North Wildwood is a

city A city is a human settlement of a substantial size. The term "city" has different meanings around the world and in some places the settlement can be very small. Even where the term is limited to larger settlements, there is no universally agree ...

located on the

Jersey Shore The Jersey Shore, commonly called the Shore by locals, is the coast, coastal region of the U.S. state of New Jersey. The term encompasses about of shore, oceanfront bordering the Atlantic Ocean, from Perth Amboy, New Jersey, Perth Amboy in the n ...

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 the Cape May peninsula, bound by the Delaware Bay to its west and the Atlantic Ocean to its south and east. Adjacent to the Atlantic ...

, in the

U.S. state In the United States, a state is a constituent political entity, of which there are 50. Bound together in a political union, each state holds governmental jurisdiction over a separate and defined geographic territory where it shares its so ...

New Jersey New Jersey is a U.S. state, state located in both the Mid-Atlantic States, Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern United States, Northeastern regions of the United States. Located at the geographic hub of the urban area, heavily urbanized Northeas ...

. The city and all of Cape May County are part of the Ocean City metropolitan statistical area, which in turn is part of the

Philadelphia Philadelphia ( ), colloquially referred to as Philly, is the List of municipalities in Pennsylvania, most populous city in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania and the List of United States cities by population, sixth-most populous city in the Unit ...

- Wilmington- Camden, PA-NJ- DE- MD combined statistical area, also known as the Delaware Valley or Philadelphia metropolitan area. As of the 2020 United States census, the city's population was 3,621, a decrease of 420 (−10.4%) from the 2010 census count of 4,041, which in turn had reflected a decline of 894 (−18.1%) from the 4,935 counted at the 2000 census. North Wildwood is home to the Hereford Inlet Lighthouse. The city's beaches were ranked the fourth-best in New Jersey in the 2008 Top 10 Beaches Contest sponsored by the New Jersey Marine Sciences Consortium. North Wildwood is one of five municipalities in the state that offer free public access to oceanfront beaches monitored by lifeguards, joining

Atlantic City Atlantic City, sometimes referred to by its initials A.C., is a Jersey Shore seaside resort city in Atlantic County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey. Atlantic City comprises the second half of the Atlantic City- Hammonton metropolitan sta ...

, Wildwood, Wildwood Crest and Upper Township's Strathmere section.

History

What is now North Wildwood City was originally incorporated as the

borough A borough is an administrative division in various English language, 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 ...

of Anglesea on June 13, 1885, from portions of Middle Township, based on the results of a referendum held 11 days earlier. The borough was reincorporated on March 6, 1896, and again on May 4, 1897. On May 16, 1906, the Borough of North Wildwood was incorporated, replacing Anglesea Borough. Legislation passed in April 1908 established a potential consolidation of North Wildwood and Holly Beach City into Wildwood, subject to approval of referendums in each of the three municipalities, though this merger never took effect. On April 30, 1917, the area was reincorporated as the City of North Wildwood, in turn replacing North Wildwood borough.Snyder, John P
''The Story of New Jersey's Civil Boundaries: 1606-1968''
Bureau of Geology and Topography; Trenton, New Jersey; 1969. p. 115. Accessed May 30, 2024. The city's name comes from Wildwood, which in turn was named for the area's wild flowers. In November 2016, more than 60% of voters rejected a non-binding referendum that would ask to change the name of the city from North Wildwood to its historic name of Anglesea. Opponents cited the confusion that would be created and the impact on commerce.

Geography

According to the

U.S. Census Bureau The United States Census Bureau, 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 U.S. Census Bureau is part of the U ...

, the city had a total area of 2.50 square miles (6.46 km²), including 1.73 square miles (4.47 km²) of land and 0.77 square miles (2.00 km²) of water (30.80%). The borough borders the Cape May County municipalities of Middle Township, Stone Harbor Borough and Wildwood City, as well as the

Atlantic Ocean The Atlantic Ocean is the second largest of the world's five borders of the oceans, oceanic divisions, with an area of about . It covers approximately 17% of Earth#Surface, Earth's surface and about 24% of its water surface area. During the ...

