Cape May Point is a
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
...
located at the tip of the
Cape May Peninsula 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 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 ...
of
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 borough, and all of Cape May County, is part of the
Ocean City metropolitan statistical area, and 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 borough's population was 305,
[ an increase of 14 (+4.8%) from the 2010 census count of 291,][ which in turn reflected an increase of 50 (+20.7%) from the 241 counted in the 2000 census. The summer population can reach 4,500.
The Cape May Light is located in Lower Township, but is also a point of identity for Cape May Point as it uses the lighthouse as a logo for municipal-owned vehicles. Mayors of the two municipalities previously had a conflict over in which municipality it was located.
Cape May Point is a dry town, one of three municipalities in Cape May County where the sale of alcohol is prohibited by law. Cape May Point, Ocean City and Wildwood Crest are Cape May County's only remaining dry municipalities.
]
History
Cape May Point was called Stites Beach until 1876 when the name was changed to Seagrove. It was incorporated as a borough by an act of the New Jersey Legislature
The New Jersey Legislature is the legislative branch of the government of the U.S. state of New Jersey. In its current form, as defined by the New Jersey Constitution of 1947, the Legislature consists of two houses: the General Assembly and ...
on April 19, 1878, from portions of Lower Township, based on the results of a referendum held three days earlier. It was reincorporated on August 19, 1891 and returned to Lower Township on April 8, 1896. Cape May Point re-emerged as an independent municipality on April 6, 1908, based on the results of a referendum held on April 21, 1908.[Snyder, John P]
''The Story of New Jersey's Civil Boundaries: 1606-1968''
, Bureau of Geology and Topography; Trenton, New Jersey; 1969. p. 114. Accessed October 16, 2012. The borough's name derives from 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 ...
, which was named for 1620 Dutch captain named Cornelius Jacobsen May who explored and charted the area between 1611–1614, and established a claim for the province of New Netherland
New Netherland () was a colony of the Dutch Republic located on the East Coast of what is now the United States. The claimed territories extended from the Delmarva Peninsula to Cape Cod. Settlements were established in what became the states ...
.
The remains of SS ''Atlantus'' World War I
World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...
-era concrete ship are located of the coast of Cape May Point, next to Sunset Beach.
Geography
According to the 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 ...
, the borough had a total area of 0.31 square miles (0.81 km2), including 0.30 square miles (0.76 km2) of land and 0.02 square miles (0.05 km2) of water (5.81%).
Cape May Point borders Lower Township, the Atlantic Ocean and Delaware Bay
Delaware Bay is the estuary outlet of the Delaware River on the northeast seaboard of the United States, lying between the states of Delaware and New Jersey. It is approximately in area, the bay's freshwater mixes for many miles with the saltw ...
.
Cityscape
In 2004, the borough had about 600 houses. Circa 2004 prices of housing increased, and in 2004 a four bedroom house typically had a price of $1 million.
In 2021 the median price of a house is $1,090,000, which was the highest of any municipality on Cape Island. Most houses are on lots and are below in area due to the borough's zoning regulations. Julie Lasky of ''The New York Times
''The New York Times'' (''NYT'') is an American daily newspaper based in New York City. ''The New York Times'' covers domestic, national, and international news, and publishes opinion pieces, investigative reports, and reviews. As one of ...
'' wrote that "the houses appear relatively modest", and that the borough "lacks the fanciful architecture of Cape May".
In 2004 the only two businesses in Cape May Point were the Cape May Bird Observatory bird shop and the Cape May Point General Store.[
]
Demographics
2010 census
The 2010 United States census counted 291 people, 164 households, and 100 families in the borough. 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 619 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup was 94.50% (275) 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 ...
, 2.75% (8) Black or African American, 0.00% (0) Native American, 0.34% (1) 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 ...
