Ocean City New Jersey is a barrier island on the east coast of southern New Jersey.
It's 30 miles north of Cape May, the southernmost point of New Jersey, 10 miles south of Atlantic City, and 70 miles southeast of the Philadelphia
International Airport. The best way to get there is to fly and drive. Flights heading west coast to east coast take approximately 5 hours; flights
heading east coast to west coast take approximately an hour longer due to head winds.
Philadelphia International Airport
This is the closest major airport to Ocean City. It's served by all the major and many economy airlines. If you shop wisely for flights, you can fly round
trip from San Francisco, San Jose, Oakland, Los Angeles, and San Diego
for approximately $500. If you don't require sleep and can fly a major airline's red eye flight from west to east, you can save money. It's a 1.25 hour drive
from Philadelphia to Ocean City.
Newark Liberty International Airport
This major airport is approximately 2.5 hours by car from Ocean City. It's served by all the major and many economy airlines. This airport has great public transportation
to New York City. It's a perfect option if you want to visit New York City before or after the beach.
Baltimore/Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport
This airport is on the Baltimore side of Washington DC and is approximately 3.5 hours by car from Ocean City.
It's served by some major and some economy airlines. This airport is a good choice if you want to visit
Washington DC before or after the beach. You can get public transportation into Washington DC from this airport.
John F Kennedy International and La Guardia Airport
These airports are options if you want to visit New York City before or after the beach weekend, but they are not as good an option as Newark International.
We don't recommend taking a rental car into NYC where
parking costs over $50/day and driving requires nerves of steel.
Instead take a shuttle, train, or subway from Kennedy or La Guardia into NYC. After your visit to NYC, you can pick up a rental car in the city or take
an NJ Transit bus to Ocean City. Driving fron NYC, La Guardia, or JFK takes about 3.5 hours.
The bus takes about 4.5 hours and may require a transfer in Atlantic City. The bus route is
New York Port Authority Bus Station to Toms River to Atlantic City to Ocean City.
Dulles International Airport and Ronald Regan Washington National Airport
These airports are the closest to downtown Washington DC, but are approximately 5 hours by car from Ocean City.
They are served by all the major and many economy airlines. They are a reasonable choice
if you want to visit Washington DC before or after the beach weekend, but they are farther from Ocean City than Baltimore/Washington International.
Atlantic City International Airport
Even though this airport is only 10 miles from Ocean City, it's
listed last because it's virtually worthless. Spirit Airline is the only carrier serving this airport with flights from Chicago, Detroit, Atlanta,
Tampa, Orlando, Fort Lauderdale and West Palm Beach.
The only reasonable and economical way to get to Ocean City from all the airports is to rent a car and drive. The chart below is just an example
of the AAA or AARP member cost to rent from Budget at the Philadelphia airport and keep the car for 4 days. Car rental is even more economical if you share rental fees with
another guest. Having a rental car also means you have the option to take a drive and visit other shore towns, such as Cape May and Atlantic City.
Our expressways and parkways are toll roads, and they aren't cheap. Request a car with an E-Z pass transmitter.
This means you don't have to come up with exact change when you reach a toll barrier with no attendant on duty. There is often no attendant at
the toll barrier from the Garden State Parkway into Ocean City. Without E-Z pass you need 6 quarters for this toll.