Demographics

2010 census

The 2010 United States census counted 4,041 people, 2,047 households, and 1,085 families in the city. The

population density Population density (in agriculture: Standing stock (disambiguation), standing stock or plant density) is a measurement of population per unit land area. It is mostly applied to humans, but sometimes to other living organisms too. It is a key geog ...

was . There were 8,840 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup was 94.98% (3,838)

White White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no chroma). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully (or almost fully) reflect and scatter all the visible wa ...

, 1.14% (46) Black or African American, 0.32% (13) Native American, 0.35% (14) Asian, 0.00% (0)

Pacific Islander Pacific Islanders, Pasifika, Pasefika, Pacificans, or rarely Pacificers are the peoples of the list of islands in the Pacific Ocean, Pacific Islands. As an ethnic group, ethnic/race (human categorization), racial term, it is used to describe th ...

, 1.26% (51) from other races, and 1.95% (79) from two or more races.

Hispanic or Latino ''Hispanic'' and '' Latino'' are ethnonyms used to refer collectively to the inhabitants of the United States who are of Spanish or Latin American ancestry (). While many use the terms interchangeably, for example, the United States Census Bureau ...

of any race were 4.03% (163) of the population. Of the 2,047 households, 12.0% had children under the age of 18; 41.1% were married couples living together; 8.7% had a female householder with no husband present and 47.0% were non-families. Of all households, 41.3% were made up of individuals and 21.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 1.97 and the average family size was 2.64. 13.2% of the population were under the age of 18, 5.9% from 18 to 24, 17.4% from 25 to 44, 32.9% from 45 to 64, and 30.6% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 54.9 years. For every 100 females, the population had 93.8 males. For every 100 females ages 18 and older there were 92.5 males. The Census Bureau's 2006–2010

American Community Survey The American Community Survey (ACS) is an annual demographics survey program conducted by the United States Census Bureau. It regularly gathers information previously contained only in the long form of the United States census, decennial census ...

showed that (in 2010

inflation-adjusted In economics, nominal value refers to value measured in terms of absolute money amounts, whereas real value is considered and measured against the actual goods or services for which it can be exchanged at a given time. Real value takes into acco ...

dollars)

median household income The median income is the income amount that divides a population into two 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 of und ...

was $45,041 (with a margin of error of +/− $9,807) and the median family income was $56,116 (+/− $10,273). Males had a median income of $60,068 (+/− $9,524) versus $35,879 (+/− $5,208) for females. The

per capita income Per capita income (PCI) or average income measures the average income earned per person in a given area (city, region, country, etc.) in a specified year. In many countries, per capita income is determined using regular population surveys, such ...

for the borough was $31,748 (+/− $5,814). About 10.6% of families and 11.5% 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 ...

, including 12.1% of those under age 18 and 8.9% of those age 65 or over.

2000 census

As of the 2020 U.S. census, there were 4,935 people, 2,309 households, and 1,394 families residing in the city. The population density was . There were 7,411 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 96.62%

, 0.81%

African American African Americans, also known as Black Americans and formerly also called Afro-Americans, are an Race and ethnicity in the United States, American racial and ethnic group that consists of Americans who have total or partial ancestry from an ...

, 0.08% Native American, 0.57% Asian, 0.02%

, 0.77% from other races, and 1.13% from two or more races.

Hispanic The term Hispanic () are people, Spanish culture, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or broadly. In some contexts, Hispanic and Latino Americans, especially within the United States, "Hispanic" is used as an Ethnici ...

or Latino of any race were 1.95% of the population.Census 2000 Profiles of Demographic / Social / Economic / Housing Characteristics for North Wildwood city, New Jersey

United States Census Bureau The United States Census Bureau, officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the Federal statistical system, U.S. federal statistical system, responsible for producing data about the American people and American economy, econ ...