, 0.34% (1) from other races, and 2.06% (6) from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.34% (1) of the population.[
Of the 164 households, 4.3% had children under the age of 18; 55.5% were married couples living together; 3.7% had a female householder with no husband present and 39.0% were non-families. Of all households, 34.1% were made up of individuals and 20.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 1.77 and the average family size was 2.17.][
4.1% of the population were under the age of 18, 1.7% from 18 to 24, 3.8% from 25 to 44, 34.7% from 45 to 64, and 55.7% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 66.4 years. For every 100 females, the population had 84.2 males. For every 100 females ages 18 and older there were 83.6 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 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 $51,250 (with a margin of error of +/− $36,659) and the median family income was $71,875 (+/− $10,854). Males had a median income of $108,125 (+/− $225,840) versus $ (+/− $) 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 $37,269 (+/− $13,473). About 8.7% of families and 9.4% 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 none of those under age 18 and 12.7% of those age 65 or over.
2000 census
As of the 2000 United States census there were 241 people, 133 households, and 77 families residing in the borough. The population density was . There were 501 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the borough was 95.02% 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 ...
, 2.07% 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 ...
, 0.41% Asian, and 2.49% 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 1.66% of the population.[Census 2000 Profiles of Demographic / Social / Economic / Housing Characteristics for Cape May Point borough, 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 16, 2012.[DP-1: Profile of General Demographic Characteristics: 2000 - Census 2000 Summary File 1 (SF 1) 100-Percent Data for Cape May Point borough, Cape May County, 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 16, 2012.
There were 133 households, out of which 6.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 54.1% were married couples living together, 3.8% had a female householder with no husband present, and 41.4% were non-families. 35.3% of all households were made up of individuals, and 23.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 1.81 and the average family size was 2.27.[
In the borough the population was spread out, with 6.6% under the age of 18, 0.8% from 18 to 24, 10.4% from 25 to 44, 34.4% from 45 to 64, and 47.7% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 64 years. For every 100 females, there were 95.9 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 89.1 males.][
The median income for a household in the borough was $55,313, and the median income for a family was $69,750. Males had a median income of $63,250 versus $30,833 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 $52,689. None of the families and 1.7% of the population were living 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 ...
.[
]
Government
Local government
Cape May Point operates under the Walsh Act commission form of government, first created to rebuild the city of Galveston, Texas
Galveston ( ) is a Gulf Coast of the United States, coastal resort town, resort city and port off the Southeast Texas coast on Galveston Island and Pelican Island (Texas), Pelican Island in the U.S. state of Texas. The community of , with a pop ...
after the devastating Hurricane of 1900.[''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, March 2013, p. 8. Cape May Point is one of 30 (of the 564) municipalities statewide to use this form of government, most in shore communities, down from a peak of 60 early in the 20th century. In three-member Commissions, as in Cape May Point, the Departments of Public Affairs and Public Safety are combined, as are the Departments of Public Works and Parks and Public Property. Revenue and Finance is the third portfolio. The borough adopted this form of government in 1916. The governing body is comprised of three commissioners, who are elected 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 ...
on a non-partisan
Nonpartisanship, also known as nonpartisanism, is a lack of affiliation with a political party and a lack of political bias.
While an ''Oxford English Dictionary'' definition of ''partisan'' includes adherents of a party, cause, person, etc., ...
basis in the November general election to serve concurrent four-year terms of office. Cape May Point shifted its municipal elections from May to November, extending the term-end dates from June 30 to December 31 for the commissioners elected in 2012.
The Commissioners exercise complete control of the operation of the borough, with each Commissioner having all aspects of Administrative, Executive, Judicial, and Legislative powers over their department. The three Commissioners choose a mayor from among themselves at a reorganization meeting following each election, with the mayor responsible for leading municipal meetings and general oversight of community affairs.
, the members of the Board of Commissioners of Cape May Point are
Mayor Robert J. Moffatt (Commissioner of Public Affairs and Public Safety),
Deputy Mayor Anita vanHeeswyk (Commissioner of Revenue and Finance) and
Catherine Busch (Commissioner of Public Works, Parks and Public Property), all serving concurrent terms of office ending December 31, 2024.[Board of Commissioners]
Borough of Cape May Point. Accessed August 29, 2024.[2024 County & Municipal Elected Officials Cape May County, NJ -- July 2024]
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. ...
