DELMARVA - Parking at the beach can be a pain, and easily turn a fun day in to a frustrating one. Though we can't make sure you get a spot, what we can do is let you know what you should expect to pay once you do find a spot.
REHOBOTH BEACH
Paid parking runs in Rehoboth Beach from May 15 to September 15 every year, with metered parking enforced from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m.
Meter rates are set at $3/hour citywide. Payments can be made with quarters or with credit cards via the ParkMobile app.
Non-metered areas require a parking permit, which can be purchased from 8:30 am-2:30 pm Thursday-Sunday at kiosks in the 700 block of Bayard Avenue, between Stockley and Norfolk streets, and at 408 Rehoboth Avenue just beyond the drawbridge and traffic circle.
Rehoboth Beach required head-in parking, save for handicap spots, which are exempt.
Here is a parking map provided by the city.
Courtesy City of Rehoboth Beach
For more information, visit the City of Rehoboth Beach's website.
LEWES
Paid parking in Lewes goes from May 1 to Oct. 14, with parking enforced from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m.
Downtown, the rate is $1.50 an hour, with a 15 minute minimum and a three hour maximum. The City of Lewes say meters and posted signs will tell how much time is allowed. They note this includes both on street parking and parking lots.
On the beach, the rate is $2.50 an hour, with an 11 hour maximum. This is for both the Savannah Beach lot and the Johnnie Walker Beach lot. Beach meters are only in effect until May 1 through Sept. 30.
There are also several locations where parking is free:
- The lot on Franklin Ave. & Schley Ave (this one has electric vehicle charging stations)
- The lot at Roosevelt Inlet, at the end of Cedar Ave.
- The Beebe lot on Market St. and 4th St., but only on evenings and weekends.
- The Otis Smith Park lot
- The Trail Head lot at the Lewes Library
The town also has several ways to pay for parking:
- Quarters can be used on street meters
- Credit cards can be used, but there is a $0.50 fee, as well as a two-hour minimum
- Cash can be used only at the lots. Downtown lots can take $1 bills and $5 bills, while beach lots can take up to $20 bills. No change is provided.
- Lewes also uses the ParkMobile app, but there is a $0.55 fee and a two-hour minimum.
For more information and a parking map, check out the City of Lewes website.
DEWEY BEACH
Paid parking Dewey Beach is in effect from May 15 to Sept. 15, but the town does still offer free parking Monday through Wednesday from 5 p.m. to 11 p.m. all summer.
Meters in Dewey Beach cost $3 per hour, but the town offers several permits that may be more affordable if in Dewey for an extended amount of time:
- Hourly rate is $3 an hour
- A 24 hour permit is $25
- A weekend permit is $45 (active from 10 a.m. Friday through 10 a.m. Monday)
- A weekly permit is $90 (8 consecutive days)
All of these can be purchased at any time at the automated kiosk in the Dewey Beach Town Hall parking lot. Specifically for hourly, you can use a coin meter, kiosk meter to pay with car, or use the ParkMobile app.
For more information, see the Town of Dewey Beach's Parking FAQ.
BETHANY BEACH
Paid parking in Bethany Beach is in effect May 15 through September 15, enforced from 10 a.m. to 11 p.m. Hollywood St. through First St., and 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. everywhere else.
The meters in Bethany Beach cost $3 per hour, with a two hour limit on Garfield Parkway. Everywhere else has no time limit.
To pay, the town says that single meters take quarters, pay stations take quarters and credit/debit cards, or you can pay on your phone using the ParkMobile app.
The town says that there are several spaces on east/west streets that require a resident or business parking permit. To see where these areas are, see the parking map below:
Courtesy Town of Bethany Beach
For more information, see the Town of Bethany Beach website.
FENWICK ISLAND
Paid parking in Fenwick Island is in effect from May 15 through Sept. 15, enforced from 9 a.m. to 10 p.m.
Rates are as follows:
- $3 an hour
- $25 a day
- $150 a week
- $500 for the season
To pay, there are only two options: use the ParkMobile app, or do it in person at the Fenwick Island Police Department, open Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
For more information, check out the Town of Fenwick Island's website.
OCEAN CITY
Paid parking in Ocean City is in effect from April 1 through Oct. 31, enforced 24 hours a day. There are three different ways to park in Ocean City: the Inlet Lot, Street and Municipal Lots, and the West OC Park-n-Ride.
At the inlet lot:
Through Sept. 30, the rate is $3.50 in an hour, but on the Fourth of July it will be $5 an hour.
For the month of October, parking is free Monday through Thursday. Friday through Sunday, the rate will be $3 an hour.
The Town of Ocean City says that there is a 30-minute grace period at the start of your parking session, meaning any time under that requires no payment.
Payment can be done via pay-by-plate at a nearby kiosk, or via that ParkMobile app.
Street and municipal lots:
Through Sept. 30, street and municipal lot parking is $3 an hour.
For the month of October, parking is free Monday through Thursday. Friday through Sunday, the rate will be $2 an hour.
The town offers the following locations:
Worcester St., between Baltimore Ave. & Philadelphia Ave.
Somerset St. & Baltimore Ave.
Dorchester St. & Baltimore Ave.
N. Division St. & Baltimore Ave.
N. Division St. & St. Louis Ave. (small lot)
4th St. & Baltimore Ave.
61st St. & Coastal Hwy., (Bayside)
64th Street – Boat Ramp Parking Lot (for boaters launching-hourly)
Though lots are enforced 24 hours a day, street parking is only enforced 7 a.m. to midnight. Payment can be completed via kiosk.
West Ocean City Park-n-Ride:
The West OC Park-n-Ride offers free ample parking and takes those who use it to the main areas of Ocean City via shuttle. Shuttle service is free, except during special events, where it costs $4 for an all-day pass.
For more information on Ocean City parking, visit the Town of Ocean City website.