Cape May, New Jersey
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Cape May is a
city A city is a human settlement of notable size.Goodall, B. (1987) ''The Penguin Dictionary of Human Geography''. London: Penguin.Kuper, A. and Kuper, J., eds (1996) ''The Social Science Encyclopedia''. 2nd edition. London: Routledge. It can be def ...
located at the southern tip of
Cape May Peninsula Cape May consists of a peninsula and barrier island system in the U.S. state of New Jersey. It is roughly coterminous with Cape May County and runs southwards from the New Jersey mainland, separating Delaware Bay from the Atlantic Ocean. The so ...
in
Cape May County Cape May County is the southernmost county in the U.S. state of New Jersey. Much of the county is located on Cape May bound by Delaware Bay to its west and the Atlantic Ocean to its south and east. Adjacent to the Atlantic coastline are f ...
, New Jersey, United States, where the
Delaware Bay Delaware Bay is the estuary outlet of the Delaware River on the northeast seaboard of the United States. It is approximately in area, the bay's freshwater mixes for many miles with the saltwater of the Atlantic Ocean. The bay is bordered inland ...
meets the
Atlantic Ocean The Atlantic Ocean is the second-largest of the world's five oceans, with an area of about . It covers approximately 20% of Earth's surface and about 29% of its water surface area. It is known to separate the " Old World" of Africa, Europe ...
. It is one of the country's oldest vacation resort destinations, and part of the Ocean City
Metropolitan Statistical Area In the United States, a metropolitan statistical area (MSA) is a geographical region with a relatively high population density at its core and close economic ties throughout the area. Such regions are neither legally incorporated as a city or tow ...
. As of the
2020 United States Census The United States census of 2020 was the twenty-fourth decennial United States census. Census Day, the reference day used for the census, was April 1, 2020. Other than a pilot study during the 2000 census, this was the first U.S. census to of ...
, the city's year-round population was 2,768,Cape May city, New Jersey census profile
United States Census Bureau The United States Census Bureau (USCB), officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the U.S. Federal Statistical System, responsible for producing data about the American people and economy. The Census Bureau is part of t ...
. Accessed October 1, 2022.
a decline of 839 from the 2010 census enumeration of 3,607,DP-1 - Profile of General Population and Housing Characteristics: 2010 for Cape May city, Cape May County, New Jersey
United States Census Bureau The United States Census Bureau (USCB), officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the U.S. Federal Statistical System, responsible for producing data about the American people and economy. The Census Bureau is part of t ...
. Accessed April 20, 2012.
Table DP-1. Profile of General Demographic Characteristics: 2010 for Cape May city
,
New Jersey Department of Labor and Workforce Development The New Jersey Department of Labor and Workforce Development is a governmental agency of the U.S. state of New Jersey. The New Jersey Civil Service Commission is an independent body within the New Jersey state government under the auspices of t ...
. Accessed April 20, 2012.
in turn 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 The Cape May Historic District is an area of with over 600 buildings in the resort town of Cape May, Cape May County, New Jersey. The city claims to be America's first seaside resort and has numerous buildings in the Late Victorian style, in ...
, a
National Historic Landmark A National Historic Landmark (NHL) is a building, district, object, site, or structure that is officially recognized by the United States government for its outstanding historical significance. Only some 2,500 (~3%) of over 90,000 places listed ...
due to its concentration of
Victorian architecture Victorian architecture is a series of architectural revival styles in the mid-to-late 19th century. ''Victorian'' refers to the reign of Queen Victoria (1837–1901), called the Victorian era, during which period the styles known as Victorian we ...
. Cape May was recognized as one of America's top 10 beaches by the
Travel Channel Travel Channel (stylized as Trvl Channel since 2018) is an American pay television channel owned by Warner Bros. Discovery, which had previously owned the channel from 1997 to 2007. The channel is headquartered in New York, New York, United S ...
. It is also known as one of the best beaches on the
Middle Atlantic Middle or The Middle may refer to: * Centre (geometry), the point equally distant from the outer limits. Places * Middle (sheading), a subdivision of the Isle of Man * Middle Bay (disambiguation) * Middle Brook (disambiguation) * Middle Creek ...
coast.


History

The area was originally settled by the
Kechemeche The Kechemeche were a Lenni Lenape tribe of Native Americans that lived in the area generally known today as the southern portion of Cape May County, New Jersey, an area bounded on one side by the Atlantic Ocean and the Delaware Bay on the other. ...
people, who were part of the Lenape tribe. The Kechemeche first encountered European colonialists around 1600. The city was named for the
Dutch Dutch commonly refers to: * Something of, from, or related to the Netherlands * Dutch people () * Dutch language () Dutch may also refer to: Places * Dutch, West Virginia, a community in the United States * Pennsylvania Dutch Country People E ...
captain
Cornelius Jacobsen Mey Cornelis Jacobsen Mey (in Dutch often rendered as Cornelius Jacobsz. May) was a Dutch explorer, captain and fur trader. Cape May, Cape May County, and the city of Cape May, New Jersey, are named after him.Russell Shorto, ''The Island at the Center ...
, who explored and charted the area between 1611–1614 and established a claim for the province of
New Netherland New Netherland ( nl, Nieuw Nederland; la, Novum Belgium or ) was a 17th-century colonial province of the Dutch Republic that was located on the east coast of what is now the United States. The claimed territories extended from the Delmarva P ...
. It was later settled by
New England New England is a region comprising six states in the Northeastern United States: Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, and Vermont. It is bordered by the state of New York (state), New York to the west and by the Can ...
ers from the
New Haven Colony The New Haven Colony was a small English colony in North America from 1638 to 1664 primarily in parts of what is now the state of Connecticut, but also with outposts in modern-day New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and Delaware. The history of ...
. What is now Cape May was originally formed as the
borough A borough is an administrative division in various English-speaking countries. In principle, the term ''borough'' designates a self-governing walled town, although in practice, official use of the term varies widely. History In the Middle A ...
of Cape Island by an act of the New Jersey Legislature on March 8, 1848, from portions of Lower Township. It was reincorporated as Cape Island City on March 10, 1851, and finally became Cape May City as of March 9, 1869.Snyder, John P
''The Story of New Jersey's Civil Boundaries: 1606-1968''
, Bureau of Geology and Topography; Trenton, New Jersey; 1969. p. 113. Accessed April 20, 2012.
Cape May began hosting vacationers from Philadelphia in the mid-18th century and is recognized as the country's oldest
seaside resort A seaside resort is a town, village, or hotel that serves as a vacation resort and is located on a coast. Sometimes the concept includes an aspect of official accreditation based on the satisfaction of certain requirements, such as in the Germ ...
. Staff
"Life Style; Old Resort Draws New Clientele: Honeymooners"
, ''
The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid d ...
'', July 23, 1989. Accessed July 4, 2011. "At one time, Cape May was known as the serene Victorian getaway of four Presidents and scores of wealthy New York and Philadelphia industrialists. But recently, Cape May, the nation's oldest seaside resort, has begun to attract a new breed of beachgoer.... Innkeepers here say Cape May's 19th-century ambiance and views of the Atlantic Ocean are the main reasons this sleepy city of 5,000 (50,000 in the summer) has become popular for weddings and honeymoons."
Following the construction of
Congress Hall Congress Hall, located in Philadelphia at the intersection of Chestnut and 6th Streets, served as the seat of the United States Congress from December 6, 1790, to May 14, 1800. During Congress Hall's duration as the capitol of the United State ...
in 1816, Cape May became increasingly popular in the 19th century and was considered one of the finest resorts in America by the 20th century. The city suffered devastating fires in 1869 and 1878. In the early hours of August 31, 1869, a fire broke out in the "Japanese store" on Washington Street. The fire destroyed the post office and at least thirty-five other buildings. Press reports at the time did not mention any deaths. In 1878, a five-day-long fire destroyed 30 blocks of the town center. Replacement homes were almost uniformly of Victorian style, and more recent protectionist efforts have left Cape May with many famously well-maintained Victorian houses—the second largest collection of such homes in the nation after San Francisco. Tourism to the city was boosted by the opening of the
Tuckahoe and Cape May Railroad The Atlantic City Railroad was a Philadelphia and Reading Railway subsidiary that became part of Pennsylvania-Reading Seashore Lines in 1933. At the end of 1925 it operated of road on of track; that year it reported 43 million ton-miles of rev ...
in 1863. In 1976, the entire city of Cape May was officially designated a
National Historic Landmark A National Historic Landmark (NHL) is a building, district, object, site, or structure that is officially recognized by the United States government for its outstanding historical significance. Only some 2,500 (~3%) of over 90,000 places listed ...
as the
Cape May Historic District The Cape May Historic District is an area of with over 600 buildings in the resort town of Cape May, Cape May County, New Jersey. The city claims to be America's first seaside resort and has numerous buildings in the Late Victorian style, in ...
, making Cape May the only city in the United States wholly designated as such. That designation is intended to ensure the architectural preservation of these buildings.


