Bethany Beach is an incorporated town

Town

A town is a human settlement larger than a village but smaller than a city. The size a settlement must be in order to be called a "town" varies considerably in different parts of the world, so that, for example, many American "small towns" seem to British people to be no more than villages, while...

 in Sussex County

Sussex County, Delaware

Sussex County is a county located in the southern part of the U.S. state of Delaware. As of 2010 the population was 197,145, an increase of 25.9% over the previous decade. The county seat is Georgetown. The Seaford Micropolitan Statistical Area includes all of Sussex County.Sussex County is...

, Delaware

Delaware

Delaware is a U.S. state located on the Atlantic Coast in the Mid-Atlantic region of the United States. It is bordered to the south and west by Maryland, and to the north by Pennsylvania...

, United States

United States

The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

. According to the 2010 Census Bureau figures, the population of the town is 1,060; however, during the summer months some 15,000 more populate the town as vacationers. It is part of the Seaford, Delaware

Seaford, Delaware

Seaford is a city located along the Nanticoke River in Sussex County, Delaware. According to the 2010 Census Bureau figures, the population of the city is 6,928, an increase of 3.4% from the 2000 census...

 Micropolitan Statistical Area.

Bethany Beach, South Bethany

South Bethany, Delaware

As of the census of 2000, there were 492 people, 253 households, and 170 families residing in the town. The population density was 948.6 people per square mile . There were 1,137 housing units at an average density of 2,192.1 per square mile...

 and Fenwick Island are popularly known as "The Quiet Resorts". Assisting Bethany Beach's reputation as a "quiet" place is the presence of Delaware Seashore State Park

Delaware Seashore State Park

Delaware Seashore State Park is located near Dewey Beach, in Delaware, United States. It is bounded on the east by the mighty Atlantic Ocean and on the west by Rehoboth Bay and Indian River Bay. The park covers . It is a major attraction for millions of visitors who enjoy the large variety of...

 immediately to the north of the town, a six mile-long barrier island

Barrier island

Barrier islands, a coastal landform and a type of barrier system, are relatively narrow strips of sand that parallel the mainland coast. They usually occur in chains, consisting of anything from a few islands to more than a dozen...

.

Despite its small size, Bethany Beach boasts the usual attractions of a summer sea

Sea

A sea generally refers to a large body of salt water, but the term is used in other contexts as well. Most commonly, it means a large expanse of saline water connected with an ocean, and is commonly used as a synonym for ocean...

side resort

Resort

A resort is a place used for relaxation or recreation, attracting visitors for holidays or vacations. Resorts are places, towns or sometimes commercial establishment operated by a single company....

, including a short boardwalk

Boardwalk

A boardwalk, in the conventional sense, is a wooden walkway for pedestrians and sometimes vehicles, often found along beaches, but they are also common as paths through wetlands, coastal dunes, and other sensitive environments....

, a broad, sandy beach

Beach

A beach is a geological landform along the shoreline of an ocean, sea, lake or river. It usually consists of loose particles which are often composed of rock, such as sand, gravel, shingle, pebbles or cobblestones...

, motel

Motel

A motor hotel, or motel for short, is a hotel designed for motorists, and usually has a parking area for motor vehicles...

s, restaurant

Restaurant

A restaurant is an establishment which prepares and serves food and drink to customers in return for money. Meals are generally served and eaten on premises, but many restaurants also offer take-out and food delivery services...

s, and vacation homes. Because Bethany Beach does not sit on a barrier island, residential areas continue some distance to the west of the town's limits.

Geography

Bethany Beach is located at 38°32′27"N 75°3′42"W (38.540807, -75.061771). The town is bordered to the north by the Delaware Seashore State Park

Delaware Seashore State Park

Delaware Seashore State Park is located near Dewey Beach, in Delaware, United States. It is bounded on the east by the mighty Atlantic Ocean and on the west by Rehoboth Bay and Indian River Bay. The park covers . It is a major attraction for millions of visitors who enjoy the large variety of...

 and by Salt Pond, to the east by the Atlantic Ocean

Atlantic Ocean

The Atlantic Ocean is the second-largest of the world's oceanic divisions. With a total area of about , it covers approximately 20% of the Earth's surface and about 26% of its water surface area...

, to the south by South Bethany, and to the west by Ocean View

Ocean View, Delaware

As of the census of 2000, there were 1,006 people, 458 households, and 321 families residing in the town. The population density was 495.0 people per square mile . There were 751 housing units at an average density of 369.6 per square mile...

.
According to the United States Census Bureau

United States Census Bureau

The United States Census Bureau is the government agency that is responsible for the United States Census. It also gathers other national demographic and economic data...

, the town has a total area of 1.2 square miles (3.1 km²), of which, 1.1 square miles (2.8 km²) of it is land and 0.04 square mile (0.1035995244 km²) of it (1.71%) is water.