Commuting from Toms River: The Honest Guide

Four things. The geography: Toms River sits roughly seventy miles from both New York and Philadelphia — genuinely equidistant between two major metros, which is unusual and valuable, but far enough from each that daily commuting is a real commitment. The transit reality: there is no passenger rail station in the township; the anchor is NJ Transit's Route 137 express bus running year-round between the Toms River Park & Ride at Garden State Parkway Exit 81 and the Port Authority Bus Terminal, with a scheduled trip of about ninety-five minutes and additional pickup points along Hooper Avenue, Brick Boulevard, and near Holiday City. The details that bite: the Park & Ride has no ticket vending machines, so buy through the app or a commissioned agent before you arrive; weekday service ends around 8:15 p.m., which is a genuine constraint if your job runs late; and parking capacity is finite enough to reward arriving early. The conclusion: a ninety-five-minute scheduled ride each way is roughly three and a quarter hours of daily travel — sustainable two or three days a week, punishing five. Toms River is the strongest value in its price band for the hybrid worker, and buyers should size that honestly before they fall in love with a house.

Toms River's position is genuinely unusual: roughly seventy miles from both New York City and Philadelphia, which means it draws buyers from two directions and belongs entirely to neither. Driving to Manhattan typically runs 75 to 90 minutes outside peak traffic. Philadelphia is a comparable distance and a comparable drive.

What Toms River does not have is a rail station. There is no passenger train inside the township — the North Jersey Coast Line's southern reach ends well to the north, putting the nearest stations roughly a half-hour drive away for anyone determined to ride the rails (confirm current stations and travel times with NJ Transit before planning around it). That single fact is the most important commuting reality here, and it explains why the township's relocation appeal is concentrated among hybrid workers, remote workers, retirees, business owners, and people whose work is local — rather than among five-day Manhattan commuters, who generally pay more to live closer to a train. Understanding that is not a knock on the town. It's the key to buying here intelligently, and to marketing here honestly.

NJ Transit Route 137, the Toms River Parkway Express, is the township's link to Manhattan. It runs year-round, every day, between the Toms River Park & Ride and the Port Authority Bus Terminal, on an express routing with a scheduled trip of approximately ninety-five minutes. Here is what regular riders know:

One seasonal note worth knowing: beginning June 20, 2026, Route 137 also operates direct seasonal service from the Port Authority Bus Terminal to Seaside Heights and Seaside Park — a genuine amenity for households with guests coming down from the city, and a small but real support for the barrier-island rental economy covered in our Ortley Beach guide. Note also that Island Beach State Park is no longer served by NJ Transit.

By car, the township is well served: the Garden State Parkway runs through it with multiple exits, Route 9 carries north-south traffic inland, Route 70 heads west toward the Philadelphia corridor, and Route 37 runs east across the bay to the barrier island. That last one deserves a warning that no listing will give you: the Route 37 bridge is a summer bottleneck, and traffic patterns near it between Memorial Day and Labor Day bear little resemblance to the rest of the year. If you're buying anywhere near that corridor, drive it on a July or August weekend before you commit.

Other transit: several additional NJ Transit bus routes serve the township — including the 314, 319, 559, and 67 — connecting toward other regional destinations, and the township maintains a municipal bus terminal on Highland Parkway. Ocean County's Ocean Ride system provides local bus and van service, including transportation for older residents and people with disabilities, with routes and schedules published by Ocean County Transportation. For Philadelphia there is no comparable direct express service — that commute is a drive. And for anyone whose work is genuinely local, it's worth remembering that Toms River is the county seat, with the county government complex, the courts, and Community Medical Center inside the township — a meaningful employment base that makes the commuting question moot for a large share of residents.

