<!-- Infobox begins -->{{Infobox Settlement
|official_name          = Toms River Township, New Jersey
|nickname               = 
|motto                  = Great Places. Familiar Faces.
|image_skyline          = 
|imagesize              = 
|image_caption          = 
|image_flag             = 
|image_seal             = 
|image_map              = Dover_twp_nj_029.png
|mapsize                = 
|map_caption            = Location of Toms River Township, formerly called and referred to in the map as Dover Township, in Ocean County
|image_map1             = Census Bureau map of Dover Township, New Jersey.gif
|mapsize1               = 250x200px
|map_caption1           = Census Bureau map of Dover Township, New Jersey
|subdivision_type       = Country
|subdivision_name       = United States
|subdivision_type1      = State
|subdivision_name1      = New Jersey
|subdivision_type2      = County
|subdivision_name2      = Ocean
|settlement_type        = Township
|government_type        = Faulkner Act Mayor-Council
|leader_title           = Mayor
|leader_name            = Thomas F. Kelaher (2011)
|established_title      = Founded
|established_date       = March 1, 1768 (as Dover Township)
|established_title2     = Incorporated
|established_date2      = February 21, 1798 
|established_title3     = Renamed
|established_date3      = November 14, 2006 (as Toms River Township)
|area_magnitude         = 
|area_total_km2         = 137.1
|area_total_sq_mi       = 52.9
|area_land_km2          = 106.1
|area_land_sq_mi        = 41.0
|area_water_km2         = 31.0
|area_water_sq_mi       = 12.0 
|area_water_percent     = 
|area_urban_km2         = 
|area_urban_sq_mi       = 
|area_metro_km2         = 
|area_metro_sq_mi       = 
|population_as_of       = 2006
|population_footnotes   = <ref name=CensusEst/> 
|population_total       = 94889
|population_density_km2   = 
|population_density_sq_mi = 
|population_metro       = 
|population_density_metro_km2 =
|population_density_metro_sq_mi =
|population_urban       = 
|timezone               = Eastern (EST)
|utc_offset             = -5
|timezone_DST           = EDT
|utc_offset_DST         = -4
|elevation_m            = 13
|elevation_ft           = 34
|elevation_footnotes    = <ref>, Geographic Names Information System, accessed April 16, 2007.</ref>
|postal_code_type       = ZIP code
|postal_code            = 08753, 08754, 08755, 08756, 08757, 08739
|area_code              = 732
|website                = http://www.townshipofdover.com
|footnotes              = 
}} <!-- Infobox ends -->
'''The Township of Toms River''' is a large township in Ocean County, New Jersey, United States, and the county seat of Ocean County. On November 7 2006, voters approved a change of the official name of Township of Dover (or, Dover Township) to the '''Township of Toms River''', effective November 14 2006.

As of the seventh most populous municipality in New Jersey.<ref name=CensusEst/>

What is now Toms River Township was established by Shrewsbury Township, while the area was still part of Monmouth County. Dover Township was incorporated as one of New Jersey's first 104 townships by an Act of the Jackson Township (Union Township (Barnegat Township), Brick Township (Manchester Township (Berkeley Township (Island Heights (Lavallette (Seaside Heights (February 26, 1913).<ref name=Story>"The Story of New Jersey's Civil Boundaries: 1606-1968", John P. Snyder, Bureau of Geology and Topography; Trenton, New Jersey; 1969. p. 202.</ref>

In 2006, Toms River was ranked by Morgan Quitno as the fourteenth safest "city" in the United States, of 369 cities nationwide.<ref>[http://www.morganquitno.com/cit06pop.htm Morgan Quitno 12th Annual Safest (and Most Dangerous) Cities: Top and Bottom 25 Cities Overall], Morgan Quitno. Accessed June 4, 2006.</ref>

In 2007, Toms River was ranked by CQ Press as the ninth safest "city" in the United States, of the 378 cities nationwide.

==Geography==
According to the United States Census Bureau, the township has a total area of 52.9&nbsp;square miles (137.1&nbsp;km²), of which, 41.0&nbsp;square miles (106.1&nbsp;km²) of it is land and 12.0&nbsp;square miles (31.0&nbsp;km²) of it (22.59%) is water.

While most of Toms River is on the mainland, Dover Beaches North and South are situated on the Barnegat Peninsula, a long, narrow barrier peninsula that separates Barnegat Bay from the Atlantic Ocean.

