The Chesapeake Bay is the largest estuary in the U.S. Surrounded by Virginia and Maryland, the bay has more than 150 rivers and streams flowing into it, including the Potomac, the Susquehanna and the Patuxent. The bay is 180 miles long and between five to thirty miles wide in certain parts. A large portion of the bay is quite shallow. On average, the depth of the bay is less than 30 feet.
The Chesapeake Bay is famous for its rockfish (also know as striped bass), blue crabs, clams, oysters and is considered the country's best source of eel. While the bay is less productive than it used to be, it still yields more fish and shellfish than any other estuary in the United States.
The Chesapeake Bay Bridge, also known as the Bay Bridge, connects the Eastern and Western Shore regions of Maryland. The bridge allows much easier access from the Baltimore-Washington Metropolitan Area to areas such as Ocean City and neighboring Delaware. The bridge does require a toll for heading eastbound so be sure to have a few dollars on hand.
The bay separates Maryland's central and eastern regions and borders Baltimore and Annapolis. It flows into the Atlantic Ocean at its southern base.
