set aside for the conservation of wildlife and for recreational activities involving wildlife. New Zealand There are 11 Wildlife Management Areas in New Zealand: * Horsham Downs Wildlife Man ...

located within portions of both Jackson Township and Plumsted Township operated by the

New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection The New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (NJDEP) is a government agency in the U.S. state of New Jersey that is responsible for managing the state's natural resources and addressing issues related to pollution. NJDEP now has a staff ...

's Division of Fish and Wildlife. Several man-made lakes are located within the township, including Success Lake in the Colliers Mills Wildlife Management Area. The township is one of 11 municipalities in Ocean County that are part of the Toms River watershed.

Climate

Jackson Township, New Jersey, gets of rain per year. Snowfall is inches and the number of days with any measurable precipitation is 115. On average, there are 206 sunny days per year in Jackson. The July high is around 86 degrees and the January low is 23. The comfort index is 45 out of 100.

Demographics

Jackson Township is a suburban community that is sparsely populated, with most residents owning their homes.

2010 Census

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 $86,327 (with a margin of error of +/− $2,941) and the median family income was $96,171 (+/− $2,734). Males had a median income of $68,985 (+/− $4,126) versus $45,714 (+/− $2,238) 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 township was $34,521 (+/− $912). About 2.8% of families and 3.8% 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 4.4% of those under age 18 and 3.5% of those age 65 or over.

2000 Census

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 42,816 people, 14,176 households, and 11,269 families residing in the township. The population density was . There were 14,640 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the township was 91.26%

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 ...

, 3.90%

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 ...

, 0.13% Native American, 2.06% Asian, 0.01%

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 ...

, 0.97% 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 1.67% 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 ...

Latino Latino or Latinos most often refers to: * Latino (demonym), a term used in the United States for people with cultural ties to Latin America * Hispanic and Latino Americans in the United States * The people or cultures of Latin America; ** Latin A ...

of any race were 5.78% of the population.Census 2000 Profiles of Demographic / Social / Economic / Housing Characteristics for Jackson township, Ocean County, New Jersey
,

. Accessed December 25, 2012.DP-1: Profile of General Demographic Characteristics: 2000 – Census 2000 Summary File 1 (SF 1) 100-Percent Data for Jackson township, Ocean County, New Jersey
,

. Accessed December 25, 2012. There were 14,176 households, out of which 44.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 66.7% were married couples living together, 8.9% had a female householder with no husband present, and 20.5% were non-families. 16.0% of all households were made up of individuals, and 6.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.99 and the average family size was 3.38. In the township the population was spread out, with 29.7% under the age of 18, 6.5% from 18 to 24, 34.2% from 25 to 44, 20.3% from 45 to 64, and 9.4% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 35 years. For every 100 females, there were 95.5 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 92.1 males. The median income for a household in the township was $65,218, and the median income for a family was $71,045. Males had a median income of $51,276 versus $33,882 for females. The

for the township was $23,981. About 2.5% of families and 3.7% of the population were below the

, including 3.2% of those under age 18 and 6.3% of those age 65 or over.

Orthodox Jewish community

Since 2016, the

Orthodox Jewish Orthodox Judaism is the collective term for the traditionalist and theologically conservative branches of contemporary Judaism. Theologically, it is chiefly defined by regarding the Torah, both Written and Oral, as revealed by God to Moses on M ...

population has been growing in central and eastern Jackson Township, along the border with Lakewood Township, due to the more affordable housing and quieter lifestyle that Jackson Township offers over Lakewood. By 2020, the Orthodox Jewish community had grown to approximately 500 families, out of 19,400 total households, from a limited presence just a few years prior. A series of pending lawsuits allege that Jackson Township has passed multiple ordinances trying to stymie movement from Lakewood to Jackson. A "no knock" ordinance had been passed by Jackson prohibiting door-to-door solicitation after residents complained of an increase in real estate solicitations. Ordinances were passed that were restrictive to the Orthodox Jewish lifestyle; efforts to open

yeshiva A yeshiva (; he, ישיבה, , sitting; pl. , or ) is a traditional Jewish educational institution focused on the study of Rabbinic literature, primarily the Talmud and halacha (Jewish law), while Torah and Jewish philosophy are st ...

