Maryland Route 261
Encyclopedia
Maryland Route 261 is a state highway
in the U.S. state
of Maryland
. The route runs 12.86 mi (20.7 km) from Maryland Route 263
near Parran
north to Maryland Route 778
in Friendship
. MD 261 connects several Chesapeake Bay
beach communities, including Chesapeake Beach
and North Beach
in northern Calvert County
and Rose Haven
in southern Anne Arundel County
.
(Plum Point Road) where MD 261 and MD 263 west serve as the through route. The route heads northeast as a two-lane road with a speed limit of 40 mph (64.4 km/h) through an area of farms and scattered residences. After meeting Pond Woods Road, which connects with the concurrent Maryland Route 2
and Maryland Route 4
in Huntingtown, the road intersects Breezy Point Road. Breezy Point Road, which is unsigned Maryland Route 764 for its first 475 ft (144.8 m), leads to the Breezy Point beach community and marina.
Shortly after MD 261 passes Willows Road and Christiana Parrans Road, the road turns north to parallel the bay coast. After passing a few more tiny beach communities, the road enters and crosses the Chesapeake Beach facility of the U.S. Naval Research Laboratory
. The main entrances are at an intersection with a firehouse-type flashing signal. The road next runs through Randle Cliff Beach, where MD 261 intersects Summer City Boulevard, which leads to Old Bayside Road. MD 261 then enters the town of Chesapeake Beach
, where the name of the road changes to Bayside Road.
MD 261 through the southern part of Chesapeake Beach runs through a forested area that is part of Bayside Park. After crossing a small creek, the speed limit drops to 30 mph (48.3 km/h) and the road enters the populated part of town and meets the northern end of Old Bayside Road. After passing the Chesapeake Station Shopping Center, the road passes by Harbor Road and Mears Avenue. The former road leads to a marina and the former road leads to the Chesapeake Beach Railway Station
, which is a museum and a restoration of the eastern terminus of the Chesapeake Beach Railway
that connected the resort to Washington, D.C.
. After crossing Fishing Creek, MD 261 expands to a three-lane road with center turn lane and passes Lynwood T. Kellam Memorial Recreational Park and the Chesapeake Beach Town Hall, then meets the eastern terminus of Maryland Route 260
(Chesapeake Beach Road) at a signalized intersection.
After continuing through the northern part of Chesapeake Beach, the speed limit drops to 25 mph (40.2 km/h) at 1st Street and the road enters North Beach
. MD 261 is municipally-maintained within town. After passing North Beach Town Hall and Robert W. Callis Memorial Park, the road crosses 5th Street, which extends west out of the town toward the hamlet of Mount Harmony. MD 261 then turns east on 7th Street and north again on Bay Street. The route follows Bay Street north to an unnamed creek, where the road leaves North Beach and enters Anne Arundel County
, where state maintenance resumes.
, the road passes Charleston Avenue then turns left onto Lake Shore Drive and loops around Rose Haven Harbor, with the speed limit increasing to 40 mph (64.4 km/h) after passing California Avenue and leaving the residential area. The name of the road changes for the final time, to Friendship Road, as it leaves the Chesapeake Bay.
After heading west for a time, the road curves north, meets south-heading Boyds Turn Road, and passes the historic home Holly Hill
. MD 261 then meets Fairhaven Road, which leads to Maryland Route 423
, on a curve back to the west. After passing Prout Road, the route continues through an area of farms. After the speed limit drops to 30 mph (48.3 km/h), the road enters the unincorporated village of Friendship
, where MD 261 comes to an end at Maryland Route 778
(Old Solomons Island Road). Friendship Road continues westward 1000 ft (304.8 m) to a roundabout
at Maryland Route 2
(Solomons Island Road).
