Geographically, the term encompasses the coast from Sandy Hook in the north to Cape May on the south and excludes the estuaries of New York Bay and Delaware Bay.

The Jersey Shore has long been an important tourist destination for the surrounding regions, specifically for residents of New Jersey and nearby New York City and Philadelphia. It has gone through several waves of popularity and decline throughout the 20th century.

The town of Asbury Park along the northern shore was popular in the early 20th century, having been linked by train to New York City.

Along the southern coast, Atlantic City was a popular beach destination before falling into decline after World War II. The introduction of legalized gambling in the 1970s led to a vigorous revival of the community and it is now regarded as one of the popular tourist destinations on the East Coast.

During the 1970s, the beaches of the Jersey Shore gained a somewhat unsavory reputation for being polluted, popularized in part by incidents of medical waste washing up on the shore.

In recent years, the fortunes of the shore have improved and it has once again become a heavily-used destination for beachgoers and resort vacationers during the summer months (with the exception of Atlantic City, which is popular year-round).