U.S. Navy support during World War II

Because of the World War II submarine threat off the East Coast of the United States, especially off the shore of Cape May and at the mouth of the
Delaware Bay Delaware Bay is the estuary outlet of the Delaware River on the northeast seaboard of the United States. It is approximately in area, the bay's freshwater mixes for many miles with the saltwater of the Atlantic Ocean. The bay is bordered inland ...
, numerous
United States Navy The United States Navy (USN) is the maritime service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. It is the largest and most powerful navy in the world, with the estimated tonnage ...
facilities were located here in order to protect American coastal shipping. Cape May Naval facilities, listed below, provided significant help in reducing the number of ships and crew members lost at sea. * Naval Air Station, Cape May * Naval Base, Cape May * Inshore Patrol, Cape May * Naval Annex, Inshore Patrol, Cape May * Joint Operations Office, Naval Base, Cape May * Welfare and Recreation Office, Cape May * Dispensary, Naval Air Station, Cape May * Naval Frontier Base, Cape May * Degaussing Range (Cold Spring Inlet), Naval Base, Cape May * Joint Operations Office, Commander Delaware Group, ESF, Cape May * Anti-Submarine Attack Teacher Training Unit, U.S. Naval Base, Cape May * Naval Annex, Admiral Hotel, Cape May


Geography

According to the
United States Census Bureau The United States Census Bureau (USCB), officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the U.S. Federal Statistical System, responsible for producing data about the American people and economy. The Census Bureau is part of t ...
, the city had a total area of 2.90 square miles (7.50 km2), including 2.47 square miles (6.41 km2) of land and 0.42 square miles (1.10 km2) of water (14.59%). Cape May is generally low-lying; its highest point, at the intersection of
Washington Washington commonly refers to: * Washington (state), United States * Washington, D.C., the capital of the United States ** A metonym for the federal government of the United States ** Washington metropolitan area, the metropolitan area centered o ...
and Jackson Streets, is above sea level.
Unincorporated communities An unincorporated area is a region that is not governed by a local municipal corporation. Widespread unincorporated communities and areas are a distinguishing feature of the United States and Canada. Most other countries of the world either have ...
, localities and place names located partially or completely within the city include Poverty Beach. Cape May borders the Cape May County municipalities of Lower Township and West Cape May Borough, as well as the Atlantic Ocean and
Delaware Bay Delaware Bay is the estuary outlet of the Delaware River on the northeast seaboard of the United States. It is approximately in area, the bay's freshwater mixes for many miles with the saltwater of the Atlantic Ocean. The bay is bordered inland ...
. The Cape May–Lewes Ferry provides transportation across the Delaware Bay between
North Cape May, New Jersey North Cape May is an unincorporated community and census-designated place (CDP) located within Lower Township in Cape May County, New Jersey, United States. It is part of the Ocean City Metropolitan Statistical Area. At the 2010 United States Ce ...
and
Lewes, Delaware Lewes ( ) is an incorporated city on the Delaware Bay in eastern Sussex County, Delaware, United States. According to the 2010 census, the population is 2,747. Along with neighboring Rehoboth Beach, Lewes is one of the principal cities of Delawar ...
. Cape May Harbor, which borders Lower Township and nearby
Wildwood Crest Wildwood Crest is a borough in Cape May County, New Jersey. It is part of the Ocean City metropolitan statistical area in the South Jersey region of the state. As of the 2020 United States census, the borough's population was 3,101, a decrease ...
allows fishing vessels to enter from the Atlantic Ocean, was created as of 1911, after years of dredging completed the harbor which covers . Cape May Harbor Fest celebrates life in and around the harbor, with the 2011 event commemorating the 100th anniversary of the harbor's creation. Cape May is the southernmost point in New Jersey. It is at approximately the same latitude as
Washington, D.C. ) , image_skyline = , image_caption = Clockwise from top left: the Washington Monument and Lincoln Memorial on the National Mall, United States Capitol, Logan Circle, Jefferson Memorial, White House, Adams Morgan, ...
and
Arlington, Virginia Arlington County is a county in the Commonwealth of Virginia. The county is situated in Northern Virginia on the southwestern bank of the Potomac River directly across from the District of Columbia, of which it was once a part. The county ...
, and equidistant to
Manhattan Manhattan (), known regionally as the City, is the most densely populated and geographically smallest of the five boroughs of New York City. The borough is also coextensive with New York County, one of the original counties of the U.S. state ...
and
Virginia Beach Virginia Beach is an independent city located on the southeastern coast of the Commonwealth of Virginia in the United States. The population was 459,470 at the 2020 census. Although mostly suburban in character, it is the most populous city ...
.


Climate

According to the
Köppen climate classification The Köppen climate classification is one of the most widely used climate classification systems. It was first published by German-Russian climatologist Wladimir Köppen (1846–1940) in 1884, with several later modifications by Köppen, notabl ...
system, Cape May, New Jersey has a humid subtropical climate (''Cfa'') with hot, humid summers, cool winters and year-round precipitation. Its climate resembles that of its neighbor, the
Delmarva Peninsula The Delmarva Peninsula, or simply Delmarva, is a large peninsula and proposed state on the East Coast of the United States, occupied by the vast majority of the state of Delaware and parts of the Eastern Shore regions of Maryland and Virginia. ...
. During the summer months in Cape May, a cooling afternoon
sea breeze A sea breeze or onshore breeze is any wind that blows from a large body of water toward or onto a landmass; it develops due to differences in air pressure created by the differing heat capacities of water and dry land. As such, sea breezes ar ...
is present on most days, but episodes of extreme heat and humidity can occur with
heat index The heat index (HI) is an index that combines air temperature and relative humidity, in shaded areas, to posit a human-perceived equivalent temperature, as how hot it would feel if the humidity were some other value in the shade. The result is als ...
values ≥ 95 °F (≥ 35 °C). During the winter months, episodes of extreme cold and wind can occur with wind chill values < 0 °F (< −18 °C). The hardiness zone of Cape May is 8a with an average annual extreme minimum air temperature of 10.8 °F (−11.8 °C). The average seasonal snowfall total is around , and the average snowiest month is February which corresponds with the annual peak in
nor'easter A nor'easter (also northeaster; see below), or an East Coast low is a synoptic-scale extratropical cyclone in the western North Atlantic Ocean. The name derives from the direction of the winds that blow from the northeast. The original use ...
activity.


