Template:Wp-Ocean County, New Jersey

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Ocean County is a county located along the Jersey Shore in the south-central portion of the U.S. state of New Jersey, along the Atlantic Ocean. Its county seat is Toms River. Since 1990, Ocean County has been one of New Jersey's fastest-growing counties. As of the 2020 United States Census, the county's population was enumerated at 637,229, a 10.5% increase from the 576,567 counted in the 2010 U.S. Census, making Ocean the state's sixth-most populous county. The 2010 population figure represented an increase of 65,651 (+12.8%) from the 2000 Census population of 510,916, as Ocean surpassed Union County to become the sixth-most populous county in the state. Ocean County was also the fastest growing county in New Jersey between 2000 and 2010 in terms of increase in the number of residents and second-highest in percentage growth. Ocean County was established on February 15, 1850, from portions of Monmouth County, with the addition of Little Egg Harbor Township which was annexed from Burlington County on March 30, 1891. The most populous place is Lakewood Township, with an estimated 102,682 residents as of 2017, up 10.6% from 92,843 at the 2010 Census (in turn an increase of 32,491 since 2000, the highest of any New Jersey municipality); while Jackson Township covers , the largest total area of any municipality in the county.^[1]

Ocean County is located east of Philadelphia, south of New York City, and north of Atlantic City, making it a prime destination for residents of these cities during the summer. As with the entire Jersey Shore, summer traffic routinely clogs local roadways throughout the season. Ocean County's area comprises 31.3% water.

Ocean County is part of the New York metropolitan area but is also home to many tourist attractions frequently visited by Delaware Valley residents, especially the beachfront communities of Seaside Heights, Long Beach Island, Point Pleasant Beach, as well as Six Flags Great Adventure, which is the home of the world's tallest and second-fastest roller coaster, Kingda Ka. Ocean County is also a gateway to New Jersey's Pine Barrens, one of the largest protected pieces of land on the East Coast.

Ocean County is part of the New York City and Philadelphia media market.