15 Things You Didn’t Know About Long Beach Island, NJ

We live and work in one of the nicest regions of New Jersey. Barnegat is homey and warm. Manahawkin a gateway to the shore. Forked River an up and coming town. And Long Beach Island a great place to surf, fish, and enjoy living here at the shore.

But how well do you really know LBI? You might know about the great fishing or the Barnegat Lighthouse, but what about the details? Take a look at these 15things worth knowing about LBI and test your knowledge:

1. Most visitors know the highway that accesses Long Beach Island as Route 72, but years ago it was actually known as South 40.
2. Long Beach Island is best known for its tourism, fishing, and real estate.

2. Long Beach Island has only a single access point, a causeway that reaches over to the island. Remove that and the only way to leave is by boat or helicopter.

3. Long Beach Island has about 20,000 year round residents spread throughout its six municipalities.

4. In the summer, the population of LBI grows to over 100,000 people, which includes renters, summer residents, tourists, and others.

5. All told, Long Beach Island is about 18 miles long, includes three miles of nature preserve at its southern end.

6. At its widest, Long Beach Island is just a half-mile wide!

8. Though connected by open waters, Long Beach Island is considered to fence in Manahawkin Bay, not Barnegat Bay. The more famous Barnegat Bay is located immediately to the north.

9. Long Beach Island contains a number of communities, all of them very small. They include Ship Bottom, Barnegat Light, Harvey Cedars, Surf City, and Beach Haven, along with the town of Long Beach Island itself, which has neighborhoods like Loveladies, Holgate, North Beach, and High Bar Harbor.

10. Because of its unique geographical location, Long Beach Island tends to get the first frost of the year later than any other region in New Jersey, including those in the southern part of the state.

11. Long Beach Island has been settled since at least 1690, when it became a home for hunters.

12. By the 17^th Century, Long Beach Island had become a key location in shipping and whaling expeditions, especially those out of Barnegat Inlet. This prompted the construction of the Barnegat Lighthouse.

13. The original lighthouse on Long Beach Island was constructed in 1835, and help guide boaters through the sometimes turbulent waters of the inlet. However, the light was fixed, causing ship captains to mistake it for another passing ship. As a result, the original lighthouse was torn down in 1857.

14. “Old Barney,” the now famous lighthouse still at the north end of the island, was constructed in 1859.

15. The Barnegat Lighthouse was constructed by the Army Corps of Engineers. The project was lead by George Gordon Mead, who would later lead the Union forces to victory over the Confederates in the Civil War.

Do you know of any other cool LBI facts, historic tidbits, favorite restaurants, or anything else? Let us know in the comments! And if you are looking for a dentist near Forked River, give us a call!