Ecology

According to the
A. W. Kuchler August William Kuchler (born ''August Wilhelm Küchler''; 1907–1999) was a German-born American geographer and naturalist who is noted for developing a plant association system in widespread use in the United States. Some of this database has bec ...
U.S.
potential natural vegetation In ecology, potential natural vegetation (PNV), also known as Kuchler potential vegetation, is the vegetation that would be expected given environmental constraints (climate, geomorphology, geology) without human intervention or a hazard event ...
types, Cape May, New Jersey would have a dominant vegetation type of Northern
Cordgrass ''Spartina'' is a taxon of plants in the grass family, frequently found in coastal salt marshes. Its species are commonly known as cordgrass or cord-grass, and are native to the coasts of the Atlantic Ocean in western and southern Europe, north ...
(''73'') with a dominant vegetation form of
Coastal The coast, also known as the coastline or seashore, is defined as the area where land meets the ocean, or as a line that forms the boundary between the land and the coastline. The Earth has around of coastline. Coasts are important zones in ...
Prairie Prairies are ecosystems considered part of the temperate grasslands, savannas, and shrublands biome by ecologists, based on similar temperate climates, moderate rainfall, and a composition of grasses, herbs, and shrubs, rather than trees, as the ...
(''20'').U.S. Potential Natural Vegetation, Original Kuchler Types, v2.0 (Spatially Adjusted to Correct Geometric Distortions)
, Data Basin. Accessed March 18, 2020.


Demographics


2010 Census

The Census Bureau's 2006–2010 American Community Survey showed that (in 2010 inflation-adjusted dollars)
median household income The median income is the income amount that divides a population into two equal groups, half having an income above that amount, and half having an income below that amount. It may differ from the mean (or average) income. Both of these are ways o ...
was $35,660 (with a margin of error of +/− $4,248) and the median family income was $50,846 (+/− $16,315). Males had a median income of $43,015 (+/− $20,953) versus $31,630 (+/− $22,691) for females. The
per capita income Per capita income (PCI) or total income measures the average income earned per person in a given area (city, region, country, etc.) in a specified year. It is calculated by dividing the area's total income by its total population. Per capita i ...
for the city was $30,046 (+/− $4,010). About 2.2% of families and 4.8% of the population were below the
poverty line The poverty threshold, poverty limit, poverty line or breadline is the minimum level of income deemed adequate in a particular country. The poverty line is usually calculated by estimating the total cost of one year's worth of necessities for t ...
, including 5.1% of those under age 18 and 7.1% of those age 65 or over.


2000 Census

As of the
2000 United States census The United States census of 2000, conducted by the Census Bureau, determined the resident population of the United States on April 1, 2000, to be 281,421,906, an increase of 13.2 percent over the 248,709,873 people enumerated during the 1990 cen ...
there were 4,034 people, 1,821 households, and 1,034 families residing in the city. The population density was . There were 4,064 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 91.32%
White White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no hue). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully reflect and scatter all the visible wavelengths of light. White o ...
, 5.26%
African American African Americans (also referred to as Black Americans and Afro-Americans) are an ethnic group consisting of Americans with partial or total ancestry from sub-Saharan Africa. The term "African American" generally denotes descendants of ens ...
, 0.20% Native American, 0.40%
Asian Asian may refer to: * Items from or related to the continent of Asia: ** Asian people, people in or descending from Asia ** Asian culture, the culture of the people from Asia ** Asian cuisine, food based on the style of food of the people from Asi ...
, 0.05%
Pacific Islander Pacific Islanders, Pasifika, Pasefika, or rarely Pacificers are the peoples of the Pacific Islands. As an ethnic/racial term, it is used to describe the original peoples—inhabitants and diasporas—of any of the three major subregions of O ...
, 1.26% from
other races Other often refers to: * Other (philosophy), a concept in psychology and philosophy Other or The Other may also refer to: Film and television * ''The Other'' (1913 film), a German silent film directed by Max Mack * ''The Other'' (1930 film), a ...
, and 1.51% from two or more races.
Hispanic The term ''Hispanic'' ( es, hispano) refers to people, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or Hispanidad. The term commonly applies to countries with a cultural and historical link to Spain and to viceroyalties forme ...
or
Latino Latino or Latinos most often refers to: * Latino (demonym), a term used in the United States for people with cultural ties to Latin America * Hispanic and Latino Americans in the United States * The people or cultures of Latin America; ** Latin A ...
of any race were 3.79% of the population.Census 2000 Profiles of Demographic / Social / Economic / Housing Characteristics for Cape May city, New Jersey
,
United States Census Bureau The United States Census Bureau (USCB), officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the U.S. Federal Statistical System, responsible for producing data about the American people and economy. The Census Bureau is part of t ...
. Accessed April 20, 2012.
DP-1: Profile of General Demographic Characteristics: 2000 - Census 2000 Summary File 1 (SF 1) 100-Percent Data for Cape May city, New Jersey
United States Census Bureau The United States Census Bureau (USCB), officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the U.S. Federal Statistical System, responsible for producing data about the American people and economy. The Census Bureau is part of t ...
. Accessed July 10, 2012.
There were 1,821 households, out of which 18.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 47.6% were married couples living together, 7.0% had a female householder with no husband present, and 43.2% were non-families. 39.4% of all households were made up of individuals, and 24.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.02 and the average family size was 2.69. In the city the population was spread out, with 16.3% under the age of 18, 11.5% from 18 to 24, 19.8% from 25 to 44, 23.9% from 45 to 64, and 28.5% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 47 years. For every 100 females, there were 97.1 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 94.5 males. The median income for a household in the city was $33,462, and the median income for a family was $46,250. Males had a median income of $29,194 versus $25,842 for females. The
per capita income Per capita income (PCI) or total income measures the average income earned per person in a given area (city, region, country, etc.) in a specified year. It is calculated by dividing the area's total income by its total population. Per capita i ...
for the city was $29,902. About 7.7% of families and 9.1% of the population were below the
poverty line The poverty threshold, poverty limit, poverty line or breadline is the minimum level of income deemed adequate in a particular country. The poverty line is usually calculated by estimating the total cost of one year's worth of necessities for t ...
, including 7.0% of those under age 18 and 10.9% of those age 65 or over.


Economy

In Cape May, tourism is the dominant industry. The economy runs on the Washington Street Mall, with its numerous shops, restaurants, lodgings and tourist attractions as well as along the boardwalk and elsewhere throughout town. Many historic hotels and B&Bs dot the landscape. Also vital to Cape May's economy is commercial and sport fishing. Located at the very southwest end of town, the Cove Beach hosts hundreds of swimmers, sunbathers, surfers, and hikers each day. The Cove Beach has an unobstructed view each day of the sunset. Equally important is marine mammal watching, bird watching, and other forms of eco-tourism. A small wine growing area is adjacent to Cape May and tours of several wineries are available. During the summer, French Canadian tourists visited Cape May for a period of several decades before 2010. Cape May County established a tourism office in
Montreal Montreal ( ; officially Montréal, ) is the second-most populous city in Canada and most populous city in the Canadian province of Quebec. Founded in 1642 as '' Ville-Marie'', or "City of Mary", it is named after Mount Royal, the triple ...
,
Quebec Quebec ( ; )According to the Canadian government, ''Québec'' (with the acute accent) is the official name in Canadian French and ''Quebec'' (without the accent) is the province's official name in Canadian English is one of the thirtee ...
, but around 1995 it closed due to budget cuts. By 2010 the tourism office of Cape May County established a French language coupon booklet.


