We demonstrate that the effect of the PCB ground length and the cover is important in the performance of 2.4 GHz patch antennas. The Center frequency in the return loss shifts as much as 0.5 GHz, when the length of the PCB ground increases from 30 to 85 mm. The position of 10-dB bandwidth accordingly shifts to lower frequency region. Finally, the resonance at 2.4 GHz becomes stronger when the top cover exists. The radiation pattern of the patch antenna is also strongly affected by the ground structure and the existence of the top cover. In both the return loss and the radiation pattern, 3-dimensional simulations are shown to be an efficient tool.