Location of Atlantic Highlands in
Monmouth County highlighted in red (left). Inset map: Location of Monmouth County in
New Jersey highlighted in orange (right).
Census Bureau map of Atlantic Highlands, New Jersey
Atlantic Highlands contains Mount Mitchill, the highest point on the eastern seaboard south of Maine, rising 266 feet (81 m) above sea level.[22] The borough's name comes from its location overlooking the
Atlantic Ocean.[23]
Atlantic Highlands was incorporated as a borough by an act of the
New Jersey Legislature on February 28, 1887, from portions of
Middletown Township, based on the results of a referendum held that day. The borough was reincorporated on September 1, 1891.[24]
Atlantic Highlands was part of the
Bayshore Regional Strategic Plan, an effort by nine municipalities in northern Monmouth County to reinvigorate the area's economy by emphasizing the traditional downtowns, dense residential neighborhoods, maritime history, and the natural beauty of the
Raritan Bayshore coastline. The plan has since been integrated into the county's 2016 Master Plan.[25]
History
The town overlooks where the Atlantic Ocean and
Raritan Bay meet at
Sandy Hook, and its hills mark the highest point on the eastern seaboard of the U.S.[26] south of Maine.
For hundreds of years, the original inhabitants were the
Lenape, who lived in and along the cliffs and creeks of Atlantic Highlands. The Lenape traded with the Europeans and sold a group of English settlers an area that covered the entire peninsula that was named Portland Poynt. The area was laid out with 10 lots in 1667, making them the first European residents of present-day Atlantic Highlands.[27]
Colonists convened the first Assembly of New Jersey in 1667 in what is now Atlantic Highlands.[28] During Revolutionary War years, loyalists to the British crown and patriots of the new America clashed in repeated raids and counterattacks across these lands. Retreating English troops passed through after their defeat in 1778 by George Washington at the
Battle of Monmouth.
During the late 1800s, the many farms were subdivided by resort developers, church groups and builders who created the Victorian core of the borough, attracting thousands of visitors and year-round residents.
In 1879, a surveyor was engaged to lay roads and lots for a permanent community. The Atlantic Highlands Association was formed by prominent members of the
Methodist Church. This organization developed the community of Atlantic Highlands.[29]
Individuals and groups came from New York City and the surrounding vicinity to camp along the water in tent colonies. An outdoor amphitheater was created with a large seating capacity and outstanding acoustics. An indoor auditorium was built, which was utilized for entertaining visitors at the camp meetings. In 1887, Atlantic Highlands was incorporated as a borough, containing 1.2 square miles (3.1 km2) of land bordering on the Raritan Bay.[24]
Major construction occurred from the 1880s through 1900. It included hotels, cottages, rooming houses, and private homes. A pier was built extending well into the bay to accommodate steamboats from New York City. The next twenty years saw rapid development within the community. A water and sewer system was constructed, cottages were erected, and the road system was completed. During this period of development a fire department was organized.
A number of churches saw their beginning in the 1880s: the Central Baptist, First Presbyterian, Saint Agnes Roman Catholic, First Methodist, and Saint Paul Baptist Church.
Steamer service was the most important transport during the formation of the borough, and continued through the 1940s. In the 1890s, rail service came to Atlantic Highlands. This opened up Highlands and points south to vacationers. The 1920s saw 26 passenger trains daily passing through the borough. The
Central Railroad of New Jersey built a major pier at the end of First Avenue. Several trains at a time could continue to the end of the pier to offload
steamboat passengers. From the 1910s through the 1940s, the steamers Sandy Hook and the Monmouth navigated the waters bringing businessmen and vacationers to Atlantic Highlands.