MD 613 first appeared in 1936 on the road between Friendship and Boyds Turn Road. Its designation was first marked on the 1939 Maryland state highway map. At that time, there was no road at all between MD 613's eastern terminus and North Beach. MD 613 was extended east to Rose Haven in 1949. By 1950, the road between Rose Haven and North Beach was under construction. The road was completed by 1956. It was not clear where MD 261 ended and where MD 613 began, but by 1970 MD 261 had taken over MD 613's routing and assumed its current course.
State highway
State highway, state road or state route can refer to one of three related concepts, two of them related to a state or provincial government in a country that is divided into states or provinces :#A...
in the U.S. state
U.S. state
A U.S. state is any one of the 50 federated states of the United States of America that share sovereignty with the federal government. Because of this shared sovereignty, an American is a citizen both of the federal entity and of his or her state of domicile. Four states use the official title of...
of Maryland
Maryland
Maryland is a U.S. state located in the Mid Atlantic region of the United States, bordering Virginia, West Virginia, and the District of Columbia to its south and west; Pennsylvania to its north; and Delaware to its east...
. The route runs 12.86 mi (20.7 km) from Maryland Route 263
Maryland Route 263
Maryland Route 263 is a state highway in the U.S. state of Maryland. Known as Plum Point Road, the state highway runs from MD 2 and MD 4 near Prince Frederick east to a dead end at Plum Point...
near Parran
Parran, Maryland
Parran is an unincorporated community in Calvert County, Maryland, United States. Cornehill was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1973.-References:...
north to Maryland Route 778
Maryland Route 778
Maryland Route 778 is a state highway in the U.S. state of Maryland. Known as Old Solomons Island Road, the state highway runs from MD 2 in Owings north to MD 261 in Friendship...
in Friendship
Friendship, Anne Arundel County, Maryland
Friendship is an unincorporated community in Anne Arundel County, Maryland, United States....
. MD 261 connects several Chesapeake Bay
Chesapeake Bay
The Chesapeake Bay is the largest estuary in the United States. It lies off the Atlantic Ocean, surrounded by Maryland and Virginia. The Chesapeake Bay's drainage basin covers in the District of Columbia and parts of six states: New York, Pennsylvania, Delaware, Maryland, Virginia, and West...
beach communities, including Chesapeake Beach
Chesapeake Beach, Maryland
Chesapeake Beach is a town in Calvert County, Maryland, United States. Its major attractions include a Railway Museum & Trail, the Chesapeake Beach Water Park, marinas, piers, charter boat fishing, and a Veterans Memorial Park...
and North Beach
North Beach, Maryland
North Beach is a town in Calvert County, Maryland, United States. The population was 1,880 at the 2000 census. The town is contiguous with the larger town of Chesapeake Beach which has a new boardwalk, a new resort spa hotel, a recreational water park, and new housing...
in northern Calvert County
Calvert County, Maryland
Calvert County is a county located in the U.S. state of Maryland. It occupies the Calvert Peninsula which is bordered on the east by the Chesapeake Bay and on the west by the Patuxent River. Calvert County is part of the Southern Maryland region. Calvert County's residents are among the highest...
and Rose Haven
Rose Haven, Maryland
Rose Haven is an unincorporated community in Anne Arundel County, Maryland, United States. Old Colony Cove Site was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1978....
in southern Anne Arundel County
Anne Arundel County, Maryland
Anne Arundel County is a county located in the U.S. state of Maryland. It is named for Anne Arundell , a member of the ancient family of Arundells in Cornwall, England and the wife of Cæcilius Calvert, 2nd Baron Baltimore. Its county seat is Annapolis, which is also the capital of the state...
.
Calvert County
Maryland Route 261 begins at an intersection with Maryland Route 263Maryland Route 263
Maryland Route 263 is a state highway in the U.S. state of Maryland. Known as Plum Point Road, the state highway runs from MD 2 and MD 4 near Prince Frederick east to a dead end at Plum Point...