s in the township, often accompanied by dormitories, were blocked by newly adopted ordinances that restricted new schools and prohibited dormitories. ''

Eruv An eruv (; he, עירוב, , also transliterated as eiruv or erub, plural: eruvin or eruvim) is a ritual halakhic enclosure made for the purpose of allowing activities which are normally prohibited on Shabbat (due to the prohibition of ''ho ...

s'' (symbolic religious enclosures) were determined not to meet building and construction codes after a new ordinance was passed that tightened restrictions on items placed in the public "right-of-way". To address this last concern, the township entered into a preliminary settlement allowing ''eruvs'' in some parts of town, and proposed a town-wide solution that was ultimately deemed impractical. In addition, the

United States Department of Justice The United States Department of Justice (DOJ), also known as the Justice Department, is a federal executive department of the United States government tasked with the enforcement of federal law and administration of justice in the United Stat ...

and the

New Jersey Attorney General The attorney general of New Jersey is a member of the executive cabinet of the state and oversees the Department of Law and Public Safety. The office is appointed by the governor of New Jersey, confirmed by the New Jersey Senate, and term limite ...

have opened investigations into whether the township practiced anti-Semitic discrimination, filing multiple

subpoena A subpoena (; also subpœna, supenna or subpena) or witness summons is a writ issued by a government agency, most often a court, to compel testimony by a witness or production of evidence under a penalty for failure. There are two common types of ...

s against township officials. These investigations culminated in May 2020 with a federal lawsuit brought by the Department of Justice against the township, alleging violations of the

Religious Land Use and Institutionalized Persons Act The Religious Land Use and Institutionalized Persons Act (RLUIPA), , codified as et seq., is a United States federal law that prohibits the imposition of burdens on the ability of prisoners to worship as they please and gives churches and oth ...

and the Fair Housing Act related to the township's new land use laws.

Economy

The Jackson Premium Outlets are an open-air outlet power center owned by the

Simon Property Group Simon Property Group, Inc. is an American real estate investment trust that invests in shopping malls, outlet centers, and community/lifestyle centers. It is the largest owner of shopping malls in the United States and is headquartered in India ...

. It is located off of I-195, CR. 537, and CR. 526/CR. 571 in Jackson Township. The facility opened in 1997, and was expanded in 1998. The outlets are located roughly 2.5 miles away from the amusement park Six Flags Great Adventure, the second-largest theme park in the world following Disney's Animal Kingdom. The retail outlet center offers over 70 stores and has a

gross leasable area In architecture, construction, and real estate, floor area, floor space, or floorspace is the area (measured as square feet or square metres) taken up by a building or part of it. The ways of defining "floor area" depend on what factors of the buil ...

of .

Media

The '' Asbury Park Press'' provides daily news coverage of the township, as does

WOBM-FM WOBM-FM (92.7 MHz) is a commercial FM radio station known as "Ocean County's Hometown Station," licensed to Toms River and serving Ocean County, New Jersey. It airs an adult contemporary radio format. From late November until December 25 each y ...

radio. The township provides material and commentary to ''The Jackson Times'', which is one of seven weekly papers from

Micromedia Publications ''Micromedia Publications'' is the publisher of seven weekly newspapers based in Monmouth/Ocean County, New Jersey. The newspapers cover Howell, Jackson, Toms River, Manchester, Brick, Berkeley Township, Lacey Township, Barnegat, Stafford T ...

. In addition, ''JTOWN'' Magazine provides news, sports and other local information.

