[19] West Cape May was incorporated as a borough by an act of the New Jersey Legislature on April 17, 1884, from portions of Lower Township, based on the results of a referendum held two days earlier.

[21][22] During Hurricane Sandy in October 2012, West Cape May was hit by 9.53 inches (242 mm) of rain, the most of any place in the state.

[23] West Cape May had been a dry town until May 2012, when a new store opened after the Board of Commissioners approved the sale of a liquor license for more than $600,000.

[25] The borough had been dry for 128 years, where alcohol cannot be sold, affirmed by the results of a referendum held in 1940,[26][27] joining Cape May Point, Ocean City and Wildwood Crest among municipalities in Cape May restricting the sale of alcohol.

The area has a rich agricultural history which continues to be celebrated each year with a summer farmers' market, and strawberry, tomato and lima bean festivals.

West Cape May was incorporated as a borough by an act of the New Jersey Legislature on April 17, 1884, from portions of Lower Township, based on the results of a referendum held two days earlier.

[30] From 1881 to 1931, the Hastings Goldbeating Company was located in the Borough employing women to pound one-inch strips of gold into gossamer-thin sheets used for decorative arts.

It was this business, along with real estate speculation and subdivision of the land, that led to the Borough's incorporation in 1884.

[46] Julie Lasky of The New York Times wrote that "until recently" the African-American community was "vibrant" but that by 2020 the percentage declined to 5%.

[5] Once the Commissioners take office, they divide up responsibility for the municipal departments, with each Commissioner serving as a Department Director and holds all the executive, administrative, judicial and legislative powers, with no single chief executive.

An ordinance adopted by the Board of Commissioners in December 2012 shifted the borough's municipal elections from May to November.

[3][53][54][55][56][57] In October 2022, Alan Crawford was appointed to fill the seat vacated by Peter C. Burke the previous month.

[58] In January 2023, George Dick was appointed to fill the vacant seat as commissioner that had been held by Daniel M. Kurkowski until he resigned from office the previous month.

[56] Carol Sabo was appointed in early 2013 to fill the vacant seat of Ramsay Geyer, who had resigned to move out of the borough.

[63][64][65] For the 119th United States Congress, New Jersey's 2nd congressional district is represented by Jeff Van Drew (R, Dennis Township).

[67] For the 2024-2025 session, the 1st legislative district of the New Jersey Legislature is represented in the State Senate by Mike Testa (R, Vineland) and in the General Assembly by Antwan McClellan (R, Ocean City) and Erik K. Simonsen (R, Lower Township).

[68] Cape May County is governed by a five-person Board of County Commissioners whose members are elected at-large on a partisan basis to three-year terms of office on a staggered basis, with either one or two seats coming up for election each year; At an annual reorganization held each January, the commissioners select one member to serve as director and another to serve as vice-director.

[69] As of 2025[update], Cape May County's Commissioners are Director Leonard C. Desiderio (R, Sea Isle City, 2027),[70] Robert Barr (R, Ocean City; 2025),[71] Will Morey (R, Wildwood Crest; 2026),[72] Melanie Collette (R. Middle Township; 2026),[73] and Vice-Director Andrew Bulakowski (R, Lower Township; 2025).

[74][69][75] The county's constitutional officers are Clerk Rita Marie Rothberg (R, 2025, Ocean City),[76][77] Sheriff Robert Nolan (R, 2026, Lower Township)[78][79] and Surrogate E. Marie Hayes (R, 2028, Ocean City).

[84][85] In the 2008 presidential election, Democrat Barack Obama received 62.9% of the vote (387 cast), ahead of Republican John McCain, who received 35.0% (215 votes), with 615 ballots cast among the borough's 752 registered voters, for a turnout of 81.8%.

[86] In the 2004 presidential election, Democrat John Kerry received 60.5% of the vote (377 ballots cast), outpolling Republican George W. Bush, who received around 38.5% (240 votes), with 623 ballots cast among the borough's 818 registered voters, for a turnout percentage of 76.2.

NJ Transit offers bus service between Cape May and Atlantic City on the 552 route.