. Accessed October 17, 2012.DP-1: Profile of General Demographic Characteristics: 2000 - Census 2000 Summary File 1 (SF 1) 100-Percent Data for North Wildwood city, Cape May County, New Jersey
,

. Accessed October 17, 2012. There were 2,309 households, out of which 18.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 44.3% were

married couples Marriage, also called matrimony or wedlock, is a culturally and often legally recognised union between people called spouses. It establishes rights and obligations between them, as well as between them and their children (if any), and b ...

living together, 11.9% had a female householder with no husband present, and 39.6% were non-families. 34.8% of all households were made up of individuals, and 15.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.14 and the average family size was 2.73. In the city, the population was spread out, with 17.2% under the age of 18, 6.0% from 18 to 24, 23.6% from 25 to 44, 29.5% from 45 to 64, and 23.7% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 47 years. For every 100 females, there were 92.3 males. For every 100 females aged 18 and over, there were 89.9 males. The median income for a household in the city was $32,582, and the median income for a family was $46,250. Males had a median income of $32,986 versus $22,064 for females. The

for the city was $19,656. About 9.9% of families and 11.7% of the population were below the

, including 15.1% of those under age 18 and 7.5% of those age 65 or over.

Economy

North Wildwood boardwalk night looking north

Portions of the city—together with areas in West Wildwood, Wildwood and Wildwood Crest—are part of a joint

Urban Enterprise Zone An urban enterprise zone is an area in which policies to encourage economic growth and development are implemented. Urban enterprise zone policies generally offer tax concessions, infrastructure incentives, and reduced regulations to attract invest ...

(UEZ), one of 32 zones covering 37 municipalities statewide. The four municipalities in

The Wildwoods The Wildwoods are a group of five communities (four distinct municipalities and one census-designated place) in Cape May County, New Jersey. These are situated on the Island of Five Mile Beach, a barrier island facing the Atlantic Ocean. These Jer ...

were selected in 2002 as one of a group of three zones added to participate in the program as part of a joint zone with. In addition to other benefits to encourage employment and investment within the Zone, shoppers can take advantage of a reduced 3.3125%

sales tax A sales tax is a tax paid to a governing body for the sales of certain goods and services. Usually laws allow the seller to collect funds for the tax from the consumer at the point of purchase. When a tax on goods or services is paid to a govern ...

rate (half of the % rate charged statewide) at eligible merchants. Established in November 2002, the city's Urban Enterprise Zone status expires in December 2023. The joint UEZ is overseen by the Enterprise Zone Development Corporation of the Wildwoods Board, which includes representatives from all four municipalities.

Government

Local government

North Wildwood operates under the

City A city is a human settlement of a substantial size. The term "city" has different meanings around the world and in some places the settlement can be very small. Even where the term is limited to larger settlements, there is no universally agree ...

form of municipal government, which is used in 15 municipalities (of the 564) statewide. Under this form of government, the council functions as a legislative body: it passes ordinances and approves the appointments of the mayor. The mayor, as executive, is responsible for administrative functions and appointment of all officials. The governing body is comprised of a mayor and a city council. The mayor serves a four-year term of office. The city council includes seven members, of which six members are elected from wards for three-year terms on a staggered basis and one

at-large At large (''before a noun'': at-large) is a description for members of a governing body who are elected or appointed to represent a whole membership or population (notably a city, county, state, province, nation, club or association), rather tha ...

councilmember is elected for a two-year term. Members of the governing body are selected in partisan voting as part of the November general election.''2012 New Jersey Legislative District Data Book'',

Rutgers University Rutgers University ( ), officially Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, is a Public university, public land-grant research university consisting of three campuses in New Jersey. Chartered in 1766, Rutgers was originally called Queen's C ...

