At 114.49 square miles (296.5 km2) of total area of land and water, Galloway Township is the largest municipality in the state.

Galloway was incorporated as one of the initial group of 104 townships by an act of the New Jersey Legislature on February 21, 1798.

After becoming part of the newly formed Atlantic County in 1837, portions of the township were taken to create Mullica Township (March 13, 1838), Egg Harbor City (June 14, 1858), Absecon (February 29, 1872), Brigantine Beach borough (now Brigantine; June 14, 1890) and Port Republic (March 1, 1905).

[25] Geographically, the township, and all of Atlantic County, is part of the South Jersey region of the state 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.

[26] The Township of Galloway was created by Royal Patent of King George III of Great Britain on April 4, 1774.

[25] For thousands of years, the area of Galloway Township was occupied by different cultures of indigenous peoples.

The Lenape Native Americans were the historic tribe who occupied the area at the time of European encounter.

An alternative derivation is that the Township was named for Joseph Galloway, a Loyalist delegate to the First Continental Congress in 1774, who was opposed to independence of the Thirteen Colonies.

During the American Revolutionary War, Galloway was the site of the Battle of Chestnut Neck, in what is now a part of Port Republic.

[27] During the spring of 2007, a large swath of oak and other hardwood trees were defoliated by the Gypsy moth caterpillar.

Due to budget constraints, the township did not apply for spraying through the State of New Jersey, and the gypsy moths flourished.

[21][33][34][35] Other unincorporated communities, localities and place names located partially or completely within the township include Absecon, Absecon Highlands, Brigantine Junction, Cologne, Cologne Station, Conovertown, Doughtys, Germania, Hewittville, Higbeetown, Island Beach, Johnsontown, Leeds Point, Oceanville, Pinehurst, Pomerania, South Egg Harbor, Somersville, and the "Township Center".

[54][55] Galloway Township operates under the Faulkner Act (formally known as the Optional Municipal Charter Law) within Plan E of the Council-Manager form of New Jersey municipal government, implemented based on the recommendations of a Charter Study Commission as of January 1, 1976.

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

[69] For the 2024-2025 session, the 2nd legislative district of the New Jersey Legislature is represented in the New Jersey Senate by Vincent J. Polistina (R, Egg Harbor Township) and in the General Assembly by Don Guardian (R, Atlantic City) and Claire Swift (R, Margate City).

[71][72] As of 2025[update], Atlantic County's Executive is Dennis Levinson (R, Northfield), whose term of office ends December 31, 2027.

[91] Among the township's 2010 Census population, 59.0% (vs. 58.8% in Atlantic County) were registered to vote, including 75.0% of those ages 18 and over (vs. 76.6% countywide).

[105] For pre-kindergarten through eighth grade, students attend the Galloway Township Public Schools.

[123][124] Township public school students are also eligible to attend the Atlantic County Institute of Technology in the Mays Landing section of Hamilton Township[125] or the Charter-Tech High School for the Performing Arts, located in Somers Point.

There was no tuition charged; costs were paid on a per-student basis by each of the sending districts, with additional funding provided by the State of New Jersey.

[127][128] Assumption Regional Catholic School is a Catholic elementary school for pre-kindergarten through eighth grades with a specially designed middle school system, operated under the jurisdiction of the Diocese of Camden and serving students from the sending parishes of Our Lady of Perpetual Help Parish (in Galloway Township), St. Thomas the Apostle Church (Brigantine) and St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Parish (Absecon).

[139] NJ Transit provides bus service to Atlantic City on routes 508 (from the Hamilton Mall), 554 (from Lindenwold station) and 559 (from Lakewood Township).