Sports

In 2015, the Jackson Little League 12-year-old All-Stars won the state championship, and went on to the Mid-Atlantic Regional final where they lost to Red Land Little League from Pennsylvania who eventually won the U.S. Championship, but fell to the team from Japan in the 2015 Little League World Series. In 2017, the Holbrook Little League All-Stars defeated Maryland 8–3, sending Holbrook to the

2017 Little League World Series The 2017 Little League World Series was held from August 17 to 27. Eight teams from the United States and eight teams from around the world competed in the 71st edition of the tournament. Tokyo Kitasuna Little League of Tokyo, Japan, defeated Lufki ...

Government

Local government

Jackson Township adopted the Mayor-Council form of government under the Faulkner Act as of July 1, 2006. The township is one of 71 (of the 564) municipalities statewide governed under this form. The governing body is comprised of the Mayor and the five-member Township Council, who are elected at-large on a

non-partisan Nonpartisanism is a lack of affiliation with, and a lack of bias towards, a political party. While an Oxford English Dictionary definition of ''partisan'' includes adherents of a party, cause, person, etc., in most cases, nonpartisan refers s ...

basis. Council members serve four-year terms on a staggered basis, with either two or three seats coming up for election in even-numbered years as part of the November general election. The Mayor is elected directly by the voters to a four-year term of office that comes up for election during the same year that two council seats are up for a vote. The Council selects a President and a vice president from among its members. Until 2006, Jackson Township was governed under the

Township A township is a kind of human settlement or administrative subdivision, with its meaning varying in different countries. Although the term is occasionally associated with an urban area, that tends to be an exception to the rule. In Australia, C ...

form of government with a five-member Township Committee, whose members were elected directly by the voters in partisan elections to serve three-year terms of office on a staggered basis, with one or two seats coming up for election each year.''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 The Edward J. Bloustein School of Planning and Public Policy of Rutgers University (The Bloustein School) serves as a center for the theory and practice of urban planning, public policy and public health/health administration scholarship. The sc ...

, March 2013, p. 103. In June 2011, the Township Council passed an ordinance shifting nonpartisan elections from May to November. , the Mayor of Jackson Township is Michael "Mike" Reina, whose term of office ends December 31, 2022.Mayor
Jackson Township. Accessed July 13, 2022. Township Council members are Council President Martin Flemming (2024), Council Vice President Andrew Kern (2022), Nino Anthony Borrelli (2024), Stephen M. Chisholm, Jr. (2024) and Alexander Sauickie III (2022).
Township Council, Jackson Township. Accessed July 13, 2022.Township of Jackson
Ocean County, New Jersey. Accessed July 13, 2022.''2022 Ocean County & Municipal Elected Officials''
Ocean County, New Jersey Clerk, updated April 1, 2022. Accessed May 1, 2022.2020 General Election November 3, 2020 Official results
Ocean County, New Jersey, updated December 2, 2020. Accessed January 1, 2021.2018 General Election Official Results November 6, 2018
Ocean County, New Jersey Clerk, updated November 19, 2018. Accessed January 1, 2019. In May 2020, Council President Barry Calogero resigned from office from his term expiring in December 2020. In January 2020, the Township Council appointed Martin Flemming to fill the seat expiring in December 2020 that became vacant following the resignation of Robert Nixon.

