Six distinct municipalities stretch 18 miles down Long Beach Island — each with its own personality, beach badges, and pace. Pick the one that matches your trip.
Long Beach Island runs 18 miles north to south. Tap a town to open its guide — Barnegat Light sits at the north tip, Holgate at the south. The shaded bands are all Long Beach Township: it isn't one continuous town but a patchwork of sections woven between the boroughs — Loveladies actually sits north of Harvey Cedars, and High Bar Harbor is a bayside enclave off Barnegat Light.
Barnegat Light · North Tip · LBI
Barnegat Light is the small, scenic town at the very northern tip of Long Beach Island. It's anchored by "Old Barney" — the 172-foot lighthouse that's the island's most recognizable landmark — and by Viking Village, LBI's working commercial fishing port. The beaches here are the widest on the island, the pace is the slowest, and the seafood is the freshest you'll find.
Harvey Cedars · North · LBI
Harvey Cedars is one of the narrowest and most peaceful stretches of Long Beach Island. At its narrowest point you can see both the ocean and Barnegat Bay from the same block. If your idea of a beach vacation involves fewer crowds, wider open dunes, and sunsets that stop you in your tracks, this is your town.
Surf City · Central · LBI
Surf City sits in the geographic middle of Long Beach Island and was, in fact, the island's first true resort town — settled by whalers in the 1600s and one of the earliest stops for summer travelers in the 1800s. Today it's a busy, family-oriented stretch of Long Beach Boulevard packed with shops, ice cream stands, and some of the best casual restaurants on the island.
Ship Bottom · Central · LBI
Ship Bottom is the first town you hit when you cross the Causeway Bridge onto Long Beach Island, which is why it's nicknamed the "Gateway to LBI." It's central, easy to get around, and home to some of the island's most recognized shops and restaurants. If you want to be within a short drive of both ends of the island, Ship Bottom is the smartest base.
Long Beach Township · 7+ communities · LBI
Long Beach Township is the largest municipality on LBI, but it's unusual: it's not one contiguous town. Instead, it's a string of distinct communities stitched together up and down the island — Holgate at the southern tip, Brant Beach in the middle, Loveladies and North Beach on the northern end. Each section has its own personality, so where you stay in Long Beach Township really matters.
Beach Haven · South End · LBI
Beach Haven is the busiest, most walkable town on Long Beach Island and the south end's main destination for families, foodies, and anyone who wants a little nightlife with their beach day. If it's your first trip to LBI, Beach Haven is usually where you want to be — it's the closest thing the island has to a downtown, and almost every classic LBI experience is within a few blocks of the ocean.
Long Beach Island itself has six towns, but a few mainland towns are part of most LBI trips — you pass through them on the way in, and many visitors stay or stock up there:
None of these are on the island — to reach any LBI beach you cross the Causeway into Ship Bottom first.
LBI stands for Long Beach Island, a barrier island on the Jersey Shore in Ocean County, New Jersey.
Long Beach Island is in Ocean County, New Jersey. It is reached from the mainland via the Route 72 Causeway into Ship Bottom.
Long Beach Island is about 18 miles long and quite narrow — in places you can see the ocean and Barnegat Bay from the same block. It is divided into six municipalities from Barnegat Light in the north to Beach Haven and Holgate in the south.