Dover Beaches North (2000 Census population of 1,785), Dover Beaches South (1,594) and Toms River CDP (86,327) are unincorporated areas located within Toms River Township. Silverton is a community in the north-eastern portion of Toms River.

Toms River includes the Seaside Heights, however Seaside Heights is not part of Toms River Township.  Manchester Township does not have its own Post Office.  Therefore, parts of Manchester use the Toms River mailing address under zip code 08757.

==Demographics==
{{USCensusPop
| 1790= 910
| 1810= 1882
| 1820= 1916
| 1830= 2898
| 1840= 2752
| 1850= 2385
| 1860= 2378
| 1870= 3044
| 1880= 2489
| 1890= 2609
| 1900= 2618
| 1910= 2452
| 1920= 2198
| 1930= 3970   
| 1940= 5165   
| 1950= 7707 
| 1960= 17414  
| 1970= 43751 
| 1980= 64455   
| 1990= 76371
| 2000= 89706
| estimate=94660
| estyear=2006| estref=<ref name=CensusEst>[http://factfinder.census.gov/servlet/SAFFPopulation?_event=Search&geo_id=16000US3462910&_geoContext=01000US%7C04000US34%7C16000US3462910&_street=&_county=dover+township&_cityTown=dover+township&_state=04000US34&_zip=&_lang=en&_sse=on&ActiveGeoDiv=geoSelect&_useEV=&pctxt=fph&pgsl=160&_submenuId=population_0&ds_name=null&_ci_nbr=null&qr_name=null&reg=null%3Anull&_keyword=&_industry= Census data for Dover Township], United States Census Bureau. Accessed August 16, 2007.</ref>
| footnote=Population 1790 - 1920<ref>"The Jersey Shore; a social and economic history of the counties of Atlantic, Cape May, Monmouth, and Ocean. Wilson, Harold Fisher. 
New York: Lewis Historical Publishing. 1953. Vol. 2. Appendix B: Population Statistics. Ocean County Population Statistics. p. 1132."</ref><br>Population 1930 - 1990<ref>[http://www.wnjpin.net/OneStopCareerCenter/LaborMarketInformation/lmi01/poptrd6.htm New Jersey Resident Population by Municipality: 1930 - 1990], Workforce New Jersey Public Information Network. Accessed March 1, 2007.</ref>
}}
As of the White, 1.75% African American, 0.13% Native American, 2.46% Asian, 0.02% Pacific Islander, 0.95% from other races, and 1.12% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 4.54% of the population.

There were 33,510 households out of which 31.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 59.1% were married couples living together, 10.5% had a female householder with no husband present, and 27.1% were non-families. 22.7% of all households were made up of individuals and 11.0% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older.  The average household size was 2.62 and the average family size was 3.09.

In the township the population was spread out with 23.3% under the age of 18, 7.2% from 18 to 24, 27.2% from 25 to 44, 25.1% from 45 to 64, and 17.2% who were 65 years of age or older.  The median age was 40 years. For every 100 females there were 92.7 males.  For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 89.1 males.

The median income for a household in the township was $54,776, and the median income for a family was $62,561. Males had a median income of $47,390 versus $30,834 for females. The per capita income for the township was $25,010.  About 4.0% of families and 5.7% of the population were below the poverty line, including 6.7% of those under age 18 and 6.1% of those age 65 or over.

== History ==
===Founding and Early History===
Much of the early history of the village of Toms River is obscured by conflicting stories.  Various sources list the eponym of the town as either English captain William Toms, farmer and ferryman Thomas Luker, or a Native American named Tom. The common belief is that Thomas Luker, who ran a ferry across Goose Creek (now the Toms River). In the nineteenth century, Toms River became a center for shipbuilding, whaling, fishing, and iron and lumber production.<ref name=library>[http://www.oceancounty.lib.nj.us/Branches/TR/trcomprofile.htm Dover Township Community Profile], Ocean County Library. Accessed August 4, 2006.</ref>

Toms River was located in the southern section of the Township of Shrewsbury that obtained a royal charter to secede in 1767 and form Dover Township.  During the Sandy Hook.  Also destroyed were the salt works and most of the houses in the village.<ref>[http://www.libraries.psu.edu/do/digitalbookshelf/28988620/28988620_part_011.pdf ''Three Dramatic Scenes in the Closing Hours of the Revolutionary Struggle''], Gen. W. H. Stryker, presentation at Doylestown Meeting, January 21, 1885.  Provides a comprehensive account of the incident at Toms River in 1782 and its aftermath.</ref>  The incident greatly complicated the tense relationship between the British, loyalist, and colonial and was a factor in prolonging the peace negotiations that were then in progress in Paris until 1783. <ref name=library />.