The Manhattan skyline can be seen from the borough's ridges and its shoreline. Pleasure, fishing and commuter boats sail from its harbor. The municipal harbor was built from 1938 through 1940 with municipal, state, and federal funds. It is the largest on the East Coast, home to 715 craft, including high-speed ferry service to New York City, which was introduced in 1986.[30] In 1966, the
Central Railroad of New Jersey pier was destroyed by fire. Its rail route is now used by the
Henry Hudson Trail.[31]
The bungalows on the East Side of the borough, which in the 1920s were summer bungalows, are now occupied year-round. Portland Pointe, a five-story senior citizens building, provides housing for the elderly.
Geography
According to the
United States Census Bureau, the borough had a total area of 4.56 square miles (11.82 km2), including 1.26 square miles (3.27 km2) of land and 3.30 square miles (8.54 km2) of water (72.35%).[1][2]
Atlantic Highlands has a
humid subtropical climate (Cfa) and average monthly temperatures range from 32.6 °F (0.3 °C) in January to 75.9 °F (24.4 °C) in July.[36] The
hardiness zone is 7a or 7b depending upon elevation.
Of the 1,870 households, 25.5% had children under the age of 18; 51.9% were married couples living together; 8.6% had a female householder with no husband present and 36.6% were non-families. Of all households, 30.4% were made up of individuals and 11.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.34 and the average family size was 2.96.[19]
19.6% of the population were under the age of 18, 5.5% from 18 to 24, 24.9% from 25 to 44, 34.4% from 45 to 64, and 15.6% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 45.0 years. For every 100 females, the population had 95.2 males. For every 100 females ages 18 and older there were 94.2 males.[19]
The Census Bureau's 2006–2010
American Community Survey showed that (in 2010
inflation-adjusted dollars)
median household income was $82,127 (with a margin of error of +/− $10,511) and the median family income was $100,117 (+/− $16,562). Males had a median income of $73,021 (+/− $18,808) versus $51,207 (+/− $6,155) for females. The
per capita income for the borough was $41,785 (+/− $4,864). About 2.5% of families and 5.3% of the population were below the
poverty line, including 6.9% of those under age 18 and 2.0% of those age 65 or over.[43]
2000 census
As of the
2000 United States census[16] there were 4,705 people, 1,969 households, and 1,258 families residing in the borough. The population density was 3,805.4 inhabitants per square mile (1,469.3/km2). There were 2,056 housing units at an average density of 1,662.9 per square mile (642.0/km2). The racial makeup of the borough was 94.37%
White, 2.30%
African American, 0.06%
Native American, 1.23%
Asian, 1.02% from
other races, and 1.02% from two or more races.
Hispanic or
Latino of any race were 3.51% of the population.[41][42]
There were 1,969 households, out of which 26.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 50.7% were married couples living together, 9.6% had a female householder with no husband present, and 36.1% were non-families. 29.7% of all households were made up of individuals, and 11.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.39 and the average family size was 3.00.[41][42]
In the borough the age distribution of the population shows 21.4% under the age of 18, 6.2% from 18 to 24, 31.8% from 25 to 44, 26.5% from 45 to 64, and 14.1% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 40 years. For every 100 females, there were 93.5 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 88.3 males.[41][42]
The median income for a household in the borough was $64,955, and the median income for a family was $79,044. Males had a median income of $60,857 versus $36,060 for females. The
per capita income for the borough was $34,798. About 4.4% of families and 4.9% of the population were below the
poverty line, including 5.0% of those under age 18 and 12.9% of those age 65 or over.[41][42]
Sports
Atlantic Highlands Recreation Committee runs many events in town throughout the year including a Summer Concert Series in the harbor, youth programs such as basketball in the winter and soccer in the fall.
