Bethany Beach

Understand

Bethany 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 some hotels where visitors stay. Bethany Beach has a small boardwalk and a downtown area along Garfield Parkway. Bethany Beach, along with South Bethany and Fenwick Island to the south, is along a part of the Delaware coast known as "The Quiet Resorts" as it has a more laid-back atmosphere compared to Rehoboth Beach and Dewey Beach to the north and Ocean City, Maryland to the south. Bethany Beach has a year round population of just over 1,000 but an additional 15,000 people come to the town to vacation during the summer months. Many visitors to Bethany Beach come from other parts of Delaware and the Baltimore-Washington Metropolitan Area. The peak time for tourists to come to Bethany Beach is between Memorial Day weekend in late May and Labor Day weekend in early September.

Climate

Bethany 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. Bethany 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. Bethany 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.

Getting there

By car Bethany Beach is served by Delaware Route 1 and Delaware Route 26. Delaware Route 1 (Coastal Highway) heads north along the coast to Dewey Beach, Rehoboth Beach, and Lewes and south along the coast to Fenwick Island and Ocean City, Maryland. Delaware Route 26 (Garfield Highway) provides access to Bethany Beach from inland points to the west. From northern Delaware, follow Delaware Route 1 south to Milford and take the exit to U.S. Route 113 south. Follow U.S. Route 113 south and turn left onto Delaware Route 20 east in Dagsboro. Delaware Route 20 leads into Delaware Route 26 east, which heads into Bethany Beach. While you may use Delaware Route 1 south all the way to Bethany Beach, there is a lot of traffic lights and congestion in the Rehoboth Beach area, and therefore using U.S. Route 113 bypasses a lot of the congestion. From the Chesapeake Bay Bridge and the Baltimore/Washington D.C. area, 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 to Georgetown and turn right onto U.S. Route 113 south. Follow U.S. Route 113 south and turn left onto Delaware Route 20 east in Dagsboro. Delaware Route 20 leads into Delaware Route 26 east, which heads into Bethany Beach.

By plane The closest airport with commercial air service to Bethany Beach is the Salisbury-Ocean City-Wicomico Regional Airport (SBY IATA) near Salisbury, Maryland about 35 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 IATA) near Baltimore or Philadelphia International Airport (PHL IATA) in Philadelphia, which are served by a wider selection of airlines. From here, you can rent a car and drive to Bethany Beach.

By train

Getting around

Bethany Beach is very pedestrian and cyclist friendly. Smart vacationers will leave the family car back at the hotel or rental home and walk into town. Public parking spaces are located along all streets east of Atlantic Avenue, Atlantic Avenue, Pennsylvania Avenue, Garfield Parkway east of Delaware Route 1, lots off of Garfield Parkway and Hollywood Street, Campbell Place a short distance east of Pennsylvania Avenue, Central Boulevard a short distance east and west of Pennsylvania Avenue, and the north side of 5th Street between Pennsylvania Avenue and Atlantic Avenue. There are a total of 1,000 public parking spaces in Bethany Beach. Between May 15 and September 15, all public parking spaces in Bethany Beach are either enforced by parking meters or require parking permits. During this time, parking meters are in effect from 10AM to 11PM between Hollywood Street and 1st Street and from 10AM to 8PM on all other streets. There is a 2 hour time limit for metered parking on Garfield Parkway while all other parking meters do not have time limits. Parking may be paid with the Parkmobile app at pay stations or individual parking meters, credit cards at pay stations, or quarters at pay stations or individual parking meters. At pay stations, patrons will receive a ticket which should be displayed face-up on their car dashboard. The rate for the parking meters is $2.00 per hour, with credit card payments charged a $0.50 transaction fee. Change machines are available at 99 Garfield Parkway, both sides of Garfield Parkway between Pennsylvania Avenue and Atlantic Avenue, Garfield Parkway and Pennsylvania Avenue, Pennsylvania Avenue and Central Boulevard, Ocean View Beach Lot, Campbell Beach Lot, and Wellington Beach Lot. Parking permits are also valid for all paid public parking spaces except those located on Garfield Parkway, though parking is not guaranteed with a permit. Parking permits may be purchased 24 hours daily from the Bethany Beach Police Department at 214 Garfield

See

The Beach No visit to Bethany is complete without a day passed on its lovely beach, which is among the nicest in the Middle Atlantic. And the town's small but well-kept boardwalk will be a pleasant surprise for those accustomed to the crass commercialism that so dominates most larger Atlantic Ocean resort town beachfronts. Just be sure to take in a sunrise from it during your visit. 1 Bethany Beach Museum, 214 Garfield Pkwy (Inside Town Hall), ☏ +1 302 539-8011. M-F 8AM-4:30PM. Visit and learn about Bethany Beach's birth as a religious retreat over a century ago. Museum is home to memorabilia and photographs. Free. (updated Apr 2017) Chief Little Owl. 24 foot totem pole erected in 1976 on Garfield Parkway at Delaware Avenue (Del. Rte. 1).

Do

Swimming in the ocean is a popular activity in Bethany Beach. Beachgoers like to get some sand between their toes and a little sun. But this quiet beach town has more to offer than meets the eye.

Bethany Beach Bandstand, 114 Garfield Pkwy, ☏ +1 302-539-8011. Bandstand with performances running throughout the summer from Memorial Day weeke