Seaside Heights is a borough in Ocean County, New Jersey, on the Barnegat Peninsula, a narrow strip of land between the Atlantic Ocean and Barnegat Bay along the Jersey Shore. It has a year-round population of roughly 2,400, though the borough swells dramatically each summer with visitors and seasonal residents drawn to its beach and boardwalk. The borough was incorporated on February 26, 1913, from portions of Berkeley Township and Dover Township, which later became Toms River. It developed as a classic shore resort, and its identity remains tied to that role. The boardwalk is the center of the community, anchored by Casino Pier with its amusement rides and the Breakwater Beach waterpark, alongside the Funtown Pier. Seaside Heights gained national recognition as a filming location for MTV's "Jersey Shore," which brought the town's boardwalk culture to a wide audience. Housing in the borough is dense and resort-oriented, with a mix of beach bungalows, duplexes, condominiums, and newer single-family homes, and a large share of properties used seasonally or as summer rentals. The compact grid places most homes within walking distance of the ocean and the attractions. Public education is provided by the Seaside Heights School District, which operates a single elementary school; students in grades 7 through 12 attend Central Regional schools. Transportation centers on New Jersey Route 35, which passes through the borough, and Route 37, which terminates at Route 35 in Seaside Heights, connecting the town to Toms River, the Garden State Parkway, and the broader Ocean County region. Island Beach State Park lies immediately to the south, extending the shoreline recreation well beyond the borough's borders.