Arts and culture

Cape May has become known both for its Victorian gingerbread homes and its cultural offerings. The town hosts the Cape May Jazz Festival, the Cape May Music Festival and the Cape May, New Jersey Film Festival. Cape May Stage, an Equity theater founded in 1988, performs at the Robert Shackleton Playhouse on the corner of Bank and Lafayette Streets. East Lynne Theater Company, an Equity professional company specializing in American classics and world premieres, has its mainstage season from June–December and March, with school residencies throughout the year. Cape May is home to the Mid-Atlantic Center for the Arts & Humanities (MAC), established in 1970 by volunteers who succeeded in saving the 1879
Emlen Physick Estate The Emlen Physick Estate is a Victorian house museum in Cape May, New Jersey. The estate is located at 1048 Washington Street. History The 18-room mansion, designed by American architect Frank Furness, was built in 1879 for Dr. Emlen Physick J ...
from demolition. MAC offers a wide variety of tours, activities and events throughout the year for residents and visitors and operates three Cape May area historic sites—the 1879 Emlen Physick Estate, the Cape May Lighthouse and the World War II Lookout Tower. The Center for Community Arts (CCA) offers African American history tours of Cape May, arts programs for young people and is transforming the historic Franklin Street School, constructed in 1928 to house African-American students in a segregated school, into a Community Cultural Center. Cape May is the home of the so-called "
Cape May diamonds Cape May diamonds (sometimes capitalized "Diamonds") are quartz pebbles found on the beaches of Cape May Point, New Jersey. The pebbles are sometimes collected, cut and polished to resemble diamonds, then sold locally as souvenirs. Cape May diam ...
". They show up at Sunset Beach and other beaches in the area. These are in fact clear
quartz Quartz is a hard, crystalline mineral composed of silica ( silicon dioxide). The atoms are linked in a continuous framework of SiO4 silicon-oxygen tetrahedra, with each oxygen being shared between two tetrahedra, giving an overall chemical ...
pebbles that wash down from the Delaware River. They begin as prismatic quartz (including the color sub-varieties such as smoky quartz and amethyst) in the quartz veins alongside the Delaware River that get eroded out of the host rock and wash down 200 miles to the shore. Collecting Cape May diamonds is a popular pastime and many tourist shops sell them polished or even as faceted stones. The Cape May area is also world-famous for the observation of
migrating birds Bird migration is the regular seasonal movement, often north and south along a flyway, between breeding and wintering grounds. Many species of bird migrate. Migration carries high costs in predation and mortality, including from hunting by ...
, especially in the fall. With over 400 bird species having been recorded in this area by hundreds of local birders, Cape May is arguably the top bird-watching area in the entire Northeastern United States. The
Cape May Warbler The Cape May warbler (''Setophaga tigrina'') is a species of New World warbler. It breeds in northern North America. Its breeding range spans all but the westernmost parts of southern Canada, the Great Lakes region, and New England. It is migrat ...
, a small songbird, takes it name from this location. The Cape May Bird Observatory is based nearby at Cape May Point. Cape May is also a destination for marine mammal watching. Several species of whales and dolphins can be seen in the waters of the Delaware Bay and Atlantic Ocean, many within of land, due to the confluence of fresh and saltwater that make for a nutrient rich area for marine life. Whale and dolphin watching cruises are a year-round attraction in Cape May, part of an ecotourism / agritourism industry that generated $450 million in revenue in the county, the most of any in the state. The
Harriet Tubman Museum Harriet Tubman Museum is a museum in Cape May, New Jersey, about Harriet Tubman. It is in the Howell House, which used to be the Macedonia Baptist Church's parsonage facility. Alternate link at gmtoday(Conley Media). The facility was renovated to ...
is in Cape May.


Fisherman's Memorial

The ''Cape May Fisherman's Memorial'', at Baltimore and Missouri Avenues, was erected in 1988. It consists of a circular plaza reminiscent of a giant compass, a granite statue of a mother and two small children looking out to Harbor Cove, and a granite monument listing the names of 75 local fishermen who died at sea. The names begin with Andrew Jeffers, who died in 1893, and include the six people who died in March 2009 with the sinking of the scalloping boat ''Lady Mary''. The granite statue was designed by Heather Baird with Jerry Lynch. The memorial is maintained by the City of Cape May and administered by the Friends of the Cape May Fisherman's Memorial. Visitors often leave a stone or seashell on the statue's base in tribute to the fishermen.


Government


Local government

Effective July 1, 2004, the City of Cape May switched to a Council-Manager form of government under the Faulkner Act, after having used Plan A of the Faulkner Act Small Municipality form since 1995. The city is one of 42 municipalities (of the 564) statewide that use this form of government. The governing body is comprised of the Mayor and the four-member City Council, with all positions elected at-large to four-year terms of office on a
non-partisan Nonpartisanism is a lack of affiliation with, and a lack of bias towards, a political party. While an Oxford English Dictionary definition of ''partisan'' includes adherents of a party, cause, person, etc., in most cases, nonpartisan refers s ...
basis as part of the November general election in even-numbered years. The Mayor is elected directly by the voters. The Borough Council is elected to serve four-year terms on a staggered basis, with three seats coming up for election together and then the mayor and the fourth council seat up for vote together two years later. Following the 2004 elections, the first under the new form of government, lots were drawn to determine which of the newly elected members would serve a four-year term, with the other three serving two-year terms. A city manager is responsible for the city's executive functions, managing Cape May's activities and operation.''2012 New Jersey Legislative District Data Book'',
Rutgers University Rutgers University (; RU), officially Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, is a public land-grant research university consisting of four campuses in New Jersey. Chartered in 1766, Rutgers was originally called Queen's College, and was ...
Edward J. Bloustein School of Planning and Public Policy The Edward J. Bloustein School of Planning and Public Policy of Rutgers University (The Bloustein School) serves as a center for the theory and practice of urban planning, public policy and public health/health administration scholarship. The sc ...
, March 2013, p. 8.
Voters approved a November 2010 referendum to shift the city's elections from May to November, with city officials estimating that the change would save $30,000 in costs that had been associated with each May election. , the Mayor of Cape May City is Zachary Mullock, whose term of office ends December 31, 2024. Other members of the Cape May City Council are Deputy Mayor Stacey D. Sheehan (2022), Lorraine M. Baldwin (2022; elected to serve an unexpired term), Shaine P. Meier (2022) and Michael Yeager (2024; appointed to serve an unexpired term).Mayor & Council
, City of Cape May. Accessed May 6, 2022.
2021 County & Municipal Elected Officials Cape May County, NJ -- July 2021
Cape May County, New Jersey, September 13, 2021. Accessed April 28, 2022.
2021 General Election Successful Candidates
Cape May County, New Jersey, updated November 16, 2021. Accessed January 1, 2022.
2020 General Election Successful Candidates
Cape May County, New Jersey, updated December 4, 2020. Accessed January 1, 2021.
2018 General Election Successful Candidates
, Cape May County, New Jersey, updated November 26, 2018. Accessed January 1, 2019.
In January 2021, the city council selected Lorraine Baldwin to fill the council seat expiring in 2022 that had been held by Zachary Mullock until he resigned to take office as mayor. Baldwin served on an interim basis until the November 2021 general election, when voters chose her to serve the balance of the term of office. In November 2021, the city council appointed Michael Yeager to fill the seat expiring in December 2021 that had bene held by Christopher Bezaire until he resigned after pleading guilty earlier that month to charges that he had engaged in stalking an ex-girlfriend and that he had been in contempt of court. In March 2015, Councilman Jerry Inderwies Jr. resigned to protest what he called a "witch hunt" against the police chief. In the November 2015 general election, Roger Furlin was elected to fill the balance of the council seat vacated by Inderwies. On January 1, 2021, Michael Voll was appointed by Cape May City Council to the position of City Manager, ''
Cape May County Herald The ''Cape May County Herald'' is the flagship of the Herald family of community weekly newspapers and publications. Its offices are in Rio Grande census-designated place in Middle Township, New Jersey. - See also: Also identical in the 1990 U. ...
'', February 11, 2020. Accessed March 22, 2020.


