Chesapeake City Maryland
Town of Chesapeake City emblem

Town of Chesapeake City MD

Today, Chesapeake City is the only town in Maryland that is situated on a working commercial canal. Most of its interesting 19th-century architecture remains intact, and the area that encompasses it on the south bank has been placed on the National Register of Historic Places. At the city dock, pleasure boaters find a tranquil harbor off the busy Inter-Coastal Waterway, of which the canal is a major element. From the basin, visitors can walk easily into town or tour the Canal Museum, where the story of the canal is told and the massive waterwheel and steam engines that filled the locks stand in mute testimony. Outside is a replica of the lighthouses that lined the canal in days gone by.

Chesapeake City now is a destination widely known for its unique inland view of ocean-going vessels, for the proudly preserved and displayed reminders of its history, and for its friendly hospitality. Travelers discover fine dining, picturesque stores, outdoor concerts, seasonal events, and outstanding bed & breakfasts. From its origin as a rough and rowdy boom town, through an era of dispiriting depression, Chesapeake City has emerged as a charming and interesting place with a warm welcome for its visitors.

Read a Brief History of Chesapeake City

The 14-mile, hand-dug Chesapeake & Delaware Canal was opened to traffic on October 17, 1829. At that time there were three buildings on the south bank at the western end of the canal. As the ship traffic through the canal increased, the little cluster of buildings grew into a busy commercial community providing goods and services to passengers and shippers. In 1839, the place was named Chesapeake City. By 1849 the town, now extending over to the north bank, was well established and at its population peak. For the next 75 years, Chesapeake City prospered.In 1927, the C&D Canal was dredged to a sea-level waterway, eliminating the need for ships to stop for the locks at Chesapeake City. The town’s economic base quickly declined. Commerce was further complicated in 1942 when a ship destroyed the bridge that connected the two sides of the town, leaving residents and travelers for seven years with only a ferry as a means to cross the canal. The opening of a new high-level bridge in 1949 did nothing to restore the town’s economy—travelers swept by high above the town. Another blow struck the town in the 1960s when an entire street of 39 homes was razed to make way for a widening of the canal, which by then was the third busiest in the world.

CHESAPEAKE CITY WEATHER

General News & Notices

Budget Ordinance Adoption

Notice is hereby given that the Chesapeake City Town Council has adopted Ordinance 2025-001 adopting the budget of the Town of Chesapeake City for the Fiscal Year July 1, 2025, through June 30, 2026, at a meeting held on Monday, May 12,...

Elections Canceled

The Town of Chesapeake City Elections, scheduled for Monday, June 2, 2025, will be cancelled this year, as the three election seats currently held by Councilpersons Ed O'Hara, Hunter Dann, and Frank Vari are unopposed. No additional...

Town of Chesapeake City Facade Grant 2025

The Town of Chesapeake City is happy to announce that applications are now available to property owners for the Façade Improvement Grant. Please view post for PDF downloads.

Town Council Workshop Rescheduled

The Town Council Workshop scheduled for Monday, May 26, 2025, has been RESCHEDULED to Tuesday, May 27, 2025, at 5:30 pm. *Please note the change in time!!

Crab Pot Donations

The Town of Chesapeake City is seeking donations of new or used crab pots for our annual Crab Pot Christmas Tree.  If interested, please contact Frank Vari at .

Historic Commission Open Seat

The Town of Chesapeake City Historic District Commission has an Open Seat. If interested, please submit a Letter of Interest to Tonya Lockwood via email at or deliver it to Town Hall by Tuesday, March 18,...

Chesapeake City 2024 Comprehensive Plan Adoption

Notice is hereby given that the Chesapeake City Town Council has adopted Resolution 2024-009, adopting the Chesapeake City 2024 Comprehensive Plan, at a meeting held on Monday, December 9, 2024. The Resolution was introduced by the...

NOTICE OF INITIAL SERVICE LINE STATUS

The US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) requires water systems to develop an inventory of all service line pipes in their water distribution system and classify the materials of their service line pipes as either Lead, Galvanized Requiring Replacement (GRR), Non-Lead, or Lead Status Unknown.

Lead/Copper Rule Revisions Initial Service Line Inventory

The Town of Chesapeake City has completed the initial service line inventory required by U.S. EPA’s Lead and Copper Rule Revisions (initial inventory due October 16, 2024).  The Town of Chesapeake City will continue to identify and track...

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