By Amy Kuperinsky | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com 

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on April 11, 2016 at 7:15 PM, updated April 12, 2016 at 2:06 AM

A Jersey shore has been named the winner of Coastal Magazine's 2016 Best Beach in America competition.

Ocean City is the victor, having received the most votes in the bracket-style beach contest. It was the only New Jersey beach to represent the state in the competition.  

Coastal Living contacted each coastal state in the country to ask for the best beaches — editors nominated beaches for states that did not provide a best beach — and ran a bracket determined by voting that started on March 11 and ended on April 3. Other nominees included Presque Isle State Park in Pennsylvania, Main Beach in New York and Hammonasset Beach State Park in Connecticut.

N.J. beach named one of 10 best for families in 2016

This Jersey shore has consistently ranked high in annual lists

The Cape May County beach bested Huntington Beach, Calif., which came in second place. Coastal Living's blog post about the New Jersey beach mentions a family-friendly boardwalk and quirky events and parades as characteristic details of the city.

Ocean City will be featured in the June 2016 issue of the magazine.

"The contest included a lot of beautiful beaches, but the voters knew that Ocean City is much more than that," Mayor Jay Gillian said in a statement posted on the city's website. "It's a tradition and a part of life for generations of residents and guests. Days on the beach and boardwalk nights in Ocean City are the fabric of many fond memories for people across the country. We all feel blessed to live in such a wonderful place and proud that so many visitors share our passion." 

Sunbathers relax on a beach in Ocean City. (Mary Godleski/AP)

The statement, which added that Ocean City received more than 100,000 votes in the final round of competition, said the Ocean City Regional Chamber of Commerce would be putting together a basket of local "treats" to share with Huntington Beach officials. 

In 2015, Ocean City topped the New Jersey Sea Grant Consortium's annual top 10 beaches list, compiled from more than 12,000 votes. The Cape May County beach, winning for the second year in a row, topped the overall list as well as separate breakout lists for best family destination, day trip and ecotourism. 

To see the full breakdown of the bracket and the list of nominees, visit Coastal Living.