Ocean City launches new phone app to help visitors find open parking spaces

Ocean City has launched a new real-time system, including a phone app, to direct visitors to available spots at municipal parking lots in the popular Jersey Shore destination.

Using sensors in the parking lots, the system will direct motorists through the Ocean City Parking Spot Finder mobile app, which is available on iOS and Android, and through digital messaging signs along Ninth Street and at the parking lots in the boardwalk district, the city said.

“It should be a great convenience to our guests, and it’s a way to support our local businesses, maximize parking lot usage, and enhance traffic flow citywide,” Mayor Jay Gillian said in a statement.

Last year, the city approved a $310,713 contract to establish the new parking system, which includes the parking sensors, signs, and other components, OCNJDaily.com reported.

Ocean City made $4.1 million in parking revenue in 2024, public information officer Doug Bergen said in an email.

The digital signs cover 836 parking spots at seven surface lots closest to the boardwalk, Bergen said.

“The boardwalk district also includes more than 1,000 metered parking spaces on the street, and, further away, most of the rest of the town includes free parking on streets. There are no restrictions on who can park where,” Bergen said.

More information about parking in Ocean City is available on the city’s website.