Federal, state and county representation

Cape May City is located in the 2nd Congressional DistrictPlan Components Report
,
New Jersey Redistricting Commission The New Jersey Redistricting Commission is a constitutional body of the government of New Jersey tasked with redrawing the state's Congressional election districts after each decade's census. Like Arizona, Idaho, Hawaii, Montana, and Washington; t ...
, December 23, 2011. Accessed February 1, 2020.
and is part of New Jersey's 1st state legislative district.Municipalities Sorted by 2011-2020 Legislative District
, New Jersey Department of State. Accessed February 1, 2020.
''2019 New Jersey Citizen's Guide to Government''
, New Jersey League of Women Voters. Accessed October 30, 2019.


Politics

As of March 23, 2011, there were a total of 1,932 registered voters in Cape May City, of which 452 (23.4%) were registered as Democrats, 838 (43.4%) were registered as Republicans and 640 (33.1%) were registered as Unaffiliated. There were 2 voters registered as either
Libertarians Libertarianism (from french: libertaire, "libertarian"; from la, libertas, "freedom") is a political philosophy that upholds liberty as a core value. Libertarians seek to maximize autonomy and political freedom, and minimize the state's enc ...
or Greens. In the
2012 presidential election This national electoral calendar for 2012 lists the national/ federal elections held in 2012 in all sovereign states and their dependent territories. By-elections are excluded, though national referendums are included. January *3–4 January ...
, Republican Mitt Romney received 52.2% of the vote (745 cast), ahead of Democrat
Barack Obama Barack Hussein Obama II ( ; born August 4, 1961) is an American politician who served as the 44th president of the United States from 2009 to 2017. A member of the Democratic Party, Obama was the first African-American president of the ...
with 46.9% (669 votes), and other candidates with 0.9% (13 votes), among the 1,442 ballots cast by the city's 1,925 registered voters (15 ballots were spoiled), for a turnout of 74.9%. In the 2008 presidential election, Republican John McCain received 50.9% of the vote (817 cast), ahead of Democrat
Barack Obama Barack Hussein Obama II ( ; born August 4, 1961) is an American politician who served as the 44th president of the United States from 2009 to 2017. A member of the Democratic Party, Obama was the first African-American president of the ...
, who received 46.4% (745 votes), with 1,605 ballots cast among the city's 1,940 registered voters, for a turnout of 82.7%. In the 2004 presidential election, Republican
George W. Bush George Walker Bush (born July 6, 1946) is an American politician who served as the 43rd president of the United States from 2001 to 2009. A member of the Republican Party, Bush family, and son of the 41st president George H. W. Bush, he ...
received 53.8% of the vote (942 ballots cast), outpolling Democrat
John Kerry John Forbes Kerry (born December 11, 1943) is an American attorney, politician and diplomat who currently serves as the first United States special presidential envoy for climate. A member of the Forbes family and the Democratic Party, he ...
, who received around 44.0% (771 votes), with 1,752 ballots cast among the city's 2,276 registered voters, for a turnout percentage of 77.0. In the 2013 gubernatorial election, Republican
Chris Christie Christopher James Christie (born September 6, 1962) is an American politician, lawyer, political commentator, lobbyist, and former federal prosecutor who served as the 55th governor of New Jersey from 2010 to 2018. Christie, who was born in N ...
received 72.9% of the vote (737 cast), ahead of Democrat
Barbara Buono Barbara A. Buono (born July 28, 1953) is an American politician who served in the New Jersey Senate from 2002 to 2014, where she represented the 18th Legislative District. She served from 2010 to 2012 as the Majority Leader in the Senate, succ ...
with 25.8% (261 votes), and other candidates with 1.3% (13 votes), among the 1,036 ballots cast by the city's 1,902 registered voters (25 ballots were spoiled), for a turnout of 54.5%. In the 2009 gubernatorial election, Republican Chris Christie received 52.1% of the vote (608 ballots cast), ahead of both Democrat
Jon Corzine Jon Stevens Corzine ( ; born January 1, 1947) is an American financial executive and retired politician who served as a United States Senator from New Jersey from 2001 to 2006 and the 54th governor of New Jersey from 2006 to 2010. Corzine ran fo ...
with 39.1% (457 votes) and Independent
Chris Daggett Christopher Jarvis Daggett (born March 7, 1950) is an American businessman who is the president and CEO of the Geraldine R. Dodge Foundation, one of the largest foundations in New Jersey. A former regional administrator of the United States En ...
with 6.8% (80 votes), with 1,168 ballots cast among the city's 2,069 registered voters, yielding a 56.5% turnout.


Infrastructure

Cape May established a desalinization plant in the late 1990s to manage salt going into its water aquifers. Cape May's current sewage plant in 1960 or 1961, less than a year after the
New Jersey Attorney General The attorney general of New Jersey is a member of the executive cabinet of the state and oversees the Department of Law and Public Safety. The office is appointed by the governor of New Jersey, confirmed by the New Jersey Senate, and term limite ...
's deadline for Cape May Point to have a sewage plant, as it had previously dumped sewage in the
Delaware Bay Delaware Bay is the estuary outlet of the Delaware River on the northeast seaboard of the United States. It is approximately in area, the bay's freshwater mixes for many miles with the saltwater of the Atlantic Ocean. The bay is bordered inland ...
; the
New Jersey Department of Health The New Jersey Department of Health (NJDOH) is a governmental agency of the U.S. state of New Jersey. New Jersey's State Board of Health was established in 1877. Its administrative functions were vested in the Department of Health, which was crea ...
had warned the borough about this in 1951. Despite the borough missing the deadline, the state never fined the borough as the Attorney General removed his judgment.