The settlement and the river were more spelled ''Tom's River'' in its early days, though its current spelling has been standard since the middle of the 19th century.

The village of Toms River is listed on both the national<ref>[http://www.cr.nps.gov/nr/research/mpslist.htm Multiple Property Submission List], National Register of Historic Places. Accessed August 7, 2006.</ref> and state<ref>[http://www.state.nj.us/dep/hpo/1identify/lists/ocean.pdf New Jersey and National Registers of Historic Places, Ocean County], New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection Historic Preservation Office. Accessed August 7, 2006.</ref> registers of historic places.

===Mid 19th and 20th Centuries===
thumb|Map of Toms River in 1878
In 1850, Toms River became the county seat of the newly created Ocean County when it was formed out of southern Monmouth County.  During the second half of the 19th century and the early decades of the 20th, many new towns were carved out of Dover Township, including Brick, Jackson, Lakewood and Berkeley.  The Village of Toms River attempted twice &mdash; in 1914 and 1926 &mdash; to secede from Dover Township, but residents were unsuccessful.  The part of Toms River on the south side of the river stretching down to Berkeley Township incorporated as South Toms River in 1927, but the core of the original village on the north side remains part of the wider township to this day.<ref name=OCHistory>[http://www.oceancountyhistory.org/OCHistory/Dover.htm History of Dover Township], Ocean County Historical Society. Accessed August 3, 2006.</ref>

===Mid and Late 20th Century===
In the last two decades of the twentieth century, the demographics of the township changed substantially, adding over 20,000 residents just in the 1990s.  While the village is still the center of municipal and county government, the population in the area exploded in the decades after World War II, due in part to the completion of the Garden State Parkway.  Whereas the village was the largest and most densely populated section of the township for over two centuries, the vast majority of residents now shop and work in other sections of the town.

Toms River made international headlines in the 1990s with their little league baseball team, nicknamed "Beast from the East", which competed in the Little League World Series three times in five years, winning in 1998. After Chris Cardone hit back-to-back home runs to lead the Beast from the East to win it with a score of 12-9.  Over 40,000 people lined Hooper Avenue for a parade following their victory over Kashima, Japan.

Toms River is also home to many National Champion Pop Warner Cheerleading titles, from both the Toms River Little Indians and the Toms River Angels (formerly the Saint Joe's Angels).  The first National Championship title was won in 1993 by the Toms River Little Indian Midget Cheer squad. In 2001, 2002, and 2003 the Toms River Angels brought home national titles resulting in the nations second ever three peat (meaning they brought home three national titles on the same level) In 2005, The Toms River Little Indians brought home 2 more national titles.  In 2006, The Toms River Angels Midget Large Advanced Cheer Squad and the Toms River Little Indians Midget Small Intermediate Cheer Squad brought home 2 more National Titles.  In 2007 The Toms River Angels brought home one and the Indians brought back 2 more to add to their history.<ref>[http://www.popwarner.com/superbowl/cheerchampions.asp?lable=national PAST NATIONAL CHEER CHAMPIONS], Pop Warner Little Scholars. Accessed October 15, 2007.</ref>

