[20] Geographically, the city, 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.

Acquired by M. Simpson McCullough in 1882, the community was named Longport in honor of Long.

[24][25] Longport was incorporated as a borough by an act of the New Jersey Legislature on March 7, 1898, from portions of Egg Harbor Township.

[26] In 2014, residents of Seaview Harbor, located across Beach Thorofare, submitted a petition to join neighboring Longport, citing lack of access to the rest of Egg Harbor Township and high taxes.

[41] As of the 2000 United States census[15] there were 1,054 people, 544 households, and 317 families residing in the borough.

The racial makeup of the borough was 98.58% White, 0.09% African American, 1.14% Asian, and 0.19% from two or more races.

[42] Longport operates under the Walsh Act commission form of New Jersey municipal government.

[49] The change allows the borough to save the costs associated with conducting the May municipal election.

[53][54][55] For the 119th United States Congress, New Jersey's 2nd congressional district is represented by Jeff Van Drew (R, Dennis Township).

[57] 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).

[59][60] As of 2025[update], Atlantic County's Executive is Dennis Levinson (R, Northfield), whose term of office ends December 31, 2027.

[79] Among the borough's 2010 Census population, 86.5% (vs. 58.8% in Atlantic County) were registered to vote, including 97.9% of those ages 18 and over (vs. 76.6% countywide).

[107] The Longport Board of Education had investigated the possibility of offering city students the option of attending either Atlantic City High School or Ocean City High School, as part of an effort to control the costs for the average of ten Longport students sent to attend public high school annually.

With the Atlantic City district charging tuition estimated at nearly $24,000 per student as of 2013–2014 and the Ocean City School District charging 25% less per student, district officials estimated prospective savings of $128,000 in the first five years, though those savings could disappear if more of the nearly two-thirds of students attending private high schools were to shift to choose the new Ocean City option.

[108] In June 2014, the Acting State Commissioner of Education approved the end of the relationship with the Atlantic City district under which Longport's students could start attending Ocean City High School starting with the 2014–2015 school year.

[109] Borough public school students are also eligible to attend the Atlantic County Institute of Technology in the Mays Landing section of Hamilton Township[110] or the Charter-Tech High School for the Performing Arts, located in Somers Point.

[112] No Interstate, U.S., state or major county highways directly serve Longport.

NJ Transit provides bus service on the 505 route between the borough and Atlantic City.

The plant hardiness zone at Longport Beach is 7b with an average annual extreme minimum air temperature of 7.0 °F (−13.9 °C).