Dewey Beach

Understand

Dewey Beach is a beach town along the Atlantic Ocean in Sussex County in the southern part of the state of Delaware. The town is home to several beach houses and hotels where visitors stay. Dewey Beach has several nightclubs and restaurants along the bay, which bring in famous acts and bands to the town during the summer months. Because of its nightlife offerings, Dewey Beach attracts a younger crowd. The year round population of approximately 300 increases to 30,000 in the summer months as tourists come to Dewey Beach. Many visitors to Dewey Beach come from other parts of Delaware and the Baltimore-Washington Metropolitan Area. The peak time for tourists to come to Dewey Beach is between Memorial Day weekend in late May and Labor Day weekend in early September. In June, the town is a popular destination for Senior Week, where recently-graduated high school seniors come to Dewey Beach to spend a week with their friends.

Climate

Dewey Beach has a humid subtropical climate with four seasons. Summers are hot and humid, with highs averaging in the 80s and lows averaging in the 60s. Summer temperatures occasionally rise to the 90s or 100s. Winters are cool to cold, with highs averaging in the low to mid 40s and lows averaging in the low 30s. Winter temperatures often drop below freezing. Spring and fall can be variable, usually with milder weather. Dewey Beach averages 46.95 inches of precipitation a year, which is fairly evenly distributed throughout the year. The area does see snow in the winter months, but far less than inland locations. In the warmer months, the area does experience thunderstorms, some of which can be severe. Dewey Beach is prone to tropical storms and hurricanes from the Atlantic basin in the late summer and early fall, but typically only receives the remnants of such storms as they typically weaken by the time they reach this latitude.

Get in

By car

From northern Delaware, follow Delaware Route 1 south to reach Dewey Beach. From the Chesapeake Bay Bridge, follow U.S. Route 50 east and turn left onto Maryland Route 404 east in Wye Mills. Continue along Maryland Route 404 east to the Delaware border, where the road becomes Delaware Route 404. Follow Delaware Route 404 east through Georgetown to Five Points and turn right onto Delaware Route 1 south. Follow Delaware Route 1 south to reach Dewey Beach.

During the summer months, the heaviest traffic along Delaware Route 1 occurs southbound on Friday evenings when people are traveling to the beach for the weekend, northbound on Sunday afternoons when people are leaving the beach for the weekend, and in both directions on Saturday afternoons when people are checking in and out of weekly beach rentals. Traffic is heaviest along the 10 miles of Delaware Route 1 approaching Dewey Beach. If traveling to Dewey Beach on a Saturday, it is advised to leave early in the morning in order to avoid the worst of the traffic.

By plane

The closest airport with commercial air service to Dewey Beach is the Salisbury-Ocean City-Wicomico Regional Airport (SBY) near Salisbury, Maryland about 45 miles to the southwest. This airport is served by American Eagle flights from American Airlines hubs in Charlotte and Philadelphia. Rental car service is available at this airport. Visitors may also fly into Baltimore-Washington International Airport (BWI) near Baltimore or Philadelphia International Airport (PHL) in Philadelphia, which are served by a wider selection of airlines. From here, you can rent a car and drive to Dewey Beach.

By train

The closest train station to Dewey Beach is Wilmington Station in Wilmington about 90 miles to the north. Wilmington Station is served by Amtrak trains operating on the Northeast Corridor between Washington, D.C. and Boston along with some long-distance trains, and SEPTA Regional Rail commuter trains running along the Wilmington/Newark Line from Center City Philadelphia. Rental car services are available at the station. From Wilmington Station, rent a car or take DART First State buses to Dewey Beach.

By bus

By boat

Get around

By bus

By trolley

By car

It is not advised to travel around Dewey Beach by car. Park the car when you get here and don't use it again until you leave. Between May 15 and September 15, parking in Dewey Beach is enforced by parking permits or parking meters. During this time, parking permits and parking meters are in effect from 10AM to 2AM daily, with parking free on Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday from 5PM to 11PM. Parking meters are located on Saulsbury Street bayside, New Orleans Street oceanside, Bellevue Street oceanside, Dagsworthy Avenue bayside, McKinley Avenue oceanside, Read Avenue bayside, Dickinson Avenue oceanside and bayside, and Van Dyke Avenue oceanside and bayside. Parking at meters may be paid with coins or through the Parkmobile app. Parking permits may be purchased at the Dewey Beach Town Hall at 105 Rodney Avenue. Seasonal parking permits may be purchased Monday through Friday from 9AM to 5PM while weekly, weekend, and daily parking permits may be purchased 24 hours daily at the kiosk adjacent to the Dewey Beach Town Hall parking lot. Parking permits cost $200 for a seasonal permit, $55 for a weekly permit valid for seven consecutive days, $10 for a daily permit on Monday, Tuesday, or Wednesday, $15 for a daily permit on Thursday, Friday, Saturday, or Sunday, and $35 for a weekend permit valid on a consecutive Friday-Sunday. Parking permits are not valid at parking meters. The rate for parking meters is $2 an hour.

By ride-hailing services

Ride-hailing services Uber and Lyft can be used to get around Dewey Beach.

Go next

• Rehoboth Beach is just north of Dewey Beach and offers beaches, dining, shopping, a boardwalk, arcades, and amusements.
• Ocean City is south of Dewey Beach and has 10 miles of beaches, a 3-mile long boardwalk, arcades, amusements, shopping, dining, and nightlife.