Fort Monmouth was also home to the United States Military Academy Preparatory School, which trains approximately 250 students per year to enter as freshmen (plebes) at the United States Military Academy at West Point.

[29] In 1670, Thomas Eaton (for which the town is named) surveyed the area and constructed a grist mill in present-day Wampum Lake Park.

[30] From the book Eatontown and Fort Monmouth:[29] By 1796, a village had developed across from Eaton's mill, with a tannery and general store on the east side of the Red Bank Turnpike [now State Route 35].

A tavern for the New York - Philadelphia stage coach trade was built on what would become the intersection of Main and Broad Streets.

By 1850, Eaton's village had grown to include four stores on Main Street and nearly forty homes.

The Eatontown Steamboat Company built docks on Oceanport Creek to ship milled flour and other farm produce up the South Shrewsbury River to markets in New York City.

Entrepreneur James P. Allaire built a four-story stone warehouse at the docks, from which he shipped his bog iron forged at the Howell Works 15 miles away.

In 1886, a mob broke into the jail and removed a black man, Samuel "Mingo Jack" Johnson, who was being held for the alleged rape of a white woman.

In 2012, mayor Gerald Tarantolo issued a public apology for the failure of security at the jail.

[34][35][36] The 2010 United States census counted 12,709 people, 5,319 households, and 3,138 families in the borough.

[6] The borough form of government used by Eatontown is a "weak mayor / strong council" government in which council members act as the legislative body with the mayor presiding at meetings and voting only in the event of a tie.

The mayor can veto ordinances subject to an override by a two-thirds majority vote of the council.

[46][47] As of 2025[update], the mayor of Eatontown is Democrat Anthony Talerico Jr., whose term of office ends on December 31, 2026.

[48][49][50][51][52][53] Jackie Severinsen was appointed to fill the seat expiring in December 2024 that became vacant following the death of Everett D. Lucas in July 2023.

[52] In January 2019, Democrat Tonya Rivera was selected from a list of three candidates nominated by the Eatontown Democratic committee to fill the seat expiring in December 2020 that had been held by Bridget Harris until she resigned from office the previous month; Rivera served until the November 2019 general election, when voters chose a candidate to fill the balance of the term of office.

[55] In April 2019, the Democratic municipal committee selected Gregory Loxton to fill the seat expiring in December 2021 that had been held by Lisa Murphy until she resigned from office in March 2019; Loxton also served until the November 2019 general election, when voters chose a candidate to fill the balance of the term of office.

[64] For the 119th United States Congress, New Jersey's 4th congressional district is represented by Chris Smith (R, Manchester Township).

[65][66] For the 2024-2025 session, the 11th legislative district of the New Jersey Legislature is represented in the New Jersey Senate by Vin Gopal (D, Long Branch) and in the General Assembly by Margie Donlon (D, Ocean Township) and Luanne Peterpaul (D, Long Branch).

[86][87] In 2022 New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy successfully wooed Netflix to buy the empty 292 acre Monmouth Army base.

[110] The Garden State Parkway, the largest highway in Monmouth County, is accessible just outside the borough in neighboring Tinton Falls at exit 105.

[111] Created in May 2018, the goal of the Eatontown Complete Streets Advisory Committee is to establish a walkable and bikeable community that is safe and accessible for people of all ages and abilities.