The Boardwalk
Built in 1870, it's four miles long.
Atlantic City and the Jersey Shore
America's first boardwalk, casinos and saltwater taffy, on the long sandy Jersey Shore.
Atlantic City gave Monopoly its street names and birthed the Miss America pageant. North and south, the Shore has towns from family Ocean City to Victorian Cape May.
- Best Time
- June to September
- Time Needed
- 2–3 days
- Cost Level
- $$$$
- Open
- Year-round
- Getting There
- About 90 minutes from Philadelphia, and 2.5 hours from New York.
What to See
2 of 4 are freeSteel Pier
Rides out over the ocean.
Cape May
Gingerbread Victorian houses and a lighthouse, about an hour south.
Lucy the Elephant
A six-story elephant-shaped building in Margate.
Know Before You Go
- Off the tourist areas, parts of the city are rough.
- Beach badges are needed in many Shore towns.
Where to Stay
Stay in Atlantic City or Cape May.
Where to Eat
Our picks are on the way.
Editor's picks. Nobody paid to be on this list.
Something wrong or out of date?
Traveler Reviews
Sign in and mark Atlantic City and the Jersey Shore as visited to write a review.
Go Next
Must-SeePhiladelphia
Pennsylvania
Where the Declaration and the Constitution were signed, with a great food scene around it.
Full Guide
Must-See
If You're NearbyChincoteague and Assateague
Virginia
An undeveloped barrier-island beach where wild ponies graze in the marsh.
Full Guide
Last checked 2026-11-01. Part of the Mid-Atlantic list.