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Voykit pocket guide · United States
Lexington Park
Base here 1–2 nights for the Patuxent River naval air museum and Point Lookout; skip it as a sightseeing town — it is a service hub on MD-235.
Lexington Park is the commercial centre of St. Mary's County, 60 mi (about 97 km) south-southeast of Washington, DC, wrapped around Naval Air Station Patuxent River — the Navy's main aircraft test base. The base is closed to the public, so visitors come for the adjacent naval air museum, the Point Lookout peninsula and the riverside villages of Solomons and St. Mary's City. It is a car destination: Three Notch Road (MD-235) is the spine, and nothing here is walkable end to end.
- Country
- United States
- Best months
- Apr–Jun, Sep–Oct
- Avoid
- Jul–Aug (heat and humidity); winter weekends when Solomons and Point Lookout slow down
- Stay
- 1–2 nights
Checked 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change; anything marked (check) is not confirmed.
Essentials
- Currency
- USD
- Money
- Currency is the US dollar (USD, $). Cards and phone payments work almost everywhere; carry a little cash for tips and small vendors.
- Daily spend
- Budget $70–110 excl. bed · Mid $120–200 excl. bed · High $220+ excl. bed (estimate; check)
- SIM and data
- AT&T, Verizon and T-Mobile cover the country; prepaid SIMs at their stores and Walmart/Target (passport required), or an eSIM before you fly.
- Emergency
- Police, fire, ambulance 911 · Sheriff, non-emergency 301-475-8008
- Plugs
- Types A, B · 120 V · 60 Hz · Chargers are dual-voltage; hair dryers and straighteners from 230 V countries need a converter.
- Tipping
- Sit-down restaurant: 18–22% of the pre-tax bill.; Bar: US$1–2 per drink or 20% of the tab.; Taxi / ride-hailing: 15–20%, in the app.; Hotel housekeeping: US$3–5 a night.; Porter / valet: US$2–5 per bag or car.; Tour guide: US$10–20 per person for a day tour.; Counter service / tablet prompts: Optional; 0–15%.
- Water
- Tap water is drinkable nearly everywhere; boil or treat water from streams in parks.
- Toilets
- Free public toilets are scarce in big cities; use cafés, department stores, libraries, stations. Rest areas on highways are free.
What things cost
| Item | Price |
|---|---|
| Coffee | $3–6 |
| Deli sandwich or soup lunch | $10–16 |
| Pizza, mid-range sit-down | $14–22 |
| Thai or Japanese dinner main | $16–30 |
| Draught beer at a bar | $6–9 |
| Point Lookout State Park entry, in season | $5–7 per person (check) |
| Naval air museum entry | Free; donation requested (check) |
Desk estimates, checked 2026-09; check locally.
Get in
By air
- DCA · Ronald Reagan Washington National
- About 64 mi (103 km) north-northwest; drive MD-5 south. Closest of the three.About 64 mi (64 mi) north-northwest; drive MD-5 south. Closest of the three.
- BWI · Baltimore-Washington International
- About 86 mi (138 km) north; MD-4 south. Longer but often avoids the DC Beltway.About 86 mi (86 mi) north; MD-4 south. Longer but often avoids the DC Beltway.
- IAD · Washington Dulles International
- About 91 mi (146 km) northwest; MD-5 south. Least convenient of the three.About 91 mi (91 mi) northwest; MD-5 south. Least convenient of the three.
Typical fares
- DCA → Lexington Park by car
- about 64 mi (103 km), 1 h 20 min–1 h 50 min with traffic (check)about 64 mi (64 mi), 1 h 20 min–1 h 50 min with traffic (check)
- BWI → Lexington Park by car
- about 86 mi (138 km), 1 h 40 min–2 h 15 min (check)about 86 mi (86 mi), 1 h 40 min–2 h 15 min (check)
- Lexington Park → Solomons by car
- about 8 mi (13 km), 15–20 minabout 8 mi (8.1 mi), 15–20 min
Get around
You need a car. MD-235 (Three Notch Road) runs the length of the county and MD-5 and MD-4 are the two main routes in from Washington and Baltimore. There is no useful local rail; buses are limited, so plan on driving to every sight, restaurant and trailhead.
