Dewey Beach is an incorporated coastal

town A town is a human settlement. Towns are generally larger than villages and smaller than cities, though the criteria to distinguish between them vary considerably in different parts of the world. Origin and use The word "town" shares an ori ...

in eastern Sussex County,

Delaware Delaware ( ) is a state in the Mid-Atlantic region of the United States, bordering Maryland to its south and west; Pennsylvania to its north; and New Jersey and the Atlantic Ocean to its east. The state takes its name from the adjacent Del ...

, United States. According to the 2010 census, the population of the town is 341, an increase of 13.3% over the previous decade. It is part of the rapidly growing Cape Region and lies within the Salisbury, Maryland-Delaware Metropolitan Statistical Area. In 2011, the NRDC awarded Dewey Beach with a 5-Star rating in water quality. This award was given only to 12 other locations, one being neighboring

Rehoboth Beach Rehoboth Beach ( ) is a city on the Atlantic Ocean along the Delaware Beaches in eastern Sussex County, Delaware. As of the 2010 U.S. census, the population was 1,327, reflecting a decline of 161 (11.2%) from the 1,488 counted in the 2000 ce ...

. Out of the 30 states with coastline, the

Delaware Beaches The Delaware Beaches are located along the Atlantic Ocean in the eastern part of Sussex County, Delaware, which is in the southern part of the state. In addition to beaches along the ocean, the area offers many amenities, including restaurants, ...

ranked number 1 in water quality in 2011.

History

In 1868, "Rehoboth City" first appeared on a map of Lewes Rehoboth Hundred in Beer's Atlas of Delaware. It is believed that the name was changed to Dewey Beach following the 1898 Battle of Manilla (Spanish–American War) when Admiral

George Dewey George Dewey (December 26, 1837January 16, 1917) was Admiral of the Navy, the only person in United States history to have attained that rank. He is best known for his victory at the Battle of Manila Bay during the Spanish–American War, with ...

became a national hero. Dewey Beach was incorporated in 1981. The Rehoboth Beach Life-Saving Station (RBLSS), located at the end of Dagsworthy Street, was commissioned in 1878. It became the Rehoboth Beach Coast Guard Station (RBCGS) in 1915. In 1921 citizens objected to the closing of the station, and it was recommissioned in 1926. The station was decommissioned in 1937 and abandoned in 1946. The original structure was moved to Lewes and became a residence. A replica of the station was built in 1988 which stands today.

Tourism

Dewey Beach lies on a small strip of land between the

Atlantic Ocean The Atlantic Ocean is the second-largest of the world's five oceans, with an area of about . It covers approximately 20% of Earth's surface and about 29% of its water surface area. It is known to separate the " Old World" of Africa, Europe ...

and

Rehoboth Bay Rehoboth Bay is a body of water in Sussex County, Delaware. It is connected to the Broadkill River by the Lewes and Rehoboth Canal. It is part of Delaware's inland bay system, along with Little Assawoman Bay and Indian River Bay. Of Delaware's ...

and is about one mile long and two blocks wide. Despite its small size and low year-round population of about 300, it is not uncommon for 30,000 to descend upon the town during summer weekends. Numerous

bar Bar or BAR may refer to: Food and drink * Bar (establishment), selling alcoholic beverages * Candy bar * Chocolate bar Science and technology * Bar (river morphology), a deposit of sediment * Bar (tropical cyclone), a layer of cloud * Bar (u ...

s and restaurants line Coastal Highway (

Delaware Route 1 Delaware Route 1 (DE 1) is the longest numbered state highway in the U.S. state of Delaware. The route runs from the Maryland state line in Fenwick Island, Sussex County, where the road continues south into that state as Maryland R ...

), the town's main street. While it has a reputation as a magnet for partygoers in the summer months, Dewey Beach is also a popular

family Family (from la, familia) is a Social group, group of people related either by consanguinity (by recognized birth) or Affinity (law), affinity (by marriage or other relationship). The purpose of the family is to maintain the well-being of its ...

resort spot, particularly because of its wide, sandy beaches, and many

hotel A hotel is an establishment that provides paid lodging on a short-term basis. Facilities provided inside a hotel room may range from a modest-quality mattress in a small room to large suites with bigger, higher-quality beds, a dresser, a ref ...

cottage A cottage, during Feudalism in England, England's feudal period, was the holding by a cottager (known as a Cotter (farmer), cotter or ''bordar'') of a small house with enough garden to feed a family and in return for the cottage, the cottager ...