Education

For pre-kindergarten through
sixth grade Sixth grade (or grade six in some regions) is the sixth year of schooling. Students are typically 11–12 years old, depending on when their birthday occurs. Different terms and numbers are used in other parts of the world. It is commonly the firs ...
, public school students attend Cape May City Elementary School as part of the
Cape May City School District Cape May City School District is a community public school district serving students in pre-kindergarten through sixth grade from Cape May, New Jersey, United States, at Cape May City Elementary School. As of the 2021–22 school year, the di ...
. Also attending are students from Cape May Point, a non-operating district, as part of a
sending/receiving relationship A sending/receiving relationship is one in which a public school district sends some or all of its students to attend the schools of another district. This is often done to achieve costs savings in smaller districts or continues after districts hav ...
, with most students in the district coming from the
United States Coast Guard Training Center Cape May United States Coast Guard Training Center Cape May (TRACENCM) is the home of the Coast Guard enlisted corps and is the Coast Guard's only enlisted accession point and recruit training center, located on 1 Munro Avenue, Cape May, New Jersey. His ...
. As of the 2018–2019 school year, the district, comprised of one school, had an enrollment of 153 students and 20.7 classroom teachers (on an FTE basis), for a student–teacher ratio of 7.4:1.District information for Cape May City School District
, National Center for Education Statistics. Accessed April 1, 2020.
For
seventh Seventh is the ordinal form of the number seven. Seventh may refer to: * Seventh Amendment to the United States Constitution * A fraction (mathematics), , equal to one of seven equal parts Film and television *"The Seventh", a second-season e ...
through
twelfth grade Twelfth grade, 12th grade, senior year, or grade 12 is the final year of secondary school in most of North America. In other regions, it may also be referred to as class 12 or Year 13. In most countries, students are usually between the ages of 17 ...
s, public school students attend the schools of the
Lower Cape May Regional School District The Lower Cape May Regional School District (LCMR School District) is regional public school district headquartered in Lower Township, New Jersey, United States, that serves students in seventh through twelfth grades through from four communit ...
, which serves students from Cape May City, Cape May Point, Lower Township and West Cape May. Schools in the district (with 2018–2019 enrollment data from the National Center for Education Statistics) are Richard M. Teitelman Middle School with 472 students in grades 7–8 and
Lower Cape May Regional High School The Lower Cape May Regional High School (LCMRHS) is a four-year comprehensive public high school located in Lower Township, in Cape May County, New Jersey, United States, operating as part of the Lower Cape May Regional School District. LCMRH ...
(LCMRHS) with 828 students in grades 9–12. In the 2011–2012 school year, the city of Cape May paid $6 million in property taxes to cover the district's 120 high school students, an average of $50,000 per student attending the Lower Cape May district. Cape May officials have argued that the district's funding formula based on assessed property values unfairly penalizes Cape May, which has higher property values and a smaller number of high school students as a percentage of the population than the other constituent districts, especially Lower Township. The district's board of education has nine members, who are elected directly by voters to serve three-year terms of office on a staggered basis, with three seats up for election each year Seats on the board are allocated based on population, with Cape May City assigned one seat. Students are also eligible to attend
Cape May County Technical High School Cape May County Technical High School, located in Middle Township, which provides vocational and technical education to students in ninth through twelfth grades from Cape May County, New Jersey, United States, operating as part of the Cape May ...
in Cape May Court House, which serves students from the entire county in its comprehensive and vocational programs, which are offered without charge to students who are county residents. Special needs students may be referred to
Cape May County Special Services School District The Cape May County Special Services School District (CMCSSSD) is a special education public school district headquartered in Middle Township, in Cape May County, New Jersey, United States, whose schools offer educational and therapeutic services ...
in the Cape May Court House area. The nearest private Catholic school serving Cape May is Wildwood Catholic Academy (Pre-K–12) in
North Wildwood North Wildwood is a city located on the Jersey Shore in Cape May County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey. It is part of the Ocean City metropolitan statistical area. As of the 2020 United States census, the city's population was 3,621, a decre ...
, under the auspices of the
Roman Catholic Diocese of Camden The Roman Catholic Diocese of Camden is a Roman Catholic diocese of the Latin Church in the U.S. state of New Jersey. It consists of 62 parishes and about 475,000 Catholics in the Southern Jersey counties of Atlantic, Camden, Cape May, Cum ...
. Colleges and universities in the Cape May area include
Atlantic Cape Community College Atlantic Cape Community College is a public community college in Atlantic County and Cape May County in New Jersey. Atlantic Cape enrolls more than 6,000 students. Its main campuses are in the Mays Landing section of Hamilton Township in Atlant ...
,
Rutgers University–Camden Rutgers University–Camden is one of three regional campuses of Rutgers University, New Jersey's public research university. It is located in Camden, New Jersey. Founded in 1929 as the South Jersey Law School, Rutgers–Camden began as an amalg ...
, and the Institute of Marine and Coastal Sciences. The Cape May Branch of the Cape May County Public Library is located in Cape May City. The library was previously in city hall but later moved to a standalone building. In 2009 an estimated $507,800 renovation was to take place with $395,300, or about 78% of the expenses, paid by Cape May County.


History of education

The first Cape May High School, built in 1901, was designed by Seymour Davis and built for $35,000. In 1917 a new Cape May High School facility was built, with the 1901 building becoming an elementary school. In the past Cape May elementary schools were segregated on the basis of race, with black elementary school students attending Franklin Street School. Cape May High School educated students of all races. Cape May High closed effective December 22, 1960, and LCMRHS opened in 1961. the first Cape May High School building was demolished, and an
Acme Markets Acme Markets Inc. is a supermarket chain operating 161 stores throughout Connecticut, Delaware, Maryland, New Jersey, the Hudson Valley of New York, and Pennsylvania and, as of 1999, is a subsidiary of Albertsons, and part of its presence in t ...
location occupies where it was. The second Cape May High School building has since become the city hall and police station. Cape May previously had its own Catholic
K–8 school K–8 schools, elementary-middle schools, or K–8 centers are schools in the United States that enroll students from kindergarten/ pre-K (age 5–6) to 8th grade (up to age 14), combining the typical elementary school (K–5/6) and junior hig ...
, Our Lady Star of the Sea School, which served as the parish school for Our Lady Star of the Sea, St. John of God (
North Cape May North Cape May is an unincorporated community and census-designated place (CDP) located within Lower Township in Cape May County, New Jersey, United States. It is part of the Ocean City Metropolitan Statistical Area. At the 2010 United States Cen ...
) and St. Raymond ( Villas) churches. The St. Raymond School closed in 2007 with students sent to Our Lady Star of the Sea. In 2010 Our Lady Star of the Sea merged into Cape Trinity Regional School (Pre-K–8) in North Wildwood. - The author was the principal of Our Lady Star of the Sea Regional School. That school in turn merged into Wildwood Catholic Academy in 2020. Starting in 2010, discussions were under way regarding a possible consolidation of the districts of Cape May City, Cape May Point and the West Cape May School District.


Transportation


Roads and highways

, the city had a total of of roadways, of which were maintained by the municipality and by Cape May County. Route 109 leads into Cape May from the north and provides access to the southern terminus of the
Garden State Parkway The Garden State Parkway (GSP) is a controlled-access toll road that stretches the north–south length of eastern New Jersey from the state's southernmost tip near Cape May to the New York state line at Montvale. Its name refers to New Jerse ...
along with
US 9 U.S. Route 9 (US 9) is a north–south United States highway in the states of Delaware, New Jersey, and New York in the Northeastern United States. It is one of only two U.S. Highways with a ferry connection (the Cape May–Lewes Ferry, betwe ...
in neighboring Lower Township. US 9 leads to the Cape May–Lewes Ferry, which heads across the
Delaware Bay Delaware Bay is the estuary outlet of the Delaware River on the northeast seaboard of the United States. It is approximately in area, the bay's freshwater mixes for many miles with the saltwater of the Atlantic Ocean. The bay is bordered inland ...
to
Lewes, Delaware Lewes ( ) is an incorporated city on the Delaware Bay in eastern Sussex County, Delaware, United States. According to the 2010 census, the population is 2,747. Along with neighboring Rehoboth Beach, Lewes is one of the principal cities of Delawar ...
.