Public safety departments

;Police Department Jackson Township has its own Police Department which was established in 1946 and which operates out of the Municipal Justice Complex. The Chief of Police is Matthew D. Kunz. ;Fire Department Jackson Township has three fire districts and an industrial fire department: *Station 54 – Jackson Mills Fire Co./Jackson Fire District No. 4 (combination volunteer / career) Chief Trask O'Hara *Station 55 – Jackson Township Fire Co. No. 1/Jackson Twp Fire District No. 3 (combination) Chief Timothy Carson *Station 56 – Cassville Fire Co./Jackson Fire District No. 2 (combination volunteer/career) Chief John Poppe Jr. *Station 57 – Whitesville Fire Co./Jackson Fire District No. 2 (combination volunteer/career) Chief Flemming *Station 58 – Six Flags Great Adventure Emergency Services- Division of Fire Rescue Chief Palmer ;Fire Bureau Jackson Township has 3 Fire Bureaus that enforce the NJ Uniform Fire Safety Act: Jackson Bureau of Fire Prevention District 2 Fire Official Scott Rauch Jackson Bureau of Fire Prevention District 4 Fire Official Stanley O'Brien Jr. Jackson Bureau of Fire Safety Fire Districts 3 Fire Official Mike Grossman ;Emergency Medical Services Currently emergency medical services are provided by the township's first aid squad. *Squad 22 – Jackson Township EMS (Combination Career/Volunteer) Chief Al Couceiro *Squad 80 – Six Flags Great Adventure Emergency Services- Division of EMS Advanced life support E.M.S., (i.e., paramedics or "Mobile Intensive Care Units"), is provided by hospital providers under a statewide system mandated by the

New Jersey Department of Health and Senior Services The New Jersey Department of Health (NJDOH) is a governmental agency of the U.S. state of New Jersey. New Jersey's State Board of Health was established in 1877. Its administrative functions were vested in the Department of Health, which was crea ...

. Jackson Township is served primarily by MONOC paramedic units. until April 1, 2020, at 07:00 hrs at which time, MONOC will be out of business and RWJ Mobile Healthcare will assume responsibility for providing ALS service to Jackson Township.

Federal, state and county representation

Jackson Township 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 12th 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, Jackson Township had been in the 30th 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 34,003 registered voters in Jackson Township, of which 7,177 (21.1%) were registered as Democrats, 7,693 (22.6%) were registered as Republicans and 19,108 (56.2%) were registered as Unaffiliated. There were 25 voters registered to other parties.Voter Registration Summary – Ocean
New Jersey Department of State Division of Elections, March 23, 2011. Accessed December 25, 2012. Among the township's 2010 Census population, 62.0% (vs. 63.2% in Ocean County) were registered to vote, including 82.3% of those ages 18 and over (vs. 82.6% countywide). In the

2016 presidential election This national electoral calendar for 2016 lists the national/ federal elections held in 2016 in all sovereign states and their dependent territories. By-elections are excluded, though national referendums are included. January *7 January: Kiri ...

, Republican

Donald Trump Donald John Trump (born June 14, 1946) is an American politician, media personality, and businessman who served as the 45th president of the United States from 2017 to 2021. Trump graduated from the Wharton School of the University of P ...

received 62.5% of the vote (16,910 cast), ahead of Democrat

Hillary Clinton Hillary Diane Rodham Clinton ( Rodham; born October 26, 1947) is an American politician, diplomat, and former lawyer who served as the 67th United States Secretary of State for President Barack Obama from 2009 to 2013, as a United States sen ...

with 34.3% (9,275 votes), and other candidates with 3.2% (856 votes), among the 27,041 cast by the township's voters. 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 ...

, Republican Mitt Romney received 55.5% of the vote (13,752 cast), ahead of 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 ...

with 43.3% (10,728 votes), and other candidates with 1.1% (279 votes), among the 24,925 ballots cast by the township's 36,446 registered voters (166 ballots were spoiled), for a turnout of 68.4%. In the 2008 presidential election, Republican John McCain received 55.2% of the vote (14,069 cast), ahead of Democrat Barack Obama with 43.0% (10,951 votes) and other candidates with 1.2% (296 votes), among the 25,480 ballots cast by the township's 34,749 registered voters, for a turnout of 73.3%. In the 2004 presidential election, Republican

George W. Bush George Walker Bush (born July 6, 1946) is an American politician who served as the 43rd president of the United States from 2001 to 2009. A member of the Republican Party, Bush family, and son of the 41st president George H. W. Bush, he ...

