Three hours from DC. Fifty years of the same families coming back. The Nation’s Summer Capital — still earning it.
Rehoboth Beach is Delaware’s premier beach resort and one of the most visited beach destinations on the East Coast — about 121 miles from Washington DC, consistently called “the Nation’s Summer Capital” because of the generations of DC, Maryland, and Virginia families who have made it their summer ritual. My family rented a house here every August for years — two weeks, four brothers, the whole production. Rehoboth gave me the beach version of childhood that you spend the rest of your life trying to get back.
Is Rehoboth Beach Right for Your Trip?
The honest answer before you book.
Funland + Boardwalk
Family-owned since 1962. Same rides, same magic. The boardwalk, Grotto’s Pizza, Kohr Brothers frozen custard. This is the classic Rehoboth family beach week.
Search RentalsTry Bethany Beach
15 minutes south. No boardwalk crowds, no bars, intentionally quiet. Bethany is for when you want the beach itself — not the scene around it.
Bethany GuideDewey Beach is Next Door
Less than 2 miles south. The Starboard, the Bottle & Cork, the Rusty Rudder on the bay. Stay in Rehoboth and Uber to Dewey for the night.
Dewey GuideAfter Labor Day
Water still warm, restaurants have tables, parking is never an issue. Dogs on the beach after September 16. Rates drop significantly. This is when locals come back.
Search RentalsWhat distinguishes Rehoboth from Ocean City to the south and the Jersey Shore to the north: scale. One mile of boardwalk. A walkable downtown that fits in an afternoon. Funland — the family-owned amusement park that has been running the same rides since 1962 — at the south end of the boardwalk. Grotto’s Pizza in the same spot since 1963. No sales tax on anything. And three distinctly different beaches within fifteen minutes — Bethany for quiet, Dewey for nightlife, Rehoboth for everything in between.
The Boardwalk
One mile. The same since 1905. No overwrought commercial development, no amusement-park scale — just an honest American boardwalk that has been doing this for well over a century.
Funland
Family-owned since 1962. Same rides — the Haunted Mansion, the Paratrooper, the Gravitron. Cash preferred, reasonably priced, genuinely magical for children in a way that theme parks somehow aren’t. A Rehoboth institution that has outlasted everything around it by simply being exactly what it is.
Grotto Pizza
Since 1963. Boardwalk location. The Rehoboth pizza. Whether it’s the best pizza you’ll ever have is debatable. Whether it’s the pizza you’ll remember is not. Order a slice and walk the boards.
Kohr Brothers Frozen Custard
The boardwalk frozen custard stand — creamy, classic, exactly right after a day on the beach. The vanilla/orange twist is the move.
The Bandstand
Free concerts on summer evenings at the Bandstand near the foot of Rehoboth Avenue. Families, folding chairs, the specific pleasure of outdoor music on a summer night. No ticket required.
The Beach
A solid, wide Atlantic beach — guarded in season, clean, with consistent waves that work for swimming and body surfing. Water temperature in July and August runs in the mid-70s. Actual swimming temperature.
The beach is at its best early morning before the crowds and late afternoon when the light does something to the water that photographs can’t capture. Poodle Beach at the south end of the boardwalk is Rehoboth’s long-established LGBTQ+ community beach — one of the oldest on the East Coast.
Beach rules are enforced: No open containers of alcohol on the beach or boardwalk. No dogs May 1–September 30. No glass containers. No tents or canopies. No fires. Real citations. See the complete Delaware Beach Laws guide for everything you need to know.
Where to Stay
Beach House Rental
The classic Rehoboth experience for families and groups — a house within walking distance of the beach, VRBO inventory ranging from modest cottages to large multi-bedroom properties. Book 4–6 months out for summer weeks. The traditional Rehoboth beach week is a house full of people, not a hotel room.
Boardwalk Plaza Hotel
Victorian-style oceanfront hotel directly on the boardwalk — the most distinctive lodging in Rehoboth. Pool, rooftop deck, the best location on the beach. Rates reflect the address. Best for couples and anyone who wants to walk out the door onto the boardwalk.
The Avenue Inn & Spa
On Rehoboth Avenue, walking distance to the beach and boardwalk. Indoor pool, spa, full-service inn experience at a more accessible price point than the oceanfront properties. Good for families who want amenities without oceanfront pricing.
