Howell Township is a township in Monmouth County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey. The township is the largest municipality in the county by total area, comprising about . It is located in the New York Metro Area and has been a steadily growing bedroom community of New York City.Garbarine, Rachelle. "In the Region: New Jersey; Howell Trying to Balance Growth With Open Space", The New York Times, December 10, 1989. Accessed June 14, 2022. As of the 2020 United States census, the township's population was 53,537, its highest decennial count ever and an increase of 2,462 (+4.8%) from the 2010 census count of 51,075, which in turn reflected an increase of 2,172 (+4.4%) from the 48,903 counted in the 2000 census.Table 7. Population for the Counties and Municipalities in New Jersey: 1990, 2000 and 2010, New Jersey Department of Labor and Workforce Development, February 2011. Accessed May 1, 2023.

History

Native American and early European settlement The area surrounding the Manasquan River and its watershed, which contains modern-day Howell, was originally settled by Paleo-Indians as early as 9,000 BC. These Paleo-Indians would later be called the Lenape people and the area was included in their territorial settlement of Lenapehoking. The Lenape who inhabited the area spoke the Northern dialect of Unami and several of their most prominent footpaths would become roadways, including sections of U.S. Route 9 and Route 33.Bator, Mark. "How Well Do You Know Howell History?", Jersey Shore Online, July 27, 2022. Accessed June 11, 2026. "But long before any of this took place the region was inhabited by Native American people known as the Lenni Lenape. Many of the Lenape trails became roads in modern Howell, including Route 33 and U.S. Highway 9.... In 1907, Arthur Brisbane purchased some 5,000 acres in Howell to open a Preventorium for the treatment of children suffering from tuberculosis. While township residents may recognize the name Preventorium as a roadway in town, many will be surprised to learn that the hospital operated from 1912 to 1960 at the site of what would later become the town hall."

Prior to major settling in the area by Europeans, the land was designated as part of the Dutch New Netherland colony, before being handed over as part of British East Jersey and later being merged into the British New Jersey Colony. European settlement in the area began around the 1760s. Their move to the area was driven by the search for agriculturally fertile soil.

Founding and early history (19th century) Howell Township was incorporated as a township by an act of the New Jersey Legislature on February 23, 1801, from portions of Shrewsbury Township. Portions of the township were later taken to form Brick Township in the newly created Ocean County (February 15, 1850), and Wall Township (March 7, 1851).Snyder, John P. The Story of New Jersey's Civil Boundaries: 1606-1968, Bureau of Geology and Topography; Trenton, New Jersey; 1969. p. 180. Accessed May 29, 2024. The township was named for Richard Howell, who served from 1794 to 1801 as the third Governor of New Jersey.Hutchinson, Viola L. The Origin of New Jersey Place Names, New Jersey Public Library Commission, May 1945. Accessed September 2, 2015.Gannett, Henry. The Origin of Certain Place Names in the United States, p. 162. United States Government Printing Office, 1905. Accessed September 2, 2015.

Initially founded by Benjamin Howell as the Monmouth Furnace, engineer and philanthropist James P. Allaire purchased and expanded the facility in 1822, renaming it to the Howell Works; this facility harvested and processed bog iron to provide pig iron for Allaire Iron Works, which was a leading supplier of iron in the 19th century.History, The Historic Village at Allaire, Accessed January 30, 2022. "Allaire State Park’s earliest recorded history of industrial activity was in the early 1750s. In 1822, James P. Allaire purchased the property, and named it the Howell Works to differentiate the site from his Allaire Works in New York." Allaire Village was a bustling mill town at the height of the mining operations, and which has since been preserved alongside the remains of the Howell Works facility as Allaire State Park, located within Howell and neighboring Wall Township.Allaire State Park, New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection. Accessed January 30, 2022.

20th century On April 8, 1903, Farmingdale was incorporated as a borough from Howell.

In 1907, journalist Arthur Brisbane, who had recently purchased the then-abandoned Howell Works, purchased around of land in Howell to create the Howell Tuberculosis Preventorium for Children, which operated from 1909 to 1960; the site was later converted into the Howell Municipal Complex, which houses the local branch of the Monmouth County Library, a senior center, police and court building, public works facility, and the former town hall. The road that connected and passed through the site is named Preventorium Road.

In 1929, southern portions of Howell were ceded to Jackson and Lakewood townships in Ocean County.

21st century Some scenes for the 2005 War of the Worlds remake were filmed in Howell, and a neighborhood called Ardena Acres was recreated as a set and left standing in Universal Studios Hollywood.O'Sullivan, Eleanor. "Martians Among Us: Howell Is Ready For Its Close-Up", Asbury Park Press, May 15, 2005. Accessed November 20, 2023, via Newspapers.com. "Howell residents were delighted to see a big-time movie star and director just before Thanksgiving - Tom Cruise and Steven Spielberg, who were in town shooting scenes for the upcoming release "War of the Worlds."... The Ardena Acres development of Howell and a nearby farm were used by Spielberg in updating Wells' 19th-century story..."

On October 16, 2012, the Howell town hall was formally relocated from the Municipal Complex on Preventorium Road to the former Global Corporate Center building on US Route 9 North, following extensive renovations and relocation of the remaining tenants.

