Rehoboth Beach
Just a two hour drive from Philadel- phia, Baltimore and Washington, D.C.,
Rehoboth Beach is a frequent summer
vacation destination and often bills itself
as ‘The Nation’s Summer Capital.’ This
Mid-Atlantic coastal town’s seasonal population expands to over 25,000 within the
city limits and thousands more in the surrounding area in the summer months.
Rehoboth Beach was founded in 1873
as the Rehoboth Beach Camp Meeting
Association as a site for Methodist camp
meetings. The Camp Meeting Association disbanded in 1881, and in 1891, the
location was incorporated by the Delaware General Assembly.
Famous today for its beaches, eclectic
shops, amusements, wooden boardwalk
and sporting activities, Rehoboth Beach
serves as an alternative to nearby and
much more developed Ocean City, MD,
and together with the towns of Lewes,
Dewey Beach, Bethany Beach, South
Bethany and Fenwick Island, comprises
Delaware’s beach resorts and is Sussex
County’s most densely populated and
fastest-growing area.
Downtown Rehoboth came of age
in the era of Victorian influences and
evolved throughout the twentieth cen-
tury to change with the times. Despite
their growth and maturation, both
the residential and commercial ar-
eas of Rehoboth Beach have retained
their historic past’s warm and friendly
charm and ambiance. Downtown Re-
hoboth Beach combines this historic
charm with contemporary excite-
ment and boasts upscale (tax-free)
boutique shops, galleries and spas, 40
hotels and B&Bs and over 100 gour-
met restaurants and casual eateries in
addition to its beautiful beach and ocean
views. AARP has named Rehoboth
Beach as one of five dream towns as
‘Best Places to Retire.’
Stretching more than one mile along
Rehoboth Beach, the famous board-
walk is lined with shops, restaurants
and amusements, including mini-golf,
arcades, kites, wildlife, cozy fireplaces,
jazz and more. Reader’s Digest recently
named the Rehoboth Beach Boardwalk
as one of the ‘Best of America.’
left: Delaware economic Development office; right: © istockphoto.comelisa frank
