[24] The name came from Lewis Morris's plantation, Tinton Manor (which employed free white workers and slaves)[25][26] as it featured a gristmill, making it one of New Jersey's earliest bustling mill towns.

The borough is home to the highest waterfall on New Jersey's coastal plain, from which the aforementioned mill generated power.

The area that is now known as Tinton Falls was originally settled by Europeans in the late 1600s, probably beginning with the initial land purchases from the Lenni Lenape Native Americans in 1664.

[27] Water power and iron ore were likely the incentives that encouraged settlement: shortly after [the land was purchased], a man by the name of James Grover had an ironworks built along the river.

[27] At this time, the waterfall was known to be about 30 feet (9.1 m) high;[28][29] erosion and the destruction of the dam near the ironworks have led to its diminishment.

Grover's ironworks was the central fixture of the community, and it was one of the oldest built in the country, predated only by buildings in Jamestown and Massachusetts.

[27] In 1675, a half-interest in the ironworks company was purchased by Colonel Lewis Morris, [who obtained a title granting him 3,540 acres (14.3 km2) along the Shrewsbury River].

Morris also obtained land owned by Bartholomew Applegate, who had built a corn mill on the other side of the river.

[30][31][32] Tintern Abbey, located in Monmouthshire, Wales, is often accepted as the namesake of Tinton Falls.

[1][2] Unincorporated communities, localities and place names located partially or completely within the borough include Wayside.

[35] Green Grove, Hockhockson, Macedonia, Pine Brook, Reevytown, West Shrewsbury and Wileys Corner are other unincorporated communities located partly or completely within the borough.

[49] Shark River Park, the first included in the Monmouth County Park System when it was established in 1961, covers 961 acres (389 ha) along the Shark River in portions of Tinton Falls, Neptune Township and Wall Township.

[57] As of 2025[update], the mayor of Tinton Falls is Vito Perillo, whose term of office ends December 31, 2025.

[3] Perillo, a World War II veteran and former engineer who won the non-partisan race by a 2,600–2,300 margin in his first run for elected office, ran on a platform of lowering taxes and improving transparency.

[65] On November 2, 2021, Perillo, at 97 years old, was elected for a second four-year term, giving him the nickname "America's Oldest Mayor.

[70] For the 119th United States Congress, New Jersey's 4th congressional district is represented by Chris Smith (R, Manchester Township).

[73] 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).

The district was added to the National Register of Historic Places on November 10, 1977, for its significance in archaeology, industry, military history and politics.

The school also serves students from Eatontown, Tinton Falls and Naval Weapons Station Earle.

[116] Trinity Hall is an all-girls independent high school in the Catholic tradition, founded in 2013.

[117] The borough is protected by the Tinton Falls Police Department, led by Chief Michael DeLucia.

[129] Tinton Falls houses exits 100 (including the Judy Blume Service Area), 102, 105, and 109 on the parkway, including a high-speed toll gate, and the southern start/end of the express and local carriageways, although the borough is listed only on signs for exit 105.

Monmouth Park & Ride is located in nearby in neighboring Wall Township, off of the Garden State Parkway at mile marker 100 (right before entering into Tinton Falls).

[137][138] Monmouth Executive Airport is located in neighboring Wall, as it supplies short-distance flights for private jets to surrounding areas.

[139] The nearest major commercial airport is Newark Liberty International Airport in Newark, which serves as a major hub for United Airlines, located 30 miles (48 km) north (about 45 minutes drive) from the center of Tinton Falls.

[140] Jersey Shore University Medical Center is a 691-bed non-profit, tertiary research and academic medical center located in neighboring Neptune Township as part of the Hackensack Meridian Health system, serving the northern Jersey Shore region.