Parks and recreation
Atlantic Highlands has a large park system with eight borough-owned parks and two county operated parks. One of larger parks is Lenape Woods. It is nestled among tall trees and steep slopes, Lenape Woods offers approximately 51 acres (210,000 m2) of natural woodlands and freshwater wetlands that are the headwaters to Many Mind Creek. Many groups and local residents volunteer their time to maintain the woods. Monmouth County operates two parks in the town, Henry Hudson Trail and Mount Mitchill Scenic Overlook. Henry Hudson Trail runs 9 miles (14 km) from the Aberdeen/Keyport border at the intersection of Lloyd Road and Clark Street to the Atlantic Highlands border at Avenue D, and has been expanded to connect to Highlands.[44] Mount Mitchill Scenic Overlook is located about 266 feet (81 m) above sea level, at the highest natural elevation from Maine to the Yucatán, providing views of
Sandy Hook,
Sandy Hook Bay,
Raritan Bay and the New York skyline. This 12-acre (49,000 m2) site is also home to Monmouth County's 9/11 Memorial.[45][46]
Arts and culture
The town's history can be learned at both the
Queen Anne-style Strauss Mansion Museum, and the local maritime museum.[47] Lodgings can be found at a number of cottages and inns, such as the Blue Bay Inn.
Entertainment venues include the First Avenue Playhouse, which offers dessert-and-dinner theater and puppet shows. Maritime attractions include a yacht club, marina and charter boats for fishing and touring. Other places of interest include a number of gift shops, galleries, and dining establishments.[26]
According to the
Monmouth County Master Plan, Atlantic Highlands has been designated as an Arts, Cultural, and Entertainment (ACE) Hub, which is defined as municipalities that have a high concentration of arts and cultural activities to serve as a destination for both visitors and locals, usually including an active nightlife scene in proximity to said cultural activities. Only eight towns in Monmouth County share this designation, with two additional towns designated as upcoming ACE hubs.
Government
Local government
Atlantic Highlands is governed under the
borough 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.[48] 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.[7] The borough form of government used by Atlantic Highlands 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 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.[49][50]
As of 2024[update], the
mayor of Atlantic Highlands is
Democrat Lori Hohenleitner, whose term of office ends December 31, 2027. Members of the Borough Council are Council President Brian Dougherty (D, 2024), Vito Colasurdo (D, 2025), Jon Crowley (D, 2024), Eileen Cusack (D, 2025), Alyson Forbes (D, 2026) and James Murphy (
R, 2024).[3][51][52][53][54]
Federal, state and county representation
Atlantic Highlands is located in the 6th Congressional district[55] and is part of New Jersey's 13th state legislative district.[56][57][58]
Monmouth County is governed by a
Board of County Commissioners composed of five members who are elected
at-large to serve three-year terms of office on a staggered basis, with either one or two seats up for election each year as part of the November general election. At an annual reorganization meeting held in the beginning of January, the board selects one of its members to serve as director and another as deputy director.[65] As of 2024[update], Monmouth County's Commissioners are:
As of March 2011, there were a total of 3,238 registered voters in Atlantic Highlands, of which 842 (26.0%) were registered as
Democrats, 800 (24.7%) were registered as
Republicans and 1,589 (49.1%) were registered as
Unaffiliated. There were seven voters registered as
Libertarians or
Greens.[80]
In the
2012 presidential election, Democrat
Barack Obama received 50.2% of the vote (1,167 cast), ahead of Republican
Mitt Romney with 48.3% (1,124 votes), and other candidates with 1.5% (35 votes), among the 2,342 ballots cast by the borough's 3,329 registered voters (16 ballots were
spoiled), for a turnout of 70.4%.[81][82] In the
2008 presidential election, Republican
John McCain received 49.3% of the vote (1,287 cast), ahead of Democrat Barack Obama with 47.5% (1,242 votes) and other candidates with 1.8% (48 votes), among the 2,612 ballots cast by the borough's 3,454 registered voters, for a turnout of 75.6%.[83] In the
2004 presidential election, Republican
George W. Bush received 50.7% of the vote (1,350 ballots cast), outpolling Democrat
John Kerry with 46.3% (1,232 votes) and other candidates with 0.9% (30 votes), among the 2,663 ballots cast by the borough's 3,464 registered voters, for a turnout percentage of 76.9.[84]
In the
2013 gubernatorial election, Republican
Chris Christie received 64.5% of the vote (989 cast), ahead of Democrat
Barbara Buono with 33.2% (509 votes), and other candidates with 2.3% (36 votes), among the 1,547 ballots cast by the borough's 3,357 registered voters (13 ballots were spoiled), for a turnout of 46.1%.[85][86] In the
2009 gubernatorial election, Republican Chris Christie received 56.9% of the vote (1,020 ballots cast), ahead of Democrat
Jon Corzine with 33.7% (604 votes), Independent
Chris Daggett with 6.9% (124 votes) and other candidates with 1.8% (32 votes), among the 1,794 ballots cast by the borough's 3,309 registered voters, yielding a 54.2% turnout.[87]
Transportation
Roads and highways
As of May 2010[update], the borough had a total of 24.59 miles (39.57 km) of roadways, of which 21.06 miles (33.89 km) were maintained by the municipality, 2.63 miles (4.23 km) by Monmouth County and 0.90 miles (1.45 km) by the
New Jersey Department of Transportation.[88]
New Jersey Route 36 is the main highway running through Atlantic Highlands. The closest limited-access road is the
Garden State Parkway, which is accessible via Route 36.
