Cape May, New Jersey
Cape May (sometimes Cape May City) is a city and seaside resort located at the southern tip of Cape May Peninsula in Cape May County in the U.S. state of New Jersey. Located where the Delaware Bay meets the Atlantic Ocean, it is one of the country's oldest vacation resort destinations. The city, and all of Cape May County, is part of the Ocean City metropolitan statistical area, 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.
Cape May, New Jersey | |
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Beach Avenue in Cape May seen from the sea | |
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Flag Seal | |
| Motto: The Nation's Oldest Seashore Resort | |
Location of Cape May in Cape May County highlighted in red (left). Inset map: Location of Cape May County in New Jersey highlighted in orange (right). | |
Census Bureau map of Cape May, New Jersey | |
Cape May City Location in Cape May County Cape May City Location in New Jersey Cape May City Location in the United States | |
| Coordinates: 38°56′00″N 74°55′17″W | |
| Country | United States |
| State | New Jersey |
| County | Cape May |
| Incorporated | March 8, 1848, as Cape Island Borough |
| Reincorporated | March 10, 1851, as Cape Island City |
| Reincorporated | March 9, 1869, as Cape May City |
| Named for | Cornelius Jacobsen Mey |
| Government | |
| • Type | Faulkner Act (council–manager) |
| • Body | City Council |
| • Mayor | Zachary Mullock (term ends December 31, 2024) |
| • City manager | Paul E. Dietrich Sr. |
| • Municipal clerk | Erin C. Burke |
| Area | |
| • Total | 2.90 sq mi (7.50 km2) |
| • Land | 2.47 sq mi (6.41 km2) |
| • Water | 0.42 sq mi (1.10 km2) 14.59% |
| • Rank | 341st of 565 in state 8th of 16 in county |
| Elevation | 10 ft (3 m) |
| Population (2020) | |
| • Total | 2,768 |
| • Estimate (2022) | 2,778 |
| • Rank | 457th of 565 in state 9th of 16 in county |
| • Density | 1,119.2/sq mi (432.1/km2) |
| • Rank | 370th of 565 in state 6th of 16 in county |
| Time zone | UTC−05:00 (Eastern (EST)) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC−04:00 (Eastern (EDT)) |
| ZIP Code | 08204 |
| Area code | 609 |
| FIPS code | 3400910270 |
| GNIS feature ID | 0885178 |
| Website | www |
As of the 2020 United States census, the city's resident population was 2,768, a decrease of 839 (−23.3%) from the 2010 census count of 3,607, which in turn reflected a decline of 427 (−10.6%) from the 4,034 counted in the 2000 census. In the summer, Cape May's population is expanded by as many as 40,000 to 50,000 visitors. The entire city of Cape May is designated the Cape May Historic District, a National Historic Landmark due to its concentration of Victorian architecture.
In 2008, Cape May was recognized as one of the top 10 beaches in the United States by the Travel Channel. It is part of the South Jersey region of the state.