Geographically, the city, and all of Atlantic County, is part of the South Jersey region and of the Atlantic City-Hammonton metropolitan statistical area, which in turn is included in the Philadelphia-Reading-Camden combined statistical area and the Delaware Valley.

[21] Estell Manor was incorporated as a city by an act of the New Jersey Legislature on March 14, 1925, from portions of Weymouth Township.

[1][2] Unincorporated communities, localities and place names located partially or completely within the city include Estellville, Gibsons Landing, Head of River, Hunters Mill, Oakville, Old Etna Furnace, Russia, Steelmans Landing, Walkers Forge and Warners Mill.

[27] All of the city is included either in the state-designated Pinelands area (which includes portions of Atlantic County, along with areas in Burlington, Camden, Cape May, Cumberland, Gloucester and Ocean counties) or in the Pinelands National Reserve.

[6][38] As of 2023[update], the Mayor of Estell Manor is Republican Elizabeth Owen, whose term of office ends December 31, 2025.

Members of the City Council are Nelson Dilg (R, 2025), Linda G. Givens (R, 2023; elected to serve an unexpired term), Thomas A. Maddox (R, 2025) and Christine Masker (R, 2024).

[44] After the City Council was unable to choose a candidate at its February 2019 meeting to fill the seat expiring in December 2021 that was vacated following the resignation of Aaron Buchanan, the Republican municipal committee selected Nelson Dilg to fill the vacancy and he took office in March 2019; Dilg served on an interim basis until the November 2019 general election, when he was elected to serve the balance of the term of office.

[49][50][51] Prior to the 2011 reapportionment following the 2010 census, Estell Manor had been in the 2nd state legislative district.

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

[54] For the 2024-2025 session, the 1st legislative district of the New Jersey Legislature is represented in the State Senate by Mike Testa (R, Vineland) and in the General Assembly by Antwan McClellan (R, Ocean City) and Erik K. Simonsen (R, Lower Township).

[56][57] As of 2025[update], Atlantic County's Executive is Dennis Levinson (R, Northfield), whose term of office ends December 31, 2027.

[76] Among the city's 2010 Census population, 69.7% (vs. 58.8% in Atlantic County) were registered to vote, including 91.5% of those ages 18 and over (vs. 76.6% countywide).

[97] City public school students are also eligible to attend the Atlantic County Institute of Technology in the Mays Landing section of Hamilton Township[98] or the Charter-Tech High School for the Performing Arts, located in Somers Point.

NJ Transit provides bus service on the 315 route that runs between Cape May and Philadelphia.