The Jersey Shore stretches 130 miles along the Atlantic coast from Sandy Hook in the north to Cape May in the south. The northern section of the Shore is densely populated, with densities approaching those of the great Newark-Jersey City metroplex farther north. But to the south, below Barnegat Bay, the built-up areas not only become smaller but concentrate on the barrier islands, leaving the inner coastline a virtual wilderness of creeks, coves, and tidal ponds.

The Shore has long been the most popular getaway for the residents of New Jersey, and it can be thronged on sunny weekends in the summer. But it remains an extremely popular place to settle down, as well: over a million and a half people out of the eight and a half million population of New Jersey live full-time in the Shore region.

Atlantic City is the most famous of the Shoreside communities, and still the most popular to outsiders. It boasts over a dozen casinos...but it no longer has a monopoly on boardwalks, which are common now in the smaller communities crowded along the coast.

Also common are lighthouses: the Shore has nine of them, including the Sandy Hook light, the oldest operating lighthouse in America. Barnegat, East Point, and Cape May lighthouses are also popular sights.