, July 9, 2024. Accessed August 29, 2024.[Cape May County 2020 General Election Successful Candidates]
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. ...
, December 14, 2020. Accessed January 1, 2021.
Federal, state and county representation
Cape May Point is located in the 2nd Congressional District[Plan 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 state 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 212 registered voters in Cape May Point, of which 99 (46.7%) were registered as Republicans, 63 (29.7%) were registered as Democrats, and 50 (23.6%) were registered as Unaffiliated. There were no voters registered to other parties.
In the 2012 presidential election, 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 ...
received 52.0% of the vote (91 cast), ahead of 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 ...
with 47.4% (83 votes), and other candidates with 0.6% (1 vote), among the 176 ballots cast by the borough's 225 registered voters (1 ballot was spoiled), for a turnout of 78.2%. In the 2008 presidential election, Democrat Barack Obama received 53.9% of the vote (103 cast), ahead of 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 ...
, who received 44.5% (85 votes), with 191 ballots cast among the borough's 203 registered voters, for a turnout of 94.1%. In the 2004 presidential election, 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 ...
received 53.3% of the vote (114 ballots cast), outpolling 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 ...
, who received around 45.8% (98 votes), with 214 ballots cast among the borough's 237 registered voters, for a turnout percentage of 90.3.
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 66.9% of the vote (85 cast), ahead of Democrat Barbara Buono with 30.7% (39 votes), and other candidates with 2.4% (3 votes), among the 129 ballots cast by the borough's 209 registered voters (2 ballots were spoiled), for a turnout of 61.7%. In the 2009 gubernatorial election, Republican Chris Christie received 47.0% of the vote (79 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 43.5% (73 votes) and Independent Chris Daggett with 9.5% (16 votes), with 168 ballots cast among the borough's 220 registered voters, yielding a 76.4% turnout.
Law enforcement and public safety
Cape May Point Volunteer Fire Department provides fire department services. The spring 1908 Lankenau Villa fire prompted Cape May Point officials to ask for a fire department to be organized the following July, and the borough had two fire carts by 1911. In 1923 a borough ordinance allowed for the creation of the Cape May Point Volunteer Fire Department, with a truck and fire station acquired and established, respectively, in 1924.
From the establishment of Cape May Point borough it had an independent police department using ordinary residents filling in as "special" police instead of salaried police, although eventually its police department was reformed into a standard one. Cape May Point began contracting with West Cape May Police in 1986. Cape May Point ended the arrangement in 2001, which contributed to West Cape May disbanding its police department, about 40 percent of which had been paid for by Cape May Point. The two boroughs then contracted with Cape May City to provide law enforcement for both, effective upon the dissolution of the West Cape May Police on January 1, 2002. The three-municipality law enforcement arrangement, which had been discussed for over 25 years, was the first of its kind in New Jersey and proved popular.
Cape May Point, upon incorporation, had a one-room jail. Joe Jordan, author of ''Cape May Point, The Illustrated History-1875 to the Present'', stated that "if one is to believe local gossip" that the jail likely served as a drunk tank
A drunk tank is a jail cell or separate facility accommodating people who are intoxicated, especially with alcohol. Some such facilities are mobile, and may be spoken of as "booze buses".
Traditionally, and in some jurisdictions currently, the ...
, and Jordan wrote that it "may have held several world's records as the smallest jail, with the fewest inmates, and the shortest periods of incarceration."[Jordan, ISBN 0-7643-1830-6, p. 80.] The borough put the facility for sale in 1927 but rejected the sole bid and turned it into storage for the fire department after moving it behind the current fire station location. It was moved to Historic Cold Spring Village in Cold Spring in 1983.[
]
Infrastructure
Cape May Point began using Cape May City's water system as Cape May Point's well water system was near the maximum salt content allowed under New Jersey law. The water distribution system was rebuilt in the 1980s and 1990s, and a new water tank replaced the previous one in 1995, with the former water tank dismantled. Its water costs increased when Cape May City built a desalinization plant in the late 1990s.[Jordan, ISBN 0-7643-1830-6, p. 117.]
