Eastern Shore of Maryland

Eastern Shore of Maryland
The counties of the Eastern Shore of Maryland
Coordinates: 38°42′N 75°48′W / 38.7°N 75.8°W / 38.7; -75.8
Country	United States
State	Maryland
Largest city	Salisbury
Counties	List Caroline Cecil Dorchester Kent Queen Anne's Somerset Talbot Wicomico Worcester
Population  (2020 Census)[1]
• Total	456,815
Time zone	UTC−5 (EST)
• Summer (DST)	UTC−4 (EDT)

The Eastern Shore of Maryland is a part of the U.S. state of Maryland that lies mostly on the east side of the Chesapeake Bay. Nine counties are normally included in the region. The Eastern Shore is part of the larger Delmarva Peninsula that Maryland shares with Delaware and Virginia.

As of the 2020 census, its population was 456,815, with about 7% of Marylanders living in the region. The region is politically more conservative than the rest of the state, generally returning more votes for Republicans than Democrats in statewide and national elections.

Developed in the colonial and federal period for agriculture, the Eastern Shore has remained a relatively rural region. Salisbury is the most populous community on the Eastern Shore of Maryland. The region's economy is dominated by three industry sectors: fishing along the coasts, especially for shellfish such as the blue crab; farming, especially large-scale chicken farms; and tourism, especially centered on the Atlantic coast and beach resort of Ocean City. Because of its coastal and low-lying geography, the region is vulnerable to extreme weather events, including hurricanes and larger environmental issues like climate change and rising sea levels.

The region contains a few major roads; the main connection to the other parts of Maryland is the Chesapeake Bay Bridge, which carries U.S. Route 50 and U.S. Route 301. U.S. Route 13 connects the southern part of the Eastern Shore to both Delaware and points north and Virginia and points south.