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. The 2005 Data Book shows that North Wildwood uses the

form of government. , the mayor is Republican Patrick T. Rosenello, whose term of office ends December 31, 2025.Mayor Patrick Rosenello
City of North Wildwood. Accessed August 23, 2023. Members of the City Council are Council President Salvatore T. Zampirri Sr. (R, 2023; at-large), Margaret Anne "Peggy" Bishop (R, 2025; 1st Ward), David J. Del Conte (R, 2023; 1st Ward), James F. Kane (R, 2024; 1st Ward), Edwin W. Koehler (R, 2025; 2nd Ward), Joseph V. Rullo (R, 2024; 2nd Ward) and Kellyann Tolomeo (R, 2023; 2nd Ward).Boards & Commissions
City of North Wildwood. Accessed August 23, 2023.2023 County & Municipal Elected Officials Cape May County, NJ -- July 2023

Cape May County, New Jersey Cape May County is the southernmost County (United States), county in the U.S. state of New Jersey. Much of the county is located on the Cape May peninsula, bound by the Delaware Bay to its west and the Atlantic Ocean to its south and east. ...

, August 3, 2023. Accessed August 23, 2023.Summary Results Report 2022 November Cape May General Election November 8, 2022 Official Results

, updated November 17, 2022. Accessed January 1, 2023.2021 General Election Successful Candidates

, updated November 16, 2021. Accessed January 1, 2022.2020 General Election Successful Candidates

, updated December 4, 2020. Accessed January 1, 2021. In January 2014, the city council chose Joseph Rullo from among three names nominated by the Republican municipal committee to fill the vacant second ward seat of Patrick Rosenello, who vacated the seat earlier that month when he took office as mayor.

Emergency services

The city is protected by the North Wildwood Police Department. The city is protected by a fire department that includes career and volunteer units. The two volunteer units are Anglesea Volunteer Fire Company #1 (founded in 1897) and the North Wildwood Volunteer Fire Company #1.

Federal, state and county representation

North Wildwood 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 ...

, December 23, 2011. Accessed February 1, 2020. and is part of New Jersey's 1st Legislative District.Municipalities Sorted by 2011-2020 Legislative District

New Jersey Department of State The secretary of state of New Jersey oversees the Department of State, which is one of the original state offices. The Secretary is responsible for overseeing New Jersey State Council on the Arts, artistic, cultural, and New Jersey Historical Com ...

. Accessed February 1, 2020.''2019 New Jersey Citizen's Guide to Government''
New Jersey

League of Women Voters The League of Women Voters (LWV) is a nonpartisan American nonprofit political organization. Founded in 1920, its ongoing major activities include Voter registration, registering voters, providing voter information, boosting voter turnout and adv ...

. Accessed October 30, 2019.

Politics

As of March 2011, there were a total of 3,279 registered voters in North Wildwood, of which 528 (16.1%) were registered as Democrats, 1,640 (50.0%) were registered as

Republicans Republican can refer to: Political ideology * An advocate of a republic, a type of government that is not a monarchy or dictatorship, and is usually associated with the rule of law. ** Republicanism, the ideology in support of republics or agains ...

and 1,111 (33.9%) were registered as Unaffiliated. There were no voters registered to other parties. 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 Willard Mitt Romney (born March 12, 1947) is an American businessman and retired politician. He served as a United States Senate, United States senator from Utah from 2019 to 2025 and as the 70th governor of Massachusetts from 2003 to 2007 ...

received 57.2% of the vote (1,209 cast), ahead of Democrat

Barack Obama Barack Hussein Obama II (born August 4, 1961) is an American politician who was the 44th president of the United States from 2009 to 2017. A member of the Democratic Party, he was the first African American president in American history. O ...

with 42.1% (889 votes), and other candidates with 0.8% (16 votes), among the 2,146 ballots cast by the city's 3,282 registered voters (32 ballots were spoiled), for a turnout of 65.4%. In the 2008 presidential election, Republican