Public transportation

NJ Transit New Jersey Transit Corporation, branded as NJ Transit, and often shortened to NJT, is a state-owned public transportation system that serves the U.S. state of New Jersey, along with portions of New York State and Pennsylvania. It operates bu ...
provides service to
Philadelphia Philadelphia, often called Philly, is the List of municipalities in Pennsylvania#Municipalities, largest city in the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, the List of United States cities by population, sixth-largest city i ...
on the 313 and
315 __NOTOC__ Year 315 ( CCCXV) was a common year starting on Saturday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar. At the time, it was known as the Year of the Consulship of Constantinus and Licinianus (or, less frequently, year ...
routes and to Atlantic City on the 552 route, with seasonal service to Philadelphia on the
316 __NOTOC__ Year 316 (Roman numerals, CCCXVI) was a leap year starting on Sunday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar. At the time, it was known as the Year of the Consulship of Sabinus and Rufinus (or, less frequently, y ...
route and to the
Port Authority Bus Terminal The Port Authority Bus Terminal (colloquially known as the Port Authority and by its acronym PABT) is a bus terminal located in Manhattan in New York City. It is the busiest bus terminal in the world by volume of traffic, serving about 8,000 buse ...
in Midtown Manhattan on the 319 route. The Great American Trolley Company operates trolley service in Cape May daily during the summer months, running along a loop route through the city. The city is served by rail from the
Cape May City Rail Terminal The Cape May City Rail Terminal is a passenger train station in Cape May, New Jersey. The station offered train service from 1863 through 1981. The station area last had regional passenger train service by the Pennsylvania-Reading Seashore Line ...
, offering
excursion train An excursion train is a chartered train run for a special event or purpose. Examples are trains to major sporting event, trains run for railfans or tourists, and special trains operated by the railway company for employees and prominent customer ...
service on the
Cape May Seashore Lines Cape May Seashore Lines is a short line railroad in southern New Jersey. It offers two excursion services: a round trip between Richland and Tuckahoe and a round trip between Rio Grande, Cold Spring Village, and Cape May City. The track is ...
from the terminal located at the intersection of Lafayette Street and Elmira Street. The city last had regional passenger train service by the
Pennsylvania-Reading Seashore Lines The Pennsylvania-Reading Seashore Lines was a railroad that operated in South Jersey in the 20th century. It was created in 1933 as a joint consolidation venture between two competing railroads in the region: the Pennsylvania Railroad and the Rea ...
in the mid-1960s. Final service into Camden, New Jersey (across the Delaware River from
Philadelphia Philadelphia, often called Philly, is the List of municipalities in Pennsylvania#Municipalities, largest city in the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, the List of United States cities by population, sixth-largest city i ...
) ended in January 1966, while service to
Lindenwold station Lindenwold station is a train station in Lindenwold, New Jersey, United States, served by the NJ Transit Atlantic City Line regional rail service and the rapid transit PATCO Speedline. Lindenwold is the eastern terminus of PATCO; the system's h ...
ended in October 1981.


Ferry transport

The
Delaware River and Bay Authority The Delaware River and Bay Authority or DRBA is a bi-state government agency of the U.S. states of New Jersey and Delaware established by an interstate compact in 1962. The authority operates the Delaware Memorial twin suspension bridges, t ...
operates the Cape May-Lewes Ferry year-round, a 70-85 minute across
Delaware Bay Delaware Bay is the estuary outlet of the Delaware River on the northeast seaboard of the United States. It is approximately in area, the bay's freshwater mixes for many miles with the saltwater of the Atlantic Ocean. The bay is bordered inland ...
to
Lewes, Delaware Lewes ( ) is an incorporated city on the Delaware Bay in eastern Sussex County, Delaware, United States. According to the 2010 census, the population is 2,747. Along with neighboring Rehoboth Beach, Lewes is one of the principal cities of Delawar ...
, carrying passengers and cars. The ferry constitutes a portion of
U.S. Route 9 U.S. Route 9 (US 9) is a north–south United States highway in the states of Delaware, New Jersey, and New York in the Northeastern United States. It is one of only two U.S. Highways with a ferry connection (the Cape May–Lewes Ferry, between ...
. The Delaware River and Bay Authority operates a shuttle bus in the summer months which connects the Cape May Welcome Center with the Cape May–Lewes Ferry terminal.


Media

Cape May is served by several media outlets including WCFA-LP 101.5 FM, a commercial-free jazz and community station, the weekly Cape May Star and Wave, as well as free weekly newspapers, ''The Cape May Gazette'' and ''Exit Zero'', and local websites CapeMay.com and ''
Cape May Times The ''Cape May Time''s was created in 2001 by Jane Kashlak, a former WNBC investigative producer and five-time New York Emmy Award winner. The online publication originated as a guide to local events and movie times. Since then it has grown to in ...
''. The countywide newspaper is ''
Cape May County Herald The ''Cape May County Herald'' is the flagship of the Herald family of community weekly newspapers and publications. Its offices are in Rio Grande census-designated place in Middle Township, New Jersey. - See also: Also identical in the 1990 U. ...
''. The regional newspapers for the area including Cape May County are the ''
Press of Atlantic City ''The Press of Atlantic City'' is the fourth-largest daily newspaper in New Jersey. Originally based in Pleasantville, it is the primary newspaper for southeastern New Jersey and the Jersey Shore. The newspaper designated market runs from Ware ...
'', and the ''
Philadelphia Inquirer ''The Philadelphia Inquirer'' is a daily newspaper headquartered in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The newspaper's circulation is the largest in both the U.S. state of Pennsylvania and the Delaware Valley metropolitan region of Southeastern Penns ...
''. The name Exit Zero refers to the town's location at the far southern end of the
Garden State Parkway The Garden State Parkway (GSP) is a controlled-access toll road that stretches the north–south length of eastern New Jersey from the state's southernmost tip near Cape May to the New York state line at Montvale. Its name refers to New Jerse ...
near the intersection with Route 109. Informally, the entire town is sometimes called Exit Zero.