In June 2017, two separate tornadoes, both rated EF0 on the Enhanced Fujita scale, struck the township within minutes of each other, causing notable damage and knocking out electricity. The first and most damaging one struck the Fort Plains area along US Route 9 at 7:21 PM, lifting up occupied vehicles and uprooting trees as well as damaging a Home Depot, Chase Bank, strip mall, and local ice cream parlor. The second one struck around 6 minutes later within Oak Glen Park, uprooting or breaking multiple trees which forced the park to temporarily close.Cohen, Noah. "2 tornadoes confirmed in N.J. town, weather service says", NJ Advance Media for NJ.com, June 25, 2017. Accessed June 28, 2017. "Two tornadoes touched down in Howell early Saturday, uprooting numerous trees, pushing cars into each other and ripping away part of a bank roof, according to the National Weather Service. Extreme weather first hit at 7:21 a.m. with another twister reported six minutes later, a report from the weather service said. Maximum wind speeds reached 75 miles per hour."

Roughly six years later in April 2023, a tornado rated EF-2 struck Howell and neighboring Jackson Township near the Aldrich Road area.McDaniel, Pat."Howell Tornado Hit Aldrich Area First In 1.4-Mile Path: Officials", Patch.com, April 3, 2023. Accessed April 6, 2023. The National Weather Service confirmed that the tornado was 50 yards wide and 1.4 miles in length. It was one of the strongest tornadoes to have hit the state, as it was part of four separate powerful tornadoes that had also impacted the state that same day.Oglesby, Amanda. "4 tornadoes hit NJ: What we know about damage in Howell, Jackson, Sea Girt, Cinnaminson", Asbury Park Press, April 3, 2023. Accessed April 6, 2023.

Alleged ethnic profiling by local officials On July 25, 2025, former Township Manager Joseph Clark filed a lawsuit, alleging that Mayor John Leggio, Councilman Ian Nadel, and other local officials had suggested new local ordinances that would have required tenants in the township to provide proof of residency in order to approve Certificates of Occupancy (CO), as well as measures to cross-reference local arrest records with a CO registry, a move alleged to racially profile undocumented Hispanic renters. Clark resigned from his role 2 weeks prior, on July 11.

On September 5, 2025, then-Deputy Township Manager Matthew Howard filed a similar suit in the New Jersey Superior Court, alleging that the township "weaponize housing regulations to punish individuals based on their ethnicity, immigration status, and/or perceived national origin". Howard resigned from his role later that month.

Both suits alleged that Mayor John Leggio and Councilman Ian Nadel suggested searching through residents' garbage in an effort to find bottles of Modelo, a Mexican beer brand, to target Hispanic residents. Howard also alleged that Councilman Nadel sought to have code enforcement employees stake out a home because it was "owned by Jews" and was used to celebrate the Sabbath.

Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau, the township had a total area of 61.21 square miles (158.54 km2), including 60.27 square miles (156.10 km2) of land and 0.94 square miles (2.44 km2) of water (1.54%).

Howell was formed from territory taken from Shrewsbury Township under an act of the New Jersey General Assembly passed February 23, 1801. The township, as formed, included in addition to its present area all of what is now Wall Township, Lakewood Township, Brick Township, and all the boroughs along the Atlantic Ocean from Barnegat Inlet of the Shark River Inlet at Belmar.History, Howell Township. Accessed January 28, 2025.

Ramtown (with a 2020 Census population of 6,329DP-1 - Profile of General Population and Housing Characteristics: 2010 Demographic Profile Data for Ramtown CDP, New Jersey , United States Census Bureau. Accessed February 13, 2012.) is an unincorporated community and census-designated place (CDP) located within Howell Township.GCT-PH1 - Population, Housing Units, Area, and Density: 2010 - County -- County Subdivision and Place from the 2010 Census Summary File 1 for Monmouth County, New Jersey , United States Census Bureau. Accessed August 5, 2012.New Jersey: 2010 - Population and Housing Unit Counts - 2010 Census of Population and Housing (CPH-2-32), United States Census Bureau, August 2012. Accessed December 4, 2012.

Other unincorporated communities, localities and place names located partially or completely within the township include Adelphia, Ardena, Ardmore Estates, Bergerville, Candlewood, Collingwood Park, Fairfield, Fort Plains, Freewood Acres, Jerseyville, Lake Club, Land of Pines, Larrabees, Lippencotts Corner, Lower Squankum, Matthews, Maxim, Oak Glen, Parkway Pines, Salem Hill, Shacks Corner, Southard, Squankum, West Farms, Winston Park, Wyckoff Mills and Yellow Brook.Locality Search, State of New Jersey. Accessed May 11, 2015.Parcel and Subdivision Map, Howell Township, October 2016. Accessed January 28, 2025.

The township completely surrounds Farmingdale, making it part of 21 pairs of "doughnut towns" in the state, where one municipality entirely surrounds another.DeMarco, Megan. "Voters to decide whether to merge two Princetons into one", The Star-Ledger, November 3, 2011. Accessed January 8, 2017. "There are 22 sets of 'doughnut towns' in New Jersey, those where one town wraps around the other town". Note that following voter approval of the Princeton merger, 21 pairs of "doughnut towns" remain. The township borders Colts Neck, Freehold Township and Wall Township in Monmouth County; and Brick, Jackson and Lakewood in Ocean County.Areas touching Howell Township, MapIt. Accessed February 24, 2020.Regional Location Map, Monmouth County, New Jersey. Accessed February 24, 2020.New Jersey Municipal Boundaries, New Jersey Department of Transportation. Accessed November 15, 2019.

Ecology