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Base guide · Wrightstown, New Jersey

The JB McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst guide

Gate hours, the All American Inn, split-county per diem, Pine Barrens neighborhoods, and where to eat and play between Philly and the Shore.

Updated August 2026 · 10 min read

Now at JB McGuire-Dix-LakehurstChecking local conditions…

Photo: A U.S. Air Force C-17 Globemaster III aircraft assigned to Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst, N.J., lands at the Geronimo landing zone during Joint Readiness Training Center (JRTC) . U.S. Air Force photo by MSgt John R. Nimmo Sr. (Public domain). Source

Base essentials
Major command
Air Mobility Command
Host wing
87th Air Base Wing
Nearest airport
PHL (Philadelphia International) · ~45 min
Time zone
Eastern (ET)
Footprint
42,000 acres across Burlington and Ocean counties, 10 townships
Population
44,000+ service members, civilians, and family members; NJ's largest employer
01

Overview

Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst is the Department of Defense's only tri-service joint base. The 87th Air Base Wing hosts more than 80 mission partners across 42,000 acres: the 305th Air Mobility Wing's C-17s and KC-46s, the 514th Air Mobility Wing reservists who fly alongside them, the 621st Contingency Response Wing and USAF Expeditionary Center, the New Jersey Air National Guard's 108th Wing with its own KC-46s, Army Support Activity Dix with its mobilization and training ranges, and Naval Air Warfare Center Aircraft Division Lakehurst, where the Navy designs and tests carrier launch and recovery gear. More than 44,000 service members, civilians, and family members work and live here, making JB MDL New Jersey's largest employer. Aircrew, contingency response students, mobilizing soldiers, and NAVAIR engineers cycle through constantly.

The base sits in the least densely populated corner of New Jersey, wrapped in pine forest about 18 miles southeast of Trenton and 45 minutes from Philadelphia. The climate is four honest seasons: humid summers near 80 degrees, real winters with a few plowable snowstorms, and shoulder seasons that are as pleasant as anywhere on the East Coast. For a TDY traveler the practical realities are the three-campus sprawl (McGuire and Dix share a fence line, Lakehurst is 20-plus miles east), the split-county per diem, and New Jersey traffic on the Turnpike and Route 70.

Weather

NWS Mount Holly normals show July highs around 80 degrees with lows near 70 and thick humidity, while January averages 42/30 with 10-20 inches of snow in a typical winter. The area gets about 43 inches of precipitation spread evenly through the year, so expect rain any month.

Best months

May-June and September-October

Tough months

January-February for nor'easters and ice on the back roads, and July-August for humidity and Shore traffic on Route 70

02

Getting there

  • Fly into Philadelphia International (PHL), about 45 minutes via I-95 and I-295 to Route 206 or Route 68. Newark Liberty (EWR) is about 75 minutes down the Turnpike and often has better fares; Trenton-Mercer (TTN) is 35 minutes away with a handful of Frontier routes. You need a rental car — there is no practical transit to the gates.
  • The McGuire Main Gate, the Dix Main Gate on Route 68, the Lakehurst Main Gate, the Bolling housing gate, and the Browns Mills/Texas gates are open 24 hours. The Wrightstown Gate runs 6 a.m. to 5 p.m. weekdays, the commercial gates close early afternoon, and the Pemberton Gate opens only for school drop-off and pickup. Confirm current hours on the JBMDL app before you travel.
  • The McGuire Welcome Center (visitor control) is at 3021 McGuire Boulevard, just outside the McGuire Main Gate, open 7 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Saturday, 609-754-3628. Bring a REAL ID-compliant license, your orders, and registration and insurance for a rental car; Army visitors at Dix can also use the ASA Dix visitor information page for sponsorship rules.
  • The Turnpike between Exits 7 and 7A and Route 38 through Mount Holly back up on weekday evenings, and Route 70 toward Lakehurst crawls with Shore traffic on summer Fridays. Plan an extra 20 minutes for the McGuire-to-Lakehurst drive any afternoon.
03

TDY lodging

On base

On-base rates · FY2027

$102 per night · VOQ/VQ

October 1, 2026–September 30, 2027. Confirm your authorized allowance before booking.

Check your dates →Official rate sheet ↗

The All American Inn

Phone
609-754-4667
Phone 2
732-323-2266
DSN
650-4667
Front desk
24/7
TLF (families)
Available
  • The All American Inn (Air Force Inns) runs lodging on both sides of the base: Bldg. 2786 Mitchell Road on McGuire-Dix (609-754-4667, DSN 650-4667) and Bldg. 481 Walsh Drive at Lakehurst (732-323-2266), with a 24/7 front desk and a toll-free line at 1-888-AF-LODGE.
  • TLF units with a kitchen, living room, and separate bedroom serve PCS families; the FY2027 TLF rate at McGuire-Dix is $110 a night.
  • Lakehurst has a separate seasonal schedule, so confirm the location and room category when you book at af.dodlodging.net.
  • If the Inn is full, ask for a non-availability number before you book commercial lodging.

