The township is centrally located within the Raritan Valley region and is a part of the New York metropolitan area.

[27] The Battle of Monmouth was fought in 1778 on land that is now part of Manalapan and Freehold townships.

Englishtown was formed as a borough from portions of Manalapan on January 4, 1888, based on the results of a referendum held the previous day.

[30][31][32] Yorketown (with a 2010 Census population of 6,535[33]) is an unincorporated community and census-designated place (CDP) located within Manalapan Township.

[62][63][64] Prior to the 2010 Census, Manalapan Township had been split between the 6th Congressional District and the 12th Congressional District, a change made by the New Jersey Redistricting Commission that took effect in January 2013, based on the results of the November 2012 general elections.

[65] For the 119th United States Congress, New Jersey's 3rd congressional district is currently represented Herb Conaway (D, Delran Township).

[67] For the 2024-2025 session, the 12th legislative district of the New Jersey Legislature is represented in the State Senate by Owen Henry (R, Old Bridge Township) and in the General Assembly by Robert D. Clifton (R, Matawan) and Alex Sauickie (R, Jackson Township).

[104][105] The district is overseen by a nine-member board of education, which sets policy and oversees the fiscal and educational operation of the district;[106][107] Seats on the board are allocated based on population, with eight seats assigned to Manalapan Township.

[114] The FRHSD board of education has nine members, who are elected to three-year terms from each of the constituent districts.

[117] The Monmouth Battlefield Historic District is a 1,819-acre (736 ha) historic district within the much larger Monmouth Battlefield State Park, located on both sides of County Route 522 (Freehold-Englishtown Road) and west of U.S. Route 9 on the border of Manalapan Township and Freehold Township.

The site of the battlefield originally contained many colonial-era farmhouses though many did not survive the rapid development of the area in the 20th century.

The Combs' Farmhouse (mid-18th Century) was demolished sometime in the 1960s and was located near the park's playground and ice pond.

The district was added to the National Register of Historic Places on October 15, 1966, for its significance in military history and for the remaining settlement of colonial architecture and agriculture akin to the fated events of the Battle of Monmouth.

Manalapan Under the Stars, the township's community celebration featuring rides, concerts, fireworks, and other activities, is held annually at the Recreation Center.

[119] Performers featured in the series have included Herman's Hermits Starring Peter Noone and Tommy James and the Shondells.

In 2004, Manalapan was rated the second-hottest town on the East Coast by Money magazine.

[120] On May 27, 2001, Manalapan was struck by a tornado rated F2 on the Fujita scale, causing over $1 million in damage.

Major county routes, such as 522 and 527 traverse through the municipality, while 524 and 537 goes along the southeast border of the township.

In the 19th & 20th centuries, Englishtown Borough and Manalapan Township had a major railway in the area, which was the Freehold and Jamesburg Agricultural Railroad.

[133] The establishment of the Freehold & Jamesburg Agricultural Railroad allowed this region to become a transportation hub.

A 2.8-mile long (4.5 km) portion of the former railroad's right-of-way was later approved to be sold by the New Jersey Board of Public Utility Commissioners (PUC) to Jersey Central Power & Light Company in 1966, with occasional freight service still being utilized through the Freehold Industrial Track.

The Monmouth Ocean Middlesex Line is a proposal by New Jersey Transit to restore passenger railway service to the region.

[135][136][137][138] As of now, the nearest train stations to the township are Metropark in Iselin, Metuchen, New Brunswick, and Princeton Junction on the Northeast Corridor Line.

The nearest major commercial airports are Trenton-Mercer Airport, which serves several domestic destinations via Frontier Airlines and located 21 miles (34 km) west (about 35 minutes drive); and Newark Liberty International Airport, which serves as a major hub for United Airlines and located 32 miles (51 km) north (about 48 minutes drive) from the center of Manalapan Township.

[143] The next closest hospitals to the township are the Old Bridge Division of Raritan Bay Medical Center in nearby Old Bridge Township, Penn Medicine Princeton Medical Center in nearby Plainsboro Township, and Saint Peter's University Hospital and Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital in nearby New Brunswick.