Forked River, New Jersey, United States

🇺🇸 Forked River is an unincorporated community and place located within Lacey Township, in Ocean County, New Jersey, United States. Many Ocean County residents commonly refer to all of Lacey Township as Forked River. The first word is pronounced by locals with two syllables. Pronouncing the first word with one syllable is a sign of a new resident or outsider.

Geography According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the CDP had a total area of 10.336 square miles (26.768 km²), including 2.723 square miles (7.052 km²) of land and 7.613 square miles (19.717 km²) of water (73.66%).

Forked River is located on U.S. Route 9 south of Toms River. The community of Lanoka Harbor is directly north of Forked River, Bamber Lake is to the west, Barnegat is to the south-west, and Waretown is to the south.

Forked River is also the name of a nearby river that empties into Barnegat Bay.

Demographics The 2010 United States census counted 5,244 people, 2,077 households, and 1,429 families in the CDP. The population density was 1,926.1 per square mile (743.7/km²). There were 2,610 housing units at an average density of 958.6 per square mile (370.1/km²). The racial makeup was 95.58% (5,012) White, 0.74% (39) Black or African American, 0.23% (12) Native American, 0.61% (32) Asian, 0.10% (5) Pacific Islander, 1.66% (87) from other races, and 1.09% (57) from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 6.64% (348) of the population.

Of the 2,077 households, 25.7% had children under the age of 18; 55.7% were married couples living together; 8.8% had a female householder with no husband present and 31.2% were non-families. Of all households, 24.2% were made up of individuals and 9.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.51 and the average family size was 3.00.

20.6% of the population were under the age of 18, 8.0% from 18 to 24, 24.7% from 25 to 44, 31.0% from 45 to 64, and 15.6% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 42.8 years. For every 100 females, the population had 102.2 males. For every 100 females ages 18 and older there were 100.0 males.

Education Lacey Township School District is the local school district.

St. Mary Academy near Manahawkin CDP, a K-8 school of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Trenton, is in the area. From 1997, until 2019 it operated as All Saints Regional Catholic School and was collectively managed by five churches, with one being St. Pius X Church, in Lacey Township and adjacent to the Forked River CDP. In 2019 St. Mary Church in Barnegat took entire control of the school, which remained on the same Manahawkin campus, and changed its name. The other churches no longer operate the school but still may send students there.

In the news On October 11, 1989, three aides of New York business mogul Donald Trump were killed in a helicopter crash near the Garden State Parkway in Forked River. Five people, including three high-level executives of Trump's three casinos in Atlantic City were killed when their helicopter crashed in pine woodlands.

On June 6, 1997, Melissa Drexler, known as The Prom Mom, delivered a baby in a restroom stall at her Lacey Township High School prom, and threw the body in the trash before returning to the dance. She pleaded guilty to aggravated manslaughter, and was sentenced to fifteen years' imprisonment. After serving nearly 37 months, she was released on parole.

Transport NJ Transit provides bus service to Atlantic City on the 559 bus route. Academy Bus provided bus service to Jersey City and New York City on the Parkway Express. Local bus service is provided by Ocean Ride. Forked River is served by U.S. Route 9 and exit 74 of the Garden State Parkway.