Maryland Route 263
Encyclopedia
Maryland Route 263 is a state highway
in the U.S. state
of Maryland
. Known as Plum Point Road, the state highway runs 6.17 miles (9.9 km) from MD 2
and MD 4
near Prince Frederick
east to a dead end at Plum Point. MD 263 also connects Prince Frederick with the northeastern Calvert County
towns of Chesapeake Beach
and North Beach
; access to the towns is provided through a connection with MD 261
in Parran
. The state highway was constructed in the late 1920s.
as Solomons Island Road, about 3 miles (4.8 km) north of Prince Frederick. The state highway heads northeast as a two-lane road that immediately crosses Hunting Creek and passes through a forested area with scattered residential subdivisions. MD 263 passes by both ends of its old alignment, which is unsigned
MD 761 (Old Plum Point Road), on its way to the community of Parran. Within the community, the state highway intersects Emmanuel Church Road, which leads south to the historic home Cornehill
. East of Parran, the roadway continues northeast as MD 261 (Willows Road) toward Chesapeake Beach and North Beach while MD 263 veers east toward Plum Point. MD 263 crosses Plum Point Creek and intersects Wilson Road, which heads south toward Dares Beach
, in the community of Plum Point. The state highway intersects Ridge Road, which heads north into the center of the beach community, before it reaches its eastern terminus at a dead end just west of the Chesapeake Bay
shoreline.
.
{| class=wikitable
!Location
!Mile
!Destinations
!Notes
|-
|
|0.00
|
|Western terminus
|-
|Parran
|4.09
|
|
|-
|Plum Point
|6.17
|Dead end
|Eastern terminus
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...
. Known as Plum Point Road, the state highway runs 6.17 miles (9.9 km) from MD 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 MD 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...
near Prince Frederick
Prince Frederick, Maryland
Prince Frederick is a census-designated place in Calvert County, Maryland, United States, not to be confused with the incorporated, and much larger, city of Frederick some to the northwest in Frederick County...
east to a dead end at Plum Point. MD 263 also connects Prince Frederick with the northeastern 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...
towns 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...
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...
; access to the towns is provided through a connection with MD 261
Maryland Route 261
Maryland Route 261 is a state highway in the U.S. state of Maryland. The route runs from Maryland Route 263 near Parran north to Maryland Route 778 in Friendship...
in 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:...
. The state highway was constructed in the late 1920s.
Route description
MD 263 begins at a directional crossover intersection with MD 2 and MD 4, which run concurrentlyConcurrency (road)
A concurrency, overlap, or coincidence in a road network is an instance of one physical road bearing two or more different highway, motorway, or other route numbers...
as Solomons Island Road, about 3 miles (4.8 km) north of Prince Frederick. The state highway heads northeast as a two-lane road that immediately crosses Hunting Creek and passes through a forested area with scattered residential subdivisions. MD 263 passes by both ends of its old alignment, which is unsigned
Unsigned highway
An unsigned highway is a highway that has been assigned a route number, but does not bear conventional road markings that would normally be used to identify the route with that number...
MD 761 (Old Plum Point Road), on its way to the community of Parran. Within the community, the state highway intersects Emmanuel Church Road, which leads south to the historic home Cornehill
Cornehill
Cornehill is a historic home located at Parran, Calvert County, Maryland, United States. It is a five-bay-long two-story Georgian brick house laid in Flemish bond with a steeply pitched gable roof with an exterior chimney at each gable end...
. East of Parran, the roadway continues northeast as MD 261 (Willows Road) toward Chesapeake Beach and North Beach while MD 263 veers east toward Plum Point. MD 263 crosses Plum Point Creek and intersects Wilson Road, which heads south toward Dares Beach
Dares Beach, Maryland
Dares Beach is a small residential community located in Calvert County, Maryland. Dares Beach is situated along the Chesapeake Bay. It utilizes the Prince Frederick, Maryland zip code and is approximately 4 miles east of the town center of Prince Frederick, Maryland...
, in the community of Plum Point. The state highway intersects Ridge Road, which heads north into the center of the beach community, before it reaches its eastern terminus at a dead end just west of the 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...
shoreline.
History
MD 263 was constructed as a 15 feet (4.6 m) wide gravel road from MD 2 east to MD 261 in Parran between 1924 and 1927. The state highway was constructed to Plum Point in 1929 and 1930. MD 263 was widened and paved with bituminous concrete from MD 2 to MD 261 around 1959. The directional crossover intersection at the state highway's western terminus with MD 2 and MD 4 was installed in 2007.Junction list
The entire route is in Calvert CountyCalvert 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...
.
{| class=wikitable
!Location
!Mile
!Destinations
!Notes
|-
|
|0.00
|
|Western terminus
|-
|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:...
|4.09
|
|
|-
|Plum Point
|6.17
|Dead end
|Eastern terminus