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CHistory
History · Ocean Gate

Ocean Gate’s post office opened in 1910, and 28% of its homes were built before 1940

More historic than 29% of U.S. towns. What drives it

Below: 3 old photos and papers, maps from 1888 on, and the census since 1920.

1910first post office
0on the National Register
28%homes built before 1940
3old photos & papers
Add an old photoShare a memory
From Ocean Gate’s archive · credits on each photo
Quick answers

How Ocean Gate began

When was Ocean Gate founded?

1910

The Ocean Gate post office opened in 1910, the earliest record of the town by name. Wikidata gives 1918.

First census: 69 in 19202020 census: 1,932116 years

How historic is Ocean Gate?

C

More historic than 29% of U.S. towns, on its age, its old homes and the National Register.

What drives the grade ↓
Founding year: the first Ocean Gate post office (Blevins & Helbock, CC0). Wikidata: 1918.The full story ↓
History grade

What drives Ocean Gate’s History grade

On its age, its old homes and the National Register, Ocean Gate is more historic than 29% of U.S. towns. Its share of homes from before 1940 holds the grade up; its age pulls it down.

C
HistoryA character grade: shown, never part of Ocean Gate’s overall grade.
Founding era1910, from the first post office: founded 1900–1944, an older era than 9% of U.S. townsDHomes built before 194028.4% of homes (±7.6) · typical NJ town 14.7% · U.S. 8.4%A−National RegisterNo listings counted · typical NJ town 3.7 per 10,000 · U.S. 2.4C−
All U.S. towns we grade (21,289)Ahead of 29%
NewerOlder

New Jersey towns list more on the Register than most of the country (a typical New Jersey town has 3.7 per 10,000 residents, the U.S. 2.4), so Ocean Gate’s 0.0 sits below most of its state (12% of New Jersey towns have fewer) while its 0 listings outnumber those of 23% of U.S. towns.

How sure. Graded on any two of the three inputs instead, the letter would range from D− to B−. The pre-1940 share is a Census survey estimate (±7.6 points). The founding year is the first post office, not a stated founding date; Wikidata’s 1918 falls in the same era, so the grade doesn’t depend on which one is used.

Founding year: the first post office (other dates in Quick answers). Homes: Census ACS 2020–24. National Register: National Park Service, May 2026 list; each listing counted once (boundary changes and added documentation belong to their listing), and a historic district counts its contributing buildings. How TownRatings grades history →

What stands out about Ocean Gate’s past

Read from the archive, the National Register and the record. The page puts what stands out first.

A history waiting to be writtenOnly 3 old photos are in the public archives. The rest are in attics and albums.On the map since 18888 editions of the USGS map, 1888 to 1995. Watch Ocean Gate change.Old housesHalf of Ocean Gate’s homes were built before 1956.
★ What stands out · Help out

Start Ocean Gate’s collection

The first neighbors to add old photos shape how Ocean Gate’s history is told.

Decades since 1900 with photos
00s10s20s30s40s50s60s70s80s90s
0 of 10 decades. The empty ones are waiting for someone’s album.
Date a photo3 archive items have no date. Guess the decade.+2Retake an old viewGENERAL VIEW LOOKING EAST - American Te…: stand where they stood+15Share a family photoSign in to add one+10
On the map

Ocean Gate on the map, 1888 to 1995

Every edition of the U.S. Geological Survey’s map of Ocean Gate. Tap a year, or press play to watch the town change.

Ocean Gate on the 1888 USGS mapOcean Gate on the 1893 USGS mapOcean Gate on the 1919 USGS mapOcean Gate on the 1941 USGS mapOcean Gate on the 1953 USGS mapOcean Gate on the 1970 USGS mapOcean Gate on the 1989 USGS mapOcean Gate on the 1995 USGS map1888Barnegat sheet · 1:62,500

U.S. Geological Survey historical topographic maps (public domain), via Esri’s collection of the scans. The red ring marks the center of Ocean Gate.

The story

How Ocean Gate came to be

From Wikipedia’s history of Ocean Gate.

Read it all →

Trains operated to the area by Pennsylvania Railroad served what was called "Good Luck Point", with visitors building cottages that were the start of the community that became Ocean Gate. AT&T operated a shortwave radio transmitting station after purchasing 175 acres (71 ha) in 1929.

The borough of Ocean Gate was incorporated by an act of the New Jersey Legislature on February 28, 1918, from portions of Berkeley Township. An additional portion of Berkeley Township was annexed on February 28, 1953.

Text from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.