John McCain John Sidney McCain III (August 29, 1936 – August 25, 2018) was an American statesman and United States Navy, naval officer who represented the Arizona, state of Arizona in United States Congress, Congress for over 35 years, first as ...

received 58.0% of the vote (1,415 cast), ahead of Democrat Barack Obama, who received 39.6% (967 votes), with 2,441 ballots cast among the city's 3,263 registered voters, for a turnout of 74.8%. In the 2004 presidential election, Republican

George W. Bush George Walker Bush (born July 6, 1946) is an American politician and businessman who was the 43rd president of the United States from 2001 to 2009. A member of the Bush family and the Republican Party (United States), Republican Party, he i ...

received 56.4% of the vote (1,556 ballots cast), outpolling Democrat

John Kerry John Forbes Kerry (born December 11, 1943) is an American attorney, politician, and diplomat who served as the 68th United States secretary of state from 2013 to 2017 in the Presidency of Barack Obama#Administration, administration of Barac ...

, who received around 42.0% (1,158 votes), with 2,760 ballots cast among the city's 4,001 registered voters, for a turnout percentage of 69.0. In the 2013 gubernatorial election, Republican

Chris Christie Christopher James Christie (born September 6, 1962) is an American politician and former United States Attorney, federal prosecutor who served as the 55th governor of New Jersey from 2010 to 2018. A member of the Republican Party (United States) ...

received 82.7% of the vote (1,268 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 16.2% (248 votes), and other candidates with 1.1% (17 votes), among the 1,596 ballots cast by the city's 3,173 registered voters (63 ballots were spoiled), for a turnout of 50.3%. In the 2009 gubernatorial election, Republican Chris Christie received 57.7% of the vote (987 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 f ...

with 32.9% (563 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 5.7% (98 votes), with 1,711 ballots cast among the city's 3,336 registered voters, yielding a 51.3% turnout.

Education

The

North Wildwood School District The North Wildwood School District is a community state school, public school district that serves students in kindergarten through eighth grade from North Wildwood, New Jersey, North Wildwood, in Cape May County, New Jersey, Cape May County, in ...

serves students in public school for

pre-kindergarten Pre-kindergarten (also called pre-K or PK) is a voluntary classroom-based preschool program for children below the age of five in the United States, Canada, Turkey and Greece (when kindergarten starts). It may be delivered through a preschool ...

through eighth grade at Margaret Mace School. As of the 2021–22 school year, the district, comprised of one school, had an enrollment of 207 students and 33.0 classroom teachers (on an FTE basis), for a

student–teacher ratio The student–teacher ratio or student–faculty ratio refers to the number of students who attend a school or university divided by the number of teachers or staff in the institution. For example, a student–teacher ratio of 10:1 indicates that ...

of 6.3:1.District information for North Wildwood School District

National Center for Education Statistics The National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) is the principal federal agency responsible for collecting, analyzing, and reporting data on education in the United States. Established under , it operates within the Institute of Education S ...

. Accessed December 1, 2022. For

ninth In music, a ninth is a compound interval consisting of an octave plus a second. Like the second, the interval of a ninth is classified as a dissonance in common practice tonality. Since a ninth is an octave larger than a second, its ...

through

twelfth grade Twelfth Grade (also known as Grade 12, Senior Year, Standard 12, 12th Standard, 12th Class, or Class 12th or Class 12) is the twelfth and final Educational stage, year of Formal education, formal or compulsory education. It is typically the final ...

s, public school students from North Wildwood attend

Wildwood High School Wildwood High School is a comprehensive community public high school that serves students in ninth through twelfth grades from Wildwood, in Cape May County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey. It is the sole secondary school of the Wildwood Cit ...

in Wildwood 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 the Wildwood City School District, together with students from West Wildwood and Wildwood Crest. As of the 2021–22 school year, the high school had an enrollment of 263 students and 31.0 classroom teachers (on an FTE basis), for a

of 8.5:1. 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, in the U.S. state of New Jersey, operating as part of the Cap ...