received 58.7% of the vote (12,451 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 39.9% (8,458 votes) and other candidates with 0.6% (185 votes), among the 21,202 ballots cast by the township's 29,329 registered voters, for a turnout percentage of 72.3. In the 2017 gubernatorial election, Republican

Kim Guadagno Kimberly Ann Guadagno (; ''née'' McFadden; born April 13, 1959) is an American lawyer and politician who served as the first lieutenant governor and 33rd secretary of state of New Jersey from 2010 to 2018. Guadagno was the Republican nominee ...

received 62.0% of the vote (9,232 cast), ahead of Democrat

Phil Murphy Philip Dunton Murphy (born August 16, 1957) is an American financier, diplomat, and politician serving as the 56th governor of New Jersey since January 2018. A member of the Democratic Party, he served as the United States ambassador to Germa ...

with 36.0% (5,359 votes), and other candidates with 1.9% (288 votes), among the 14,879 cast by the township's voters. 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 73.9% of the vote (11,171 cast), ahead of Democrat

Barbara Buono Barbara A. Buono (born July 28, 1953) is an American politician who served in the New Jersey Senate from 2002 to 2014, where she represented the 18th Legislative District. She served from 2010 to 2012 as the Majority Leader in the Senate, succ ...

with 24.4% (3,693 votes), and other candidates with 1.7% (259 votes), among the 15,356 ballots cast by the township's 36,215 registered voters (233 ballots were spoiled), for a turnout of 42.4%. In the 2009 gubernatorial election, Republican Chris Christie received 66.8% of the vote (11,564 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 26.7% (4,620 votes), Independent Chris Daggett with 4.3% (737 votes) and other candidates with 1.1% (194 votes), among the 17,315 ballots cast by the township's 34,318 registered voters, yielding a 50.5% turnout.

Education

The Jackson School District serves students in

kindergarten Kindergarten is a preschool educational approach based on playing, singing, practical activities such as drawing, and social interaction as part of the transition from home to school. Such institutions were originally made in the late 18th ce ...

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 ...

. The district operates six elementary schools serving grades K–5, two middle schools and two high schools. In January 2015, the Jackson Board of Education voted to implement full-day kindergarten, which was introduced in September 2015. As of the 2018–19 school year, the district, comprised of 10 schools, had an enrollment of 8,304 students and 665.1 classroom teachers (on an FTE basis), for a student–teacher ratio of 12.5:1.District information for Jackson Township School District
National Center for Education Statistics. Accessed April 1, 2020. Schools in the district (with 2018–19 enrollment data from the National Center for Education Statistics) are Crawford-Rodriguez Elementary School (674 students; in grades Pre-K–5), Elms Elementary School (705; Pre-K–5), Lucy N. Holman Elementary School (549; K–5), Howard C. Johnson Elementary School (463; K–5), Sylvia Rosenauer Elementary School (307; Pre-K–5), Switlik Elementary School (751; K–5), Carl W. Goetz Middle School (1,129; 6–8), Christa McAuliffe Middle School (845; 6–8),

Jackson Liberty High School Jackson Liberty High School is a four-year comprehensive public high school serving students in ninth through twelfth grades from Jackson Township, in Ocean County, New Jersey, operating as part of the Jackson School District. It is the dist ...

(1,177; 9–12) and Jackson Memorial High School (1,620; 9–12). Mother Seton Academy, a Catholic School for grades Pre-K–8, which operates under the auspices of the

Roman Catholic Diocese of Trenton The Diocese of Trenton is a Latin Church ecclesiastical territory or diocese of the Catholic Church that encompasses Burlington, Mercer, Monmouth, and Ocean counties in central New Jersey. The Diocese of Trenton is a suffragan diocese in the ecc ...

, is in nearby Howell Township. It formed in 2019 by the merger of St. Aloysius and St. Veronica schools; the former was in Jackson and the latter was in Howell.

Transportation

Roads and highways

, the township 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 ...