By decade

Ocean Gate, decade by decade

Date unknown3 to date
Census Bureau map ofDate?Census Bureau map ofMapGENERAL VIEW LOOKING EAST - American Telephone and Telegraph Building, Bayview Avenue (Route 617)Date?GENERAL VIEW LOOKING EAST - American Telephone and Te…American Telephone & Telegraph Building, Bayview Avenue (Route 617)Date?American Telephone & Telegraph Building, Bayview Aven…
Today14 recent
Ocean Gate, NJ post office, Dec. 20242024Ocean Gate, NJ post office, Dec. 2024Ocean Gate, NJ municipal building, Dec. 20242024Ocean Gate, NJ municipal building, Dec. 2024Ocean Gate Church, Ocean Gate, NJ, Dec. 20242024Ocean Gate Church, Ocean Gate, NJ, Dec. 2024Jeffreys Creek, Ocean Gate, NJ, Dec. 20242024Jeffreys Creek, Ocean Gate, NJ, Dec. 2024Wildwood Pier, Ocean Gate, N. J2011Wildwood Pier, Ocean Gate, N. JView from diving board, Ocean Gate, N. J2011View from diving board, Ocean Gate, N. JThe pier, at Ocean Gate, N. J2011The pier, at Ocean Gate, N. JOcean Gate Yacht Club, Ocean Gate, N. J2011Ocean Gate Yacht Club, Ocean Gate, N. JBoardwalk and beach, at Ocean Gate, N. J2011Boardwalk and beach, at Ocean Gate, N. JBoardwalk & pier, Ocean Gate, N. J2011Boardwalk & pier, Ocean Gate, N. JBoardwalk & beach at Ocean Gate, N. J2011Boardwalk & beach at Ocean Gate, N. JBeach and yacht club, Ocean Gate, N. J2011Beach and yacht club, Ocean Gate, N. JBathing beach from Wildwood Pier, Ocean Gate, N. J2011Bathing beach from Wildwood Pier, Ocean Gate, N. JOcean gate nj 0292005Ocean gate nj 029
Then & now

Stand where they stood

No then-and-now pairs yet. Take a photo from the same spot as an old one and they appear here side by side.

GENERAL VIEW LOOKING EAST - American Telephone and Telegraph Building, Bayview Avenue (Route 617)
Retake this viewGENERAL VIEW LOOKING EAST - American Telephone and Telegraph Building, Bayview Avenue (Route 617)

Find the spot, match the angle, and add your photo. It becomes the first then-and-now pair on Ocean Gate’s page.

Retake this view · +15
People over time

Ocean Gate, census by census

05001,0001,5002,000192019401960198020002020Peak: 2,078

Between 69 and 2,078 people in every census since 1920.

11 censuses, 1920–2020.

U.S. Census Bureau decennial counts, from the census table on Ocean Gate’s Wikipedia page.

Famous people

Famous people close to Ocean Gate

Nobody well known was born in Ocean Gate itself, so here are the best known from just nearby.

See all →
K
Kirsten DunstAmerican actress · b. 1982
Diamond Dallas PageAmerican professional wrestler and actor · b. 1956
L
Lou Taylor PucciAmerican actor · b. 1985
Mark GeigerAmerican association football referee · b. 1974
A
Armin ShimermanAmerican actor · b. 1949
S
SorayaColombian-American singer-songwriter · b. 1969

Questions about Ocean Gate’s history

What year was Ocean Gate founded?

The Ocean Gate post office opened in 1910, the earliest record of the town by name (U.S. post office records). Wikidata gives 1918.

How does Ocean Gate rank for history?

Ocean Gate is more historic than 29% of U.S. towns. The History grade combines the town’s founding era, the share of homes built before 1940 and its National Register listings. It’s a character grade, so it isn’t part of the overall grade. How it works.

How old are the homes in Ocean Gate?

28% of Ocean Gate’s homes were built before 1940 (Census estimate, ±7.6 points), against a typical 15% for a New Jersey town; the median home was built in 1956.

Memory lane

What the archives can’t tell you, neighbors can.

Town Square →
Start a conversation
Sources

Where this page comes from

Founding dates: Wikidata, Wikipedia, the U.S. post office records of Blevins & Helbock (CC0) and the Census. Homes by year built: Census ACS 2020–24. National Register of Historic Places: National Park Service (list of May 22, 2026). Old photos, postcards and papers: Wikimedia Commons, the Library of Congress and other public archives, credited on each item’s page. Maps: U.S. Geological Survey historical topographic maps (via Esri) and Sanborn fire-insurance maps (Library of Congress). History text and census tables: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0). Places that used to be: USGS Geographic Names Information System (2021).

From Wikimedia Commons (16), the Library of Congress (1), Wikipedia, U.S. Geological Survey historical maps, U.S. Census counts (via Wikipedia), the US Post Offices dataset (Blevins & Helbock) and the USGS Geographic Names Information System. Archive images are copied here with their credits and licenses, shown on each photo’s page. Refreshed monthly.