in the Cape May Court House area, 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, in the U.S. state of New Jersey. The district's schools offer educational and the ...

in the Cape May Court House area. Wildwood Catholic Academy (Pre-K–12) operates under the auspices of the

Roman Catholic Diocese of Camden The Diocese of Camden () is a Latin Church diocese of the Catholic Church in the U.S. state of New Jersey. It consists of 62 parishes and about 475,000 Catholics in the South Jersey counties of Atlantic, Camden, Cape May, Cumberland, Gloucester, ...

. There was previously a Catholic elementary school in Wildwood, St. Ann's School, which operated until 2010, when it 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. Upon its creation Cape Trinity Catholic Regional School operated separately from Wildwood Catholic High School but shared a common building. In April 2020, the Diocese of Camden announced that both of its Wildwood schools would permanently close at the end of the school year due to declining enrollment, which had dropped by 12% over the previous five years. By June 2020, both schools avoided closure after agreeing to merge.

Arts and culture

The Irish Fall Festival is the largest on the East Coast.

Transportation

Roads and highways

, the city had a total of of roadways, of which were maintained by the municipality, by Cape May County and by the

New Jersey Department of Transportation The New Jersey Department of Transportation (NJDOT) is the agency responsible for transportation issues and policy in New Jersey, including maintaining and operating the state's highway and public road system, planning and developing transport ...

. Route 147 has its eastern terminus in North Wildwood and heads west to provide access to the

Garden State Parkway The Garden State Parkway (GSP) is a Controlled-access highway, controlled-access toll road that stretches the north–south length of eastern New Jersey from the state's southernmost tip near Cape May, New Jersey, Cape May north to the New York ...

northbound. County Route 621 (New Jersey Avenue) begins at the eastern terminus of Route 147 and heads southwest through the city toward Wildwood and Wildwood Crest, serving as part of Ocean Drive. Parking in the beach area and Entertainment District of North Wildwood is regulated by

parking meter A parking meter is a device used to collect money in exchange for the right to Parking, park a vehicle in a particular place for a limited amount of time. Parking meters can be used by Municipality, municipalities as a tool for enforcing their i ...

s between May 15 and September 30, whichever comes first. Yearly and weekly parking meter permits are also available.

Public transportation

NJ Transit New Jersey Transit Corporation, branded as NJ Transit or NJTransit and often shortened to NJT, is a state-owned public transportation system that serves the U.S. state of New Jersey and portions of the states of New York and Pennsylvania. I ...

provides bus service in the borough on the 313/315 routes between

Cape May 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. Th ...

and Philadelphia (with seasonal service on the

316 __NOTOC__ Year 316 ( CCCXVI) was a leap year starting on Sunday of the Julian calendar. At the time, it was known as the Year of the Consulship of Sabinus and Rufinus (or, less frequently, year 1069 ''Ab urbe condita''). The denomination 316 f ...

route), on the

319 __NOTOC__ Year 319 ( CCCXIX) was a common year starting on Thursday of the Julian calendar. At the time, it was known as the Year of the Consulship of Constantinus and Licinius (or, less frequently, year 1072 ''Ab urbe condita''). The denominat ...

route 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 station, bus terminal located in Manhattan in New York City. It is the busiest bus terminal in the world by volume of traffic, serving ab ...

Midtown Manhattan Midtown Manhattan is the central portion of the New York City borough of Manhattan, serving as the city's primary central business district. Midtown is home to some of the city's most prominent buildings, including the Empire State Building, the ...

and on the 552 route between Cape May and

. The Great American Trolley Company operates trolley service in North Wildwood during the summer months. The company runs a trolley route that provides service from North Wildwood to the boardwalk at Schellenger Avenue in Wildwood on Friday and Saturday evenings. Another trolley route runs from North Wildwood to shopping centers in

Rio Grande The Rio Grande ( or ) in the United States or the Río Bravo (del Norte) in Mexico (), also known as Tó Ba'áadi in Navajo language, Navajo, is one of the principal rivers (along with the Colorado River) in the Southwestern United States a ...

