Beaches Near Arlington, VA

From Arlington, the Bay is closer than Virginia Beach. Go east, not south. Sandy Point, Mayo, or the upper Bay in Cecil County all beat the 4-hour haul to Virginia Beach for a day trip.

Tuesday looks like the best day across this list.

Strongest single forecast: Purse State Park on Tuesday (74).

Chapman State Park

18 mi · ~27 min drive · Charles County, MD
61

Great day for a beach walk.

63°F water 61°F air 13 to 16 mph wind Best this week: Tuesday (72)

Kings Landing Park

29 mi · ~41 min drive · Calvert County, MD
64

Great day for a beach walk.

63°F water 61°F air 9 to 14 mph wind Best this week: Tuesday (70)

Chapel Point State Park

29 mi · ~41 min drive · Charles County, MD
64

Great day for a beach walk.

63°F water 61°F air 14 mph wind Best this week: Tuesday (69)

Friendship Farm Park

30 mi · ~43 min drive · Charles County, MD
64

Great day for a beach walk.

63°F water 61°F air 14 mph wind Best this week: Tuesday (70)

Franklin Point State Park

32 mi · ~46 min drive · Anne Arundel County, MD
56

Decent day for photography.

63°F water 59°F air 17 mph wind Best this week: Tuesday (71)

Beverly Triton Nature Park

32 mi · ~46 min drive · Anne Arundel County, MD
59

Decent day for photography.

63°F water 58°F air 16 mph wind Best this week: Tuesday (67)

Quiet Waters Park

32 mi · ~46 min drive · Anne Arundel County, MD
58

Great day for a beach walk.

63°F water 59°F air 15 mph wind Best this week: Tuesday (66)

Mayo Beach Park

32 mi · ~46 min drive · Anne Arundel County, MD
58

Decent day for photography.

63°F water 59°F air 17 mph wind Best this week: Tuesday (67)

Purse State Park

32 mi · ~47 min drive · Charles County, MD
73

Great day for fossil hunting.

63°F water 61°F air 12 to 16 mph wind Best this week: Tuesday (74)

North Beach

32 mi · ~47 min drive · Calvert County, MD
58

Great day for a beach walk.

63°F water 59°F air 15 mph wind Best this week: Veterans Day (66)

Brownies Beach (Bayfront Park)

33 mi · ~47 min drive · Calvert County, MD
72

Great day for fossil hunting.

63°F water 59°F air 15 mph wind Best this week: This Afternoon (72)

Breezy Point Beach

36 mi · ~52 min drive · Calvert County, MD
43

Great day for a beach walk.

63°F water 59°F air 15 mph wind Best this week: Veterans Day (65)

Dares Beach Park

38 mi · ~55 min drive · Calvert County, MD
66

Great day for fossil hunting.

63°F water 59°F air 17 mph wind Best this week: Tuesday (70)

Sandy Point State Park

38 mi · ~55 min drive · Anne Arundel County, MD
39

Decent day for photography.

63°F water 59°F air 13 to 17 mph wind Best this week: Tuesday (63)

Fort Smallwood Park

38 mi · ~55 min drive · Anne Arundel County, MD
57

Decent day for photography.

63°F water 59°F air 18 mph wind Best this week: Tuesday (68)

Downs Park

39 mi · ~56 min drive · Anne Arundel County, MD
58

Decent day for photography.

63°F water 59°F air 17 mph wind Best this week: Tuesday (68)

Matapeake Beach & Dog Park

40 mi · ~58 min drive · Queen Anne's County, MD
54

Decent day for photography.

63°F water 58°F air 15 to 20 mph wind Best this week: Tuesday (68)

Terrapin Nature Area & Beach

41 mi · ~59 min drive · Queen Anne's County, MD
52

Decent day for photography.

63°F water 58°F air 15 to 20 mph wind Best this week: Tuesday (71)

North Point State Park

42 mi · ~1 hr 1 min drive · Baltimore County, MD
38

Decent day for photography.

63°F water 59°F air 20 mph wind Best this week: Tuesday (66)

Snow Hill Farm Park

43 mi · ~1 hr 1 min drive · St. Mary's County, MD
62

Great day for a beach walk.

63°F water 60°F air 14 mph wind Best this week: Tuesday (67)

Claiborne Landing

44 mi · ~1 hr 3 min drive · Talbot County, MD
52

Decent day for photography.

63°F water 58°F air 15 to 20 mph wind Best this week: Tuesday (70)

Colonial Beach

44 mi · ~1 hr 3 min drive · Westmoreland County, VA
43

Great day for a beach walk.

63°F water 60°F air 15 mph wind Best this week: Tuesday (67)

Cox's Point Park

44 mi · ~1 hr 3 min drive · Baltimore County, MD
61

Great day for a beach walk.

63°F water 59°F air 15 mph wind Best this week: Tuesday (68)

Rocky Point Beach & Park

45 mi · ~1 hr 5 min drive · Baltimore County, MD
40

Decent day for photography.

63°F water 58°F air 16 mph wind Best this week: Veterans Day (65)

Flag Ponds Nature Park

45 mi · ~1 hr 5 min drive · Calvert County, MD
70

Great day for fossil hunting.

63°F water 60°F air 14 mph wind Best this week: Tuesday (71)

Distance is straight-line, drive times are estimates

Mileage shown is straight-line distance from the center of Arlington. Real drive times depend on highway routing, weekend traffic, and where in the metro you start. For summer Saturdays, plan 20–40 minutes longer than the estimates here. The range slider above filters by the same straight-line distance.

esc