Foliage map › Destinations › Maryland › Ocean City
Ocean City, Maryland fall foliage
In a typical year, fall color around Ocean City peaks around November 7, with the best viewing from roughly November 6 to November 14, among the latest in Maryland. The resort itself sits on a barrier island of sand, dunes, and pines, so the color is on the mainland: along the bays, in the woods toward Assateague, and in the cypress swamps inland.
- Typical peak
- November 7
- Best viewing
- Nov 6 – Nov 14
- Color starts
- Around Oct 26
- Leaves mostly down
- Around Nov 20
- Elevation
- 10 ft
- Color potential
- Strong
2026 foliage season
Typical season
Peak around November 7. Turn on JavaScript to see today’s status and the five-week outlook.
The season at a glance
Bar height shows how good the viewing typically is on each day, from September 1 through November 30. Colors show the stage, from green through peak red to bare.
Open Ocean City on the foliage mapWhere to see the color around Ocean City
Pocomoke River State Park. About 30 miles southwest, the Pocomoke River runs through what Maryland calls the northernmost bald cypress swamp. In fall the cypress needles turn rusty orange above knobby knees in the dark water, while dogwoods, maples, and sweetgums color the upland woods. Shad Landing and Milburn Landing, where the short Bald Cypress Trail winds through the swamp, are the places to see it.
The road to Assateague. Just south of Ocean City, Route 611 from Berlin leads to Assateague State Park and Assateague Island National Seashore. The wooded corridor on the way in turns bold colors late in the season. On the island itself the loblolly pines stay green, and fall shows up in golden goldenrod, migrating monarch butterflies, and the wild horses growing their thicker winter coats.
Isle of Wight Nature Park. A few minutes from town on the bay side, this small park looks out across the marsh and water to the Ocean City skyline, especially pretty at sunset as the marsh grasses turn tawny.
About Ocean City
Ocean City is a beach resort on a narrow barrier island on Maryland’s Atlantic coast, right at the Delaware line, with 10 miles of free public beach and a 3-mile boardwalk. In summer it becomes one of the largest cities in the state; in fall, the crowds thin out and the mainland around it starts to turn.
For lodging, restaurants, the boardwalk, and Assateague, see OceanCity.com, a guide to Ocean City, Maryland.
If you arrive too early or too late
Still mostly green? Baltimore, MD (105 miles away, farther north) typically peaks about 7 days earlier, and Philadelphia, PA (112 miles away, farther north) typically peaks about 7 days earlier.
Already past peak? None of the destinations we track within 150 miles of Ocean City typically peaks much later. Right on the ocean and close to sea level, Ocean City already has some of the latest color in the region.
Nearby destinations
- Cape May, NJTypical peak Nov 6, about the same time. 43 miles away.
- Baltimore, MDTypical peak Oct 31, 7 days earlier. 105 miles away.
- Philadelphia, PATypical peak Oct 31, 7 days earlier. 112 miles away.
- Washington, DCTypical peak Oct 31, 7 days earlier. 113 miles away.
- Richmond, VATypical peak Nov 2, 5 days earlier. 139 miles away.
Trees you’ll see turning
Around Ocean City, the season belongs to the trees of the coastal plain. Bald cypress in the Pocomoke swamps turns rusty orange before dropping its needles. Sweetgum and black gum go red and purple, red maples and sassafras add scarlet and orange, and Virginia creeper and poison ivy climb the pines in red. The loblolly pines stay green all year.
Common questions
When is peak fall foliage around Ocean City?
In a typical year, fall color around Ocean City peaks around November 7, with the best viewing from roughly November 6 to November 14. Weather can shift the timing by about a week either way.
How long does peak color last around Ocean City?
Near-peak color usually holds for about 9 days. Color starts to show around October 26, and most leaves are down by about November 20.
Is Ocean City early or late compared with the rest of Maryland?
Ocean City typically peaks about 9 days later than the Maryland average of Oct 30. It ranks 3 of 3 Maryland destinations from earliest to latest.
Where is the best fall color near Ocean City?
Head inland. Pocomoke River State Park, about 30 miles southwest, has bald cypress swamps that turn rusty orange, and the wooded road into Assateague State Park colors up late in the season. The beach and boardwalk themselves have little fall foliage.
What trees color up around Ocean City?
Bald cypress, sweetgum, black gum, red maple, and sassafras, with Virginia creeper and poison ivy adding red on the pines. See the leaf guide to identify them.
Estimates come from the Leaves.com model of typical years, based on latitude, elevation, and distance from large bodies of water. They are not live observations. How it works.