Off-base per diem

  • Confirm the current lodging allowance for your duty location and travel dates with the official rate lookup and your travel office.
  • No current rate is quoted here.
  • Alaska and Hawaii use DoD OCONUS rates.
  • A published ceiling is not proof of reimbursement eligibility.
Total your trip → per diem calculatorOn-base lodging cost →

The crashpad option

We're expanding at JB McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst. Send us your dates and which side of the base you'll be working — McGuire-Dix or Lakehurst — and we'll match you with a furnished crashpad priced inside the government rate with DTS-ready receipts.

JB McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst crashpads
04

Housing & BAH

Housing

  • Family housing is privatized under United Communities, managed by First Montgomery Group, with two- to four-bedroom townhomes near the McGuire-Dix core; the leasing office is at 3700 A Circle Drive (609-714-6545, weekdays 8-5).
  • The government Housing Management Office is 609-754-3662 for McGuire-Dix and 732-323-2370 for Lakehurst, and every incoming family should check in there first.
  • Off base, Burlington County runs roughly 15 percent above the national average for housing cost; Browns Mills and Pemberton are the value plays, Bordentown and Mount Holly sit mid-range, and Medford and Moorestown command a premium.
  • Buying is common here because BAH is generous and the area is stable, but property taxes in New Jersey are among the highest in the country, so run the full numbers.

BAH 2026 · MHA NJ204

GradeWith dependentsWithout dependents
E-5$2,823$2,421
O-3$3,552$3,219
  • For MHA NJ204 (JB McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst), published 2026 tables show approximately $2,823 with dependents and $2,421 without for an E-5, and approximately $3,552 with dependents and $3,219 without for an O-3, up roughly 4.5-5 percent from 2025.
  • Confirm on the DTMO BAH calculator.
Every grade → BAH calculator·2026 pay chart
NeighborhoodCommute

Bordentown / Florence

Walkable riverfront towns along the Delaware with a real Main Street, the Bordentown Regional and Florence Township schools, and mid-range homes that make it the most popular pick for McGuire families who want a commute under 20 minutes.

Commute: ~15-20 min

Columbus / Mansfield / Chesterfield

Farm-country townships right off Route 206 with newer developments, Northern Burlington Regional schools, and the shortest drive to the McGuire Main Gate of any suburb.

Commute: ~10-15 min

Mount Holly / Lumberton

The historic county seat with a lively Main Street, Virtua's hospital, and Rancocas Valley Regional schools, plus a mix of older homes and townhome rentals that suit both singles and families.

Commute: ~15-20 min

Medford / Moorestown

Upscale Burlington County towns with top-ranked schools, lakes, and leafy streets; pricier than most JB MDL communities, but BAH stretches to cover it and Philadelphia is 40 minutes away.

Commute: ~25-30 min

Browns Mills / Pemberton

The budget-friendly pick right outside the Browns Mills Gate and Deborah Hospital, with lake-cottage homes and rentals well inside BAH and the Pemberton Township schools; you trade polish for a 10-minute commute.

Commute: ~10 min

Jackson / Manchester / Toms River (Lakehurst side)

Ocean County suburbs that put Lakehurst commuters 15-25 minutes from the gate, with Six Flags, big-box shopping on Route 37, and the Shore a half hour east; families here school in Jackson, Manchester, or Toms River districts.

Commute: ~15-25 min to Lakehurst
05

Schools & childcare

  • There are no DoDEA schools on JB MDL, but the North Hanover Township School District (K-6) operates one of its elementary schools on the base grounds, and base housing residents zone into North Hanover for elementary and Northern Burlington County Regional for grades 7-12.
  • Off-base districts military families use most are Northern Burlington County Regional, Bordentown Regional, Rancocas Valley Regional (Mount Holly area), Pemberton Township, and, on the Lakehurst side, Lakehurst Borough, Manchester Township, and Jackson. New Jersey's Purple Star-style military-friendly designations vary by district, so ask each school directly.
  • The School Liaison Office is at Bldg. 5219, 8th Street and New York Avenue on the Dix side, 609-562-5411, email 87fss.jbmdl.slo@us.af.mil; it also runs the Anchored4Life transition program for kids facing PCS, deployment, or reintegration.
  • Childcare: McGuire CDC #1 (609-754-2966), McGuire CDC #2 (609-754-3661), Dix CDC (609-562-3878), and Lakehurst CDC (732-323-2260) all offer full-day care with drop-in hourly care as space allows. Get on the waitlist through MilitaryChildCare.com as soon as you have orders — infant spots go slowly.
06

