By Metro Area

Beaches Near You

The closest Maryland and Chesapeake beaches to 15 regional metros, sorted by distance.

Annapolis, MD

Closest beach: ~6 mi

You live in the beach capital of the Chesapeake whether you realize it or not. Sandy Point is in your backyard, and the Eastern Shore is one...

Glen Burnie, MD

Closest beach: ~8 mi

You're 20 minutes from real Bay swimming. The mistake is going south to Calvert when Fort Smallwood, Downs Park, and Sandy Point are all the...

Bel Air, MD

Closest beach: ~11 mi

Harford County has no beaches but Elk Neck, Hart-Miller, and Rocky Point are all short drives. The upper Bay reward is freshwater inflow — f...

Baltimore, MD

Closest beach: ~11 mi

Baltimoreans have it better than most: a real Chesapeake Bay beach is 20 minutes away, and the Atlantic is under three hours. The upper Bay ...

Towson, MD

Closest beach: ~13 mi

Towson is a straight shot to the upper Bay. Hammerman Beach at Gunpowder, Rocky Point, Fort Smallwood — all under 40 minutes, all real Chesa...

Waldorf, MD

Closest beach: ~15 mi

Waldorf is the one DC-area suburb where Point Lookout is closer than the Western Shore. Calvert Cliffs, Flag Ponds, and Breezy Point are als...

Columbia, MD

Closest beach: ~21 mi

Columbia sits between Baltimore and DC, which means you get the best of both ranges. The Bay is under an hour either way, and weekend traffi...

Alexandria, VA

Closest beach: ~22 mi

Alexandria has the shortest drive to the Chesapeake of any Northern Virginia suburb. The Western Shore is an hour, Point Lookout is 90 minut...

Washington, DC

Closest beach: ~25 mi

The closest real beach to DC is about 45 minutes east — and the answer is rarely Ocean City. Chesapeake Bay beaches on the Western Shore are...

Arlington, VA

Closest beach: ~27 mi

From Arlington, the Bay is closer than Virginia Beach. Go east, not south. Sandy Point, Mayo, or the upper Bay in Cecil County all beat the ...

Silver Spring, MD

Closest beach: ~29 mi

Silver Spring is close enough to the Bay that skipping Ocean City traffic is the smart move. Under 90 minutes puts you at multiple Western S...

Bethesda, MD

Closest beach: ~31 mi

Bethesda-to-beach is a solved problem: skip the I-95/50 combo on Friday evenings, drive early Saturday or go Sunday morning, and aim for the...

Rockville, MD

Closest beach: ~37 mi

Rockville to the beach is a day trip, not a weekend commitment — if you pick the right beach. Sandy Point, Matapeake, and Terrapin are all u...

Gaithersburg, MD

Closest beach: ~39 mi

Gaithersburg is a 90-minute drive from either the upper Bay or the Western Shore. For a single Saturday trip, the Annapolis area is your swe...

Frederick, MD

Closest beach: ~53 mi

Frederick is landlocked but closer to the beach than you think. An hour and change gets you to the Bay. The upper Chesapeake (Kent, Cecil co...