. Interstate 195 is a major artery that travels through the northern section of Jackson (it just so happens that Jackson is the only municipality in

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.Howell Howell may refer to: Places In the United Kingdom *Howell, Lincolnshire, England In the United States *Howell, Georgia * Howell, Evansville, a neighborhood of Evansville, Indiana *Howell, Michigan * Howell, Missouri *Howell, Utah * Howell C ...

and Millstone Townships, it is also a vital link for

Six Flags Six Flags Entertainment Corporation is an American amusement park corporation, headquartered in Arlington, Texas. It has properties in Canada, Mexico, and the United States. Six Flags owns the most theme parks and waterparks combined of any a ...

since it provides direct connections to the

Garden State Parkway The Garden State Parkway (GSP) is a controlled-access toll road that stretches the north–south length of eastern New Jersey from the state's southernmost tip near Cape May to the New York state line at Montvale. Its name refers to New Jerse ...

, New Jersey Turnpike ( Interstate 95) and Interstate 295. CR 526, CR 527, CR 528, CR 537, CR 547, and CR 571 pass through the township. CR 539 also passes through the township, but in the southwest corner, for less than half a mile.

Public transportation

The Monmouth Ocean Middlesex Line a proposed

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 ...

project which would connect Monmouth,

Ocean The ocean (also the sea or the world ocean) is the body of salt water that covers approximately 70.8% of the surface of Earth and contains 97% of Earth's water. An ocean can also refer to any of the large bodies of water into which the wo ...

and

Middlesex Middlesex (; abbreviation: Middx) is a historic county in southeast England. Its area is almost entirely within the wider urbanised area of London and mostly within the ceremonial county of Greater London, with small sections in neighbour ...

counties to the rest of the system's rail network. Jackson township would be a potential stop for the 'MOM' Line. ,

provides Jackson bus service on the 317 line between

and the Jersey Shore, and seasonal express service on the 308 line between

Great Adventure Six Flags Great Adventure is an amusement park located in Jackson, New Jersey. Owned and operated by Six Flags, the park complex is situated between New York City and Philadelphia and includes a water park named Hurricane Harbor. It first ope ...

and Midtown Manhattan's

Port Authority Bus Terminal The Port Authority Bus Terminal (colloquially known as the Port Authority and by its acronym PABT) is a bus terminal located in Manhattan in New York City. It is the busiest bus terminal in the world by volume of traffic, serving about 8,000 buse ...

. Nearby

Howell Howell may refer to: Places In the United Kingdom *Howell, Lincolnshire, England In the United States *Howell, Georgia * Howell, Evansville, a neighborhood of Evansville, Indiana *Howell, Michigan * Howell, Missouri *Howell, Utah * Howell C ...

connects to Port Authority with frequent service on the

139 139 may refer to: * 139 (number), an integer * AD 139, a year of the Julian calendar * 139 BC, a year of the pre-Julian Roman calendar * 139 (New Jersey bus) 139 may refer to: * 139 (number), an integer * AD 139, a year of the Julian calendar * 13 ...

line and its 130, 132, 136 variants, and connects to

Newark Liberty Airport Newark Liberty International Airport , originally Newark Metropolitan Airport and later Newark International Airport, is an international airport straddling the boundary between the cities of Newark in Essex County and Elizabeth in Union Cou ...

on the 67 line. Nearby Lakewood also connects to Toms River and Atlantic City on the 559 line.

Academy Bus Academy Bus Lines is a bus company in New Jersey providing local bus services in northern New Jersey, line-run services to/from New York City from points in southern and central New Jersey, and contract and charter service in the eastern United ...

offers service to Port Authority New York and to Wall Street in Lower Manhattan, with multiple stops in Jackson and surrounding towns. Weekly trips to local shopping centers can be reserved on the "Jackson Flex Route" of the Ocean Ride Shoppers Loop.