(Plum Point Road) where MD 261 and MD 263 west serve as the through route. The route heads northeast as a two-lane road with a speed limit of 40 mph (64.4 km/h) through an area of farms and scattered residences. After meeting Pond Woods Road, which connects with the concurrent Maryland Route 2
Maryland Route 2
Maryland Route 2 is the longest state highway in the U.S. state of Maryland. The route runs from Solomons Island in Calvert County north to an intersection with U.S. Route 1 and U.S. Route 40 Truck in Baltimore...
and Maryland Route 4
Maryland Route 4
Maryland Route 4 is a state highway in the U.S. state of Maryland. The state highway runs from MD 5 in Leonardtown north to Southern Avenue at the Washington, D.C. border, past which the highway continues as Pennsylvania Avenue...
in Huntingtown, the road intersects Breezy Point Road. Breezy Point Road, which is unsigned Maryland Route 764 for its first 475 ft (144.8 m), leads to the Breezy Point beach community and marina.
Shortly after MD 261 passes Willows Road and Christiana Parrans Road, the road turns north to parallel the bay coast. After passing a few more tiny beach communities, the road enters and crosses the Chesapeake Beach facility of the U.S. Naval Research Laboratory
United States Naval Research Laboratory
The United States Naval Research Laboratory is the corporate research laboratory for the United States Navy and the United States Marine Corps and conducts a program of scientific research and development. NRL opened in 1923 at the instigation of Thomas Edison...
. The main entrances are at an intersection with a firehouse-type flashing signal. The road next runs through Randle Cliff Beach, where MD 261 intersects Summer City Boulevard, which leads to Old Bayside Road. MD 261 then enters the town of Chesapeake Beach
Chesapeake Beach, Maryland
Chesapeake Beach is a town in Calvert County, Maryland, United States. Its major attractions include a Railway Museum & Trail, the Chesapeake Beach Water Park, marinas, piers, charter boat fishing, and a Veterans Memorial Park...
, where the name of the road changes to Bayside Road.
MD 261 through the southern part of Chesapeake Beach runs through a forested area that is part of Bayside Park. After crossing a small creek, the speed limit drops to 30 mph (48.3 km/h) and the road enters the populated part of town and meets the northern end of Old Bayside Road. After passing the Chesapeake Station Shopping Center, the road passes by Harbor Road and Mears Avenue. The former road leads to a marina and the former road leads to the Chesapeake Beach Railway Station
Chesapeake Beach Railway Station
The Chesapeake Beach Railway Station is a historic railway station located at Chesapeake Beach, Calvert County, Maryland, United States. It is composed of two one-story, hip-roofed sections; one part was once an open passenger boarding area that was later enclosed for storage. The station was...
, which is a museum and a restoration of the eastern terminus of the Chesapeake Beach Railway
Chesapeake Beach Railway
The Chesapeake Beach Railway , now defunct, was an American railroad of southern Maryland and Washington, DC built in the 19th century. The CBR ran 27.629 miles from Washington, D.C. on tracks formerly owned by the Southern Maryland Railroad and then on its own single track through Maryland farm...
that connected the resort to Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
. After crossing Fishing Creek, MD 261 expands to a three-lane road with center turn lane and passes Lynwood T. Kellam Memorial Recreational Park and the Chesapeake Beach Town Hall, then meets the eastern terminus of Maryland Route 260
Maryland Route 260
Maryland Route 260 is a state highway in Calvert County and Anne Arundel County, Maryland. Route 260 starts at the northern border of Calvert and Anne Arundel counties, branching off from Maryland Route 4 by way of an overpass interchange...
(Chesapeake Beach Road) at a signalized intersection.
After continuing through the northern part of Chesapeake Beach, the speed limit drops to 25 mph (40.2 km/h) at 1st Street and the road enters North Beach
North Beach, Maryland
North Beach is a town in Calvert County, Maryland, United States. The population was 1,880 at the 2000 census. The town is contiguous with the larger town of Chesapeake Beach which has a new boardwalk, a new resort spa hotel, a recreational water park, and new housing...
