Cape May is a city in New Jersey's Cape May County. The site where the city stands now was once known as the borough of Cape Island, then, as Cape Island City and, finally, as Cape May in March 9, 1869. The city was named for Captain Cornelius Jacobsen May, a Dutch captain, who charted the area around 1611 to 1614.

Cape May is recognized by the US government to be the country's oldest seaside resort due to its being a vacation spot since the middle of the 1700s. The city has a small population of regular residents which balloons to about 25 times during certain visitor peak seasons. Visitors are often in for a treat of "Cape May Diamonds" in the city's beaches and tourist shops; these are clear, quart pebbles that are often collected by tourists and residents alike.

There are many tourist attractions in Cape May - among these are the Cape May Lighthouse, wildlife and marine life watching, wineries, etc. The city mostly relies on tourism for its revenues but fishing - commercial and sports - are also considered as important revenue sources.