Wicomico County, Maryland

Wicomico County is a county in Maryland, United States, on the Delmarva Peninsula between the Nanticoke and Wicomico rivers. It had a population of 103,588 at the 2020 census, making it the most populous county on Maryland’s Eastern Shore. The county covers 400 square miles (1,000 km2), of which 374 square miles (970 km2) is land and 26 square miles (67 km2) is water, centred near 38°22′N 75°38′W.

Salisbury is the county seat, and its postal code is 21801. Wicomico County has two cities, six incorporated towns, and eleven unincorporated communities with census-designated-place status. The county runs on Eastern time (UTC−5, UTC−4 in summer) and carries FIPS code 24045.

Towns & Villages in Wicomico County

Salisbury dominates the county both in population and as its commercial hub; the rest of Wicomico is a mix of small incorporated towns and farm-country CDPs along the Nanticoke, Wicomico, and Wetipquin rivers.

Delmar sits directly on the Maryland–Delaware line; only the Maryland side is counted in this county’s population. Dozens of smaller crossroads and river-landing communities — Athol, Cedarhurst, Green Hill, Rockawalking, Wetipquin, and others — sit outside these place boundaries without their own ZIP or census designation and are served by the nearest listed town.

ZIP Codes

• 21801, 21802, 21803, 21804 — Salisbury (four ZIPs cover the city and its suburbs)
• 21826 — Fruitland
• 21875 — Delmar (also serves the Delaware side of town)
• 21850 — Pittsville
• 21830 — Hebron
• 21874 — Willards
• 21861 — Sharptown (also serves parts of Caroline County)
• 21837 — Mardela Springs
• 21849 — Parsonsburg
• 21856 — Quantico
• 21810 — Allen
• 21840 — Nanticoke (also serves Nanticoke Acres)
• 21865 — Tyaskin
• 21814 — Bivalve
• 21852 — Powellville

Whitehaven, Waterview, and Jesterville have no ZIP code of their own and are addressed under a neighboring town’s postal code.

Geography

Wicomico County sits on the low, flat Delmarva Peninsula, drained by the Wicomico and Nanticoke rivers into Chesapeake Bay tributaries. Farmland, loblolly-pine woodland, and tidal marsh along the rivers make up most of the land outside Salisbury and Fruitland. Elevations rarely exceed 60 feet above sea level.

Wicomico County borders four counties: Dorchester County, Maryland to the northwest, Somerset County, Maryland to the southwest, Worcester County, Maryland to the southeast, and Sussex County, Delaware to the north.

Demographics

The county’s population was 103,588 at the 2020 census, and the 2025 estimate puts it near 106,899. Salisbury and Fruitland together account for roughly 37 percent of county residents, with the remainder spread across the smaller towns and rural CDPs. Wicomico County’s median household income runs below the Maryland state figure of $98,678, reflecting a mixed poultry-processing and healthcare economy rather than the higher-income Washington and Baltimore suburbs. Population density is about 277 people per square mile of land.

Economy & Local Life

Poultry processing anchors the county’s economy: Perdue Farms is headquartered in Salisbury and remains the largest private employer. Salisbury University, TidalHealth (the regional hospital system), Verizon, and Chesapeake Shipbuilding round out the major employers, alongside grain and soybean farming across the county’s rural districts. The Autumn Wine Festival and the Wicomico County Fair are among the county’s larger annual gatherings, both held in the fall.

History

Wicomico County was created in 1867 from parts of Somerset and Worcester counties, the last of Maryland’s 23 counties to be formed. Its name comes from the Wicomico River, whose Algonquian name is generally translated as “a place where houses are built,” referring to a Native settlement once on its banks. Salisbury, chartered decades earlier as a colonial river port and tobacco-inspection station, was named the new county’s seat. A 1886 fire destroyed much of downtown Salisbury, which was rebuilt with the brick commercial blocks still standing along its Main Street.

Getting There

U.S. Route 13 runs north–south through the county and U.S. Route 50 runs east–west through Salisbury toward Ocean City, with both highways meeting at the city’s bypass interchange.

• Fruitland — 4 miles south of Salisbury
• Delmar — 10 miles east of Salisbury
• Pittsville — 9 miles east of Salisbury
• Cambridge, Dorchester County — 25 miles northwest of Salisbury

Salisbury–Ocean City–Wicomico Regional Airport, just outside Salisbury, is the only airport in the region with scheduled commercial service, flown by American Eagle. Amtrak does not serve Wicomico County; the nearest station is in Washington, D.C.

Frequently Asked Questions

Where is Wicomico County, Maryland?
It is on the Delmarva Peninsula in southeastern Maryland, bordering Delaware to the north.

What is the Salisbury postcode?
Salisbury uses ZIP codes 21801 through 21804, depending on the neighborhood.

What is the population of Wicomico County?
It had a population of 103,588 at the 2020 census, with an estimated 106,899 residents as of 2025.

What is the largest city in Wicomico County?
Salisbury is the largest city and the county seat, with a 2020 population of 33,050.

Which county is the seat of Wicomico County?
Salisbury is the county seat.

How did Wicomico County get its name?
It is named for the Wicomico River, from an Algonquian phrase meaning “a place where houses are built.”

What counties border Wicomico County?
Dorchester, Somerset, and Worcester counties in Maryland, and Sussex County, Delaware.

More counties in this state: Towns and villages in Maryland.