[21] Wildwood Crest was incorporated as a borough by an act of the New Jersey Legislature on April 6, 1910, from portions of Lower Township.

[22] The area of the borough was first developed by Philip Baker in the 1910s as a southern extension to the resort of Wildwood.

[30] The motels of Wildwood Crest are characterized by a distinctive "Doo Wop" or Googie style of architecture.

[31] The term "Doo Wop" was coined by the Mid-Atlantic Center For The Arts in the early 1990s to describe the unique, space-age architectural style that was common in the 1950s and 1960s.

[31] Post World War II America was an optimistic, confident, and enthusiastic society.

The new age style of architecture evolved into a showcase of colorful, flashy, modernistic architecture that captured the spirit of the times; it incorporated modern, sweeping angles, bright colors, starbursts, boomerang shapes, plastic palm trees, and angular wall and roof styles.

In recent years, historic "Doo Wop" motels have been demolished to make way for the construction of condominiums, leading to organized efforts to preserve the remaining examples.

Many vacationers and tourists have come from as far away as, New England and Canada and have made The Wildwoods a vacation hotspot, due to the area's mild summer climate.

In recent years, condominiums have replaced many of the motels the area was known for, such as The Grand, The Ocean Breeze, El Coronado, and The Arcadia.

Some restaurants have been torn down and replaced with condominiums, including The Captain's Table, The Surfside, and Duffenetti's.

[1][2] Part of the borough's beachfront has been closed off for the protection of native birds such as the piping plover.

[47] Established in September 2002, the borough's Urban Enterprise Zone status expires in December 2023.

[48] The joint UEZ is overseen by the Enterprise Zone Development Corporation of the Wildwoods Board, which includes representatives from all four municipalities.

The Sunset Lake and Turtle Gut Park is located at New Jersey and Miami Avenues.

A nearby memorial commemorates the Battle of Turtle Gut Inlet fought on June 29, 1776.

At a reorganization conducted after each election, the commission selects one of its members to serve as mayor and gives each commissioner an assigned department to oversee and operate.

[61][62][63] For the 119th United States Congress, New Jersey's 2nd congressional district is represented by Jeff Van Drew (R, Dennis Township).

[65] 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).

[66] 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.

[67] As of 2025[update], Cape May County's Commissioners are Director Leonard C. Desiderio (R, Sea Isle City, 2027),[68] Robert Barr (R, Ocean City; 2025),[69] Will Morey (R, Wildwood Crest; 2026),[70] Melanie Collette (R. Middle Township; 2026),[71] and Vice-Director Andrew Bulakowski (R, Lower Township; 2025).

[82][83] In the 2008 presidential election, Republican John McCain received 59.2% of the vote (1,090 cast), ahead of Democrat Barack Obama, who received 39.6% (729 votes), with 1,842 ballots cast among the borough's 2,319 registered voters, for a turnout of 79.4%.

[84] In the 2004 presidential election, Republican George W. Bush received 60.4% of the vote (1,203 ballots cast), outpolling Democrat John Kerry, who received around 38.4% (766 votes), with 1,993 ballots cast among the borough's 2,644 registered voters, for a turnout percentage of 75.4.

[104] County Route 621 (Pacific Avenue/New Jersey Avenue) runs for 2.0 miles (3.2 km) through the borough, from Lower Township to the south to Wildwood in the north.

The plant hardiness zone at Wildwood Crest Beach is 7b with an average annual extreme minimum air temperature of 6.8 °F (−14.0 °C).