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Voykit pocket guide · United States
Ocean City, Washington
Skip unless you want a quiet beach camping weekend: half a day on the sand is enough, then head to Ocean Shores or Aberdeen.
Ocean City is a tiny unincorporated beach town on the Olympic Peninsula's Pacific coast, best known for its wide, flat, sandy beach and the adjacent Ocean City State Park. With a year-round population of about 200, it has no downtown, no restaurants and no shops — just dunes, driftwood and surf. Most visitors come to camp at the state park or to walk the beach for a few hours. The nearest services are in Ocean Shores (5 min south) or Aberdeen (25 min south).
- Country
- United States
- Best months
- May–September
- Avoid
- November–February (cold, rainy, windy)
- 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
- Camping $30–50 (campsite fee plus gas) · Budget motel (Ocean Shores) $80–120 (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
- 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.
Get in
By air
- SEA · Seattle–Tacoma International Airport
- About 2.5 h drive via US-101 and WA-109; no direct public transport.
Typical fares
- Ocean City State Park campsite (standard)
- $30–40 per night (check)
- Gas from Ocean Shores
- About $4.00/gal (check)
Show 7 more sections and the pocket cardHideGet around, See and do, Sleep, Language, Etiquette, safety and scams, One and two days, Sources, Pocket card
Get around
Car required. The beach is walkable from the state park. No public transport within Ocean City.
See and do
Known for
- Ocean City State Park (camping)
- Wide, flat beach for walking and beachcombing
- Quiet, undeveloped coastline
Day trips
| Where | How | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Ocean Shores | 5 min drive south on WA-115 | 10 min |
| Aberdeen, Washington | 25 min drive south via WA-109 and US-101 | 30 min |
| Port Angeles | 1 h 15 min drive north on US-101 | 1.5 h |
Sleep
- Ocean City State Park
- 149 standard and 29 full-utility campsites; year-round reservations. No hotels in town.
- Ocean Shores
- 5 min south: motels, vacation rentals and a handful of restaurants.
Language
English everywhere, with strong regional accents; Spanish is the second language in the Southwest, Texas, Florida, California and New York. Some words differ from British English: restroom (toilet), check (bill), gas (petrol), trunk (boot), first floor (ground floor).
- Measurements are imperial: miles, Fahrenheit, gallons, pounds. 100 km ≈ 62 miles; 30 °C ≈ 86 °F.
- Small talk with strangers is normal and friendly; it is not a sales tactic.
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
- No shops, restaurants or gas stations in Ocean City itself — stock up before you arrive.
- Driftwood and seashells are protected; do not remove them.
- Keep distance from nesting birds, seals and other shore animals.
- Cell service may be patchy; download offline maps.
Very safe. Main risks: cold water, rip currents, and slippery driftwood on the beach. No violent crime reported.
One and two days
No timed day plan for Ocean City, Washington yet. Suggested stay: 1–2 nights. Build a day from the list below, mornings for the big sight.
- Ocean City State Park (camping)
- Wide, flat beach for walking and beachcombing
- Quiet, undeveloped coastline
Sources
Written by Voykit; facts cross-checked against these sources, last desk check 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change: check on the day.
- Wikivoyage: Ocean City (Washington), revision 3506436 (CC BY-SA 4.0): en.wikivoyage.org/w/index.php?oldid=3506436
Pocket card
Cut along the border and keep it in your wallet. Show the local-script lines to a driver.
Ocean City, Washington
To this address, please
To this address, please
My hotel (write the name and address in the local script)
- Police, fire, ambulance911
Voykit · checked 2026-09
Printed from Voykit (/ocean-city-washington). Written by Voykit; checked 2026-09. Estimates only: confirm prices, hours and entry rules on the day.