Notable people

People who were born in, residents of, or otherwise closely associated with Jackson Township include: ((B) denotes that the person was born there.) * Cassidy Benintente (born 1994), defender and

midfielder A midfielder is an outfield position in association football. Midfielders may play an exclusively defensive role, breaking up attacks, and are in that case known as defensive midfielders. As central midfielders often go across boundarie ...

for

Sky Blue FC NJ/NY Gotham FC is a professional women's soccer team based in Harrison, New Jersey. Founded in 2006 as Jersey Sky Blue, the team was known as Sky Blue FC from 2008 until 2020. A founding member of the National Women's Soccer League (NWSL) in 2013 ...

of the National Women's Soccer League *

Parker Bohn III Parker Morse Bohn III (born July 13, 1963) is a left-handed American professional bowler. He has been a member of the Professional Bowlers Association (PBA) since 1984, and is a member of the PBA and USBC Halls of Fame. Bohn is one of only eigh ...

(born 1963), professional bowler * Elijah Boothe, actor best known for his role in ''

Luke Cage Lucas "Luke" Cage, born Carl Lucas and also known as Power Man, is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. He first appeared in ''Luke Cage, Hero for Hire'' #1 (June 1972) and was created by Archie Go ...

'' * Deena Nicole Cortese (born 1987), reality television personality who appeared on the MTV reality show '' Jersey Shore'' from 2010 to 2012 * Melvin Cottrell (1929–2002), former mayor of Jackson Township who served in the

New Jersey General Assembly The New Jersey General Assembly is the lower house of the New Jersey Legislature. Since the election of 1967 (1968 Session), the Assembly has consisted of 80 members. Two members are elected from each of New Jersey's 40 legislative districts f ...

from 1992 until his death *

Scotty Cranmer Scotty Cranmer (born January 11, 1987) is an American BMX rider. He is tied with Dave Mirra for the most X Games BMX Park medals with nine, three each in gold, silver and bronze over fourteen appearances. He attended Jackson Memorial High Sc ...

(born 1987), BMX rider * Joey DeZart (born 1998), professional soccer player who plays as a

for Orlando City in Major League Soccer * Rich Gaspari (born 1963), former professional bodybuilder and CEO of Gaspari Nutrition * Erin Gleason (born 1977),

short track speed skater Short-track speed skating is a form of competitive ice speed skating. In competitions, multiple skaters (typically between four and six) skate on an oval ice track with a length of . The rink itself is long by wide, which is the same size as a ...

who competed in three events at the

1998 Winter Olympics The 1998 Winter Olympics, officially known as the and commonly known as Nagano 1998 ( ja, 長野1998), was a winter multi-sport event held from 7 to 22 February 1998, mainly in Nagano, Japan, with some events taking place in the ...

* Frank B. Holman (–2005), former mayor of Jackson Township and New Jersey Republican State chairman * Rob Johnson (born 1973), former professional soccer player who played for the MetroStars *

Vini Lopez Vincent Lopez (born January 22, 1949), nicknamed Mad Dog, is an American drummer. Between 1968 and 1974 Lopez backed Bruce Springsteen in several bands, including Steel Mill and the E Street Band. He also played on Springsteen's first two albu ...

(born 1949), drummer who played with the

E Street Band The E Street Band is an American rock band, and has been musician Bruce Springsteen's primary backing band since 1972. The band was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2014. For the bulk of Springsteen's recording and performing caree ...

* Gina Lynn (born 1974),

pornographic actress A pornographic film actor or actress, pornographic performer, adult entertainer, or porn star is a person who performs sex acts in video that is usually characterized as a pornographic movie. Such videos tend to be made in a number of dis ...

Steve Niles Steve Niles (born June 21, 1965) is an American comic book author and novelist, known for works such as ''30 Days of Night'', '' Criminal Macabre: A Cal McDonald Mystery'', ''Simon Dark'', ''Mystery Society'', and '' Batman: Gotham County Line''. ...