s, and

condominium A condominium (or condo for short) is an ownership structure whereby a building is divided into several units that are each separately owned, surrounded by common areas that are jointly owned. The term can be applied to the building or complex ...

s. As is the case with most beach areas, Dewey Beach quiets down in the off season. The town hosts the Dewey Beach Music Conference during the last weekend of September. This event began in 2002 and has been a huge draw for unsigned bands from all over the country. Another popular Dewey Beach event, which occurs every Columbus Day weekend in October, is Greyhounds Reach The Beach, where thousands of rescued

greyhound The English Greyhound, or simply the Greyhound, is a breed of dog, a sighthound which has been bred for coursing, greyhound racing and hunting. Since the rise in large-scale adoption of retired racing Greyhounds, the breed has seen a resurge ...

s and their owners congregate. Also, the town is the location of the annual East Coast

Skimboarding Skimboarding or skimming is a boardsport in which a skimboard (much like a surfboard but smaller and without fins) is used to glide across the water's surface to meet an incoming breaking wave, and ride it back to shore. Wave-riding skimboarders ...

Championships, in mid-August. In June, recently graduated high school seniors come to Dewey Beach for

Senior Week Senior Week (also known as Beach Week, Senior Trip, or Grad Week) is a week where recently graduated high school and college seniors in the United States, mainly from the East Coast and the South go to the beach to spend time with their friends. It ...

Geography

Dewey Beach is located at (38.6928899, –75.0746249). According to the

United States Census Bureau The United States Census Bureau (USCB), officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the U.S. Federal Statistical System, responsible for producing data about the American people and economy. The Census Bureau is part of the ...

, the town has a total area of , all land.

Climate

The climate in this area is characterized by hot, humid summers and generally mild to cool winters. According to the

Köppen Climate Classification The Köppen climate classification is one of the most widely used climate classification systems. It was first published by German-Russian climatologist Wladimir Köppen (1846–1940) in 1884, with several later modifications by Köppen, notabl ...

system, Dewey Beach has a

humid subtropical climate A humid subtropical climate is a zone of climate characterized by hot and humid summers, and cool to mild winters. These climates normally lie on the southeast side of all continents (except Antarctica), generally between latitudes 25° and 40° ...

, abbreviated "Cfa" on climate maps.

Infrastructure

Transportation

(Coastal Highway) serves as the main north-south road in Dewey Beach, heading south along the coast and across the

Indian River Inlet Bridge The Indian River Inlet Bridge (officially the Charles W. Cullen Bridge) is a cable-stayed bridge located in Sussex County, Delaware, in the United States. It carries four lanes of Delaware Route 1 (DE 1) over the Indian River Inlet between the ...

toward Bethany Beach, Fenwick Island, and

Ocean City, Maryland Ocean City, officially the Town of Ocean City, is an Atlantic Ocean, Atlantic resort town in Worcester County, Maryland, Worcester County, Maryland along the East Coast of the United States. The population was 6,844 at the 2020 United States cens ...

and turning northwest to provide access from inland points. Delaware Route 1A (King Charles Avenue) begins at DE 1 in Dewey Beach and heads north into

. Between May 15 and September 15, all parking in Dewey Beach is regulated by

parking meter A parking meter is a device used to collect money in exchange for the right to park a vehicle in a particular place for a limited amount of time. Parking meters can be used by municipalities as a tool for enforcing their integrated on-street par ...

s or parking permits.

DART First State The Delaware Transit Corporation, operating as DART First State, is the only public transportation system that operates throughout the U.S. state of Delaware. DART First State provides local and inter-county bus service throughout the state and al ...

provides bus service to Dewey Beach in the summer months along Beach Bus Route 203, which heads from Ruddertowne in Dewey Beach north to the Rehoboth Beach Park and Ride and the

Lewes Transit Center The Lewes Transit Center is a park and ride lot and bus terminal owned by the Delaware Department of Transportation (DelDOT) that is located near the Five Points intersection southwest of the city of Lewes in Sussex County, Delaware. The transit ...

Park and Ride near

Lewes Lewes () is the county town of East Sussex, England. It is the police and judicial centre for all of Sussex and is home to Sussex Police, East Sussex Fire & Rescue Service, Lewes Crown Court and HMP Lewes. The civil parish is the centre of ...

