Ocean City

A dry, family-first barrier-island resort

Ocean City is a city in Cape May County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey. It sits on a barrier island bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the east, and is part of the Philadelphia metropolitan area. As of the 2020 United States census, the city’s population was 11,229 — but in the summer months, with an influx of tourists and second-home owners, the city swells to an estimated 115,000–130,000 people.

Known as a family-oriented seaside resort, Ocean City has not allowed the sale of alcoholic beverages within its limits since its founding in 1879. It offers miles of guarded beaches, a boardwalk that stretches 2.5 miles (4.0 km), and a downtown shopping and dining district. In 2005, the Travel Channel rated Ocean City the Best Family Beach of 2005.

History — from Peck’s Beach to America’s Greatest Family Resort

Before Ocean City was established, local Native Americans set up camps on the island for fishing in the summer months. In 1633, Dutch navigator David Pietersz. de Vries referred to “flat sand beaches with low hills between Cape May and Egg Harbor” — possibly the earliest reference to the island.

Originally purchased by the Somers family, the island was named Peck’s Beach, believed to have been given the name for a whaler named John Peck. Around 1700, Peck began using the barrier island as a base of operation and storage for freshly caught whales. The island was also used as a cattle-grazing area; mainlanders would boat over for a picnic or to hunt.

Ocean City originated as a borough by an act of the New Jersey Legislature on May 3, 1884, carved from portions of Upper Township, and was reincorporated as a borough on March 31, 1890. It was incorporated as a city — its current form — on March 25, 1897. The city is named for its location on the Atlantic Ocean.

The Boardwalk · Music Pier · Wonderland

Adjacent to the beach is a long boardwalk that runs north from St. James Place down to 23rd Street. The boardwalk was first built in 1880 from the Second Street wharf to Fourth Street and West Avenue. In 1885, plans to extend the boardwalk along the entire beach were made as the city’s first amusement house — a pavilion on the beach at 11th Street called “The Excursion” — opened.

Following a catastrophic fire in 1927, the boardwalk and its businesses were rebuilt closer to the ocean on concrete pilings. The Ocean City Music Pier partially opened one year later, with work completed in time for the 1929 season. Today, the boardwalk is lined with arcades, fudge shops, pizza stands, and two amusement parks:

A walk on the boardwalk (4K)

Credit: “Ocean City New Jersey Boardwalk 2025 [4K]” walking tour on YouTube.

Beach tags · the calculator

The concept of beach tags at the Jersey Shore was introduced in the late 1920s, but Ocean City did not establish them until 1976. Beach tags are a major source of revenue for the city: the $5.9 million in revenue generated in the 2025 season was the most of any municipality in the state.

From early June through Labor Day, anyone age 12 and up needs a beach tag to access the guarded beaches. Daily, weekly, and seasonal tags are sold. Use the calculator below for a quick estimate:

How well do you know Ocean City, NJ?

Five quick questions, one at a time. Source: Wikipedia “Ocean City, New Jersey”.

Climate

According to the Köppen climate classification system, Ocean City has a humid subtropical climate (Cfa) with hot, moderately humid summers, cool winters, and year-round precipitation. During the summer months, a cooling afternoon sea breeze is present on most days — but episodes of extreme heat and humidity can occur, with heat index values at or above 100°F. The plant hardiness zone at Ocean City Beach is 7b.