Cape May, city, Cape May County, southernmost tip of New Jersey, on the Atlantic Ocean; settled 1630s, incorporated as a city 1851. It is one of the nation's oldest coast resorts; commercial fishing is also important. It was a whaling community in the 18th century and developed as a fashionable resort in the early 19th century. The city is named for the Dutchman Cornelius Mey, who explored this coast in 1621. Population 4,853 (1980); 4,668 (1990); 4,034 (2000).
