New Jersey Travel Guide

New Jersey is a densely populated mid-Atlantic state famous for the Jersey Shore and boardwalks, wedged between New York City and Philadelphia.

Known for: the Jersey Shore, boardwalks, and easy access to NYC and Philadelphia

Don’t miss: the Jersey Shore and Atlantic City, Cape May‘s Victorian streets, and the Delaware Water Gap

When to go: summer for the shore

New Jersey is a narrow Atlantic Coast state of beaches, suburbs and urban corridors squeezed between New York City and Philadelphia - its landscape ranges from sandy barrier islands and seaside towns to forested lowlands and modest ridges inland. The state is compact but diverse, with a long shoreline, the inland Pine Barrens and densely settled metropolitan corridors.

You can hop from Victorian charm to collegiate history to seaside boardwalk culture in minutes: Cape May’s restored 19th-century houses and beaches, the collegiate streets of Princeton, and the carnival energy of Wildwood and Atlantic City all sit within easy reach of the New York metropolitan area. For family thrills there’s Six Flags Great Adventure in Jackson Township, and hands-on learning at the Liberty Science Center in Jersey City.

Outdoors lovers find surprising variety: surf and sun on barrier-island beaches, kayaking and pine-forest hikes in the Pine Barrens, and scenic river valleys for cycling and fishing - the state packs coastal and woodland pursuits into a small footprint. Winters bring occasional snow for sledding and cross-country skiing in higher ground, while the shore shifts into a summer playground for swimming, boating and surfing.

Food in New Jersey is unapologetically local and plentiful: classic diners, prolific breweries and a strong farm-to-table scene from Jersey tomatoes to blueberries and cranberries, plus the state’s own pork roll (known locally as Taylor ham in parts) and seaside clam shacks; wineries and craft-beer taprooms are increasingly common, especially around Cape May and the southern counties.

Visit New Jersey for a little bit of everything in a compact state - linger on the Victorian beaches of Cape May, explore historic Princeton, ride the boardwalks of Atlantic City and Wildwood, or chase thrills at Six Flags Great Adventure; all of it is a short trip from New York and Philadelphia.

New Jersey has a temperate climate with milder coastal conditions and slightly more extreme seasons inland and in the north; summers are warm and humid, winters can be cold with snow inland. Coastal areas stay a bit cooler in summer and milder in winter compared with inland and northwestern parts of the state.

Visitors typically get around New Jersey by car for maximum flexibility, though commuter rail, light rail and bus services serve the densely populated northeast and shore areas.

Major Highways

Major routes include the New Jersey Turnpike / I-95 (a primary north - south artery linking to New York and Delaware), the Garden State Parkway (running along much of the coast), I-80 and I-78 across the north, I-287 around the central suburbs, US-1/9 through the urban corridor, and the Atlantic City Expressway which connects Philadelphia-area routes to the shore.