(born 1965), writer of '' 30 Days of Night''Interview with Steve Niles
at

Midtown Comics Times Square Midtown Comics is a New York City comic book retailer with three shops in Manhattan and an e-commerce website.Gustines, George Gene (May 8, 2019)"As Comic Book Industry Grows, Smaller Publishers Learn to Adapt" ''The New York Times''.Gustines, Ge ...

;

YouTube YouTube is a global online video sharing and social media platform headquartered in San Bruno, California. It was launched on February 14, 2005, by Steve Chen, Chad Hurley, and Jawed Karim. It is owned by Google, and is the second mo ...

; May 29, 2010 (B) * Stephen Panasuk (born 1989),

quarterback The quarterback (commonly abbreviated "QB"), colloquially known as the "signal caller", is a position in gridiron football. Quarterbacks are members of the offensive platoon and mostly line up directly behind the offensive line. In modern Ame ...

for the

Cleveland Gladiators The Cleveland Gladiators were an arena football team based in Cleveland, Ohio, United States, and members of the Arena Football League (AFL). The Gladiators played their home games at Quicken Loans Arena, which they shared with the Cleveland Cava ...

of the

Arena Football League The Arena Football League (AFL) was a professional arena football league in the United States. It was founded in 1986, but played its first official games in the 1987 season, making it the third longest-running professional football league in ...

Johnny Petraglia John Petraglia Sr. (born March 3, 1947) is an American professional bowler. He is a member of the Professional Bowlers Association (PBA), where he won 14 PBA Tour titles. He has also won eight PBA Senior Tour titles. He is a member of both the P ...

(born 1947), professional bowler * Anthony Ranaudo (born 1989), pitcher who has played for the

Boston Red Sox The Boston Red Sox are an American professional baseball team based in Boston. The Red Sox compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) East division. Founded in as one of the American League's eigh ...

* Anthony Stolarz (born 1994), goaltender for the Anaheim Ducks of the

National Hockey League The National Hockey League (NHL; french: Ligue nationale de hockey—LNH, ) is a professional ice hockey league in North America comprising 32 teams—25 in the United States and 7 in Canada. It is considered to be the top ranked professional ...

* Stanley Switlik (1890–1981), parachuting pioneer who donated the land that is the site of Switlik Elementary School * Tom Tarver, quarterback who played for the

Scarlet Knights * Matt Thaiss (born 1995), first round pick in the 2016 MLB Draft by the

Los Angeles Angels The Los Angeles Angels are an American professional baseball team based in the Los Angeles metropolitan area. The Angels compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) West division. Since 1966, the team h ...

Zakk Wylde Zachary Phillip Wylde (born Jeffrey Phillip Wielandt; January 14, 1967) is an American musician. He is best known as the lead guitarist for Ozzy Osbourne and as the founder, lead guitarist, lead singer, songwriter and producer of the heavy meta ...

(born 1967 as Jeffrey Phillip Wiedlandt), guitarist for

Ozzy Osbourne John Michael "Ozzy" Osbourne (born 3 December 1948) is an English singer, songwriter, and television personality. He rose to prominence during the 1970s as the lead vocalist of the heavy metal band Black Sabbath, during which period he adop ...

and

Black Label Society Black Label Society is an American heavy metal band formed in Los Angeles, California in 1998 by guitarist/singer Zakk Wylde. To date, the band has released eleven studio albums, two live albums, two compilation albums, one EP, and three vid ...

LaGorce, Tammy
"Music; Thor, With an Electric Hammer"
''

The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid d ...

'', November 27, 2005. Accessed July 13, 2022. "But the frustrating part for Zakk Wylde – born in Jersey City, raised in Jackson and possessed of a gift for heavy-metal noise that regularly earns him the cover of any magazine with ''guitar'' in its title – is that the six-string inner circle rarely widens."

References

External links

Jackson Township website
{{authority control 1844 establishments in New Jersey Faulkner Act (mayor–council) Populated places in the Pine Barrens (New Jersey) Populated places established in 1844 Townships in Ocean County, New Jersey