Coast Guard Training Center Cape May

The
United States Coast Guard Training Center Cape May United States Coast Guard Training Center Cape May (TRACENCM) is the home of the Coast Guard enlisted corps and is the Coast Guard's only enlisted accession point and recruit training center, located on 1 Munro Avenue, Cape May, New Jersey. His ...
, New Jersey is the nation's only Coast Guard Recruit Training Center. In 1924, the U.S. Coast Guard occupied the base and established air facilities for planes used in support of
United States Customs Service The United States Customs Service was the very first federal law enforcement agency of the U.S. federal government. Established on July 31, 1789, it collected import tariffs, performed other selected border security duties, as well as conducted c ...
efforts. During the
Prohibition Prohibition is the act or practice of forbidding something by law; more particularly the term refers to the banning of the manufacture, storage (whether in barrels or in bottles), transportation, sale, possession, and consumption of alcohol ...
era, several cutters were assigned to Cape May to foil rumrunners operating off the New Jersey coast. After Prohibition, the Coast Guard all but abandoned Cape May leaving a small air/sea rescue contingent. For a short period of time (1929–1934), part of the base was used as a civilian airport. With the advent of World War II, a larger airstrip was constructed and the
United States Navy The United States Navy (USN) is the maritime service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. It is the largest and most powerful navy in the world, with the estimated tonnage ...
returned to train aircraft carrier pilots. The over the water approach simulated carrier landings at sea. The Coast Guard also increased its Cape May forces for coastal patrol, anti-submarine warfare, air/sea rescue and buoy service. In 1946, the Navy relinquished the base to the Coast Guard. The
Cape May Airport Cape May Airport or Cape May County Airport is a public use airport in Lower Township, Cape May County, New Jersey, United States. Owned by the Delaware River and Bay Authority, the airport is four  nautical miles (7  km) northwest o ...
still houses the Naval Air Station Wildwood Aviation Museum. In 1948, all entry level training on the East Coast was moved to the U.S. Coast Guard Recruit Receiving Station in Cape May. The Coast Guard consolidated all recruit training functions in Cape May in 1982. Over 350 military and civilian personnel and their dependents are attached to Training Center Cape May.


In popular culture

* Cape May is the subject of the song "
On the Way to Cape May "On The Way To Cape May" is a song that has become a Jersey Shore sound summertime anthem for the Philadelphia/Delaware Valley and South Jersey Shore area. It was written by Maurice "Buddy" Nugent according to BMI and ''The Philadelphia Inquirer ...
", originally sung by
Cozy Morley Thomas Francis "Cozy" Morley (c. 1926 – August 23, 2013) was an American singer-songwriter, entertainer, comedian and club owner, best known for his rendition of " On the Way to Cape May", which became his signature song. Raised in South Philade ...
. * The 1980s horror film '' The Prowler'' was filmed entirely on location in Cape May. * The town lends its name to the Cape May Cafe, a restaurant in the Beach Club Resort at
Walt Disney World The Walt Disney World Resort, also called Walt Disney World or Disney World, is an entertainment resort complex in Bay Lake and Lake Buena Vista, Florida, United States, near the cities of Orlando and Kissimmee. Opened on October 1, 1971, ...
. * In ''
The Blacklist ''The Blacklist'' is an American crime thriller television series that premiered on NBC on September 23, 2013. The show follows Raymond "Red" Reddington (James Spader), a former U.S. Navy officer turned high-profile criminal who voluntarily s ...
'', Cape May is the setting in the episode "Cape May".


Notable people

People who were born in, residents of, or otherwise closely associated with Cape May include: *
Douglas Adams Douglas Noel Adams (11 March 1952 – 11 May 2001) was an English author and screenwriter, best known for ''The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy''. Originally a 1978 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy (radio series), BBC radio comedy, ''The H ...
(1876–1931), cricketer, who played for the Gentlemen of Philadelphia in First class cricket * Cliff Anderson (1929–1979), football player who played two seasons in the NFL with the
Chicago Cardinals The professional American football team now known as the Arizona Cardinals previously played in Chicago, Illinois, as the Chicago Cardinals from 1898 to 1959 before relocating to St. Louis, Missouri, for the 1960 through 1987 seasons. Roots ...
and New York Giants * Nan Brooks (1935–2018), children's book illustrator * Thomas Cannuli, professional poker player, known for finishing 6th place in the 2015 WSOP Main Event and winning a WSOP bracelet in the $3,333 WSOP.com ONLINE No-Limit Hold'em High Roller * Frederick B. Dent (1922–2019), politician who served as the
United States Secretary of Commerce The United States secretary of commerce (SecCom) is the head of the United States Department of Commerce. The secretary serves as the principal advisor to the president of the United States on all matters relating to commerce. The secretary rep ...
from 1973 to 1975 *
Eugene Grace Eugene Gifford Grace (August 27, 1876 – July 7, 1960) was the president of Bethlehem Steel Corporation from 1916 to 1945, and chairman of the board from 1945 until his retirement in 1957. He also served as president of the American Iron and Steel ...
(1876–1960), president of
Bethlehem Steel The Bethlehem Steel Corporation was an American steelmaking company headquartered in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania. For most of the 20th century, it was one of the world's largest steel producing and shipbuilding companies. At the height of its succe ...
Corporation from 1916 to 1945 *
Bubba Green Anthony Wayne "Bubba" Green (September 30, 1957 – June 21, 2019) was a professional American football player who played defensive lineman for one season for the Baltimore Colts. Background Green was born in Cape May, New Jersey and grew up i ...
(born 1957), football player who played defensive lineman for one season for the Baltimore Colts * T. Millet Hand (1902–1956), politician who represented New Jersey's 2nd congressional district in the United States House of Representatives and served as mayor of Cape May * Thomas H. Hughes (1769–1839), the founder and owner of the Congress Hall (Cape May hotel), Congress Hall Hotel, and a Democratic-Republican member of the United States congressional delegations from New Jersey, United States House of Representatives from New Jersey * Chris Jay (born 1978), musician, actor and screenwriter. Founding member of the band, Army of Freshmen * Alan Kotok (1941–2006), computer scientist known for his work at Digital Equipment Corporation and at the World Wide Web Consortium * John D. Lankenau (1817–1901), German-American businessman and philanthropist * Jarena Lee (1783–1864), the first woman authorized to preach by Richard Allen (bishop), Richard Allen, founder of the African Methodist Episcopal Church, in 1819 * Anthony Maher (soccer), Anthony Maher (born 1979), professional soccer forward * Myles Martel (born 1943), communication adviser * Sylvius Moore (1912–2004), football player and coach who was head coach of the Hampton Pirates football team * Richie Phillips (1940–2013), sports union leader * Bill Pilczuk (born 1971), competitive swimmer * Louis Purnell (1920–2001), curator at the National Air and Space Museum and earlier in life, a decorated Tuskegee Airman * Emil Salvini (born 1949), author, historian and host / creator of PBS's ''Tales of the Jersey Shore'' * Charles W. Sandman Jr. (1921–1985), politician who represented New Jersey's 2nd congressional district and was the party's candidate for Governor of New Jersey in 1973 * I. Grant Scott (1897–1964), politician who served in the New Jersey General Assembly, the New Jersey Senate and as Mayor of Cape May * Barbara Lee Smith (born 1938), mixed media artist, writer, educator and curator * Witmer Stone (1866–1939), ornithology, ornithologist who did much of his research in Cape May * Julius H. Taylor (1914–2011), professor emeritus at Morgan State University who was chairperson of the department of physics. * Paul Volcker (1927–2019), former chairman of the United States Federal Reserve who was born here while his father was the City Manager * John B. Walthour (1904–1952), 4th bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Atlanta"The Rt. Rev. John Buchman Walthour Bishop of Atlanta 1951"
Episcopal Diocese of Atlanta, backed up by the Internet Archive as of September 28, 2007. Accessed November 22, 2016. "John Buchman Walthour was forty eight when he was elected the fourth Bishop of Atlanta. He was born August 24, 1904 in Cape May, New Jersey, to Harry Clayton and Helen Millward Walthour."


See also

* Cape May Light


References


Further reading

*


External links


Cape May City official website

Cape May New Jersey Information, Directions and History
{{Authority control Cape May, New Jersey, Cape May 1848 establishments in New Jersey Cities in Cape May County, New Jersey Faulkner Act (council–manager) Jersey Shore communities in Cape May County Populated places established in 1848 Articles containing video clips