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.