Search Rehoboth Beach Rentals and Hotels
Book early for summer weeks — Rehoboth fills fast and the best properties go months ahead. September is the secret season: better availability, lower rates, warm water, no crowds.
Where to Eat
Henlopen City Oyster House
The best seafood restaurant in Rehoboth — whole fish preparations, raw bar, serious wine list. Reservations essential. The kitchen that reflects real ambition in a town that has historically not demanded it.
Dogfish Head Brewings & Eats
The Delaware craft beer institution — wood-fired pizza, creative menu, the full Dogfish Head tap list. Year-round anchor for Rehoboth. The après-beach gathering place that works for everyone.
Bluecoast Seafood Grill
Consistently excellent seafood in an elevated setting — one of the restaurants that has raised Rehoboth’s dining reputation over the past decade. Reservations recommended.
Café Azafran
Spanish-influenced American cuisine in a small space on Baltimore Avenue — one of the hidden gems of the Rehoboth dining scene. Small, excellent, get a reservation.
Things to Do
Cape Henlopen State Park
Three miles north of Rehoboth — miles of beach, nature trails, the WWII observation tower, Fort Miles, and the best birding on the Delaware coast. The alternative to the crowded town beach and genuinely one of the best state parks on the East Coast.
Tanger Outlets
On Route 1, a few miles from the beach — over 100 outlet stores with no Delaware sales tax. Tax-free outlet shopping is a legitimate reason to drive to Delaware that the other beach states can’t match.
Breakwater Trail
A 16-mile paved trail connecting Rehoboth Beach to Lewes through the coastal plain. One of the best cycling routes on the Delaware coast — flat, scenic, and a complete escape from the beach town energy.
Quick Reference: Rehoboth Beach
| The Question | The Answer |
|---|---|
| Distance from DC | 121 miles — about 3 hours, more on summer Fridays |
| Boardwalk | One mile, since 1905. Funland at the south end. |
| Best for | Families, DC/MD/VA beach week tradition, everything in between |
| Funland | Family-owned since 1962. Cash preferred. Same rides. |
| Grotto’s Pizza | Since 1963. Boardwalk location. Order a slice, walk the boards. |
| Sales tax | None. Delaware has no sales tax on anything. |
| Dogs on beach | No dogs May 1–Sept 30. Welcome after September 16. |
| Secret season | September — warm water, no crowds, lower rates |
| Senior Week | Week after high school graduation — know before you book |
| Nightlife | Dewey Beach — 2 miles south, Uber there |
| Quiet alternative | Bethany Beach — 15 minutes south |
The Nearby Beaches
One of Rehoboth’s genuine advantages is the proximity of multiple distinct beach towns, each with a different character. Dewey Beach is five minutes south for nightlife — the Starboard, the Bottle & Cork, the Rusty Rudder on the bay. Bethany Beach is fifteen minutes south for quiet — the beach itself without the scene around it. All three share the Delaware tax advantage and Route 1 access.
Wondering which Delaware beach is right for your trip? See the full four-beach comparison — Rehoboth vs Bethany vs Dewey vs Ocean City — or the Rehoboth vs Bethany deep dive.
Practical Tips
Friday Afternoon Traffic
Route 1 south of Dover on a Friday afternoon in July is serious. Leave DC by noon or after 7pm. The Sunday return is worse. Build time into your departure or your trip starts in a parking lot on the highway.
Parking
Metered parking fills fast on summer mornings. The parking garage on Rehoboth Avenue is the most reliable option. Consider biking or walking from your rental rather than moving the car every day — Rehoboth is small enough that it works.
Senior Week
The week after high school graduation, Rehoboth hosts Senior Week — thousands of teenagers, increased law enforcement, specific events. Know when it is before you book if this affects your plans. See our Senior Week guide for the full picture.
September Is the Secret
After Labor Day, Rehoboth belongs to the people who came back. Water still warm, restaurants have tables, parking is never an issue. Dogs on the beach after September 16. Rates drop significantly. This is when the people who know Rehoboth best actually go.
Rehoboth Beach has been doing this for well over a century — the same boardwalk, the same ocean, the same essential promise of summer. Funland has been running the same rides since 1962. Grotto’s has been in the same spot since 1963. Some places earn their classic status by being reliably, consistently excellent at the thing they’ve always done. Rehoboth Beach is one of those places.