<P> Ocean City is a city in Cape May County, New Jersey, United States . As of the 2010 United States Census, the city's population was 11,701, reflecting a decline of 3,677 (- 23.9%) from the 15,378 counted in the 2000 Census, which had in turn declined by 134 (- 0.9%) from the 15,512 counted in the 1990 Census . In summer months, with an influx of tourists and second homeowners, there are estimated to be 115,000 to 130,000 within the city's borders . </P> <P> Ocean City originated as a borough by an act of the New Jersey Legislature on May 3, 1884, from portions of Upper Township, based on results from a referendum on April 30, 1884, and was reincorporated as a borough on March 31, 1890 . Ocean City was incorporated as a city, its current government form, on March 25, 1897 . The city is named for its location on the Atlantic Ocean . </P> <P> Known as a family - oriented seaside resort, Ocean City has prohibited the sale of alcoholic beverages within its limits since its founding in 1879, offering miles of guarded beaches, a boardwalk that stretches for 2.5 miles (4.0 km), and a downtown shopping and dining district . </P> <P> The Travel Channel rated Ocean City as the Best Family Beach of 2005 . It was ranked the third - best beach in New Jersey in the 2008 Top 10 Beaches Contest sponsored by the New Jersey Marine Sciences Consortium . In the 2009 Top 10 Beaches Contest, Ocean City ranked first . </P>

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