, and Route 208, which heads north to the Rehoboth Beach Park and Ride and south to the 144th Street Transit Center in Ocean City, Maryland to connect to

Ocean City Transportation Ocean City Transportation is a public transit agency serving the beach town of Ocean City in Worcester County, Maryland in the United States. The agency is a division of the town's Public Works Department. Ocean City Transportation offers bus se ...

's Coastal Highway Beach Bus. Both bus routes provide connections to other Beach Bus routes and the Route 305 bus from Wilmington at the park and ride lots in Rehoboth Beach and Lewes. The Jolly Trolley is a private shuttle service that provides frequent transport in Dewey Beach and to neighboring Rehoboth Beach. The service operates daily through the summer tourist season between Memorial Day weekend and Labor Day and on weekends in the shoulder season before Memorial Day and after Labor Day.

BestBus BestBus (formerly DC2NY) is a company that operates low-cost intercity bus service in the Mid-Atlantic states of the United States. The primary service operated by BestBus runs from various stops in the Washington, D.C. area to New York City. Best ...

offers intercity bus service to Dewey Beach from

Union Station A union station (also known as a union terminal, a joint station in Europe, and a joint-use station in Japan) is a railway station at which the tracks and facilities are shared by two or more separate railway companies, allowing passengers to ...

and

Dupont Circle Dupont Circle (or DuPont Circle) is a traffic circle, park, neighborhood and historic district in Northwest Washington, D.C. The Dupont Circle neighborhood is bounded approximately by 16th Street NW to the east, 22nd Street NW ...

Washington, D.C. ) , image_skyline = , image_caption = Clockwise from top left: the Washington Monument and Lincoln Memorial on the National Mall, United States Capitol, Logan Circle, Jefferson Memorial, White House, Adams Morgan, ...

and 34th Street in the

Midtown Manhattan Midtown Manhattan is the central portion of the New York City borough of Manhattan and serves as the city's primary central business district. Midtown is home to some of the city's most prominent buildings, including the Empire State Buildin ...

section of

New York City New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the List of United States cities by population, most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the L ...

on weekends in the summer months. Cape Water Tours & Taxi operates a round-trip

water taxi A water taxi or a water bus is a watercraft used to provide public or private transport, usually, but not always, in an urban environment. Service may be scheduled with multiple stops, operating in a similar manner to a bus, or o ...

service to Dewey Beach from Lewes via the

Lewes and Rehoboth Canal The Lewes and Rehoboth Canal is a canal in Sussex County, Delaware, which connects the Broadkill River and the Delaware Bay to Rehoboth Bay. It forms a portion of the Intracoastal Waterway. History Originally proposed in 1803, the canal was fi ...

on Friday evenings in the summer months, offering access to dining and nightlife in Dewey Beach.

Utilities

Delmarva Power Delmarva Power is an energy company that provides electricity and natural gas to customers on portions of the Delmarva Peninsula in the states of Delaware and Maryland. The company is a subsidiary of Exelon. Electricity and natural gas Delmarva P ...

, a subsidiary of

Exelon Exelon Corporation is an American Fortune 100 energy company headquartered in Chicago, Illinois and incorporated in Pennsylvania. It generates revenues of approximately $33.5 billion and employs approximately 33,400 people. Exelon is the larges ...

, provides electricity to Dewey Beach. Sussex County operates the Dewey Beach Water District, which provides water service to the town, and the Dewey Beach Sanitary Sewer District, which provides sewer service to the town. Trash and recycling collection in Dewey Bewch is provided under contract by

Waste Industries Waste Industries is a waste management company headquartered in Raleigh, North Carolina. Specializing in non-hazardous solid waste, recycling collection of waste disposal from residential and commercial customers in the southeastern United St ...

Demographics

As of the

census A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring, recording and calculating information about the members of a given population. This term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common censuses incl ...

of 2000, there were 301 people, 161 households, and 83 families residing in the town. The population density was . There were 1,369 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the town was 91.69%

White White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no hue). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully reflect and scatter all the visible wavelengths of light. White on ...

, 0.33%

African American African Americans (also referred to as Black Americans and Afro-Americans) are an ethnic group consisting of Americans with partial or total ancestry from sub-Saharan Africa. The term "African American" generally denotes descendants of ens ...

, 0.33% Native American, 3.65%

Asian Asian may refer to: * Items from or related to the continent of Asia: ** Asian people, people in or descending from Asia ** Asian culture, the culture of the people from Asia ** Asian cuisine, food based on the style of food of the people from Asi ...

