Monmouth County is a county located in Central New Jersey, in the United States within the New York metropolitan area and located in the central part of the state. It is the northernmost county along the Jersey Shore. As of the 2010 Census, the population was 630,380, up from 615,301 at the 2000 Census, falling to the fifth-most populous county in the state, having been surpassed by Hudson County. As of the 2014 Census Estimate, the county's population was 629,279. Its county seat is Freehold Borough. The most populous place was Middletown Township, with 66,522 residents at the time of the 2010 Census, while Howell Township covered , the largest total area of any municipality.