Healthcare

  • The 87th Medical Group at 3458 Neely Road on the McGuire side is an outpatient ambulatory care clinic — primary care, pharmacy, dental, and a range of specialty clinics — with no emergency room and no inpatient beds. Book through the appointment line at 866-DRS-APPT (866-377-2778), which also reaches the after-hours on-call provider.
  • For emergencies, the Deborah Heart and Lung Center emergency department (run by Capital Health) at 200 Trenton Road in Browns Mills sits just outside the Browns Mills Gate, and Virtua Mount Holly Hospital is a full-service 383-bed hospital with a 24/7 ER about 15 minutes west. On the Lakehurst side, Toms River hospitals are closest. Call 911 and go; notify the clinic or Nurse Advice Line afterward.
  • JB MDL is in the TRICARE East Region, administered by Humana Military. Prime enrollees on TDY should call the Nurse Advice Line (1-800-874-2273) before using urgent care to keep the visit covered.
07

On base

Commissary

3453 Broidy Road on the McGuire side, 609-200-8400 — a full-size store; Lakehurst has a small shoppette only.

Exchange

Main Exchange at 3452 Broidy Road, 609-723-6100, with a food court and Military Clothing; Express stores on the Dix and Lakehurst sides.

Fitness

McGuire Fitness Center, Bldg. 2504 POW/MIA Boulevard, 609-754-6085; Lakehurst Fitness Center, Bldg. 123 Severyns Road, 732-323-7266; plus the Dix-side gyms used by mobilizing units.

Dining
  • The main dining facility, Bldg. 5555 at Texas Avenue and 8th Street on Dix (609-562-2095), is open to all DoD ID holders and their guests; several other DFACs are restricted to training units.
  • Off base, Bordentown and Mount Holly have the best sit-down options.
MWR

87th FSS (gomdl.com) runs Outdoor Recreation with kayak and camper rentals, the bowling center and Ten Pin snack bar, a golf course, ITT tickets for Six Flags and Philadelphia attractions, and Lakehurst's own rec facilities.

Newcomers

The Military & Family Readiness Center, Bldg. 3435 Broidy Road, 609-754-3154, combines the Airman & Family Readiness Center, Army Community Service, and Fleet & Family Support — start there for Right Start briefings and loan-locker gear.

08

Off duty

Barnegat Lighthouse, Barnegat Light, New Jersey
Barnegat Lighthouse, Barnegat Light, New Jersey. Photo: Photo by Thisisbossi, via Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 2.5). Source
4:3 ratio cropped version of full German language Lotter Map[dead link] of the center colonies of England dated concurrent with the French and Indian War (1756-1763) when emigratio

Philadelphia

Center City is about 45 minutes via I-295 and the Ben Franklin Bridge. Independence Hall, the Liberty Bell, Reading Terminal Market, and the Museum of Art are all walkable, and a Phillies or Eagles game is an easy night trip. Park at a PATCO station in Camden County if you'd rather skip city parking.

Official site ↗

Photo by Fabartus, via Wikimedia Commons (CC BY 3.0) · source

This picture is of the Bizarro roller coaster at Six Flags Great Adventure, in Jackson, New Jersey

Six Flags Great Adventure

The Jackson park is 25-30 minutes east on County Route 537 between Dix and Lakehurst, with the drive-through Wild Safari and Hurricane Harbor water park on the same property. ITT on base sells discounted tickets.

Official site ↗

Photo by Me (Christopher Sayan) (Nappyrootslistener), via Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 3.0) · source

Hangar One and the Hindenburg site

The Navy Lakehurst Historical Society runs free three-hour tours of Hangar No. 1, the Hindenburg crash memorial, and the Cathedral of the Air on Wednesdays and select Saturdays. Pre-register by email at least two weeks ahead.

Official site ↗
4:3 ratio cropped version of full German language Lotter Map[dead link] of the center colonies of England dated concurrent with the French and Indian War (1756-1763) when emigratio

The Pine Barrens

Brendan T. Byrne State Forest borders the base for trail runs and mountain biking, and Wharton State Forest, about 50 minutes south, has Batsto Village, the Batona Trail, and canoe liveries on the Mullica and Batsto rivers. Outdoor Rec rents the kayaks.

