Which Jersey Shore town is best for families?

Ocean City is widely considered the best family town—it's "dry" (no alcohol sales), has a great boardwalk, and safe beaches. Stone Harbor and Avalon are also excellent for families with calmer vibes and upscale amenities. Wildwood offers free beaches and tons of amusement parks.

Which shore towns have free beaches?

Wildwood, North Wildwood, Wildwood Crest, and Atlantic City all have free beaches—no badge required. Most other shore towns require beach badges during summer months, typically from Memorial Day to Labor Day.

What's the difference between the North and South Jersey Shore?

The North Shore (Monmouth County) has more urban, transit-accessible towns like Asbury Park and Long Branch with artsy vibes. The South Shore (Cape May County) has wider beaches, Victorian charm, and family-oriented towns. Ocean County in between offers classic boardwalk towns like Seaside Heights.

Which shore town has the best boardwalk?

It depends on what you want! Ocean City has the best family boardwalk with rides and no alcohol. Wildwood has the longest boardwalk with the most amusement piers. Asbury Park has the most arts and music. Point Pleasant has classic charm and Jenkinson's attractions.

How do I choose which shore town to visit?

Consider your priorities: Free beaches? (Wildwood) Family activities? (Ocean City) Victorian charm? (Cape May) Nightlife? (Asbury Park) Surfing? (Belmar, Long Beach Island) Quiet upscale? (Spring Lake, Stone Harbor) Use our town picker tool for personalized recommendations.

Can I visit multiple shore towns in one trip?

Absolutely! Many visitors stay in one town and day-trip to others. The shore is about 127 miles long, but most towns are within 30-60 minutes of each other. Cape May to Atlantic City is about 45 minutes; Asbury Park to Point Pleasant is 15 minutes.

All Shore Towns

Explore 57 beach towns across the Jersey Shore. Find beach badge prices, parking info, and what makes each shore town unique.

57Shore Towns

4Counties

3Free Beaches

Not Sure Which Town?

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Featured Towns

Cape May

Victorian Charm & Birding Paradise

Victorian B&BsWhale watchingWorld-class birdingFine dining

Best for: Romantic getaways, nature lovers

Ocean City

America's Greatest Family Resort

Dry town2.5-mile boardwalkFree summer eventsAmusement rides

Best for: Families with kids

Asbury Park

Arts, Music & Revival

Live music sceneLGBTQ+ friendlyCraft breweriesStreet art

Best for: Music lovers, foodies, LGBTQ+ travelers

Wildwood

Free Beaches & Doo-Wop Motels

Free beachesMorey's Piers2-mile boardwalkRetro architecture

Best for: Budget travelers, amusement seekers

Browse by County

Monmouth County Ocean County Atlantic County Cape May County

Monmouth County

15 towns

Urban accessible, artsy, diverse

Asbury Park music scene, Sandy Hook, Long Branch dining

Transit: NJ Transit rail access to many towns

Ocean County

11 towns

Classic shore, family boardwalks, barrier islands

Seaside Heights, Long Beach Island, Island Beach State Park

Transit: Limited transit; car recommended

Atlantic County

4 towns

Casino resort, wetlands, birding

Atlantic City casinos, Forsythe NWR, historic Margate

Transit: AC Rail from Philadelphia; bus service

Cape May County

14 towns

Victorian charm, nature, family-friendly

Cape May Victorians, Wildwood boardwalk, Stone Harbor birds

Transit: Limited; car essential

Towns by Vibe

🌿

Quiet & Upscale

Refined beaches, beautiful homes, upscale dining, minimal crowds

Spring Lake Avalon Stone Harbor Bay Head Mantoloking

👨‍👩‍👧‍👦

Family Fun

Boardwalks, amusement rides, arcades, kid-friendly restaurants

Ocean City Wildwood Point Pleasant Beach Seaside Heights

🎉

Nightlife & Energy

Bars, clubs, live music, late-night dining, young crowds

Asbury Park Atlantic City Belmar Sea Isle City Long Branch

🏛️

Historic & Charming

Victorian architecture, historic inns, walking tours, antique shops

Cape May Ocean Grove Spring Lake Barnegat Light

🏄

Surf & Active

Consistent waves, surf shops, kayaking, paddleboarding, fishing

Belmar ManasquanLong Beach IslandStrathmere

💰

Budget-Friendly

Free beaches, affordable motels, value dining options

Wildwood Atlantic City North Wildwood Wildwood Crest

Browse by Traveler Type

Find the best shore towns for your travel style

👨‍👩‍👧‍👦Family-Friendly Towns 💕Romantic Towns 🎉Nightlife Towns 🌅Peaceful Towns 🏳️‍🌈LGBTQ+-Friendly Towns 💰Budget-Friendly Towns ✨Luxury Towns 🏄Surfing Towns 🍽️Foodie Towns 🏛️Historic Towns

Drive Times

NYC → Sandy Hook

1 hour

NYC → Asbury Park

1.5 hours

Philadelphia → Ocean City

1 hour

Philadelphia → Cape May

1.5 hours

Atlantic City → Wildwood

40 mins

Complete transportation guide →

All 57 Towns

$12/day

Allenhurst

monmouth County

Victorian Elegance by the Sea

victorianelegantpreserved

$7/day

Asbury Park

monmouth County

Where Music Meets the Sea

All Shore Towns

Not Sure Which Town?

Free Beaches

Best Boardwalks

Family-Friendly

Best Nightlife

Featured Towns

Cape May

Ocean City

Asbury Park

Wildwood

Browse by County

Monmouth County

Ocean County

Atlantic County

Cape May County

Towns by Vibe

Quiet & Upscale

Family Fun

Nightlife & Energy

Historic & Charming

Surf & Active

Budget-Friendly

Browse by Traveler Type

Drive Times

All 57 Towns

Allenhurst

Asbury Park

Atlantic Highlands

Avon-by-the-Sea

Belmar

Bradley Beach

Deal

Elberon

Highlands

Loch Arbour

Long Branch

Manasquan

Monmouth Beach

Neptune City

Ocean Grove

Port Monmouth

Sandy Hook

Sea Bright

Sea Girt

Spring Lake

Barnegat Light

Bay Head

Beach Haven

Brick Township

Harvey Cedars

Island Beach State Park

Lacey Township

Lavallette

Loveladies

Mantoloking

Ortley Beach

Point Pleasant Beach

Seaside Heights

Seaside Park

Ship Bottom

Surf City

Toms River

Tuckerton

Atlantic City

Brigantine

Longport

Margate

Historic Smithville

Somers Point

Ventnor

Avalon

Cape May

Cape May Court House

Cape May Point

North Wildwood

Ocean City

Sea Isle City

Stone Harbor

Strathmere