Monmouth County

Administrative district in east-central New Jersey; area 1,222 sq km/472 sq mi, population (1990) 553,100. The county is bordered on the east by the Atlantic Ocean and on the north by Raritan and Sandy Hook bays. Its seat is st Freehold.

Monmouth County has many coastal resorts, including Keansburg in the north and Long Branch and Asbury Park in the east. Inland areas contain fertile farmland, where vegetables are the main product; fruit, dairy goods, and poultry are also produced. There is some manufacturing, notably of processed foods, chemicals, wood products, and electronics. Suburban development has spread throughout the county in recent decades.