Ocean City

Understand

Ocean City is a beach resort town located on a barrier island along the Atlantic Ocean, on the east coast of the Delmarva Peninsula. The city is located in Maryland, with the adjacent beach town of Fenwick Island just over the border in Delaware. The city is about 10 miles long, running from the Ocean City Inlet to the south to the Delaware border to the north, and a few blocks wide. The downtown area is in the southern part of the city and contains the boardwalk, amusements, arcades, restaurants, shops, and older homes and motels. The central and northern parts of the city are situated along a strip on Coastal Highway and are home to hotels, high-rise condos, restaurants, bars, shops, the convention center, and newer housing developments. The city has a year-round population of 6,800 (2020), but attracts between 320,000 and 345,000 vacationers on summer weekends and sees about 8 million visitors annually. Many visitors to Ocean City come from other parts of Maryland and the Baltimore-Washington Metropolitan Area, with other visitors coming from Virginia, Delaware, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania. The peak time for tourists to come to Ocean City is between Memorial Day weekend in late May and Labor Day weekend in early September. In June, the city is a popular destination for Senior Week, where recently-graduated high school seniors come to Ocean City to spend a week with their friends.

Climate

Ocean City enjoys, for the most part, a mild humid subtropical climate. Summers are hot and humid with occasional thunderstorms, while winter is cool with most precipitation in the form of rain (though light snowfall and sleet is sometimes experienced, particularly in areas further from the ocean). Spring and autumn share mild temperatures and fair weather. Hurricanes and tropical storms are rarely concerns, but they do affect the area once or twice in a decade, typically as a much less intense storm.

Visitor Information

• OC Ocean

Get in

By car

There are three ways to get into Ocean City by car. U.S. Route 50 (Ocean Gateway) provides access to downtown Ocean City from the west, crossing the Sinepuxent Bay on the Harry W. Kelley Memorial Bridge. Maryland Route 90 (Ocean City Expressway) provides access to northern Ocean City from the west, crossing the Assawoman Bay on the Assawoman Bay Bridge. Delaware Route 1 (Coastal Highway) provides access to Ocean City from Delaware to the north.

From the Baltimore area, follow Interstate 97 south to U.S. Route 50 east. Follow U.S. Route 50 east across the Chesapeake Bay Bridge and continue along U.S. Route 50 east to reach downtown Ocean City or take the exit to Maryland Route 90 east for access to northern Ocean City. Ocean City is about 150 miles/3 hours from Baltimore.

From the Washington D.C. area, follow U.S. Route 50 east across the Chesapeake Bay Bridge and continue along U.S. Route 50 east to reach downtown Ocean City or take the exit to Maryland Route 90 east for access to northern Ocean City. Ocean City is about 150 miles/3 hours from Washington, D.C.

From the Philadelphia area, follow Interstate 95 south into Delaware and take Exit 4A to Delaware Route 1 south. Follow Delaware Route 1 south to Milford and take the exit to U.S. Route 113 south. Follow U.S. Route 113 south into Maryland and take the exit to Maryland Route 90 east for access to northern Ocean City or the exit to U.S. Route 50 east for access to downtown Ocean City. Ocean City is about 150 miles/3 hours from Philadelphia.

From New Jersey or New York City, follow the New Jersey Turnpike south to the Delaware Memorial Bridge. Continue into Delaware along Interstate 295 south and Interstate 95 south and take Exit 4A to Delaware Route 1 south. Follow Delaware Route 1 south to Milford and take the exit to U.S. Route 113 south. Follow U.S. Route 113 south into Maryland and take the exit to Maryland Route 90 east for access to northern Ocean City or the exit to U.S. Route 50 east for access to downtown Ocean City. Another option is to follow the Garden State Parkway south to Cape May and take the Cape May-Lewes Ferry across the Delaware Bay to Lewes. From here, follow U.S. Route 9 west to Delaware Route 1 south to reach Ocean City. Ocean City is about 250 miles/5 hours from New York City.

From the Pittsburgh area, follow Interstate 76 (Pennsylvania Turnpike) east and take Exit 161 in Breezewood to Interstate 70 east. Follow Interstate 70 east into Maryland. Continue along Interstate 70 east and take Exit 91A to Interstate 695 south. Follow Interstate 695 south and east and take Exit 4 to Interstate 97 south. Follow Interstate 97 south to U.S. Route 50 east. Follow U.S. Route 50 east across the Chesapeake Bay Bridge and continue along U.S. Route 50 east to reach downtown Ocean City or take the exit to Maryland Route 90 east for access to northern Ocean City. Ocean City is about 350 miles/7 hours from Pittsburgh.

From the Norfolk area, follow U.S. Route 13 north across the Chesapeake Bay Bridge-Tunnel and continue along U.S. Route 13 north into Maryland. In Pocomoke City, turn onto U.S. Route 113 north and follow that route north. Take the exit to U.S. Route 50 east for access to downtown Ocean City or the exit to Maryland Route 90 east for access to northern Ocean City. Ocean City is about 140 miles/3 hours from Norfolk.