The Cape May Point Water and Sewer Utility, created in 1980, is an agency that is separate from the Cape May Point borough government. A sewage treatment plant opened in 1938, but it put untreated sewage into the water, so Cape May Point agreed to use Cape May City sewage facilities after the New Jersey Department of Health in October 1941 demanded that Cape May Point change its practices with a fine as possible punishment. Cape May Point also helped pay for a new sewage plant Cape May City opened .[
]
Education
Cape May Point School District is a non-operating school district, with all students sent to schools outside of the district. It opened a two story grade 1–8 school in the 1870. It began sending students to Lower Township School District in 1931 and closed the former school, which is now a house. Cape May Point under Frank Rutherford, the mayor, chose not to join 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, Lower Township, in the U.S. state of New Jersey, that serves students in seventh grade, seventh th ...
when it was formed. The borough never joined a regional school system. Therefore, in 2004, it had among the lowest property tax rates in New Jersey.[
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 sixth grade
Sixth grade (also 6th grade or grade 6) is the sixth year of formal or compulsory education. Students in sixth grade are usually 11-12 years old. It is commonly the first or second grade of middle school or the last grade of elementary school, an ...
, public school students attend Cape May City Elementary School in Cape May City, 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 Cape May City School District.[''Annual Comprehensive Financial Report of the Cape May Point School District'']
, New Jersey Department of Education
The New Jersey Department of Education (NJ DOE) administers state and federal aid programs affecting more than 1.4 million public and non-public elementary and secondary school children in the state of New Jersey. The department is headquartered ...
, for year ending June 30, 2020. p. 2 (PDF p. 7). Accessed March 31, 2021. "The District is a sending district and operates no schools and/or facilities. Students are sent on a tuition basis to Cape May City Elementary School for grades PreK-6 and to Lower Cape May Regional School District for grades 7-12." Most students in the Cape May elementary district come from the United States Coast Guard Training Center Cape May. As of the 2021–22 school year, the district, comprised of one school, had an enrollment of 169 students and 22.6 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 7.5:1.[District information for Cape May City 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. 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.
For seventh 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 attend the schools of the Lower Cape May Regional School District as part of a sending/receiving relationship; the district also serves students from the constituent communities of Cape May City, Lower Township and West Cape May.[Johnson, Virgil; and Kirtland, James L]
"A Feasibility Study to Reconfigure the Lower Cape May Regional School District"
Statistical Forecasting LLC, June 2013. Accessed August 29, 2024. "Cape May City is one of three constituent communities served by the Lower Cape May Regional School District ('Lower Cape May Regional'), a limited purpose school district providing education for the middle and high school students from Cape May City, Lower Township, and West Cape May.... Students from Cape May Point attend on a sending-receiving basis." Schools in the district (with 2022–23 enrollment data from the 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 ...
) are
Richard M. Teitelman Middle School with 433 students in grades 7-8 and
Lower Cape May Regional High School (LCMRHS) with 757 students in grades 9-12.
Students are also eligible to attend Cape May County Technical High School 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 in the Cape May Court House area.
Transportation
, the borough had a total of of roadways, of which were maintained by the municipality and by Cape May County.
No Interstate, U.S., state or major county highways serve Cape May Point. The most significant roads in the borough are minor county routes, such as County Route 629.
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, Cape May Point 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 Cape May Point, 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 Cape May Point Beach is 7b with an average annual extreme minimum air temperature of . The average seasonal (November–April) 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) 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 U.S. potential natural vegetation types, Cape May Point would have a dominant vegetation type of Northern Cordgrass (''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)](_blank)
, Data Basin. Accessed March 18, 2020.