. MD 261 is municipally-maintained within town. After passing North Beach Town Hall and Robert W. Callis Memorial Park, the road crosses 5th Street, which extends west out of the town toward the hamlet of Mount Harmony. MD 261 then turns east on 7th Street and north again on Bay Street. The route follows Bay Street north to an unnamed creek, where the road leaves North Beach and enters Anne Arundel County
Anne Arundel County, Maryland
Anne Arundel County is a county located in the U.S. state of Maryland. It is named for Anne Arundell , a member of the ancient family of Arundells in Cornwall, England and the wife of Cæcilius Calvert, 2nd Baron Baltimore. Its county seat is Annapolis, which is also the capital of the state...
, where state maintenance resumes.
Anne Arundel County
Upon entering the new county, the name of MD 261 changes to Walnut Avenue and the speed limit increases to 30 mph (48.3 km/h) as the route heads north and then west through North Beach Park, a beach community with alphabetical plant-named streets. At Rose HavenRose Haven, Maryland
Rose Haven is an unincorporated community in Anne Arundel County, Maryland, United States. Old Colony Cove Site was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1978....
, the road passes Charleston Avenue then turns left onto Lake Shore Drive and loops around Rose Haven Harbor, with the speed limit increasing to 40 mph (64.4 km/h) after passing California Avenue and leaving the residential area. The name of the road changes for the final time, to Friendship Road, as it leaves the Chesapeake Bay.
After heading west for a time, the road curves north, meets south-heading Boyds Turn Road, and passes the historic home Holly Hill
Holly Hill (Friendship, Maryland)
Holly Hill, also known as Holland's Hills or Rose Valley, is a historic home at Friendship, Anne Arundel County, Maryland, United States. It was originally a primitive, two-room, -story frame dwelling constructed in the fall or winter of 1698. An addition was made in 1713, and about 1730 the entire...
. MD 261 then meets Fairhaven Road, which leads to Maryland Route 423
Maryland Route 423
Maryland Route 423 is a state highway in the U.S. state of Maryland. Known as Fairhaven Road, the route runs from Maryland Route 2 in Friendship east to Arundel Road in Fairhaven.-Route description:...
, on a curve back to the west. After passing Prout Road, the route continues through an area of farms. After the speed limit drops to 30 mph (48.3 km/h), the road enters the unincorporated village of Friendship
Friendship, Anne Arundel County, Maryland
Friendship is an unincorporated community in Anne Arundel County, Maryland, United States....
, where MD 261 comes to an end at Maryland Route 778
Maryland Route 778
Maryland Route 778 is a state highway in the U.S. state of Maryland. Known as Old Solomons Island Road, the state highway runs from MD 2 in Owings north to MD 261 in Friendship...
(Old Solomons Island Road). Friendship Road continues westward 1000 ft (304.8 m) to a roundabout
Roundabout
A roundabout is the name for a road junction in which traffic moves in one direction around a central island. The word dates from the early 20th century. Roundabouts are common in many countries around the world...
at Maryland Route 2
Maryland Route 2
Maryland Route 2 is the longest state highway in the U.S. state of Maryland. The route runs from Solomons Island in Calvert County north to an intersection with U.S. Route 1 and U.S. Route 40 Truck in Baltimore...
(Solomons Island Road).