See and do
Known for
- Patuxent River Naval Air Museum
- Naval Air Station Patuxent River
- Point Lookout State Park
- Solomons Island waterfront
Day trips
| Where | How | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Point Lookout State Park | Drive MD-5 south to the tip of the peninsula | 35–45 min |
| Solomons | Drive MD-4 east over the Patuxent River bridge | 15–20 min |
| St. Mary's City | Drive MD-5 south, then MD-247 | 25–30 min |
| Cobb Island | Drive MD-257 south through Wicomico | 50–60 min |
| Chesapeake Beach | Drive MD-4 north through Calvert County | 1 h |
| La Plata | Drive MD-5 north | 45–55 min |
Sleep
- Three Notch Rd (MD-235) at Gate 1
- Chain hotels within a short walk of the base gate and the museum; the practical base if you have a car.
- California, MD
- 5–10 min north on MD-235; more restaurants and shops, same highway traffic.
- Solomons
- 8 mi (13 km) east over the Patuxent River bridge; waterfront inns and the Tiki Bar, but a longer commute each morning.8 mi (8.1 mi) east over the Patuxent River bridge; waterfront inns and the Tiki Bar, but a longer commute each morning.
- Point Lookout State Park campground
- At the southern tip of the county, about 30–40 min from Lexington Park; wooded sites and camper cabins.
Phrase card
| English | Say or show |
|---|---|
| Thank you | Thank you |
| Where is the restroom? | Where is the restroom? |
| Can I pay by card? | Can I pay by card? |
| Is the museum open today? | Is the museum open today? |
Etiquette, safety and scams
Etiquette
- Greeting: Handshake and 'hi, how are you?' — reply 'good, thanks'; avoid: Treating the question as a real health enquiry
- Restaurants: Tip 18–22% and wait for the check; avoid: Leaving without tipping
- Personal space: Keep an arm's length in queues; avoid: Standing close to strangers
- Politics and religion: Listen more than you speak; avoid: Opening with hot-button topics
- Smoking: Smoke only in marked areas; avoid: Smoking near doors or in parks where banned
Scams and watch-outs
- Naval Air Station Patuxent River is an active military base: no public entry, and photography near the fence line can attract attention.
- MD-235 is a divided highway with fast traffic and few crossings — drive between stops rather than walking the shoulder.
- Distances look small on the map but add up: Point Lookout is roughly 30–40 min south of Lexington Park.
- Summer brings heat, humidity and ticks in the state-park woods; carry water and repellent.
- The Tiki Bar in Solomons is seasonal — open from the third Friday in April to Columbus Day (check).
A low-crime, rural-suburban county; the real risks are highway driving on MD-235, summer heat and ticks in the woods, and alcohol around the Solomons bar strip at closing time.
One and two days
No timed day plan for Lexington Park yet. Suggested stay: 1–2 nights. Build a day from the list below, mornings for the big sight.
- Patuxent River Naval Air Museum
- Naval Air Station Patuxent River
- Point Lookout State Park
- Solomons Island waterfront
Sources
Written by Voykit; facts cross-checked against these sources, last desk check 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change: check on the day.
- Maryland Department of Natural Resources — Point Lookout State Park: dnr.maryland.gov/publiclands/Pages/southern/pointlookout.aspx
- Wikivoyage: Lexington Park, revision 5209782 (CC BY-SA 4.0): en.wikivoyage.org/w/index.php?oldid=5209782
Pocket card
Cut along the border and keep it in your wallet. Show the local-script lines to a driver.
Lexington Park
To this address, please
To this address, please
My hotel (write the name and address in the local script)
- Police, fire, ambulance911
- Sheriff, non-emergency301-475-8008
No embassies here; national embassies are in Washington, DC, about 60 mi (97 km) north.
Tipping: 18–22% at sit-down restaurants, $1–2 a drink, 15–20% for taxis.
Voykit · checked 2026-09
Printed from Voykit (/lexington-park). Written by Voykit; checked 2026-09. Estimates only: confirm prices, hours and entry rules on the day.