Places of interest
The Sisters of St. Joseph maintained the Queen of the Sea facility, a convent called the Saint Joseph House, and a retreat facility called Saint Mary by-the-Sea. Bill Barlow of the ''Press of Atlantic City
''The Press of Atlantic City'' is the fourth-largest daily newspaper in New Jersey. Originally based in Pleasantville, New Jersey, Pleasantville, it is the primary newspaper for southeastern New Jersey and the Jersey Shore. The Designated marke ...
'' wrote that it is "A beloved local landmark". Its facilities are not connected with the Roman Catholic Diocese of Camden.
Saint Mary opened as the Shoreham Hotel in 1889. After the business failed, it became a nursing home for African Americans in 1898, known as Home for Aged and Infirm Colored People. It later closed, and the sisters spent $9,000 to buy the property in 1909, which it called Saint Mary. This building has a "U-shape" and of space. In 2016 the sisters announced that they intended to close Saint Mary. The COVID-19 pandemic in New Jersey, starting in 2020, meant that the group could no longer hold retreats there, and in 2021 the order announced that Saint Mary was closing.[ The Cape May Point Science Center opened in June 2023 in the Saint Mary building that it had acquired the previous year for $5.5 million.
]
Notable people
People who were born in, residents of, or otherwise closely associated with Cape May Point include:
* Benjamin Harrison
Benjamin Harrison (August 20, 1833March 13, 1901) was the 23rd president of the United States, serving from 1889 to 1893. He was a member of the Harrison family of Virginia—a grandson of the ninth president, William Henry Harrison, and a ...
(1833–1901), 23rd President of the United States
The president of the United States (POTUS) is the head of state and head of government of the United States. The president directs the Federal government of the United States#Executive branch, executive branch of the Federal government of t ...
from 1889 to 1893, who was given a cottage in Cape May Point in 1890 by John Wanamaker and his associates
* Mary O'Hara (1885–1980), author known for her novel ''My Friend Flicka
''My Friend Flicka'' is a 1941 novel by Mary O'Hara, about Ken McLaughlin, the son of a Wyoming rancher, and his mustang horse Flicka. It was the first in a trilogy, followed by ''Thunderhead'' (1943) and ''Green Grass of Wyoming'' (1946). The ...
''
* Bill Pilczuk (born 1971), swimmer
* David Allen Sibley (born 1961), ornithologist
Ornithology, from Ancient Greek ὄρνις (''órnis''), meaning "bird", and -logy from λόγος (''lógos''), meaning "study", is a branch of zoology dedicated to the study of birds. Several aspects of ornithology differ from related discip ...
who is the author and illustrator of '' The Sibley Guide to Birds''
* John Wanamaker
John Wanamaker (July 11, 1838December 12, 1922) was an American merchant and religious, civic and political figure, considered by some to be a proponent of advertising and a "pioneer in marketing". He served as United States Postmaster General ...
(1838–1922), retailerCape May Point
, Cape May County Chamber of Commerce. Accessed November 15, 2016. "Wanamaker also built a summer cottage at the Point and later, when he was Postmaster General in President Benjamin Harrison's Cabinet, he invited the President and First Lady to visit Cape May Point and use Congress Hall in Cape May as the summer White House."
Gallery
File:CapeMayPointNJPublicWorks.JPG, Cape May Point Public Works Complex
File:CapeMayPointNJFireComp.JPG, Cape May Point Volunteer Fire Company
File:St Petes by the sea.JPG, Saint Peter's-By-The-Sea Episcopal Church
File:CapeMayPointStatePark.JPG, Cape May Point State Park (in Lower Township)
References
*
Reference notes
Further reading
*
External links
*
{{Authority control
Boroughs in New Jersey
Boroughs in Cape May County, New Jersey
Jersey Shore communities in Cape May County
New Jersey District Factor Group none
Populated places established in 1878
1878 establishments in New Jersey
Walsh Act