History
What is now Maryland Route 261 was actually two different state routes: MD 261 in Calvert County and Maryland Route 613 in Anne Arundel County. Only the stretch of Maryland Route 261 in Chesapeake Beach was paved in 1927. By 1933, the road was also paved between Willows Road near Plum Point and Randle Cliff Beach. The gap between Randle Cliff Beach and Chesapeake Beach was closed in 1936, and the road was extended into North Beach. By 1939, the designation of MD 261 was assigned to the road in Calvert County. However, the road south of Willows Road to MD 263 was not state-maintained and extended to a point closer to Plum Point than it does now. The current stretch of MD 261 between its southern terminus and Willows Road was completed in 1950.MD 613 first appeared in 1936 on the road between Friendship and Boyds Turn Road. Its designation was first marked on the 1939 Maryland state highway map. At that time, there was no road at all between MD 613's eastern terminus and North Beach. MD 613 was extended east to Rose Haven in 1949. By 1950, the road between Rose Haven and North Beach was under construction. The road was completed by 1956. It was not clear where MD 261 ended and where MD 613 began, but by 1970 MD 261 had taken over MD 613's routing and assumed its current course.
Junction list
| County | Location | Mile | Destinations | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Calvert Calvert County, Maryland Calvert County is a county located in the U.S. state of Maryland. It occupies the Calvert Peninsula which is bordered on the east by the Chesapeake Bay and on the west by the Patuxent River. Calvert County is part of the Southern Maryland region. Calvert County's residents are among the highest... 7.45 mi (12 km) |
Parran Parran, Maryland Parran is an unincorporated community in Calvert County, Maryland, United States. Cornehill was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1973.-References:... |
0.00 | Southern terminus | |
| 0.65 | Pond Woods Road | |||
| 1.22 | Breezy Point Road | Unsigned | ||
| 1.43 | Willows Road | |||
| 1.46 | Christiana Parran Road | |||
| Chesapeake Beach Chesapeake Beach, Maryland Chesapeake Beach is a town in Calvert County, Maryland, United States. Its major attractions include a Railway Museum & Trail, the Chesapeake Beach Water Park, marinas, piers, charter boat fishing, and a Veterans Memorial Park... |
3.41 | Entrance to U.S. Naval Research Lab United States Naval Research Laboratory The United States Naval Research Laboratory is the corporate research laboratory for the United States Navy and the United States Marine Corps and conducts a program of scientific research and development. NRL opened in 1923 at the instigation of Thomas Edison... |
||
| 3.91 | Summer City Boulevard | |||
| 5.20 | Old Bayside Road | |||
| 5.67 | Harbor Road / Mears Avenue | Chesapeake Beach Railway Station Chesapeake Beach Railway Station The Chesapeake Beach Railway Station is a historic railway station located at Chesapeake Beach, Calvert County, Maryland, United States. It is composed of two one-story, hip-roofed sections; one part was once an open passenger boarding area that was later enclosed for storage. The station was... |
||
| 6.04 | ||||
| 6.58 | 1st Street | |||
| North Beach North Beach, Maryland North Beach is a town in Calvert County, Maryland, United States. The population was 1,880 at the 2000 census. The town is contiguous with the larger town of Chesapeake Beach which has a new boardwalk, a new resort spa hotel, a recreational water park, and new housing... |
6.90 | 5th Street | ||
| 7.00 | 7th Street |  continues east on 7th Street |
||
| 7.06 | Bay Avenue | continues north on Bay Avenue |
||
| Anne Arundel Anne Arundel County, Maryland Anne Arundel County is a county located in the U.S. state of Maryland. It is named for Anne Arundell , a member of the ancient family of Arundells in Cornwall, England and the wife of Cæcilius Calvert, 2nd Baron Baltimore. Its county seat is Annapolis, which is also the capital of the state... 5.41 mi (8.7 km) |
Rose Haven Rose Haven, Maryland Rose Haven is an unincorporated community in Anne Arundel County, Maryland, United States. Old Colony Cove Site was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1978.... |
Charleston Avenue | ||
| California Avenue | ||||
| Friendship Friendship, Anne Arundel County, Maryland Friendship is an unincorporated community in Anne Arundel County, Maryland, United States.... |
Boyds Turn Road | |||
| Fairhaven Road | To  |
|||
| Prout Road | ||||
Friendship Road |
Northern terminus Friendship Road continues to  |
|||