[citation needed] It was visited by many Presidents during the Gilded Age, including Chester A. Arthur, James A. Garfield, Ulysses S. Grant, Benjamin Harrison, Rutherford B. Hayes, William McKinley, and Woodrow Wilson, along with President Donald Trump in the modern era.

[28] President James A. Garfield was brought to Long Branch in the hope that the fresh air and quiet might aid his recovery after being shot on July 2, 1881, an incident that left the assassin's bullet lodged in his spine.

[30] The famous Long Branch Saloon of the American Old West, located in Dodge City, Kansas, was given its name by its first owner, William Harris, who had moved west from Long Branch, New Jersey, his hometown.

[31] Originally a resort town with a few hotels and large estates and many farms in the early 20th century, Long Branch grew in population.

[32][33] By the 1950s, Long Branch like many other towns had developed new residential spots and housing to make room for the growing population.

In addition, the opening of the Garden State Parkway in the mid-1950s allowed shore visitors to access points further south, which added to Long Branch's decline.

The civil unrest of the 1960s caused riots in neighboring Asbury Park, and many fled the shore cities for the suburban towns west of the beach.

Unincorporated communities, localities and place names located partially or completely within the city include Branchport, East Long Branch, Elberon (served as ZIP Code 07740), Hollywood, Kensington Park, North Long Branch, Pleasure Bay and West End.

[44] Other areas include North End (once known as "Atlanticville"), Beachfront North and South (including Pier Village, adjacent to the site of the former Long Branch Pier at the foot of Laird Street), Downtown and Uptown.

In years past, Long Branch was a major destination for beachgoers, along with Asbury Park, and enjoyed an upscale connotation with tourists.

Long Branch is home to Seven Presidents Oceanfront Park, named for the United States presidents who visited the fashionable resort town, including Ulysses S. Grant, Chester A. Arthur, Rutherford Hayes, Benjamin Harrison, William McKinley, Woodrow Wilson and James Garfield.

[45] Long Branch's fame as the Nation's First Seaside Resort waned in the years following World War II.

[46] The defining moment marking the end of this era occurred on June 8, 1987, when the largest fire in the history of the city destroyed the landmark amusement pier and adjoining Haunted Mansion, "Kid's World" Amusement Park and other businesses.

[52] The plant hardiness zone is 7a with an average annual extreme minimum air temperature of 3.9 °F (−15.6 °C).

[48] The average date of first spring leaf-out is March 23[53] and fall color typically peaks in early-November.

This complex is planned to offer retail shops, cafes, bars, restaurants and two performing arts theaters as well as 500 new residences sitting atop a 1,500 car parking garage.

[57] In June 2013, the city approved designation of the area around its train station as a transit village, which can bring incentives for revitalization and denser development.

Members of the City Council are Bill Dangler, Glen Rassas, Mario Vieria, Anita Voogt and Rose Widdis.

The mayor and city council members serve concurrent terms of office ending on June 30, 2026.

[3][72][73] In February 1966, a nearly 3-1 margin of voters supported a proposal promoted by the Better Government League, which abolished the city's council-manager ward-based system that had six members from wards and three at-large and replaced it with a wholly at-large city council with a mayor-council system under the Faulkner Act and an appointed business administrator.

[76][77][78] For the 119th United States Congress, New Jersey's 6th congressional district is represented by Frank Pallone (D, Long Branch).

[81] 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).

[108] The LBPD did not have a police chief between 1970 and 2017, with the Director of Public Safety being directly responsible for the department.

[110][111][112][113] The Long Branch Public Schools serves children in pre-kindergarten through twelfth grade.

[116][117] All Long Branch Public Schools are free, including the district's preschool programs which are full-day and accommodate children ages 3–5 years old.

Long Branch schools offer free breakfast each morning for the students.

[135] Declining attendance led the Roman Catholic Diocese of Trenton to close the K–8 Holy Trinity School in June 2006.

[142][143] The Long Branch station located three blocks away from the beach, marks the end of electrified trackage, where passengers continuing south must change to diesel-powered trains.

[145] In the past there were stops in the West End neighborhood and on Broadway, but they were closed to reduce travel time to New York City.