Ocean City, New Jersey proclaims itself "America's Greatest Family Resort." It is a world famous seashore community located in the heart of the Jersey Shore. Ocean City is located on a barrier island that lies between Great Egg Harbor and the Ocean.
At the northern tip of Cape May County, Ocean City, New Jersey is perfectly situated for a vacation; just 20 minutes from Atlantic City, 70 minutes from Philadelphia, and two hours from New York.
Ocean City was named one of the favorite destination vacation spots within 300 miles of Billy Penn's statue by readers of the Philadelphia Inquirer.
Ocean City offers 8 miles of pristine white sand beach which were rated one of the "Best Family Beaches in America" in 2007 by the Travel Channel and ranked third best beach in New Jersey in the 2008 Top 10 Beaches Contest sponsored by the New Jersey Marine Sciences Consortium.
Beach Fees:
The daily fee is $5 and the weekly fee is $10. Access to the beach for the season costs $20. Children 11 and under are free. Seasonal tags are available for purchase in the pre-season, before Memorial Day, at a discounted rate.
Pre-season purchases can be made on-line or they can be purchased at City Hall (9th Street and Asbury Avenue), the 46th Street Post Office (on West Avenue), the Welcome Center on the Route 52 Causeway or the Information Center at the Music Pier (on the Boardwalk at Moorlyn Terrace).
Please note some of these locations have limited hours during the pre-season. City Hall, however, is open Monday through Friday from 8:45 a.m. through 4:30 p.m..
During the summer season, Seasonal, Weekly, and Daily passes can be purchased at the four locations above and from City employees who work on the beach to ensure that beachgoers have their tags.
Beach Season:
Open from Memorial Day weekend, beach badges must be worn from June 7 through Sept. 1.
Restrooms and Showers:
Restrooms are located at the Boardwalk at Moorlyn Terrace, 1st, 6th, 8th, 12th and 34th streets. Private showers and changing rooms are located on 13th Street. Visitors must pay $6 per day to use them.
Parking:
Metered parking is available. Visitors can also find parking lots on 8th and 9th streets and Moorlyn Terrace. Private parking lots are also available.
Lifeguards:
Lifeguards are on duty weekends from Memorial Day weekend to June 7, after which they are on duty daily, but only at certain locations until the final week of June.
The beaches that are guarded when the full summer staff is in effect are: Seaspray Rd., Surf Rd., Waverly Blvd. (Surfing Beach), Atlantic Blvd., North St., Stenton Pl., St. Charles Pl., Pennlyn Pl., Park Pl., Brighton Pl., 5th St., 7th St. (Surfing Beach), 8th St., 9th St., 10th St., 11th St., 12th St., 13th St., 14th St., 15th St., 16th St. (Surfing Beach), 17th St., 18th St., 20th St., 22nd St., 24th St., 26th St., 28th St., 30th St., 32nd St., 34th St., 36th St., 39th St., 42nd St., 44th St., 46th St., 48th St., 50th St., 53rd St., 55th St., 57th St., and 60th St.
Access for Visitors with Disabilities:
Access to the beaches is available, and accessible bathrooms are located at the Boardwalk, 1st, 6th, 8th , 12th, and 34th streets, and at Moorlyn Terrace.
Surf Chair Program
The City of Ocean City wants everyone to be able to enjoy the beautiful beaches and so offers a wonderful beach accessible wheelchair service for mobility limited individuals of all ages. "Surf Chairs" provide an opportunity for everyone to enjoy the surf and sand on Ocean City beaches. The beach accessible wheelchair service is available on weekdays from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. (check-in by 4:30 p.m.) and on weekends from 9:00 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. (check-in by 5:00 p.m.). The surf chair program runs from Memorial Day weekend through Labor Day weekend. Reservations are suggested. The Surf Chair Program is based out of the Ocean City Sports & Civic Center located on 6th Street at the Boardwalk. For more information about this program, call (609) 525-9304.
Food
Picnicking and fires are prohibited.
Additional Info.
For more information, call (609) 525-9333 or visit www.ocnj.us.Factual information provided by the Ocean City Regional Chamber of Commerce and the State of New Jersey Department of the Public Advocate