When was Ocean County founded?

Ocean County was founded in 1850, formed from Monmouth County, and named after Atlantic Ocean.

What is the county seat of Ocean County?

The county seat of Ocean County is Toms River.

Is there an online parcel map for Ocean County?

Yes. A public source publishes a parcel map of 421,543 parcels, rated good enough here. You can click any parcel on it in Parcel Chart's free map, no sign-in needed.

Has Ocean County's boundary or name changed?

Ocean County was created in 1850 from Monmouth County. Since then the Atlas of Historical County Boundaries records 3 later changes, chiefly involving Monmouth County and Burlington County.

Is my lot in a flood zone?

We do not have flood maps for Ocean County yet. Look up the address on FEMA's Flood Map Service Center, which shows the effective flood map for any lot.

County · code 34029

Ocean CountyNew Jersey

Ocean County is a county in New Jersey with its seat in Toms River, formed in 1850.

Founded1850
County seatToms River
Named forAtlantic Ocean
Land area628 sq mi + 287 sq mi water
Population637,229 2020 Census
Parcels mapped421,543 checked 15 October 2026

Open the free map Click any parcel in Ocean County: acreage, parcel id, address and who publishes the map. No sign-in.

Updated 19 October 2026

Census outline · seat marked

History

Formed in 1850 from Monmouth County

An old deed may name a county that no longer exists, or a boundary that has since moved.

Ocean County was created from Monmouth County on February 15, 1850, and named after the Atlantic Ocean. The county has changed boundaries several times: it lost territory to Monmouth in 1869, gained land from Burlington in 1891, and gained more territory from Monmouth in 1928.

Boundary changes from the Newberry Library, Atlas of Historical County Boundaries.

1850
Ocean County created Ocean created from Monmouth.
from Monmouth
15 February 1850 · N.J. Acts 1850, p. 73; Snyder, 40
1851
Boundary clarified Boundary between Ocean and Monmouth clarified (no change).
with Monmouthno change
18 March 1851 · N.J. Acts 1851, p. 323
1857
Boundary clarified Boundary between Ocean and Burlington clarified (no change).
with Burlingtonno change
20 March 1857 · N.J. Acts 1857, p. 477; Snyder, 41-42
1869
Lost territory Ocean lost to Monmouth.
to Monmouth
2 March 1869 · N.J. Acts 1869, p. 151; Snyder, 42
1891
Gained territory Ocean gained from Burlington.
from Burlington
30 March 1891 · N.J. Acts 1891, p. 538; Snyder, 44
1906
Boundary clarified Coastal limits of Ocean, Atlantic, Cape May, and Monmouth redefined.
with Atlantic with Cape May with Monmouthno change
17 May 1906 · N.J. Acts 1906, p. 542; Snyder, 45
1928
Gained territory Ocean gained from Monmouth.
from Monmouth
3 April 1928 · N.J. Acts 1928, p. 683; Snyder, 46

Land and parcels

What the maps cover in Ocean

Who publishes each layer, how good it is, and when we last checked.

Parcels Good enough

Lot lines and tax-map numbers for 421,543 parcels. Drawn for tax purposes: usually within a few feet of a survey, but not a survey.
checked 15 October 2026
Address points Official

One point per address, 293,216 in all from NJOGIS.
edited 23 September 2026 · checked 14 October 2026
Buildings Reference

Roof outlines traced from aerial imagery from FEMA Response Geospatial Office with Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL). Good for seeing what is on a lot; not accurate enough to set a fence from.
checked 18 October 2026

Official: from the office that keeps the record
Good enough: a reliable statewide or national copy
Fallback: a guide only; check the official record
Missing: nothing public found yet

People and land

Ocean by the Census

Population

637,229 2020 Census count

Housing units

294,429 2020 Census count

Land area

628 square miles

Water area

287 square miles · 31% of the county, including large bodies of water

People per sq mi

1,014 population ÷ land area

Source: US Census Bureau, 2020 Census; US Census Bureau, 2020 Gazetteer Files. Not endorsed or certified by the Census Bureau.

Rules and offices

Ocean County's official site

We have found the county's site but not its offices yet; start there.

County government

County government
The official website of Ocean County.
co.ocean.nj.us

See your own lot on these maps

Open Ocean County on Parcel Chart's free map and click your parcel. Save it with a free account; the full record of your place (site map, projects, documents) is Pro, in early access.

Open the free map no sign-in Pro early access

Questions

Common questions about Ocean County

When was Ocean County founded?: Ocean County was founded in 1850, formed from Monmouth County, and named after Atlantic Ocean.
What is the county seat of Ocean County?: The county seat of Ocean County is Toms River.
Is there an online parcel map for Ocean County?: Yes. A public source publishes a parcel map of 421,543 parcels, rated good enough here. You can click any parcel on it in Parcel Chart's free map, no sign-in needed.
Has Ocean County's boundary or name changed?: Ocean County was created in 1850 from Monmouth County. Since then the Atlas of Historical County Boundaries records 3 later changes, chiefly involving Monmouth County and Burlington County.
Is my lot in a flood zone?: We do not have flood maps for Ocean County yet. Look up the address on FEMA's Flood Map Service Center, which shows the effective flood map for any lot.

Nearby