Monmouth County /ˈmɒnməθ/ is a county located in Central New Jersey, in the United States within the New York metropolitan area and located in the central part of the state. It is the northernmost county along the Jersey Shore. As of the 2010 Census, the population was 630,380, up from 615,301 at the 2000 Census, falling to the fifth-most populous county in the state, having been surpassed by Hudson County. Its county seat is Freehold Borough.