Rumson is a borough in Monmouth County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey, and is part of the New York Metropolitan Area.

[20] Rumson was formed by an act of the New Jersey Legislature on March 15, 1907, from portions of Shrewsbury Township, based on results of a referendum held on June 18, 1907.

[26] Legend has it that the borough's name is derived from early European settlers who bought the land from the local Lenape Native Americans in exchange for some rum.

But as far back as 1663, long before the area was officially named Rumson, Native Americans called it "Navarumsunk".

Now an upscale commuter suburb, Rumson was once a prominent summer colony for wealthy New York bankers and industrialists during the turn of the century, c. 1900.

The oldest of Rumson's homes was the Tredwell House, named after a family that summered there for almost 100 years.

[30] The Lauriston Mansion, built in 1870 and listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2002, is a 10,000-square-foot (930 m2) home constructed in the Colonial Revival style.

Plans have been submitted to demolish the building, which the developer stated could not be renovated, and to replace it with townhomes that would include affordable housing, leading Preservation New Jersey to declare the home "endangered" as of 2020.

[31][32] In the 19th century, Rumson's summer residents enjoyed many activities, such as swimming and boating in the adjacent Navesink River and the Atlantic Ocean, or taking wagon rides.

[1][2] It has a humid subtropical climate (Köppen: Cfa) and average monthly temperatures range from 32.5 °F (0.3 °C) in January to 75.2 °F (24.0 °C) in July.

[46] Bingham Hall serves as a center for social gatherings, recreational activities, and fundraisers.

[5] The borough form of government used by Rumson is a "weak mayor / strong council" government in which council members act as the legislative body with the mayor presiding at meetings and voting only in the event of a tie.

The mayor can veto ordinances subject to an override by a two-thirds majority vote of the council.

[48][49] As of 2025[update], the Mayor of Rumson is Republican Joseph K. Hemphill, whose term of office ends on December 31, 2027.

[3][50][51][52][53] In January 2022, the borough council selected Michael F. Lospinuso from a list of three candidates nominated by the Republican municipal committee to fill the seat expiring in December 2022 that had been held by Laura R. Atwell until she resigned from office the previous December.

[54] Councilmember Frank E. Shanley submitted a letter of resignation that took effect as of December 31, 2014, and was replaced in January 2015 by John J. Conklin III, who was selected by the borough council from a list of three candidates nominated by the Republican municipal committee.

[58][59][60] For the 119th United States Congress, New Jersey's 6th congressional district is represented by Frank Pallone (D, Long Branch).

[63] For the 2024-2025 session, the 13th legislative district of the New Jersey Legislature is represented in the New Jersey Senate by Declan O'Scanlon (R, Little Silver) and in the General Assembly by Vicky Flynn (R, Holmdel Township) and Gerard Scharfenberger (R, Middletown Township).

[104][105] Founded in 1926 and developed under the principles of its organizer B. Lord Buckley, Rumson Country Day School serves students in preschool through eighth grade and was recognized in 1998-99 by the National Blue Ribbon Schools Program.

[109] Transportation to New York is available via NJ Transit's train service from stations at Little Silver[110] or Red Bank.

Electric service operates from Penn Station to Long Branch, New Jersey, where the electrified portion of the line ends.

[112][113] Many of Rumson's residents work in the financial services industry and commute to Wall Street on the high-speed SeaStreak ferry that leaves from nearby Atlantic Highlands.

The ferry ride is 40 minutes to the foot of Wall Street or an hour to Midtown Manhattan.