For
seventh to
twelfth grades, public school students attend
Henry Hudson Regional High School, a comprehensive six-year high school and regional public
school district that serves students from both Atlantic Highlands and
Highlands.[93][94] As of the 2022–23 school year, the high school had an enrollment of 296 students and 39.2 classroom teachers (on an
FTE basis), for a
student–teacher ratio of 7.6:1.[95] Seats on the high school district's nine-member
board of education are allocated based on the population of the constituent municipalities, with four seats assigned to Atlantic Highlands.[96][97]
^Mount Mitchill Scenic Overlook,
Monmouth County, New Jersey Park System. Accessed July 17, 2011. "At 266 feet, this overlook in Atlantic Highlands sits on the highest natural elevation on the Atlantic seaboard (excluding islands) from Maine to the Yucatan providing beautiful views of Sandy Hook, Sandy Hook Bay, Raritan Bay and the New York skyline."
^
abcdRounds, Kate. "The Shore Next Door" Palisade magazine; Summer 2010; Pages 38–39
^Nash, Margo.
"ON THE MAP; In a Detective Tale Involving a Town's Birth, the Clue Was Framed", The New York Times, September 17, 2000. Accessed July 17, 2011. "On Dec. 14, 1667, the first Europeans to settle in what is today Atlantic Highlands decided to lay out 10 lots in an area they called Portland Poynt on the Navesink peninsula.... Paul Boyd, a Ph.D. candidate in cultural geography at Rutgers University who is the historian of the Atlantic Highlands Historical Society and chairman of the Atlantic Highlands Environmental Commission, worked on the problem for five years."
^Biography, Congressman Frank Pallone Jr. Accessed January 3, 2019. "Frank Pallone, Jr., was born in Long Branch, New Jersey, where he grew up and still resides."
^Biography of Bob Menendez,
United States Senate, January 26, 2015. "Menendez, who started his political career in Union City, moved in September from Paramus to one of Harrison's new apartment buildings near the town's PATH station.."
^Monmouth County Government, Monmouth County, New Jersey. Accessed July 19, 2022. "Monmouth County is governed by five commissioners elected at-large for three-year terms. Each January, the freeholders select one of their members to serve as the director of the board for the year to preside over the meetings and activities of the Board."
^Atlantic Highlands Board of Education District Policy 0110 - Identification, Atlantic Highlands School District. Accessed February 26, 2024. "Purpose: The Board of Education exists for the purpose of providing a thorough and efficient system of free public education in grades Pre-Kindergarten through six in the Atlantic Highlands School District. Composition: The Atlantic Highlands School District is comprised of all the area within the municipal boundaries of Atlantic Highlands."
^About Henry Hudson, Henry Hudson Regional High School. Accessed March 15, 2018. "This school district serves the towns of Atlantic Highlands and Highlands and students in grades seven through twelve."
