Ocean City (New Jersey)
Ocean City is a city in Cape May County, in the South Jersey region of New Jersey, situated on a barrier island between Great Egg Harbor Bay and the Atlantic Ocean. Located approximately 12 miles southwest of Atlantic City, the city lies on a barrier island bridged to Somers Point and Longport. Laid out in 1879 by Methodist ministers as a Christian seaside resort, it has remained faithful — by public vote — to its founders' stipulation that no alcoholic beverages be sold, making it a popular destination for religious conventions and family vacations. As of the 2020 United States Census, the city's population was 11,229, a decrease of 472 (−4.0%) from the 2010 census count of 11,701. Despite its modest year-round population, in summer months, with an influx of tourists and second homeowners, there are estimated to be 115,000 to 130,000 people within the city's borders. Ocean City is perhaps best known for its 2.5-mile boardwalk, eight miles of guarded public beaches, and the longstanding slogan that the Chamber of Commerce adopted in 1920: "America's Greatest Family Resort."[1]
History
Pre-Settlement and Early Occupancy
Like most of the barrier islands in Southern Jersey, Ocean City was once a hunting and fishing ground for the Lenni-Lenape Indians. 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 written reference to the island that would become Ocean City. In 1695, Thomas Budd surveyed the land on behalf of the West Jersey Society.
Known first as Peck's Beach, a seven-mile stretch of sand dunes, meadows, and cedar swamps was probably named for John Peck, a whaler who used the island as a staging spot for his whaling operation. In 1750, John Somers bought a few hundred acres in the northern part of the island and used it for cattle grazing. By the mid-1800s, Parker Miller and his family came to live on the island as its only full-time residents, in a house that once stood where Seventh Street and Asbury Avenue is today. Miller was a representative for lost cargo insurance claims, protecting shipping companies' rights when ships wrecked off the island.[2]
Founding
In 1879, four Methodist ministers — Ezra B. Lake, James Lake, S. Wesley Lake, and William Burrell — purchased Peck's Beach to make it a Christian seaside resort and camp meeting place. The men came together under a cedar tree (which still stands at Sixth and Asbury) and formed the Ocean City Association after the name they chose for their newly acquired land. The group laid out the streets and sold lots for commercial and residential uses, built the Tabernacle that still stands today between Fifth and Sixth Streets and Asbury Avenue, and held camp meetings the following summer.
The first road from Ocean City to the mainland of the Jersey shore was constructed in 1883, including a bridge located at 34th Street in Ocean City, the road leading from Beesley's Point to Cape May City on the mainland. 1884 was an important year for Ocean City, as the community officially became a Borough with Gainer E. Moore elected as mayor, and railway service was begun by the West Jersey Railroad. Ocean City was subsequently incorporated as a city, its current government form, on March 25, 1897.[3]
20th Century Developments
In 1920, the Chamber of Commerce adopted the slogan "America's Greatest Family Resort." In 1927, a large fire broke out and caused $1.5 million in damage (equivalent to approximately $28 million in 2025), leading the city to move the boardwalk closer to the ocean. Ocean City's original boardwalk, along with much of the city, burnt down in 1927, and the current boardwalk was built immediately after, though sections have been repaired and replaced continuously over time and today the boardwalk hosts amusement park rides, restaurants, stores, and more.
The ship Sindia ran aground on the beach on December 15, 1901, on its way to New York City from Kobe, Japan, but has since sunk below the sand. The Sindia was headed to New York City from Kobe, Japan, led by Captain Allan MacKenzie, when the ship became lodged on a sandbar, and surfmen from the Life-Saving Station went to assist those on board while cargo was unloaded. Artifacts salvaged from the wreck are displayed at the Ocean City Historical Museum.
In 1951, the town banned the consumption of alcohol on the beach, and all public alcohol consumption was banned in 1958. In May 2012, 68.8% of voters rejected a ballot initiative for BYOB — bring your own bottle — and as of 2016, Ocean City was one of 32 dry towns in New Jersey.[4]
Hurricane Sandy (2012)
In October 2012, Hurricane Sandy caused extensive flooding and property damage throughout Ocean City that in some areas covered the island from the ocean to the harbour. Ocean City highlighted a decade of flood mitigation efforts following Superstorm Sandy's devastation in 2012, recognizing the threats of coastal flooding and rising seas, and dedicated an average $10 million a year to roads, drainage, and flood mitigation. Ocean City recovered from Sandy relatively quickly, put together a "Ready for Your Stay" marketing campaign that won an award in 2014, and in 2014 Ocean City hit a record $4 million in tourism.[5]
Geography and Natural Features
Ocean City is a city in Cape May County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey. It is the principal city of the Ocean City metropolitan statistical area, which encompasses all of Cape May County, and is part of the Philadelphia-Wilmington-Camden, PA-NJ-DE-MD combined statistical area, also known as the Delaware Valley or Philadelphia metropolitan area. It is part of the South Jersey region of the state.
