Are there ticks in New Jersey?

Yes. New Jersey has ticks in every county, led by the deer tick (blacklegged tick) that spreads Lyme disease, along with the American dog tick and the lone star tick. They are active whenever the ground is not frozen, and today 483 of the state's 564 towns are at moderate or high tick risk on TickZone's daily score.

What types of ticks live in New Jersey?

New Jersey has the deer tick (blacklegged tick), which carries Lyme disease; the American dog tick; and the lone star tick, which is established in the state and causes alpha-gal syndrome. See the New Jersey tick identification chart for photos and how to tell them apart.

When does tick season start and end in New Jersey?

In New Jersey, ticks are active whenever the ground is not frozen, roughly March through November. Nymph deer ticks peak in June and July and cause most Lyme cases, and adult ticks have a second peak in the fall. On any winter day above freezing, adult ticks can still bite.

When is flea and tick season?

Flea and tick season generally runs from early spring through late fall, peaking in the warm summer months. In New Jersey, start prevention for pets and people in March and keep it up through November, since ticks can bite on any mild day.

Which tick carries Lyme disease in New Jersey?

The deer tick, also called the blacklegged tick, is the tick that spreads Lyme disease in New Jersey. The American dog tick and lone star tick do not carry Lyme.

Ticks in New Jersey

Ticks are active in New Jersey whenever the ground is not frozen, led by the Lyme-carrying deer tick. TickZone scores all 564 New Jersey towns every morning, so risk stays local: pick your town for today's number, a 7-day outlook, and what's driving it.

Tick season in New Jersey

Tick season in New Jersey runs whenever the ground is not frozen, roughly March through November, with two peaks. Nymph deer ticks, the poppy-seed-sized stage that causes most Lyme cases, peak from late May through July. Adult deer ticks make a second push in October and November, and on any winter day above about 40 F they can quest again. American dog ticks are busiest from April through July.

Generalized for the Northeast and Upper Midwest Lyme belt.
Life stage	J	F	M	A	M	J	J	A	S	O	N	D
Deer tick nymphs
Deer tick adults
American dog tick
Lone star tick

Peak Active

Generalized for the Northeast and Upper Midwest Lyme belt. Activity windows by life stage from TickEncounter (Univ. of Rhode Island) and the Northeast Regional Center for Excellence in Vector-Borne Diseases. Any warm spell can wake ticks earlier than the calendar suggests.

Those are averages, and any single week can run hotter or colder than the calendar suggests. The daily score on every town page folds the season, the weather, and local habitat into one number each morning, so it is the safer way to time yard work, hikes, and pet prevention.

Highest-risk towns in New Jersey (2026)

New Jersey's highest structural tick risk concentrates in Hunterdon County, which holds 10 of the state's top 10 towns (494 CDC-reported Lyme cases per 100k). The top 10 towns run 71 to 85 percent forest, ranked at peak season so the list stays stable.

1Stockton Borough Hunterdon CountyHigh at peak
2High Bridge Borough Hunterdon CountyHigh at peak
3Califon Borough Hunterdon CountyHigh at peak
4Glen Gardner Borough Hunterdon CountyHigh at peak
5Frenchtown Borough Hunterdon CountyHigh at peak
6Milford Borough Hunterdon CountyHigh at peak
7Lambertville Hunterdon CountyHigh at peak
8Lebanon Township Hunterdon CountyHigh at peak
9Hampton Borough Hunterdon CountyHigh at peak
10Bethlehem Township Hunterdon CountyHigh at peak

See the riskiest towns in every state →

All New Jersey towns, by county

Atlantic County · 23 towns · 60/100k Lyme

Bergen County · 70 towns · 47/100k Lyme

Burlington County · 40 towns · 44/100k Lyme

Camden County · 36 towns · 32/100k Lyme

Cape May County · 16 towns · 44/100k Lyme

Cumberland County · 14 towns · 65/100k Lyme

Essex County · 22 towns · 24/100k Lyme

Gloucester County · 24 towns · 50/100k Lyme

Hudson County · 12 towns · 18/100k Lyme

Hunterdon County · 26 towns · 494/100k Lyme

Mercer County · 12 towns · 91/100k Lyme

Middlesex County · 25 towns · 45/100k Lyme

Monmouth County · 53 towns · 97/100k Lyme

Morris County · 39 towns · 123/100k Lyme

Ocean County · 33 towns · 85/100k Lyme

Passaic County · 16 towns · 58/100k Lyme

Salem County · 15 towns · 70/100k Lyme

Somerset County · 21 towns · 105/100k Lyme

Sussex County · 24 towns · 326/100k Lyme

Union County · 21 towns · 24/100k Lyme

Warren County · 22 towns · 299/100k Lyme

New Jersey tick questions

Are there ticks in New Jersey?: Yes. New Jersey has ticks in every county, led by the deer tick (blacklegged tick) that spreads Lyme disease, along with the American dog tick and the lone star tick. They are active whenever the ground is not frozen, and today 483 of the state's 564 towns are at moderate or high tick risk on TickZone's daily score.
What types of ticks live in New Jersey?: New Jersey has the deer tick (blacklegged tick), which carries Lyme disease; the American dog tick; and the lone star tick, which is established in the state and causes alpha-gal syndrome. See the New Jersey tick identification chart for photos and how to tell them apart.
When does tick season start and end in New Jersey?: In New Jersey, ticks are active whenever the ground is not frozen, roughly March through November. Nymph deer ticks peak in June and July and cause most Lyme cases, and adult ticks have a second peak in the fall. On any winter day above freezing, adult ticks can still bite.
When is flea and tick season?: Flea and tick season generally runs from early spring through late fall, peaking in the warm summer months. In New Jersey, start prevention for pets and people in March and keep it up through November, since ticks can bite on any mild day.
Which tick carries Lyme disease in New Jersey?: The deer tick, also called the blacklegged tick, is the tick that spreads Lyme disease in New Jersey. The American dog tick and lone star tick do not carry Lyme.