^Comprehensive Annual Financial Report of the Henry Hudson Regional School District,
New Jersey Department of Education, for year ending June 30, 2018. Accessed March 1, 2020. "The district encompasses the Boroughs of Atlantic Highlands and Highlands. The Board of Education is comprised of five members from Highlands and four members from Atlantic Highlands. They are elected to three_year terms and meet on the third Wednesday of each month for the Regular Board Meeting."
^O'Sullivan, Eleanor.
"Funny, But Flawed", Asbury Park Press, July 21, 2006. Accessed January 27, 2011. "Brian O'Halloran of Old Bridge and Jeff Anderson, formerly of Atlantic Highlands, now in their mid-30s, reprise their roles as clerks Dante and Randal.
^"Engelbert Brenner, 82, A Philharmonic Soloist", The New York Times, September 19, 1986. Accessed January 29, 2020. "Engelbert Brenner, who played in the New York Philharmonic for 41 years, first as an oboist and later as the orchestra's English horn soloist, died Tuesday at his home in Atlantic Highlands, N.J."
^Ben-Joseph, Robin.
"Kean nominates Villane to Cabinet"Archived 2013-09-24 at the
Wayback Machine, Red Bank Register, July 8, 1988. Accessed September 1, 2016. "If approved by the Senate Judiciary Committee and the full Senate, Villane will replace Coleman, an Atlantic Highlands resident who resigned effective July 15 to enter private business."
^Grace Graupe-Pillard.
"Grace Visits: Artist Cicely Cottingham", Women's Voices For Change, January 13, 2017. Accessed February 3, 2018. "Born in Brooklyn, Cicely moved with her family, when she was two years of age, to an old farmhouse 'surrounded by woods' in Atlantic Highlands, New Jersey, a rural environment that imprinted on her childhood a love of nature, and subsequently, as an adult in the early 1980s, a place to return to after the dissolution of a marriage."
^Obituary Record of Yale Graduates 1919–1920, p. 239.
Yale University, 1920. Accessed January 29, 2020. "Haven At the time of his death Mr. Hall was returning from his summer home at Atlantic Highlands, N. J., to his winter home at Sewaren, N. J."
^Acampora, Rob.
"Tonic Comes Home To N.J. in June – Prepares For Their American Reboot",
WSJO. Accessed July 8, 2015. "Growing up in Atlantic Highlands (Jersey Shore – Monmouth County) and having attended Red Bank Catholic High School, Tonic lead singer Emerson Hart grew up having a mom who was known on local TV and a father with singing chops."
^History of Atlantic Highlands, Borough of Atlantic Highlands. Accessed January 29, 2020. "And, anyone who bought the Sunday Daily News in the forties and fifties recalls a full page of cartoons in the comic section created for many years by resident artist, Reamer Keller."
^"Hill Home Puts Artist On 'Top of the World'", Asbury Park Press, March 9, 1947. Accessed January 29, 2020. "The home of Mr. and Mrs. Reamer Keller, Atlantic Highlands, 265 feet above sea level and said to be the highest dwelling in which people live along the entire seaboard from Maine to the tip of Florida. Insert shows Mr. Keller, nationally-known cartoonist."
^Casselman, Ben.
"Born to Renovate; Springsteen's Drummer, Max Weinberg, Has a Real-Estate Obsession", The Wall Street Journal, April 11, 2008. Accessed August 9, 2016. "Mr. Weinberg made his first foray into real estate in 1977, when he bought the home he had been renting, a three-bedroom house overlooking the water in Atlantic Highlands, N.J. Mr. Weinberg paid just $48,000 for the property, but it felt like a big step; he was a 26-year-old rock musician, but suddenly he had a mortgage. He also was hooked."
^Cahillane, Kevin.
"Art; Nostalgia, Wearing Stilettos", The New York Times, December 4, 2005. Accessed January 29, 2020. "He was born in Irvington in 1918, grew up in Union, married his high school sweetheart on his 24th birthday, had two daughters, served in World War II and spent 30 years in Atlantic Highlands."