, operating Mondays through Fridays. The Great American Trolley Company also runs two trolley routes to the Irish Fall Festival in North Wildwood during the weekend of the festival, with one route connecting Wildwood Crest and Wildwood to the festival site and the other route connecting points in North Wildwood to the festival site. The

Tramcar A tram (also known as a streetcar or trolley in Canada and the United States) is an urban rail transit in which vehicles, whether individual railcars or multiple-unit trains, run on tramway tracks on urban public streets; some include segment ...

is a

trackless train A trackless train — or tram ( U.S. English), road train, land train, or parking lot train is a road-going articulated vehicle used for the transport of passengers, comprising a driving vehicle pulling one or more carriages connected by dr ...

service running along the entire length of the Wildwoods boardwalk from Cresse Avenue in Wildwood to 16th Avenue in North Wildwood during the summer season.

Climate

According to the

Köppen climate classification The Köppen climate classification divides Earth climates into five main climate groups, with each group being divided based on patterns of seasonal precipitation and temperature. The five main groups are ''A'' (tropical), ''B'' (arid), ''C'' (te ...

system, North Wildwood has a

humid subtropical climate A humid subtropical climate is a subtropical -temperate climate type, characterized by long and hot summers, and cool to mild winters. These climates normally lie on the southeast side of all continents (except Antarctica), generally between ...

(''Cfa'') with hot, moderately humid summers, cool winters and year-around precipitation. Cfa climates are characterized by all months having an average mean temperature above , at least four months with an average mean temperature at or above , at least one month with an average mean temperature at or above and no significant precipitation difference between seasons. During the summer months in North Wildwood, a cooling afternoon

sea breeze A sea breeze or onshore breeze is a wind that blows in the afternoon from a large body of water toward or onto a landmass. By contrast, a land breeze or offshore breeze is a wind that blows in the night from a landmass toward or onto a large ...

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 shade (shadow), 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 (s ...

values at or above . During the winter months, episodes of extreme cold and wind can occur with

wind chill Wind chill (popularly wind chill factor) is the sensation of cold produced by the wind for a given ambient air temperature on exposed skin as the air motion accelerates the rate of heat transfer from the body to the surrounding atmosphere. Its va ...

values below . The

plant hardiness zone A hardiness zone is a geographic area defined as having a certain average annual minimum temperature, a factor relevant to the survival of many plants. In some systems other statistics are included in the calculations. The original and most widely ...

at North Wildwood Beach is 7b with an average annual extreme minimum air temperature of .USDA Interactive Plant Hardiness Map
,

United States Department of Agriculture The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) is an executive department of the United States federal government that aims to meet the needs of commercial farming and livestock food production, promotes agricultural trade and producti ...

. Accessed May 12, 2020. The average seasonal (November–April) snowfall total is , and the average snowiest month is February which corresponds with the annual peak in

nor'easter A nor'easter (also northeaster; see below) is a large-scale extratropical cyclone in the western North Atlantic Ocean. The name derives from the direction of the winds that blow from the northeast. Typically, such storms originate as a low ...

activity.

Ecology

According to the

A. W. Kuchler August William Kuchler (born ''August Wilhelm Küchler''; 26 July 1907 – 17 June 1999) was a German-born American geographer and naturalist who is noted for developing a plant association system that has become widely used in the United Sta ...

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, North Wildwood would have a dominant vegetation type of Northern

Cordgrass ''Spartina'' is a genus of plants in the grass family, frequently found in coastal salt marshes. Species in this genus are commonly known as cordgrass or cord-grass, and are native to the coasts of the Atlantic Ocean in western and southern Eu ...