, 2.66% from

other races Other often refers to: * Other (philosophy), a concept in psychology and philosophy Other or The Other may also refer to: Film and television * ''The Other'' (1913 film), a German silent film directed by Max Mack * ''The Other'' (1930 film), a ...

, and 1.33% from two or more races.

Hispanic The term ''Hispanic'' ( es, hispano) refers to people, Spanish culture, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or Hispanidad. The term commonly applies to countries with a cultural and historical link to Spain and to Vic ...

Latino Latino or Latinos most often refers to: * Latino (demonym), a term used in the United States for people with cultural ties to Latin America * Hispanic and Latino Americans in the United States * The people or cultures of Latin America; ** Latin A ...

of any race were 5.32% of the population. There were 161 households, out of which 9.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 44.1% were

married couples Marriage, also called matrimony or wedlock, is a culturally and often legally recognized union between people called spouses. It establishes rights and obligations between them, as well as between them and their children, and between t ...

living together, 5.6% had a female householder with no husband present, and 48.4% were non-families. 40.4% of all households were made up of individuals, and 13.0% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 1.87 and the average family size was 2.45. In the town, the population was spread out, with 8.3% under the age of 18, 5.6% from 18 to 24, 23.3% from 25 to 44, 34.6% from 45 to 64, and 28.2% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 52 years. For every 100 females, there were 106.2 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 110.7 males. The median income for a household in the town was $79,471, and the median income for a family was $97,505. Males had a median income of $56,563 versus $39,583 for females. The

per capita income Per capita income (PCI) or total income measures the average income earned per person in a given area (city, region, country, etc.) in a specified year. It is calculated by dividing the area's total income by its total population. Per capita i ...

for the town was $51,958. None of the families and 1.9% of the population were living below the

poverty line The poverty threshold, poverty limit, poverty line or breadline is the minimum level of income deemed adequate in a particular country. The poverty line is usually calculated by estimating the total cost of one year's worth of necessities for t ...

, including no under eighteen and 5.8% of those over 64.

Government

Dewey Beach is governed by a Town Council and Mayor. , the town's mayor is Bill Stevens The Town has a full-time police force, whose command staff consists of the Chief of Police and a Lieutenant (assistant chief of police). The department has no "special units" as do some large agencies, but it does have two officers, a sergeant and a corporal, who are qualified as motorcycle officers. In addition, the department is one of only a few in the state to have a full-time communications center (dispatch). During high-activity periods, the department is augmented by additional police officers who are commissioned for those times, such as the summer. Those officers are fully certified police officers who have the same police authority as year-round officers. In July 2017, a 73-page lawsuit, which has Town Manager Marc Applebaum, Dewey Beach mayor Dale H. Cooke and commissioners, and Town Solicitor Frederick Townsend listed as defendants, accuses Applebaum of racial discrimination, sexual discrimination, hostile work environment, improper interference with the police department, improper interference with building inspector, improper interference with the beach patrol and improper interference with the Alderman Court. During the investigation, Marc Appelbaum remained on staff. In August 2017, several bags were shredded and left in dumpsters at locations away from the town hall. Even though several of the accusations were found true and staff intimidation was prevalent, the Town of Dewey Beach separated with Marc Appelbaum. Marc Appelbaum ended up getting $100,000 plus the rest of his salary he would have earned up to March 11, 2018.

Education

Dewey Beach is in the

Cape Henlopen School District The Cape Henlopen School District (CHSD) is a public school district in Sussex County, Delaware, Sussex County, Delaware in the United States. The district is based in an unincorporated area with a Lewes, Delaware, Lewes postal address, and serves ...

. It is zoned to Rehoboth Elementary School.Elementary school zoning: and

Cape Henlopen High School Cape Henlopen High School (CHHS) is a public high school in unincorporated area, unincorporated Sussex County, Delaware, United States, with a Lewes, Delaware, Lewes postal address. The school is part of the Cape Henlopen School District and is l ...

is the sole comprehensive high school of the district.

References

External links

Town of Dewey Beach - Official Site
{{authority control Beaches of Delaware Seaside resorts in Delaware Towns in Sussex County, Delaware Towns in Delaware Salisbury metropolitan area Landforms of Sussex County, Delaware Populated places established in 1981 Populated coastal places in Delaware