Ocean City city has a land area of 6.7 square miles. The city has developed as a fishing and summer resort with marinas and boatyards, 8.5 miles of public beaches, and a 2.5-mile boardwalk, built in its current form in 1928. A number of large mansions, built by wealthy Philadelphians at the beginning of the 20th century, has left a Victorian imprint on the city. Founded in the late 1800s as a Methodist seaside retreat, over the next 150 years hundreds of charming homes were built, ranging from quaint seaside cottages to grand Victorian mansions.[6]
At the southern end of the island lies Corson's Inlet State Park. In 1969, the New Jersey Legislature established Corson's Inlet State Park to protect and preserve one of the last undeveloped areas of land along the New Jersey coastline. The park consists of 341 acres of undeveloped and undisturbed sand dunes that serve as a protected nesting site for the endangered piping plover, the least tern, and black skimmers. The area's natural habitats are rich in diversity with primary and secondary sand dune systems, shoreline overwash, marine estuaries, and upland areas, and the park is popular for hiking, fishing, crabbing, boating, and sunbathing. Corson Inlet itself separates Ocean City, New Jersey, from Strathmere, New Jersey.[7]
Tourism and Attractions
Ocean City's tourism economy is anchored by its celebrated boardwalk and beach. Voted the "Best Boardwalk in New Jersey in 2022" by NJ Monthly Magazine, the boardwalk delivers nearly 2.5 miles of strolling, dining, and entertainment. The boardwalk is 50 feet wide, 2.5 miles long, and is perched against eight miles of pristine shoreline. Open year-round, the boardwalk and downtown district feature seaside dining, art galleries, apparel, and novelty shops.
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, with $4.1 million in revenue generated in the 2016 season — the most of any municipality in the state.
There is always something to see at Ocean City Music Pier, a beachfront venue that hosts everything from stand-up comedy to musical productions like Broadway on the OC Boardwalk. From July through October every year, Music Pier hosts a concert series by the Ocean City Pops, with a mix of music styles and special guest performances. Among the iconic boardwalk businesses, Shriver's Saltwater Taffy is the oldest business on the Ocean City Boardwalk, and one of the most legendary shore-food destinations.
The Travel Channel rated Ocean City as the Best Family Beach of 2005. In an annual poll through the NJ Sea Grant Consortium, Ocean City was voted New Jersey's favorite beach for the ninth straight year. The city's reputation as a family destination is directly tied to its dry status — visitors have credited Ocean City's status as a dry town with making its boardwalk particularly enjoyable for families in the evening.[8]
Notable Residents and Cultural Connections
Ocean City has produced and attracted a number of notable figures. Among the most celebrated is the Kelly family of Philadelphia. Grace Kelly, born in Philadelphia, vacationed at her family's Ocean City home at 26th Street and Wesley Avenue nearly every summer, and continued to return to Ocean City even after becoming the Princess of Monaco in 1956 when she married Prince Rainier III. Kelly won an Academy Award for Best Actress for Country Girl in 1954, and in 1956 she left films to marry Prince Rainier of Monaco. Princess Grace and her husband often brought their children to visit her parents in Ocean City. The Ocean City Historical Museum, housed inside the Community Center at 1735 Simpson Avenue, features an exhibit dedicated to all things Grace Kelly, including an exact replica of her wedding gown.[9]
In the 1950s, the evangelist Billy Graham broadcast his radio program from Ocean City. Other notable individuals connected to Ocean City include Walter Diemer, the inventor of bubble gum, who is listed among the city's notable residents.[10]
The Ocean City Historical Museum on Simpson Avenue preserves the city's deep heritage, featuring exhibits on everything from the four movie theaters that once operated in Ocean City, to the boardwalk, the Sindia, and other historical artifacts, including the old switchboard from the Flanders Hotel and a restored lifeboat.
Government and Demographics
Ocean City originated as a borough by an act of the New Jersey Legislature on May 3, 1884, from portions of Upper Township, and was incorporated as a city, its current government form, on March 25, 1897. For the 2026–2027 session, the 1st legislative district of the New Jersey Legislature is represented in the State Senate by Mike Testa (R, Vineland) and in the General Assembly by Antwan McClellan (R, Ocean City) and Erik K. Simonsen (R, Lower Township).
As of 2023, Ocean City had a population of approximately 11,300 people, with a median age of 57.3 and a median household income of $101,782. The median property value in Ocean City was $719,100 in 2023, which is 2.37 times larger than the national average of $303,400, having increased from $664,100 in 2022. Aside from tourism, boatbuilding is the city's economic mainstay.
The city's Beach Patrol has a history of its own. In 1898, the city hired three men — Joseph Krauss, George Lee, and William Scull — to patrol the surf and assist bathers when needed; Krauss was named captain of the lifeguards, a position he held until the spring of 1910. In 1920, the city hired former member of the U.S. Life-Saving Service Jack G. Jernee as captain of the lifeguards, and he is credited with building the Ocean City Beach Patrol into one of the finest lifesaving squads in the country.[11]