In the mid-1990s, state and federal health and environmental agencies identified an increased incidence of childhood cancers in Toms River from the 1970-1995 period.  Multiple investigations by state and federal environmental and health agencies indicated that the likely source of the increased cancer risk was contamination from Toms River Chemical Plant (then operated by Ciba-Geigy), which had been in operation since 1952.  The area was designated an Bay Avenue and Vaughn Avenue revealed that it had been leaking.  The plant ceased operation in 1996.<ref>''[http://www.epa.gov/region02/superfund/npl/ciba/ CIBA-GEIGY CORP]''. United States Environmental Protection Agency, dated December 14, 2004.  Retrieved January 31, 2005</ref><ref>New Jersey Department of Health and Senior Services, Hazardous Site Health Evaluation Program, Division of Epidemiology, Environmental and Occupational Health, &  US Department of Health and Human Services, Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR). (Sep. 1997). [http://www.state.nj.us/health/eoh/hhazweb/cansumm.pdf Childhood Cancer Incidence Health Consultation: A Review and Analysis of Cancer Registry Data, 1979-1995 for Dover Township (Ocean County), New Jersey]</ref><ref>NJDHSS, ATSDR. (Dec. 2001).  Case-control Study of Childhood Cancers in Dover Township (Ocean County), New Jersey. ''[http://www.state.nj.us/health/eoh/hhazweb/case-control_pdf/Volume_I/Voli.pdf Volume 1:  Summary of the Final Technical Report  PDF 134KB]''. See also: ''[http://www.state.nj.us/health/eoh/hhazweb/dovertwp.htm Dover Township Childhood Cancer Investigation]''.  Retrieved Jan. 31, 2005.</ref>  A follow up study from the 1996-2000 period indicated that while there were more cancer cases than expected, rates had significantly fallen and the difference was statistically insignificant compared to normal statewide cancer rates.<ref>Citizen’s Guide to the
Childhood Cancer Incidence Update: A Review and Analysis of Cancer Registry Data, 1979-2000, January 2003 [http://www.state.nj.us/health/eoh/hhazweb/case-control_pdf/cg_cancerpdate_99_00.pdf]</ref>  Since 1996, the Toms River water system has been subject to the most stringent water testing in the state and is considered safe for consumption.<ref>[http://orig.app.com/lifein/story/0,21786,1108859,00.html Population explosion is talk of Toms River], Jean Milke for the ''Asbury Park Press'', November 11, 2004.  Accessed January 4, 2007.</ref>

===Toms River Township===
"Toms River" at one time referred only to the village of Toms River, a small part of the vast Township of Dover that included several other distinct settlements. With the 1990 Census, the census-designated place called "Toms River" only included the downtown village area that included fewer than 8,000 residents in 1990.  Due to complaints of confusion, the CDP was broadened to include all of mainland Dover Township to better reflect the more common usage for the area.<ref name=library />

In recent years, confusion over the name of the township had become an issue for many residents.  A movement organized around the Dover Township Name Change Committee<ref>[http://www.TomsRiverNow.com Toms River Now: Support the Dover Township name change], Toms River Now. Accessed August 2, 2006.</ref>, founded by Mayor Paul Brush and supported by the Ocean County Chamber of Commerce, collected signatures to put a name change question on the ballot in November of 2006. On Election Day, November 7, 2006, over 60% of residents voted to approve changing the name from the Township of Dover to the Township of Toms River.<ref>[http://www.oceancountyclerk.com/cgi-bin/election.pl Dover Township Election Results], accessed November 11, 2006.</ref> The name was officially changed on November 14, 2006.<ref>[http://www.app.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20061107/NEWS/61107112 APP.COM - Dover is over; it's Toms River Township], November 7, 2007. Accessed November 8, 2006.</ref>

{{Info/Localidade dos EUA|<!--Toms River (New Jersey)-->
|nome       = Toms River
|imagem     = 
|imagem_legenda = 
|estado     = Nova Jérsei
|condado    = Condado de Ocean
|população  = 86327
|data_pop   = 2000
|área       = 102.0
|área_água  = 3.2
|latG       = 39
|latM       = 58
|latS       = 45
|latP       = N
|lonG       = 74
|lonM       = 10
|lonS       = 3
|lonP       = W
|altitude   = 0
|códigoFIPS = 73110
|tipo       = região censo-designada
|mapa_detalhado= 
}}
'''Toms River''' é uma Estado americano de Condado de Ocean.

==Demografia==
Segundo o censo americano de 2000, a sua população era de 86.327 habitantes<ref>[http://www.census.gov/Press-Release/www/2001/sumfile1.html U.S. Census Bureau. Census 2000 Summary File 1]</ref>. 

==Geografia==
De acordo com o '''United States Census Bureau''' tem uma área de 
105,2 km², dos quais 102,0 km² cobertos por terra e 3,2 km² cobertos por nível do mar.

==Localidades na vizinhança==
O diagrama seguinte representa as localidades num raio de 8 km ao redor de Toms River. 
<div style="position: relative; float:left; width:500px;">
400px|left|Localidades na vizinhança  