By plane

The closest airport with commercial air service to Ocean City is the Salisbury-Ocean City-Wicomico Regional Airport (SBY) near Salisbury, about 30 miles west of Ocean City. 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 or, in the case of Baltimore-Washington International Airport, take the BayRunner Shuttle to the West Ocean City Park and Ride.

By train

The closest train station to Ocean City is Wilmington Station in Wilmington, Delaware about 120 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 Ocean City.

Alternatively, Amtrak will let riders book a trip to Ocean City via BWI Airport Station, with the rest handled by the BayRunner Shuttle.

By bus

DART First State's Route 208 runs from Rehoboth Beach, DE to the 144th Street Transit Center at the intersection of Coastal Hwy and 144th St in Ocean City making stops in towns along the Delaware coast on the way. Shore Transit's Route 203 provides access to Ocean City from Salisbury while Route 503 provides access to Ocean City from Pocomoke City . Both Shore Transit routes terminate at the West Ocean City Park and Ride in the summer months when the park and ride shuttle is in operation and terminate at the South Division Street Transit Center at all other times. Greyhound Lines provides intercity bus service between the Baltimore Greyhound Terminal and the West Ocean City Park and Ride, with the portion of the route between Salisbury and Ocean City operated by Shore Transit.

The BayRunner Shuttle ferries riders from the BWI Amtrak station and Baltimore Greyhound station to the West Ocean City Park & Ride.

Get around

By bus

By tram

By foot

Ocean City is very easy to walk and easily navigable. You might end up waiting to cross Coastal Highway in summer due to heavy traffic. Make sure to cross roads at crosswalks as jaywalking is prohibited.

By car

Driving should be avoided in Ocean City because of very heavy traffic with frequent congestion. Ocean City is still easily navigable if you're used to heavy traffic, streets are well marked and the entire city is just one long strip. In the downtown area, southbound traffic follows Philadelphia Avenue while northbound traffic follows Baltimore Avenue. From north of the downtown area to the Delaware border, Coastal Highway serves as the only north-south through road, carrying three travel lanes and a right lane for buses, bicycles, and right turns in each direction.

Parking can be hard to find and also comes with a cost. The Hugh T. Cropper Inlet Parking Lot offers easy access to the beach and the boardwalk and contains over 1,200 parking spaces. The parking rate at the Inlet Parking Lot is $3.00 per hour between Memorial Day weekend and Labor Day and $2.00 per hour between April 1st and Memorial Day weekend and between Labor Day and October 31st. Free parking is available at the West Ocean City Park and Ride, with a shuttle bus connecting the lot to the South Division Street Transit Center. There are several smaller paid parking lots and on-street metered parking located in the downtown area between South Division Street and 10th Street and a few lots in the northern part of the city. The smaller parking lots are open 24 hours with a 12 hour time limit for parking; the parking rate is $2.00 per hour. Parking for boat trailers is available at the lot at 100th Street. At this lot, parking costs $10 a day or $50 a week between April 1st and October 31st.

Parking at the Inlet Parking Lot, the smaller paid parking lots, and on-street metered parking uses a pay-by-plate system, where you enter your license plate number at the pay station and pay for the amount of time you want to park. Parking in Ocean City can also be paid with the Parkmobile app.

By taxi

Many taxi services are available, ranging from '50s classic cars to modern mini vans. You can hail a cab on the street and most local cabs go by a zone fare system. Always ask the cab to run the meter or run away!

By ride-hailing services

Ride-hailing services Uber and Lyft can be used to get around Ocean City.

Go next

• Worcester County, of which Ocean City is a part, has several small towns with historic buildings that make a great side trip.
• Assateague Island, which consists of Assateague State Park and Assateague Island National Seashore, has pristine beaches and wild ponies a short distance to the south of Ocean City. From Ocean City, follow U.S. Route 50 west and make a left onto Maryland Route 611 (Stephen Decatur Highway) south, and follow that route to the park entrance. Assateague Island is a 15 minute drive from Ocean City.
• The Delaware beach resorts to the north offer a more relaxed environment than the bustle of Ocean City. Straight up the Coastal Highway, Delaware Route 1, is Bethany Beach (30 minutes) and Rehoboth Beach (45 minutes). Both Bethany Beach and Rehoboth Beach are home to boardwalks, shops, and restaurants, with Rehoboth Beach home to tax-free outlet shopping.
• A 50 minute drive west along U.S. Route 50 will take you to Salisbury, the largest city on the Eastern Shore, with a quaint historic center. Salisbury is home to attractions including the Ward Museum of Wildfowl Art and the Salisbury Zoo.
• You can also check out Washington D.C. and Baltimore, which are each about a 2 1/2 hour drive away on US 50.
• On the other side of the Chesapeake Bay Bridge-Tunnel, the Hampton Roads are approximately a 2-3 hour drive away on 113/13 South.
• If you go north through Delaware, you can drive to Philly and New York.