Official site ↗

Photo by Fabartus, via Wikimedia Commons (CC BY 3.0) · source

Jersey Shore and Long Beach Island

Seaside Heights and Island Beach State Park are about 45 minutes from Lakehurst via Route 37, and Long Beach Island is an hour from Dix down Route 72. Go midweek or before 8 a.m. on summer weekends.

Official site ↗

Historic Bordentown and Trenton

Bordentown's Farnsworth Avenue has brewpubs and antique shops 15 minutes from the gate, and Trenton's Old Barracks Museum and the State House are 25 minutes north. Washington Crossing Historic Park is another 20 minutes up the river.

Official site ↗

Princeton and New York City

Princeton's campus, Nassau Street, and the Princeton Battlefield are 45 minutes north. For Manhattan, park at the Hamilton NJ Transit station and take the Northeast Corridor line — about 75 minutes to Penn Station, no Turnpike toll or parking headaches.

Official site ↗
09

Insider tips

  1. 01Know which side of the base your orders put you on before you book anything. McGuire and Dix share a fence line, but Lakehurst is 20-plus miles east on Route 70 and falls in a different county with a different per diem rate.
  2. 02Book the All American Inn the day your orders drop. Mobilizations at Dix, Expeditionary Center classes, and big mobility exercises fill it fast, and a non-availability number is your ticket to commercial lodging reimbursement.
  3. 03Download the JBMDL app and watch the Gates/Construction tab. Hours change for exercises and holidays, the Wrightstown Gate closes at 5 p.m., and the commercial gates shut early afternoon.
  4. 04Winter is real here: nor'easters can drop a foot of snow, and the pine-shaded back roads around Browns Mills and Pemberton ice over before the highways do. Keep a scraper and blanket in the rental car from December through March.
  5. 05Summer Fridays on Route 70 and the Garden State Parkway are brutal with Shore traffic. If you must go McGuire to Lakehurst after 2 p.m. on a Friday in July, take County Route 539 and give yourself 45 minutes.
  6. 06New Jersey is a full-service gas state — you can't pump your own. Don't get out of the car; wait for the attendant.
  7. 07PCS families: call the Housing Management Office (609-754-3662) before you accept United Communities' wait estimate, and put your kids on MilitaryChildCare.com waitlists immediately. Infant CDC spots are the long pole.
  8. 08Property taxes here are among the highest in the country. If you're thinking about buying because BAH is generous, price the tax bill into the mortgage before you get attached to a house in Medford or Moorestown.
10

FAQ

Can I stay off base at JB McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst and get reimbursed?
Yes, if on-base lodging is unavailable. Call the All American Inn (609-754-4667) first; if it's full you receive a non-availability number and can lodge commercially. On the McGuire-Dix side that means the FY2026 Cherry Hill/Moorestown rate of $112 lodging plus $80 M&IE; on the Lakehurst side it's the Toms River rate of $166 lodging ($213 in July-August) plus $74 M&IE. Confirm the locality DTS assigns to your orders.
Which gate do I use and do I need a visitor pass?
With a CAC, use the 24-hour McGuire Main Gate, the Dix Main Gate on Route 68, or the Lakehurst Main Gate. Visitors and contractors get passes at the McGuire Welcome Center, 3021 McGuire Boulevard, outside the McGuire Main Gate, 7 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Saturday (609-754-3628). Bring a REAL ID and your rental agreement.
Is there a hospital on base?
No. The 87th Medical Group is an outpatient clinic with no emergency room (appointments at 866-377-2778). For emergencies, Deborah Heart and Lung Center's Capital Health-run ER is just outside the Browns Mills Gate on Trenton Road, and Virtua Mount Holly Hospital is a full-service hospital with a 24/7 ER about 15 minutes west.
Where do families live near JB MDL?
McGuire and Dix families cluster west and north in Burlington County — Bordentown, Columbus, Mount Holly, Medford, and budget-friendly Browns Mills right outside the gate. Lakehurst families head east into Ocean County: Jackson, Manchester, and Toms River. On base, United Communities offers two- to four-bedroom townhomes; check in with the Housing Management Office at 609-754-3662 first.
11

Helpful resources

Official

Things to do

Community & local

List your resource

Run a business, park, church, gym, or service that helps JB McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst travelers and families? Have a correction? Email basecrashpads@gmail.com with the link and a sentence on why it's useful. We review every submission and list the ones that earn it.

Sources & disclaimer

Photos: U.S. Air Force photo by MSgt John R. Nimmo Sr. (Public domain); Photo by Thisisbossi, via Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 2.5). Full attribution on the photo credits page.

Rates, hours, and policies change — BAH resets every January and per diem every October. Confirm specifics with the official sources above and your orders. This guide is written by Base Crashpads and is not an official Air Force or DoD resource.

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