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If you'll ride the bus, treat proximity to the Park & Ride at Exit 81 or to a Hooper Avenue or Brick Boulevard pickup point as a real, priceable feature — ten extra minutes each way is another forty hours a year. If you'll drive, weigh Parkway access against the Route 37 summer pattern, and remember the township is large enough that "Toms River" tells you almost nothing about your actual drive. If you're hybrid — which describes most of the metro buyers moving here — do the arithmetic explicitly: two days a week at roughly three and a quarter hours round trip is about six and a half hours; five days is over sixteen. The first is a trade most people make happily for a bigger house, a lower tax rate, and a beach in the same township. The second is a decision people regret.

And test before you buy — not after. Drive or ride your actual commute at your actual departure time, on a weekday, and then drive the neighborhood again on a summer Saturday. The township's favorable tax position and its price levels are what draw metro buyers here; the commute is what determines whether the move works. Full township context sits in our complete guide, and current inventory on our listings page.

Before you make an offer, ride the 137 round-trip once — on a real weekday, at your real hour. Buy the ticket on the app the night before, park where you'd actually park, and pay attention to two things: how full the lot is when you arrive, and how you feel on the return leg at the end of a workday. That second one is the whole decision. A ninety-five-minute ride reads fine on paper and lands very differently at 6 p.m. after a long day. It costs you one day and two fares, and it is the single most reliable way to find out whether Toms River works for your life — before you've committed to a mortgage on the answer.

"I bring New York buyers down here constantly, and I've learned to have the hard conversation early: there's no train in Toms River, and the bus is ninety-five minutes. I'd rather lose a client at the first meeting than sell them a house they resent in eighteen months. What I've also learned is how rarely that conversation ends the search — because for the hybrid worker, this trade is extraordinary. You get more house, a materially lower tax rate, a county seat's services, and an ocean beach in the same township, in exchange for two long days a week. Told honestly, that's not a compromise. It's one of the better deals on the Shore."

— Anthony Licciardello, Broker, The Prodigy Team

The New York–to–Jersey Shore move is the center of my practice, commute conversation included: I'm Anthony Licciardello, Broker of The Prodigy Team — dual-licensed in New York and New Jersey, a former Director of Community Affairs in the Bloomberg Administration, and a leading broker for cross-border New York–New Jersey transactions, bringing the New York market to New Jersey sellers.

Our Above the Streets cinematic drone series shows metro buyers exactly what they'd be moving to — with audience performance exceeding industry benchmarks for real estate media.

Anthony Licciardello · Broker, The Prodigy Team · 718-873-7345

We'll tell you honestly whether the commute works — then find the house that makes it worth it.

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How do you commute from Toms River to New York City?

NJ Transit's Route 137 express bus runs year-round, daily, between the Toms River Park & Ride at Garden State Parkway Exit 81 and the Port Authority Bus Terminal, with a scheduled trip of about 95 minutes. It also picks up along Hooper Avenue, Brick Boulevard, Chambers Bridge Road, near the Ocean County Complex, and at the Dorado Park & Ride. Buy tickets through the app or a commissioned agent — the Park & Ride has no ticket vending machines.

Is there a train station in Toms River?

No. There is no passenger rail station inside the township — the North Jersey Coast Line's southern reach ends well to the north, putting the nearest stations roughly a half-hour drive away. This is the most important commuting fact about Toms River, and it's why the township's relocation appeal concentrates among hybrid and remote workers rather than five-day rail commuters. Verify current stations and travel times with NJ Transit.

How late does the bus run, and how long is the drive?

Weekday Route 137 service has ended around 8:15 p.m., with Saturday service starting around 7:00 a.m. — a real constraint if your work runs late. Driving to Manhattan typically takes 75 to 90 minutes outside peak traffic, with Philadelphia a comparable distance. Confirm current schedules with NJ Transit, as timetables and fares change; an automated fare adjustment took effect July 1, 2026.

What local transportation is available in Toms River?

Several NJ Transit bus routes serve the township including the 314, 319, 559, and 67, with a municipal bus terminal on Highland Parkway. Ocean County's Ocean Ride system provides local bus and van service, including transportation for older residents and people with disabilities. The Garden State Parkway and Routes 9, 37, and 70 carry most travel — with Route 37's bridge to the barrier island a notable summer bottleneck.

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