(''73'') with a dominant vegetation form of

Coastal A coast (coastline, shoreline, seashore) is the land next to the sea or the line that forms the boundary between the land and the ocean or a lake. Coasts are influenced by the topography of the surrounding landscape and by aquatic erosion, su ...

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.

Religion

Notre Dame de la Mer Catholic Parish, which has its administrative offices at Wildwood Catholic Academy, is of the

. The worship sites are in Wildwood and Wildwood Crest. In 2008 the diocese announced that it would merge two standalone parish churches in those cities into one parish, and the merger occurred in 2010.

Notable people

People who were born in, residents of, or otherwise closely associated with North Wildwood include: *

Patricia Blair Patricia Blair (born Patsy Lou Blake; January 15, 1933 – September 9, 2013) was an American television and film actress, primarily on 1950s and 1960s television. She is best known as portraying famed American frontier pioneer woman Rebecca B ...

(1933–2013), television and film actress * Anthony Cafiero (1900–1982), politician who served in the

New Jersey Senate The New Jersey Senate is the upper house of the New Jersey Legislature by the Constitution of 1844, replacing the Legislative Council. There are 40 legislative districts, representing districts with an average population of 232,225 (2020 figure ...

from 1949 to 1953 * James Cafiero (1928–2023), politician who served in the

New Jersey General Assembly The New Jersey General Assembly is the lower house of the New Jersey Legislature. Since the election of 1967 (1968 session), the Assembly has consisted of 80 members. Two members are elected from each of New Jersey's 40 legislative districts f ...

from 1968 to 1972 and in the

State Senate In the United States, the state legislature is the legislative branch in each of the 50 U.S. states. A legislature generally performs state duties for a state in the same way that the United States Congress performs national duties at ...

from 1972 to 1982 and again from 1990 to 2004 * Justin Catanoso (born 1959), journalist and author of ''My Cousin The Saint, A Search for Faith, Family, and Miracles'' *

Greg Fulginiti Gregory Fulginiti (born 1951) is an American recording and mastering engineer. He was nominated for the TEC Awards by '' Mix'' magazine six times, in 1985 and 1987–1991. Career Fulginiti grew up in Wildwood, New Jersey, and graduated from Wi ...

(born 1951), recording and mastering engineer *

Joseph Anthony Galante Joseph Anthony Galante (July 2, 1938 – May 25, 2019) was an American prelate of the Catholic Church who served as bishop of the Latin Church diocese of Camden in New Jersey from 2004 to 2013. He previously held several positions as a bisho ...

(born 1938), former bishop of the

Cozy Morley Thomas Francis "Cozy" Morley ( – 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 Philadelphia, ...

(–2013), singer-songwriter, entertainer, comedian and owner of Club Avalon in North Wildwood, best known for his rendition of " On the Way to Cape May"Morrison, John F
"Thomas "Cozy" Morley, 87, popular South Jersey comedian and musician."
''

The Philadelphia Inquirer ''The Philadelphia Inquirer'', often referred to simply as ''The Inquirer'', is a daily newspaper headquartered in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Founded on June 1, 1829, ''The Philadelphia Inquirer'' is the third-longest continuously operating da ...

'', August 26, 2013. Accessed April 10, 2022. "Thomas Francis 'Cozy' Morley, who became an iconic part of the South Jersey entertainment scene, a jokester who could pack his 1,200-seat Club Avalon in North Wildwood every night and became a hit in the Atlantic City casinos, died last week. He was 87. He had homes in North Wildwood, Haddon Township and Fort Lauderdale, Fla."

References

External links

City of North Wildwood

North Wildwood School District
*
School Data for the North Wildwood School District

The Wildwood Leader
{{Authority control 1885 establishments in New Jersey Cities in New Jersey Cities in Cape May County, New Jersey City form of New Jersey government Jersey Shore communities in Cape May County New Jersey Urban Enterprise Zones Populated places established in 1885 The Wildwoods, New Jersey