[22] Beach Haven was incorporated as a Borough by an act of the New Jersey Legislature on November 11, 1890, from portions of Eagleswood Township, based on the results of a referendum held five days earlier.

[23] Beach Haven, known as the "Queen City,"[24] is a late 19th-century beachfront resort originally established in 1873 to house wealthy summer residents from Philadelphia.

[26] The first incident in the Jersey Shore shark attacks of 1916 took place at the east end of Engleside Avenue.

[38][39] The Surflight Theatre is a 450-seat theater originally established in 1950 that offers theatrical productions for adults and children.

It and its sister establishment, the cabaret-style sing-for-your dessert restaurant the Showplace Ice Cream Parlour, closed in 2015 after filing for bankruptcy with $2.6 million in debt, re-opening in 2017 under new ownership.

It is run by Deborah Whitcraft, who previously served on the Long Beach city council and formerly ran a diving company.

Pavilions could be found at Fifth and Pearl Streets, both of which were washed away by Hurricane Sandy in October 2012[44] and subsequently rebuilt in June 2013.

Since 2010, Beach Haven has operated within the Faulkner Act, formally known as the Optional Municipal Charter Law, under the Council-Manager form of government.

At a reorganization meeting held each January, one member is chosen as mayor and another as council president, each serving one-year terms in that position.

[8][50][51] Beach Haven had previously been governed under the Walsh Act, by a three-member Board of Commissioners, one of whom was selected to serve as Mayor, under a system in place from 1946 to 2010.

[52][53] As of 2024[update], members of the Beach Haven Borough Council are Mayor Nancy Taggart Davis (2024), Council President Catherine "Kitty" Snyder (2026), Jaime Baumiller (2026), Colleen Lambert (2024) and Michael K. McCaffrey (2024; elected to serve an unexpired term).

[63][64][65] Prior to the 2010 Census, Beach Haven had been part of the 3rd Congressional District, a change made by the New Jersey Redistricting Commission that took effect in January 2013, based on the results of the November 2012 general elections.

[66] For the 119th United States Congress, New Jersey's 2nd congressional district is represented by Jeff Van Drew (R, Dennis Township).

[75][76][77] Constitutional officers elected on a countywide basis are: Clerk Scott M. Colabella (R, 2025, Barnegat Light),[78][79] Sheriff Michael G. Mastronardy (R, 2025; Toms River)[80][81] and Surrogate Jeffrey Moran (R, 2028, Beachwood).

[108] Among the borough's 2010 Census population, 84.8% (vs. 63.2% in Ocean County) were registered to vote, including 98.3% of those ages 18 and over (vs. 82.6% countywide).

[116] For seventh through twelfth grades, public school students attend the Southern Regional School District, which serves the five municipalities in the Long Beach Island Consolidated School District (Barnegat Light, Harvey Cedars, Long Beach Township, Ship Bottom and Surf City), along with students from Beach Haven and Stafford Township, as well as the sending district of Ocean Township.

Ocean Ride provides bus service on the OC9 LBI South route between Holgate and Manahawkin / Stafford Township.

[125] The LBI Shuttle operates along Long Beach Boulevard, providing free service every 5 to 20 minutes from 10:00 AM to 10:00 PM.